A festive and exhausting weekend

Started writing this post and somehow it took on too sad a tone. So decided to post about the mornings hike first!

The festival season is officially open. That starts with the Varalakshmi nombu, observed by the women. This year was a muted affair given the pandemic and also because Jr. was leaving for college early the next morning. 

Cooking and packing don't mix. That sums up that. Still San did a great job and got us some goodies and did her pooja. Have said this before a zillion times.. she is always my madisar wearing hottie! She lights me up whenever she dresses up in her wedding saree. 

The weekend had the thread changing ceremony for the guys in our family on Saturday followed by a 1008 time recitation of the Gayathri mantra today! These events have been described in this blog for a good 16 years now.. bottomline, I get to change my thread, meditate for a long time using a mantra for at least that day. On normal days I say it a 108 times in 6 minutes. Every 90 minute hot yoga class is a moving meditation and some classes I just move with the Gayathri mantra going on in my head in an infinite loop and that count would be close a 1008 as well on most days. 

The reason for the sad tone of the post that got scratched? Flight reliability. I have not been on a plane since we landed from Costa Rica on New Years day 2020. As most of you know, my Asia trips came to a halt as did all travel. Since then San has flown once to Seattle and her flight was delayed 5 hours. Jr. came and went from the midwest twice last year and both times she was fortunate to not have more than 30 minute delays. The MIL has come and gone back to India without event. 

This time our luck ran out. Jr. sat in a plane for 2 hours and they aborted the flight for some mechanical issue. So I went back to SFO to get her back home and there was a scramble to book her on the next flight where she could make a connection. A note to parents.. when considering your kids college, think about if it is a direct flight away or if there is a connection. Connections make it incredibly difficult, especially to smaller cities. We had to go back to SFO a third time to drop her off for the red eye. I know Uber drivers do this all day, but they have the practice and experience and their passengers are not anxious children who are worried about making it to campus before school starts Monday.

The idea that she should be here on Nombu day was tricky. We did not anticipate this flight issue. Why planes show up at gates, board all passengers and then find out they have issues is beyond me! This is one issue that seems to have no progress over the years!

She finally made it to campus today. Given the mornings experience, I did not sleep till the flight status changed to show the plane left the runway. It was on the runway for 30 minutes on a red eye! Lets say I didn't sleep last night. 

Was wondering how my parents dealt with it when I left home.  There was no texting, no facetime, no nothing. We left on a train and reached college 42 hours later. There was no feedback loop. Same thing when I came to grad school. Maybe all this technology is making me more anxious than I should be!

Over years of traveling I have had flights canceled, sat in plane and been de boarded, have slept in airport floors over night, but all of these experiences were not a big deal because it was me. Maybe my family had some anxiety but I doubt it. Maybe the lesson in this is for me to let Jr. go through these learning experiences and teach her all my travel tips. 

In the middle of the first and second trips to SFO, I had manged to do the thread changing ceremony! After very little sleep last night and going on a sleep walking hike for 8 miles, came home and did the Gayathri japam this morning.

Given the mental and physical exhaustion, did the only thing I know that can give me that "you are dead and back, nothing can touch you now!" feeling. So went and did yoga to wrap up the day!

Here are some pictures in random order..

It has been a hectic weekend and I need a weekend from this weekend, or so it feels!

Now I have to just contend with Facetiming Jr. for the next few months!

A very different navarathri

If you read my blog or see my posts regularly, you know that this blog has documented every bay area golu we visit during Navarathri for what.. 15 years running?! 

This year, I did not get invited to any Golus. San did.. as it was a ladies only timed event at most houses to avoid people from different social bubbles interacting. 

Save for my next door neighbor, I did not get to do the usual golugraphy. It is also a passion of mine to capture any new dolls in the display or anything unique year on year that folks come up with. 

The only golu from this year..

The new doll this year that captured our attention .. 

we did do the Saraswati poojai at home ..

San took this photo of me to send to my mom.. one of her best clicks in recent times..

This year given we dont get a chance to wear new clothes.. that is an understatement.. have not even worn formal pants for more than a few hours since March! It has been T-shirts and track suits and sitting and attending meetings or doing yoga on the same mat all day.. 

So every festival gets a new shirt.. this one was purchased last December during the India trip. 

The little one gets the photo credit. San is her usual lovely self and puts my age in perspective and stark contrast just within the 2020 photo sets..

Last year I decided to match shirt colors with San's saree color and went around for Golus.. this year has been different.. of the 9 days, she dressed up only on 4 and went to select friends houses with fixed time slots. 

Navarathri has understandably been a muted affair for 2020. It was my sincere prayer to the godess of learning that folks learn that wearing a mask and social distancing and washing their hands can save lives and the lives of people who are elderly, have other health conditions are as valuable as their own! 

No one needs to die because someone decides to be irresponsible.. the whole "in pursuit of my own happiness at all costs" attitude has a fundamental flaw that is glaringly obvious, thanks to a small virus!

This last year has been good for learning.. hope the coming year brings more knowledge to me and everyone around me.

Wishing everyone a happy Dushera/Navarathri/Durga pooja/Saraswati pooja/Vijayadasami/ Ayuda pooja.. and whatever other name you celebrate this festival by.. 

Ganesh Chathurthi in 2020

Ganesha, vinayaka, the remover of obstacles has the big celebration today. Ganesha's blessings are needed more than ever this year. There are fires all around us.. (I am not philosophical.. literally fires all around us) and the air quality is see-sawing on an hourly basis.

Mostly we make all of the favorite foods for this pooja (which obviously are also our favorites) but this year we kept things simple. 

Missing someone, no marks for guessing.. 

Ganesha will keep her safe wherever she is, or that is the hope and prayer! 

You will find plenty of old posts on this blog for this event! 

It is the same day sheet calendar Pillayar that is still the mainstay for our prayers on this day.. but with the iPhone in portrait mode, he really shines.

San is getting good at taking pictures with the iPhone.

and the little one did a good job taking this photo for us.. this year given we are stuck at home all the time, have decided to wear a new T-shirt for every festival. Why not?!

2020 has been and continues to be surreal. There are always some positives from everything. I have not boarded a plane this year and that is a good thing. Have been reasonably healthy this year with the body. There is a nagging gum infection and I was told earlier this week that unless there is a gum surgery in two or three weeks, will lose two more tooth much sooner. Apparently they are gone in a few years anyways. This is the second time in 8 years this is happening. 

Not sure if there is any yoga for tooth. They seem to be the motorcyles of the body, when it comes to risk and insurance. Have been told that my dental insurance covers practically nothing and the bill for this will be in the many 1000's. Trying to figure out a way right now. If the virus wasn't doing its thing, would have gone to India to our family dentist and got the surgery done, but that is not an option now. Even with a flight ticket included it would have cost less than half of what it costs here. 

Praying to the "remover of obstacles" to make sure this will be the last time I go through this. 

To everyone who is celebrating Ganesh Chathurthi, may Ganesha give you everything you ask for! 

Want some kozhukattai(dumplings) now and will go help myself to some..