Feb 2, 2015 Awake in Real Time: Coffee-induced Meditations and Journal Entries
Snow-Day, Feb. 3rd, 2015
By Vijaya Sundaram
What is it about Snow Days? I love them. I love the snow, too (used to hate it before daughter was born, but she changed my attitude).
If only we could SLLLLLOOOWWW Time down to a crawl (along with our metabolisms and our age), and extend such days forever, then the real world would never be able to encroach upon this unreal whirl of grayish white.
Of course, I speak as one who is comfortably ensconced at home.
I shudder to think of anyone out there who is not warm, not cared for.
Prayers (to my non-God gravitational force which governs all things) for all today who need them.
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Jan 28, 2015 Awake in Real Time: Coffee-induced Meditations and Journal Entries, Parenting/ Home-schooling / Family Music and other Notes, Teaching and Learning
The First Big Snow Day — 2015
(What I posted on Facebook, and didn’t want to forget about)
©Jan. 27th, 2015
By Vijaya Sundaram
January 27th, 2015:
A lovely morning. Slow wake up. Black coffee, and fantastic pancakes made by my husband, who used candied lemon peel, apple, granola, blueberry pancake mix from Stonewall Kitchen, and maple syrup. Took Holly out to the backyard, where she went crazy. There is nothing more satisfying and joyful than a standard poodle in the snow. She leaped around, rushed up and down, dug joyously, ate snow (not yellow!), and reminded me yet again that life is simply to be lived and enjoyed as long and as well as possible. Sat with S and did, of all things, geography. Capitals, states, facts, including Motor City and Motown music, which led us to listen to Al Green, Ann Peebles and Stevie Wonder. Diana Ross is next, plus a whole bunch of others. She now knows many capitals and all the states, and other related facts — all of which she soaks up at an astonishing rate. I LOVE being with my kid!
Now, it’s gnocchi time with delish sauce.
Bye, all! Stay safe and out of the snow, unless you’re enjoying it!
Later, that day:
After we studied geography together, S said to me, “I love it,” (referring to my teaching her), and added, “You’re a natural-born teacher.”
Feeling grateful that my child doesn’t mind her mother being her teacher.
Still later:
Inspired by a Facebook friend of mine, who said she made chai inspired by me, I am now going to make some chai too, before I go out and join my family on the snow-covered hill opposite our house.
If you’d like some chai, just sniff the aroma I’ll waft to all of you via FB. You can have some virtual chai, OR make your own: For four people, brew a thumb’s length of fresh ginger, six cardamom pods (crushed), cloves (three or four), black pepper (four whole peppers), a dash of cinnamon powder, or a stick of cinnamon together with two cups of water. When it comes to a boil, add black tea leaves or four black tea bags (take care to remove the tags), add two cups of milk and brown sugar or honey (two sugars for one cup, yes, that sweet), and boil the lot together for a minute. Strain it into four mugs. Voilà!
Still later:
Sledding, warm bath for frozen dog (who didn’t want to come in from being outside, but I forced her), hot chocolate with chillies and cinnamon made by hero husband (I idn’t make chai, after all — too late for that — will make it tomorrow), followed by cleanup of living room and kitchen, followed by guitar and singing in front of fire, followed by pizza with veggies, then ice cream, then several games of Set and Quirkle.
Feeling terribly fortunate and rather lazy now.
Tomorrow, I’ll go back to feeling guilty about the state of the world.
End of the day:
Can I say now (since I’m being so very public today about my happy day) that I love my family? And I love my husband, who has been loyal, supportive and loving to me all through our ups and downs in life together (even when I really didn’t deserve it), who has made us a lovely home, who is a beautiful father to our beloved daughter and also to our dog-ter, and who is a great musician, teacher and creative spirit, all at the same time. I remind myself of these things whenever I feel a passing grumpitude about silly things that pass me by like “an idle wind which I respect not.” Thank you, W!
Tags: Family time, Jan. 2015, Making Indian chai my way, music-making with family, Pancakes and gnocchi, Quirkle and Set, Sledding, Snow Day, Standard poodles and hot chocolate, Teaching and learning geography with my ten-year old
Mar 19, 2013 Awake in Dream Time - Journal Entries about the almost real, the surreal and the unreal, Awake in Real Time: Coffee-induced Meditations and Journal Entries
Snow Day–A Poem
©By Vijaya Sundaram
March 19th, 2013
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Woke up today to snow!
No school!
Feel like a child …
Alas, the feeling ends there.
Work calls.
I cover my ears
Pretend not to hear.
Nope. It’s insistent,
Like an unwanted visitor
Leaning on the doorbell.
Silence in the house.
No pulse stirs the walls,
Breath is suspended.
Lips parted, couched in bed, I wait,
Willing my intruder to vanish
Into the snow whence it came,
But it waits. It is patient.
I grumble and grouse.
I stop my ears with my fingers.
I go, la, la, la, la, la.
I arise, drink coffee, look out
See all that piled up snow.
I tend to my child,
Listen to my husband playing guitar.
But work always waits.
Quiet, brutally determined,
Work waits, arms crossed,
Infinitely aged and weary.
And I long for the quietude
Of my final rest.
I yearn, I yearn, I yearn
For my final rest.
Alas, I know my work
Will follow me there.
It is not to be spurned, rejected
Cast aside. It is wedded to me.
Sighing, I get up, allow my breath
To resume its rise and fall
And, with rueful smile,
I open the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~The End~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tags: #Original Poetry, #Procrastination, Snow Day, Work