writing – Sugar And Spice… Among Other Things

Family and Society, Personal Musings, Reflections

Abstract to Doing

Posted on April 16, 2020March 29, 2020 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“Abstruse”. From Latin abstrūsus, which literally means “concealed.”
Means difficult to understand.

With the entire nation going into shutdown for almost a month, office hours translates to completing the current projects by the deadline, working from the temporary home office from the family homestead was the only available option. With my better half stuck in the hospital campus, keeping the children busy and entertained falls on the shoulders of yours truly with occasional help from my in-laws. While the initial few days saw unwarranted help and support from the “screen” as popular animation movies and cartoons; “boring” soon came into the regular conversation. Which is why the green board in the family room is sporting the word “abstruse” for the moment.

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Ameliorate. Means “to improve something”. Began as an 18th-century alteration of “meliorate,” the latter likely influenced by the French word améliorer (“to improve”).

With the spare time on hand as the daily commute is no longer there, the children have begun their “read and enact” lessons. To be honest, the initial days were more of a reading session while as of now, it is costume session where superman helps to eliminate the super-bugs in the vegetable garden. To keep their interest piqued, the green board sports a new word or a phrase on a daily basis.

Between the drama sessions, tree house encampment, ball games and home art; there is plenty of things to do to keep the young ones busy for now. As for the hours saved by the lack of commute, the benefits are seen in no longer being a part of the ranks of “tsundoku”, the set of recipes being experimented on, impromptu artwork gracing the shed-converted-to-studio and the sudden fits of castaways.

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As each of us go into “lock-down” situation in our respective places, there have been many alterations to the social calendar. While some which have been done away with won’t be missed, certain events which have been looked forward for have been lost out. The sudden uprooting of the daily routine, unprecedented job cuts or being laid off, salary deductions, loss of income, basic amenities and the like, all create an immense amount of mental pressure and stress.

Through all this, what may be salvaged should be given complete effort whereas, those wherein the situations can’t be changed, one has to review their options and make the changes as necessary. To rewind back and change the course of time is a feat which science and technology haven’t achieved yet. Instead what one can do, is to deal with the present scenario, appraise the resources at hand and move ahead. Life always has its’ own sudden curves. The way we handle those sharp turns changes the journey as time moves on .

Tsundoku (Japanese: 積ん読). One who acquires reading materials but lets them pile up in one’s home without reading them. Also referred to books ready for reading later when they are on a bookshelf.

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Daily, Family and Society, Life, Personal Musings, Quotes, Work

Penning the Gratitude

Posted on February 18, 2019December 5, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“Develop an attitude of gratitude and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.” -Brian Tracy

The other day when I had received a “thank you” note, numerous emotions and thoughts had surfaced in my mind. One of the lost arts of modern living is the art of saying “thank you”. To be very honest, the frequency of my gratitude for favours, gifts and time spent with dear ones has been slowly dwindling. To an extent, we are all caught by the crazy melee of the daily hustle that life throws us in. Yet when we scrutinize and retrospect, we realize that time can be actually made when we really want something to be done.

“Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it all into words is all that is necessary.” -Margaret Cousins

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It doesn’t take much to frequently write, text or forward a few lines to dear people that you love them. When there is time, the power of spoken words can balm the soul when tired, weak, drained or listless. We are all masters of our own time. To refer to the fact that we do not have time shows the misplacement of our priorities. It doesn’t take much time, just a few seconds to pen down a few words to our loved ones. It takes few seconds to jot down a few words of gratitude and hope to those who have brightened our day. Take time and write. It will not only please us but also spread the warmth around us as well within us. In these busy times, there are few dear people in our life that we can comfortably lean on and they need to be cherished. Even though we may start off late, infrequently and small, a few worded thoughts of kindness, love and gratitude a day can do wonders to all and can soon turn into a pleasant habit.

“Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life and you’ll find that you have more of it.” -Ralph Marston

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Daily, Food, Photography Art, Quotes

Art of Camellia sinensis

Posted on October 6, 2018October 6, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

If there is ever a concoction known as the “writer’s brew”, it may go to that prepared from Camellia sinensis. This popular aromatic beverage is known as “tea”. Originating initially in Southwest China, it began as a medicinal drink which slowly popularized to being a recreational beverage. Maybe it is the right combination of polyphenols, caffeine and L-theanine which helped tea beat down the stress and boost the creativity. Maybe it’s because of the latter, that tea can be labelled as the writer’s brew (although some writer’s may differ).

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For me, the tussle between “the theophylline”, “the caffeine” and “tisanes” are pretty strong. However without fail everyday, the morning is commenced by a pot of black tea with a liberal addition of milk or cream or sometimes sugar, depending on the mood of the hour. Preparing the morning tea is a very comforting procedure and brings back good memories to start the day. Besides there is something to be said about doing a routine which my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother had done every morning. As Muriel Barbery wrote in The Elegance of the Hedgehog, “When tea becomes ritual, it takes its place at the heart of our ability to see greatness in small things. Where is beauty to be found? In great things that, like everything else, are doomed to die, or in small things that aspire to nothing, yet know how to set a jewel of infinity in a single moment?”

This beverage has proportioned to become a culture. Come to think of it, every country has its own set of tea rituals. In India, every home starts the morning and evening with tea. Even guests are greeted with tea, not to mention office breaks and post-meetings sessions.The tea ceremony is different in Japan, where it is a cultural activity involving a cup of powdered green tea (Matcha) and savories. Where ever the place maybe, tea settles a lot many problems. To quote David Walliams in “Mr Stink”, ““In Britain, a cup of tea is the answer to every problem.
Fallen off your bicycle? Nice cup of tea.Your house has been destroyed by a meteorite? Nice cup of tea and a biscuit.Your entire family has been eaten by a Tyrannosaurus Rex that has travelled through a space/time portal? Nice cup of tea and a piece of cake. Possibly a savoury option would be welcome here too, for example a Scotch egg or a sausage roll.”

As for the varieties of tea, there is an endless list but it is not the same as herbal teas. As Bryan Lee O’Malley wrote in Scott Pilgrim, Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life, “What kind of tea do you want?”
“There´s more than one kind of tea?…What do you have?”
“Let´s see… Blueberry, Raspberry, Ginseng, Sleepytime, Green Tea, Green Tea with Lemon, Green Tea with Lemon and Honey, Liver Disaster, Ginger with Honey, Ginger Without Honey, Vanilla Almond, White Truffle Coconut, Chamomile, Blueberry Chamomile, Decaf Vanilla Walnut, Constant Comment and Earl Grey.”
-“I.. Uh…What are you having?… Did you make some of those up?”

All said, tea with its’ own variants like black tea, green tea, oolong tea and so on have become an art in its own right. For many generations , tea sets and porcelain have been heirlooms, thereby adding the rich tradition and culture to art.

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Personal Musings, poetry, Random Thoughts, Stories Around the World

“The Ancyent Marinere” taught us…

Posted on September 1, 2018August 31, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Farewell, farewell! but this I tell
To thee, thou wedding-guest!
He prayeth well, who loveth well
Both man and bird and beast.

He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all.”

- From "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1772-1834