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Hey Rilla, I really enjoyed looking at all your pics. You've captured some great moments. That food looks yummy. And the shy smile of the dishwasher, great picture. Cool camel picture, too. Everything is so foreign and different from here. Can't imagine having to carry those jugs of water on my head everyday. Are we spoiled or what? And rilla or is it Rilla that wants one handle for both the hot and cold water? Not two separate knobs? Cute! I love the ornaments you brought back from India. Thank you. They're going to look great on my tree when I finally get it up! Those bow burglars made me laugh. Looks like you're having fun getting ready for the holidays. Have a great Christmas. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your pics.

Hey Lynnerd,
I'm so happy to hear you don't have your tree up yet. Oops! That's not how it sounds. What I mean is... I haven't finished decorating, what with the bow burglars and other tumultous events, and I was afraid I was the only late one around. Thanks for keeping me company!

Oh rilla, now you've done it. You've gone and made me hungry again. The thought of roasted corn rubbed with lemon and salt. I'm drooling on the keyboard. Now I can't think of anything else. Merry Christmas

You got that right, J. Isn't it funny how it always boils right back down to food?! You better ask the bum glue for a release to let you go roast some corn and rid you of that writing inhibiting liquid you are drooling onto the keyboard!

Welcome back Rilla!
I love looking at your pictures. I look at them and wonder about the people in them...what their lives must be like- how they view the world etc...and evrything we take for granted here.

You look like your ready for the holidays. I can't believe how quickly they got here- again! This year is going to be pretty low key for us.

Can't wait to see what pictures you post next!

Great pics, Rilla ! And it's nice to get a glimpse at your house. Merry Christmas to you and the whole family, with an extra special hug to your mom, and a couple more for you.

Love those ornaments, so gorgeous!!!

Your bow theives made me laugh. Don't they mess with the little stuffed dolls? That could never work at our house ... the puppy would have claim them all.

(What am I doing surfing on Christmas a.m., you may ask? Waiting for the sleepyheads to wake up, of course. I've already been downstairs for a peek, and it look as though Santa did in fact stop by! Yeeha!)

Merry Christmas, rilla! And Rilla!

Hey Rilla,

SO enjoyed all the photos of your family, especially on Thanksgiving Day! Looks like it was a warm, wonderful day. And I know you were relieved to be back home.
Marge

Hey Marge,
we had a such a wonderful day. They say too many cooks spoil the broth, but on Thanksgiving too few cooks make for a lonely day. There's nothing quite like having the whole family in the kitchen at the same time, cooking up a feast. Can't wait till next year ;)
Hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving too.

Rilla, Your mom is beautiful and you look just like her!

I love the swing in the living room! Snazzy!

Hi Rilla,

I enjoyed the pics of your family. How cool that your niece is going to be a choreographer. Did she teach you any of the dance steps?
I know how you love dancing! The in-laws new house is really nice, especially those drawers. And the food looks delish. Also, I love the picture of the bird outside the window. Did you take it?

Rilla, I'm so glad to see your mom with her new glasses, and her neat little hairdo. She looks great. Please, tell her that I said that. And I'm STILL looking for a djula for my house, and these picutres reminded me that I'm NOT leaving India without one. Thanks for sharing.

Looks fantastic ... nothing like family at the holidays! Very cool re: the neice being a dancer. I used to dance but then I messed up my knee. How I missed it (and sometimes still do)! I'll bet that dance form is beautiful.

Pictures are fab Rilla, except where are the pictures of your pretty face?????

Your Mum looks good - who is the cute young blonde male unit??

What beautiful smiles. It looks like everyone is enjoying the company and the food. Even through the work, family is wonderful. Thanks for sharing.

Aww Colorado Writer,
that's so sweet. You made my mom's day... and mine too ;) Thanks!

Hey Lynnerd,
I love my sis-IL's new house and the swing was constantly fought over, let me tell you! I was psyched by the drawers in the kitchen. So neat and so convenient... I'm going in for a redesign of my own kitchen... now only to import those creative cabinet makers.
Oh, and ALL the pics in the section My Pic of the Day are... guess what... My Pics... oops, ouch, STOP THAT!
Sorry Lynn, that was Rilla. I forgot to mention they're HER pics and now I have a bump on the head thanks to you!

