MERRY CHRISTMAS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS...

VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Yule logs and Ginger dough

If we share and count everyday

Blessings from high above

It's Christmas Everyday!

Copyright©2011 by Veeramahal Franklin

Green Handed...!

This thief got caught GREEN handed! Snacking on my precious Centella Asiatica, he looks like he knows what he is doing...

I have been wondering who is snipping off the leaves, leaving long bare stalks that looked pathetic.

Has Mr. Squirrel been reading my blog?
www.http://kaleidoscoopes.blogspot.com/2011/07/perseverance.html
If not, I am really impressed that he discovered all the health benefits of this ancient, but a newcomer herb to my garden.



The leaves are crunchy and have a unique scent and taste; great for fresh salad with a squeeze of lime. Obviously our Squirrel did not mind not having a lime to go with it. He must love it more than I do!

Copyright©2011 by VeeraMahal Franklin

Cardinal Haiku!

Merciless Mercy!


Vibrant and brief
As a Haiku he Twittered
Red, in Life and death

Heavenwards...
My Cardinal soared--clawed
By meanest power!


Copyright©2011 by VeeraMahal Franklin

Flamboyant Flames: Fall 2011

This year the fall colors were flamboyant as never before...

We did not have to go to Natchez trace or Ozark mountains to see the fall's kaleido display. It was right outside our door step... every neighborhood and street looked a notch better than the other. It was a magical gala... thrown for thousand Cinderellas!

Copyright©2011 by VeeraMahal Franklin

To My Parakeets:Thanksgiving-2011

So much color you brought everyday

Sound of music with all your chirping

Soulful mates you lived for love

So little other than freedom you asked

So much more you gave me in return

Soaring up you lifted my spirits--as

Songs from heaven you touched my heart

So long... sweet birds, I THANK GOD for thee!

Copyright ©2011VeeraMahal Franklin

Thanksgiving-2011

Big or small

Come you and all

Bask in the sun - and

Comb full of honey

Bee and you

Can feast together - and

Bless the one who made us all!

Copyright ©2011 VeeraMahal Franklin

Packer Backers of Nashville

162 Packer Backers had a pre-game cook-out enjoying a gorgeous day in Franklin, today.

They were CHEERING the Green Bay Packers all the way to a 45/38 game with SanDiego Chargers!!!

Copyright©2011VeeraMahal Franklin

An Invitation!

to my mystic world...

Today is All Saints Day! What they all have in common is simplified life and spirituality...

This is as close I could get!

Copyright©2011 VeeraMahal Franklin

St. Francis Feast Day SPECIAL!

So glad we had this picture to prove Maggie, in fact, had been a puppy once...

She grew so fast we don't have much memory of her as a puppy; that stage probably lasted only a few weeks!

Copyright by VeeraMahal Franklin

Lord, My GOD!

Would I have known…

Who I am – if YOU

My Lord hadn’t whispered

My name to my very being!

Copyright©2011 VeeraMahal Franklin

INVITATION: From A Tapestry of Artists...

Centella Asiatica

My Champion of Perseverance! Click on link below for the story:

http://kaleidoscoopes.blogspot.com/2011/07/perseverance.html

Peach Bumble

My peach tree was in full bloom, literally a pink cloud, in early April. Like the bumble bee we had been too busy to admire the beauty of the blooms.

Thanks be to GOD for my Nikon!

Copyright©2011VeeraMahal FRANKLIN

Perseverance

I have been commended many a times for perseverance...! Today, I met perseverance itself as I was exploring in the backyard.

Just prior to hurricane Katrina, a friend of mine from Louisiana gave me a very special greens to plant in my garden. I was so excited to receive this gift as it is not common in the US. Used as an Ayurvedic medicinal herb for more than 2000 years in India and SriLanka, this resilient runner plant has been given the botanical name, Centella Asiatica.

Fresh salad made from this tropical herb with a squeeze of lime was my childhood favorite. I had it planted at different sites in my backyard to make sure it takes root. It was a slow but sure growth and they took root. I did not have enough to make any salad and I had planted one in a pot to save from winter fury, the first year. It was a pleasant spring surprise to find those rooted outside showing up their green faces. So I was very sad when they never showed up following the second winter. That was year 2007!

Last two winters had been colder and had many stretches of snow covered days. And I would reminisce about the little sparse patches of Centella Asiatica which I was lucky enough to have. But, today as I was exploring in the garden, I stumbled upon these green heads calling for help, silently!

I could not believe after so many years... they have come back! The roots must have been turned over when we dug the plots. Talk about perseverance... I have found the champion. It has been the most remarkable uplifting experience with an underlying Divine message: Never give up!

Copyright©2011 VeeraMahal FRANKLIN

What's On Your Plate?

No more food pyramids to climb!

Finally we figured it out and have placed the food where it belongs: On the plate.

I am really excited about the simplicity of the model. Now, even a child can understand the food groups. What a great way to motivate children to eat right. This might be the most ingenious way to prevent child obesity.

If you are wondering what I am talking about--just check the link below.

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ And pass this link along to "Cookie Monster" too!

Enjoy good health with a sensible plate of food and a cup of dairy!

VeeraMahal Franklin

Counting The Blessings!

Spring has thundered from
Sky, streaking lightenings and
Sweeping away townships with
Surplus of tornadoes... overnight!

Showing the show is not ours--
Small specks--in the universe. But,
Spring blooms and bird calls
Still resonate bright and lively!

Secure on blossoming cherry
Search coos of a dove echoes...
Steering me up from slumber
Sharp at six, I thank GOD!

Copyright©2011 VeeraMahal FRANKLIN

In GOD: Rise & Shine!

