Grief

Thought would share our grief with you all, for some reason, i think when we were studying u all admired my cousin in Chicago's photos. Reena was just 5-yrs older to me. She was diagnosed with ALS a couple of years ago and was given 1 year of life. she lived 2!. Deteriorated fast ,lost voice then slowly everything else., was on feeding tubes, oxygen. now no more. she had good faith. was always kind and helpful, compassionate.. looks like such people reach God early. I know many of you have lost a dear one too.
Could not sleep. Cousin's here we spoke with each other.looked at tickets to go, slept few hrs,up and about.All our parents back at India, all of us would like to be there.Keep us also in your thoughts and prayers.
Just a remembrance now, the pain is everlasting.. may become less as years go but never leaves. God be with all our dear ones who left us.May they rest in peace.
Just saw Rosh, Am chat message,Nov 1 spl . Well, these were my experience-yesterday was our oldest child's first communion, Bishop was there,morning we woke up and left to church 7 am,came home almost 3(That went off well).Guest came ,left-changed went to church at 5 for a baptism, came home 8. whole day was a very holy day- i mentioned it to few people and was really feeling at peace night 9 called our homes spoke to our parents,Bil is visiting, another wonderful feeling that God sent us someone,At10 my cousin from CA ,got a call from her mum back home . she called to say our cousin Reena who is here passed away. wanted to visit R while living. God knows what He is doing- is a feeling i Got. Reena was in church just few hrs before passing away, our aunt in Chicago they were also in church for convention they reached home to this message!Our whole fly was in church. and both after morning and evening program did not feel like leaving.

Miracle

While Visiting India this time Griz lost my watch at the Dubai airport, I had given the leather strap watch to her for safe keeping in her hand bag as the heat was so much and I was sweating like anything lugging all the bags and cartons into the x-ray machine and to the boarding counter.
It was never easy to make International travel with bags and kids. Kids can be managed with a Nancy Drew paper back and an Archie’s Double Digest (my trick of-late to keep them busy) but the bags are the real pain. First you check the weight of the bags to ensure that they don’t go beyond the permitted levels by airline, then you keep a count of how many, it my case it was 13!! (It was never meant to be so many but Thai allowed a special summer offer of 50 KG per ticket) then the pain of you lugging them into the airport in the trolleys.
In all this trials and tribulations the watch was lost and we never realized it until the time we were in Duty Free staring at the chocolates, in order to buy for all the Uncles and Aunties in India. It came as shock to me because I had hardly used the watch, even though it was not an expensive watch still it was bought by hard earned money and it pained a lot.
By this time we were at the boarding gate and I still had about ½ hour for the flight. I decided to give it a try and left Griz and Kids at the gate and went back and informed security personnel about my problem. He directed me to go back the way I came. I went back all the way through passport control and was helped by another security personnel who also accompanied me all the way to the X ray machine and the entrance where I thought the watch could have got lost. I did a thorough check at the X ray machine and to my surprise I could see so many watches, cash, chains, keys and what not which was left behind by passengers. I was consoled to some extend to realize that I am not alone in this ordeal. The security person even helped me to check in the second x ray check and I completed my check and could not find it.
By then I had calmed down a bit as the realization was setting in - That’s it buddy what is lost is lost forget it… meanwhile Griz was making emergency calls to advise that the flight will leave in 5 minutes and if you don’t come back our vacation will be in Dubai only and not in Chennai. I rushed back making up my mind to push this aside and look forward to a great Vacation.
Well, it was 3 months since I am back in Dubai and when I was telling this story to my cousin who asked me whether I checked at the Lost & Found section in the Airport, I said it is of no use as I had personally checked all the x ray machines where it could have got lost when the hand bag came out tumbling down. And I don’t see a possibility. We left it at that… after few days I had an opportunity to visit the airport and thought about this Lost & Found section and decided to give it a try and approached the Airport Police and explained my situation and they diligently asked for the date and time of travel and the area through which I had entered the airport.
I gave them all the information and to my surprise the Police Officer retrieved my watch within 10 minutes. I was lost for words and I still cannot imagine how this was possible. Again and again we go through the events on that day and we are sure that this could have got lost at the X ray machine which I checked personally.
I see this as a Miracle and was happily re-united with my lost watch. The lesson I learned here is that never give importance to material things as that could give you a heart ache when you lose something that you feel precious about. Secondly, if God decides that you should get something, you will get it even though you lose it and against all odds.......

