Garden Walk, Garden Talk

Every time I visit my home in my native town, my garden has a new story to tell. This time it was mostly about sunlight. Sunlight truly changes the mood of the garden. The sun has an amazing ability to spotlight the roses in the garden.

Flowers rock...I mean who can resist a gorgeous flower? But the roses in the garden are special. They have a special charm, a feeling of belonging, unlike the ones in a florist's shop.

 

There is this 'attitude' that every rose bud has and it depends on its colour. This baby pink one is looking so subtle. It requires that you slow down, take your time and have a closer look.

 

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."

This lovely Parijat affects me immensely. The flowers bloom at night and by dawn, they fall to ground. The orange stem has a heavenly fragrance. I googled for its English name and found that it is 'Coral Jasmine' Perhaps the only flower with a coral coloured stem.

The new entrant in the herb garden is Mr Mint. It grows really fast and comes handy in cooking too.

These flowers and plants have a sense of tranquility. They don't yell out to the camera, begging for attention like some others, they whisper. They have a poise, an elegance.

Quote to Ponder

Sometimes when you fall, you fly.

It watches us

 We all pretend not to look at it. But it looks at us at all times. It keeps a watch on us from every angle.  It acts like a quality gate for every decision we make. It is our own personal judiciary system. It makes us play the role of a judge, the convicted, the advocate and the witness; all at the same time. 

As we struggle to eat a pizza with the fork and knife, it giggles.

As we sneak out a paper chit to copy answers in an exam, it nudges us.

As we try to fit in a plush party with a fake attitude, it nods in our head.

It is our conscience. It just asks one question – “Is it right?”  and it is just this question that makes it so powerful. 

 

Etiquette Mantra

I just learned this lovely little etiquette tip and I am going to follow it from now. When you introduce someone, you should always say their name first and their relationship to you second.

Incorrect: "This is my brother, Neal."

Correct: "This is Neal, my brother" 

In this way, you highlight the person and not his or her connection to you. A small thing but a great point of view.

Only Hope....

   'A Walk to Remember'. I love this book by Nicholas Sparks. And I love the music album by Switchfoot. I am listening to 'Only Hope' and I am so deeply touched by the song. I remember each and every page of the book. I can feel each and every moment that Jamie and Landon go through in the book. Jonathan Foreman has so aptly composed this song. Very soulful. The song is like a gist of the whole story.

   So to say, I am not that fond of reading love stories. I have never been able to digest the 'Mills and Boons' category. But then, 'A Walk to Remember' was one of those very few romantic novels that I loved, loved and just loved! A simple love story presented in a simple manner. It has nothing new to it but still its not stereotyped. One will understand the whole plot by reading the prologue but still every page of the book is just so beautiful.

  And now this song! The movie is okay but the songs are just amazing. Switchfoot and Mandy Moore have done a great job indeed.