Kids

Got to Emma’s place quite late as overslept after lunch.  Tom was really on edge as Elsie was dropping with tiredness but just wouldn’t sleep.  In the end he took out for a ride in the car while I played with Sam.

We had a lovely time playing with the lego and then finishing off some carboard owls.

The visa trip

Today was very tiring as I went to London for the day to apply for my visa.  The place is near Heathrow airport which meant a trip out to Hounslow on the tube and then quite a long walk to the office.

Had a very long animated discussion with the person who dealt with me who said that as a non Indian I could not apply for a five year Entry Visa.  She tried to give me a five year Tourist visa which I know is wrong.  In the end I said I would apply for the five year visa anyway although she made me write a declaration saying that if the visa is not given I will forfeit all of the GBP330 visa fee.  She also said that my photo was too blurry so I had to do another one in their office which was twice the price of everywhere else.  Now I just have to wait and see.

I couldn’t get a train back until after 7.00pm because on Virgin Trains ‘peak time’ is 3.00 – 7.00pm not 5.00 – 6.30pm like it is on most other lines.  I didn’t get back until 10.30pm and got soaked with rain walking back from the station.

A babysitting day

Looked after Sam this afternoon while Emma took Elsie to the doctor.  Turns out it could be some kind of food allergy that is stopping her sleeping.  Emma had been advised to keep a food diary which she has already started doing.

I really enjoyed being with Sam who just loves numbers and is very interested in the world around him.

Back to Manchester

Managed to get back to Manchester after missing the first train.  I thought I had gone far enough along the platform for the train, but when it didn’t arrive I walked a bit further along only to find another platform and the train just leaving!

Emma and family had a nice weekend at Centre Parks although Elsie is still not sleeping well.

The picture is of the café where we had lunch which is just under where Chris has his new office.  There are lots of interesting businesses in this area including a yoga studio.

A lovely day out

Had a really nice day out with walks and a lunch out in a very nice pub.  First food I have really enjoyed for some days as with having the cold I haven’t felt hungry and can’t smell anything.

Really enjoyed seeing Rachael and driving around in her new car.  Its very small but has all the right technology including a heated windscreen which will be great in Winter.

Sheffield

Went to Sheffield today and went up Chris’s scaffolding and looked at the work he is doing to rebuild the attic.  I think it will be really good as both children will have a bedroom there and their own bathroom.

The picture shows Sheffield as seen from Chris’s roof.

My eyes

Went and had my eyes tested today and need two more pairs of glasses that are very expensive.  What with that and the visa fee it’s a good job I’ve been doing some saving.

During the night I woke up feeling as if a needle was in my left eye.  I found it was a stye that fortunately burst soon after I got up.  Must have got a bug from the eye test place, or maybe my eyes just got irritated with the lights.

My repaired computer

Picked up my repaired computer and am very pleased with the result.  I didn’t realise how bad the keyboard had got and how nice it is to have one that works.

Typing is now so much better.

Bob and Jean

As Jean has got bronchitis we thought it was OK to share our bugs and I went to see Bob and Jean today.

Had a lovely time but things don’t get any easier for Jean.

Help came

I ached all over today and have blocked up nose and ears.  I don’t know how Emma did it as she worked today, but this evening she helped me do my visa application.  Thank goodness that she has several browsers available to her and one of them worked with the application.  She even printed it out for me and I made an appointment to give it in next Wednesday in London.  Have even organized the train for that day.

I feel very relieved that the first part of the process is finished.

Sam and Elsie

Spent more time with the children, but as the pictures show, they are still not completely relaxed with me. 

This morning I woke up with a throat like sand paper and a horrible cold has been developing all today.

On the beach

This morning we went to Cleveden beach so that Mary could have a swim.  She walked up to Lady Bay with a group of other people and then swam back to us.  It was a mile or more but with the current going with them.

The children looked for sea glass amongst the stones and I enjoyed the messing about with boats that was going on by members of a local yacht club.  It was quite windy and one person got dangerously near the pier until someone on a motor boat came and towed him away.

They have some very interesting changing rooms.  They are set into the arches that go under the road.  The gates have bars and don’t open very far.  It looks as if you are looking at the sea through a prison window!

Top of the hill

Here is the family  at the top of Crook hill.  It was a lovely walk and would have been a lovely view over the Somerset levels if there hadn’t been a lot of low cloud around. 

To Bristol

Went to Bristol today to see Mary and co.  The picture shows a very unusual picture of Mary and Justin on their own.  They are going out on their own tomorrow night because I am baby sitting.  Apparently it’s the first time since I was here last year and did the same thing.

