Monday 21 March 2011

It was more difficult than I thought....

Been away for so long now that I’m finding it almost embarrassing to pen a post here…..I feel weird like I've never done it before. But I was determined to put up atleast 1 post before calling it quits. Seriously, I was cringing every time I went on somebody's page and saw my link with the so-very dated 'Merry Christmas' showing up;-P.

After nearly 25 minutes of trying to frame propah sentences I was just about ready to give up when I thought I’ll just keep typing whatever comes to my fingertips[a tip I always used to encourage fellow bloggers with;-P].
I remember Ashwini of Thoughtful Train warning me that taking a break was the worst decision I could make. According to her very few get back on track; well she should know coz its been almost a year since she has updated;-D. I have to reluctantly agree with her….I almost didn’t make it. Honestly if it wasn’t for Sulo, Bindu, lan, Manisha, Sakshi, Swaram, Uma and Preeti/Ramesh team hounding me I would still be dilly-dallying around. As of now I’m not sure how long I’m going to last but am going to give it a darned good try. So there!!!!

I’m trying to recall how in the world I managed to write stuff earlier & then again why on earth did I stop? It’s not like I achieved something earth-shattering during the time I was not blogging. When I look back there was no particular reason just a combination of things like the kids’ exams, visitors, vacation & trying to be a one-man army which made me think a break wasn’t a bad idea at all.

Getting back to what I did in these 8 months [gosh 8 months]….. nothing much really. The same ole stuff….sheesh thts sounds so very depressing. Oh yes my sister & family visited us….finally I tell u. Every year they would tell us that they were coming & then call it off. It was only when I talked casually about relocating back to India within a year or two that she panicked & took the first available days off to come over.

I was so thrilled that I spent a busy week sprucing up my house and scheduling ‘things to do’ so that they got the maximum out of their visit. And what an anti-climax it turned out to be. Totally non-adventurous types I tell u. After the 1st 3-4 days they were perfectly content sitting around & talking at home. The only place my sister asked to go was the zoo......and I was like "there is a perfect zoo in Mysore & so many spread all over India but trust her to travel all the way to Dubai[desert remember] of all places, to show her daughter a zoo;-/". Sisterly love warred fiercely with 'my unruly tongue' but sisterly love won[oh well she was here just for a week]. So we took them to the Al Ain Zoo and she was happy with that. I then had to literally drag them all over town showing them rest of the sights and then spent another 10 days trying to recover from it all after they left. I actually sobbed loudly & clung to her[my sister] when she was leaving. I feel like an idiot now when I think about it…. we as in, our family prides itself on not being those 'emotional types' you know.

And ooooohhhhhh how could I forget to tell you this, guess what the better-half gifted me on my birthday….a course in cake decorating and just not any course; it was the ‘Wilton Cake Decorating Course’. I loved the gift ofcourse but everybody else to whom I mentioned it looked very puzzled and had a ‘okkkkayyy but what are you so excited about??’ expression. The children on the other hand were ecstatic coz they thought they were also included;-). When they realized they were not[we did try to get permission but they said only US had the facility where children were included not Dubai] they kicked up a minor fuss. They contented themselves studying my course material thoroughly & second guessing me at every turn & correcting me on every mistake I made;-/. I also had to demonstrate to them everything that was taught to me in class after I came back.

So yeah, I now know how to decorate a cake…….with roses and all, cool huh. Before you think I’m an expert let me tell you I was one of the worst ones…..too slow for one & clumsy, though the instructor & fellow students kept encouraging me with ‘there is room for improvement’…..lots of roooooooms if you ask me. My children, blind to all the inconsistencies, gave me fulsome compliments and I was so pathetically gratified;-D. Posting a few pictures of my efforts below……..at that time I didn’t think I was going to display it on my blog otherwise I would done a better job clicking them….…you know zooming in & taking pics of only the good parts & conveniently blurring the rest;-D.
  
