18-08-2020
The rain today has been acting in a different way. There have been periods of sun shining down and then dark clouds gathering and a heavy downpour. It has been going on like that the whole day. In the evening I went to talk to my neighbour, Juliet. Once a week, another neighbour, Rekha and I sit in the open veranda in Juliet’s house and talk. Juliet said such a weather causes many health problems as if the coronavirus was not enough. She was feeling very sad about not being able to go anywhere freely. She is 75 and her children are abroad. A girl lives with her. There are so many lonely people all over the world. It is really very sad.
On the 15th there was quite a drama in her house. Afternoon she called me to tell there was a snake inside her house! We were wondering what to do. Fortunately another neighbour came and was able to make the snake come out, it was a small cobra ! We were all standing and watching when another neighbour came by on his bike. He stopped and went in. Both tried to catch the cobra in a bag but it slithered into a hole beneath the stairs. Everyone was of the opinion that it would not come out as it must be very scared. Today Juliet told me that she had asked many to cover the hole with cement but no one agreed to do this till it was sure the snake was not there. People here fear and worship snakes.
Last week we went to our town centre after quite a long time. On the way we gave some books to a cousin. There was some shopping too. We used to there every week and to the temples too but so much has changed. On the 22nd is Ganesha Chaturthi. People all across the length and breadth of our country celebrate this festival but this year it is going to a very restricted celebration. But nothing can be done.
We had started a book club in 2009 and we used to meet once a month. It was fun but now we have not met for quite some time. We once had a zoom meeting. But somehow it was not repeated. But I am enjoying the Book club meetings organized by Todd Tyrtle. I have been following his blog for quite some time. We met on the 15th evening. It was a wonderful surprise to meet Betsy. I have been following her blog too. We talked about books and other topics too. We are meeting again in September.
I have joined an Essay writing course offered in Edx.org. Aravinda told me about it. Till September 20th we have free access for the materials. It is fun to read about English grammar. I am enjoying it. My Doddamma is fine, I sent a mail with photos to Sujata. She will read it to her. I talk with my mother almost every day and my daughter talks with me everyday 😊. We enjoy the photos and videos of our grandchildren and we watch them many times 😊. Hopefully they will be able to come next year during summer vacations.
I am reading My grandmother asked me to tell you she is sorry by Fredrik Backman and enjoying it.
When tree planting does more harm than good | Deccan Herald
https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/in-perspective/when-tree-planting…
https://www.deccanherald.com/state/mangaluru/masked-booby-rescued-in-kundapur-873413.html
https://www.hindustantimes.com/art-and-culture/ganesh-chaturthi-2020-history…
Online Courses on edx.org – Build In-Demand Skills
Mukhamani 
When I was a boy, my friend’s dad had been a soldier in India during the war, fighting thre Japanese in Burma and Assam. They were all told to look out for a particular snake, the “krait”, which kept everybody just as scared as the Japanese did.
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I was looking at the pictures of kraits and they do look scary. My neighbour is still feeling worried. There were several branches of a fruit tree touching her window and she is getting them cut. She suspects the snake must have come in on the branches.
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I was first struck by the “rain acting in a different way” and Juliet’s observation that it is compounding an already difficult situation – those were my own thoughts earlier this spring when I heard that it is to be a very active hurricane season. Sadder still, her loneliness …I hope the veranda visits help to alleviate that. Social distancing has been especially costly and terrible to the older generations. And the snake in the house-! A poisonous one at that! I’ve had a couple of harmless black snakes in my garage this summer and they really are more afraid of me.Nevertheless – in the house is a different story. I sense how your life remains full and rich as you find ways of staying close to those you love… and enjoy your essay course!
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Lakshmi, I so enjoy reading your slices of life here that you started writing for your Doddamma. The images literal and the ones you paint with words are beautiful. Thank you for sharing about the people and places that you see every day. You remind me to observe more closely.
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Thanks for joining us at book club. It is always great to hear new recommendations and just to chat with other like-minded folks. I just put a hold on my first Fredrik Backman book at the library today. It may be a while before it is my turn, though.
How scary to have a cobra in your house. I can’t imagine – and to maybe never know if it left or not. I feel like I might have to move! Of course I’m also remembering that I heard of one village in Maharashtra where people invite cobras to live with them in their homes. That’s too much for me! I love snakes but here they are almost all non-venomous.
That photo of your driveway is beautiful. So green! We are also getting more than usual rain. It’s almost monsoon-like here with scattered afternoon showers. But now it’s cooling down – as if autumn is already coming.
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So many people feel isolated during this time. It is so important to reach out to family and friends so that no one feels that they are alone. There seems to many other things happening in this world beside the pandemic that wonder what kind of message God is trying to tell us.
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Yes.
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A cobra! Sounds frightening to me. I wanted to read Backman’s book. I am glad to see you are enjoying it!
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Bookclub and essay writing – how wonderful that you have these heart filling activities in your life. I like how you build and pace your stories and thoughts in this piece.
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Good to read about everyday life. It’s great that you have many friends and can participaye in all sorts pf activities like zoom book groups. Greetings.SAN
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Oops Cobra sounds so dangerous.
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I am so delighted to see the picture of your grandchildren. It seems like yesterday that the second one was a newborn baby!
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