Our "Passage to India" - (i)

When our friends told us they were going to be in India (Chennai - formerly Madras) for a year they asked if we would visit them for a holiday. So on one of their trips back to the UK we made the necessary plans and all the arrangements and bookings were finalised.

We left on Monday 20 October. The flight from Heathrow at 5.20 pm was due to arrive in Delhi at 6.15 am and our friends intended to be there to meet us. Bob had arranged for an ex-colleague/friend to drive us to the airport. It is a 2 hour journey on the motorway and we left home at around 12.30 pm, up the M5 onto the M4 and straight into a traffic jam and there we were stuck for over 2 hours! There had been an accident that morning at 8 am but the radio report had said it would be cleared by mid-day. To say it was a nail biting journey is an understatement. Once clear of the traffic our driver put his foot right down and it was all speed to Heathrow (by now in pouring rain). Nevertheless we arrived at 4.45 pm to be told, what we already knew, that the flight was now closed!!! The airport staff were very helpful and sent us to the ticket sales desk. There we explained the situation and asked for the next available flight to Delhi. Nothing direct until 28 October! (we hadn't realised that Diwali was beginning on the following weekend). However after a bit of searching we were found a flight to Mumbai with a domestic flight to Delhi, arriving at 3.30 pm. At least we would get there on Tuesday, albeit late.

Now we had to let our friends know the situation. Given the time difference they would probably be asleep, having to be at the airport at such an early hour. However I tried texting but had no response. We rang the hotel and left a message for them. Tried texting again and again nothing back from them. We had to give up on that and hope that one of our messages would get through. We finally flew out of London at 10.45 pm. We had a good flight to Mumbai (Bombay)and the onward journey with Jet Airways was also very good. We arrived and claimed our luggage but then were uncertain whether our friends would be there to meet us (a) because we were so much later than we had expected and (b) they may well have made arrangements for the day. Anyway, we walked out, both of us keeping an eye out for them. No sign, but then I spotted a man holding a card with our name and flight number on it. We met up and he explained he was from the hotel, that there had been some confusion as to what had happened but they had ascertained that we were on our way and he was sent to meet us and take us to our hotel. We followed him out into the sunshine.

I feel emotional even now thinking about it all and particularly when I remember the feelings I experienced then. We walked into the sunshine and the intense heat of the afternoon, the sheer volume of traffic and all the noises and sounds, of car horns, police whistles, people shouting and jostling. I was completely mesmerized. I'll never forget it. We had finally arrived in Delhi.

Birthdays and Holidays

The past week and a half since I returned from Australia have been fairly busy, almost hectic some days. Phew!

Before I went away I had promised my cousins that I would make a birthday cake for their respective mothers (twins) who will be 80 on 5 November. There is to be a surprise celebration for them on that day, so a cake is almost compulsory. So as Bob and I are going to be away from Monday until 3 November I had to get on with it. Baked the cake before I went to Australia and on my return began making the sugar flowers for the decoration. As time will be of the essence when we return from our holiday I had asked a friend if she would ice the cake for me. So yesterday I took all the necessary to her and will collect the finished creation on our return. I should add here that my friend is 75 years old! She is also one of a twin.

Have also baked another birthday cake in readiness for decoration on my return. This time for a joint party for 3 sons of friends. Another set of twins, plus a sibling.

A friend telephoned on Tuesday to ask if we, together with another couple would like to go and have a meal with her and her husband on Wednesday evening. We haven't seen much of them recently because he has been undergoing chemotherapy in an attempt to get him into remission. But he is having a break from it for a while to give him a chance to build up again. They both felt that they would like a social evening and we were only to pleased to go. We had a lovely evening, just the six of us, good food,lots of laughs and our friends both said that it had done them a power of good. We wish there was more we could do but they do know that they only have to pick up the telephone and ask, should they need anything at all.

My darling girl also telephoned mid week, to ask if it would be OK if she and her little one visited at the weekend! Of course! Only a flying visit, overnight, but would like to see us before we jet off. So that was arranged and they duly arrived on Friday evening, leaving us exhausted 24 hours later. We invited my mum round to lunch on Saturday too.

