Healing Blue Apatite

Do you know the power of the healing gemstone- Blue Apatite?

"Isn't this Anindita?"- chime the lady next in line. I try to place the face.

"Lady Brabourne College, remember? I am Anjuli.-- she added.
"Of course I remember, Anjuli" I give her a tight hug.

My, Anjuli must have gained a hundred pounds!But I bite my tongue before blabbering out -You have changed so much. Instead I say, "How long has it been, Anju- thirty years?"

Anjuli was our college queen (like the Prom Queen, here). She was the tennis champion, college representative for Debate Tournaments, and the most popular gal in the campus. I was not in her close friend circle, rather one in her fan club.

I fancied keeping track of the gossips that hummed around her- how different suitors and young men tried to approach and catch her and how with swift swings, spins and smashes she handled them like her ping pong game.

"Remember the guy who held a bet with his friends to show off that he knew you?'- we chuckle.

"So who's the lucky winner finally? Is it Ron?"
"Yes, Ron." A shy yet strange smirk rises and fades.

"Have time today? I have to kill an hour before I pick up my child from his S.A.T. tutorial.

"Absolutely. I have to make time. There is so much to catch up"
So, we find a tiny table in Barbara's Bakery. And this is where I looked forward to find her every Wednesday for the next few weeks. We opened our lives to each other over cups of lattes and the gourmet goodies Barbara could offer.

From the best student Anjuli became the best mom, best neighborhood volunteer and the best home maker in town. Then the Supermom syndrome hit her when she found that she had nothing else left for herself.

"I was exhausted, you know." With several surgeries and health problems pounds piled up upon her.

"It was not that I was unaware. I tried different diets and each time it sank me a bit more at the end. It was like I was walking on a quick pit.

When I look in the mirror, I wonder who is this? My face has changed." I lost myself, Anindita. I hide myself from me. I choose clothes that hide my body these days,can you believe that? It was just the other way round one day, you know.

Then I hid myself from Ron. I tried to escape from him until our marriage withered and died.

It's all me, it's all my fault. I don't blame Ron a bit. But in reality, in action I did it everyday. I blamed, blamed, blamed him everyday for everything- from squeezing the tooth paste the wrong way, watching the wrong T.V.shows to spending his own earned money the wrong way.

I left him. I tore down the nest that I had built with so much care one day."

She paused. Then fixing her gaze some far away she added:

"You know- deep down I felt that Ron does not deserve this Anju. It's not fair to him. He's my first love and perhaps I love him more than myself. But he'd never know that.

Then, you know who comes to rescue, to comfort, to put emollient on my wound?

This soft cream on the warm bun." She took a long slow lick with her eyes closed. Then abruptly with a jerk she shoved off her plate across the table.

Tears rolled down her cheeks. I held her hand. It was time to go. It was time to let go.

Next week she agreed to my proposal of taking a walk around the block instead of visiting Barbaras while we caught up with our stories.

I told her about my ecstasy of doing jewelry (the career change) and the agony of the financial struggle of doing what you love to do, no matter what they say.

Next week we found a Weight Watcher meeting place that existed at the other side of the shopping center.

A month later Anju achieved her first 5% weight loss goal. We celebrated it having French manicure done on our nails. We discovered this beauty parlor only nine blocks away on our walking route.

Very soon Anju will be on her 10% loss goal. She is almost there. I am making a knitted wire bracelet for her to celebrate that. It is with blue apatite gemstone beads and mid night blue fresh water pearls knitted with silver wire.

I have studied that apatite is a balancing stone that helps suppress food craving. It helps in concentrating and meditation. It helps with anger and negativity and restores the physical, emotional and spiritual balances.

Pearl brings good fortune, love and a general sense of well being.

With these thoughts and a prayer that may the healing stones show their promises I'll offer her my humble creation.

Of course I'll make one for you too or your loved ones. Do check my etsy store. And I'll make one for myself too- I promise.

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Most Embarrassing Moment

"In Art man reveals himself, not his objects"- Rabindra Nath Tagore

 My most embarrassing moment?

Then I have to rewind many years. Ready?  

I was seventeen. He was probably twenty two. We lived seven houses apart. One day, with my woman's intuition I kind of felt I've been watched.

One day when the door bell rang and   my mom opened the door, it was him.   He came to see my dad, to get some official paper signed, (at a certain position as a Govt Officer my dad had this authority)

"He'll come tomorrow again- he said , when your dad is home. This young man is a neighbor of ours, lives in ... is going to USA, so he needs those papers signed."

"Oh I see".  I went back putting the mascara meticulously. I hate clumps. In the mirror I noticed a faint smirk on me - hey my dad is not the only officer in town to sign that paper. But in the process I came to know his name. He goes to the same university where I go and yes it is the same house  that I suspected is where  he lives.

Several months passed. Sometimes we catch a glimpse of each other while passing each others house. For safety sake when I turn my head to make sure no cars are coming from behind, I see he has hopped from one veranda to another. Well I admit, I was caught several times doing the same thing too.

More months passed, nothing major happened other that hopping from one veranda to another.