Easter Greetings from VeeraMahal!

Copyright©2011 VeeraMahal Franklin

Blue Blessings!

Spring is here!!!
And my garden is waking up from winter sleep. As nature's wild and vibrant messengers the--so called--weeds sprout everywhere and of course the perennials.

I was fascinated by weeds even as a child, because the butterflies seemed to like them a lot. And in college, I did a seminar presentation on weeds and my research further convinced me that the term "weeds" is for human being and has nothing to do with the plants. GOD created everything for a purpose and we as human beings like to label everything relating to us.

We hear the ads: Weed them out! Spray at site, etc., etc... But, weeds still thrive and persist. May be GOD made the weeds extra resilient, because HE knew human nature. Definitely, we do not have answers to everything.

Do you like these blue blessings from my garden? Can you tell which is the weed and which is garden plant? Really?

These blue blessings, from my garden, display the beauty as GOD intended---just trusting Almighty GOD's wisdom!

Copyright©2011 VeeraMahal Franklin

Memories of Childhood Bliss!

Hello! Your voice rings…

After decades—over the phone,

I hear—from continents apart. Our

Kids are older than we were

When we saw last, but

The grade-school lunch of potatoes

You shared, smells appetizingly fresh

Of childhood bliss—from wherever

The memories are held!

Poetry: Copyright ©2011VeeraMahal Franklin

A Tribute to Janice Elaine Keck

Janice, had been such an energetic and motivating person it is hard to assimilate the fact. She was like a lantern atop the hill for Williamson County---reached the community and people of all ages. Can't believe that ever welcoming warmth and smile is no more!

She lived like a flame kindling others hearts and aspirations. Like a flame she was swept away so suddenly and swiftly...

Thinking of Janice!

Of light atop the mountain---

Flame swept silently away

And up to heavens...

-A Poetry Tribute to Janice Keck by VeerajaR

But, Williamson county and the people of all ages, race and ethnicity whom she has touched with her service will continue to reap the benefits--gifts of her great soul! We may have lost a friend on earth, but gained an angel in heaven to lookout for us and our writer/artist aspirations and achievements!

Copyright©2011 VeeraMahal Franklin

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/knoxnews/obituary.aspx?n=janice-elaine-keck&pid=148834532&fhid=5461

Haiku: Lambardi is going home!

Haiku is a Japanese form of Poetry with a three line 5,7,5 syllables. It's a condensed form of poetry, second only to the two line versus of "Thirukural" in Thamil.

In Thirukural, a lot of facts, comparisons, contrasts, and meanings are packed firmly and beautifully within two rhyming lines. But, rhyming has no importance in Haiku. It is the rhythm. What is not said and left for the reader to extrapolate or fill in--is part of the beauty of Haiku.

Being from WI and a longtime Packer fan, I am celebrating today's victory game with a Haiku of my own:

Cheese melts steel ball-

Lambardi is going home

Super Bowl XLV!

For the first time, I joined my family to watch the game with Packer Backers Franklin. It turned out to be a lucky day for all Greenbay Packers' fans!

Copyright©2011 VeeraMahal Franklin

Snow and Me

The climate is changing, but cooler, everywhere! From snowing heavily in Tennessee to 18F in Colombo. Heavy showers and flooding seems to affect Australia to Ceylon. Whatever happened to the global warming? Is it the domino effect of global warming?

It is getting colder and snowing heavily in Tennessee each year. TN looks a lot like Wisconsin when covered in snow. A lot like WI! I thought I moved away from the cold winter wonderland to warmer climate---light leather-jacket winters.

Alas...! Snow has followed me all the way to TN. But, it's not all that bad... you see. We were blessed with a beautiful WHITE Christmas!!! Call it... a picture perfect or rather Christmas card perfect!!

Copyright©2011 VeeraMahal Franklin

AFTER THE SNOW SHOWER

Have you ever seen the vultures sunbathe after a snow shower?

We had the thickest (4") snow cover that stayed a week long till last Sunday. When we were rushing to Sunday mass the sun had come out and the air was beginning to feel warm. I beheld the rarest scene ever as our car swept past along the road. Twenty to thirty vultures were lined up, side by side in one file on two adjacent rooftops---facing the sun, each with stretched wings touching the comrades' on both sides.

I screamed in awe and looked back to make sure I did not imagine the scene. It was for real; the vultures were sunbathing or rather energizing with their solar panels in full span against the sun. We were late to church and thus had to miss the best photo opportunity ever.

This photo is the next best shot I got today. We had snow shower day before yesterday. It got warmer today with the sun shining brightly in the morning. My better-half kindly obliging, we went for a drive in the car looking for the vultures. They were not to be found at the spot we saw last. But then we spotted them on the roof of this nice old house. It looked like they're chilling out rather than sunbathing. I guess they are just doing the warm up before stretching their wings!

Since this house was by a junction, we could not stop too long.

It is Saturday and the day has just started. We continued on our quest, but no more vultures to be seen. However, we came upon these beautiful horses peacefully sunbathing--their shiny bodies at perfect angle against the morning sun!

They look so serene as if in prayer; "Thanks Be to GOD!"

Copyright ©2011 VeeraMahal Franklin

THE GUIDING STAR

Have you looked for the STAR

That will light your path

Leading you through life

Saving from evil and perils?

Have you felt...

LOVE for yours and the needy

Yearned and prayed for PEACE

JOY in sharing goodness?

Have you found the STAR

That makes you worthy

Shining through joyfully

Burning deep within... not far!

MAY GOD'S GRACE, PEACE AND JOY SHINE UPON YOU

THROUGHOUT THE NEW YEAR, 2011!!!

Copyright ©2011 VeeraMahal Franklin