My 1st effort

Cupcakes were fun to do

By the time I finished this much the rest of the class had already presented theirs & left

42 comments:

  1. Not lost ur golden touch have u;-D

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  2. You are sooo good Nance :) I don't believe what u say. Esp. the last one is classic and those cup cakes are totally droolworthy :) The first one is amazing enough, being the first ;)

    Such a thoughtful gift from the better-half. If hounding is what it takes, I cn spare time everyday for it - but u pls be arnd :) Really miss ur posts :)

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  3. Ha ha ;) So, do I get a cupcake for that :P

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  4. loved reading something from u after such a long time!!!

    And I wud die to get an opportunity to go for this class!!! Sigh!!! One day for sure!!! :D

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  5. Oh u wdn't nt say that if u had seen the cakes the rest of them had made;-D
    And yes the better half totally floored me with the gift:-).

    p.s: ofcourse....just gimme a day's notice;-D

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  6. Smita: The class was really interesting, I loved the whole process of creating something & the thought of the kids reaction kept me going.
    U must go if u get the chance:-)
    And thank U:-))!!!!!!

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  7. wow i wudnt even make it to tht cupcake, leave alone that whole cake...n this is after ive done a course in cake decorating..so u are any day better off..
    i have now forgotten also, icing consistencies n the like

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  8. now i have to have to visit u :)give me ur address pls!
    the roses wala cake is awesome.. and u could have gone on n on for another 2000 words and we would hv loved it.. so pls keep writing :)

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  9. Look at you. You say it was difficult to write a post, almost to the point of giving up, and then you write a post like this oozing with your class and embelish it with such lovely photos !!

    Its nice to have you back. There's a warmth in this blog that's rarely seen elsewhere. Don't push yourself to post, but when you do, it makes a difference to us readers.

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  10. Wow...good to have you back!!!!

    Loved the pics...loved the cupcakes...beautiful!!!! Lovely colors!!!

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  11. Yeah! So good to have you back. I love teh stuff you have done with the cakes, its damn impressive lady.

    And it is almost an impossible task to get back once you take a break, I seem to have so many ideas, but just cannot make a post out of them anymore.

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  12. Bravo on the 'getting back to blogging'- AND bravo on the great cake decorating!! I'm very much in awe of anyone who can decorate a cake.

    As for your sister's visit- it hit a cord with me, both of my sisters came for a visit recently and it was the first time in our lives we were three together (all by ourselves)- what did we do?? sit around and talk :) ha ha!!

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  13. it wont take long for u to get back in the groove of it! and from the looks of it uve hit the nail on the head in the first post itself! :)

    the third pic cake looks awesome!! & the cupcakes are soo cute! :)

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  14. An Open Book: U've done it too huh....yeah I know u mean, I am forgetting some of the angles & positions now itself;-/

    Tara: Haha if I didnt know u better I'd have thought u were serious;-D.
    And thank U:-))!!!!

    Ramesh: How do u do this.....u know just the right things to say to make a person feel GOOD, Thank U:-)).

    Nilu: Thaaaank U:-))!!!!!

    Passionate Goof: Thank U!!!! I know what u mean...I actually wondered whether I'll ever get back;-o

    Anjuli: Heheee....that must have been so much fun...seriously, nothing beats the company of sisters.
    And thank U so much for the encouragement:-))!!!!!

    Sunshine: Awwww....aapke mooh mein ghee-shakkar, thank U:-D!!!!

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  15. Hi Nancy,

    I am a regular reader of your blog and I am very happy to see that you are back...I was waiting eagerly for this restart...Good

    Your cake decoration skills are worth admiring...Keep it up.. :)

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  16. When you didnt know how to start again, you could write such a nice post:) with lovely cakes..give us some pranks of your daughters, I am missing them.

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  17. Soooooooooooooo glad to have you back Nancy :o) ...please don't leave us again. PLEASE.

