The wedding ceremony means so much.
On the surface it’s bringing two people together. But it’s the joining of two families.
It’s also an opportunity to dress up, reconnect with family and friends, realise how we’ve all grown.
The bride arrives
We’re part of the family as many of the grandsons of our house owner and extended family have lived on our roof
October update.
We have our fair share of things we do … at Mysore Bed and Breakfast.
Here we commemorate MAnjula and help her spirit find its new body.
Support Kaveri in Manjula’s name and share her sunshine
Go cycling with our guests
Ask the goddess to make our ‘tools’ work for the next year
“There are some people who have sun inside them.
It’s hard to explain.
Their presence just brightens, it’s not about their beautiful smiles.
They have an internal being that sheds light and feels like sun.
It’s a calm energy. Inner peace.
But most importantly; it’s not wanting anything back in return.
It’s sun.”
— Unknown 🎀
As is this …..
We even invented a sun cake.
SB came to do Ayudha puja to ask the goddess to look after our tools and help them perform for the next year
Next day is the final event of the annual celebration of the goddess killing the demon, after which our fair city is named!
That’s a stay home and avoid the crowds day.
… Leave for two nights with Kaveri’s mum.
It’s been the usual joy having them here for the week.
There’s one more before they return to school and college.
The T-shirt was left as a gift by a recent guest but nicely sums up the impact Manjula’s Mysore wants from our support to them
Footnote
Chandrika has re-utilised the money I’d given them for the auto ride. No surprise there then.
The shopper (yes me) bought two Ganesh’s from the local pot shop. One will join the family and the other will go for a swim in the Kaveri river.
Well that was a journey and a half. Carrying this ‘Bobby Dazzler’ home, just round the corner but he was so heavy. So regular rests were called for.
No idea why I decided to head butt him, I can’t remember it guv. Honest.
Now we’ve got the less dressed Ganesh and his mum Gowrie (Gaurie) at home for this years festivities.
After a spell at home, in the puja room and lots to eat, we’ll take him for a swim in the Kaveri river.
The flag.. a gift from Bylakuppe
More from out visit to Bylakuppe
The monastery where Ani used to live, the workshops making ornate metal for the Temples and Tibetan incense sticks.
To meet my queens (both sets)
What’s one of the first things they want to do on my return?
Go for a walk
After a lovely time in Italy with Maria
With plenty of lovely food …
They want pizza….
And presents
I’m so lucky to have them in my life…
Left a bit, straight, right a bit, wiggle it in and out….
You wouldn’t believe I’ve experience of reversing up narrow Yorkshire streets, often between parked cars.
This was so stressful.
I’ve got the Ambassador into the garage before, but not just after I’d spent a small fortune on having the car re-sprayed and renovated.
Makes one nervous.
Well it’s done and now I can go on holiday.
Years ago I returned from a trip to the U.K. to find the tree outside was decimated. That’s maybe an exaggeration but I was shocked. As the taxi pulled up I could now see most of the front of the house.
A branch had broken and MAnjula had had the tree trimmed. Not quite pollarding but a shock nevertheless. It was like a no 1 haircut.
What had happened to our tree!?
It’s now recovered and dominates.
It’s a beautiful tree that we both loved. The Indian way is however to hack them back. Its a process that needs managing.
Today
A couple of branches had come loose in a recent storm and so it needed a trim—— carefully supervised to ensure they didn’t go too far.
I didn’t want the same hacking so both SB and I supervised and approved each branch to be cut.
Micro-management in action.
The security guy from the local school doubles as a tree chopper. He did the duty. Later we’ll have someone do a more precision job with a circular saw.
There was a keystone cops element to it.
Thankfully we didn’t pull down any of the wires
Manjula once declared her wish to be reincarnated as a tree as it supported, protected and sheltered people. That’s just like her
I think our strong beautiful tree was in her mind.
We now have symbolic trees in our life, in the house, the car and our real beauty outside.
Me and MYCycle 