My Reflections and Expressions
This week, I’d love for you to look at things a bit differently. Whether it’s through an actual picture frame, a few stalks of grass, or even the spokes of a bicycle tire, find an alternative frame to the world around you and share what you see!
The walls of a stepwell in Ahemedabad
The outside world
The Ellora caves
The Daily Post photo Challenge : Frame
Rain drops on the ground
Sunlight coming through dark clouds
Reflection from the ground.
I have been reading a lot of Haiku and enjoying them. They were something new and I did not understand how they should be written. So, today I read a lot about syllables and Haiku 🙂 I am trying, giving a lot of work to my brain :), it is fun. Please do let me know my mistakes.
For this week’s challenge, share a photo of something rare: a family heirloom. A cloudy day in a normally sunny desert. A sad frown on a cheerful kid’s face. Or anything else you think of as scarce and singular. I can’t wait to see what “rare” means to you!
Long ago were the days of large families in our place. There were lots of children and grandchildren around the place. But these days most people have just one child or at the most two children. Many prefer not to have children. Many think the feeling of holding their grandchild in their arms is becoming a rare occasion. Couples are busy with their careers and their parents worry about their not showing any interest in having a child. My parents and my father-in-law feel they are lucky to have seen and played with their great grandson; rare moments these days.
My father-in-law 🙂
My mother 🙂
My father 🙂
I was reading a friend’s mail. He had written about unwelcome visitors and the words ‘Song of the road’ kept coming to mind. They come to mind at unexpected moments. These words fascinated me from the moment I read them in Pather Panchali by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay. This is a beautiful book. There is a song in everyone’s road. There are different types of songs suited for the time or the place or emotions of the traveller. My friend is in his eighties and is having a difficult time now. He writes about his unwelcome visitors, pain and cancer. But at the moment his is not a sad song. He says, ‘Determination is my weapon, never to let up but fight all the way.’ Of course there will be bad moments but they shall be overcome. He inspires and I am glad he is a part of my life, however small a part.
My mind goes back to my son’s classmate. From the first moment she left a deep impression on my mind. There was something very attractive about her, the way she dressed; she was so well dressed in the traditional Indian way. She carried herself with so much assurance. She is blind. She has so much confidence in herself and is a vibrant person. Her blindness does not matter to her. She has completed her PhD in English Literature and is teaching. She has so many interests. She is married to a wonderful person and they have a son. In spite of everything the song of her road is a happy one. Life has its ups and downs and she is facing them with a smile.
Talking about confidence, my thoughts go to the owner of a small hotel. One Sunday morning we decided to see some temples in small, serene places, not very far from our place. We stopped for breakfast on the way. This hotel is well known for its preparations. We enjoyed ourselves. While leaving we complimented the waiter and then the owner. Both accepted the compliment and said that their preparations were good. There was so much confidence in them. We liked it. There was only humility and no arrogance in their tone.
There is such a thin dividing line between confidence and arrogance. I wonder when the former changes to the latter? When we have confidence in ourselves, others have confidence in us. The songs within us become the songs of our journey on this road of Life.
‘The singer has everything within him. The notes come out from his very life. They are not materials gathered from outside.’ ~Rabindranath Tagore
‘Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come.’ ~Chinese Proverb
‘You don’t love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.’ ~Author Unknown
( The photo is of the temple pond in front of the temple of Sri Shankaranarayana in the hamlet, Shankaranarayana.)
This series is all about part of people or animals characters and interesting parts to photograph. This week’s topic is Hands. Hands are so distinctive from one person to another. They can show a lot of character. You can build stories of how a person lives by simply taking photos of their hands. So I wan to see those hands at rest, at play and at work. Four legged animals of course have their hands too and are always fun. Have fun with this challenge this week.
My parents 🙂 56 years together
Young life
Father and son 🙂
My father
Book in my hand:)
My father-in-law 🙂
Hands of a chair:)
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge : Hands
We think with our mind,
We think with our heart
And both appear to be
Such small parts
Of the whole body.
Small and sweet
And so very important ,
But what is amazing
Is the amount of baggage
We carry in them.
The past, the present and the future
Are always being carried around.
We are in the present,
We either think about the past
Or worry about the future,
And carry the burden
Along with us.
What a relief it would be,
If we could only
Live in the present.
But human nature,
Being what it is,
Carrying a lot of baggage
Seems but natural.
What would it be like,
If we were not to carry
It along with us?
Difficult to imagine. :))
This week’s theme is simple: share a photo of something fun! Let’s all shake our booties, literal or figurative.
Last October, our niece got married. All the cousins in the family got together and organized some fun moments. Those moments were something new and fun. We all enjoyed ourselves.
The Daily Post Photo Challenge : Fun
This week’s topic is Legs and Feet. Legs and feet (shoes) can be quite interesting and fun to photograph. Have you ever gone any where like a beach or a mall and just people watched. Try it and just take photos of peoples legs and feet. Totally anonymous and you can have a lot of fun. Animals of course are always fun too. Have fun with this challenge this week. Use your imagination if you want for this theme. The thing is to have a lot of fun with this challenge.
The coolness of water 🙂 These photos are in the areca garden, the water channels.
I come back to my grandson :))
In the beach.
This week’s topic is Smiles. This is probably the most flexible of topics for this new series. People and animals smile, but you can also get creative and photos that make you smile or laugh. A smile is contagious so hopefully we will all be smiling by the end of the week. Have fun with this challenge this week.
A few years ago we had been to Ahmedabad, these three boys wanted us to take their photo:)
In Sabarmati Ashram, with the lady using the Charaka
A lovely ride on the Jhakda on our way to Lothal, a sweet smile from the lady as we said goodbye.
Smiling at her creation.
A smile so sweet 🙂
My daughter adjusting the hearing aid for my father-in-law’s elder brother. This was about eight years ago. He is no more.
Smiling logo :))
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge : Smiles
For this week’s photo challenge, publish a new post with an image that means morning to you. We’re especially interested in creative and unique takes on the theme — bonus points to those who think beyond the usual sunrise photo!
There are many temples in and around our place. Today morning we decided to go some temples not far from our place. We went to four temples in small, quiet and serene places. We were going to these temples for the first time. We also got to see the River Varahi.
We went by paddy fields.
It was a cloudy morning.
People going to the temple for the morning Puja
The morning light on the temple pond.
A cloudy morning and River Varahi.
The Daily Post Photo Challenge : Morning
