Many we love taken away too soon,
We remember them in a thousands ways..
In the morning, evening or on a starry night’
On a stranger, a song, place , book or nook
But we remember them in a thousands ways.
Archives
Givers & Takers
There are two kinds of people in the world,
Givers and takers.
Takers will eat better
but the givers will sleep better!
(Read this week – author not known)
Ides of March – 15th of March 2017
Every 15th of March referred as “The Ides of march” and once again we are having it today.
So why is it referred as the IOM?
Once upon a time March was the first month of the Roman calendar. The ancient Romans did not number the days of the month, instead based on 3 phases of the moon. The 3 lunar- phase- markers were named Kalends, Nones and Ides. The Ides indicated the full moon of that month, and being March the first month of the year, the first full moon was called “The Ides of March”. Romans marked the Ides of March with celebrations to welcome the new moon.
But Everything changed on 44 BC Ides of March .
A coup was plotted against Julius Caesar. Emperor of Rome was assassinated on the Ides of March. History would tell you that his best mate Brutus was involved too.
Then came Shakespeare the playwright who quoted “Beware of the Ides of March” in his play “The tragedy of Julius Caesar” (~1599-1623). Since then the day has been scarred as bad omen. Would you classify this as a bad omen? I will let you decide.
140 years ago (1877), the inaugural Test Cricket Match also started on an Ides of March.
The religious dove for peace!
It is a lovely depiction of peace if and if all the religions come together. the image is poached from a facebook page author- unknown.

Many faiths with one future
The Squirrels
There were five houses of religion in a small town:
The Presbyterian Church,
The Baptist Church,
The Methodist Church,
The Catholic Church
and The Jewish Synagogue.
Each church and house of prayer was overrun with pesky squirrels.
The Presbyterians called a meeting to decide what to do about the squirrels.After much prayer and consideration they determined that the squirrels were predestined to be there and they shouldn’t interfere with God’s divine will.
In The BAPTIST CHURCH the squirrels had taken up habitation in the baptistery which is a tank for administering baptism by immersion. The deacons met and decided to put a cover on the baptistery and drown the squirrels in it. The squirrels escaped somehow and there were twice as many the next week.
The Methodist Church got together and decided that they were not in a position to harm any of God’s creation. So, they humanely trapped the Squirrels and set them free a few miles outside of town.
Three days later…, the squirrels were back.
The Catholic Church came up with the best and most effective solution.
They baptised the squirrels and registered them as members of the church.
Now they only see them on their weddings, children’s baptism, Christmas and Easter.
The Jewish Synagogue reverted back to old tradition. They caught one squirrel and had a short service with him called circumcision and they haven’t seen a squirrel on the property since.
PS:
The above joke is via an e-mail
“A flower blossoms for its own joy” – Oscar Wilde
Blooming Jacaranda
Botanists refer as Jacaranda Mimosifolia
A tree, native to Central America
Spread its roots near and far,
And line the streets everywhere.
When summer comes
Jacaranda blooms to hide her leaves
With magnificent purple panicles
Showing off her wealth to the world,
That I am here….
Generation Gap!

Generation gap in hair styles (Via face book)
Death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi (Travel Story 2)
Repost
Today is the 68th death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi the Father of the Nation of India. Mahatma means the great soul (maha – athma). Gandhi was assassinated at the former Birla house in New Delhi on the 30th of January 1948. The non- violence advocate was met by his assassin Nathuram Godse a Hindu nationalist while he was walking with his grand nieces to a prayer in the garden. Gandhi was aged 79 (2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948)
Former Birla house is now known as Gandhi Smirti which serves as a museum for the great soul as he has spent his last days in that house. Last January our family had the opportunity to visit the former Birla house and would like to share some photos on Mahatma Gandhi’s 68th Death anniversary.

Tracing Gandhi’s last steps in this world

On the way to his prayers

Accompanied by his grand neices

The place of Gandhi’s martyrdom

last few minutes..

“Hey Ram” was the last words uttered by the Great Soul.
Mahatma Gandhi stayed in a room at the back of the Birla’s house. It was a simple room with his only few possessions as described in the images.

A view from his room to the garden

Worldly remains of Gandhi

Mahatma’s bed without sheets (currently it is covered with a sheet and a cushion)

A little space where he met his visitors (Birla’s house)

Spinning wheel and a desk to use his mighty pen. Three favourite monkeys are also in the image ” See no evil, hear noevil speak no evil”

Gandhis’ walking stick and his footwear

Gandhi, a living truth by Rabindranath Tagore
A song from the Movie “Love story”
Even after 45 years “Love Story ” is one of the movie stays in the mind. It is a sad romantic movie produced in 1970 but it is etched as an evergreen film in many minds. what an irony!!
The original “Love story” was a novel written by Erich Segal and then made to a successful motion picture. I have enjoyed reading novel many years ago.
The love story movie also reminds me the Tamil movie “Ninaithaalae Innikum” directed by K.Balachandar in the nineteen eighties.
Here is the song “she fills my heart”
Who are the real Robbers? (Thought for the night!)
During a bank robbery, the bank robber shouted:
“Do not Move! The money belongs to the Government.”
“Your life belongs to you!”
Everyone at the scene laid down quietly.
(This is a tactic referred as ‘mind changing concept’ – changing the conventional way of thinking)
During this time a woman laid on the floor provocatively – one of the robber yelled at her:
“Please be civilized! This is a robbery not a rape!”
(This is “being professional” -Focus only on what you are trained to do!
When the robbers returned home with their loot,
The educated younger robber told the uneducated but experienced older robber
“ Big brother Lets count the money”
The older robber rebuked:
“You are stupid!, there is so much of notes and it will take us all night and day to count. Wait for tonight, the TV news will tell us how much we have taken from the bank”
(Experience is more important than the paper qualification!)
After the robbers left the bank manager asked the supervisor to call the Police But the supervisor said to him:
“Wait! Let us take out $10 million from the bank for ourselves and add it to the $70 million that we have previously embezzled from the bank”.
(“Swim with the tide” Converting an unfavourable situation to your advantage!)
The supervisor says: “It will be good if there is a robbery every month..”
(“Changing priority” – Personal Happiness is more important than your job”)
The bank manager was happy because his losses in the share market are now covered by this robbery.
( “Seizing the opportunity” Daring to take risks!)
The next day, the TV news reported that $100 million was taken from the bank. The robbers counted and counted, but they could only count $20 million.
So who are the real robbers here?
(Copied from an electronic mail)