Three Shots



The first shot: this is me at Bolivar Peninsula March, 2014. I easily get sunburned. The sun visor helped a little bit in protection. We spent the whole day out, and got back home at ten at night.

My daughter visited in August last year. We went downtown. You can see my face peeking out when I posed for this shot.

This shot shows our perfect host Sh with a guest at the Thanksgiving lunch she invited us. Sh is the one holding the Turkey dish. It was baked to perfection, moist and soft. Towards her right you can glimpse her daughter in the background.

I never liked the creamed potatoe concoction (it’s visible in the photo), but on this occasion I liked it for the first time. Everything was simply delicious.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/three-perfect-shots/

My Backpain

Not for Thee
by Ben Huberman
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received that you wouldn’t give to anyone else? Why don’t you think it would apply to others?

About three months ago I was having severe pain in my lower back. In my mind I tried to find out a reason for it.

Having no insurance, I kept putting off a visit to a doctor. The pain was getting unbearable. It was at its worst in the mornings when I got up from bed.

My first thought was to change my bed, and buy a new one. It was bought a year back, so probably there was nothing wrong with it.

Finally I couldn’t ignore going to a doctor. The doctor turned out to be a very sweet person. She allayed my fears of my kidneys giving up on me (my chief worry).

She prescribed two sets of pills. One was to be taken at bed time only, and the other twice a day as long as my pain persisted. I took the medicine for a month. I was sleeping day, and night.

I couldn’t exist that way for the rest of my life, I discontinued the use of the medicine. The pain returned.

I was talking to my daughter on the phone (a daily ritual), I grumbled to her about the whole thing. She came up with a solution. She told me not to put weight of one leg over the other one. She told me to extend my top leg, while sleeping on my side (as in fig. B).

The next day I felt better. I can’t give this advice to someone else. The symptoms, or illness may not be the same. But my daughter’s advice worked for me.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/not-for-thee/
http://wp.me/p23sd-ogH

Pluses and Minuses

Oil, Meet Water
by Ben Huberman
Of the people who are close to you, who is the person most unlike you? What makes it possible for you to get along?

There is a resemblance between Nola (my daughter), and myself, but physically, and temperamentally we are unlike each other. She is five seven in height, and I am five one. She is calm, and cool, where as I can call anxiety my second name.

Her memory can be compared to Wikipedia, and I have waylaid mine in some far off place. Maybe the memory gene is missing. Every year I forget my grand daughter M3’s birthday. It actually falls on 19th October, and I mix it with 19th November, a month too late.

Nola should have been a lawyer instead of an engineer. She can win any arguments hands down. I lose it before it even starts.

I am terribly indecisive. Nola has given me a fool proof method to decide; which is: to write down the plus, and minus points of a decision. If the plus points are more, that should weigh in favor of it. I keep on fretting over a problem till Nola decides it for me, (and before I forget “Thank you Nola”).

We love each other, as we are mother, and daughter. What better reason can there be?

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/oil-meet-water/
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My Zodiac Sign

Custom Zodiac
by Ben Huberman
You’re tasked with creating a brand new astrological sign for the people born around your birthday — based solely on yourself. What would your new sign be, and how would you describe those who share it?

Being a Scorpio made me hesitant in telling my birth sign. Now look at this:

I wish the image of the scorpion wasn’t there. It gives me the creeps. Poor me! I am stuck with it. If I can change it, I will make it like my own image.
Here look at this now.

Isn’t it much better without the dreadful picture of a Scorpion.

For others born under the same sign if I could, I would change it to a star. Look at this:

Doesn’t the sign of a star look better than a scorpion? At least it doesn’t make me cringe when I look at it.
http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/custom-zodiac/
http://wp.me/p23sd-nTx

Neither

Daily Prompt: Next in Line
A second #Royal Baby will soon be joining the Windsors in England. Given the choice, would you rather be heir to the throne, or the (probably) off -the -hook sibling?

I don’t hanker for either. We look at the trappings of royalty, but don’t look at the lack of freedom in their lives.

A person in power has too much responsibility. If a single soul is unhappy under him, he will be taken to task by God (my belief).

