Hello Friends

Hello friends,

Sorry  I  neglected  my  blog  a  bit,

needed  a  break too. But  I  am  very much   alive  and well 

and  blessed  of  God.

Good  and  exciting  things  have  been  happening  here

and I  have passed through  troubled waters 

too. But  in  everything  God   has 

been an  Ever Present  help.

I  am  spending a  lot  of   time  on Facebook,

its   sort  of  faster and  takes less  time.

I  meet  many  of  my  blog friends on  Facebook..

But  I have lots  of  pictures  and  event  reports

which  I  want  to  share  here  too.

See  you  soon.

 

Welcome 2013

Goodbye  2012
Welcome 2013
A very  Happy   New  Year  to  all  my   readers
My  Scripture  verse  for   2013

The Lord  fulfilled  His Word  in  2012

My heart  is  full  of  thanksgiving

 

12/12/12

We  will  never  see  this  repetitive  date  again.
This  is   the day  the Lord has  made.
Let  us  rejoice  and  be  glad  in  it.

King Size Bed

⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke  2: 4-7 (NKJV) BIBLE

Weekend Update

The  mentally  ill  young  man  I  talked  about  yesterday walked  past  our  gate  this  morning but  he  did  not  cause   any  disturbance   for  us.
 I  found  out  that  he  belongs  to  a  very  wealthy  family. They  are  builders  and  Realtors  and  own  a  trendy  restaurant   close by. His  parents  died in  a  car  crash  several years  ago and the evil   relatives  declared  the  brother  and  sister  mentally  unfit  and  grabbed  hold  of  all  their  wealth  and  property. Maybe  they  poisoned  them  to  make  them  lose  their  mental   balance. What  a  sad  story.  I  really  feel  so  bad   for  this  man.
 He is  well  dressed & clean  and  looks  healthy. at  least   they  are  taking  care of  his  physical  needs. Once  I  heard  him  talking  to   himself  in  good   English ,  he 's  gone  to  school  too.
+++++++++++++
In  the  afternoon  the  vet 's assistant  came  to   have  a  look  at  Sheeba (doggie).  He   gave  her  a  shot. Now  I  have  to  clean  her  ear  with  Tea  Tree Oil and  administer  ear  drop  and  give  her  2  pills morning  and  evening. She   already  looks  better. I  am  relived  for  that.
++++++++++++++
I  made  spinach and  mushroom  quiche  tonight

I  make  the  pie  shell  with  whole  wheat  flour  instead  of  refined   flour -  its  healthier that  way.

5 things about Monday

 1.November  14th  is   celebrated  in  India  as  Children 's  Day. I  took  these  photos last  week.

 Don' t  worry that  children never
listen  to you;worry that  they
are  always watching  you

Robert Felglun was  right  wasn 't  he.

 His  granny  asked  me to   take  this  little  fellow 's  picture.  But  he  seems  to  be  asking,"Who  gave you  permission  to take  my  photo?"

2. Yesterday  I   posted   about   the  white   pigeon  who  came  to  stay   with  us  . With  great  sadness  in  my  heart  I   have  to  tell  you   that he died this  afternoon.
He  didn 't  look  good  in  the  morning. And  just   couldn 't  hold  on  any  longer.
God  sent him  to  us  for  a  short  time  as  a sign  of  hope  and joy. I  feel  so  sad   about  my  little  bird,  but  I  can  only   find  peace  in  this.

3. Today  I  had  an  important  appointment. But  the  person I  was  supposed  to  meet  was  called  away. So  that could not   happen.  Tomorrow  his  secretary  will   tell  me  if  I  can  see  him. Please  pray  something  positive  and  God  ordained  may  ensue  from   this.

4.Today  a  pastor  visited  us  in  the   morning  and  Mama 's  friend  dropped  by  in   the  afternoon, all  surprise  visits. But  we  had  a good  time  sharing   stories  and news. Mom 's  friend (Miss  Jha)  lives  in  another state,  she  is  breaking  journey  here  on  her  way  home.

5.In India people  are  more  important  than  time  or  appointments. Anyway  after a  very late   lunch  I went   to  the  market  to  buy  medicines  and  groceries  and   got back quite  tired.

Each  day   has  its  ups  and  downs  but  the Lord 's  hand  holds  us  steady.

How  was  your  day?

Taking A sabbath From My Weariness

Some   more   pictures  of  our

shopping   with   Megan   and  Ash

in   the  gift   shop.

