A Nearly Power-less Dinner!

My grandma was on overdrive.  She had invited her first grandson and his wife, newlyweds, to her home for dinner.  The preparations had started nearly ten days ago, attention being given to every single detail.

Preferences of the new bride were carefully considered, various menu options were listed out and rejected, and finally clarity emerged from total chaos.  My grandmother had spared no effort to ensure that the new bride  would feel welcome, and part of our family.  It was her favourite grandson too!

We, her other grandchildren, were also caught-up in this excitement !  Running errands and eyeing the dishes, which were strictly not to be touched, or licked on the sly.  The whole house was squeaky clean. It was a small independent house, of modest means, with a lovely backyard that had coconut trees, neem trees, and a well for water.  My grandmother had outdone herself.

The day finally arrived, and by 6 p.m. the table was set.  My grandmother’s best crockery was on display, the cutlery shone, and there was the aroma of love and many well-cooked dishes, wafting in the air.

The newlyweds were due to arrive at 7.30 p.m.  At 6.00 p.m. all of us proceeded to get ready and look our best.  My grandmother came out radiant in a beautiful silk saree, elegant as always.  Our parents hovered around chit-chatting, while we played a game of Monopoly.

My grandma went around the house one last time, flicking away imaginary dust and straightening a couple of photo frames.

The clock showed 6.50 p.m. and then, without any notice, there was a power cut, just like that! Those were the days when frequent load shedding happened during the summer months. There was no generator to take over.

We panicked, as the adults scurried about lighting candles, hoping that our thinking faculties would be energized by the candle-light.

Suddenly, my grandma whooped, and said, “I have a brilliant idea. Let’s host this dinner in the back yard, by the well, a candle light dinner, under the moon and the stars.”

Now that we had a sense of direction and purpose, we kicked into action.

Back & forth; carrying, transferring, carefully balancing, till the open-air table was set. The cutlery sparkled even more under the moonlight.

Grandma lit candles all around the wall of the well, and the whole back yard looked transformed, infused as it was with a warm glow.

Just when we pronounced ourselves ready, the newlyweds walked in. They were taken to the yard, with much fanfare and giggling. The new bride seemed like a lot of fun.

Dinner was a fun affair, as family jokes were repeated, stories shared, and we tucked into one of the best dinners ever.

I caught my gran’s eyes as I went to refill my plate.

“We pulled it off, eh?”she chuckled.

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What’s in your Blogging Cupboard?

I am new to blogging, in fact 50-odd days old, a baby blogger if you could call it that. Today, I touched 52 blog posts. Yay!

The urge to write has been there longer than I can remember.  Did I ever feel any other way? Over the years, I’ve written on pieces of paper – words, phrases and articles that simply had to come out of my head, only to make space for other words and phrases that would take over my mind immediately.

Blogging has given me free rein to voice and express, to share and be liked, and the words are now increasing their flow, in bursts or waves, sometimes gently, sometimes in the middle of the night.  But I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Each time I see something I want to write about, the words start forming in my mind, in various permutations and combinations. Sometimes the words do not cooperate with my thought process, they do not lend their meaning to what I want to say.

I look at things and think of them as potential blogs.  And my blogging cupboard is slowly expanding.  Each time I want to blog, I open this cupboard.  A few jars in this cupboard have the staples – staple words that lay out the foundation for grammar and correct language on my blog, there are a few jars, which contain words with emotions, and words related to laughter, anger, sorrow, nostalgia, happiness and humour.

Then again, I have my spice jars of words – words that will add that zing to my writing, that will make people pause and smile. As with real spices, I add these in moderation, a bit of that word, a little bit of that expression, to get the perfect blend of words.

One of these jars contains, ‘freshly pressed’ words and expressions that my brain keeps coming up with, quite often in fact.  These words and expressions are filed away, waiting for the right blog that will host them.

My blogging cupboard has words, and more words, love, emotions and word-spices.  The recipe for every blog is different.  Sometimes, I get it wrong, sometimes I love what I concoct with these words.

My blogging cupboard is well-stocked, waiting to replenish itself each time a few words leave my cupboard to board a new blog.

Blogging times are here!