The other sibling grows with feelings of inadequacy, feeling un-important.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/next-in-line/
http:/wp.me/p23sd-nkZ

The Invitees

Daily Prompt: Seat Guru
You get to plan a dinner party for 4-8 of your favorite writers/artists/musicians/other notable figures, whether dead or alive. Who do you seat next to whom in order to inspire the most fun evening?

What Fun! I am having butterflies in my stomach at the thought of having Oprah Winfrey, Stephen King, Umera Ahmed, and Bapsi Sidhwa to dinner. First let me write them an invitation:
Dears, please come and have dinner with me on such and such date. You don’t know me, but I promise you once you get to taste the food I cook, you will be hooked for life. You will be dropping uninvited to eat at my table. It’s another matter that I don’t have one (I disposed off the dinning table, after R passed away), but let not that deter you from coming. I am sure we will manage with the smaller tables lying around.
Looking forward, Sheen.

Then I will wait for their replies; that is if they deign to reply. Now who knows Sheen?

Okay, maybe they were intrigued by my invitation, and decided to accept.

I know I will be in a frenzy of excitement. Once the initial excitement pepper down, I will have jitters. I know…… I know…. Why did I get the idea in my fuddled head?

Now wait, this was the daily prompt’s idea. Why did I act on it? Why did I get myself in this situation?

After repenting thoroughly, I will try to gather my failing spirits, and google the invitees preferences in food. That done, I will get the food supplies. Why did I exaggerate my cooking capabilities? That was not a good idea?

Write in haste, and repent at leisure. Now what was the actual saying? It was probably doing in haste, something like that. Wasn’t it?

I have heard the cars arriving. I am here at the door to receive them. I will let them decide where they want to sit. I can only hope that they enjoy the food I have cooked. I will ask Umera and Bapsi to sign the books I have with me, once dinner is over, but let them not hear it just now.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/seat-guru/
The Invitees

Three Moods

Daily Prompt: Frame of Mind
If you could paint your current mood onto a canvas, what would that painting look like? What would it depict?

My three moods.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/frame-of-mind/
Three Moods

A Typical Day

Daily Prompt: Rare Medium
Describe a typical day in your life — but do it in a form or in a medium you’ve rarely — if ever — used before. If you’re a photographer, write a poem. If you’re a poet, write an open letter. If you’re a travel blogger, write a rant. (These are all examples — choose whatever form you feel like trying out!)

A day of my life through sketches

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/rare-medium/
A Typical Day

The End of the Story

Daily Prompt: Verbal Ticks
Is there a word or a phrase you use (or over use) all the time, and are seemingly unable to get rid of? If not what’s the one that drives you crazy when the others use it?

My son S, IB and I on IB’s birthday. 30th May, 2014.

Some years back, my son S used to end anything he was saying with the words, “the end of the story.”

He would say it, at the end of whatever he would be saying. I used to be so irked with it. Later on I got used to it.

After sometime I noticed, I used the same words over and again. It was becoming repetitive, and it sounded so trite. S doesn’t use the words now, but I am still using his phrase unconsciously. I try to catch myself, whenever I can to stop saying it.

Guess?
S has a new phrase. Nowadays if S and I are arguing, he ends his argument by saying, “you will know, and the blacksmith will know.”

What has the blacksmith to do with me? Why he comes in the picture?

I have no idea, and S has no answer for it.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/verbal-ticks/
The End of the Story

Moments In Life

Daily Prompt: Moments to Remember
What are the three most memorable moments — good or bad, happy or sad — in your life? Go!

Beautiful Moment
When I became a mother for the first time. The joy which filled my heart was indescrible.

Sad Moment
The day my daughter got married, and I realized my life would never be the same. She wouldn’t be, where I was. Whenever I see the video, (which is very rare) the moment her in-laws escort her in their midst, my head goes down and I start sobbing, exactly the way I sobbed at her going away.

Happy Moment
The birth of my first grandson Humzah.

Sad Moment
My son leaving for US to do his Masters in Electrical Engineering.

Happy Moment
The birth of my grandson TJ, my daughter’s son.

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Sad Moment
The death of my husband, knowing we were parting in this life.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/03/25/prompt-moments-to-remember/
Moments In Life

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