Simple pleasures of life

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things


Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things


Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things


When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad"
(Source: Sound of Music)

This song reminds me of those simple things which we often tend to forget amidst our fast-paced lifestyle. We all run different races every day, every hour in our lives. Personal, professional, social races. Each with a different target, different pace, different style and strategy. Our minds are so pre-occupied with their ideas that we fail to take note of the small yet precious things around us. This song impressed me so much that it prompted me to remember all those simple things that I derive pleasure from and I started writing them down.

Walking bare foot on green grass gently covered with dew;

Sipping morning tea with newspaper in garden every morning;

Long evening walks and discussions with my soul-mate in winters;

Enjoying the sweet smell of "Night Queen" outside bedroom window.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee;

Watching the moving clouds and imagining pictures;

Plucking jasmines every evening; 
Making garlands of flowers.

To see my mom clad in a beautiful white cotton sari and hug her tight;

Rest my head in her lap and forget everything;
Listen to her talk, lullabies and poems;

Lie on my stomach like a baby and fall asleep.

Singing together with my daughter, and singing with her on tabla/guitar.

Covering her new books with brown papers and labels, and smelling them;

Yoga and dancing with my daughter;

Making sandwiches for her.


Watching "Padamati Sandhyaragam" and "HumTum";
Television soaps like "Bade Acche Lagte Hain";
Teletubbies and In the night garden;
Watching all of them with my family and discussing amidst comments and laughter.

Random painting and embroidery;

Penning my thoughts and observations;

Playing snakes n ladders;
Ans also carroms and magic vines;

Cooking simple vegetables;

Growing vegetable garden;

Having roses and poises in my garden.

Growing herbs in pots on kitchen window sill;

Stitching lacy white curtains for the bedroom windows;

And checkered curtains for kitchen and dining.

Browsing through lifestyle and interiors magazines over and over;

Musing and believing "Shopping is therapeutic".

Enjoying a good read with fritters and hot tea, and watching it rain from a window;

Chatting with friends and exchanging recipes;

Laughing together endlessly for "no obvious reason" while talking with friends;
Win a game of badminton.

These are a few of my favorite things...........................but,

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad


I simply have to learn to remember my favorite things
And then I won't feel so bad!!