The delicious cake complete with family. Manjula’s Memory Tree decorated with hanging messages and wishes. Delicious cake didn’t last long devoured by, from left : SB, Ina, Stephen, John and Satish.
Not forgetting Lucie being spoilt by Ina.
And then again, not satisfied with one we had to have another.
This time following the theme of the radiant sun that Manjula brought into our lives and still appears exactly when it’s needed.
Ina worrying the sun is about to explode
Gathered today on Manjula’s bench, next to Manjula’s garden, eating Manjula’s radiantness cake and celebrating her wonderfulness on her 51st birthday celebrations that have already gone on for a week. we have Kaveri, Radhika, Maria, John, Ina, Lucie and Stephen.
Please note Ina is naughty, bribing Lucie for affections with cake.
Italian crazy hair accompanies us to deliver Kaveri back to school.
That’s after Mr No experience was coerced into decorating Kaveri’s palm
Next day
SB couldn’t miss out and had to have more cake….
Yes that’s two pieces. One was supposed to be for her son Naveen.
I’m in the park to wish Manjula happy birthday and hang out with billet-Doux, butterflies (messengers from Madam) and too many mosquitoes!
Here’s the lovely video created by Faizan through which many old and new friends have met Manjula.
My ulterior motive on being here was to be security for the flowers and stop people stealing them.
I failed
But it can’t affect our celebration of her wonderfulness.
As I completed a video call to my son Oliver in Vancouver, —and realised I was due back to make breakfast—three sets of neighbours walking in the park saw Manjula’s poster and wanted to know her story. I’d never met them before a mom her son , another young woman and an elder.
An opportunity to meet to share your thoughts with other young adults (and one or two who are just young at heart)
Our monthly meeting is a way to connect and share with other open minded people ….
Reflect on what’s happening in the world, consider what the future holds, support each other, share the mistakes we’ve made and lessons we’re learned, be more active and less passive.
…and stroke a dog (Lucie) and a cat (Billet-Doux). If you’re lucky, there maybe cake.
Interested?
Check the links on this page for more information.
Typical English countryside walking. Liz, the mum of my boys. Elodie my brother’s granddaughter and already into books.Brother Andy building a giant playroom. He’s missing renovating houses. Skalextric!!! At one end with soft toys and computer games. All for his three grandchildren, obviously. Creative Poppy my granddaughter following in the footsteps of her mum Alice.My eldest son Ben and Poppy’s DadGina one of three good friends from University. She introduced me to Liz. Piccadilly Circus. London Nelson’s column London. Brian my first supervisor when qualifying as a social worker. He deserves a medal as I’ve known him forty years. London double decker. Poppy, my granddaughter, with her mum Alice who kindly put me up when in London. Like it? Japanese style. Poppy modelling a dressing gown from India. The new household cat at Alice’s is actually friendly. A picture to share with Kaveri and Radhika. We’ll fly in a plane like this on our trip to the U.K. in two years.
The travels in the U.K. have so far included: London, Derbyshire, Yorkshire … next Bath and Trowbridge before a big leap to Italy.
The newly named ‘Radical’ needs protecting from the sun, rain, trees and other animate and inanimate objects. First stage: waterproof cover found after the third attempt. Dont ask.
Nothing is straightforward, it’s India.
The old velvety inside of the roof, sadly couldn’t be retained.
Sowbaghya aka SB gave it to the paper collection man as scrap.
Next …
… job is to clear the garage and obstacles (plants, furniture, two wheelers) from outside, to make the drive drivable.
I’ve accumulated so much stuff.
In my defence, I have lived here the longest in my whole life. That’s fifteen years.
One step closer.
I leave for the U.K. in two weeks and plan for radical to live there. Given the regular downpours we’ve had she should have moved in previously
It’s important to recognise and realise how much my adopted family here in India as helped me survive the most difficult years in my life.
Sowbaghya is so critical to my life here in Mysore
She’s project managed and coordinated the rejuvenation of the radical red, that is now attention seeking in and around Mysore and Srirangaptnam
That’s the tip of the mountain of help she has been.
Sowbaghya is important to me and has kept me and the business going.
Thank you Sowbaghya for all your help.
I firmly believe that grief is always with us but becomes more manageable as we fill the space around it with important valued people and ‘things’ we do.
The next member of the family, everyone knows, the irrepressible Kaveri. Grief manager extraordinaire.
I can’t begin to list what she does for me.
She makes me smile (and cry.)
She’s cool.
She’s a big thing.
Our mini team is complete with Kaveri’s ‘sister’ Radhika, a wonderful young woman.
I look forward to witnessing her develop and we growing together through the years.
Oh ….. Trishalla and Eregowda, have been a great support through difficult and remembering times, you’ll have to wait to see where that leads.
A special mention for: Sarvesh, Vasanth, Satish, Tanuja and their families.
We’ve all worked together to cherish and continue Manjula’s radiance through our projects: events, school, community meals, creativity days, supporting Kaveri, and making Manjula’s garden in the park.
Not to forget our guests who have become family and my very own DNA family folks in the U.K. and Canada
Ina, our every-year guest who was a big buddy of MAnjula and now me, in front of the banner created by other guests.
I tentatively opened the garage door into kat planet.
B-A-Do was lying parallel to the limen, I thought relaxing until I noticed a quivering rat by her mouth. She half done the job but seemed to be frozen. As she pulled away I found a stick and finished the task
It’s then in noticed all eyes from the kits, mesmerisingly proud of mum, watching from their raised wooden cushioned castle. I passed the dead cat on a shovel for their approval.
Later as they were all turning and jumping in seemingly choreographed mayhem in the yard, I realised one was leading the chase of a cockroach. I followed and finished it off
Me and MYCycle 