This baby is funny

Mom's Birthday Party

We had a lot of fun. Thanks to readers of this blog who were there!


Some of the grandkids.











Drumming

Sledding in the driveway.

Christmas 2

Noah and Laura











Susi and moose

Christmas 1

Chan and Sara

The girls sing Shanendoah

Hehe fox news

I passed Russian

And all my other classes

Kam, no pictures from the tropics?

Our tree is up, too.

Mom made this egg back on Canterbury Road.

the tree is up and looks gorgeous

We went to the Euler road xmas tree farm, one last time, maybe anyway. The particular tree that was chosen by the 'up the hill family' is behind Noah.

Today there is a lot more snow. It has been snowing since last night.

This one has a better look at the goaltender after we score

hehe

What mom missed when she wasn't watching hockey at Cornell

We won this one 5-3.


Susi they say "rough 'em up" not anything else

We need to be more open minded

And accept other religions, I'll get us started with some Hanukkah fun.

Did you know that when a rhino sees a fire it takes it upon itself to put the thing out?

I sure didn't. The things you learn in movies.

elfyourself.

i made a few of these. they are all worth a gander.

calvins -- http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1314007848

caiolas -- http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1314137793

chhibbers -- http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1314403989

popop / grandma -- http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1314546431

there's a max of 4 people per elfyourself, btw.

Rachel turned 20.

New From Lexington

I went to see Padma speak at a symposium at Harvard's Sackler Museum today-she was an excellent speaker, funny, thought provoking and knowledgable. It was an interesting topic-whether South Indian temples were originally painted or were they monochromatic as they are now and how would that change our appreciation of their beauty if they were actually meant to be colorful (like modern Madurai which tend sto strike us as garish) instead of an understated sandstone that we find so tasteful and lovely.
Sophie was there with a friend from college. I got to chat with Padma a bit during a coffee break. It was an enjoyable experience. She mentioned that Elissa had some good news so I checked her blog and there is an update from Dec. 2, detailing her surgery ordeal-you should check it out. The good news, Padma says, is that on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the worst, she had originally been told she was a 7, but are now saying a 4 and that she may not need IV Chemo at least for now.
The other news is that I found out from speaking to an admissions couselor that Eliza got into one of the colleges she applied to-Long Island University, CW Post Campus. It looks like a lovely campus, although Long Island is not her first choice for living. It is too soon to hear from the other schools, but we are happy and proud to hear this good news.
Cynthia's knee replacement went well and she is recovering well at home. Jim and I are off to Tortola Thursday, back on Sunday-am really looking forward to it.

don't know how many of you will care about this... but...

i know mom will.

the sex and the city movie trailer is online!!! ahhhhhhhh!!!

i can't wait.
it makes me want to go to new york.
which i am.
tomorrow.

Important Message from Jo rocks

Hey everyone!!
I have my first Jazz concert tonight, might be good. Quite frankly I have no idea.

definitely susi apropriate.

the end is the cutest part.

Snow

I've been asked to describe how the snow affects my life here at Cornell (So I will). Being from Rochester, I get to tell all of my friends that I am going to enjoy a mild winter. This is true. So far, I haven't seen anything too harsh. The only thing that really affects me is the ice on the hills. It makes walking up hills very difficult because I don't actually have any boots with me. Going down hills, however, is very exciting. On the way back from the last hockey game (vs UMASS which ended in a 0-0 tie; our goaltender had 45 saves) we slid the whole way to the dorms. That was a lot of fun. I can't find my gloves, either. I probably should ask for some new, nice ones for Christmas *cough.*

Also, if anybody would like to teach my to speak Russian before Saturday morning, I'd really appreciate it. All I know how to say is хорошо and ничиво, neither of which I know the meaning of.

It's dinner time, so I have to go.

Susi Don't Watch This

Susi Don't Watch This

Christmas

After delicious lunch at Saravanaas we picket up a tree. The crèche is also up, much to Chiara and Laura’s delight.

Beginning to look a lot like........

Last night walking home from Kalyani's math dinner party, there was a dusting of snow. This morning it was about 4 inches. Very beautiful, a bit inconvenient as I got snow in my ankle rubber no socks boots walking to the mailbox.

Ashwani cooked a delicious dinner for the occasion. I look forward to another one! The party was for Ali who is returning to Oman to be on the Oman karate team. Very nice, interesting group of people. I think the math discussions were in the kitchen, but not in the living room where we were.

Kamala, I thought you might enjoy these.

Obama electability anecdote

As most of you know my sister and her husband are politically conservative. Most of their friends are Republican. At Thanksgiving dinner my sister was talking politics with one of her friends, a conservative older woman form Arkansas. The conversation turned to presidential hopefuls and the woman said “You know who I really like? Obama.” Most Republicans Amelia has spoken with are very disillusioned with the current leadership and are not particularly thrilled with the Republican candidates.