I  like  to  think  of   bright  happy   days

while   going  through  grey   times.

I  have  committed   my  concerns

into  God 's hands. Its  His  battle  not   mine.

He  knows  what  is  best

and  He   will  accomplish  His

purposes.

<<<=

 Isaiah 42:3
New American Standard Bible

3 “A bruised reed He will not break
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;
He will faithfully bring forth justice.

God  knows  I   am  a  bruised  reed  and   dimly   burning   wick.  He   will  have   mercy  on  me and  bring  forth  His  justice.

I  want  to  take   a  Sabbath   break

A man with some authentic worries
And many vain and silly ones
I am well-schooled in sleeplessness;
I know it from the inside out.
I breathe, and I know what's at stake.

But still sometimes I'm sane and sound,
however heart or head may ache;
I go to sleep when I lie down,
With no determined care to breathe
I breathe and live and sleep and take.

A sabbath from my weariness,
I rest in unwaking trust
Like clouds and ponds and stones and trees.
The long arising Day will break
If I should die before I wake.

(A  Timbered  Choir -  Wendell  Berry)

The City of Princes (Nawabs)- Lucknow

Lucknow ( Hindi: लखनऊ, Urdu: لکھنؤ, Lakhnau ) is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state of India. Lucknow is also the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division.

Located in what was historically known as the Awadh region, Lucknow has always been a multicultural city. Courtly manners, beautiful gardens, poetry, music, and fine cuisine patronized by the Persian-loving Shia Nawabs of the city are well known amongst Indians and students of South Asian culture and history. Lucknow is popularly known as the The City of Nawabs. It is also known as the Golden City of the East, Shiraz-i-Hind and The Constantinople of India.

Today, Lucknow is a vibrant city that is witnessing an economic boom and is among the top ten fastest growing non-major-metropolitan cities of India. It is the second largest city in Uttar Pradesh state. The unique combination of its cultured grace and newly acquired pace is its most promising feature that augurs well for the future.

Located in what was originally known as the Awadh (Oudh) region, Lucknow has always been a multicultural city, and flourished as a cultural and artistic capital of North India in the 18th & 19th centuries. Courtly manners, beautiful gardens, poetry, music, and fine cuisine patronized by the Persian-loving Shia Nawabs of the city are well known amongst Indians and students of South Asian culture and history.Lucknow is popularly known as The City of Nawabs. It is also known as the Golden City of the East, Shiraz-i-Hind and The Constantinople of India.

Lucknow is placed among the fastest growing cities and now it is metropolitan city of India and is rapidly emerging as a manufacturing, commercial and retailing hub. This unique combination of rich cultural traditions and brisk economic growth provides Lucknow with an aura that refuses to fade away.

Lucknow has Asia's first human DNA bank. This is world's second bank having DNA identification system (DIS) and has been established in the Biotech park under the public private partnership with IQRA Biotech Services.

 Modern Lucknow is a bustling metropolis. Historically, it was a centre of Urdu literature.

Nawab Asaf-Ud-Dowlah (1775-1797)[11]After 1350 AD the Lucknow and parts of Awadh region have been under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughal Empire, the Nawabs of Awadh, the East India Company and the British Raj. Lucknow has been one of the major centers of Indian rebellion of 1857, participated actively in India's Independence movement, and after Independence has emerged as an important city of North India.

Until 1719, subah of Awadh was a province of the Mughal Empire administered by a Governor appointed by the Emperor. Saadat Khan also called Burhan-ul-Mulk a Persian adventurer was appointed the Nazim of Awadh in 1722 and he established his court in Faizabad[12] near Lucknow.

Awadh was known as the granary of India and was important strategically for the control of the Doab, the fertile plain between the Ganges and the Yamuna rivers. It was a wealthy kingdom, able to maintain its independence against threats from the Marathas, the British and the Afghans. The third Nawab, Shuja-ud-Daula fell out with the British after aiding Mir Qasim, the fugitive Nawab of Bengal. He was comprehensively defeated in the Battle of Buxar by the East India Company, after which he was forced to pay heavy penalties and cede parts of his territory. The British appointed a resident in 1773, and over time gained control of more territory and authority in the state. They were disinclined to capture Awadh outright, because that would bring them face to face with the Marathas and the remnants of the Mughal Empire.

