Happy New Year 2016

Hello Hello!!!

Wishing you all a VERY Happy New Year!!!

How were the holidays? Hope you all enjoyed some quality family time, and/or had time for yourself. I know some of you took vacations and I hope your travels were fun.

Sorry for the disappearing act last month. I was hoping to write a lot more than I did, but for some reason, whenever I sat to pen down things, I lost my motivation to write. I just wanted to read, read, read and so that's pretty much what I did during all my spare time.

We took a week long vacation to the Palm Desert in Southern California. From hiking in the snow at an altitude of 9000 feet with snow gear and a sled, to off-roading in a hummer at Joshua Tree National Park, we had a grand time. Throughout our trip, I never got tired of the 100's of windmills on I-10, always tuned to the winds, churning slowly, all day and all night long. The sunsets were fantastic as well. I fell in love with this area.

We were fortunate and were able to stay out of most touristy areas during our trip. We had rented a private condo, so we stayed out of the resorts. We also made most of our meals at home, so avoided the crowded restaurant scene. We saw lots of Christmas lights, met extended family, and even spent an awesome quiet but educational day at the local Children's museum.

The kids and I spent a few days after our trip at my sister's house, getting pampered by my parents. My mom cooked, cooked and cooked. We ate and slept, on repeat, during our time with them. She also cooked loads of stuff for us to freeze before she left for India last week. Mum is my star, and whenever I get lazy around the kitchen, one thought about her brings me back to action.

After my parents left for India on the 31st, we met loads of friends in the bay area. Conversations, dining out, games, coffee outings - it was a different kind of fun and relaxation.

When we returned home after 2 weeks, it didn't feel that we were very much in California the entire time. It felt we had traveled several countries and met so many people. We saw snow, rain, desert, new vegetation, Joshua trees, loads of cacti, windmills, tons of airplanes at the Air Museum near SF, rolling green hills and cloud covered vistas during our drives....and so much more. Nature truly treated us this time, and I am very grateful for that.

Our local friends waited for us to celebrate the new year, so once we returned, we partied with them and caught up. Here are a couple of pictures from the party....the kids' gang and a family portrait...

I gifted myself a "kindle unlimited" subscription for my birthday in November, and since then, I've read atleast 30 books, if not more. I stayed up on most nights after the kids slept to read, and after ages, I felt satiated on that front.

The kids are back in school, and I am back at work as of this morning. We are rested, and relaxed, and are looking forward to a couple weeks of solid rain and snow in NorCal. We have more outings planned for later this month and then again in Feb, and I can't wait for summer when I have 2.5 months off this - Sabbatical - can't wait to start planning it!!

What are your 2016 plans :)? I'm listening!!

Happiness is....

:: Realizing I only have to work 6 more days this year :) :)....I will be spending my time off with mum, dad, husband, kids, nephew, sis, bro-in-law....SO looking forward to it!!!

:: Waking up each morning to my son cuddling up next to me and whispering "Hello Madame, Morning! What can I do for you today"?. He sure knows how to treat his girl right!!!!

:: Waking up each morning next to my daughter cuddling to keep my feet warm, and always ready to shower hugs and kisses with her dazzling smile.

:: The husband packing snacks and lunch for me on most days. He throws in surprises every day, which I really look forward to on opening the containers. He also makes tea on most mornings and keeps my flask filled and ready when it's time to leave. Don't be jealous - I know he's a keeper!

:: FaceTime with mum n dad n nephew, every.single.day!

:: Impromptu lunches with girlfriends.

::  Gobbling up Christmas cookies from friends and neighbors - SO good!

:: Reflecting on a successful Maker workshop with elementary school kids; seeing how their little creative minds are ignited with passion to code and make, play games, and do some cool experiments with the maker boards.

:: Being in NorCal - Fall colors all around town, Snow an hour away, beach a couple hours away, and the warm sunshine even during the chilly winter days!

There is lots more, but this is it for today!

Fall in Folsom....