That October, with my family I  went to a very beautiful place named Ghatshila. The vacation house we stayed in was the most beautiful one. It was right on top of the river Subarna Rekha. Translating Subarna Rekha will sound like-  the golden line. It was exactly that, especially at the dusk.

I found a friend there too. Her name was Anita. I call her, Unto. She was exactly six months older than me. Within days we opened our hearts to each other, shared our secrets, worries, knowledge about hush- hush things, film stars, movie songs and everything. We took long walks in the ripened rice fields and dipped ourselves in the cool river and had water fights.

Soon the Durga Puja and Diwali festivals were there. The beating of the drums, the lamps shining on the Goddess' face, the smell of incenses kind of transcended us spiritually. After our prayers Anita asked me, "Were you sure exactly what to pray?" I was .

"Silly you, what does a seventeen year six month know about life? Wait till you become eighteen! Besides, prayers only work when it is combined with action.What is your mode of action?"

I don't know.

"Send him a greeting card."

Now Ghatshila was not at all a place for cards. Besides, going shopping involves grown ups - too complicated.

"Make one."

We couldn't find any art material in that vacation house. She brought me an Inland post paper with a stamp on it and a terrible dot pen. The quality of the paper was so bad she suggested not to use ink.

Here is what is so embarrassing. I could have drawn a design or something. But I found my self finishing up with a bird  - kind of an ibis looking creature with a long beak and neck standing on one leg in a swamp. The reflection of other water plants are apparent. Now why on earth did I come up with that!

"Very good." Encouraged  Anita seriously. She must have worked hard hiding her laugh. "Now write whatever you want inside and  the address on the out."

I wrote- "Bijoya greetings." My name and my address in the inside.

After the letter was out of my hand, given to the mail man, I had the worst, most severe embarrassing feeling attack. Why did I listen to her? I was a shy, proud and reserved kind of person at that age.   That image shattered right in front of me every time I faced the mirror.

Now my new prayer is -let that letter be lost. The rest of the vacation was terrible  for me naturally. Unto could not figure out why I was getting so short tempered with her. At the end we even did not exchange addresses to keep in touch.

Several months past, nothing much happened other than hopping verandas.

On the seventh month through the grape vines I came to learn that he has gone to USA.

Good. I hope I can forget the whole thing quickly now, I started praying with my ears all red and hot.

Next October I got a post card- the sky line of New York city in dusk- as if this American city is all dressed up for Diwali. There was only one  line - " Greetings and Best wishes to you and your family." His name and his current address.

Five years  and about a hundred and some letters later, we became husband and wife and I came to USA.

Thirty five years later, we share the same life with two daughters  and a grand daughter and the same home.  Today right now, I  can see him  across the same room, stretched out on the lazy boy chair, the news papers on his lap,  and the afternoon sun is glistening  on his silver streaked temple.  As  I put the last crimp bead, I try to hide the memory of that embarrassing  day,oh  that silly ibis....

Some times I think of Unto.   Where is she?  How is her life? I lost all touch with her after she was married a year later I met her, when she was only nineteen.  It was an arranged marriage.

She does not know how embarrassed she made me one day  and also what a gift she had given!

The picture you see is taken from the train in 2010 - Passing Ghatshila 42 years later.

It's About Time

Let the Muse refuse
Just hold on to her shoes.

It happens.

You come up with a great idea. You can see part of it and you are so anxious to see the rest- how is it going to turn out when it is finished- but then something happens. You fail to grab the moment, the Muse leaves.

May be you just wanted a few more minutes to bask in the warm afternoon sun, on your soft couch and linger the cat-nap a wee bit more. When you wake up you find that your idea has faded.

Or, you got caught in a million of mundane things, washing the dishes, folding the laundry or wiping the kitchen counter top the 87th time. The inner child in you tugs you by the end of your clothes - please , o please, let's go and do it, let's get lost in the creative process. (I say let's because with in you exists more than one entity, You have a child self and a grown up one, who always scrutinizes and criticizes)

The child in you loves when she can lose herself in creating something. That is when she forgets about herself, her ego, the sense of time, or the fear if it is going to be a success or not. At that time there is only one thing- the process, the action or total concentration.

This is when time stands still even though the sun goes from the east to the west, from one end to the other over the horizon.

But who cares? It was a day well spent. Well worth living. You have gone through that experience and you know what it is.

Author Rice Freeman-Zachery in Creating Time and Space: Making Room for Making Art asks the readers in Chapter 1 - What exactly does "time" means to you? and then at one place comments "Dreams and ideas are timeless- you've felt that, waking up from a dream that lasted for weeks only to have the clock insist that you had slept for only half an hour."

So true.

We like it best when we can lose track of time like a child, but as a grown up we have lost it. We have learned the value of time. Understood how precious it is and how to spend it wisely!

Art Bead Scene Blog: About the Art Bead Scene

Art Bead Scene Blog: About the Art Bead Scene

I Beg Your Pardon...

I had to yank the shopping cart hard to untangle. Succeeding, my eyes met a fellow sitting on a near by bench at the entrance of the super market. I smiled.