Many independent kingdoms, such as Awadh, were established when the Mughal empire disintegrated. Awadh’s capital, Lucknow rose to prominence when Asaf-ud-Daula, the fourth nawab, shifted his court here from Faizabad in 1775. The city was also North India’s cultural capital, and its nawabs, best remembered for their refined and extravagnt lifestyles, were patrons of the arts. Under them music and dance flourished, and many monuments were erected.[13] Of the monuments standing today, the Bara Imambara, the Chhota Imambara, and the Rumi Darwaza are notable examples. One of the more lasting contributions by the Nawabs is the syncretic composite culture that has come to be known as the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb.

Nawab Saadat Khan IIIn 1798, the fifth Nawab Wazir Ali Khan alienated both his people and the British, and was forced to abdicate. The British then helped Saadat Ali Khan to the throne. Saadat Ali Khan was a puppet king, who in the treaty of 1801 ceded half of Awadh to the British East India Company and also agreed to disband his troops in favor of a hugely expensive, British-run army. This treaty effectively made the state of Awadh a vassal to the British East India Company, though it notionally continued to be part of the Mughal Empire in name until 1819.

The treaty of 1801 formed an arrangement that was very beneficial to the Company. They were able to use Awadh's vast treasuries, repeatedly digging into them for loans at reduced rates. In addition, the revenues from running Awadh's armed forces brought them useful revenues while it acted as a buffer state. The Nawabs were ceremonial kings, busy with pomp and show but with little influence over matters of state. By the mid-nineteenth century, however, the British had grown impatient with the arrangement and wanted direct control of Awadh.


Wajid Ali Shah (1847 - 1856)[11]In 1856 the East India Company first moved its troops to the border, then annexed the state, which was placed under a chief commissioner - Sir Henry Lawrence. Wajid Ali Shah, the then Nawab, was imprisoned, and then exiled by the Company to Calcutta. In the subsequent Revolt of 1857 his 14-year old son Birjis Qadra son of Begum Hazrat Mahal was crowned ruler, and Sir Henry Lawrence killed in the hostilities. Following the rebellion's defeat, Begum Hazrat Mahal and other rebel leaders obtained asylum in Nepal
Those company troops who were recruited from the state, along with some of the nobility of the state, were major players in the events of 1857. The rebels took control of Awadh, and it took the British 18 months to reconquer the region, months which included the famous Siege of Lucknow. Oudh was placed back under a chief commissioner, and was governed as a British province. In 1877 the offices of lieutenant-governor of the North-Western Provinces and chief commissioner of Oudh were combined in the same person; and in 1902, when the new name of United Provinces of Agra and Oudh was introduced, the title of chief commissioner was dropped, though Oudh still retained some marks of its former independence.

The province of Awadh (anglicized to Oudh) was annexed by the East India Company in 1856 under the Doctrine of Lapse and placed under the control of a chief commissioner. In the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (also known as the First War of Indian Independence and the Indian Mutiny), the garrison based at the Residency in Lucknow was besieged by rebel forces. The famous Siege of Lucknow was relieved first by forces under the command of Sir Henry Havelock and Sir James Outram, followed by a stronger force under Sir Colin Campbell. Today, the ruins of the Residency, and the picturesque Shaheed Smarak offer reminiscences of Lucknow's role in the stirring events of 1857.

Because of its historical importance, commercial activity, and cultural activity, Lucknow has frequently been a center of political activity, prominent in the independence movement. The Lucknow Pact of 1916 was negotiated there, between the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League to support pressuring the Raj for greater autonomy, a marked shift for the Muslim League.

The Khilafat Movement had an active base of support in Lucknow, creating a united platform against the British rule. In the Khilafat Movement Maulana Abdul Bari of Firangi Mahal, Lucknow actively participated and cooperated with Mahatama Gandhi and Maulana Mohammad Ali.

In 1901, after remaining the capital of Oudh since 1775, Lucknow, with a population of 264,049, was merged in the newly formed United Provinces of Agra and Oudh.[14] However, it became the provincial capital in 1920 when the seat of government was moved from Allahabad. Upon Indian independence in 1947, Lucknow became the capital of Uttar Pradesh, the erstwhile United Provinces

_______________________

I  have  drawn  the   above  information  from Wikipedia  and  other  sources. Here  are  some  photos  I  took while  in   the  city

The  state  Legislative  Assembly

called   the  Vidhan  Sabha where

laws  are  made and  government  offices

are  situated.

Some  modern  buildings

Posh  shopping  area  called Hazratganj.

Statues  of  political  icons

Listen to the Falling Rain

My  cousin' s  teenage  daughter

baked this  cake  for  my mother.