Babysitting

Did my application for a new visa today but am not convinced that the computer accepted it.  Will try again tomorrow.

Spent some time babysitting with Tom and we all went to the park with Sam riding on the buggy board of the push chair.  That is a really good invention. 

Grandchildren

It was Lynn’s day for looking after the children and Emma’s first day at her new job.  The children were quite wary of me as the picture shows – Elsie much more than Sam.  It was a big day for her as she is used to spending all day with Emma and this was the first day they had ever spent apart.  I felt she was digesting all this.

Felt very, very tired and glad that I didn’t try and do too much.

A long journey

Got up at 3.30am after a very restless night and as usual once I got going I felt a bit better.  It was a long journey as we were delayed for two hours or more in Dubai as the reboot on the plane’s computer threw up some problems which had to be sorted out.  Then there was no one at the airport when I arrived and I had to make a call on a pay phone (haven’t done that for years) as I didn’t have the new UK sim card for my phone.

I think door to door the travel time must have been about 24 hours.

Getting ready

My packing.  Will do the last things at 4.00am tomorrow morning.

Insight

Had a wonderful session with Jo where I at last got some insight about my role in life right now.  I realise that its not about ‘what I do’ so much as ‘how much I bring forth more consciousness and awareness’ and that means working on a different level.  It was a huge amount to digest and although I have some ideas for pictures to express these ideas it is going to take some time for them to be clear.

In the meantime I’ve got this picture of the family having a wonderful time in Spain.  I think they are coming back tomorrow, the day before I arrive.

Jam for the day after tomorrow

Got through another list of things to be done which included writing a report and going to look at the Naturellement garden.  I also bought the last of my presents which is jam for my two daughters which in the picture is all wrapped up in bubble wrap and ready to go. I was hoping to get rosella jam but there is none left so they will have to make do with guava.

Now I can think about preparing to travel on Tuesday.

SO tired

Spent the best part of my day getting my visa.  This involved going to various offices and waiting for various bits of paper like the bank draft to pay for it all.  I had to go once in the morning to present all the papers and again in the afternoon to pick it up.

I also went to do the session at Udavi School where the picture comes from.  Despite a slow start we completed our first bed and as the picture shows, the students worked well together to complete the first bed.  I also went to see Auroculture in hospital who is obviously very uncomfortable but seems to be surviving.  I then went and had pizza with friend Appie who is recovering from a bad back caused by trying to pick up her motorbike when it fell down.

No wonder I feel tired.

GOT IT!

Went down to the Police station this morning and finally got the certificate.  Had to go twice because I had forgotten to bring the photos needed for the certificate.

Heard today that the clearance for my Exit Visa has come and I can go and get it tomorrow.  That led to more running around to get letters from various offices and photocopies of everything.  Have decided that if I don’t get the visa tomorrow I will postpone my flight.

Very unfortunate

Another runaround today with only bad feeling to show for it.  Went to the police station and sat around for half an hour or more before I found out I was never going to get the police clearance certificate because there was no electricity to print it.

It exasperates me beyond measure as they only had to say what was going on and it would have saved a lot of time for them and me.  It didn’t help that everyone was very agitated as they were dealing with a suicide case.

Got this lovely picture of Sam and Elsie in Spain.  Seems that the holiday is revolving around the pool, the beach and eating and everyone is enjoying themselves.

Another runaround

Another trip to the police station and then was asked for a huge amount of photocopying of all the relevant papers.  This is the little shop up the road where I got it all done.

Was very lucky to have Mahendran helping me as he is very calm and I am sure smoothed my way with all the officials.  It was his idea to go up the road to get the photocopying done ‘while the right person was in the office’.  I have to go and pick up the clearance certificate tomorrow.

Runaround

Have had a lot of running around today all on behalf of my visa.  Because my visa is so old I have to get an exit visa and then a new 5 year visa when I am in the UK.  Just got home from my first visit to the visa office in Pondicherry in the morning to be told that I needed to go to the office again to get the police clearance certificate for the exit visa.  So I went to the office again this afternoon and then the police station.

Naturally the person I wanted to see at the police station wasn’t there so it will be another trip out tomorrow afternoon to see him.

African mother

Today I installed my sculpture ‘African mother’ into the last ring.  The two plants I got from the Botanical Garden shop are desert roses that need hardly any water and have a lovely flower. 

I’m really pleased with how it looks with the stones.  How it blends in with all the other rings that are planted with various sorts of herbs.

Light

Came back from the Visitors Centre with my food on Saturday evening to see Ganesha with several oil lamps lit up.

It looked gorgeous.