Week 26 of 2025, Monday to Sunday, June 23rd to June 29th

 

I suddenly realized that I am following a strict schedule of doing things from last few weeks. I wanted to break this routine by doing something else. That would mean no writing no reading no field works. And there I was – doing some art projects. Different from daily. I came across an interesting insta handle – of embrace_arium - who make terrariums and paludariums. I was very impressed by their artificial bonsai, wanted to try making one. I separated copper wires from electric cables; twisted them to make tree; pasted cement on to add texture; painted it wooddy brown; glued some preserved reindeer moss; put all these together in a tea cup. Ahhhh! It looked just perfect! Everyone at home was like - WOW.

The Bonsai (Artificial)

We had planned Dhruva’s ‘Anna Praashana’ this week – introducing solids – ritually. This is one among the 16 ‘Sanskara’s’ that we give to a newborn till he/she becomes adult. As I had already started giving vegetable purees to Dhurva, in the name of solids, this was just a of a symbolic ceremony, inviting my maternal relatives. Ritual goes like – Dhruva’s maternal uncle, here in case Samartha (my cousin) should feed rice to him in a gold finger ring. My amma had bought this ring, as a gift, steel plate and tumbler. We had also put books, pens, money, phone, and a bowl of mango rasayani (How can we miss rasaayani on this big day) in front of him, to see what he would pick first, for fun, He crawled forward and grabbed Rasayani! (fitting into the ‘crew rasayani’).

Dhruva’s ‘Anna Praashana’

Two days later we all fell ill, one after the other. The not so common cold and throat pain caught over. Skanda was the first one to catch. He has started going to school, just last week, and we assume he picked up the infection at school. Dhruva was the second in line, with nose blocks and sleepless nights. I was the third, then Sujay and my atte. As always I was wondering how a man made of million cells can fall to invisible non living things like viruses. We are fine now, with light cough.

Last weekend we were at Suchi Chikkamm’as house enjoying tomato bath and punugulu. This weekend we were at Uppi Chikkamma’s (Triveni aka Uppi is my amma’s second sister), enjoying ‘Halasina hannina kadabu’, a sweet delicacy prepared out of jackfruit.

Our home was buzzing with labourers this week. Women workers who had come to dehusk the arecanut were working less and gossiping more. Non stop from morning to evening. They wanted to know what job I do, what my family members do, whether I cook or my atte cooks, whether all the garden maintained by me or my akka, I had siblings or not, Oh their questions!

Womania

Magazines, Newspapers, I was reading Shubhanshu Shukla everywhere. Space has always been an interesting topic, India in news this time, so many decades after Rakesh Sharma was thrilling. The Week had a detailed article on life at International Space Station, it was interesting to read.

Making Space for Our Future

Vishwani, a Kannada news paper has come up with ‘Pravasi Prapancha’, a supplementary paper related to travelling. This is new for a Kannada reader, I was excited to read the first edition.

First page of ‘Pravasi Prapancha’

Veggie garden in planning. 

I am gaining weight. Mango rasayani is the culprit – Lots of sugar goes into it. I am a lazy to work out person. My daily walks are not helping. So I decided to get an at home cult pass. Decided to start with Zumba, lets see how it goes.