And, as if all of this was not enough, the estate agent rang - could Mr and Mrs W view the house on Saturday morning please. This would be the 6th set of prospective buyers since we put the house on the "market" in early March. We have never taken so long to sell a house before, just shows how slow things are. However they duly arrived and had a good look around and left again. Are they interested? Who knows! I remarked at lunch that each viewing we have had had been on a sunny day, so just shows how few there have been!

So, today, I shall be packing for our holiday. Me and Bob. We are both really looking forward to it and will be away for 2 weeks.

Ladies who Lunch occasionally

Today I had lunch with two of my closest friends (emotionally, not geographically). We are all 60 something and have known each other for more than 30 years. We have, over time, had many lunches, suppers, days out etc, laughed a lot and lent shoulders and cried on more than one occasion. I believe today was the first time we have all been together socially for at least 2 years. I have seen them both separately and two of us visited our mutual friend when she was in hospital for several weeks last summer. In spite of the infrequent meetings, we find, as with all good friendships, that we just pick up where we left off. Just natter away and catch up on family and mutual friends' news.

I waved cheerio to OH and went off to pick up friend D who lives just down the road and drove the 10 miles to the next town to collect friend H and then on to our chosen venue. And 3 hours later did it all in reverse and came back home to OH. All very simple but very pleasant and enjoyable. We should do it more often.

Before I retired I worked with a "girl" (she is 20 years my junior) who has also become a very close friend, we have said on many occasions that we feel more like sisters. We have known each other for 26 years and we too have had our share of laughter and tears. At work it was mostly laughter and she was probably the reason why I didn't retire sooner. She was the first person I told of my decision to finish work and I wept with her on my last day. I didn't have to promise to "keep in touch" with her, (nor with any of my close ex-colleagues as we had such fun together - a great privilege for me) we both knew that we would, and now, about once a fortnight, I contact her and we "do lunch". It is only for 45 minutes as that is her lunch break but it gives us some time to share some laughs once again. Once in a while I join the "pay day Friday curry night" which has been going for the last 4 or 5 years, and sometimes now it falls on a Wednesday or Thursday!

Another friend - also an ex-colleague - I have known for 20 years and when I first got to know her, she worked part time as she had two small daughters. She is a lovely girl with a beautiful face and smile and in all the time I have known her I have never heard her say anything against anyone. She also is a friend with whom I have laughed lots and shed tears.

About 15 years ago, at a time when my mother happened to be staying with us, one Tuesday when I arrived home from work my mother told me that "a very strange thing happened today"! She had been sitting quietly after lunch when she heard the front door bell. On the door step she was confronted by two small girls who asked for me. "I'm afraid she's still at work" said my mother, "can I help you"? "Please have you got any strawberry jam" enquired the girls and my mother, very perplexed, went immediately to look. Unfortunately the cupboard was bare of any jam that day, strawberry or otherwise, and she returned to report the same to them. And off they went.

"I've no idea who they were" said Mum, "but they did ask for you". Well I didn't exactly have a sleepless night over it as I had an inkling of who this pair might be. And on arriving at work next day all was revealed. My friend with the two daughters came in laughing and between us we relived the events of the previous afternoon. She had been making a sponge cake and realised too late that she had no jam for it. She dispatched her girls off to the local shop to buy some but as it was a Tuesday afternoon it was early closing. The elder of the girls remembered that I lived just up the road and knew that I made cakes so decided I was the next best bet. Sadly they were unlucky at mine but their mummy saved the day and drove to the supermarket, so all ended well. Ever since then, when my friend has mentioned the name "Anne" the girls ask "do you mean Strawberry Jam Anne"? (my friend has a sister Anne). I love it and decided on it for my blog name.

The two little girls are now grown up of course, one has a law degree and the other is a qualified midwife and they are both as lovely as their mother. Last year when the eldest graduated I sent a text via my friend which read "congratulations, well done, with love from Strawberry Jam Anne", which made them laugh and cry!

Weather today - bright warm sunshine but blowing a gale!! What has happened to summer! We need balmy breezes! In the garden, flowering shrubs include bottle brush, hypericum and buddleia. And early this morning, about 6 when I got up I saw a spotted woodpecker on the bird bath having a drink. Lovely!