Up close 20181025

I took this picture by mistake.  I got much closer than usual and while I was taking it didn’t realise how the sun shone through so beautifully from the back of the flower.  Wasn’t quite so lucky with some of my video clips that are out of focus.  Probably because I started filming before the device had had a chance to focus.

After gradually getting better my leg was very sore this morning.  I got up and it really hurt.  I don’t know why because it doesn’t look any different.  Have made an appointment to see the doctor tomorrow.

Sunlit path 20181024

This is a picture I took on the way home from the Transition School session this morning.  It looked so much like the sunlit path so many people talk about here.  So maybe despite my depression this is where I am even although it doesn’t feel like it right now.

Depressed 20181023

Went to a meeting this morning and have been feeling really depressed ever since.  I wonder why I have to waste my time with some people who seem really not aligned with what we are trying to do here.

I know, I shouldn’t be so arrogant.  Who am I to judge who should and shouldn’t be here?

This picture comes from last week’s puja.  I’m hoping that light will prevail.

Rubbish 20181022

Went to a meeting this morning in ABRI to see how the new team are getting on.  It was heartbreaking to see that despite all their hard work there is still a lot of rubbish there.  This being what was left by the previous tenants who haven’t taken it away despite being asked.

Yet the team are in good heart and energy and we talked about different ways we could solve this and other problems.  On the way back I got scratched by a thorn bush.  It was as if it reached out to grab my left arm.  Not as bad as the dog bite but on the same (receptive) side of the body.

Sailor's warning 20181021

Woke up just as the sun was coming up and the sky was an amazing bright red.  Unfortunately it only lasted a minute or two so by the time I got out for a picture there was only a pink haze left.  Which can just about be seen in the picture.

Very soon the sky changed and we have had very heavy rain all day.  ‘Red sky in the morning, sailor’s warning’.

Saturdays 20181020

This is the first Saturday we have worked properly as we recently agreed.  Unfortunately no breakfast as we hadn’t talked to Sivakala and Vasantha did not get here in time.

I am so pleased that we finished the work in the Vaiyu Bhoomi orchard which included replanting 35 trees altogether.  That was replacing trees that had either died because of the heat or got their tops cut off by the grass cutter.  I think there were more of the latter.  We usually leave it until the grass is very long before doing the grass cutting when its very difficult to see the small trees.  I think I will try to get a stick put in beside the small trees so they are easier to see.

This picture is of the ash gourd that was broken in front of the Buddha Garden gate.  It symbolizes breaking up any negativity coming our way.  I felt it was needed!

Better 20181019

I don’t know whether it is the Betadine, but my leg is much better today.  Although still a bit sore and leaking fluid.  Checked up on the dog which is still healthy.

Busy day and glad to get to bed this evening.  Had a long talk with Vivek and it looks as if things are going to change in the Farm Group.  I’ve missed my yoga.

I love this picture of the oil lamp as it feels as if there is a bit of light around me at the moment.

Ayudha Pooja 20181018

Didn’t sleep very well so got up feeling very tired.  My leg was quite sore and if I put it in a particular position it woke me up.  In the middle of the night there was a very noisy thunderstorm which woke me up and with my sore leg I couldn’t get comfortable to get back to sleep.

There wasn’t much work and it was mainly getting ready for Ayudha Pooja.  Which meant getting all the tools out of the store room and cleaning them.  I did a bit of seed sorting but after that I just had to go and lie down.  My leg seemed to get worse and worse and I think its because I haven’t been able to get any Betadine to clean it properly.  Rajan very kindly got me some when he went to Kuilapalayam and since I have put it on it feels much better.  I’ve got to go and sort out the dogs out tomorrow.

The picture is of our computers at the puja.

Amazing 20181017

Had to leave work early today to go to the second week of Transition School.  Then it was to the Sante Health Centre to get my wound seen to and get a tetanus injection.  I thought at first it would affect my arm but it only ached for about half an hour.  I am amazed at how much I got done and how my leg didn’t hurt too much.  Only thing I haven’t done is to sort out the dogs.

I love this picture which I got quite by chance.  We all cleared up together in the Vaiyu Bhoomi orchard and I just happened to look up and see it.  I love the thorns on the trunks of the tree.

Ouch! 20181016

Got bitten by a dog today on the way to my yoga class.   It was in a community where there are a lot of people who come to learn how to do natural building.  Apparently it’s the first time the dogs have ever bitten anyone!

