A picture 20181128

While I was looking in the Auroville shops for Christmas cards I came across this one. 

It seemed to jump out at me reminding me of the love I shared with Peter.  It all happened  such a long time ago now but still feels very close.

Sadness and sun 20181127

Peter’s death day today.  Yet the sun shone and seemed to have a special luminosity for this day.

I’ve got this picture on my computer so I can see it every day.

Unrelenting pressure 20181126

Had to re-do the letter to the Farm Group this morning about our situation here as well as sort out all the attached files.  Somehow the wrong material ended up in the wrong files  

Had another school session this afternoon.  Am very pleased how the compost heap is coming along.  I think the process of how we do the compost now – mixing the green and brown stuff at the end of every class and putting it on the heap -  is really good.  Am very pleased that Rajan came up with the idea.

So tired 20181125

Spent the first part of the day working on a letter to the Farm Group about the situation here.  I hate having to relive everything while I do this.  As always it took longer than expected so I felt really pushed to get the video done by the end of the day.  Which I knew I had to do because I won’t have time to do it this next week when I have a lot of things to do.

No day of rest for me today.

The picture is of a group that came on Thursday from Udavi school to look around the farm.  It was just after the heavy rain and I was very worried they would get stuck in the mud around the pond.   Which they didn’t thank goodness.

Very busy 20181124

We took advantage of the sun and a lot of extra volunteers coming this morning to do a lot of work in the garden.  This included planting a lot of lettuces.  Almost the first of the season.

Had another school session this afternoon, but this was with Grade 10 who are focused and sensible.  I was able to work more on the compost heap and they planted flower plants in pots.  Something we haven’t done before. 

Just about managed to fit in my yoga class.

Sun! 20181123

I love it when the sun comes out after all the rain!  Had the class this afternoon which were very loud and seemed to scream a lot.  Maybe it’s the relief after all the rain.

I think this picture shows it all.  The boys acting stupid and the girls looking fed up!

Wetter still 20181122

The rain was extremely heavy today, but fortunately held off while I went to a meeting at the Town Hall.

I went to yoga with two volunteers which was really nice.  When I came back my feet itched and I fear I have got a fungus between my toes because of all the wet.

I love the picture of wet Ganesh.

Very wet 20181121

Its been very damp all day with rain on and off, but its only towards this evening that it got really heavy.  Someone just phoned and the rain was making so much noise I couldn’t hear what they were saying.

It was too wet to go to the school this morning and so have had quite a relaxing day.  I have finally managed to download some decent music for doing my yoga which really improves the experience.

Rainy day thoughts 20181120

Its rained for a lot of today although the rain doesn’t seem to have been very heavy.  We seem to have had a lot of rainy days but I have the sense that there hasn’t been a lot of rain.  I took a group of school children to the pond this morning and there isn’t too much water in the pond.  Although this could be explained by the bottom of the pond becoming gradually more porous.  I’ll be very interested to see what the final figures are for this monsoon.

Did a lot of fun camera work this morning and hope it ends up with an improved video.  I saw these gloves on the gate and thought they made an interesting picture.

Feeling a bit depressed now – probably the grey day as well as our Buddha Garden conflict coming to a head.

My hair 20181119

Didn’t have too much to do today so spent time looking at YouTube videos about how to make better videos.  It has given me lots of ideas and I can’t wait to start on some of them.

Very pleased how my hair has turned out with the new mixture of henna and indigo.  It is good to use, my hair feels good and I like the colour.  Also much cheaper than the packets of chemically based hair colour.  I also like that if I don’t like the colour I can always re-do it very quickly and it won’t hurt my hair.

All Day With the Lotus 20181118

Have spent almost the whole day on the lotus video.  I really enjoyed doing it but found it very immersive and intense.

More video making 20181117

Have spent a lot of today creating the extra video I am doing about our flowering lotus.  I’m learning such a  lot more about the various ways I can enhance my videos.  Although I think I will have to be careful as it would be all too easy to use too many special effects.

I want the vibration of the lotus to shine through.

Video making 20181116

There was no school session because of the weather – they had all been given the day off.  This meant I could start and finish the weekly video a day early.  Very pleased!

The picture is of Elsie after her hair cut although to me it does not look that different.  According to her mother they only took off the fuzzy bits which she thinks she could have done herself.

Heavy Rain 20181115

Had very heavy rain today but it stopped early enough that I could go to yoga. 

There was meant to be a cyclone hit today but it turned south so we only had the tail of it.  Even although the rain felt very heavy and persistent the ponds are still not completely full.

Some things work 20181114

The wifi technicians came yesterday late in the afternoon and managed to get the wifi going again.  Apparently the antenna needed an extra bit of software which he downloaded to their computer in Pondy that controls all the antennae. Still seems to be going OK. 

My first SD card suddenly sprung into life and I got the pictures, one of which was this one which I love. 

Had a session at Udavi school this afternoon which was  chaotic and hot.  I sometimes wonder whether they are learning anything.....

Lotus 20181113

Having difficulty with my SD card again that the computer won’t read.  I’m also having problems with my wifi and someone is supposed to be coming any time to look at it.  At least in the meantime I can use the office wifi so I can get on with all my stuff.

Yesterday I couldn’t stop the computer from constantly reading the card, but today it won’t read at all.  When I got to see the pictures I was really pleased with them.  I feel I am seeing differently.

My mouth feels better today but it has taken over a week’s worth of vitamin B to get it to that point.  After being bitten by a dog and stung by a bee my left leg got bruised by a flying stone today when I cut the grass after work this morning.  It seems to be taking a lot of punishment.

Hidden Gem 20181112

One of our lotus flowers is in the process opening and I am going to try and make a video of it.  The bud has grown a lot today.

