That Second Wind

There are days when I rely heavily on a second wind. The night before, I dream of all the things I'm going to accomplish and write out my to-do lists and then suddenly as 8,9 0r 10am rolls around, nothing has been done. Laundry sits. Bills beckon. Dishes are still in the sink. And then suddenly out of nowhere, an energy beam comes bursting through.

Refreshing, energizing, resplendent with that oomph that I need. Suddenly what I didn't do in the last three hours I somehow accomplish in one hour. Of course, the nut that I am starts to create more projects thinking, "Hey, I've got energy..why not do this...or that?" But that's okay too. At my age, I try to grab onto as many of these energy surges as possible.

I think of how my parents are so full of vitality in their seventies. They have amazing levels of enthusiasm and energy. My parents can fly from CA to FL and arrive as fresh as flowers. They're ready to talk for hours and sight-see almost immediately. You put me on a two-hour flight and I'm ready for a soft bed and a nap! Thankfully, naps are a great way to "earn" second winds. After a good 30-minute snooze, I am ready to take on the next set of to-do's. Now all this talk has me ready for bed...it is 12:15am you know. What will tomorrow bring? The 8am jolt? Or the 11am refresher?

The Clothes we wear

It's month seven now and I feel ever so big. The beauty and the glow I felt in my first pregnancy was wonderful. It was the summer of 05' and I loved wearing the floral dresses and loose tops and pants. But a winter pregnancy is a totally different story with all the added weight of warmer clothing. It's hard enough having a big tummy with a little one moving so rapidly inside and then to layer on clothes to stay warm...well you get my drift. Jewelry has been a good outlet for me as that I can wear no matter what size I am. And of course, every gal has gotta have good shoes. Saloni loves picking them out for me. And even though they may not match, I put them on just for her. She loves playing "fashion show" and I love entertaining that idea!

Speaking of which, the Children's Home Society Hope for Design Fashion Show was yesterday and it went great. My handbags matched nicely and it was nice to get out and market myself and Sunisha Designs. I have always loved fashion and the positive effect it can have on people, especially one's mood. When I get to move on from these elastic paneled pants to my old chinos, my smile's going to be a lot wider.

You see, getting dressed up helps me look and feel my best. And right now, I feel as though I'm "schlepping" around in these clothes - some of which are my husband's old shirts! We had a good laugh today when I came down and he took one look at me in his pajama pants and said, "It's funny seeing you pregnant." I couldn't agree more. I am a fashion nut and even in the worst of times like to dress well to get through the moment. For now, I'm trying my best to enjoy the next few months of wonder and growth. And party I will when I get to come down and be in my own clothes and old size with a beautiful baby in my arms.

Oh, it was in the News?

I confess that I'm not very good at keeping up with the news. Sure, I love reading the daily paper when I get that rare chance these days. But as far as keeping up with world news, politics, leaders, etc., I rely heavily on my husband and friends. It's not that I'm not interested. I even used to subscribe to the Wall Street Journal in my 20's and read it cover to cover. But these days, how much can I swallow? There are so many channels of news, so many versions and so many subjects, I'm about "newsed" out!

We stayed up watching a Hitchcock movie last night and in it a doctor made a profound statement. He said, "I don't recall ever prescribing the daily news to any of my patients." I don't blame him. I think I'd be more attracted to the news if it were happier. There's nothing worse than wanting to check into your local news and finding nothing but scary mugshots splat across your screen of people arrested or wanted for XYZ. The only exciting parts are the weather and sports.

I had toyed around with the idea of starting a website with nothing but happy news. Maybe someday, I'll still make it happen. Believe it or not, there is a lot of happy news to go around and it's not just in celebrities having babies or finishing their rehab time. I mean the good ol' neighborhood news that reflects good citizenship and camaraderie. I've saved old newspapers in which my poetry was published in Bombay, India and I love reading their headlines and stories. They are so different from today.

Well, I have to do some research for my company right now, so web searching I go. Perhaps I'll stop along the way to read a tidbit of news. Hope it's happy!

Home Again

So many days have passed since I last wrote. The sinus sniffles have gotten the best of me which makes me prefer napping over writing. Surprised, eh? We did have a wonderful time at a family wedding this month in Houston. This was Saloni's first time flying in her own seat and she felt like she was on top of the world. I suppose with the view of clouds of below us, she was right!


Of course, when we came back home, the reality of plants needing watering, piles of new mail and a fridge that was desperately seeking milk made us want to close our eyes and be with family again. But hey, home is where the heart is and it is certainly refreshing to get back from a trip and find that one comfortable spot on the sofa. Or remember that your favorite CD is still right beside your bed. I love our home. It is very much a representation of us and the goofy characters that we are. Sure, there is seriousness in the more formal areas and the touches of streamlined furniture, but all in all, you can find a little Manisha, Sunil and Saloni in every corner.


I stepped outside today in the crisp air with Saloni runnning around me after her school. We took this beautiful picture of our little cherry blossom tree in bloom. Ah, so good to be home...

Winter Hues

Winter. The cold. The chapped hands. The heater cranked up to where a nightly sore throat is inevitable. The defrost button forever on in the car. But hey, the cuddling under a blanket, the roaring fireplace and the changing color of leaves (yes, that happens here in Jacksonville) makes up for it all. And of course, that crispness in the air that feels like fresh bedsheets from the wash. It is one beautiful if not often dreary season (miss the green grass!).

And then there comes the winter fruits. And I'm a true fruitoholic. Morning, noon or night, I can devour an apple, bowl of blueberries and strawberries in one sitting. So when our orange tree decided to bloom after 3 years, we were elated. Although they didn't look as delicious on the outside - some were black, covered with spots or plain dingy looking, they were as sweet as could be. Just eight of them made this entire pitcher of juice -yummy! We had plenty left over for eating and making orange-infused smoothies.

We're now waiting for the lemons to ripen. They blossom beautifully and are so fragrant as they are tart. Perfect in time for some springtime lemonade. Funny how the elements of the next season creep up on us while we're still trying to get through one. Makes me laugh when they have swimsuits in the mall windows and its 40 degrees outside! Well, here's to a picture perfect day today.

Out with Inside the NFL

Talk about depressing news. My favorite sports show, Inside the NFL, which broadcasts on HBO has been cancelled after 31 years. I love this show. I never knew anything about sports or took any interest before I got married. Sunil's passion for football really got me going. He taught me in the ins and outs, the passes and penalties, the how and why's. Videotape after videotape, he tested me and drew out diagrams of plays and the player's positions so that I would fully understand this sport not just from a spectator point of view. I grew to learn and love football so much that during the non-football season I get bored on Sundays!

This particular show helped me learn a lot about the sport, the strategies and the reasons why certain decisions are made. They interviewed coaches and players and really did get an inside look into some of their personal lives. Even cuter is the interest our daughter Saloni took into the show as now she can recognize Marino, Carter, Costas and Collinsworth immediately.

Well, even though the NFL Network may pick up the show, it won't be the same. The way HBO introduced it with its classic music and commercials was just part of the excitment. When Saloni would see the HBO logo, she knew Inside the NFL was coming up!

Six months till the preseason...I don't know about you, but I can already feel the empty football Sundays coming.