A lot of the people living there came to help and the wound has been well smeared with betadine and bandaged.  It feels sore though and goodness knows what it will be like tomorrow.

This and that 20181015

Went to a school session at Udavi.  They continue to have good harvests of everything like the ladies finger in the picture.

After that I collected my bike and its lovely to have it back.  Like reuniting with an old friend.

Catching up 20181014

It has felt like a very, very long catch up day today.  I started the day with finishing off the video on the large screen now that I have got the new cable.  Then I feel a bit as if I have been swimming through mud ever since catching up on letters, uploading to the website etc etc etc and more.

It hasn’t helped that the day has been exceptionally humid and I feel tired.  I feel like the droopy shredded banana leaf in the picture.

My devices are working again! 20181013

Without the new cable I had to start doing the video on my small laptop screen.  As a consequence my eyes feel as if they are on stalks.  I’ve nearly finished doing it and as I got the new cable this evening can use the large screen tomorrow.

I had another very hot session in Udavi school garden cutting grass, but it was worth it because it now looks much neater.  Next week I will only do two school session each week at Udavi as I don’t have time for more.  I did four sessions this week as I wanted to catch up with each group after being away.    As a result I am very behind with all my admin and writing work.

New old bike 20181012

Emma’s friend and her friend came to the garden this morning.  They are both starting a three month trip to India.  I worried I might feel too tired to talk but really enjoyed being with them.

The temperature has gone up again and after another hot and heavy session in Udavi school garden I took my bike in to be repaired.  Joy of joys they had a spare bike to lend me.  I am SO pleased as at least it means I have some way of getting around and don’t have to worry about when my bike will be finished.  The bike looks old and basic but I’m finding it OK to use.

Stressed 20181011

I found out last night that the SD card from my camera wouldn’t work and this morning the cable from the monitor to the computer broke. I ended up having to go and see Bobby from whom I bought the  computer, but I forgot to take the SD card with me. I could have taken my broken light to be mended at the same time but I forgot that as well.

Have got to get a lot of money to pay the one year in advance from the Wifi.  Went to get some money and then couldn’t remember the correct PIN number.  Got very stressed about that as its going to be a squeeze to get this money and then not being able to get it when I want it…. What was annoying was that my phone data still doesn’t seem to be working so I couldn’t check on my phone for the correct number.  So it means another journey tomorrow.

I feel I know what stressed out of my mind feels like!  Although eventually the SD card did work and I retrieved all my clips.

Unending 20181010

Had a very busy day today with two school sessions and an Entry Service session with one of the people I mentor.  The quantities of vegetables the Udavi students have managed to grow is wonderful.

Finished off the day with a sound meditation which was lovely as well as being much needed.  Unfortunately I didn’t sleep very well afterwards as the sound vibrations woke something up in me and I found it hard to settle.

Speechless 20181009

I went to see Auroculture today and she asked me to say something about Buddha Garden.  After all the problems with the volunteers last week and talking to them and others about it I found I just couldn’t say anything!!! Somehow saying something about it didn’t seem relevant any more.

I saw this chameleon outside today and thought he was rather lovely.  Ran away very quickly though so I was lucky to catch him.

Cloudburst 20181008

After a lovely sunny morning there was cloud in the afternoon.  This gradually built up and turned into an enormous cloudburst of rain.  I was at the school at the time so we all rushed under cover and watched the rain pelt down.  No possibility of doing anything in the garden. Afterwards I went to the Solar Kitchen where the picture was taken.  I had to wade through several huge muddy puddles to get there.

Its now feeling extremely damp and humid as I write this.

Sun and water 20181007

Thank goodness the sun has come back today.  Have managed to do a lot of housework (which included dealing with a flood from the drinking water I left turned on) and my hair. 

Feel very tired but managed to go and see Auroculture.  She has a bad chest which rattles when she breathes.  I think she finds me a bit much to deal with so I didn’t stay long.

Video 20181006

The last long term volunteer told me she is leaving today so it looks like we won’t have many people to help next week.  She has fallen in love with a local person and so things are turning out very unexpectedly for her.  She wants her own room and also wants to explore doing different things.   Like the other volunteers she has had a hard time here but has showed much more patience than the other volunteers who are leaving.  I will miss her.

