29 April 2008

I put together 3 different shots of elephants working. Hope you like it.

28 April 2008

This is the second tag I had to do. Had been tagged by Onedia.



This is the tag:


If you could spend an entire day with any five people who are now living*
• who would they be
• why would you choose each person in the group
• how would you like to spend the day with them
• where would you like to spend the day with them
(*Note: Do not include family, friends, or co-workers, fictional characters, or deceased persons.)


The five people that I would chose to spend an entire day with would be Oprah Winfrey, the Dalai Lama, Sir Paul McCartney, the girls Vandana & Vaishnavi of Banyan, and—I know I’m kind of not following the rules of the tag here—Onedia, Mary Ann, Mallika and Dot (you are all blog friends, and at present I don’t have any chance of spending time with any of you.)

With Oprah I would like to be able to be part of the audience at one of her shows, spend part of the day with her, so as to see how she spends her day and to get to chat with her. I do not watch the Oprah show (not a big TV viewer), but read about things she did/said and watched her show when I visited the US in 1986. Have been watching her meteoric rise and have been impressed by the fact that she seems to have stayed true to herself through all the fame and fortune.

Spending a day with the Dalai Lama for me would mean going to McLeodganj (where he stays in India), maybe be a part of a group meeting him, listen to a discourse maybe and just be a part of the ashram he is staying at.

Spending time with Sir Paul McCartney would mean for me, to be able to watch a practice session or a jamming session. Actually it need not be Paul M himself. I would gladly spend the day with any classical musician, getting ready for a concert. What an experience to sit quietly watching a wonderful musician practising for the concert till he/she feels they are perfect!

If you follow the link to Banyan, you will see how wonderful these young women Vandana & Vaishnavi are. I would want to spend a day at Banyan to see what these amazing young women do and helping out at the Banyan.

Actually, this covers 5 people. But anyway, I would love to spend a leisurely day with my blog friends, chatting and singing and meandering down green paths.

27 April 2008

Between two tags here is a video I shot this afternoon with my phone. It's not very clear, but it's incredible because these 2 mongooses were so absorbed in each other, they didn't get a scent of me. I was very quiet of course and therefore had to take a picture through the window with it's netting.

A tag from Hip Hop Grandmom

I have 2 tags to complete. I'll do the older one first.
Hip Hop Grandmom had tagged me to name 5 of my own posts with the following criteria: the five have to be about
1)Family
2)Friends
3)Myself
4)My Love
5)Anything I like (my favourite post)


1)Family:- This post about my father's demise is the one I chose.

2)Friends: Well I have never written about the friends I have, who are not part of blog world, because I felt that I have no right to write about them, where they can't see what I've written. Otherwise, my best friends are in my family. So for this one I cheated a bit and I have chosen a post from the family blog about 2 friends!

3)Myself: The post I chose about growing old.

4)My love: Well my loves would include family, animals, the world outside my window....
But I have chosen 2 posts for this section about 2 people I love/d very much--the first one and the second one

5)Anything I like: Can't choose a favourite post. But this post I liked when I re-read it today.

As usual, I am not tagging anybody. But feel free to do the tag, if you wish.

24 April 2008

More blogger time now!

Well, as I posted earlier, my little grandson was staying here from the 15th. I forgot to mention that he was here without his parents and that he is 2 years and 10 months old. So, as you can guess, my life was full. It was a roller coaster ride I might add, because the first 2 days he was kinda sad. But after that his holiday took off. I had very little time for the computer or for reading or other such 'me' activities. But I got to be part of a make-believe world, of songs to be learnt and of words to be heard, tried out tentatively and learnt, visit an amusement park and see and elephant being bathed. The last 10 days went by in a flash.
Today my grandson left to spend a couple of days with his other grandparents, before his parents fetch him on Sunday. So I got the time to get a new keyboard, to post on my blog, to slowly catch up on other stuff that needs to be done.
But I miss him!

20 April 2008

I have wanted to post, read posts, comment all of which I am not able to do too much because 1) my keyboard is not working and I need to buy a new one. So either I type with an onscreen keyboard, which is a really painful process, or share my hubby's comp. 2) my grandson is here for his quota of whole-day TLC and outdoor time. As he lives in a city and has, of necessity, to be at a day care most of the day, he doesn't get much of either of the former. Besides every kid should get his/her quota of spoiling by grandparents atleast during the school vacation! So will catch up with everything and will put pictures of activities maybe next weekend.

11 April 2008

It will be my husband's 60th birthday on Monday, and he is so excited about it. He has decided to have a big party with many of his cousins coming. His siblings, who live near enough, will be there. Our children--the ones in India--will come tomorrow.
In India, turning 60--finishing 60 years on this earth--is a big milestone.