They  visited  us   after  a  long time

that  made  it  even  more  special.

This  little fellow  was  enjoying

the  worship  music  at the  retreat.

He  brought  his  toy  guitar

to play  along.

The  advent  of  the  monsoons  has  brought  us

refreshment  and respite but  a rise  in  everyday  problems too.

Read  this  report  published

in  Times  of  India

 (  these miniature cement

sculptures are  by

a Western artist)

ALLAHABAD: Denizens of the city faced numerous problems owing to extensive waterlogging, as the rains lashed the city on Sunday night and Monday. It was a virtual doom, as many areas of the city were submerged in almost knee deep water.

As a result, traffic in different parts of the city was not only affected, but also came to a grinding halt, as people faced problems, while negotiating their way through the waterlogged streets. The rains have also categorically exposed the tall claims of the Allahabad Municipal Corporation regarding comprehensive arrangements to tackle the problem of waterlogging.

The condition of roads, which have been dug up for the laying of underground sewage pipelines further deteriorated. The slush caused hardships for the commuters and the schoolchildren going to their school.

The problem was acute in the areas of Rambagh, Bengali Tola, Kydganj, Chaukhandi, Allahpur, Mumfordganj, Baghambari Gaddi, Alopibagh, Chowk, Rani Mandi, Nakhas Kohna, Dara Shah Ajmal, Bahadurganj, Khuldabad, Muthiganj, Chak, Colonelganj, Subzi Mandi, Attarsuiya, Daraganj and other areas of the city. In Bengali Tola and Rambagh, people had to wade through knee deep water. Different lanes and bylanes of the locality was filled with water. People were keeping a close watch on the level of water, lest it enter their houses.

Speaking about the woes afflicting the residents of the area, Abha Dwivedi, corporator of Rambagh says, "There is problem of water logging every time, whenever there is rainfall. The problem is acute in the area of Bengali Tola, which always gets filled with water even during slight drizzle."She rued that the area is not properly cleaned, due to absence of adequate number of sanitary workers.

Besides, the area of Allahpur also witnessed heavy water-logging. Various lanes of Baghambari Gaddi Housing Scheme was filled with water. Due to the non cleaning of some portion of Dandiya Nala, water did not drain out and it caused water logging in some portions of Allahpur. The problem was more acute in Alopibagh, where the work of constructing sanitary chambers is going on. A truck turned turtle here causing traffic problems in the area.
Roads of some areas of the city including Ashoknagar have also caved in. Some of the cattle in the area also died due to electric current during the rains.

At Mumfordganj, residents of MIG Colony complained that silt along the main drain of the locality has not been lifted. The silt has once gain fallen into the drain due to which there was problem of water-logging.

The problem deteriorated in Dara Shah Ajmal locality, where water entered in many houses of the area. This area always faces this problem as it is located on a lower topography compared to the surrounding localities.
(Times  of  India)
___________________
I  am  not  venturing  out  much because  the  slippery  roads  and  puddles   makes  walking   difficult  for  me. I  don 't   have  a  car. A helper  does  small  jobs  for  me.

But God' s  grace  is  sufficient  for  us . Like  gentle  rain drops   of God 's  grace  fails  into  our  lives.

Last  week   the  government  announced  another increase in fuel  and  cooking  gas  prices. Which   means prices  of   all  essential  commodities  and  food   will  jump  up  again. The  whole  of  India  is in  uproar  at this. Transport  will  become  more  expensive. The  hole   in  my   pocket  is  getting   larger.

A  Christian brother who  runs  an  orphanage in Calcutta  says   it  will  be  difficult to  feed  his  90  children. All  protein based  food has  become  very  expensive.  Its  so  hard  for   the  destitute and  backward people. The  rich  don 't  care.  They  have  plenty  in reserve.

According  to  UN  surveys India  ranks  high  on  the  world  hunger  index.  More  people   go  to  sleep  hungry  in India  than on  the   continent of  Africa they  say.

Read   an  IBN 7  news report HERE


Well,  all  this   is  pretty  depressing  so  let  me  end   with this  video. I  used  to   listen to  this  rain song on  SLBC (Shri  Lanka Broadcasting  Cooperation  Radio) in my  teens.  I discovered  it  on  YouTube. Maybe  you  remember  it  too.

Thought Seeds

I' ve  been  slow  in  composing  posts

this  week.

The  temperatures   are  rising

its  around 110*during  the  day.

