northern lights

northern lights
image

Wednesday 31 December 2014

Haiku Just

                                                                  Just and honest
                                                          His whole life  in misery
                                                                  died in penury.



                                                               Do no evil
                                                     law of natural justice prevails
                                                           be not proud.



Written for Haiku Horizons Prompt' Just'.

Tuesday 30 December 2014

Qualities of a good teacher

Teaching is one of the most complicated jobs. A teacher, unlike other professions,has not only to be very well versed in her subject but also must be an expert  in understanding human nature. A teacher has to deal not only with the students but with their parents, with school authorities, and general public. It is therefore essential, that she  should possess self confidence and should put forward her point of view convincingly. In other professions people have to deal with files, but here in  a school she has to handle children, living beings, who have their own  pattern of thinking and mind set. A teacher  must have  the following  qualities:
 1. A teacher must have a good knowledge of her subject.
How  can a teacher teach  unless she knows her  subject thoroughly. The children are very smart. They can guess that the teacher herself  has half baked knowledge. A History teacher was once teaching Boston Tea Party to  class xi children. She started  by telling the pupils that drinking too much tea is harmful for health and therefore the people of Boston  collected  tea leaves from all the shops and threw it in the sea. Can you beat this? This lesson was taught in front of an Inspector of  school.

2.A teacher must inspire the children
A good teacher must encourage and inspire her students by allowing them to talk and  have a healthy  discussion with the teacher. There is a saying, ''a mediocre teacher tells, a  good teacher explains, a superior teacher demonstrates and a great teacher inspires.” 

3.A teacher  must not use abusive or irrational  language with the students
She should talk in a decent language with the students. These days children are becoming aggressive and do not respect  authority. Treat such children with care. Talk to them strictly when required,and softly otherwise.

4 Do not show your weak points in front of the children
Once  during an Inspection  I happened to visit a class and asked for the written work of the class.  It was the month of September. The teacher had corrected  the class work, but the date of correction was shown as November. When I questioned her why had she put the date in advance.Her reply  was very shocking. She presumed that the school inspection would be held  after November. How will such teachers set an example for the children!! What impression such teachers will have on the children!
5.The teachers  must write carefully on the black board.
 Once  I saw several spelling mistakes in the text written on the blackboard.  The clarification given by her was that  she wrote it in a hurry, so the mistakes occurred.

6. The teacher should be  passionte about her job.

Only if there is passion  and a spirit of dedication, the teacher can  be successful. Her life must revolve around her  job.

7.A teacher must be able to motivate her students
\If as a role model, the teacher can not inspire   and motivate the children,they will feel bored in  the class. A child loves a particular subject only if the teacher  makes it interesting.

   8.  The teacher must have good communication skills

The teacher must have the quality to make har subject interesting. If the teacher does'nt  herself speak clearly, her  students will not conentrate on what she is teaching. I once happened to attend a class where the teacher was teaching Economics. The  topic was 'shares in
 marketing'.    The opening sentence in the class was,"there are two types of   "ser"......one found in forests  and the  other one is used in "weighing".  Ha,ha,ha,ha, the whole class could not control laughter. 
  (note; 'ser' is a Hindi word,which is a unit of measurement. The other 'ser' she meant 'sher' but but pronounced wrongly) 

9.   The teacher must  maintain her prestige in front of her students .
 Some teachers become too friendly with the students, with the result that their image goes down. Becoming too strict is also not desirable.The teacher must always adopt the middle path.

10.The teacher must not form ideas about students from hearsay.   
  Never form an opinion about a child from what others say.Judge the children according to their capability.Many teachers form ideas about the children from their dress or their looks,which has an adverse effect on the child.(Soon I will write a real story on this point.} The arrogant or offensive teacher lacks these positive qualities due to lack of control over the children. Teachers should assert that they should also be treated with respect and  ensure that students treat each other with kindness. 
According to an educationist three things are important in a teacher/student relationship. (1)  Eyes that wont cry,(2)  Lips than wont lie, and (3) Love that wont die.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

         Written for Blog-a-Rhythm week 28th Dec 2014 to 4th Jan 2015                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Witten for archives Blog A  Rhythm Qualities of a good teacher date 1st June 2015













Monday 29 December 2014

On the thresh hold of a New Year

                                                       

Happy New Year 2015


 The  dawn of New Year 2015 is within sight now!It has come arousing new hopes and aspirations in the heart  of every individual.  Given below is  a short poem to welcome the new year.
Good bye old year,
Past  waits for you.
Now old, infirm and  bent
go rest in the lap of infinity.
Hide all the violence and rage 
in the silent womb of eternity.
Allow the future to adopt peace
never to bring back bane discord.
Let humanity erase from memory
the jarring notes of incivility.

