Jai our Shilpi, With our dearest Shilpi on 2025 April 9 to August 14

[Thirumala Raya Halemane]

Jai our Shilpi, With our dearest Shilpi on 2025 April 9 to August 14 

Fwd

2025 Apr 9, 12:23 PM 

Me:

(sent 3 photos)

Today's laptop camera photos of our beautiful flowering cherry tree.  

2025 Apr 15, 9:45 AM 

Me:

(sent 2 photos)

Today 2025 April 15, Shilpi birthday, and i made akki rice paayasa, photos here below. Happy Birthday Shilpi.  

2025 Apr 15, 10:43 AM 

Me:

also seen is our cherry tree flowers in the indian bharaNi as vase on kitchen counter, from amma  

2025 Jun 11, 4:39 PM  

Me:

(sent 1 photo)

2025 Jun 11, 4:49 PM 

Me:

Shilpi, this is me just now with brand new glasses Dr Kevin Geiger prescription I got some months ago going to his Perth Amboy office with Kavi. I ordered glasses online from GlassesUSA recently about two weeks ago (they had good sale, "virtual wearing" using laptop camera etc, seems to be okay, only a slight difference from previous prescription, could have waited some more time, but got it anyways (old lens slightly blemished in a corner, coating coming off perhaps, since about a year or so, initially I thought it was sweat or oil from eyebrow area getting onto the lens, some of it is happening perhaps)  

2025 Jun 11, 7:36 PM 

Me:

Total bill was $240 progressive, best thin high index with premium coatings (was included i think), did not pay extra for transition, (since I do not go out much these days, the previous one bought in 2022 summer also did not have transition feature).  

2025 Aug 7, 1:16 PM 

Shilpi, ajji is here with us now, amma picked her up yesterday at EWR Newark airport. She arrived there with Sudha chikkamma (she went to Brooklyn from there), from Raja maava & Roopa atthe place in Atlanta (where they had gone for a few days, from Syracuse, and Mohan appachchi had come here dropped off ajji's things suitcase a few days ago last week on his way to see Jaya in Brooklyn), so amma, kavi, me, we are all enjoying ajji's company, and she often asks about you also, and remembers very well Surekha's name, attending your wedding in Portland etc, (it is remarkable, I thought considering that she does not remember lots of other people, places, events etc,)  

2025 Aug 7, 2:06 PM 

Me:

Shilpi. it was, I think, in later 1980s (perhaps 1988-89or early 1990s?), when you and Kavi were both young, That time we were returning home to Howell NJ from Maine after visiting Shree Dr Govind Pailoor and family there (he is brother of BheemaNNa's wife Sharada, he had visited us in Fredonia NY with his parents etc, his parents & family home in Mangalore was near the Mallikatte rented house in Mangalore where mom grew up) The first-time mom amma Usha got very angry, shouted strongly, expressed huge disapproval, regarding my buying wine was when I came back to our minivan from the liquor store with a full case of wine which I had bought on sale there having seen a poster on the road and decided to stop by to make use of the sale prices instead of buying a single bottle of wine each time when we visited friends like Venkita Seshadri. Mom and you both were sitting in the car, only I went into the store, Then mom angrily shouted very vigorously, and unusually atypical of her that I think you both, little Shilpi and young Kavi, would have noticed it shockingly, and it may have left some "impression" on you. I do not know if Govind Pailoor & family had said anything or she had any conversation with them about the "controversial" wine topic (unlikely, but possible, especially because of their family's leadership type position among Havyaka brahmins, also they are Sai Baba devotees, also some extra connection to us because mom & I were asked to be the middlemen intermediaries friends for enabling the marriage proposal between Bheema & Sharada, in 1980s), but at that time usually I did not drink at all, except on very rare occasions like office parties or if some friend offered it when we visited, usually one beer or one drink or glass of wine, two at most. Mom had mellowed afterwards, and after getting back home, demanded only that I keep the case of wine in the garage only, not inside the house (and that's why we kept it in the garage), and we will not be opening the bottles or drinking in the house, all of which I agreed to, and followed, so it was not an issue afterwards. We were never drinking beer or wine or alcohol in our house anyways, even previously, so I had not expected that to become like a hot topic then or later. It was quite unexpected, in that sense. I mentioned this to Kavi and amma also, like two days ago, here, at dinner time.  

2025 Aug 7, 3:02 PM 

Me:

Until recently, because of overly strict views and upbringing about it, a person is considered as a drinker or alcoholic or drunkard by the others, even if he or she drank alcohol once, and even looked down upon "ava kuDiththa", "he drinks", and so "otherized", like not-in-our-group, by the rest, although some of them could be not-fully-truthful about it or maybe doing it or may have done it less openly etc, but things have changed a lot in recent years, I think. For example, my sole maternal uncle Sri Ambikana Ramakrishna Bhat, used to drink alcohol sometimes (if he had the money), but from what I saw he was not alcoholic, he just enjoyed it when he can afford it, (like when I gave him a bit money, I think), but others there saw it differently, it looked like, and were quick to point it out, unawre of and disregarding various other difficulties, politics, discrimination, targeting etc that he was facing from various other quarters. Somewhat similar type comments can be made about vegetarianism type practices among various brahmins, I think.

2025 August 14

Me:

(sent 1 photo)

Shilpi, my bifocal  glasses photo (taken on 2025 June 26). You have already seen it when you were here in June. It is excellent, I got it for about $30, bought online from Firmoo, it is my second spare pair of glasses. I wanted to see how I like bifocal since previously all the time I had single lens initially or progressive afterwards. It is EXCELLENT, and actually better for reading smaller letters, and also for TV watching (I am better able to see the written parts on the screen), whereas the progressive lens pair of glasses works better for me with computer work, and my washing dishes work in kitchen sink. The customer service worked very well, EXCELLENT, with both companies, online purchases I had made, from GlassesUSA and Firmoo  

Me:

Shilpi, As I have mentioned (verbally only perhaps), at times in the past, mom seems to be slightly jealous of me, also of Kavi, and you. But, it is not in her intrinsic nature, and it has to do with the troubling severely stressful situation and contexts she is facing like she has to work extremely hard but I stay home not working, also jealous of me about, or for, my relating well with our kids Kavi & Shilpi, and others also possibly) challenges that are up against us etc. I have good reasons, situational observations, for saying this.

Me:

(sent 1 photo)

and, this is my photo from 2025 May19 wearing the old glasses to replace which I now bought the new ones, I am sending it as well to you.

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in the current or recent photos here, we see as descrobed in the text of the above messages.