Yesterday i went with my mother to Cochin. She wanted to do some shopping and a visit or two. It was quite an expedition for her as she hasn't gone on a trip just for the heck of it for ever so long! The last time she went to Cochin was to visit the eye doctor a year back.
Well we left in the morning at around 10 a.m. We reached Cochin around 12.30, in time for lunch. My mother wanted to go someplace which would be easily navigable in a wheelchair. We hadn't taken one with us but she had a walker. I had Googled for wheelchair friendly hotels in Cochin. But the first place we went to didn't look too comfortable. So we headed to Bharath Tourist Home, old faithful. My mother hadn't been recently and was really worried, especially about the loos. Well, let me tell you, we were very impressed with the new look BTH. There were ramps everywhere, the loos were geared to disabled people and there was even a wheelchair! After that experience my mum was ready to take on Cochin.
I think she had a fairly good time, thought her energy flagged by about 3.30p.m (after all, at home most of the day she's just lying down!).
But today when I asked how she's feeling, she said she was fine. A good thing I don't anticipate bad things happening, or else I would have been too scared to take the responsibility of taking her & she would have missed her day out.

Another tag

I had been tagged by Shari quite a few days back. As usual writing about me brought on writer’s block :( Anyway, here goes:-

The tag was about my style………………………….

1.Style in terms of appearance can be defined by practicality and comfort. So I have curly greying hair cropped short (dyeing and/or straightening all require too much maintenance!), wear glasses with scratch-proof lenses, and dress mostly in cotton handlooms or khadi. As for footwear, it used be one comfortable pair all the time. But after getting a dress-designer daughter-in-law, I atleast try to match my footwear to my outfit occasionally (i.e. black or brown)!

2.Style in the home interior—again practicality is the operative word. As I have dogs who are very much a part of the household, the house is geared for that. The lines of furniture are very simple too, as I hate fussiness in anything. But I’m a very laid-back housekeeper.

3.I thought with this should go the style of the food served at the house. Again practicality and no-fuss rule. So the food we have is down-to-earth; will keep body and soul together. My aesthetically inclined younger son used to occasionally get really irritated about the lack of colour co-ordination in my food—he’s a great cook and takes the trouble to do that.

4.Lastly my style in terms of my relationships………………….here the operative words are easy-going, peaceful (at any cost) and private. [So any hells I go through, I do it alone.] I am very uncomfortable with confrontation, so will do anything to avoid it. I have always tried to make my house a haven of peace for my family and their friends. I don’t know how successful I have been though—especially where my sons are concerned. I guess it’s up to all those who come here to say if that’s true or not!

I hope I have answered your tag ok Shari. I don’t want to tag anybody, but would eve’s lungs, beks, technomalayali and Dot like to do this tag, if you haven’t already done it?

Peaceful easy feeling.

It's 3 p.m. Am sitting at my computer which is just beside the open window. Outside lie the 'woods', consisting of rubber trees, coconut palms, and teak and jackfruit trees. Through the trees a gentle breeze wafts in, cooler than expected. The floor of the woods are covered with dry leaves--it's the shedding season here now--and rustles with the slightest movement. A little while ago a small monitor lizard ran really fast through the leaves and up the nearest coconut palm. The birds all seem to be having their noon siesta. the occasional squirrel runs through. Brazilian jazz plays on the internet radio. Blissful!
Incidentally, my mother's much better. The doctors told her it's just vertigo. So she and I are planning on going shopping to Cochin on Saturday. She told me that someone told her that as long as she is alive, she ought to live fully. Way to go!!!! I totally agree I told her. So here's to our trip to Cochin. Hope we'll be able to to do Bangalore in April.

mortality

My mother's blood pressure has been going up and down. I have talked to various docs and they say it's vertigo. Her Bp also tends to go up when she's upset or worried and there have been a couple of things worrying her recently. But what really worried me was when a doctor cousin said that it may also be due to a carotid artery block/narrowing. Suddenly my mother's mortality became a reality.
My mother has been the bedrock of the family and all of us, sons and daughters, although all over 50, still see my mum in that way. The thought of her not being there one day became very real. I told myself that I would have to accept the fact that one day she wouldn't be there. Of course I had theoretically thought about it, but this time the thoughts were more than theory. It really shook me.
This made me think of mortality in general..... the fact that my mother would almost definitely not be there when my grandson goes to college, .....that I would not be there most probably to see K's grandchildren. That reminded me of the beautiful words of Kahlil Gibran from his poem on children:

"You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams."

The poem goes on to say

'For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.'

The memory of th poem eased my mind and I returned to my favourite position-- 'I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.'

