Green relief...

A ride into a patch of green with a dear friend ...

A quite spot with the rice crop growing and swaying in the breeze ... A platform to plonk and share notes and the silence ...

I spot an egret perfecting her flight in the breeze ... Soaring and floating ... I  am reminded of Jonathan , the seagull who chose to soar and seek a life beyond eating and surviving ....

"I say you are free " His words to a young gull egging him to flight ...

To find his wings ...

I sat soaking up the sun mesmerised by the changing green of the saplings swaying in the breeze ...gladdened by the bird .. Her wings and her flight !

Thank you V , for sharing the space with me .

Light strokes

A breezy November morning ..

The sky plays a perfect canvas for the play of light 

Allowing myriad patterns to emerge.. Sharing its vast space 

As the Rays of the sun brush the sky in streaks and strokes of light

I behold the beauty of the emerging frame ,rejoice in the caress of the breeze and marvel at the wonder of allowing and sharing .... 

Moved !

We moved to a new nest ! A new home ...

Here's to new beginnings , new dreams and new memories to cherish .... 

Priceless in pink

A bright pink blossom
on a road side shrub
exquisite in her perfection
resplendent in her colour
beautiful in her skin



As my little D ..
gives it to me..
Eyes a sparkle
a smile playing in her lips
For you Amma....

Ah !  just rendered price less..
 

A moment of light

The rains are retreating ...more moments of light and sun...

As He  casts his  golden rays  on a  powder blue sky .. on a brand new morning .. Life stirs anew!
The shadows of yesterday cast away .. the darkness of the darkest hour wiped clean,filled with enthusiasm for the day unfolding with all its promises..

As nature creates a perfect stage for a brand new beginning can her beings remain untouched?
Taking in the warmth , soaking in the light  , I greet the new day

I Cherish this moment of light , a harbinger of hope, life and the new ...

 

Coming together

A rain soaked evening..
sky a soothing blue
Long walk by a lake..

I saw them coming together....
As if in a hurry to meet ,to share their stories and secrets,to draw strength , and to come alive in their shared presence...Weren't they just meant to meet ?

You truly  are never alone , they tell me these moments of coming together....

For they bring moments of  connection, some deep some not so ..
Some old .. some very new..some nourishing ..some unnerving ..some enchanting some magical and some just waiting to happen!

like the one that unfolded far, far , far away on a rain soaked evening...

Palace most Opulent

A visit to Baroda saw self and kids with parents at the Lukshmi Vilas Palace...Acres of landscaped green   lawns ( now a golf course) lead you to the palace most opulent . The residence of the royal family of Baroda is reputed to be the largest private dwelling, four times the size of Buckingham palace.

Built by the Gaekwads and completed in 1890, a portion of the palace is open to public. The tour is set to an audio guide that talks about the various aspects of the landmarks open to public....

A  stroll through the lawns and the palace , to the accompaniment of the audio guide gives one a peak into the grandeur of a bygone era.. a structural masterpiece.. tastefully decorated cool interiors recite a story of grandeur and splendour..The Darbar Hall with Venetian mosaic floors and stained glass windows exhibits rich Raja Ravi Verma Paintings . The palace also houses a collection of exceptional armoury , sculptures in marble, terracotta and and bronze...

Other attractions include a miniature railway line  which runs with in the precincts of the palace was constructed by the erstwhile maharajah to ferry his children to the school and back..and the Navlakhi ( nine lakhs) step well or baoli as it is called locally.

Came away bedazzled by the magnificence of the palace most opulent...

Kiss of Rain..

The clouds darken ... gathering thick and fast.. covering the scorched Earth.. harbingers of the imminent meeting.... flashes of lightning followed by beats of thunder announcing the arrival of the beloved...gusty winds fanning the yearning for the beloved...

He descends.... from the heavens .. far... very far away... in a gush... the distance melting...drenching and quenching her thirst with his innumerable kisses....

She rejoices as he heals and soothes her with his caress...She comes alive in his wake.. verdant, lush and full of life.. He revives and restores for another day under the sun..His memories and the promise that he will arrive yet again... keep her going.. and she goes on .. doing what she must.. in love.. 

Ah! the magic of the monsoons.. is around the corner...

As the Rain keeps his date with the Earth..

Awaiting the  monsoon magic to unfold..

and the hug of clouds and kiss of Rain.

Some Love story that !

A Ride up the Light House

Whats it about Light houses !
Looming large , tearing up the dark and lighting up a path and guiding the lost and weary.. Such an iconic presence of Hope and Light...

Ever since the  Light house at Marina Beach re-opened to visitors in November 2013.. had my sights set on a ride up its elevators..

One of the few light house towers in the country that allows a ride up ..

Come summer and a sunny April evening  saw kids , I and a dear friend queue up at the gates for our ride up the tower...

all the chaos and madness of Chennai left behind far below...the city stretched almost in perfect symmetry .. from every angle..

The striking one is the beach laid out neatly  with its sand and the carousels.. ponies and snack stalls.. the waters lashing the shore.. inviting on a hot summer day...

A ride down and dash to the beach .. holding on to each other.. splashed by the waves .
Catching up ..spread out on the warm sand.. some laughs..  sandcastles..and the sunset..

Thank you GG, for the lighthouse moments.. A promise well kept

Colouring Darkness and Darkness to Colour..

Poinsettia blooms..

The rich red( could be orange, pink,pale green, cream or white )  bracts bearing tiny flowers need a period of darkness for the colouring to arrive ..

while otherwise the plant  thrives only in bright sunlight....The darkness brings out its colour..

It is so for us too...

It is indeed darkness that brings out our true colours! 

To find our light.. we need to embrace our dark..

It is our accepting the darkness within that leads us to light..

A light that can dispel all darkness around....

 

 

Date with the Classroom

I turned up.. for a  date i had set up  a year and half ago .. with the classroom..

After many a hiccup and rough and tumble .. land I did at the class room of MA ( English) , School of Distance Education, English and Foreign Languages University , Hyderabad..

Verdant green campus, big airy classrooms, teachers committed to their craft and an excited me !

Nip in the air mornings, canteen chai and heart warming time with friends  - All added bonuses..to the sheer happiness of being back in a classroom

4 days of classes ,a day's break followed by 4 days of exams..
Days that reinforced for me very clearly - "I Love" & and "I Can "

Pet presence

The new year saw an addition to my circle...A Cat !
He /She is a beauty white with dark brown and black patches .. adorable..
He is apparently a stray .. would sing mournful meows.. enough to stir me up and take notice.. initially i would leave some milk for him .. which i found  was to his liking..









Gradually we became friendly with me taking more interest in his welfare!..Started observing him more closely, figured he loved to be petted and would go belly up.. so i could tickle him.He loved to play with our door mat and loved his perch on the bench in which i place my plants.. Though i fashioned a bed for him from an old pillow cover.. he is yet to warm up to it..


But Kitty, whom i am tentatively calling T .. you warm my heart!
and Voila, i have a pet presence in my life!