Happy Diwali and Happy Anniversary!

On this day last year, I wrote my first ever post on this blog. One week later, on Friday, October 28, 2005 I wrote my post on Diwali.

It has been a year. 252 posts. Which amounts to a post every couple of days on average. I used to average a couple of posts a day initially, and have taken a beating in the last few months! And what a crazy last few months they have been! I excuse myself from any neglect on my part. Imagine if I were being paid to blog daily. I would have been fired by now.

This has been a tumultuous year for my blog. Ive received my fair share of bouquets and brickbats, with some justified upbraidings and some defences that Ive been grateful for, but we've all moved on. Ive lost my readers now and it feels weird to not have people comment, when once I would open my inbox and be excited by the numerous emails I received. Someone commented last week sometime on one of my posts - saying that the reason I dont have readers anymore is that I don't 'reciprocate'. I wonder what that meant. Was I supposed to be replying to every proposition I received from guys? Or just visiting the blogs of commenters?

I dont know what will be the future of this blog, just as I dont know what my own future will bring. I wish it and myself luck and happiness and prosperity, what can I say? We all wish that for ourselves and our loved ones.

Just as Makhtub is reflective today, so also did my aunt say that this will e our last year with any daughters present for Diwali. My sister will be married; so will I, both my cousin sisters will be studying abroad. It pinches a bit, and thats why Im a bit more attentive to the traditions than usual. This evening my mother is teaching my sister and me the Siddhalakshmi stotras, for our husbands' prosperity, and today for the first time I opened one of teh account books in my office (copied very badly a Gujarati script - I can guess at reading Gujju, but copying is much harder than it looks - I kept putting rekhas on top the the letters like in Hindi! And I remember thre was a time during Hindi tuition dictation I would not put the line on tp of the words so as to be able to kepe up with my tutor's reading speed!). Today for the first time I also tried Undhiya, without making a face - and I loved it!!!! It is known as the king of vegetables because it comprises 21 vegetables - coconut, coriander, yam, shakariya, potatoes, brinjal, tuver, rajapuri bananas, lilva, assorted pulses, green garlic, and so much more I couldnt identify (also, all the vegs werent available)! With puri and shrikhand and mug ni daal.

SIGH. Im gonna miss home so much.

Happy Diwali everyone and a Peaceful and Prosperous New Year!