Once I finished I went around the Pryog orchard and came across this hidden gem.  It’s a guava flower and the photo doesn’t really show how small and hidden they are.

Really lovely and they smell good too.

Family 20181111

This is the first Sunday for months and months when I think I have got more or less up to date with my work.  As a result I haven’t done very much apart from various housework jobs.

I don’t like having too little to do.  I just feel tired and sleepy! On the other hand I don’t feel like doing much either.

Yawning………

I didn’t even have to go out and find a picture because this lovely one of Emma and Elsie came through WhatsApp.  They were on the tram on their way to one of the Manchester museums and by all accounts had a lovely time.

Lotus 20181110

Went out first thing and started to take pictures of the new lotus flower that will bloom soon.  I love the above picture where I think the condensation inside the camera enhanced the effect!

Unfortunately it didn’t work with any of the other pictures I took.  I’ve since been finding out how to stop condensation on the inside of the camera.  Funny how it never really happened in the UK where there are more contrasts 0f temperature than here, although I think the high humidity here doesn’t help.

Sound 20181109

Busy day which included a session at Udavi school.  Finding things for them to grow is difficult as they don’t want to grow what will grow during the monsoon! I will be glad when the tomato season starts because that is what they want to grow.

This picture is of the room where I went to a sound meditation on Wednesday.  I enjoy it but its something else I do and then find it hard to get to sleep.

Water and Fire 20181108

Went to yoga today but any kolam outside would have been washed away in the rain.  Instead Grace did her kolam inside on the table.

I still feel very tired but couldn’t sleep because my muscles felt as if they were on fire after the yoga.

Weed free! 20181107

Yesterday when I got a bit bored I weeded the rings near my house.  Every time I go out my door I look at them and feel pleased!

My mouth feels a lot better so I think cleaning my teeth a lot and taking vitamin B are doing the trick.  My leg is slowly getting better but still a hole there and a bit sore.  I’m sure the day off yesterday has helped as well.

Diwali 20181106

This is a picture I got today from Emma of the children with their sparklers that they had for Guy Fawkes night yesterday.  I love the sheer delight and magic on Elsie’s face.  Sam is holding the sparkler how he had been taught by the Fire Service who apparently visited the school last week.  Very proper and safe.

Had a very restful day and our own fireworks in the evening.

Tired 20181105

Very pleased to have the grass around my house cut.  Its so frustrating not being able to do jobs like that because of my leg.

My mouth is burning on the inside and I think it may be a sign I am rather run down.  This morning I woke up early and then went straight back to sleep and so was late for work! I think the dog bite, the vaccinations and all the work has been a bit much for me.

Micro greens 20181104

Finished off the video this morning and although I don’t think it is perfect and I’m happy with how the idea comes across.  Have started doing the graphic design for the labels etc needed for our micro green kit.

I tried to take a very close up picture of micro greens but this is the closest I could get without the picture being out of focus.  I think I will have to get someone with a proper camera to do it.

Hands 20181103

I am very excited about the video this week as I am doing something different focusing on the everyone’s hands and the work they did this week.  This picture is one of the still pictures I took which I thought I was going to use but later decided not to do.

So busy with a huge amount of writing work I was late starting on the video.  I seem to have more and more to do at the weekends these days.

Rain 20181102

Heavy rain today and very dark inside.  Felt so cold I even had to put on my coat! Inside!  So much rain the Udavi school session was cancelled even although it had stopped raining by the afternoon. I was quite relieved about that.

I love this picture which seems to express how it was.  I didn’t mean to include the crystal ball but I like what it adds to the picture.

Had my last rabies vaccination today. 

Yoga 20181101

Managed to get to yoga today but feel myself to be very tired.  Grace says no wonder given all the healing that has been needed on my leg with the bite.  Felt much better after yoga and am determined to do more on my own.

The picture is of the lovely kolam that Grace made today.

Visually interesting 20181031

A few days ago I painted on all the new nursery trays to show that they belonged to Buddha Garden.  I piled them up like this and liked the way there were interesting shapes and shades in the picture.

Half term 20181030

Its Rachael’s half term so she was with Emma for a few days.  I love this picture of the hair bunches that Rachael made for Elsie.  She doesn’t have much hair so I think it was quite a feat to do it.  I spoke to Elsie and she was very keen to show them to me and obviously thinks that they are wonderful.

Creation 20181029

Managed to spend some time taking pictures of flowers for the next video as well as going for the second vaccination and meeting someone this afternoon.

While I was taking pictures of the flowers I just happened to see my shadow like this which I thought would be a good image for the end of my videos.  I’ve made what I think is a rather nice end piece with animated text and this picture.

Very hard work 20181028

Feel I have worked very hard to day finishing off the video, working on the Farm Group notes and writing something for Buddha Garden.  It’s the only day of the week when I get extended times on my computer and every week I seem to have more and more to do on this day!

Have just been looking at pictures I took this time last year.  This is a picture of two individuals from the Transition School Group who came and had an experience of Buddha Garden.  Reading about how I was then I was just as busy and feeling as fragile as I feel now.  Without having to contend with a dog bite as well.

Interesting roots 20181027

Saw Auroculture today who is now very frail but continues to be all there.  Showed her a video of Transition School but she found the music too jangly. Have decided I will make her a video with calm music, flowers and meditative work.

She might also be interested in the above picture which shows the roots of two nitrogen fixing plants.  I showed them to the students yesterday but unfortunately they were not that interested.

My leg again 20181026

Had to see the doctor today about my leg which yesterday started to get sore again.  He said that as it was such a deep wound I should have the vaccination as well as trying a topical antibiotic.  If the latter doesn’t work by Monday then I should have tablets.  Went and got the vaccination and the antibiotic cream.

Had a good time in the Udavi school garden.  I took this picture for the video I am doing about the garden.