Children

... and their expressions.

Angry?...Think again.

Usha forwarded this to me and it is being posted on the blog. Click inside the picture to view.

It almost brought tears to my eyes. And also, the picture of the child is beautiful.

A holiday

Taken on our recent trip to LA, Santa Barbara & Channel Islands.

Anniversary of sunday school

There goes another year by with Sunday school Anniversary,This is S.S.T's first attempt with classical dance.With the teacher having to go back home.. we had to do it ourselves as you can see where all we made mistakes.

As everyone says we learn from mistakes.Both the other kids also did take part.

IT is really sad in what is happening around us, with riots,natural disasters.hope every one and their family and friends are doing well.

Knocking on Death's doors

Well, how many of you must have been on this experience , It looks like all of us have been on it sometime or the other. Or know of someone who has been. Many people escaped it . some reached eternal life .
Last night at 1 got call from Bil telling us about his knock with deaths door and back.Not his first, but must have frightened him . Just spoke to him said how he feels closer to God. we need such things to get closer to God.There are so many things going around.
He was finishing with a catering party on a boat and loading on the dock, His colleague and he was taking the trolley back to the van .It looks like the ramp was not broad enough that his feet was too close to the edge and he slipped, his hold kept him from real danger the other guy held on to the other end and tried to pull him up.Btw them (only ones there)he escaped drowning!
Only thing he said" must have had some dirty water to Drink"You are talking to me I am fine.. "he was at another catering early morning, he called- his Dr and got antibiotics.
God be with each and everyone of you and family too. May your guardian angels help you too.
Thank You GOd- for helping us all.
would you like to tell some of yours.

Our Onam weekend

Ooty Booty

Visited Ooty and Coonoor when I was in Chennai as part of R&R for Samson after his procedure. The place was just great with lush green mountains and valleys..... reminded me of Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats & Shelly. The SIMS park is the best in Coonoor as you can find some 100 + years old trees from different countries like Australia, America and South Africa.. it is amazing how they managed to bring the saplings all the way to Coonoor with the limited transport options in those days... hats off to you guys!! Please follow the link to enjoy the pictures.

Beautiful park

This weekend had been busy like many other. Saturday morning I had to take daughter to piano, then cleaning, pouring water to grass at old home.
Then I get a "Hey where are you call, we have guests, come quick". Got home after picking up daughter for the next round of cleaning & cooking. Then the guests arrived. Wow! how different they all looked. Anybody recognise my nephew Verghese Cherian's brother Viju/Mathew (grey t-shirt) ?

Then home for BBQ, movie, leg pulling, frightening each other with scaring life stories.

On Sunday went to church, came home with guests, gave them lunch, cleaned, took a break, went to park, boating, kids then enjoyed the water.

One of the life guards.

Closing time, so we had to get out in 15 min! The sun is setting, so all out of water.

!

Went to one friend's home, while one car went shopping for fish. We started cooking , Bbq, then played some cards, chatted, watched tv. came home early morning 4. others still sleeping. i had coffee and blogging! Am I nuts? Fun, I say!

Boating, a venture which we learnt the hard way in our early days - how hard it's to steer if u don't have the knack for it. We nearly went down river too close to the waterfalls, someone had to help us steer it clear. Our hearts were in our throats. So when we went to the park and saw our friends on the boat, I warned my hubby to check out the leg padding kind (you see, above only 4 can sit). Our friends struggled and came back to shore. They still had time. So 2 men and kids went. Oh, how i laughed. Learnt my lesson the first time. So i sat and took some pictures.They came out saying the most stressful experience, boring, etc.

when they r ready to get out, they give these men instructions!Next time I should make them get it first.. so i don't hoot with laughter!