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  18. yay! yay! yay! u r back :)
    and wat a 'pretty' come back :D
    those roses on the last cake looked sooooooo pretty! why would anyone eat that! :P

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  19. Yay! Nancy is back with a post :)
    Those cakes and cup-cakes are awesome...I too wanna do a similar course someday..I am too bad when it comes to creative icing :(

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  20. oh yeah, you better give a darned good try :P :D

    n it was so sweet of ur sis to drop by as soon as she heard of ur relocation :P ha ha!!! n man! what a scene u created n all while bidding farewell - rofl :) i think big sisters are like that :o (dont take it as a compliment cos am a younger one myself :P) he hee...

    ps. preeti di is now in bangalore... u r gonu relocate to bangalore?! i guess... my best friends are in bangalore - i better shift there soon :) i love that place :) *winks*

    n ur posts - keep 'em comin!

    lots of love`

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  21. aaww! the cakes look lovely!! am into serious baking too but sans the icing!! :( trying to go the healthy way, if that is at all possible...! nothing like baking, can vouch for that. so should trade recipes, n welcome back!! :)

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  22. Next time you come to bangalore you are meeting me with a bunch of those cup cakes :D

    nice to see you blogging again!

    Finally!!

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  23. Shefali: Thank U....both for the comment & for the compliment:-))!!!!

    Renu: Hehe daughters r getting too big for their boots & right now they've got hols, so u can imagine my condition;-P

    Jane's Ire: Feels good to be back too;-D

    S: Thank U:-))!!!! The kids didnt let me serve the roses to anybody & held on to them for 1 whole day but the next day they lost their self-control & polished them off;-D

    DialoguewithU: Hehe if I can do it, anybody can do it & u, I know will top in class without a doubt;-D

    Sulo: Every year we make a plan to relocate next year & then again postpone it to the next year;-D. Yeah I too love Bangalore!!!!

    Vaidegi J: Oh yes icing is not for everyday baking....we'll be clogging our arteries before we reach 40;-o. As for trading recipes.....anytime;-D!!!!

    Winnie: And u get me some books from ur lovely collection. So its a deal;-D!!!!!

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  24. Am glad u allowed ur fingers to type what they felt like....its been a long time and I am so happy that u broke that block. :)

    Lovely lovely cake decorations....am loving them all. :) Thats a wonderful gift...had u told me, I would've jumped with glee and hugged u. :) :)

    Now, I'll hint my hubby that these can also be gifts, which I'll like - some class which I would love. :) :)

    That rose wala deco is fab...really. :)

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  25. Ohh feels so good to read you again ! I loved how you were 'pathetically gratified' lol !! And the cake baking attempts ! Your first cake doesnt really look like an amateur one ..u know? Looks so yum !

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  26. My goodness, your cakes are yummy! This looks like a winning entry for " Master Chef Dubai " :)) Kudos Nancy. I'm mighty impressed. I'm a Master Chef addict and though I don't try anything they make, I haven't missed even 1 cooking second :D

    Good to see ya back! High five :)

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  27. p.s. - I meant Master Chef Australia & USA.

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  28. thanks for dropping by my blog. baking cakes is an art. these look lovely... all the best :-)

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  29. Sorryyyy I am so late to drop by! I was late to drop by at my own blog...and hence didn't see that you had updated! That's why! hee hee... I know what you mean about feeling silly to write after such a long time! I am feeling exactly that! But soooooooo happy to have you back! Stay! Don't you go anywhere!

    Your cakes are just lovely!

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  30. So,so,so glad to see you back and don't you ever mention the word 'quit' again.
    Those roses are so lovely and perfect Nancy and that yellow hair like thing on the cup cakes-so drool worthy. I am sure the girls must be after you all the time for another cake :-)

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  31. UmaS: After reading ur words now I remembered Bins was the only person who said 'awesome' when I told her about it:-D.
    Am glad to be back too...and thank U:-))!!!!