Hey Katia,
thanks for the lovely comments about Mom. I have passed them on.
I didn't want to leave India without a jhula either, but... it wasn't written in my patra on this trip at least! And, if you do leave Hyderabad without one, well, that doesn't mean you'll have nothing to remember India by. You have so many beautiful, beautiful things already... and it's because of you that we found the things we did get. Thanks again!

Hey LindaBudz,
sorry about your knee. What type of dancing did you do? My niece has been learning Kathak which is one of the five classical dances of India and one of the most graceful one. It has northern and muslim influences and was commonly performed in court. The costume worn is quite different from the other four south Indian classical forms, one of which I used to learn before I left home. Dance is wonderful, isn't it? Time to tape up the knees and go back to it!

Hey Fiona in Oz,
My pretty what? Time you were in California for a visit! You need a refresher on what my face really looks like!
The blond 'unit' (love that!) is the son of a dear friend and is very adept at making the most delicious banana-sweet potato dumplings with caramel sauce... mmm... that's really why mom is smiling so sweetly!

Hey J,
family, family, family... where to start? Remember the smiles... forget the rest!

Wow, rilla, that's one cool museum you went to. And to think it was all one collector's. Amazing. That one cooling pot looks like Aladdin's lamp. Did you rub it to see if there was a genie in it? And those x-rated nut crackers, who woulda thunk? The foot scrubber is a mind blower. Can't imagine how it works. And those instruments, wow, I bet you got some good story ideas from those. The lamps are neat, too. Aren't they candle holders, though? Very unique stuff. Thanks for sharing them. Oh, the hair dryers are really something, too. They look like curling irons. I like the toys,too. I bet all that stuff is worth a mint.

OOOOO What a rich culture. There is such beauty in India. Sometimes I forget that there is beauty here too. Just a different kind. I'm a bit more romantic and that makes me a sucker for items like these in the museum. thanks for sharing.

Hey Lynnerd,
that museum is so cool, my pictures don't even begin to do it justice. This collector was obsessed and thank goodness! There were many, many more x-rated nut crackers ;) I presume they belonged to courtesans.
I put up a pic to show how the foot scrubber was used. Also, the lamps are not candle-holders. You fill the wells with oil and a wick and you light them up, voila! I put up a pic for you of that too. But, you'll just have to come home and see my collection for the real McCoy!

Hey J,
thank goodness there is beauty everywhere! Now put on those traveling boots and get on out there. First stop, Nubia ;)

Hey, thanks, rilla, for the pic of how the foot scrubber works. Pretty nifty. Wonder how well it works! So the lamps burn oil. Very cool. They're so unique. The one lamp looks like a scale. And that puppet! All the detail. He must have been the villain. All that stuff would be ideal for a creative writing class, huh? The teacher could put one of those items on each student's desk and say, "Write a wild story about this." Are you going to post more museum pics?

Hey Lynnerd,
Sure I'll put up more museum pics in My Pic of the Day. I have so many more. It was a pity, though. They didn't allow flashes and I didn't have a tripod or loads of time and so a lot of pictures are blurry and need some major photoshopping to figure out what is going on with them.
Oh, and some of the footscrubbers looked pretty mean. Bet they did a bang-up job, bells, whistles and all ;0
That 'write a wild story about this' is a great idea. Were you there when we did that at the Temecula writing retreat? We should do it once in a while just for practice. I'm sure you'd have a carful of wacky things to offer!

Oh my gosh, Rilla, all these pictures are so amazing, and the ones below of the fort! I love the story about the monitor lizards scaling the walls to the fort for the invaders. Some strong lizards! This just makes me want to go to India EVEN MORE. Sigh. Some day! -- And those weird fruits. I want to try weird fruits! I even like to say, "weird fruits."

Welcome home! Hope your mom is settling in well. Cheers!

Thanks Laini! It's good to be home. I ate them weird fruits everyday I was home, because I don't know anywhere else you get them and it was one of the few times I was home in Seethaphul season. Makes me wonder... what are goblin fruit like??
Did you get a glimpse of the miniature kitchen set I photographed? I thought of you and your dollhouse when I saw it. There was a whole room of things that would be PERFECT for a doll house. Wish you could have been there. Next time...

Pune city has given land for shifting the museum to a more spacious building. Recently came in papers.Hope they house the museum in a 'wada'-like building. Next time you are in Pune, we'll take you to some private preserved wadas. not as grand as the havelies of Hyderabad, but have lot of history and atmosphere and beauty.