Fall is one of my favorite seasons of the year. Our little town lights up in glory with orange, yellow, red, and brown trees all over.

I used to really enjoy walking from the overflow parking lot at work to my desk during this season. This year, they have chopped off most of those gorgeous trees that I had come to love, and cherish. Why - you may ask? It's because Intel is huge on solar power, and they have converted the open parking lots to covered structures and have put solar panels on top. Most folks really appreciate parking their car under the shade during those scorching summer months. But I feel bittersweet about the whole thing. They have taken away the entire beauty of the campus, in my personal opinion. This is how it looked in previous years....

Most of these trees are gone :(. This does not even show the overflow lot. I used to love getting in early at work in summer, and choose to park my car under a large tree in the overflow lot. And when I would leave work around 5pm, the temperature would be at its peak, often above 100F. But under the lovely shade of the gorgeous tree, my car would be covered, and cool. On most days, I wouldn't even need to turn the AC on right away, just airing out the car would work fine. I'm going to miss that going forward!!

This row of trees is the next in line to be chopped this month. Doesn't it make you cringe :(? or am I the only one feeling this way?

Other than the campus, the town still looks pretty. And thankfully, we have our gorgeous parks, with large, mature trees. And for now, they are here to stay!!!

San Bernardino

As I cruised through my daily routine, I learnt about the shootings being reported in San Bernardino. The fear that these mass random shootings are causing is humongous.

I recently took a class at work on self defense. We learnt about how to protect ourselves in dangerous situations. It was a hands on class taught by ex-military personnel and a Martial Arts instructor who is also an Intel employee. And I was feeling good about equipping myself with the tools that I learnt in class. But all that is useless in situations of such random, senseless shootings. You just have to be present at the wrong place, wrong time and your life will either be gone or forever be altered.

A friend of mine asked me out for a movie earlier this week, and I felt terrified of just the two of us (girls) going to the theatre alone at night. I asked her to wait until weekend so that we could go during the day. And as taught in my self defense class, I'll be sure to sit where they recommended, and be aware of all exits and surroundings. To live with such fear, day in and day out, is crippling. And by God's grace, nothing has happened to me or my family....yet. Still, there's this terror that numbs me every single day.

When I think about my kids, I get tears in my eyes. I do my best to keep them safe, but anything can happen anywhere, anytime. Shootings, abuse, bullying, drugs, depression - there is so much to deal with. My housekeeper's niece was recently caught doing drugs in middle school. Our town is notorious for drugs. My children are still young and go to private school, but eventually, a lot of these things will come into play for me, and I will have to educate them. I don't remember growing up with so much fear.

I feel helpless at times, but I also believe in doing whatever you can to make a difference. I helped a few friends from Chennai today with information on how to get in touch with their family. I trained all my daughter's elementary school teachers for a maker workshop that I am doing for the kids on Friday. I covered for two of my colleagues at work who are on vacation. In my own little ways, I try to pay it forward.

And I hope and pray for the victims and their families!

Making up for the lack of posts this year....

I don't think I have a good reason for not writing much this year.

If at all there is one, my attempt to read more books made writing suffer. I read a lot of fiction this year, including some chick flicks, which is extremely rare for me. But routine life was just too busy and at times stressful, and I could not read heavy stuff.

I'm going to try and post as much as I can this month. Most of it will be random musings. There's a lot going on due to the holiday season. The kids have events and performances at school, the husband and I are flying to attend his niece's wedding, spending time with mom and dad before they head back to India end of this month, and some short trips thrown in between during the kids's school break.

Thanksgiving weekend was very relaxing. We decided not to travel, and enjoy some downtime at home. Lots of good food, lots of playdates with neighbors and friends, playing games and doing puzzles, reading books, and tons of sleep. It was good!!!

We took the kids to the snow one day. Snow trips are a TON of effort, mostly from my end. I had to buy all new gear as they grew out of stuff from the past. I pulled out my thermals from last year. I've had them for 15 years now, and the moment I put them on, I step into the memories of all the years they've kept me warm and cozy in the snow. On our drive to the snow park, the kids were excited, and very curious. They simply could not wait. They ate, and talked, and ate, and talked. All the snacks I'd taken for the day were consumed even before we reached our destination :).

