On or way out we noticed the elephants and cannons. A practice for the procession next weekWe were ordering a new MAnjula sign in Kannada to go next to her garden in the park, followed by a visit to the stone carvers. and a drink in this traditional Brahmin juice shop for sarsaparilla and fruit salad with ice cream .
There’s a group of us that meets and camps together each year. Sharing cooking and news of our lives, supporting each other.
WOMAD 2023
Some of the same group eighteen years before… on the front row from left … youngest son Oliver, me, friend Louise, Liz mum of my boys, Ben, my eldest. July 2023My son Oliver was visiting from Canada with his partner Rachel. Wonderful and rare opportunity to catch up. It often gets muddyThis year I’ve been fortunate to meet a few friends, who are previous guests at Mysore Bed and Breakfast.
We’ve lost two from our group that’s MAnjula and Peter but they’re still in all our hearts.
‘Til later…
Manjula after cooking one of her gorgeous meals and overcome by the appreciation from our group. Wonderful memories from 2016 and 2017There’s always time for new friends and stories. Cool things to buy for the forever shopper. You’ll see this and similar around, as they’re significant.
Originally written in March 2021 but lost in the ether
I’m officially confirmed as a writer and here’s the evidence.
I have a blank page and pen. I also have a passion, here it is, at the top of the blank page.
I’ve submitted for a competition and got absolutely nowhere, so that’s the ‘rejection’ box ticked.
I‘ve got the writer’s block down to a fine art.. To be fair I think it’s proximity to the ‘wound’ or the trauma that makes it extra difficult. This month creates extra challenges as there’s a pile-up of anniversaries, our weddings and Manjula’s death, but that’s an expected part of this particular journey.
I’m reading lots of fiction, including children’s, non fiction and insights into how to write. How much is being held by this decaying brain is another matter.
I’m inadvertently following famous writers such as Paul Auster and now my writer of the moment, who I’ve only just discovered wrote ‘Stardust’ my favourite film Neil Gaiman
I must admit to liking young people’s story books. I like the pace, find them interesting and I more easily remember what I’ve read.
As the ‘passion’ would say “let’s see.”
First update
It feels like it’s been weeks since I added to our story so I plan to have a different approach, set up my writing place, establish a routine and treat it as a ‘job.’
Second update
It’s written but as I’m a writer I’ll follow a norm and declare it just ain’t good enough
Third update
It’s going to be completely revised and restructured. I’ll break the memoir rules but I just don’t care.
Fourth update 2022 and I’m yet to start. I’ve slipped into a ‘can’t quite get my act-together phase’ I told you I was a writer.
After meeting up with our mysore BnB family at WOMAD and knocking on a few of their doors I went camping.
I was apprehensive about revisiting the same places in Dorset where we’d had a family camp to celebrate Alice and Ben’s (eldest son) wedding and my 60th birthday during Manjula’s second U.K. holiday
I shouldn’t have been.
It proved to be a tonic.
I like WeymouthRachel and Simon of the lovely ‘hive’ cafe even remembered our visit five years ago. Catching a ferry Making new friends from YorkshireWho’s that bearded idiot? Then back to Ruth’s in Bristol,
over to bee-man Stephen to drop our beautiful tent, return the fancy hire car and prepare to return home
In my experience, when grieving, we regularly get ambushed by memories of magical times together. They make me both happy and sad. I’ve learned not to run away but to face them, even create them, so it was ok to retrace my steps.
Thank you for joining my journey and your support.
It’s late at night and the page is blank so I turn to Laozi and Pooh bear.
Actually that’s not true. I turn to you…… to help me get the ball rolling, to create and share my and Manjula’s story. It’s the age old writer’s conundrum. As you see I have a pile of full notebooks but how to get the blank page filled to begin to start the actual story. Can you help?
If you know Manjula and I or even if you don’t 🙃 what’s the key ingredients of our story that might interest you or a wider audience. What are the main themes that will interest people?
Just arrived, a collection of photos of my beautiful wife and our Mysore Bed and Breakfast family. Also available as a PDF. Why not come visit and see the album for yourself? You’d be sure to feel and meet Manjula too. 🙂
I’ve spent today sorting through digital photos to create a printed album. I was drawn to some videos of Manjula talking to us.
Far from being upsetting I loved hearing and seeing Manjula
I wondered if you might be interested in seeing one or two.
After our engagement in 2015 we decided to visit the U.K. so applied for a passport for Manjula. Our challenging journey started way before we ever set off for the UK and is detailed on this site. The video was taken after our trip to the passport office.
more can be found here with a section on the passport challenge