Thoughts Opinions & Memories | But I Smile Anyway...

Seven Cities Of Delhi by Rajiv Chopra #Book Review #AmReading

18 Aug 2018 20 Comments

by Ritu in #AmReading, Reviews, Thoughts Opinions & Memories

In my mission to always support our wonderful Indie authors out there, I decided to purchase a book a little out of my usual genre, by photographer and writer, Rajiv Chopra.

Here is he, with a pen rather than his camera – his usual weapon of choice!

I have been following Rajiv’s work for a long while, and was extremely excited at the thought of his book, Seven Cities Of Delhi, which was to be a combination of photography and historical facts about the glorious city of Delhi, and I wasn’t disappointed!

Makes me want to go again and actually explore more, rather than just go shopping! (Oh, and eat Gol Gappe!!!)

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My review!

Star rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I’ve appreciated the photography of Rajiv Chopra for a few years via social media. I have visited Delhi several times and enjoyed my time there too. So when I read that there was a book combining both, I felt a compulsion to buy.
Seven Cities of Delhi? Who knew? I have read many tales and historical novels about various rulers who dominated Indian history, and it was really fascinating to read about how they left their marks on the capital of India.
Rajiv’s photos, in black and white, gave a grainy, almost to the era feel to the pictures, I wanted to step inside to see the colour!
If you love to read about long-forgotten Indian history, and have a fascination with the beautiful photographic structures, I recommend this book!

Available on Amazon here.

My Amazon review here.

My Goodreads review here.

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#SoCS August 18/18 – ic-ical

18 Aug 2018 56 Comments

by Ritu in #SoCS, Poems, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #StreamofConsciousnessSaturday, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, ic-ical, poem, Socs

Linda’s prompt for SoCS this week…

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “-ic or -ical.” Find a word that uses the suffix “-ic” or “-ical.” Bonus points if you use both. Have fun!

Historic or historical?
Lyric or simply lyrical?
A comic, or more comical?
This really is hysterical

A clinic or just clinical?
Classic or purely classical?
Electric or electrical
No, I think it’s magical!

Using logic, or being logical?
You like music, or a musical?
A sceptic or extremely sceptical?
Is this just illogical?

Cynic, or mighty cynical?
Tactic or playing tactical?
Mystic or spookily mystical?
No, I’m just being idiotical!

Ritu 2018

Just another silly nonsensical poem!!!

Catch ya later Peeps! Happy Saturday!

https://lindaghill.com/2018/08/17/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-aug-18-18/

10 Days of Keto – #KindaKeto

17 Aug 2018 87 Comments

by Ritu in Health, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #kindaketo, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Health, Keto Diet, Weight Loss

It’s been ten days (as the title says) and I can say that I have actually managed to stay on the Keto diet successfully for all that time!

Honestly, I didn’t think I’d be able to do this – you know me and my sweet tooth!

But I have managed to be good, and I do think the fact that I am eating meals made up of more whole foods, rather than low-fat ones, means that I am feeling fuller for longer.

And I am drinking lots of water, or peppermint tea too.

What have I been eating? Oh, I have been cooking up a storm here! And for the most part, these meals have been filling and tasty too!

And I have tried a good few Keto baking recipes, using almond and coconut flour, or eggs, with varying success!

Coconut pancakes I tried, and they were… okay…

Lil Man wanted to try, so he got blueberry ones, I had plain with just butter.

Then, I thought I’d have a go at cauliflower bread toasties… this was my first #KetoFail!

What it was meant to look like vs. what I ended up with!

I realise now I hadn’t squeezed the water out of the cauliflower enough, but the scrambled cauliflower cheese I ended with was still pretty tasty, just not great to look at!

I managed to make these with more success later in the week.

I was intrigued by Cloud Bread. I have to say, I haven’t really had bread cravings, but, being on school holidays, I had time to experiment… #KetoFail part two!

The fluffy rolls I was expecting vs. the ‘slices’ I ended up with!

I couldn’t make my egg whites fluffy or stiff! But I think I had grease in the bowl. Still, I was able to have sandwiches!

The last #KetoFail was Almond Scones.

They should have been relatively firm and easy to slice… instead slightly chargrilled on top, and rather crumbly. Very dry! But I don’t believe in waste. Lil Man tried these too, but they weren’t to his liking (I hadn’t expected him to like them!) I have been eating one every day, as my snack, and they are okayyyyy.

If I have wanted anything sweet, which to be honest has been minimal, I have had a couple of squares of dark chocolate. (Which I don’t really like, so it’s easy to eat less!)

I’ve managed to get on the treadmill a couple of times, and the exercise bike a little (gotta train up for that half marathon!) and even wobbled on the vibration plate machine thingy that Hubby Dearest bought for his mum!

And has it been worth it?

Well, let me tell you that starting weight of 11st 1lb is now 10 st 8lb, so I have lost HALF A STONE!!!!

It isn’t the easiest of eating plans to adhere to, and I know next week it will go out of the window (we are away for five days) but I shall try my best to stick to most of the principals and hopefully I won’t undo too much of the good work!

But there you have it – #KindaKeto is #KindaWorking!

August 16 – Flash Fiction – Comet

17 Aug 2018 43 Comments

by Ritu in #CarrotRanch, Fiction, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #CarrotRanch, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Charli Mills, Comet, Flash Fiction

Charli’s prompt this week:

August 16, 2018, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about a comet. You can consider how it features into a story, influences a character, or creates a mood. Go where the prompt leads.

Heavenly Calling

It was 1910. She was ten. She’d often sit on her windowsill, legs dangling, staring out at the stars. That night, she’d seen something different, a ball of light travelling through the sky.
Haley’s Comet.
She never expected to see that in her lifetime again, and yet here she was, in 1986, eyes trained on the stars, with her ten-year-old granddaughter for company.
A ball of light flashed through the sky. Doris smiled and sat back.
“I saw it! Did you see it? Gramma!! Did you see it?” Rosie turned to her grandma.
Gramma sat, eyes closed, at peace.

https://carrotranch.com/2018/08/16/august-16-flash-fiction-challenge/

#WritePhoto – Circle

17 Aug 2018 28 Comments

by Ritu in #WritePhoto, Blogging 101, Fiction, Poems, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #WritePhoto, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Circle

Sue’s #WritePhoto Prompt this week:

Stoned Stones

Rocky leant back and surveyed the motley group of mates surrounding him.
They’d grown up together; him, Chalky, Mossy, Slimy, Grey, and Chunk.
Actually, it had been kinda hard for them grow in any other way, considering they had been placed in this ridiculous circle, wedged into the ground, and the fact that they had no limbs to make changes.
All they could do was sit or lean.
And gather moss.
Sure there had been a bit of weight loss for the most of them, what with all those heavy backsides coming and sitting on them over the years, wearing buttock-shaped grooves into their heads.
Oh, they’d seem some strange stuff over the years, strange pagan rituals, animal sacrifices, chanting… then all went quiet for a while.
Now all they got was the groups of teens who’d discovered them. Evenings spent feeling slightly woozy as they lit objects and polluted the air with strange smelling smoke…
It’s what made him start to lean, the feeling that smoke gave him…