"Maam"

A couple of steps later I hear again - "Maam... "
I turned my head.

"I AM HUNGRY."

How old is he? Fourteen or fifteen, may be. This young Afro-American boy, his face all bundled up in a black parka hood, is announcing - "I am hungry!" - As if I am his mom or auntie or a close neighbor.

I am startled. Yet I pause.

"May be when I get back". I answered. The boy nodded his head "Okay".

Believe me, I am quite good at ignoring these "spare a change?", "will work for food" kinda messages.

I used to see a woman sitting on a low wall of a church with all her possessions in a shopping cart. She wore decent clothes. Every Friday after grocery, on my way back home I would to see her - for quite a few months.

Some times I thought of stopping and talking to her. If I bought her a sandwich or give a box of crackers would she mind? - I thought. But I never did.

I grew up in Calcutta. I have seen all kinds of begging strategies.

Once, a lady - quite properly dressed, came to our house and asked to see the lady of the house. She told my mom her story so convincingly that we were mesmerized. Her husband had died recently from a stroke. Her only wage earning son, had a car accident and is in the hospital. She is new to this strange city and had no option other than going door to door for help. She wiped her glasses with the end of her shawl.

Ma gave her a robust donation.

We smirked and ridiculed Ma for how gullible she was and how easily she could be fooled.

"Well, then I pay for her superb acting"- She replied.

When all these beggar women, with a skeleton child on their hips cluster around our car, as we are stuck in the Park Street traffic jam - they stretch their palms for "a Paisa" (coin), I can easily roll the window up and direct the driver to remember to stop at the "Flury's" - the best baking shop in Calcutta

But today something happened. It was almost 3:40 pm and I have not had lunch either. My stomach was growling. The words echoed louder and louder in my head - " Maam..I am hungry, I am hungry."

As I was snaking through the aisles picking up stuff from my list, I was also unconsciously thinking of this boy.

Finally, I picked up a bagguette and a small cup of cream cheese and asked the cashier girl to bag it separately and stick a plastic spoon too.

I came out. The sliding door closed silently.

He was no where.

This is the first time I was refused by a beggar.

A Wish from A Genie

I came across an interesting term- RAS- acronym of - Reticular Activation System.

What I understood is- it is the part of the brain that acts like a strainer.

Suppose you are in a busy air port or train station and there are all kind of noise and cacophony. But you can manage to snooze. All on a sudden you hear- "Ms. Dita Basu - you have a call in the white courtesy telephone"

WHAT? Your antanaes are up. You are not sleepy any more.

So, my brain could let pass all that is not so important but just capture and hold onto what is important.

Experts say that this knowledge is applicable to any goal setting strategy. Athletes in Olympics use it, successful speakers and performers use it. They can visualize their success and train their brain to note it as a very important thing.

If you can manage this part of your brain, or rather you can understand the full power of this tool that you already have - you do have unlimited wealth and potential.

Oh My! That's why they probably say - you have unlimited potential, you just don't know about it.

So here, decide what is the one and only one thing that you can give your heart and soul and desire most? Can you dream it?

Oh No! I am in trouble. The Genie has come . "Quick Dita- Think of just one wish. One and just one thing ."

Traffic in my blog? Nah.

Clicks in my affiliate marketing? - Nah nah.

Just one wish - it must be more valuable than that.

"I want to give all that I know- Give me that wish"

The Genie smiled and turned his head. "It is all up to you. Remember RAS?"



He leaves.

I am left alone. I grab my bead box and create a necklace piece.

Knitted garnet teardrops in silver wire.

Oldest Jewellery Design

I was thinking of the oldest jewelery design on earth, as I was finishing up my latest jewelry project. It revealed some extra ordinary fascinating facts.

The oldest jewelry design goes back as far as some forty to forty five thousand years ago. If we consider that the first human dates back about six to seven million years,evidence of the first jewelry designs happened some forty to forty-five thousand years ago.

Scientists believe this time frame correlates with when humans could use language or appreciate symbolism. Jewelry was worn to show some kind of symbolism just like it is used to day - to show power, status or some thing like that.

Shell beads were found in ancient Turkey , ostrich egg shell beads in Kenya, they all had deliberate holes for designing jewelery. They all are contemporary, though far apart in geographical sense, they show the same time period - about 45,000 years old.

Recent findings shake this theory. Three beads were found that were over 100,000 years old. Shell bead found in Blombos cave, on the southern tip of South Africa are75,000 years old.

These beads all have deliberate holes, and definitely do carry symbolic message- says Prof Henshilwood of the University of Bergen, Norway (Ref: BBC News: "Oldest Jewellery" - June 22, 2006 )

This dramatically pushes back the dates for the first clear proof of using symbolism by human being. That is what sets human apart from animals.

Then, even before we could talk(which is around 45 to 50 thousand years ago) were we making jewelry designs? Why not? It is very possible that the urge to make beautiful things came even before we learned to talk.

Like art, jewelry design opens the window of the human soul just to point to the mystery of beauty!