100 years!

Emma’s thirtieth birthday today and we had a family party at which she and me celebrated 100 years – I will be 70 next birthday.  It was lovely that everyone could come.

Am very disappointed with the pictures I took which are very indifferent. Lack of flash was a problem for some but most of it was down to my lack of thought about what makes a good picture.  Decided the above picture of Sam and Lynn was the best of the bunch.  Hopefully some of those taken by Chris on his better camera used with more expertise will be better.

Sam

In the morning I got up early to a beautiful sunny morning.  Went out and tidied up the garden and the potted up all the plants. Rachael was worried that the neighbours would complain about the noise of the grass cutter.  In the course of this I realised what needs to be done in the garden, but in the meantime it will look good as it is.  Then we went into Sheffield and I bought some proper shoes. Helped with someone who had a fit while we were waiting for the bus to come back.

Emma and Sam came over in the afternoon.  We went to the city farm where Sam loved looking at all the animals and playing in the play-ground.  This is where the picture was taken.

Apples

Went out with Chris, Matilda and Rachael to look at an organic farm.  It was very impressive, especially the apple orchard.  The sun was shining and the apples glowed red and looked very beautiful.

The day out finished with talking to a friend of Rachael’s and then going quite late to B&Q to buy things for doing the garden, hopefully tomorrow.  We rushed out to the city farm, where we had gone earlier in the day, and got a nice selection of herbs for replanting. 

HIlls

First day in UK and woke up to a typical Sheffield morning.

Had a lovely day with Rachael walking to the local B&Q and then going for a lovely Mexican meal with Chris, Magda and co.  We walked everywhere and coming back we went up this incredibly steep hill.  Sheffield is built on hills so I need to get used to it.

Arrived!

Had what felt like a very long and tedious journey.  The taxi drive to the airport took three and half hair raising hours.  The driver had a headache and was obviously uncomfortable but refused to give up. 

Everything about Qatar air felt very run down.  The planes seemed grubby, the service indifferent and food was more horrible than usual.  Doha airport was supposed to be ‘the best in the middle east’ but had very little style about it.  I did like the women only quiet room though where I managed to get a couple of hours sleep.  I think by the time I got to Sheffield I had been up for 24 hours……So a long sleep very good.

Sam had a long wait for me in Manchester.

Ready to go

I have spent the day quietly getting ready to go.  And I am feeling quite excited now.

Vivek has been unreachable and have just found out that he had his phone and ID cards stolen while he was on the train.  He is stuck somewhere in Andhra Pradesh sorting it all out.  Was very touched that he managed to get through on the phone and we were able to speak before I left.

Rain

We had a good rain last night that as the picture shows, has meant that the Jalabhoomi ponds are starting to fill.  It has made everything else look very green.

I’ve put this picture on my computer to be with me while I am away.

Space

During the day there have been a team of people clearing up all the small bits of wood and cutting a large clump of bamboo.  It has made spaces everywhere, one of them being at the forest at the end of land where this picture was taken.

It will mean that small trees can now grow large and new trees can be planted.  I hope it means that the same can happen within Buddha Garden as a whole.

Not quite understanding

This morning I was walking backwards with a wheelbarrow thinking the path between the beds was clear.  One of the volunteers had put out a tray of seedlings and was busy putting them out on the bed ready to be planted.  I wasn’t looking, fell over the tray, sat on the seedlings and banged my foot on the wheel barrow.  I had quite a soft landing but my foot hurt.  I don’t think the insight I had yesterday has quite sunk in properly and I am still on edge about travelling.

I made the above picture which combines a picture of one or our bean beds with my ‘two lives’ picture from yesterday. I’ve put it on my phone as wall paper to remind myself….. My eye is much, much better after putting aloe vera on it so I think gradually understanding is coming to my whole being.

Two lives in harmony

Had a wonderful session with Jo where I realised that I have two lives.  That I don’t have to choose between one or the other – I can have both.  Because they are both mine and in harmony I can travel easily between one and the other.

My eye started to hurt with blepharitis today and I felt sure it was because of the travel that is coming and the strain of going from one life to another.  But now I see they are a harmonious whole I don’t have to get sick moving from one to the other.

My eye feels better already although I think I will still try Jo’s suggestion of putting aloe vera gel on it.

Beautiful ride

Went out in the afternoon to have my hair cut and went there and back along beautiful cycle paths.

It was so nice to be right away from the other traffic and to ride along with the sun shining through the trees and dappling the path.

Eyes and ears closed

This is what it was like in a Farm group meeting this morning. This was the response to our request to become stewards of the small plot of land next to Buddha Garden that we have helped to fence.

It felt like everyone was ganging up against us with eyes shut and ears closed to anything we might say.

Heart song

During a very busy day I went to see the Udavi school project again.  It looks really good.  They have put up climbing frames for the beans and it is absolutely weed free.  I gave them a lesson about compost making and introduced them to Rajan who will be taking care of things while I am away.

Its projects and people like this that make my heart sing.

Surprise lunch guest

Had a lovely surprise when Appie phoned up and said she would come to lunch bringing pizza.  I really enjoyed both the food and the company.

We are both going to Europe at about the same time.

