The Monk who sold his Ferrari

Master your Mind
Follow your Purpose
Practise Kaizen
Live with Discipline
Respect Your Time
Selflessly serve Others
Embrace the Present

Simple truths told by so many masters but how many would really plod through these worthwhile truths if narrated as a theory or philosophy. Robin Sharma succeeds in book after book to spin a an interesting story round these universal truths that you enjoy reading.

The Power of Authenticity 

Embrace Your Fears

Live with Kindness

Make Small Daily Progress

To lead your best life do your best work

Choose Your Influences well

Life's Simplest pleasures are life's Greatest Joys

The Purpose of Life is to Love

Stand for Something Bigger Than Yourself

A great sequel. The first one was about a high powered courtroom lawyer Julian Mantle who crisis ridden life forces him to pursue spirituality,the next is his relative Jonathan who is conned into travel across the planet to collect  some life saving secrets left behind by Julian before he disappeared.

Eat, Pray, Love -Elizabeth Gilbert

A marriage , a bitter divorce , a turbulent affair ,and Elizabeth battered and bewildered pursues a journey in search of pleasure , devotion and balance.A book about self discovery and acceptance.
 All too familiar a topic, but the style is so conversational at the same time so intense, that I found myself recommending it to all my women friends.Yet to meet someone who did not love it.

Normally sequels are a disappointment but I enjoyed reading Committed too.

'The Secret of the Nagas' and 'The Immortals Of Meluha - Amish Tripathi uha - Amish Tripathiuha'

I had not been much into Mythology and when I heard its a Shiva trilogy, I was reluctant to start.
 My daughter talked me into the first one The immortals of Meluha  .
 It was so interesting that I bought the second The Secret of the Nagas as soon as it was available and am waiting for the third...The Oath of the Vayuputras.

The first part 'The Immortals Of Meluha' is set in a time when Shiva wasn't a God. Shiva is hailed as a protector for the residents of Meluha. 

The second part 'The Secret Of The Nagas' is in the era where Shiva is deemed as a God. 
You need not know the myth one can enjoy it as pure fiction too.The narrative is compelling 

The Celestine Prophesy

Narrated in the form of a very gripping fiction ,woven into it deep philosophical ,spiritual and psychological idea,
The main idea being coincidences are not just random happenings but have a purpose.The main character undertakes a journey seeking the 9 spiritual insights found in ancient manuscripts in Peru.The story revolves round his travel to unearth these manuscripts before he gets to read them he actually experiences them all the while being pursued by powerful lobbies within the Govt, and Church.
Could not keep the book down till I completed it cover to cover.I guess it sort of matched my thinking that things happen in one's life for a particular purpose and that it not just a chance that you meet particular people or live in a particular place. In retrospect I feel every person I have been associated with, was there in my life because i had to experience certain things which however painful at that point in time has always been for my growth and has helped me evolve...

Some more inhabitants of the garden

A cement tank sunk into sand in the garden
houses black,white red Moulee.
Have added a couple of Angel fish ,Tiger fish and sucker hope they co exist ....

few more beauties

adenium

 Rosea Vinca a dark pink along with the lavender
flower which looks so like a orcchid

nameless still!

         White Rosea Vinca
Orange and Yellow Marigold

 Lavendor Orchid( ?) amidst white rosea vinca and marigold

 Marigold


and


Adenium

basking in the sun

Chirping Visitor

Managed to capture on camera through the bedroom window looks like a king fisher plenty of them around of late... 

Perched on the Gate  lamp A Brown and black bird

 The squirrels are noisier than the birds

And of course the common crow cannot not be there

kitchen garden

 A Melon sprouting?

                                                                    Bitter gourd  flower

Okra flower                                                        




 coconut trees supporting the frame for bitter gourd to spread on

Kitchen waste as manure for the young bitter gourd plant

butterflies and dragon flies love these beauties

My Garden is in full bloom attracting butterflies, dragonflies, bees and wasp .
Not yet learnt how to capture these fluttering visitors on the camera....

Made some abortive attempts ....

                                         

                                     

                                         

yet to find out the name

a croton plant flowers

adenium

orchid

Lantana

                                                                         Ixora bud

the nameless one

                                                     

 Dessert Petunia ?

 Crossandra ( Kanagabaram)

 Marigold

                                                                                           Lantana

                 The lavender flower next to the dark pink rosea vinca looks like an orchid.. is it?                                        

Orchid & orchid shed

What & Why of Maid Saga

I read an article in Metro Plus supplement of The Hindu newspaper, where the writer spoke about the revolving door through which household helps came and went in her home.

I have been working for the last 35 plus years and knew how dependant, most working women like me are, on domestic help. The idea that if I write about each one of them their quirks , their role in my life would make interesting content for a book was born. The title I decieded on was Maid Saga. Not having authored any book so far, was a big detterent, so I ended up posting whatever little I had written in my blog.Maybe one day when I have honed my skills at writing, a fullfledged book will be born....

That is the genesis of the series of postings on Maid Saga.