Words

Tracing fingers along favorite words in books to commit them to memory and highlighting sentences.

Reading anything and everything you can see, every hoarding, store name, menu, product label.

Writing down new words over and over again just because you like writing the letters it is made up of or just because wanting to write it down is an itch which needs to be scratched.
And then you read his words. And most of them are about you. You want to commit everything to memory and so you read it over and over again. You want to write down everything and keep them some place safe. Here at last is someone who can roll words into such fine joints and the high you get from this is immeasurable.

People before things...

...Except when it comes to books.

I am one of those people who practices "People before things" - things can be replaced but people cannot be replaced.

So, whenever someone breaks or loses any of my things, I don't get angry or mad or feel bad. Nobody is perfect and people make mistakes and all that blah. I usually forgive and forget if my friend loses say my favorite earring. I just say something like "Those were my favorite pair of earrings. But it's okay." She already knows that those are my favorite and she knows what she did was bad and I should not make her feel worse by shouting at her or crying about it and thereby spoiling the mood of two people. I can make some other pair my favorite and move on.

I took a lot of time to get to the point where I am now with this practice as far as having no favorite things. Now, I don't have any favorites, except books. I love my books. I crib and whine if someone wants to borrow my books. If someone borrows my books, I call them up to ask about their progress and whether they liked it or not but the real intention of calling them is to calculate the time they will take to finish it so that I can call them up and remind them to return it. I might be your worst nightmare if you borrow my books, that is the reason I rarely lend them.

If you ever end up with one of my books, first of all, lucky you (or did you flick it without my knowledge ?), second of all, follow these instructions, please.
Treat the book like a person. Don't touch it too much. Don't fold anything (Would you fold a person ? Would you ? Would you ?) Don't stuff it inside your handbag (Please, for the love of God women) Don't lick it.
Don't write anything on it. Don't keep a paper on MY BOOK and write on it. This might leave the imprint of your writing on MY BOOK.
Don't eat or drink while you are reading my book, not even water. When you feel the urge to eat or drink, keep the book down, move 10 meters away from my book. Curb your urges. Wash your hands and dry them. Wash hands again (just to be safe) and dry them thoroughly and then come back and resume reading.
Don't use it as a toy for your baby or dog or cat or chameleon or snake or rat or ants. Because MY BOOK is not a toy.
Don't leave it out in the sun or the rain or in the middle of the desert or the middle of the river (or lake or ocean or sea or pond or puddle).
Don't spill stuff on it, even by accident. Would you spill something on a person by accident ? OMG! You would. You know what, stay away from my book, you are not getting it.
Sigh! I tried.

Me: You are like a pinata.
Her: You mean full of sweets? Aww..!!
Me: *No, I want to hit you repeatedly with a stick* Yes.

Favorite posts - Part 1

Comments are so helpful. Appreciative comments make me want to write more. I love how some bloggers (I am looking at you cookie's crumbs ;)) leave the most thoughtful comments on the posts. I find it a bit lame to write a simple "good post" or just an "awesome post" under those comments. I read each and every post in the 37 blogs I follow on Feedly. I read the post write a comment and then just think about how odd it looks and just erase the whole thing. Or I post a comment and just think how ridiculous it might sound and not comment on any posts I read that day. I have some insecurity issues I need to sort out I guess.

Anyhoo, I thought it would be a great idea to just list all the posts I loved every week or two. So today I have for you some posts which I think you should read and some blogs which I think you should follow (If you are not already which I doubt). So here is the list. Enjoy.. :)

1) Soumya of Life of Leo has a story which is being put up in parts which are really interesting. These are the parts which have been put up so far.
Part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5

2) Cookie crumbs has a really nice series going on about the 99 things that make her scream from joy. I loved this and I have started my list and the fact that I cannot go past 20 really gets my goat. And cookie, I am still waiting for the last part in this list.

3) I recently came across this amazing blog which is called A Walk Across the Bridge. I have read almost all the posts in this blog. But I keep coming back to read two of my favorite posts, Please and Is he ?
If you are not already reading her blog, do go read.

4) This is a blog which I have been following for quite some time now, I have three words "just go read". I just have too many favorite posts in this blog.

5) This witty post by Sreesha of Rain and a Book (and Petrichor and Clouds) which I loved reading and which I read twice but don't know what exactly to comment. Go read it here.

So this is the end of this list. I really hope to write more such lists. I also want to discover new blogs and writers. Comment below and let me know if you have any suggestions.

tahtah :)

You again.

The first drops of rain come down and the sweet smell of the earth is everywhere.
The weather could not be more beautiful.
I am huddled up in my bed with a big sweater and a cup of hot chocolate
Through the open window, I can smell the rain.
I think nothing can make me happier.

And then I think about you. You can.

But you won't and I think nothing can make me sadder.

Not the petrichor of the post rain evening.
Not the lukewarm cup of chocolate.
Not the big sweater under which I have slowly started to sweat.
Nothing.