Friday 11 September 2009

Thursday Visitors

On Thursday we had a lot of visitors.In the morning Uncle Freddie dropped by.
He is a retired Pastor and fund raiser for
the Bible Society and Scripture Union.
He travels far and wide on his bicycle
visiting homes collecting money for
these two societies.
He has worn out several bicycles.
Uncle is in his late 60s and suffers
from several health problems
but he is not slowing down.
Through his tireless efforts he has contributed a
lot for these mission agencies.
He has a symbol of the cross on his carry box.
I suppose it brings him luck or favor.


Late afternoon I got a call from my friend Poonam
saying she wanted to bring her football team
to cook a dinner of scrambled eggs and bread in our home.
Most of the girls who belong to conservative
vegetarian homes expressed a desire to eat home cooked eggs.
So I scrapped the plans I had for the evening
and invited them over.


Poonam is a High School PE teacher and Cricket coach
in a Methodist Girls School up north.
She was my friend and colleague in the American school
where I taught.


The gals preparing dinner in my kitchen.
Everyone had a lot of fun.
Mama was also very relaxed as she chatted with Poonam.


Before dinner we had tea and snacks.
And my goodness the gals were famished !
They had played two football matches that day.
But they were so good.
They made scrambled eggs with onions and tomatoes and
lots of hot chilies, rotis (flat bread)
and potato sabzi (stir fry).
(2 of them did not eat eggs)
And after dinner they washed and cleaned up
and even put away my dishes and stuff.

Poonam with her students.
They left later that night
and caught the 11.30 pm train
for their city.
We really enjoyed this lively visit.
Although I was a bit tired afterwards
as I got a short notice to prepare
for the visitors.

18 Fertilize my soul:

Anonymous said...

Uncle Freddie looks like he means business. No wonder he wears so many bikes out. I think it can be good not getting too much notice for visitors. Things don't have to be perfect; friends understand. The visit with her girls looks adventuresome & warmth-filled. ~Mary

Julie said...

What fun and I bet there was lots of laughter in the kitchen which added to the fun.

madison said...

Looks like everyone was having a good time.

Carol-Ann Allen said...

Umm, let's see...
Amrita, I feel like eggs for dinner! Can I lasso a gaggle of girls and drop by? Can I, huh? Huh, can I?
Ha Ha Ha! Set me in right good humour, this did! And just loved Unk on the Bike!

Kimmie said...

Oh, I don't believe the cross is for luck. I think if anything, it shows God's Power. It is a warning to those who would think to rob this man, of whom He is serving and whose money it is.

Your egg gathering looks like a lot of fun. Glad you were able to enjoy each other.

bless you Amrita

Kimmie
mama to 7
one homemade and 6 adopted

Olde Dame Penniwig said...

I would faint at that many kids in my kitchen!!!! Poor Amrita!

Bluebirdy said...

You must have a huge kitchen if 10 girls were in there cooking, and you must have had enough food to feed an army, and without prior notice! Sounds like a very fun day! Tiring, but worth every bit of being tired.
The cross on your uncle's box on his bike is also very wise for night use. It would be reflective so cars and motorcyles with lights would light that right up and avoid hitting him. You come from a long line of servants of the Lord, and so do I. I am related to John Newton, who wrote "Amazing Grace", and there has been at least 1 pastor in the family ever since. Farther back, we are related to Isaac Newton, the scientist, who was trying to prove through science that there is a God. I guess it's only natural and genetic that Jesus is in every cell of my body and soul.
Bless you Amrita,
Sheila

Amrita said...

Hi Mary, that 's right, in India we are used to sudden visits.
But sometimes one really has to go an extra mile if your guest is formal or important - or elderly....then you have to make a whole more preparations.
Indian hospita;ity can drive one crazy at times.

But this visit was relaxed.

I had everything on hand we got the eggs from the corner shop.
The girls did the cooking and washing up. They were very considerate.

Yes Uncle Freddie is a workoholic. He also travels out of town in trains and buses too.

People all over the state know him.

Amrita said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Amrita said...

Hi Kimmie I too don 't rely on luck, its God 's favor for me. English is not Uncle Freddie 's strong point - so I guess he got it mixed up

David Edward said...

wow - great time
the 2996 is the number of lives lost on 9-11-2001

Anonymous said...

Surely you had a great time with your friends and the entire group along with the mouthwatering food stuff...that's the beauty of life...god bless!

David C Brown said...

I'm sure it's happy to be kept busy - and I've been in Indian houses where I lost count of the visitors!

passing-thru said...

Nice post Amrita --

I LIKE UNCLE FREDDIE --
He is "Good Stuff"

Herrad said...

Hi Amrita,
What a lovely post, like the photos and can almost feel the good atmosphere.
Have a good weekend.
Love,
Herrad

Mel Avila Alarilla said...

Your house is not only a garden of joy and love but also a shelter for those who are tired and hungry. Those young female football players found that out among themselves and they seemed to have enjoyed the welcome experience. God bless you more for your charity and generosity at your home. Thanks for the post. God bless you always.

Pia said...

i love the flat bread. scrambled egg, onion and chili? sounds yummy. although i haven't tried that with chili.

Gerry said...

Another nice entry to read. by the time they got through cooking my mouth began to water for a good sounding meal. It just takes a little extra to make a meal that is pleasureable to the senses. I try to get over the idea that spices are too much trouble. and make even a very simple meal more tasty. I think Indian cooking is very good at doing that, so I try to study Indian cooking to see if I can emulate! Gerry