Walks in the Rose Garden

Hello and how are you my dears? Phew, the month of March is getting over soon! Where the days are being swallowed? The week starts and it's already mid of it... Not enough hours in a day and not enough days in a week.. Can we invent just one more and call it suppose Extraday? Eh? No I guess this is just imagination...
On a serious note... These days I always think of what is really important in life and what we shall let go... Seeing horrible and scary things happening
around the world, which show that life of someone (including animals) means nothing, what are we left with? Can we make a change?
I am dreading the moment my D turns on the TV... news... nothing positive at all there, he says too... the world will have to come to an end some day... We fear for our little son because things are not looking so good in terms of child safety in India, but then where is safe? No guarantee anywhere. If I was not a parent now it would have been easier to simply live life, but when you have a child all you think of is how to keep him happy and healthy. At the same time one shall be happy too in order to provide a good environment at home, where everyone feels secure and cozy.
Hence I would really prefer concentrating (as mush as selfish it sounds) on my family. Thinking about what happens tomorrow is useless, having fear of all the bad and negative is similarly pointless... That's why I have (and make) one choice which is family.
As I had written before we always visit gardens on weekends. Lately we have been liking the Rose Garden a lot. It has a vast area, beautiful roses to admire, and fountains. The latest is little A's favourite - he loves water in any form and calls it "mam, mam" in Hindi (meaning "water" as here it is called for little kids). Here is the last to last weekend walk, when the weather was slightly cloudy.

I love this kind of color - cream, creamy pink and orange... Next time we visit Rose Garden, I will take more photos of these beautiful flowers.

And the last weekends' walk... Little A likes this garden too, and I think that the pleasant noise of the fountains and overall green surroundings calm him down. He runs in front of us, exclaiming happily with every step.

The waxing crescent... It was so bright!

By the time we were leaving the garden the twilight set in, and we were able to witness beautifully lit fountains.

Yes, it is a good place to divert one's mind and to just walk  and spend precious time with the family.
I realized that I had not posted some very interesting events and occasions during the period I was away from blogging. Like5 days in  Moscow, and visitng my home town. Do you think it is late to do? Or would you like to see the Russian capital? Let me know so I can plan the posts for you my friends.

Have a nice day, and may life be secure and safe wherever you are!

Russian Meet in India :)

Hello dear friends! Hope things are going on well in your corner of the world, the storms are behind, and there is only good weather ahead... I can apply same to myself too. We have been having a good but rainy weather last week, which I love of course.
Last to last weekend we had a mega-meet of Russian, Belorussian, Ukrainian, Moldovian-Indian families living in Punjab area. About 14 girls, same number of children, and few husbands were there.  We had to go to another city Phagwara which is about 120 km from Chandigarh.
It was a buzzing event, a little loud because of kids, particularly little A, as he found his latest passion there - the stairs... and we had to climb them up along with him; it was good though to shed some calories and gain them again.
Russian meetings are not just meetings, it is usually a feast. Since we live far from our native land, the get togetherS become especially valuable. Good food promises good communication we believe. Each of us cooked a dish or two...We don't do it frequently, but when we do...
Russians LOVE various salads. These are Korean carrot salad and Vinegret salad.

One of the most favourite salads - Olivie, which we usually make for New Year :)

 Mini sandwiches look artistic on these plates.

 Mushroom stuffed eggshells.. I haven't tried these but someone said they were really good.

 Vegetable caviar - my mum's recipe :) It was yumm, though not everyone tasted it.

Chicken tefteli and Kiev cutlets.

Oh well.. not really Russian, but it was yummy! I haven't eaten sushi since Moscow (like 7 years ago?)!!! And NOTE - a home baked bread!!!

There were other dishes too, but I won't tire you with more.. let's have some dessert! Bezet fluffy buscuits:

Poncho cake - a specialty of one of our friends. She makes so yumm and so light!

 We had to drive back already in the evening, and could enjoy these beautiful views once again. We loved these trees growing on the both sides of the road - it is not visible here but the weather was slightly cloudy.

The sunset at river Sutlej...

I am loving these things in India - nature, being able to communicate with my folks and spend time with my D and little A :)

Food pictures credit goes to one of my friends, she takes really nice photos! Thank you!

International Women's Day - the Soviet Style

Hello my dear friends! Today the whole world is celebrating International Women's Day - a day to pay tribute to all the women on Earth for their dedication, love, care, support... A tribute to those women, living and those who are not with us anymore, for the warmth of their hearts, and softness of their voices, for being strong and brave, for being mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, and being constant inspiration for their families, partners, and friends!

Here is a small collection of  8th of March Soviet era cards which I think are really sweet, promoting family, love, kindness. My parents have some of Soviet cards at home too, I need to ask to take photos of them :)

A beautiful Soviet woman - ideal one I suppose... a dream.

Russian girls dressed in traditional costumes, dancing and celebrating.

Children writing: Congratulations to mummy for 8th of March.

Happy women's day to all ethnicity!

Isn't this one very sweet? Such a good example :)

Russian dolls!!! Oh no.. I have just remembered I bought one in Moscow last year... and it is still lying somewhere in the box - out, out on the shelf!!! Silly me :(

I am late but it was my dear mom's birthday yesterday (7th of March), she was a gift to her mom for Women's day many years a go... Love you mom! And miss you a lot!!! Be healthy and happy always!

Happy Women's Day once again! Be happy and smile more!

Summer Things

Hello friends! That's right - we have no spring in here, but Summer right away... it has got really really hot already, up to +28! It's not a joke because now it will start getting only hotter. Nevertheless we cannot skip doing our daily deals, right?
Last weekend we as usually took a walk in the garden - a Terrace garden this time for our little A to enjoy new surroundings. He is FOND of the stairs and steps! As soon as he sees them anywhere he wants to climb up and down... We are very careful to choose places where he can do it safely. Under our supervision of course.

The garden had many most bright and cute flowers! As usual I don't know their names...

 This is the longest flower bed there... loved how it stretches further...

We stopped to take photos of this tree somewhere on the way; it has no leaves but huge red flowers! I am wondering what fruits it might give? These trees are everywhere in the city now.

Besides wandering around, I try to be productive on a crafty front. Here is what I put in my To accomplish list - a Waffle stitch dining set for little A. I am using tutorial by Kathleen of Miss Abigail's Hope Chest. Loved this stitch, and wanted to learn it after seeing on Sangeetha's post.

Also as we had bought a 3 in 1 microwave oven, I now can bake! Yey! Here are my latest oatmeal, flour, atta, ginger and turmeric muffins. I am glad that baking products and equipment became available in India in recent years. One can afford them easily as well.

This is pretty much it for today... I aim to finish pending projects in nearest future and start new ones as soon as possible. Thank you for all the comments and sharing of your experience on raising a child in many languages. Next post will try to make on what toddler activities I could incorporate in A's routine, and what didn't work for us. Still working on creating a quiet book for him and busy bags for a future trip home.

Have a wonderful day!