Preeti Shenoy's Blog, page 61

A cats paw (Blog marathon post 16)

If you see this next to my bed by 3.30 pm, you can be sure that it was a day well spent and that I would have left the bed only to make that cup of black coffee, and returned back to my writing.
I usually work from 9.00 am to 3.30 pm. I stop when the children come back from school.

There were three cups today. And come to think of it, I have worked a great deal today on the editing of my new book. There is a small chance that it might be out this December! I am really pleased with this very unusual novel that i have written. I am certain that you will like it too. But that is all I can disclose at the moment!

I  alsolearnt a new word today. Cat's paw.



Is having a Cat's paw in your life a good thing or a bad? I think it is terrible. I would hate to think that someone was a Cat's Paw in my life. It would be a disrespect not only to me, but also to the person in question.So what is the connection between Cat's paw and my new book? In my new book, there is a situation,where the protagonist feels like a Cat's paw. Whether she was justified or not--I can't tell!
To feel used is a  horrible feeling. And if you constantly feel used by people, it is time to rethink about that relationship.
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Buy my latest book: The One You Cannot Have



http://preetishenoy.com/

A cats paw

If you see this next to my bed by 3.30 pm, you can be sure that it was a day well spent and that I would have left the bed only to make that cup of black coffee, and returned back to my writing.
I usually work from 9.00 am to 3.30 pm. I stop when the children come back from school.

There were three cups today. And come to think of it, I have worked a great deal today on the editing of my new book. There is a small chance that it might be out this December! I am really pleased with this very unusual novel that i have written. I am certain that you will like it too. But that is all I can disclose at the moment!

I  alsolearnt a new word today. Cat's paw.



Is having a Cat's paw in your life a good thing or a bad? I think it is terrible. I would hate to think that someone was a Cat's Paw in my life. It would be a disrespect not only to me, but also to the person in question.So what is the connection between Cat's paw and my new book? In my new book, there is a situation,where the protagonist feels like a Cat's paw. Whether she was justified or not--I can't tell!
To feel used is a  horrible feeling. And if you constantly feel used by people, it is time to rethink about that relationship._______________________________________________________________
Buy my latest book: The One You Cannot Have



http://preetishenoy.com/

10 last things.(blog marathon post 15)

Every evening, we have a little ritual. I light the brass lamp that hangs from the roof in front of the altar, and then as I ring a small bell, lighting incense and sometimes camphor, I move it circles around the deity--in other words, perform an 'aarati'. Then my children and I sit down and say the prayers, which consist of several sanskrit shlokas. After that we annoit our foreheads with  sandal paste or  'Vibhuti' or 'Bhasmam' (holy ash).

Today as I was lighting the lamp, my daughter asked if she could ask me a question. I expected the question to be a simple thing like whether she could watch TV. Instead she said " Mom, I don't want it  to happen  ever, but a thought struck me. if you were to die in the next three days, what 10 things would you do?"

The question took me by complete surprise. I asked her why she had asked that and she said she doesn't know.

So I told her that it was an excellent question, and I would write a blog post on it.
In her typical way, she said "But you have to give me credit." I told her I would.

So to keep my promise to her, here are ten things I would do, if I were to die in the next three days.

1. Write a will. I would do it immediately. I am very practical that way.
2. Write a long long hand-written letter to Satish and my two children. I would recall our happiest memories and all that they mean to me, and how much I value them. I would also tell them to not weep for me when I am gone, and to cherish instead the warmth of our love. I would tell them to enjoy each and every day, because life is so unpredicatble.
3. I would repeat the same exercise as above for my closest friends. I would then ask satish to post the letters only when I am gone.
4. I would send an e-mail to Satish with the password of my e-mail accounts, my Facebook page and every other page online. (He already knows them, but he may not remember, hence the mail). He can close them if something were to happen to me.
5.I would take a ten million photos with my family and closest friends. I would dress up well in each photo and look gorgeous :)
6. I would quickly watch the movies that i have been meaning to watch. (yes I would! Once I die, I might miss it :) )
7.I will ask everyone who means something to me, to come home and I would hug them tight and tell them that I love them very much. The reason I would do this is that time would be wasted if I trvael to where they lived.
8.I will make my children promise me that they will be around Lostris (my doberman) after I am gone. She would never understand. (The thought of Hachiko breaks my heart)
9. I will definitely write a book in a day. I would write and write and write and write and write. The book is sure to be a best-seller as it would be the last book written, knowing i was going to die.
10.I would after all the above, feel a sense of peace. I would probably drink a lot, go dancing and then say a final good-bye smiling.
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Buy my latest book at a whopping discount  http://www.preetishenoy.com/books/the-one-you-cannot-have/buy-now/

http://preetishenoy.com/

13 things.Sunday Stealing.(blog marathon post 14)

Thought I would do a fun post today for the blog marathon. And hence I decided to do a Sunday Stealing:


1. Outside my window… 

is a large expanse of space, a tiny portion of which houses a small organic vegetable garden, currently canopied under a moonlit sky littered with millions of twinkling stars.