Managed to get the video done this morning and am very pleased with it.  Had to work on my laptop (and the very small screen) at first because the electricity went off during the night and didn’t come on again until the sun came up.  The picture is from the video – the rainbow came just as the students from Kolkata were leaving.

More rain 20181005

The rain has eased off a bit but it is still very grey and everything is sopping wet with lots of mud.  I seem to have run out of work clothes so we put up a line in the rubbish place which has a roof.  At least if I wash something and put it there it won’t get any wetter like it would on ordinary line.

Two long term volunteers talked more about leaving today.  They seem to have been angry and upset ever since they arrived.  They are going to work in a forest community but haven’t found anywhere else to stay yet.  I am relieved they are going as somehow we got off on the wrong foot and it went downhill from there.  We have obviously not come up to their expectations.

Very heavy rain

Had some very unexpected rain today.  Very heavy monsoon type rain two weeks before the monsoon officially starts.  It was also very dark which of course has an effect on the electricity.

It looks like it might be around for a while.

Image 20181003

Had a difficult day on many levels.  Had a discussion with all the volunteers this morning and they are very upset about various things.  Two of them, a couple, are going to leave on Monday.  I think a lot of the problem was that I wasn’t here/had only just arrived myself when they arrived.  I also think this is compounded by the fact that they find the work really hard and we have not given them sufficient explanation and help.

When I looked up at Pierre’s house this morning I got this flash that it was covered in greenery.  That somehow Buddha Garden was encapsulating him like the body surrounds a thorn with pus before it is ejected by the body.

Light in the clouds 20181002

I seem to have spent a lot of time talking today.  There was a Farm Group meeting this morning, talks with various people in Buddha Garden and with an ex volunteer who is back in Auroville and wanting to become a Newcomer.

I think the picture of the cloud seems to go with all of this.  Inevitably we talked about difficult issues.  But often I had the sense of there being a glow of light at the same time.

Creating a photo 20181001

I used my new gimp software to create the above photo for our page on the Auroville website.  I really like it and am very pleased that at last I have managed to use the software to create something.  I think the problem is that the software is I far more powerful that I need to do the simple things that I want to do.  A lot of the time I am confused with all the possibilities.

The original picture was taken with the help of the students from the Kolkatta school that came to help this morning.

Squirrels 20180930

I managed to finish the weekly video as well as doing things in the house which included sorting out yet another squirrel’s nest.  This involved taking the nest off the back of one of the pictures as well as sewing up the hole in the mosquito netting where the squirrel had managed to get in.

Despite this I heard it pattering around in my room later in the day.  Its just that I never manage to see it.  Much less know how it gets in and out.  I’ve examined all the windows very carefully and cannot find another hole.

I took this photo yesterday and wondering if I should use it at the end of my videos for the credits.  I don’t like the fact that it makes me look as if I am wearing a dress.

School visit 20180929

Unusually for a Saturday we had a group of 25 school students come this morning.  They were lovely students from a Sri Aurobindo school in Kolkatta and they seemed to enjoy themselves.

Have at last sorted out the volunteers’ financial stuff for the time being at least.  Even if it did make something of a hole in my account as they insisted on having their money returned and there was nothing in the Buddha Garden account. 

Cashews 20180928

Still sorting out the financial problems with volunteers.  But hopefully it will be clear soon.  I wonder how long two of our supposedly long term volunteers are going to stay.  They seem to make heavy weather of everything that happens to them.  I think as a result they will take off quite soon.

Seem to have worked on a lot of different things including finishing off the videos of my UK trip.  Those have all been sent off the family and now I’ve only got the Buddha Garden weekly video to do

While looking at the Palmyra fruit yesterday Rajan showed me these cashews.  According to Vivek it is a late harvest rather than a second harvest.

Using what we have 20180927

Walked around Buddha Garden today with Rajan and was surprised and pleased to see that he has found a use for all our discarded palmyra fruit.  If they aren’t eaten while young they are generally a nuisance as they are difficult to compost.  But Rajan says that the new root shoots are considered a delicacy.  So he has laid them out on the top of the soil and covered with a little earth.

All we have to do is wait about three months for the roots to grow.  Then we cut them and sell them.  According to Rajan the Tamil Aurovilians will love it even if no one else does.

I think the money is now all sorted out as far as the volunteers are concerned.  Went to Transition School to talk about the second year of the garden project that will start on October 10^th.