Being a Glutton

My friends and I visited a textile mart in Mirpur. Confronted with the colors, the patterns, the varieties, and the VERY reasonable prices, my brain moved into overdrive: imagining the use of this one and that one. In the end, I came away with bags and bags of fabric: rich, vibrant shades each and every one: bright ochre, ruby red, turquoise, magenta, moss green, royal blue, flame orange, emerald green... I added a few pastels as well, as an afterthought, in acknowledgement of the hot summer days: sky blue, baby pink, brilliant white, soft beige...

When I finally came to, with the clothes spread out on my bed in the evening, I saw that I have bought not one, not two, but 29 pieces!!!!

I'll admit it: I’m a glutton. It’s rather embarrassing to admit that. But it’s as if another being takes hold and no matter my promises to myself, no matter my good intentions, somehow I can’t seem to stop. Everything fades away when I am confronted with color and pattern and varieties. Not to mention rock-bottom prices.

I am also a bit of an amateur designer myself, and am obsessed with textiles, patterns and colors. I see such possibilities: this material would look lovely as an overhead canopy (a la Jatra), the sheers would make a lovely drape (I converted a chiffon saarie into drapes for the picture window in our apartment), and the possibilities with table linen and cushions are just endless.

But now of course, we have one standard line for all such temptations: "When Candy grows up."

Sigh, the SACRIFICES parents make for children - be they two-legged or four!

Heaven is a Place on Earth

The alarm goes off. Is it time to get up already? I have never been a morning person, and I drag myself out of bed with great reluctance. Every weekday begins with the same words for me, “I don’t want to go to the office.” “Don’t go then,” says my husband as he goes for a shower.

An exuberant puppy greets me. Tail wagging nineteen to the dozen, wet nose repeatedly thrust in my face. She hasn’t seen me for eight hours and it’s playtime! So we play fetch. I water my orchids, looking with great anticipation at the new shoots. Breakfast is next on the agenda. A boiled egg is the puppy’s current favorite. She gets that, along with the chopped chicken. Then it’s a race with the clock to dress, lock up, and get to work on time.

At the office, the rescued Roadesian waits in anticipation for a hug and a cuddle. He raises hell if I try to walk past without. Time goes fast between paperwork, emails, phone calls, classes, and meetings both scheduled and impromptu. My work is diverse and challenging. Never a dull moment! I am one of the lucky few who love their jobs. I have also been blessed with fantastic coworkers. And a cute boss!

After work, sometimes there is shopping to be done (I don’t like the 7pm shutdown anymore). Back home it’s exercise time for the dog, involving an hour of ecstatic running around on the rooftop (she does the running, I make no more than a token attempt). When I am back in the apartment, I need to be half carried into the shower. Dinner follows, there is small-talk with the husband, a couple of phone calls and text messages, and I am ready to call it a night. I retire to the bed with my laptop and a book. One blog entry and a dozen pages later my eyes close of their own volition.

The weekend brings such mundane tasks as grocery shopping, cooking (I only cook once a week - go feel sorry for the husband) and sorting the two dozen outfits I somehow managed to wear in one week. The puppy loves having us home, she sprawls at my feet while I cook, sniffs at the plants when I do my balcony-gardening, begs my husband for a treat off his plate. Visits and outings are crammed into the two days, and board games entertain us on the nights we stay in. Before we know it, it’s Saturday night with the work-week looming. Time sure flies!

What kind of life is this, you say (I agree that it seems repetitive and tedious). But this is a life that is just tailor-made for me. I have most everything that I ever wanted. Wonderful parents, a loving husband, a darling puppy, fantastic friends, a great job (two actually), a decent home. And although I would have preferred a minor change here and there, my almost perfect life is heaven on earth.