    Anita: LOL only children have that way of making one feel next to perfect, thank goodness really;-D. And thank U:-))!!!!!

    Lostworld: Mee too...I too used to love watching MC Australia...u know theres another chef James something[sweet baby james they call his show], he comes on the new Khana Khazana channel, I love watching his shows too. I watch even reruns especially his desserts;-P
    Yeah it feels good to be back, thank U:-))!!!

    Rekhabaala: Thank U:-))!!!!

    Wannabewriter: The silly feeling is only in ur eyes...atleast thts what I feel now. Just get down to it & post, thts the only way. Hoping to see ur page updated soooon.
    And thank U:-)!!!!!

    Wanderlust: No Maam, I wont Maam;-D. The yellow flower is called a 'shaggy mum'...its actually a very pretty flower but ofcourse beginners like me cannot dream of acheiving that elegant look on first try.
    And thank U:-))!!!!!

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  32. Wooowwwwwwwwww..!!! Just look at the pics, look at them, where do you find room for improvement???!
    I just love the way the cakes look :) I wish I can bake some lovely cakes like these someday.
    Last but not least,
    //I’m going to last but am going to give it a darned good try.//
    Was this post just a try?? It was awesome :) Its so nice to have you back :)

    Thank God you are back! Missed all of you..!!

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  33. Hehe Manisha I missed all of u too....if u all hadnt poked me out of my lethargy I'd still be thinking 'Maybe next month...';-D
    And thank U for the compliments;-D!!!!

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  34. Hi there,

    After reading your blog my main takeaway is ... Hope!! If someone who has written over a 200 articles can be at a loss for words (Strange, huh?) and still make a strong return (after a 8 month hiatus) there is hope for my kind.

    I had stopped after 20 posts and didn't "utter" a word for almost a year ... was busy micro - blogging in that period; even posted this status update on my FB page: I know who killed my blog - its Facebook!!

    In that period I had thought up a number of blog ideas, even started writing them - my computer is full of half and quarter finished stories and articles; some have lost relevance now and some I can't be bothered to finish.

    But now I have got a second-wind and things are moving along nicely (Inshallah!!) ... I hope to keep it going now! ;)

    And you should be the last one to stop - with a regular following of over 125 you are well on your way ... so my guess is that the next article wouldn't take another 8 months. Write on .... J

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  35. Hehe...good to see u after a long time Jayadev:-). Thank U for the wonderful comment.
    Luckily or shd I say unluckily for me, FB was just not my scene....I had no clue how to go about it...maybe thts why I returned back to blogger.
    Honestly, every comment here has been bolstering my confidence and even though I dont have much to say it makes me want to make an effort;-D

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  36. wow nance that is a cool looking cake. i am envious that you got to the wilton class before me! i'd been planning to attend a full course for a few years now. your cake pictures make me want to try again. i'd be envious of your sister's visit too if it wasn't for the hope that one of my sisters will be visiting us this summer. i do hope she will not cancel this time. sisters are the best kind of visitors and i understand you bawling over her leaving. count me in any time....welcome back.

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  37. hey nice blog here.. im sure you must be so glad that people just poured in even after being absent for so long.. that sure is encouraging.. So i hope u keep writing :)

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  38. Lan: I found out about the Wilton branch in Dubai completely by chance and girl was I thrilled;-D. U must go, its a whole new world out there;-D
    Sisters visiting us has a thrill of its own. I was dreaming abt it for weeks before she actually came, U'll have a wonderful time, I can give u full guarantee;-D

    Diyadear: Very very motivating really.
    Am happy to receive encouragement from new blog-friends too:-))!!!!

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  39. oooh just saw u didnt get my msg abt the cupcakes and how i want the frosting recipe! :( mine never turns out right.... and i have a kid in the form of a 30 yr old husband to amuse :)

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  40. Sure, mail ur email id to lexaxel[at]gmail[dot]com:-).

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  41. will do. thanks!
    btw, i started writing again :) ur return inspired me!

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