Category: Manjula’s Kind

Maïlis has become a great friend

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After staying with us in 2025 and 2026 

Initially here for yoga conference she soon branched out to all sorts of activities — stone carving, chanting, Kannada and Sanskrit — she returns to France next month to continue her studies to become a doctor. 

She’s a great example of why we do this. Making new friends from India and around the world and together doing good in our community. 

She’s joined our ‘family’ in so many ways. Probably the most important is how she helps us with Kaveri. 

Kaveri is one of the young people we support in the community. She stays with us alternate weeks and Maïlis has been her chaperone this year. Ensuring that each evening and night there’s a woman available also staying who can guide, support Kaveri and generally available to help ensure she’s happy and safe. 

We’re asking our women friends if they can help us and become a chaperone, like Maïlis.  That’s being here and staying overnight when Kaveri does. It doesn’t pay but there’s somewhere to stay and sometimes a meal to share, most importantly you’re making an important contribution. 

You can get involved as little or as much as you can. 

Want to find out more?  Help us broaden Kaveri’s horizons through the diverse people she meets.

Billie too

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A teeny tiny kit came to sit on my lap on a visit to the local chai shop.

I guessed — she wanted to be adopted.

Blurred snatched photos

I wasn’t prepared to, so I gently shooed her away.

Later that evening, the first image you can see on this video appeared on my Facebook page. It was from exactly five years before when MAnjula and I had adopted a ginger cat.

We called him Billie, only to discover he wasn’t male so we changed it to Billi reflecting the Hindi word for cat.

He disappeared one day and never returned.

…

The next day after the photograph appeared I went out to find the new kitten.

It seemed like a message from MAnjula to adopt this new kitten in memory of ours, that we’d lost.

I announced this to my Facebook friends and called him ‘Billi too’ as a play on ‘two.’

…

Some of them were not impressed with the name as it clearly was a message from MAnjula and this should be acknowledged in the cat’s name.

So I callled her Billet-Doux which means sweet (or love) letter in French as it was a love letter from MAnjula.

Was this a sign?

How cool!?

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The video also includes images of Billet-Doux and her kittens.

Manjula continues to be with us in many wonderful ways.

An adventure

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The three musketeers went into the city to negotiate for a new piece of art we’d seen the day before

Their mission was to get a good discount on the asking price

They were a great success🙂

The winning Musketeers are Kaveri with her two new friends: Naimishambha and Pragathi, lovely, confident girls.. daughters of Deepak who works with our friend Florian.

They’re seen here with Maïlis, Sowbhagya and Stephen

It’s got pride of place in our new lounge, highlighting Manjula with her pals Lucie and Ganesh

Billet-Doux had to get in on the act.

Longer stick

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I’m slowly learning mango farming. Well reaping the product at least.

We’ve had streams of friends and neighbours on PYO – pick your own and donated kilos of the beauts.

We’ve moved on from the hook on a stick, to the giant butterfly net (not) and used two types of blades to get to a tool standard that works for the reachable ones

I’ve created an extra long pole (metal curtain rod and bamboo) to help reach to the top of the tree and its outer perimeters. The ‘unreachable’ ones are a challenge. The first extension broke, the next couldn’t quite reach

We’re not complaining. Well the old woman that cleans is… as I’ve not achieved the usual standard (I’m certain that’s not true)

Next stage is for someone to climb the tree. Two requests (farmers and experienced friends) haven’t worked out but maybe the grandson might step in.

BUT

We have collected hundreds of mangoes (this is one productive tree) and I’ve ordered a professional telescopic pole.

Delicious breakfast, family from round the back came for Mangoes (but they’re getting harder to reach) and Luca tucking in.

We’re sharing caring types —- some to our human friends, others to fruit bats, squirrels and insects, some have lost patience with me and dived to smash their mango brains on the ground.

Behold beauty in so many ways.

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The latest wonderful creation has arrived from Aadirika aka —Mostly beautiful Maya— (check Instagram) has now created three fab memory portraits of MAnjula

Our first
Second

All to be found at Manjula’s Mysore.

Out third

Thank you Aadirika, for your intimate understanding of what MAnjula meant to me and representing our wonderful life here in Mysore.

Who can you spot in this latest portrait?

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Manjula (obviously), Lucie our first dog of the family of over 15 years, Kaveri, walking Luca — our latest addition and in the tree. —- Billet-Doux my sweet (love) letter sent by Manjula, a few years ago. Plus the dragonfly and old man with his head in the clouds.

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Did you find them ?

Lucie’s death anniversary.

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We remembered MAnjula and Lucie today in the field where we buried Lucie.

Lucie is buried under the plant.

Wonderful that guests Maïlis (who was there helping support Lucie on her last day) and Maria and Ani were with us.

Also our loyal team members Satish, Akram and all put together by Sowbaghya.

And then there were dogs waiting to pounce …

They were actually very patient.
Satish carrying one of the matching plants that we’ll have at home as part of our memorial.

Umesh has set it up as

Bow Wow pet resort and cemetery

a place for dogs to go holiday while we go on ours … plus somewhere to bury our pets, and a final resting place for dogs found on the roadside.

More details and how to support Umesh’s work.

honey puppy wants a home

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. ….
Friendly lovely honey puppy looking for a home.

We’re regretfully looking for a new home for Gingee and we’ll be very sad for her to go.

It was a mistake to adopt two dogs (Stephen’s idea!). It’s too much for us as well as our business (BnB and cycle tours) and looking after Kaveri.

Kaveri with Gingee and Luca.

Gingee is a great character. She’s had all her jabs (inoculations) and comes complete with lead, collar, bed and additional vet fees to sterilise her.

We’re in Siddarthanagar at Mysore Bed and Breakfast.

Do come and meet her and see if she can join your family. All injections are completed, with collar, lead and bed. Plus some food and vets bills covered. We’re in siddarthanagar in Mysore

Juggling the duties has proven too much. We can manage one!!

Luca we’re keeping as he’s the image of my lovely Lucie who died last year.

Gingee is a honey colour.

Recent guests of Mysore Bed and Breakfast, from Germany, playing with the dogs.
Kaveri with Luca and Gingee
When first adopted, a few weeks ago.

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I wasn’t feeling well this week and so Kaveri wrote me a note

How kind and thoughtful is that?

… and then I stumbled across this study which reaffirmed what we know —- how relationships are critical to a happy sustainable, satisfying life.

What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness (Robert Waldinger | TEDxBeaconStreet)

Here’s my girls …

My Indian wife and daughter.

Farrell Factoid Footnote

Kaveri isn’t actually my daughter but it’s as if I’ve ‘adopted’ her and support her on behalf of my beautiful caring compassionate wife