So  I  get  tired   easily.

We  use  the air convector  cooler,

( almost  everyone  I  know  has

air  conditioners but  I  can 't

afford  one).

 The cool  air of   the   water  cooler

flares up  arthritis.

My  right  hip,  left wrist ,

arms  and  knees  have  been

quite  painful because  of  that.

I  tried  to  bear  the  pain, but 

it  got  me  so  tired  and  stressed out

 I  had  to  take  pain killers.

Pain  tires  me  out   easily.

I  think trees are  like

God  's giant sculptures.

I like  photographing  them.

This  one  is  outside  a

shopping mall

I  visited  with  my  nephew  Ashish

when  he  was  here  in  February this  year.

Its  an  ancient  banyan  tree.

(Megan, Sonia, Ashish &  Abner)

My  adopted sister  Sonia, hubby  and son  Abner

are  arriving  on Saturday

for a  summer  vacation with us.

We  are  so  excited.

I  am  getting   the  house  ready.

(me,Sonia,Ashish & Abner)

Keeping   the  house  dust  free is   such  a  task

with  strong  dust  laden  winds 

blowing most  of   the day.

We 've had dust  storms  too.

Last  evening   we  had  surprise  rain

which  cooled us  off.

After  the  rain we  sat  out

on  the  patio

enjoying   the   cool  evening

before  the  mosquito attack.

Trust  you  all  are  safe  and healthy.

I  read  the  following very  instructive

and  inspiring story on

my   friend  Elizabeth 's  blog

and  I  want  to  share  it  here.

THE  PLANT

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.

Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.

He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you." The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed.He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. 

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.

Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.

By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.


Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however, he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.

Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.

Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!"

Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed.

"How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.

Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"

* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.
* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.
* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.
* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment.
* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective.
* If you plant hard work, you will reap success.
* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.
So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.

Resting Places

"A good friend is like a star. You may not always be able to see them but you know they are always there. So how many of these stars do you have in your solar system?

And here is another thought provoking question,

Are you one of those stars to others? Make it a great day." -Gary Coxe"

You my blog friends are the stars in my solar system.

Double Whammy - Inflated Cold and Food Prices

(photo from The Hindu newspaper)

Gone are the warm sunny days of December, the cold has intensified in the past few days plummeting the mercury down to the 30s and 40F (10 below C)

8 people have died in my city. (According to the evening news 56 in our state of U.P.) Read a report from The Hindu newspaper HERE

Yesterday it was 1.5 C about 33 F. Brrr ...that 's freezing in an unheated house. Mama keeps in bed under quilts and blankets and when she emerges out of her warm 'cave ' I turn on the small blower heater to provide moderate succor.

I feel colder in the daytime when a chilly wind is blowing. I like reading in bed , but last night I couldn 't hold a book in my frozen hands ( have to hunt for my gloves). I don 't have woollen socks and was wearing cotton ones and Ma gave me her extra pair this morning. I also don 't have proper shoes fit for this weather - mine are too thin.LOL.
Everyone has to wear lots of woollen clothes to keep warm, even indoors. ( picture us like the cartoon above). Doing housework wearing all that armour is quite a task. Specially washing with icy water.

I like to drink lots of hot unsweetened tea and soup.

I made my veg soup with fresh spinach, and bottle gourd (lauki). Last night I made Borscht soup with beets, carrots and cabbage etc. Tried to follow the Russian version, but mine was quite Indianized - I have saved some to have for supper .

My Sheeba also feels very cold. I cover her up as much as possible - but the silly girl wriggles out of everything. She likes to sit on top of the sheets. She likes my old jacket.

Her hair is sticking to all our warm clothes and blankets. I brush them off with a clothes brush and a second later they come back on. I don 't have a solution. John the Baptizer (fore - runner of Christ) in the New Testament times used to wear clothes made of camel 's hair but I feel I am wearing clothes made with dog 's hair. LOL.
My very old vacuum cleaner is too heavy and unwieldy and I can 't use it anymore. I am dreaming of buying a light , small, user friendly one which is about Rupees 2000 ( $50).

But we praise God for all the comfort we have. The poor and homeless people, daily wage and migrant workers don 't have it so good.

Many of them camp out in the open on sidewalks and pavements, under trees or huts and tents made cardboard or plastic sheets. The district administration provides bon fires for warmth, but they are not enough, don 't last very much and not everyone can benefit from them.

The top 2 photos are from my city. The 2 below are from Delhi and Jammu. They were taken from the Times Of India website.