Hey Aruna,
I saw the news about the new building on the museum website. I do hope it's not just a flashy modern building. The house where it's at now is so beautiful. And I loved seeing Vishraam Baag Wada. You're right. Got to do it more justice next time as well as the promised visit to Shanivaar Wada. So much to do... so little time... oh for next time! Thanks for that fabulous visit.

OMG! Such beautiful country. Everything so lush and green. I always wondered where the idea cme from to make the saris of such beautiful colors. Now I know, they just copied what they saw around them. thanks for sharing.

Great pics, Rilla! Makes me want to go to Pune and visit that old fort. Glad that you're finally back in the blogosphere.

Hey J,
we were lucky... it was still monsoon and the hills were lush and green... and the flowers were blazingly brilliant... and the saris were brightest of all ;)
Going to Pune was the vacation we had... and very worth every minute.

Hey Katia,
Feels good to be back in the blogosphere. It's lonely out there without it! You should visit Pune, of course, along with the list I already gave you ;) Shivaji's forts are very romantic. Not as amazing as Golconda, but full of tales of bravery and derring-do... perfect for fantasy writers ;0

Hey Rilla Auntie! Great to see you two back online... The pictures have come out really well. I'm so happy to see my pic here!

We sure had a great time, please make it again.. cheers...

~Badal

Hey Badal,
it's great to be back online.
We had a great time, didn't we! And the pictures prove it. Can't wait till next time... where will you take us then?
Listened to Suphala last night and Forest Sounds the other night and LOVING them. Thanks again.

These pictures are amazing, Rilla. Wow. No wonder you took a thousand pictures. Oh, the cricket player is cute, too! Thanks for sharing!

Hey Lynnerd,
Mmm he is cute, isn't he... and we have something in common ;0
Couldn't keep Rilla's finger from clicking... thank goodness for digital cameras! She has enough beautiful pics for a yearful of blogs... WATCH OUT!

Hi Rilla & lil ril,

Awesome pics!!! Especially LOVE the one of the fort ruins. And pics of everyday life in India are great. You are not only a talented writer/storyteller, but a gifted photographer, too. Had to chuckle at the billboard. Yes. There are two people in each of us. Evil Maria sneaks out about once a month. HA! HA! Actually, more often lately. Mean-o-pause. I have a gut feeling you have tons of stories about India bubbling inside of you. I can hardly wait to hear them all. So get busy, writer pal! Glad you're back. We missed you! Hope to meet your mom someday, too. :-)

Adios, amiga,

Maria T.

YAY! My posting went through after only two tries. I think I've got it, mate! O.K. Bad aussie accent. What can I say. Picked it up from The Thornbirds, or maybe it was Crocodile Dundee. Later gator. O.K. it was the croc guy.

Adios,

Maria T.

Hey Wub2Write,
who you callin' a talented photographer? You're not supposed to be complimenting Rilla! Whose friend are you anyways??? Huh? Huh?
BTW, love the ozzie accent... don't care where you got it from! If it's really bad, you probably got it from me ;)

wow--beautiful! and thanks for the well-wishes regarding the baby! we're so excited (and yes, have a lot going on) so glad you're home safe and sound

xo

heidi

Hey Heidi,
so great to be back and get all the wonderful news! Thanks for the wishes. Looking forward to all your fun posts. It was just too difficult to blog while in India and that made me realize what a lonely place the world is without my blogging buddies.

Great photography, Rilla! You should write an article about India for a travel magazine or for a newspaper travel section.

That last entry was from me.

Carol

Hey Carol,
Thanks for stopping by anonymously and otherwise! Would love to do travel writing, when I get a minute off from children's writing. Until then... this blog's it!

Great pix, great stories ... worth the wait! That poster is too funny (and the cricket player is cute).

Congrats on the LA Times article ... I never even came close to winning anything in those stupid sales contests.

Hey there LindaBudz:
thanks for visiting! I nearly died when I drove by that billboard back home... I just had to have a picture of it! And yeah, the cricketer's cute... captain of the one-day team.
Thanks for the wishes. I'll let you in on a little secret... the only part of the LA Times I've ever read is the kid's corner, so I have no idea what sales contests you are referring to? But I do know you won big on Robert's Snowflakes. Can't believe you scored Elizabeth Dulemba's flake, you lucky so-and-so! That's so cool. I met Elizabeth in LA at the conference. She's really nice too.
OK, back to read your new post ;)

Oh, you are back! I've missed you, but thank you for the lovely photographs!

