Slowly we settle into the new home where new and old memories reveal themselves through the art.
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Finding this was an adventure in itself
Our art grows
Clutter has meaning
Tag: ManjulasMysore
Maïlis
has left the house.
We should introduce an award for her.
A joint one with Ina
Ina visited every year over ten, Maïlis has created a new record — a total of nine months over two years.
Maïlis was also here in 2025 to say farewell to Lucie on her last day.
Maïlis it’s been an absolute joy having you become part of our Mysore family.
Thank you for being you and being with us and we look forward to your return in 2027.
Byeee
A garden takes work
Our garden provides enjoyment.
I’m sitting out in it now awaiting someone from the MCC to take away the waste.
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It’s not only for sitting out.
It’s also provided hundreds of Mangoes for friends, family and neighbours (plus squirrels, birds including parakeets, and fruit bats) to share.
There’s still the later fruit smashing into the ground around me now. — They were too high to reach and crop.
We already know the MCC horticultural department and the commissioner from our partnership to creating Manjula’s memorial garden (see below).
We hope they can pick it up. We don’t want to see more waste dumped by the roadside.
An adventure
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
Behold beauty in so many ways.
The latest wonderful creation has arrived from Aadirika aka —Mostly beautiful Maya— (check Instagram) has now created three fab memory portraits of MAnjula
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.
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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 ?
Happy Birthday Kaveri
Aged twelve on the 3rd May
Present shopping
Girls passing on Barbie – tips and skills
Baby time, Radhika’s
The traditional cake sharing
Stepdad
First move.
Into the new house.
Shifting Manjula’s library to our new house. The team were fab.
Manjula loved the joke
After acknowledging a job well done —— we realised the light switch was trapped behind the shelves.
Celebrating later at home.
Factoid
We opened Manjula’s library after her spirit left for its search.
She’d joked that my constantly bringing books home would lead to her setting up the house as a library when I stop guiding tours at age 75.
So as we never reached there together I set it up in her memory
And now it’s the first bit to establish itself at the new house.
Pitru Paksha arrives
The team puts it all together….
Photos and flowers all lined up …
Lucie with collar
and Ina with Momo.
Favourite sweets, jewels, nuts, crunchie, alcohol (shh), clothing, fruits,
Biscuits for Lucie (the shop insisted sugarless is best, let’s not get into the detail that it’s for her spirit), Momo for Ina (her favourite, she has great Tibetan links)
All make their appearance …
But where’s lunch?
Next
Sowbaghya has cooked it, Satish, serves it out. It’ll not be for the crows (sometimes food is placed on the roof or beside the river for the crows to eat ) as they represent the soul of the ‘departed’.
Time for the idler to get dressed in his wedding outfit.
We help their spirits on their journey to whatever’s next.
We then leave the house for their spirits to visit, eat and drink, making lots of noise, as we return, so they know to leave and not get caught out.
I’ve told MAnjula we’re moving to a new house. She’ll be with us.
Factoid
It’s now over six years that Manjula continued her spiritual journey. Each year on her birthday and death anniversary we do puja to help her on her way.
From this year we’ve decided to honour all our departed family members on Pitra Paksha, when everyone does the same.
Bring on the Cake.
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.
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.
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.
Weekend visitor
After a busy Saturday providing drink, snacks and art at a Padma farm event as member of a team of students from Kaliyuvamane.
Waking to breakfast with our guests from Switzerland
Even earlier, in the morning, Sarvesh had facilitated a meeting between me and Chandrika, Kaveri’s mum to try get her -back on track- to keep Kaveri at the school.
Fingers crossed we’re getting there.
The absolute helpful stars being Radhika,
who Kaveri calls her sister (actually Auntie and a wonderful friend to us all), and Sarvesh
Next grandmother travels by bus across city and takes her shopping.
And finally Anni becomes hair stylist.
It feels like I’ve seen Kaveri for about five minutes this weekend (as she falls asleep again in my lap when we go back to school in the auto) but I’m happy that she’s had a great time.
She joins the pantheon of stars in my life.
Me and MYCycle 