A drink of water

This morning, while I was waiting to go to school 2 (9.30a.m), a squirrel came scampering up near me and, to my surprise, ran in front of me. He must have been just about 2 ft in front. I froze so as not to upset him and watched where he was going. He ran up a little wall near where I was. Then I realized it was water he wanted. I have put something like a birdbath on a slightly higher patch of ground. He headed straight for this and as I watched, he bent over the rim, balancing himself with one paw, and drank water. When he'd had his fill, he wiped his muzzle on the rim, licked his wet paw and went on his way.
It only made my wish for a camera phone even stronger!

I knew I was boring, but not this boring! I've written a number of posts but not anyone seems to have read it:(
Ok that's the whine over.
Yesterday I took a break. I took off from School no.2 and went with husband & son to Cochin. They were going on some work & I thought why not go along. It had been quite a while since I had gone to Cochin. Besides, I thought this was as good a way as any to get to spend some length of time with my son, though only on the periphery, as both father and son were busy with work. But it's been a really long time since I got to spend so much time with him.
Fortuitously their appointment was at a place next door to FabIndia. This was the only shopping I had wanted to do, cos I wanted to buy something for my sis' birthday. I am not an avid shopper, but FabIndia is one place I love!
Then my mum had wanted me to go look at diamond earrings. So I went to 2 diamond jewellry shops--which incidentally is not my cup of tea normally, while husband and son waited patiently.
We had lunch at a nice sea-food place.
Then we visited the Basilica of St. Mary at Vallarpadam, which is supposed to be particularly for prayers for one's children. I have been quite a few times. I like going there and I guess in some ways it's a sort of connection to my childhood living very close to Mt. Mary Church in Mumbai.
I had a nice day!

Another short post!

I was thinking how much music means to me. Last evening & this morning I was involved with some singing practice at the school I teach at. Along with me was an old student of mine--now a parent of three at the same school--and his wife. They both have gorgeous voices and what a pleasure it was to listen to them sing and to sing along while teaching some of the 6th and 7th standard children! Has changed my whole outlook on life:)

The mornings these days are cool and pleasant, which must explain the birds I've been seeing. I caught glimpse of a pair of racket-tailed drongos one morning while driving to school and one more at church.
I also spied a pair of black-headed orioles in flight.


I have not seen either of these birds for a very long time.
Wish I knew what their appearances mean!

Mini post 2

Last evening I went for the 80th birthday party of a cousin of mine and it was fun. He is such a sweet person and doesn't seem like he is 80 at all. In fact he and his sisters--the youngest of whom is 67--are all exceptionally young at heart and so full of energy. Last year the four sisters got together in the US and drove all over and had a blast there. Just having them come visiting gives my mum such a shot of energy! I just want to say bless them all.

Mini post 1

So many things I want to post about but unrelated. So for some mini posts...
Firstly I want to say that for the past couple of days I have been feeling a little down and thinking that depression is so difficult to shake off, unlike say an infection; after all it arises from one's worldview. I felt useless, felt I was a terrible communicator and generally was negative about me. Then this morning I got this forward--yes a forward--which really made my day and made me feel that after all maybe I'm doing ok.

To blogger friends, a wish for the new year

I got this as a mail from Dot meant for e-mail friends. The sentiments expressed were cute. So I thought I'd send it out to all my blogger friends instead.

Well here is the cure .. just smile and say...

Dear Lord ...
I know you're watching over me
And I'm feeling truly blessed
For no matter what I pray for
You always know what's best!

I have this circle of blogger friends,
Who mean the world to me;
Some days I "comment" and "comment,"
At other times, I let them be.

I am so blessed to have these friends,
With whom I've grown quite close;
So this little poem I dedicate to them,
Because to me they are the "Most".

So to you, my friends, I would like to say,
Thank you for being a part;
Of all my daily contacts,
This comes right from my heart.

God bless you . is my prayer today,
I'm honored to call you friend

I pray the Lord will keep you safe,
Until we write(read) again.

Wishing you lots of love and hugs in your life.

(Liberties have been taken with the original.)

Bluer than Blue

After you go
I can catch up on my reading,
after you go
I'll have a lot more time for sleeping,
and when you're gone
it looks like things are going to be a lot easier,
life will be a breeze you know
I really should be glad
but I'm bluer than blue
sadder than sad
................................................
life without you is going to be
bluer than blue.
(Barry Manilow)

So my grandson has finally gone, after being here for 10 days, of which 6 nights and around 5 and a half days was without his parents. I was on auto pilot all those days and running around behind him as we have a great deal of open space without any real walls. Then there was the adjusting to sleeping with a baby again (yes, we belong to that category of parents who had their little ones sleep with them till they were at least 2) and losing sleep trying to pacify him in the nights when he cried for his mama. There certainly was no time for reading, blogging, or even to check my mail. I could quite understand why my daughter needed a break.
But, the joys of cuddling a little one to sleep, of seeing him discover the world around ant by ant, learning the skills of arranging, of a sticky kiss, the fun of hearing him learn new words and the bestest--getting a truly loving happy smile from him. Oh K I miss you so, much more than I thought.