Christmas Tree Vector Illustration 1

Welcome new year 
two thousand fifteen.
We wait for you with alacrity 
looking  forward  joyful  glee.
What does a man aspire for
peace in the universe all around.
Why this fight for superiority
none will gain from strife and war
abandon  all awful monstrosity.


Christmas Tree Vector Illustration 1

Welcome,New Year  with glory
bring  peace, plenty, love and unity,
fresh like dew drops of harmony.
Humanity full of love  and hope
may live a life of splendour.
Ill thoughts, hunger,violence,
malice, banish from vocabulary. 
Little flowers bloom and smile
spread sweet fragrance to create
A BRIGHT NEW WORLD
IN THE YEAR 2015.


vector heart flowers and heart...vector heart flowers and heart...vector heart flowers and heart...

pics.  google












         

Saturday 27 December 2014

White Christmas

                                                 
                                                   Roads, trees  flowers
                                             snow  here, there, every where.
                                                    Its white Christmas.




Written for Carpe Diem# 634 prompt 'White Christmas'.

Stars

                                                                On a snowy night
                                                       golden stars turn into silver
                                                                 unforgettable sight.





                                                                   A silver star
                                                            on the Christmas tree
                                                                 enhanced beauty.


 Written for Carpe Diem # 635, Stars

Friday 26 December 2014

Recipe of a cake witout baking.

The recipe of the cake that I am  posting today requires no baking.We can prepare a cake by using any one of the  items, 1. Strawberry 2. Blueberry  3. Cranberry  4.Pineapple and 5. Mango. The method of prepation is the same. The ingredients are somewhat special.They will be available at some big stores or malls.Since this cake requires no or very little cooking, it is easier to prepare.


Blueberry cake.The brown mould is the
biscuit crust

Note;-Tart dish ( a dish with removable bottom) is required.


Ingredients:-

1.Blueberry Jam 1 bottle

2.Digestive Biscuits     14

3.Butter                      100g  

4.Whipping  cream 100 ml.

5. Cream cheese 1 small bottle

6.Sugar                          1 cup

7.Vanila essence           1.4 teasp

Directions to prepare:-

1.Crush the digestive biscuits very well.

2.Add butter and mix well  like a chapati dough.

3.Spread the dough on the bottom and sides of a cake tin and press it firmly.

4. Keep it in the frig till the biscuits turn into a  thick crust.

5. Take the whipping cream  add 3/4 cup of sugar and mix thoroughly till it becomes fluffy.

6.  Add  the rest of the sugar to the cream cheese and whisk very well.

7.Mix the whipped cream and cream cheese and stir. It will turn  into a thick paste.

8. Pour this mixture in the crust  made of the biscuits.

9. Keep in the frig for at least for two hours.

10. In the meantime pour the blue  berries in a bowl.

11.Boil about 1/4 cup of water and slowly pour into the jam. The jam must bocome pouring capacity.

12.After the cream becomes thick, spread the jam on top of the cake evenly.

13. Once again keep it in the frig, till the layer of jam becomes thick.

14.Push the cake from the bottom.

15. The cake is ready. It is heavenly in taste.

Note:-
Fruits like blueberries and cranberries are not easily available in India. Hence it is preferable to use jam. If you are using pineapple, mango or  strawberry you can boil the fruit in water and add sugar and stir till it  gives an appearance of jam.  

  







       

Thursday 25 December 2014

Near

                                                          The baby cries
                                          wants mom always near him
                                                     mom is too busy.



                                                          God is  here
                                                man searches far and wide
                                                         He is within.



                                                     
Writte for Haiku Horizons  prompt  'Near'

Tuesday 23 December 2014

Angels


                                                   angel : Christmas decoration  Angels  Vector illustration                  
                                                                                                                  





                                                        Spirit of Xmas
                                                   Angels dance in heaven
                                                          send us gifts/.




                                                         Angels in the sky
                                                  send love from the heavens
                                                          Mankind happy.


                                                           Message by angels
                                                      Merry christmas to you.
                                                             Be happy!