What are you up to in the writing world? Are you going to the SCBWI Conf in NYC???

Yeah Baby, I'm back!
Thank goodness.
No, i wish i could go to the nyc conference, but la is all my budget can handle. actually it can't handle that either but some things in life are necessities!
are you going to nyc?
please do report in great detail if you do.
will i see you again in la in 08?

I meant the contests where you sell stuff and get points to win fancy prizes, like in your story, silly!

OOooooooooooooooooooooH! Now I get it! I hadn't the faintest idea what you were talking about.... just goes to show you, my brain's on major walkabout right now. Thanks for clearing the 'huh?' up or my face might have been stuck in stupid questioning expression mode forever!

After seeing the Sinhagad pix, you are forgiven for spending all that time behind the camera. Specially liked the bakri making sequence. Definitely didn't like that ugly lady in the red dress, grabbing a plateful of pakoras!

Hey Aruna,
here, how dare you call my sister ugly... Watch out!

i went to sinhagadh for new years one year from college. we were supposed to find the ridge that would lead us down to raigad, but we couldnt find it and got a bit lost!

so we retraced our steps and came back down after a couple of nights... :(

Hey Kun,
what an adventure! The countryside is pretty tricky around there. Unfortunately we did not have the luxury of the time required to experiment with various descents off the mountaintop and so getting lost was not an option ;(

OMG! Such beautiful pictures. What a beautiful home town. I don't care what anyone says. The is something to be said for romanticism.

I miss hearing your words, having you catch all of the little things that don't quite work in my stories. I hope you are able to get some time for yourself to rest and enjoy the world around you before you have to leave.

Your mother is very brave, having so much done in so little time. I look forward to your return. See you soon.

Hey J,
so great to hear from you. Enjoying myself despite the chaos of packing up and taking care of Mom. So hard to say goodbye to your hometown.

Rest is not much of an option though. As of now, Mom needs drops in her eyes every two hours of the day and so the schedule is built around those little drops ;0

I miss being in critique as well. Hope NP is coming along nicely. Can't wait to hear more.

Keep writing and see you soon.

Ha ! Indeed, why all the pics? But, Rilla, this is strange, these pics could have been taken where I live. How weird is that ??? ;) Come back quickly from Pune so we can go take some more together, will you?

Hey Katia,
isn't it amazing we currently share the same hometown! It is so amazing having you there in Hyderabad! Having a blast in Pune... ;) but I will be back just as soon as I put up a post on my visit to one of Shivaji's forts today.

Great pics Thrilla. Hope you're Mom is doing OK!

Wow, Rilla, you must have to keep yourself psyched up constantly to get yourself and your mom through everything. You must feel like you're in a marathon. Your mom is in good hands with you taking care of her. It will be so nice when you're back home and she gets settled into her new place.

The pics are really neat. Wish I could taste your favorite fruits.
They don't look like fruit, though. If they're sweet, I would like them, too.

Seems like you've been gone forever. I hope the trip home goes smoothly for you and Satish and your mom. I went to Hawaii with my mom last week, and I thought about your 40-hour ordeal getting to India. I'm praying for God to be with you guys on the trip home, to give you strength and help you sleep and rest and stay well. It will be hard on your mom. Good thing she has you there to take care of her. She looks like she's enjoying herself in the pics. Must be tickled to have her Rillie close by again. Oh, and I love the name Thrilla! What a kick. It fits you! Take care. Oh, and congrats on the good news about the ms request. Maria told me. You go, Thrilla!

Thanks for the photos ... wishing the best for you and your mom! And, wishing we had cheekoos here ... not sure how they taste, but they have a cool name.

Beautiful pictures, Rilla! When you said your hometown isn't the same as you remembered it, I can relate to that...after being away from the U.S. for three years, I had the same feeling this summer when we went back. I decided that my hometown had changed some, and I'd changed some. Hope your trip back goes smoothly for you and your mom!

Just wanted to say, I love the Uruli (sp?) picture. Beautiful.

Hope you are well!