 2. I am thankful… 
for the people currently in my life, for my ability to write and connect with a lot of people, a beautiful family, a lovely home, and all of you--who read me.

 3. In the kitchen… 


You can do many other things other than cooking. ;-)


 4. I am wearing… 
 A happy feeling that comes from a day well spent.

 5. I am creating… 

A new novel and it is almost done!

 6. I am going… 
nowhere when it comes to my good friends. Am always there for them.

 7. I am reading… 
three books at the moment, 2 fiction (both romances by British authors) and one non-fiction.

 8. I am learning… 
that sometimes a little distance is a good thing.

 9. I am pondering… 
over whether you will like this post or not!

 10. A favorite quote… 
Many many! You can see the stuff that appealed to me here.

 11. One of my favorite things… 
A cup of strong black coffee

 12. A few plans for the rest of the week… 
Intend to attend the Independence day celebrations, and also to go on a day picnic over the weekend.

 13. A peek into my day…


Typical day goes this way: Call mom. Chat up for 15-20 minutes, sometimes more. Switch off phone. Meditate. Write. Rest. Write. rest. Write, write. Kids come back from school. Cook them a meal, spend time with them, talk to them. Write some more.

A new post tomorrow. This completes day 14 of blog marathon!
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pps:  If you like my writing---Buy my books! 
 http://www.preetishenoy.com/books/the-one-you-cannot-have/http://preetishenoy.com/

A happy memory (blog marathon post 13)

"A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.”
                               ---Washinton Irving


“I realized when you look at your mother, you are looking at the purest love you will ever know.”
                               ---Mitch Albom






My mother is visiting me these days. We had a great time today.
One of the greatest joy in lives, is when you can take your parents out and buy them lots of things, like they used to, when you were a child, and watch their faces light up in joy. And that is exactly what i did.


And then, we posed for a selfie :)


I feel so blessed.

If you are fortunate enough to have a mother, go call her today. Tell her about your day and ask her how hers went. And if you live in the same town as her, go visit her. Make great memories and click happy pictures.

Mothers are always special. Cherish them and love them.
Even if you don't always understand them :)

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pps:  If you like my writing---Buy my books! 
 http://www.preetishenoy.com/books/the-one-you-cannot-have/:
http://preetishenoy.com/

The people we meet. (blog marathon post 12)

Each  person we meet and  spend time with is a criss-crossing  paths---that of their life journey with ours. The foot prints they leave, we carry around in our hearts, knowingly or unknowingly, sometimes as a memory, sometimes as a personality trait and at times as a part of ourselves, often embedded so deeply,  a perfectly blended intrinsic part of us, we don’t even realise it is not our own.
A match of mental wave-lengths and the mental-connect you establish is hard to find. You may like one aspect of someone's personality, but may be totally incompatible in other areas. I have met people, with whom the conversation dries out in a matter of seconds and then I have people with whom I can speak for 101 nights and  101 days and still have topics to speak about.
 And then there are people who walk away. They go out of our lives, so that someone else, who has something for you, can take their place. If you have been closely attached to them, the pain as they peel away can be lacerating.

From each of the terrible relatioships/friendships that broke, we have learnt and we have grown. We have emerged better people because of it.
And sometimes, people act in insane ways,. All for  crazy funny thing called Love.In the end, that is all what counts. If you have it, hold on to it, believe in it and keep the faith—it is all going to be okay. _________________________________________________
If you like my writing go grab my books at some great prices! Hurry!
http://www.preetishenoy.com/#


http://preetishenoy.com/

A relationship that changed my life. (blog marathon post 11)

How can one meeting with a guy, who isn’t even your type dramatically, alter your life?  I met him one hot, sultry night and forty days later we were man and wife. I chucked my job in Mumbai, moved to a tiny town and in one swift move, fuelled by a love that can only be termed, in retrospect, a summer madness, I had gone from high-flying career girl to housewife.
 And I was happy as a lark.
Before I met him, I always presumed CAs were boring, taciturn geeky nerds with stiff buttoned up shirts. He shattered the myth.
 His Air Force upbringing, polished manners, love for reading, terrific sense of humour combined with a slight shyness and good looks were an irresistible package. He had a splendid job as a chocolate manufacturer but his life wasn’t all sweet and he had faced it’s blows, losing his mother to Cancer.
There was a very palpable chemistry between us and I hoped as hell, it wasn’t just in my head. The first time we met, we hit it off so well, we talked all night. 
Till he proposed, I died a hundred deaths.  I had heard of brides having second thoughts and pre-wedding jitters. I had none. I was so certain about him. 
If people could be songs all the guys I had dated, would have been 30 second ad jingles on a radio spot, while he was November Rain played on thousand watt speakers.
And fortunately for us, the music has lasted nineteen years and is still playing._____________________________________________________
ps: Had written this piece for Grazia.
pps:  If you like my writing---Buy my books! 
 http://www.preetishenoy.com/books/the-one-you-cannot-have/http://preetishenoy.com/

A picture post. A produce and the farmer ( Blog marathon post 10)

Thought I would make this a picture post. These are a couple of pictures clicked in the last one week, around my home, mostly from my organic terrace vegetable garden.