Written for Carpe Diem  prompt Angels.
pic courtesy google

Sunday 21 December 2014

Getting ready for Christmas

The Christmas spirit is already here. We are all very excited. Actually the house was very quiet for the past many days. Both our grand daughters were not at home.The elder one is in USA and the younger one was in the hostel. Our son was travelling most of the time and DIL very busy with her professional commitments. So two old souls, I and my husband, were at home the whole day. Suddenly the house is waking up after  slumber. The younger one's exams are done with, elder one is coming next week, son's touring activities are on hold for sometime, and the DIL comparitively free,  the house is brimming with hectic activity. Preparing for Christmas has started. Decoration of the Christmas tree is being planned. The photograph of last year's tree is shown below
                                           

                                 

I am busy preparing cakes for the special occasion. Goodies are being planned for the party on Christmas eve. My grand daughter keeps singing carols. Gifts are being wrapped.The festive spirit has enthused everyone.
How are you planning for the big day?


Written for Blog-A-Rhythm for the week Dec 21st to 27th.








Saturday 20 December 2014

Recipe of a strawberry cake

                                                                       
                                                         






















Ingredients      

1.All  purpose  flour  1.5 cups
2.Refined oil              3/4 cup
3.Sugar                      3.4 cup
4.Baking powder       1 tbsp.
5. Soda                       1 ts sp
6 Satrawberries          200 gms.
7'Strawberry Sauce      3 tbsp
8' Milk                       1.4 cup
9. Curd                       3.4 cup  

Method of preperation.

1.  Pre heat the oven for fifteen minutes at 180'o

2. Cut the strawberries into half each. Keep aside three strawberries for decoration.

3. In a mixer cum blender add all the ingredients except S.no. 6 and S.no.7

4. Mix it very  well till the paste is very smooth.


5.Grease  the cake tin well, on all sides.

6.Keep it in the preheated oven for 30 minutes at 200'C

7. Remove the cake from the and check by inserting a fork or toothpickin the centre.If not done keep it for another 5 to 8 minutes at 180C

8. Allow to cool before inverting it in a cake dish.

9.Decorate the cake with the three leftover strawberries.

10. Enjoy the taste of sweet flavoured strawberry cake.
                         









Friday 19 December 2014

Christmas Stockings

                                       chirstmas stockings  gifts   


                                                          Red Cristmas Stockings
                                                    Gifts   filled for  young and old
                                                             wait  for Santa.


Written for Carpe Diem  Sparkling Stars 15  
pic  courtesy google            

Ice Skating

                                                       
                                                       ice skating : Ice skating winter couple smiling happy and excited showing ice skates outdoors in snow. Beautiful young multi-racial couple healthy lifestyle concept.
                                                       

                                                                      Hand in hand
                                                           Skating on mirrored ice,they
                                                                    dreams of future.

                                                      Ice Skating at Christmas (motion blur) - stock photo
                                                                    Here comes Xmas
                                                         Skating, merry making on snow
                                                                   through the night.





Written for Carpe Diem # 628  Ice Skating
pic courtesy google









                                                         

Ah! the flowers that could not bloom!

                                                          Ah! we are crushed flowers
                                                          by  some wretched  animals
                                                          Yes, animals were they all
                                                          who could not see us smile.
                                                          Their garden sans flowers
                                                          they know not the perfume
                                                          each budding flower spreads
                                                          cheer,  happiness and glee.

                                                         Our caretaker left  all alone
                                                         mourning his lost love forever.
                                                         choked throat,tears  dried
                                                         none to see his pain and sorrow.
                                                         Never again will  any little bud
                                                         adorn his withered garden..
                                                         O maker of the wide world!
                                                        why this  violence, onslaught!!


                                                        The tender flowers harm no one,
                                                        they spread only peace and love
                                                        for no fault, their innocence slayed
                                                        at the hands of cruel  and heartless .    
                                                        Oh god, give these senseless humans
                                                       wisdom  to stop this  cruel massacre.
                                                       The world suffers immense  grief
                                                       stop this ruthless, brutal barbarity .        




                                                       
                                                                                 
                                                          
                                                         
                                                 
                                                          