"In a hundred-year time scale of man’s life, pre-sixty is a period of materialistic pursuit while the post–sixty span is slated for spiritual endeavour." [ from acharyaonline.com]

There are many rituals associated with turning 60 that are observed as part of 60th birthday celebrations among the Hindus, including a remarriage. In our Indian Christian traditions, we do not have any particular rituals associated with it, but among us too, the 60th birthday is considered a milestone.
"The householder is said to relieved of his social – secular obligations"

After this, one could leave and go away to pursue spiritual matters if one so wished.

But in my husband's case, he is certainly not planning to go away, and he considers himself very young yet. So we'll just have the big, raucous party.
Therefore, as I'll be busy till said party, apart from the fact that children and grandchild will also be here, I may be off the Net for a bit. Will try and keep up with blog reading though--I hope.

08 April 2008

Three incidents I witnessed..
1. A few days back, I heard noisy screams coming from the wooded area behind the house and increasing in volume. The whole thing sounded quite desperate. Thinking that maybe a mongoose or even a crow had got hold of a smaller bird I ran out to help the victim. Aggressors--2 mynah birds, victim--one woodpecker! The pair would not let the woody go till I made a big noise.

2. On Sunday we were out near the backwaters. As I watched I saw a mynah bird with, of all things, a crow quill feather in it's beak. It looked really funny. Along came another one to try and snatch the feather. After much tugging, the feather fell down to the ground. The first mynah waited a bit till mynah no.2 decided to abandon the feather and then came down and flew off triumphantly with it.

3. Yesterday afternoon hearing a lot of noise at the front of the house I went to the window. 2 males/females were attacking each other with great vigour and one had the other pinned to the ground. So I went out to break it up. By the time I got out the mates of both got into the act and they started attacking each other, with the decibel climbing quite high. The 2 pairs of fighters were so engrossed in their fight and their screaming, that I had to go close to get them to leave each other and move off. Finally one pair flew off and the other pair walked around down. I swear I could hear muttering and cursing! The fighters--again mynah birds.
It's nesting season people!



Picture from wikimedia

05 April 2008

Tagged by Geets

  1. LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN A THEATRE

Jodha Akbar.

  1. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING

'Conversations with God' by Neale Walsch

  1. FAVORITE BOARD GAME

Scrabble, Pictionary

  1. FAVORITE MAGAZINE

Good Housekeeping, Online webzines of all types

  1. FAVORITE SMELLS

Fruit scents

  1. FAVORITE SOUND(s)

The sound of the sea, call of the magpie robin

  1. WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD

Watching your child suffer.

  1. THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE?

Now what do I have to do?

  1. FAVORITE FAST FOOD PLACE

Dosa places—(there are only Indian fast food places here)

  1. FUTURE CHILD’S NAME

Have one grandchild. No future name ideas, ‘cos it’ll be left to the parents to decide:)

  1. FINISH THIS STATEMENT: If I had a lot of money….

Probably travel, give away some to charity.

  1. DO YOU DRIVE FAST

No way!

  1. DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL

No my husband does (called hillgrandmom)

  1. STORMS COOL OR SCARY

Depends on the storm.

  1. YOUR FIRST CAR

The first car I ever drove was a Fiat.

  1. FAVORITE DRINK

Fruit juices

  1. FINISH THIS STATEMENT: If I had the time I would…..

I have all the time.

  1. DO YOU EAT THE STEMS ON BROCCOLI?

Well, broccoli is not something we see here, so the nearest would be cauliflower and that I do eat the stems of.

  1. IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY COLOR, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE?

Silver

  1. NAME ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES/TOWNS YOU HAVE LIVED IN.

Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ooty, Calcutta, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Cochin, Kottayam

  1. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH

Not a big sports enthusiast, but if at all, preferable gymnastics, snychro swimming or anything with dance like routines

  1. ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU

She’s really smart!

  1. WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED?

Dust bugs!!!

  1. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE BORN AS YOURSELF AGAIN?

I don’t know. Depends on what my soul feels like then!

  1. MORNING PERSON, OR NIGHT OWL

Night owl totally.

  1. OVER EASY, OR SUNNY SIDE UP

If you mean how I like my eggs, any which way is fine. I LOVE EGGS

  1. FAVORITE PLACE TO RELAX

If it’s in my house, then it’s in my room, by the window.

  1. FAVORITE PIE

Apple pie, with lots of cinnamon.

  1. FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR

Real fruit flavoured ones.

  1. OF ALL THE PEOPLE YOU TAGGED (with this)WHO'S MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND FIRST?

Don’t tag anyone usually. So any one who wants to take up this tag!

01 April 2008

The power of Now!
The power of the present,
Do you ever stop to think of it?
The very words I've written here,
Are now in my past.
I may rewrite the words,
Redo the rhythm;
But that moment is gone,
Never to return,
It's history.

But each moment that passes
Is only a physical ageing.
The moment in time is gone,
'Tis true I will never be younger,
By even a moment.
But, for the Me I am,
My inner me,
The Who I am,
The passing of each moment
Is a growth.
I can undo,
redo,
renew,
relearn
learn
and become more
of Who I am
Till my last living breath.