 Beans that I have grown on my terrace. I have an organic vegetable garden.

This is how it looked on the plant.





Fresh tomatoes from my Organic terrace Garden. My first tomato harvest. Regular readers may remember them from my first post.

 

Healthy green, fresh, fragrant mint! It grows so well. 
 And  the farmer :)


But of course that is not how I look when I am gardening :) I am too sweaty, dirty and involved to pose for pictures then! 
Gnite folks. New post tomorrow. 
Pssst: Don't forget to leave me comments if you are like my posts. Marathon is hard work you know and I could use a little encouragement._____________________________________________________________________
Read my latest book yet ?   http://www.preetishenoy.com/books/the-one-you-cannot-have/




http://preetishenoy.com/

6 reasons why you should invest time to read (Blog marathon post 9)

Picture of me reading by M.V.Ranna

 All of us lead such busy lives. We have impossible deadlines, tight schedules and a million other things to do in a short span of 24 hours. Before we realise it, time flies and it is bed time, with many tasks still uncrossed on the 'to-do' list which is ever-growing.
In between all this, why in the world should we spend precious time to read books?

 Here are 6 reasons why you should invest time to read.


1. Makes you smarter:  Research conducted in Stanford University has discovered that  when we read, blood flows to the brain. reading is a work-out for the brain. Everyone knows that to get those 6 pack abs or a 24 inch waist for women, with no-belly fat, you have to hit the gym and control your diet. Reading is a gym for your brain. It doesn't matter  what you read. it is the act of reading that counts. So go and read something that interests you and you enjoy.

2.Opens new worlds: There are whole new worlds out there waiting to be discovered. When we read we come to know about places we never knew existed. When you read history--how we came to be, why we have certain customs, how religion originated, how the industrial revolution changed the world and many such things, we are expanding our world-view. We become more open-minded.


3.Widens the imagination: Who would have thought about a magical world that existed when the back of the cupboard fell away? Who would have thought about an ocean at the end of the lane that could be contained in a bucket? Who would have thought about a tale of identical twins who inherit a home that overlooks a graveyard? What amazing fantasy lands exist between the pages of a book! And how delightful to be lost in it and travel to such fantastic places, while curled up in bed!

4.Connects minds: This I can tell you from personal experience--reading connects minds. A writer puts those words on the paper and even after many years, long after the writer is gone, he/she has made a mental connect with the reader. You enter another's mind. And if you discover someone who likes the same books as you do, the connect is instant. Sometimes, you get book recommendations from someone who matters to you.It might be a genre you have never tried. And if you like it, the connect with that person becomes stronger. Reading connects minds in more ways than one.


5.Solves problems: Many a time people write to me and tell me that they went through the exact same situation that my characters face. So many times, I have read books, and nodded my head in agreement at what the author is saying, because it is something that I would have undergone. The characters in great books show us ways, inspire us to persevere and become a little more than what we were. We become better equipped at problem solving when we read


6.Builds a good self image: Studies have shown that reading makes us feel good about ourselves. Self esteem is mostly lowered by criticism, rejection and failure. When we read more and more, we link thins we know and build a huge web of inter connected information---essentially wisdom. This makes us more empathetic, better skilled to solve problems and  we can instantly connect to characxters who have worries just like us--fear of failure, fear of being turned down by the one you love etc. Reading helps us understand our world  better and we are able to cope with our concerns. When you read you are indirectly building your self-esteem.

In case you say that you have no time to read, you might want to read my old post: 5 ways to make more time to read.

 It is a smart investment that you will make, when yo decide to read!
Happy reading folks. In case you are reading something interesting, do share in my comment box. Even if you are not, tell me what you think! I enjoy READING your thoughts  too :)
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Checked out my latest book yet?  Here is the link: http://www.preetishenoy.com/books/the-one-you-cannot-have/http://preetishenoy.com/

Do I tell you? A poem. (Blog marathon post 8)

Do I tell you?
Do I tell you about the way your eyes lit up,With a hundred questions unasked, unanswered.Or do I tell you about happiness multiplied manifoldWith precious stolen moments, cherished, treasured.
Do I tell you about the words unsaid, but perfectly understood,Each nuance amplified like it was on a giant billboard.Or do I tell you about the million racing thoughts,Whirling dervishes, a thousand stories enacted untold.
Do I tell you about the placid lake, blueness unbound,And the sun that played truant when the clouds danced.Or do I tell you about racing heartbeats uncontained,Gratitude, sheer contentment and bliss, triply enhanced.
Do I tell you about   the cherished memories made today,For a while ,when the world outside stayed across the boundary.Or do I tell you that narratives are only for proseAnd a perfect day like this was nothing but sheer poetry.  
© 2014 Preeti Shenoy
 
For more poems click here. Some poems have already appeared in print. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.
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 Get my latest book The One You Cannot Have for a whopping discount: http://www.preetishenoy.com/books/the-one-you-cannot-have/http://preetishenoy.com/