Wednesday 17 December 2014

The arrival of cold

Cold has arrived in Delhi with a bang.Even though  officially the winter season starts immediately after Diwali.This  year there was no trace of cold. People attributed it to the early arrival of Diwali.  The festival came and went away but it was still quite warm. Some A/C's and fans were still on. Many  people took out their woollens, expecting the on slaught of cold days but they were let down. After waiting for an opportunity to use their suits and lovely shawls, one  by one they were again  put back in their storage boxes. Men generally love to wear suits, because they feel they look smart in suits. Thus , their disappointment was understandable.On the other hand, in winter evening parties, ladies are seen without any woollen dress.  May be to show off themselves.  If questioned  they  phoo phoo the statement that it is very cold. But look at the ladies  like me, who have officially entered old age,  draped in woollens from top to bottom and still complaining of cold. Oh, I have transgressed from the topic! I was  speaking about late arrival of winter.
                                    While some people argued that it was the effect of global warming, some reasoned that it was due to shedding down large number of trees  and some others thought that it was the effect of over population which cluttered the city. The month of November and early December  were proclaimed by Newspapers to be the warmest months in the last hundred years.As if to prove the newspapers wrong, the mercury started dipping. On Sunday, the 14th December, people got up to welcome a cloudy morning. Slowly cold wind took over and reached the peak . It started raining  heavily in the late afternoon.Chilly winds are making their presence felt. Finally the  cold has arrived!

Tuesday 16 December 2014

Ruby

                                                     ruby : Gold Royal Crown with Jewels Stock Photo




                                                               The king's crown
                                                     Ruby,emerald gold, amber,opal.
                                                            God's blessed gift.
                                                                




       
                                                                  
           

                                                                      Kiss of love
                                                                on beautiful ruby red cheeks
                                                                    made her blush.


                                                 
                                                                 

                                                            The full moon.
                                                  red ruby wonder in the sky,
                                                         on a dust  night.


Written for Haiku Horizons week 43 prompt Ruby

pics courtesy google









                                                             




                             

Monday 15 December 2014

Carpe Diem #627, Fog/Ripe

                                                               

                                                                     Who is he?
                                                         Fully covered head to feet
                                                                  Only nosey seen.



                                                                      Thick  and hazy
                                                                  Fog  engulfed the earth
                                                                      Can't see my hand.


Written for  Carpe Diem #627, Fog/Ripe

Saturday 13 December 2014

Carpe Diem #624, Snow

Group of children playing on snow in winter time - stock photosnowy mountains : Beautiful winter landscape in the mountains. Sunrise Stock Photo                                                                  
Young Family In Snow Scene - stock photo


Snowy  mountains
an attraction for the family
wow, great fun.





Sweet  little kids
on the snow peak mountain
don't feel cold.



Distant mountains
dressed in snow white apparel
make me shiver


Written for Carpe Diem #624, Snow
pics courtesy google
















      

A tribute to my family

                                                        
I and my husband

                                                              
                                                          Oh my hubby of five decades
                                                         always beside me with grace
                                                          life in reality is only with you
                                                         thoughts forever confined to you.
                                                         You are my succour, my everything
                                                         cant think of anyting  without you.
                                                         Your presence is a solace for the soul
                                                         Nothing else can replace the extol.
                                                         Your gift of two angels brought hoy
                                                         a contented heart filled with joy.



son and daughter in law
                                                        My son, my pride, apple of my eyes,
                                                       A special place in the heart  occupies.
                                                        where ever you go, nest looks barren.
                                                        The welcome, the love and applause
                                                        you get world wide, makes us rejoice.
                                                        Your sweet heart, your better half
                                                        loving and caring, is a gift of  god.
                                                        Untiring, day and night, every where
                                                        here there, nothing can miss her eyes.
                                                        In her care, there is nothing to despair.
                                                   
                                                       
Daughter and Son in law.
                                                   Sweet and loving daughter, a baby till now
                                                    gives us strength,raises our will power.
                                                    magic in her words and gold in her heart
                                                    we look forward to her home coming.
                                                    Efficient house wife cares for hubby, kids.
                                                    Happy so  happy to get  a doting soulmate.
                                                      Kind hearted  and considerate husband
                                                    Not a son-in law,but a loving son for us.
                                              
grand daughters
                                                  Two sweeties make the house, a home
                                                   Merry making ,dancing and singing
                                                   bring a cheer in grand pa and ma's life.
                                                  darlings of  mom and pop, soul of the nest.
                                                  Two young  boys, grown as gentle men
                                                   baby boys in grand parent's loving eyes
                                                    always longing  and wishing luck for them.
                                                   Mama, papa dote on their darling sons.
                                                  This is my family, my joy, aspirations 
                                                   my love blessings and heartfelt prayers
                                                   my dear family,my hope, my nest.


                                                       
                                                       
                                                                                                                          
                                                        








                                                          
                                                   


                                                         




















Friday 12 December 2014

Spring Rain

                                                          Spring rain drops
                                                     chitter chatter on the roof
                                                          baby frightened.




                                                               The  little birds
                                                        hide behind grown up leaves.
                                                              fear of spring rain.




Written for Carpe Diem Little Creatures #14  "Spring Rain.''