They did have a ton of fun....especially as they had company this time around. We forgot to build a snowman, but they went sledding, and took walks in the bright jungle (as they called it :)). They had even more fun at the coffee shop we stopped by on our way back....it's a neat little place run out of an old miner's cabin, with a cave to explore. They serve delicious organic, vegetarian meals and their drinks are to die for. Our kids had hot chocolate for the first time. They also have a karaoke room for performances and the kids had fun getting up on the little stage to act and sing.

I hope California gets more snow this year...and I really hope Chennai gets a respite from the rains!

A terrific festive week...and Happy Diwali to you!

Happy Diwali to all of you....may this New Year usher in peace, joy, love, and lots of new adventures and experiences for you and your family!

We also celebrate our New Year the day after Diwali....and if you do as well, wish you "Nutan Varshabhinandan"!!

I just got back from an amazing Archery event with my team - it was a small celebration for all the IP Patents we have filed this year.

Later this week, we have another team building event with our larger team, and we are playing Frisbee Golf.

The kids have a day off from school on Diwali...as it falls on Veterans' Day this year. So I plan to light diyas, make some sweets and savories, do Rangoli crafts, and enjoy quality time with them at home.

And since we are so close to Thanksgiving time, the daughter and I are working on a Turkey Disguise project for her school. Combining our festive season with Thanksgiving, we chose our National Bird, the Peacock, as our disguise. We have real feathers to decorate it with, and sequins, and glitter paper - I'm looking forward to how it will turn out :)!

One big Diwali event with the Gujarati Samaj of Sacramento was done last week. The daughter, husband and I all performed in dances, and I also handled all the music and slide show for the event. It was crazy busy leading up to the event, and the day of....but it was extremely rewarding to serve the local Gujarati community here. As I've mentioned before, we are slowly building relationships with a few Gujju families that is only getting stronger as time goes by, and we are giving our children a solid connection with people who share our culture from back home.

I've come a long way from dreading the winter months in this country to really looking forward to the festivities. I can safely call this country my adopted home now, and feel that sense of belonging, which has taken years to develop!

How are you celebrating? Please share.

What makes me feel alive....

:: Helping a local Indian mom, practically a stranger to me, with international child abduction. Using my network to line up lawyers, paperwork, finances, tickets, etc within a couple of days. And more importantly, providing strength, trust, and a listening ear....

:: Cooking a Gujarati lunch for my American friend and admin at work, who just finished chemotherapy and got an all clear on her illness. She loves our simple homecooked meals, and spoils my children rotten. And even though she is the one who is sick and recovering, she ALWAYS bakes cookies for us and brings them every single time we meet.

:: A movie date night with a longtime friend's wife who is new to my part of the country. Shopping, dining and travel tips, tidbits on life with 2 kids and work-life balance, and providing a listening ear to her daily struggles as she settles down here....

:: Volunteering to make a fall rainy day gift basket for the daughter's school. A first for me. And in the process, connecting intimately with 2 moms who were part of my team. Learning about African culture, their life story, their kids. Sharing a bit about us too.

:: An invitation to volunteer and support World Relief Sacramento, which helps refugees settle into the Greater Sacramento Area. The Syrian crisis is still on my mind, and I will use this opportunity to do something about it.

:: Through a volunteering position on the Executive committee for a local non-profit, it's been a pleasant surprise to find a group of like-minded Gujaratis who have extended our close circle of friends and family here. Kids have also found new best friends, and we are hoping for lots of fun times ahead with this group.

:: A calorie busting, sweat dripping cardio workout at home. And the sweet pain that follows. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWy_aOlB45Y

:: And last but not the least, Chocolate!!!! THIS Orange Marmalade chocolate and it's wrapper.....you can't beat British classiness....