I just finished seeing the movie, Julie and Julia. For someone who is totally passionate about writing as well as cooking the story was something I could truly connect with.

I remember when I started blogging I too was in the exact same situation as Julie Powell in the movie. Lost! Since I was spending most parts of days by myself, I needed an outlet. I also wanted to start putting my writing out there to get a better idea on how to improve my thoughts and skills. I believed I had something to say that was worth listening to.

Slowly the concept grew and now I have 5 blogs, each that I maintain for different reasons. Poems, Musings, Stories, Books and Our Daily Life. Each one is just as precious to me as the other. And each time I publish a new post, I hope the one reading can connect to it ... at any level. This effort of mine finds it's goal. A means to an end, to reach out and touch another.

The same goes for my cooking. I am a total foodie and Love to cook. The cleaning up after not so much. I cook delicacies that always bring a content smile to my hubby's face. I would rather work in the kitchen for 4 hours cooking up something exotic, than spend half an hour cooking a basic meal of pulses, veggies and breads. That is my boon and my curse. Sometimes I use a recipe from a trusted source, other times it's a concoction of 5 recipes from the internet and other times it's a product of my imaginative palate. I love the sizzle in the pan, the changing colors of a dish, the aromas that fill the house with hunger and the flavours that satisfy the cravings of my inner soul.
End of the day, both my blogs and the cooking give me something to do and get artistic with. They fill me with a sense of joy every time I click on ' Publish Post ' or serve up a dish. I feel a sense of inexplicable accomplishment. It may not mean much to another but it fills me with pure happiness.

The movie is a true inspiration to those of us who started a blog for unknown reasons, with whatever theme we chose. Just like Julie felt in the movie. She wanted to give herself a direction while working on her penmanship. And she did do that. 524 recipes in 365 days. She found a voice, became popular by some weird quirk of fate and went on to writing books and inspiring movies. Julia Child, her inspiration never quite approved of the blog but then it wasn't about ever supposed to be about cooking. Julie Powell agrees that she never claimed to be a good cook. The blog was supposed to be about living.

I believe that is what any blogger is working towards. To give direction to a part of their life, be it their writing, art, recipes, thoughts or feelings even. For me blogging is all that and more. It's a way of life, an inspiration, something to do and a hope.

V day was coming up and I was super excited. Not just coz the world would be celebrating love, but becoz I'd be telling all the people I cared for, how much they mean to me.

For a person who just needs an excuse to have fun and celebrate life in all it's glory, this was the perfect excuse. Cmon!! I'd already made a photo book of our recent vacation with quotes and surprised hubby dearest with it.

So naturally, I expected something/anything to come from the one person I love the most. Dinner, a card, flowers, a rose, or maybe just an e greeting ??!! That's not much, is it??

Yet, this year someone had stubbornly decided to sidestep this much hyped, media favorite holiday and staunchly avoided doing ANYTHING other than wishing me a "Happy Valentine's Day !" in the morning.

So, to say the least I was severely dissappointed and I let it be known by bickering all day long and deciding to enjoy the evening with a movie, a bag of chips and a glass of gingerale.

And then the next day, my friend sent me pics of her valentine's day celebrations and I was washed over by guilt. Her pics were of a candle light dinner at home with a home made scrumptous meal and a beautifully decorated table.

"You IDIOT!!", my conscious said to me," If you wanted a special celebration, you could have done the something like that too right?? You were so busy expecting something that you forgot that you could do some celebration all by yourself too. You forgot that just two days earlier, the same guy took you out for lunch and a movie and then roamed around at 12 in the night to get dinner. You forgot that the same guy jumps at the chance to pamper you and take care of you whenever you need it the most. So what more to you need ?? "

And so began hours and days of cooking yummy delicacies for my hubby dearest to make up for my callous behaviour.

The day after, hubby got shocked looks from his collegues when he resplied that he didn't do anything for valentines day when asked. My sad face and their surprised expressions made him feel that his wife did deserve a little something special! Consequently he went all the way out after work and bought a variety of chocolates from Godiva.

We apologized to each other and went on the enjoy another wonderful meal, followed it with satisfying our sweet tooths till their tummy hurt...

Lesson to be learnt :  When every day is a day filled with love, even if you miss a celebration eventually you end up end up living it up every day after ... :))

I'm upset these days, unnecessarily I might add. Picking up a single object to put it in it's place seems like a chore for it seems so difficult to remember where it belonged. The physical clutter in my life seems to be taking up space in my mind as well. I need to organize, de clutter and ruthlessly. Make space for thoughts, words, myself and my life.

Today was a productive day. I  put away notebooks and pencils and diaries in all corners. Then I went around systematically throwing away any and all papers I found. Relocating boxes on shelves, as if I was compartmentalizing my thoughts. If only it was that easy. Yet, it was astonishingly theraputic.

I wonder if a trip out of town, to do nothing but write would do the same for me, for that's what I feel I need these days. A couple of days on the beach, removing the stench of the all that's suffocating me.

For now, I'm on my sofa - warm and toasty tickering away on my lappie and this feels just as good!!