Annarakannanum Thannalayathu

Have you ever wondered why some squirrels have four stripes on their back? If you have wondered, here is why. The story is related to the malayalam proverb Annarakannanum Thannalayathu. It means even the squirrel does his part. The story of the squirrel is from Indian mythology--from the epic Ramayana. An ancient Indian King called Rama (He was the king of Ayodhya) was along with an army of forest dwellers known as Vanar Sena building a bridge to the island of Sri Lanka from India. Seeing the hardwork by this massive army a squirrel wanted to help the king of Ayodhya. The squirrel was not as strong and capable compared to everyone else. So the squirrel decided to help in the only way he knew how. He ran and dipped himself in the water and then rolled on the sand on the beach. Then he went to the area where the bridge was being built and shook himself at the bridge so sand fell from the squirrel's body and fell on the bridge and helped make it stronger. Seeing the squirrel's dedication the king Rama picked up the squirrel, placed him on his lap and stroked his back with four fingers. Four lines appeared on the back of the squirrel. The descendants of this squirrel are the present day squirrels with four lines on their back. The squirrel was not able to contribute much. But he contributed what he could. The king noticed this and blessed the squirrel. If there is a good cause we too should contribute what we can.

Barn Art

Here is art from Hobby Lobby. This is described as a "sepia barn canvas wall decor." Since sepia is the word used while describing old black and white photos I think this piece of art will evoke the quality of an old black and white photo. The barn looks austere and the fact that there is no color in the picture adds to its forlorn or severe look. The almost straggly tree near the barn adds to the ascetic appearance of this barn picture. The abundant grass is a pale yellow. If you are on a road trip through the midwest at dusk or dawn chances are you will see a barn like this and trees like this. This picture truly represents a midwestern barn when natural light is dim. I think all walls should have a ton of art.

Recognizing Trees by looking at leaves

Today I plucked four twigs from four different trees/plants in the back yard. I think it is awesome that each of these four leaves have a different shape. We can recognise the tree from the shape of the leaf. Do you think you know the names of the trees from which these leaves come from? Can you guess the names of the trees?

I really like to learn the names of trees. I would like to have the ability of recognising the tree from the leaf. I recognise the shape of the mango leaf, the jasmine leaf, the jackfruit leaf, the curry leaves, the cilantro leaves and the pineapple leaves, the maple leaf in the US and the oak leaf. There are so many other types of trees but I don't recognise them by the shape of the leaves. Do you like trying to guess the tree by the shape of the leaves. There is so much to learn in nature. Nature is so rich and it is all free for us humans.

Nature Scrapbooking Ideas and Supplies

One of my hobbies is scrapbooking. Today I came across some scrapbooking ideas and supplies I emailed to myself last year. These are supplies meant for digital scrapbooking. Some of these ideas are so beautiful. I have never tried digital scrapbooking. Here is a page idea.

I like the fact that in this page the background is the most insubstantial light green and how the light green paint washes over the paper unevenly smudging and spreading producing a gossamer effect. The entire collection is about nature and things found in nature such as flowers, buds, branches, leaves, sprigs, etc.

There are a lot of quotes and phrases too about nature. Some of the ones I liked are: Make every day earth day. Unplug and go outside. The Great Outdoors! Nature Walk! Enjoy Nature. Looking at these pictures made me want to go on a walk and bring home flowers or leaves. These pages are from Palvinka Designs and Wendy Designs. I have not bought them. I just admired their ideas.

Kerala Sarees

I really like kerala sarees. I just like the dressed up look with jasmine flower garlands in the hair and lots of bangles.

Here are some pictures from the internet of people wearing kerala sarees. This is not strictly a kerala saree. The fabric for this saree is organza, I think. This is worn with a gold belt.

All these images are from the internet. I just like to collect the different ways in which you can style a kerala saree.

I love the pink jimikki in this image.

Here is Sreya Jayadeep in a kerala saree. I really like Sreya Jayadeep's voice. She is one of my favorite mallu singers. She wears Kerala saree with matching blouse.

Long Sleeve Dolphin Tee from Abercrombie

I liked this long sleeve Tee I found in Abercrombie and Fichte online store.

I like the fact that the Tee has the picture of a dolphin. Dolphins are such a playful marine creature. They are always depicted as leaping over the waves. As the temps become cooler it is definitely worth it to have a Tee like this. I can imagine myself wearing this to go for a walk. The color is so serene. The color of the dolphin is a peaceful marine green. The green of the ocean. Or maybe, I guess this shade is between blue and green. Aqua is the name of the color that is between blue and green. The word aqua means water. I just like this Tee because I think it is right for this time of the year. Reposting with a correction! I earlier wrote the color of the shirt is green. It is the color of the dolphin that is green.

Denim Overalls

I really like denim overalls. I found this picture in a Marie Claire online article.

You can wear denim overalls with a white shirt, a white T-shirt, a colorful striped shirt, or a black and white striped shirt or a black shirt or a cropped top. My favorite kind of denim overalls is overalls in dark blue denim with a colorful plaid shirt. I remember this picture of a very fair and very blonde young girl wear such an outfit in a catalogue and it looked so pretty.