Body language

It is India’s independence  day and a day off, plus for Auroville it is Sri Aurobindo’s birthday.  I didn’t want to go to the bonfire or to the flag waving so it has been a very quiet day for me.  I drew this picture of how we were at the meeting we had on Thursday.  At the time I was struck by everyone’s body language, especially Pierre although I think the picture shows where we all are together in Buddha Garden.

Pierre is obviously looking beyond Buddha Garden and from the picture I see that he wants to keep a touch on it.  Perhaps Buddha Garden gives him an anchor.  I am not sure that he sees any of this so I don’t feel I can talk to him about it. 

Tree cutting started

I was very pleased to see the tree cutting team start today.  They are taking out all our work trees which we are turning into lovely money to pay for the new fence.

It will clear out space to plant more indigenous trees.

A meetings day

Had two meetings today, one with everyone in Buddha Garden and another with the Green group.  Best thing to say about them is that some things got clarified. 

I know meetings are necessary but I find them very wearing.

A surprise treat

Had a surprise outing with a friend.  Just what I needed although I forgot to take a picture.  So I am using this picture of Sam that Emma just sent me.  He is asking where the spoon went that he had just buried in the sand.

Lovely to think that I will be seeing him very soon.

New fence!

Today Pierre and I walked all around the new fence.  It is beautiful and I feel we are now very protected.

Which is just as well as we had a very heavy feeling Farm group meeting.  As I write the meeting notes it feels as if I have to experience it twice.

New ballet classes!

Have had a lot to deal with today including a broken fence, sorting out the school project and talking about Joythi farm. But its all been completely over shadowed by my first ballet class with Grace for about three years.  I was very worried that I wouldn’t be able to do it – too old, too weak, too slow to keep up. 

Yet as the class progressed I could feel my body remembering and I enjoyed myself SO much.

New sheets!

I decided to go to Pondy today.  I really did need new sheets amongst other things that I was going to get yesterday and couldn’t.  I am so booked up next week I could see myself having to wait another week before I got a chance to go again.

Here they are and they are beautiful.  Made of soft cotton twill so should last a long time. A lovely delicate shade of yellow that unfortunately doesn’t come across in the picture very well.  I look forward to sleeping on them.

Round and about

Today I went around Auroville taking pictures of three of the restaurants featured on the leaflet ‘Eating with the Season’.  It was hot work cycling around on my bike.

This is the picture I like the best of the Garden café. It looks as if it is in a green temple.

Poster draft

Today Isabel sent me three mock ups for the poster on seasonal food.

This is the one I like the best.  I like how the seasons seem to flow into each other.

Calmer waters

At last I have had a clear message from the group that looks after the land that I am responsible for making sure that the new fence goes up. So I can go ahead and do it however I feel it is best.  I don’t like how the responsibility for a difficult situation has been foisted on me but now the situation is clear everything feels a lot better.

This is the picture of the bottom land which we have recently had fenced.  It felt magical this morning while we were clearing away the thorns, filling up holes and generally making it beautiful.

Another crazy day

Have sorted out why there was miscommunication about the fence, but so far haven’t managed to resolve the issue of what should be done about it.

Had an extra meeting late in the day at short notice.  Meant that I had to cancel a dinner date and he was very upset.  Reminded me why I don’t usually go out in the evenings during the week.  It takes up too much energy and is too difficult to fit in with everything else that I have to do.

I’m glad I started my day in the garden planting.

More fence problems

Had a difficult day dealing with the fence again.  Apparently it is in the wrong place. 

There was a complete mix up in communication about what should have happened when our neighbour started shouting and threatening the workers the day before yesterday.  A decision was taken to move the fence one foot away from the boundary. No one is taking responsibility and now it seems it is up to me to move the fence back to the actual boundary.

Blossoming

I went out this afternoon to do a lot of photos. I went to several different places taking pictures including the school project and several of the restaurants I am featuring in my leaflet.  I also took several pictures of the new fence where all the pillars have now been put up as well as places where internal fences have been removed. 

When I came back to Buddha Garden I noticed these flowers starting to blossom on a bush just by the entrance.  Beautiful. 

I found a way!

Had a very busy day but ended up feeling very pleased with myself for finding a short cut from where I live to the centre of Auroville.  I tried to go along this path several times but always got hopelessly lost in a community and ended up always having to retrace my steps.  This time I started from where I wanted to go and found my way back successfully through the community.  So now I know my way on this path. The picture shows my bike just after I had found the gate that connects the path from this community to the Visitors Centre.

I wonder if this has a message – that I have to go where I want to go to find my way? Sounds nicely contradictory.

Crazy day

Its been a crazy day today starting with yet more problems with our neighbour who was shouting and being difficult when we started fencing the new land this morning.  As the picture shows, despite this the fence pillars at the bottom of the land have all been put in.  Enough pillars have been put in along the other boundary to show that the land belongs to Auroville.

Maybe the craziness is the aftermath of the blue moon last night.  If it is, then perhaps things will start getting a bit calmer.

Making space

This is the first part of putting up a fence on the new land – taking down an internal fence so we can re-use the materials in the new fence.

While this fence has been really useful – keeping the cows out of the ponds and thus allowing us to plant there – it is wonderful to be able to take it out.  Suddenly the little forest and the pond area come together and there is a wonderful sense of space.