Tag: Manjula’s Mysore

It’s three years today….

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Manjula and I had our first wedding, the official one in the government office where they exchange contracts on immovable objects. We are undoubtedly immovable objects.

I was age 60 before I got married so there was a big build up and it took some time to move in that direction.

Manjula signed so many documents after we met: applications for passport, visas, accounts, tax returns, becoming a Director of the company, but this was the most important.
I’ve got the photo albums out, here at home.

three days later we celebrated and married again in a field

Can we have a garden please?

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Superintending Engineer Rangaswamy SE Biligiri receives my proposal.
Phone call to his colleague Arshaya who heads development for zone 9 and asks her to give permission
Who arranges for Sanjay to meet me in the park and will provide letter of approval next week. A total of 53 minutes from beginning to end.

I now have to find help to create the bed and plant the plants.

Manjula’s garden will be between the two stone benches at the top end of our park.

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We’re on a road trip.
With no one left behind
To visit vetenarian hospital in Bangalore for a Lucie blood test

The results are good so no need for a scan and after handing over parcels for Usha

we’re off back home.

Stopping on the way for lunch at fishland one of our favourite restaurants.

Manjula and I would have a drive through the countryside in the Ambassador drop in here for lunch after her regular visits to the clinic.

The staff asked where Madam was, I continue to share the old news which helps recognise and celebrate.

Manjula my beautiful Muse

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I now know what muse (moose) means.

Aadrika the immensely talented artist who created this wonderful portrait of the women in my life visited with Somesh and his six year old daughter Ritu (check her own art here) to photograph the painting so we can have prints made for some of our friends around the world. Whoopeee!

check out the colours, great photo

A red bicycle

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We’re reaching out to a whole new generation

Ritu
Ritu’s picture of our house.

Her mother asked why is there a cycle on the roof? She explained that this is Stephens house.

Ritu’s father Somesh visited with Aadirika to take photos of her wonderful portrait of Manjula and Lucie.

Aadirika is hiding

We’re going to find ways for Manjula to continue to reach out to young people.

Magnanimous MAnjula

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It’s one of those wishing differently days so great to announce more of Manjula’s gifts.

Divya on her new bicycle.
Niece of the night watchman Malesh who we know from ten years ago when he was night watchman for the building site next door to our house.
Sowbhagya helping me deliver the bicycle.

Manjula gave gifts to Divya, Naveen, Tanuja and Jossica.

Naveen and Sowbhagya.
Tanuja, Keerthi and Jossica

Our collection of friendly helpful bags grows and grows.

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and everyone has a story.

When I’m 64, birthday present from Rakesh, one of my sons, Why else does he call me dad?
When visiting Oliver in Vancouver, he roped me in to promoting the film day, enticing innocents to watch short films on IPad in one of those metal streamlined caravans.
We had a young guest who works in a nuclear power station in the U.K. (it’s a dumb place, offshore of Europe) who had never heard this rallying cry from our demos in the 70’s
Over eight years I set up MyCycle tours with friend Vinay who also persuaded me to lead tours for Royal Mysore Walks.
Tesco’s original lifetime bag and most other supermarket bags were manufactured by this company in Tamil Nadu before the imperialist China takeover.
India with a cow at the centre. Let’s not talk politics or challenge totalitarianism.
A participant of one of my corporate responsibility workshops in London lead a legal firms attempts to connect with the community. This child’s bag design won one of their competitions.

‘Beloved’
A portrait of Manjula, step-by-step

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We have had great feedback about Aadirika’s painting of our beautiful Manjula with requests to see the step-by-step process in one post. Here it is….

Aadirika was absolutely dedicated to doing justice to Manjula’s memory.
Manjula was with her every step of the way
Lucie posed, not.
this has taken astonishing commitment and skill
Stephen’s love for Manjula .
Weaves a bridge,
between our worlds.
A bridge made of heart strings,
a bridge of exploration to the multi dimensional.
Manjula’s love for Stephen.
Pierces through the veil,
as a warm ray on a chilly day. 
by Aadirika Kawa
on the day following the unveiling of the painting a dragonfly flew into the house, circled me and landed on Manjula’s pennant.
It’s a sign, it’s a sign. A message of love.
Manjula and I, was and are very happy

‘Beloved’
A portrait of Manjula by Aadirika Kawa

Publish and be damned – a plan is forming.

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Five things lead to a plan

First, a cow peed on the Rangoli.

Missing Manjula. Second Christmas and birthday without her

Next, a dragonfly flew into the hall, circled me and landed on Manjula’s penant that we bought on holiday in the U.K.
Immediately afterwards, a sepia coloured butterfly as a few days earlier also kept circling me.
Some believe that Dragonflies and Butterflies are messengers of love from your dearly departed.

At today’s writers group a presentation from editor Karthika helped clarify what is possible.

I’ve committed to Manjula to write our story with a working title of Full Full. I’ve completed the first draft of many and feels like I’m building the Taj Mahal out of matchsticks. This will take sometime.

Target date March 2022 to complete story

Launch book by August 2022 on what would have been Manjula’s 49th Birthday

Identify Editor, First Readers, Community Publisher advisor,

Create 2000 person mailing list and feature blog posts to help create interest.

Self publish POD and E book with 1000 sale target

Available in Hebden Bridge U.K. and silverfish (mysore) local bookshops.

Next: consider… additional chapters, Children’s book, Online interactive version

Non work station notebooks and printed draft. I have a fountain pen and blank paper. I must be a writer.

Missing my love.