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!

Little drops

That's the name of a home for the aged and destitute we visited after church hours. The visit was planned by the Family Fellowship group, and there must have been some 15 families (children included) going on the trip. The home was in a remote location, Moulivakkam??, down the Porur road.

Seeing all those sick (some mentally too) and elderly people, many of whom are picked up from the streets made me feel how lucky and privileged we are. There are a few orphans and some mentally challenged youngsters too.

They seem to be well looked after. A couple from our church and another couple manage the place. There are over 400 inmates and feeding them a meal each cost Rs. 4000 and more. Yesterday lunch was sponsored by the church and we partook of the lunch too.

That's a side view of the church from the rear.

weekend

See, we managed to rope one more friend along the way.. who landed picking up dinner..see all the happy faces.They all enjoyed. It became late 11 and later when all reached back home.

hey, it was worth watching this birthday baby-shocked, when few mins behind me the whole lot came singing happy birthday to you..

come lets go.. before they disappear!

we r all set and planned to bounce on the next family!See all our mischievous grins!

Kids getting ready to cut next birthday ice cream cake.. after a park trip..

This is us inviting 3 families on the spot after church!The birthday baby (told us only 11 yrs) cutting ice cream cake with other kids..the candles refused to get blown out,we had to remove it and pour water!

after our on the spot guests left..!

..relaxing after the church party we attended,helping with food,cleaning!

Fabulous Mahabs

Inspite of living so close to Mammalapuram, where the 7th century Pallava kingdom flourished, I have never found time to visit the place. So on the Saturday after Independence Day (these days it is safer to be at home on such important days because of threats of bomb blasts), we took the ECR route to Mahabalipuram.

The stone temple close to the seashore was first on my agenda. It was smaller than I anticipated and people swarmed like bees to it. One thing that irritated me and my hubby were two North Indian ladies having their meals near the sanctum sanctorum. By the time we reported to a guard outside (in my broken Hindi; looks like there are a lot of inter-state postings in the ASI) the ladies had finished their lunch. It upset me that I didnt have the courage to shoo them away from defiling that precious relic of Indian art.

That is not a pensive mood, just looking down to protect my eyes from the glare of the midday sun.

There are lions sculpted in stone all around the temple, some cemented to the base but most of them just balancing beautifully. There is a park around the temple now, which probably explains the rush.

We also visited the Five Rathas, Krishna's butter ball (a huge boulder balancing on a rocky surface; it has been there for centuries together) and Thirumurthi cave (in picture) close by. There are more historical sites but one needs more than a day and more energy to view them at leisure.

Congrats, friends

A special post for the bloganniversary....
In the past few years, I've been in touch with friends or heard from them. Was thinking of everyone whom we come to know and how some are still in our thoughts and stay in touch with you.
How many friends are trustworthy was brought to my attention.. when an auntie visited and told us about few deaths in her circle of friends and family - who were killed by their friends due to jealousy! Sad. While some of us would like the best for them and feel proud of them, some get hurt.
I am proud of all my friends and they are all achievers in their own ways.
After a long time chatted with Rajeev. it was nice to talk to him. He used to be one of first ones to chat for long to us. It's great he is married and has a small child now to take care of. Got a PhD .(First in our batch, right?). Now we look forward to his poems, photos and blogging.
Life becomes hectic after marriage.
As Rajeev said, many of us are abroad. who thought we would go out of India?
Maha after marriage came to Canada, did her library course, is doing great in her field with a child and hubby, blogging, and still tries to keep in touch.
Suni, also has a career which seems to get her on the jet to see other places. a hubby and a son to take care of. Nokia (right?) . watch out for our budding friend.
Miller, Griz has been in touch most of the time with us from when we were in college. Its great to see Miller abroad and trying to help his family back home too and 2 kids who they both try to keep entertained without boring them.. always seem to be going out when i catch them on chat..
Rosh, upcoming in her Frontline work, got my.. 3 or is it 4 blogs, 2 kids , hubby, maid problems to deal with.. then editing all my typos (thanks to her i can leave it and am 100% sure she will put it in readable style!)
Of course, we are the only active ones on this blog. There are our other guests like the Hardy boys who make us more proud . as being Lawyers.. each with a wife and 2 kids . (i can hear murder in their voices for writing like this, if they get us alone, watch out for their teasing.. and rosh does not edit- i am in trouble). who when time permits tries to catch with the rest of us at lunch/dinner. globetrotting gypsy!
Annie , we hear from mostly Griz and every time i am in mds have caught up with her.. she is teaching in college and has a daughter, stays with her parents and travels weekends. and her hands full too. She said Venky,prem seem to be in touch with her too.
Usha Nair came , seem to have met Annie ; she is teaching abroad and has a family to take care too. Usha wrote once, then no news!
Murali was in touch with everyone, then he seems to have become silent. Rosh , go get him to comment , they r in the same building at work, don't bump into each other much. He seems to be going up in his career, seems to have travelled abroad for study/work/training?
Reba came and then no news from her.
Glady was busy shifting when we last caught up, hope he is settled in now, to catch up with the rest of us.
Shankar has blog which now i find he is not blogging on... any news of others?
congrats to our friends
Great, keep it up. God bless.