It's always so lovely to sneak up to the kitchen, to open the fridge and look into it for no particular reason, to look into the pantry storage and make a mental note of the things needed to replenish it with. I find kitchen to be a great comfort zone, especially in my own kitchen. Early evenings when I can free myself from work, I just go round about flicking on the light switches as if it were a ritual. Then I bask in the glory of the lamp's lights for a while; often and for no reason I find myself smiling as I look at my painstakingly collected heavy apothecary jars containing the staples, the folded kitchen towels and aprons resting in the wicker basket and the recycled beer bottles turned to vases holding the sunflowers and the christmasy red and white mittens. 
Yes, I do look down at the plastic boxes and bottles to and tell myself that someday soon I'll only, exclusively and absolutely have Apothecary boxes for I love them. i absolutely dote on them! One day soon! Sigh!
Having Ooohed and Ahhed over my kitchen treasures, humble and few as they are now, I hunt for the cozy breakfast nook in my house that doubles up as a dining area at night. I light another lamp and tidy the floral cushion and plop it up my back as I sit down to ponder a while about dinner! Such a great tension of life that is - what am I going to cook for dinner?

Then to calm me down I seek some more comfort, this time in the form of comfort drink - and tea does just fine for me ...
Picture
I seat myself and look at the large fishbowl filled with precious sea shells (a blog post coming up on that very soon) and look at the paper wrapped bread I have bought from the baker and let my tea cool just a little before I sip it down.

Meanwhile I get busy thinking about dinner...

How do you plan your meals? Isn't it a hassle... to plan.. sometimes it is, no??

As for me, I'll seek some more kitchen comfort... that might help :)

For now,

Moi...



 
Simple, isn't it - the name of my blog? Winters and Warmth is after all a lovely expression of comfort, of bliss and happiness. There is nothing more endearing than having a cozy, warm blanket to snuggle into on a cold, winter's night.

Much like life, we have our winters, our depressions and worries and maybe even a few precious tears every now and then. It is then, during those moments of insanity and doubts that we need the warmth a bit more. Hence, nothing to be more grateful in life, I believe, than the warmth on such wintery evenings, what do you have to say?
If pondered upon it, then winters too are just as important as the snuggly warmth, for if we didn't have the cold we would never know what a bliss it is to be surrounded by the glow of a hearth. The magic perhaps happens when we learn to embrace the winter and be awed by it rather than question its coming and sulk and cry and pity over self. Don't you think so too?

This picture was clicked during one such cold November evening up in a cottage in the Nilgiris in Southern India. It had been pouring all day and as the day waned the cold settled into our bones. We shivered uncontrollably, but we also took the pain to go out to the market (roughly 2 kms from where we were staying) and bring firewood to light up the hearth. It was difficult to evade the rain and storm, to gather firewood when the market had closed (in here hill stations go off to sleep as soon as it gets dark) and the firewood we finally managed to scavenge was wet and soggy. We managed to light the fire finally and in a short while the warmth had settled it. Suddenly the cold seemed beautiful and we could even step out into the porch to click this picture of a blurred moon and a lone twig that kept us company that cold winter's night. 

Looking back on that chilly evening I learnt two things: one should never forget who stood by during the harsh winters. They are the truest of our friends. Just like the moon and that solitary twig branching out and diverging just to get a small place in a tiny corner of the frame. The second thing I learnt was to make a  pledge to myself that I do not slouch under the infliction of a winter but be agile and with fast fingers weave myself a shawl of warmth instead. 

I hope you too will agree with me?

Love,
Me

    Author

    Hello! The idea of this blog was born during one of those contemplative rainy afternoons when you are just amazed with the beauty all around you and decide to share it with the world. Yes, it was one of those crazy moments when the idea of Winters and Warmth was born... And now that you are here, I hope you find your visit interesting! Welcome. 

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