With falling temperature food prices have risen 14 -16% in the past one week. Its hard to put together a decent meal. The prices are pinching us very hard. Money disappears so fast, I feel I 've lost it or have been robbed.I try to use veggies from our garden. We give away lots. I also give away clothes fire wood etc - whatever I can spare. People are closer to the poverty line than ever before. Our poverty line is determined by a certain amount of calories one consumes per day. Millions are living below the poverty line.

On this evening 's news our Home minister P Chidambram said India cannot survive if inflation shoots up like this. I have developed a personal strategy to cope with the price inferno. I convert the prices into US $ and they appear much cheaper. For example if I say 1 doz eggs cost $1.50 its easier to accept it than saying Rupees 48. At least it doesn 't sound so expensive. LOL. So in my mind I keep converting. Indians living in the North America do the opposite and they can hardly take a bite out of a McDonald's burger. LOL.

But in everything we give thanks to God for taking care of us.The Bible says "In everything give thanks for this is the will of God".

I want to end this post with this MUST WATCH video - on a happier note

You must watch this amazing and incredible display of talent, ingenuity, expertize, innovation , imagination, story telling and artistry.
This is what the Internet was created for that we might see amazing things like this.

Cakes, Kids and A Story

On Dec 30th I made 3 fruit cakes, from scratch as usual. ..no package mixes for me.

They are fresh out of the oven. 2 I gave to Sonia and one was for guests.

We also got cakes as gifts. I bought store bought cakes to put in packages of Christmas goodies to give to economically backward people. They appreciate them so much.

On Dec 31st I was invited to my cousin 's birthday party. Dr AD is a skin specialist and cosmetic surgeon.

Here he is cutting his birthday cake. It was followed by a very nice dinner.

Seated is aunt Joy, his 80 year old mother. She is a heart patient and has been sick for some time. But everyone was glad she could come out and interact with friends and family that night. Behind her on the right is her daughter Cheenu who llives in UK. She is married to a British man and has a young daughter.(20 plus). Her younger sister was also present , but I could not get her photo. Both of them live in the UK. They are very talented musicians and film makers.

This is a family of doctors and musicians.

Aunt Joy 's two sons , one daughter in law, a sister in law and a grand daughter are doctors.

Let me introduce Ryan to you. He 's my youngest 6 month old nephew.

smiling at his Mom.

We sisters used to babysit his daddy Rajat when he was born. We treat him like a walkie talkie doll, and now here is his son.

This tiny Bible was gifted to me by my friend Holly . It has a verse from each book of the Bible in it. Also the tiny Angel in the header. On her blog Holly has some very pretty tags.

THE STORY OF THE DIAMOND MERCHANT

On Christmas day a guest preacher told us the following story.

Once a wealthy diamond merchant was travelling by train from Mumbai (Bombay) to Chennai(Madras). In his possesion was a priceless diamond . Getting this information a diamond thief, member of an international gang booked his seat right next to the merchant with the intention of robbing him.

ON the day of the journey the two men boarded the super fast air conditioned train. And during the course of a few hours they made friend s with each other. When night fell the diamond merchant covered himself with a blanket and went off to sleep in his berth.

Making sure that his co-traveller wa\s fitfully asleep the thief sprang into action. H e made a careful search of the merchant 's luggage. When his meticulous search did not yield the gem, he went through the sleeping man' s pockets , socks and even shoes. But he was greatly puzzled when he could not find the diamond.

When morning dawned both men were about to disembark at the Chennai railway terminus. Not wanting to lose his opportunity the befuddled thief could not control his curiosity.

He confessed to the merchant that he was a much wanted diamond thief and had boarded the train with the intention of a heist. He searched the businessman 's luggage the whole night but could not find the stone.Please could he tell him where he had hidden the gem as he was ashamed of his rare failure.

The merchant smiled, reached across the aisle , opened the thief' s hand bag and took out a black velvet pouch containing his prized possession.

"I knew all about you friend", he said.," Expecting you to rummage through my luggage I hid my diamond in your bag, because you would never suspect it to be there. After that I fell into a peaceful sleep assured that my gem was in your safe keeping".

The red faced thief hung his head in defeat and disappeared into the pressing crowd of passengers.

How often do we look for the attributes of God and the fruit of the Spirit in others. Do we reflect on our own lives and examine ourselves for the same things?

Just a PS to say that its pretty colld here. Temp in the 50s F