Denim Midi Skirt by Kate Spade

I saw this midi skirt in Kate Spade. I really like midi skirts. This past winter I bought a wool midi skirt by Liz Clairborne. This denim one is ideal for this time of the year. I have not bought this one. I like the fact that it is paired with a bright color like yellow. I like denim dresses too. I like dark blue denim as well as pale blue denim. Sandals made with denim are pretty too. Denim overalls are great as well.

Walks by the side of trees

I took this picture on May 10. I really like how straight this row of trees is. It is planted in a straight line. I took this picture while I was out on a walk. It is such a serene picture. At that time, I used to go for walks every day. Since July started I have not been going on walks. Now that temps have cooled here I am thinking of going on walks again. I like going on walks early in the morning. At that time it is so pleasant.

Childhood outfit

Yesterday I blogged about a Lilly Pulitzer outfit. I wrote that my mom made for me a similar outfit. My mom made the top with a similar fabric.

And my mom made the skirt with a similar fabric.

I used to like this outfit a lot. Do you have any memories of clothes you wore as a child? Have a wonderful day!

Outfits

This outfit by Lilly Pulitzer reminds me so much of an outfit made by my mom for me when I was around ten years old. The style was the same but the color of the fabric and the pattern was different.

This outfit is from Frances Valentine. I used to like tunic tops a lot. This is an example of the style I used to like. Now tunic tops are so unheard of so I was surprised to see this outfit here. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Fall outfit and Summer dresses

Are you ready for fall? Last week while browsing clothes I saw a sweater in an online store. I thought we were still in the middle of summer. I found this outfit in See by Chloe in their Autumn 2023 collection. I like the color a lot.

I found this summer dress in the kate spade online store.

This is also from kate spade.

I like this outfit because it uses cutwork embroidery. The fabric is eyelet.

This outfit is also from Kate Spade. Have you started thinking about fall? What kind of summer dresses do you like?

Trees

I took a picture of this tree in the yard this Sunday. I thought the tree looks very ethereal.You can see the branches all spread out and the light filtering through the leaves. The tree looks different if you stand under the tree and look up. Because when you stand across it you only see the green leaves. You dont see the branches.

Here is another picture.

Trees make you feel very peaceful, I think. Hope you have a lovely day!

Picture of Flowers

I took this photo in May. These flowers grow in our yard. These flowers bloom only once a year. I wait with anticipation for it to bloom. When it does bloom there are a lot of flowers. I like the color of these flowers. The color is a kind of pink. They also have a soft fragrance. Each flower has four small petals. Each flower is small but it is arranged in bunches. I think the name of this plant is Lilac. However I am not sure. Do you know the name of this flower? I love learning the names of flowers and trees. Do you like learning the names of flowers and trees? I once read a short story where the main character goes on a walk with another character in this garden like place with lots of trees and the main character tells the other character the latin or botanical names of all the trees. The story has no other plot other than learning the names of trees and going on this walk. I love such stories. In such stories there is no suspense and no climax and hence no anxiety about what is going to happen next. It is just a walk. After reading this story I started to want to learn the names of flowers and trees. The walk in the garden reminded me of a botanical garden I once visited in a hill station. In that botanical garden there were a lot of paved paths and lots of trees. I hope you have a great day!

The Non-Aligned movement

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is a political and military alliance and Ukraine wants to be a member. This news has been dominating headlines during the past few days. This made me think of alliances between nations. One such alliance is the Non-aligned movement started by the first prime minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru. Josip Tito the premier of Yugoslavia was a close ally of Nehru in starting the Non-aligned movement of nations. At a time when the whole world was divided and two super powers- the USA and the former USSR lead opposing forces, a small group of developing countries chose to not ally themselves to either super power and instead focus on the more crucial job of nation building. Due to this policy formulated by Nehru India focused on developing as a nation and probably it is due to this early focus on development that has caused india to be advanced in many areas of national life. I love the book Discovery of India, written by Jawaharlal Nehru. You can really get a true sense of the history of India if you read this book. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

The Song of the Pixies

The Song of the Pixies is poem written by the 18th century British poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. I really enjoyed reading this poem. The poem is about this place near the poet's home called The Pixies parlor. The roots of old trees form the roof of this place. How wonderful it would be to look up and see the gnarled roots of trees. There are lots of very beautiful lines in this poem. I am just going to write down a few lines that I thought were so wonderfully descriptive of this place. "Here the wren of softest note builds its nest and warbles well." This line conjured up to me the image of a meek bird singing softly and plaintively its own song. "When fades the moon to shadowy pale." This is something I have seen but did not know how to articulate the sight of a feeling of the fading moon. "Here the morn all gem bedight, Has streaked the east with rosy light." This line reminds me of the early morning time when the sky is painted with a rose color. It is such a pretty sight and this description is so beautiful. "We sip the furze flowers of fragrant dews. Clad in robes of rainbow hues." To think of a flower wearing an outfit which has the colors of the rainbow is so enchanting and to think that we can sip the dew of this flower immediately transports us to the pixie parlor. "Whose tearful cheeks are lovely to the view As snow drops wet with dew." Here the poet describes the cheeks of someone, maybe a pixie and although tears have rolled down those cheeks they are beautiful because the cheeks look like a snow-drop wet with dew. Such a wonderful description. Thank you very much for reading! Have a wonderful day!

Ice Cream

Recently a lady told me that a good thing to have during summer is ice cream. I could not agree more. I really feel I should go to the grocery store and buy ice cream. Alternately, I could make ice cream at home. There is an ice cream maker in our home which I have not used in a few years. Time to wipe the dust off of it and make some ice cream. or take the easy way out and buy from the grocery store. An ice cream memory I have is this place which we used to call Woodlands ice cream parlor. Tucked away in a corner in a busy street of the city of Kochi India is this ice cream place called Woodlands. If I do well in school my father would take us there as a treat. It is an air conditioned restaurant. The second you step in there you feel this great respite from the heat outside. It is not a large restaurant. There are just a few seats. It is one of my fondest memories of Kochi. Another ice cream memory is going to the St.Teresas canteen for a meal and buying ice cream. It was cone ice cream. But you don't scoop ice cream and place it in the cone but instead you hold the cone under a tap and ice cream flows into it. It was the tastiest ice cream. Another ice cream memory is an ice cream called kasatta. My father liked this ice cream a lot and we wanted all of us to have it. I love that in the US we can buy huge tubs of ice cream and place it in the freezer. I also like the wistful songs played by ice cream trucks as they make their rounds through neighborhoods during summer days and the way children throng to the truck to buy ice cream. In an ice cream maker we can make ice cream that is healthy by avoiding artificial ingredients and using fruits to sweeten. The most popular ice cream brand in India was called Kwality. Their ice cream was in small cups with a wood spoon. The lid was a small round paper. Now from wikipedia I learned that they have collaborated with a brand from UK. Hope I inspired you to try some ice cream today.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge: The Major Works

One of my most important accomplishments this year has been reading a book by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, titled The Major Works. I would recommend this book. This book contains poems and essays. The ideas are so rich and we get a peek into the intellectual climate of England in the 18th century. We get an idea of the literary and political issues that bothered them, we get an idea of their educational system and also read about the writers and thinkers that influenced Samuel Taylor Coleridge. If you like reading I hope you will give this book a try!

Story Book Bags

I love these bags inspired by Disney Princesses. They are like story books. Imagine carrying a bag shaped like a fairy tale. Do you like these bags?

Picture of the Synod Church

Doves in an ancient church

One day I felt very worried about something. When I felt worried I decided to look up the picture of a church that was integral to my childhood. I remembered many things about this church. One of my strongest memories is sitting on the floor and looking up at the doves perched on the thick wood beams near the ceiling. I also remembered the huge doors that lead to the inside of this church. These doors are known as elephant doors because they are so huge that even elephants could walk through these doors. When I looked at the picture of the church in the internet I realised that everything I remembered is there in the photo of the church that I found in the internet. But in addition there was something else. It was a painting on the back wall of the altar behind the huge crucifix. The wall has an arch carved into it with wood. Inside the arch there is a painting that is a deep saturated blue. The blue is most intense at the top of the arch and becomes less deep in the areas less close to the top. More than half way down the color changes to become yellow. The yellow painted areas of the painting is less uniform and slowly merges into a darker hue at the bottom. As soon as I saw this painting in the church a sense of deja vu washed over me because I had stared at this painting a lot during every mass in my childhood. The painting looked exactly the same as that which I had looked at in my childhood. The fifteen hundred year old church is a historical church in the Indian state of kerala and tells the story of an ancient faith. In the early 80's a new church was constructed adjacent to the 1500 year old church and the 1500 year old church was converted into a museum. Unbeknownst to many in the world is the fact that one of Christ's apostles travelled to Southern India 2000 years ago and established a small christian community in kerala. In the year 1599, the Synod of Diampher, a significant historical event took place in this church. Although this church is of tremendous significance historically for all practical purposes it is the most humble of places. The most simple villagers come to this church. Celebrities do not visit. Great miracles do not take place. But it provides succour to the ordinary parishioners of a remote, sleepy and rather noisy village where my father, aunts and uncle grew up and my grandfather called home. This church is my grandfather's parish church. This is the church I went to during visits to the village of Udayamperoor where this church is located. While I was in high school my grandfather who is very fond of this church wrote the history of this church. I visit this church in the internet, to look at the pictures and the website every once in a while even when not perturbed. In my childhood I have gone to this church with my grandfather, my aunt and my cousin. I would walk to the church with them. The church is not very close by. We walk along the edge of the road to reach this church. The church is on the same road as my grandfather's home. As soon as you enter the compound of the church you see a huge, grey stone cross. A major difference between the interior of the church during my childhood and now is that in the picture in the internet of the inside of the church there are no doves perched on the beam. Maybe the photographer took the picture at a time when no doves were sitting on the beam. Or perhaps after the church was converted into a museum the doves stopped visiting the church. Hope you enjoyed reading about this ancient church!