New pics for Kam

Tired of Chuck

Was not going to post, but I'm tired of seeing Chuck Norris every time I go to the blog. Even though I appreciate the ad, the guy (Huckabee) is insidious. Am loving the pictures of Oz! Sam and I are fine now although I'm still a little tired. Tomorrow I have a day off. Yay! Would like to see more pictures.

How all campaign ads should be

I might actually have to vote for him now...

Sorry about the red-eye

To those who read the comments after Kitchen Stadium, but weren't at T-giving, we ended up with 10 pies.
There was some illness. Unfortunately, Kam was hit. But those who kept their dinners had a really great time.

more Thanksgiving '07

The food was good, and the company was really, really nice. Some more pics- Chandran and Guy and turkeys, Kalyani and Susan Erickson, Narayan brought the caroms board, Jo, Tintin and Tucker, Cody Sokkappa on skate board.

Thanksgiving

Thank you Kamala for an excellent thanksgiving.

Bon Anniversaire, Pierre

Here is Jo's escargot celebrating its first birthday. A school French project.

Some south sea Island?

We* turned off the water and carried the wooden tables and new 'pines' swing in yesterday. Kly says the house is sinking and it is not because she is growing.

The beach looks gorgeous. The water is low, out to the first flat rock step, if you know what I mean. The sand is at least 2" deep. Lovely.


*Actually just Kalyani, I am along for the fun and moral support.

Some south sea Island?

It is a gift to be simple...

Just wrapped the dogs for Susi and Jo in their boxes and gift wrap, but am now wondering if it's too early. I was trying to get as much as possible done beforehand, but it would be terrible, if not tragic, if they suffocated. Then I'd be stuck getting alternative gifts. Guess I'll unwrap them till Wednesday.

Kitchen Stadium

Today was a very fun cooking day although I still have to clean up. Made gravy base, cranberry sauce (delish-sweetened w/ apple cider and honey and spiced w/ cloves, cinnamon, and bay leaves), two soups-(vegetarian roasted tomato and basil and Mexican chicken)will do one more on Friday-turkey lentil, and the herb butter to rub turkey with. So I should be in good shape for TG. Expecting 38/39 Thursday and 37 or so Friday. Bought a second vegetable peeler, so will be putting people to work w/ those. Went to the High School production of Les Miserables last night-it was fantastic. I knew the three male leads since Kindergarten-they were all fantastic. One spent the summer @ Tanglewood and soloed w/ the chorus; another didn't get into Tanglewood, but went to the Eastman summer program on Rochester. The chorus director's daughter was young Cosette-she's 8 and I had her in my class 5 years ago. She was also really good. The productions are near professional level, certainly on par with community theater. Great experience. Tomorrow will not be so fun-cleaning will be the activity of the day.

Madhu, Popop, Dad

He is cheerful and doing fine after his new pacemaker installation this morning. They put in an additional line to the other side of the heart (pacemaker), and installed a difibrilator. He is at Unity Hospital, previously named Parkridge Hospital for the night and will come home tomorrow morning. He wonders if the Ison's are in town and we can go to a movie Friday night.

Something actually worthwhile

Last night I went to the commons with my hotelie friend Alex Gruhin and saw Arlo Guthrie. It was just him on stage, no band. He called it his "Solo Reunion Tour" (funny, I know) because his first album was solo and he is celebrating that coming out. He played everything. Alice's Restaurant was 25 minutes long but definitely didn't feel it. The show was great and I'm really glad that I went. After that I went home and stayed up long into the night doing Russian homework and stuff for my writing seminar. Oh, and for those of you that don't know, my writing seminar teacher has a horrible speech impediment. It was entertaining (he named the course Shakespeare: Bodies of Rhetoric, I cannot imagine why) for a while, but now it's just awful. I sat in the back of my organizational behavior lecture today and looked at all the laptop screens in the room in front of me. I saw a lot of YouTube, fantasy football, and Facebook. I have work I should be doing. Dad might be coming tomorrow to take me out to lunch. That would be nice.

This one I actually found during class

Just kidding. I didn't "find" it. I've seen it before.

It was a lovely weekend. Chiara was very happy to have Susi in NY. Though Chiara’s team did not win Chiara scored a goal!

What I have been doing in college

The little kid in the foreground is actually really good.

I would post the instructional video but I don't want anybody to actually learn the dance. That would be awful.

Indian "Thriller"

Good time in NY!

Laura is the little tea pot, that is Chiara running on the soccer field and coach Chandran way over on the sidelines, Monopoly game, and Nick and Laura posing for the camera.

Chandran, Sara, Madhu and I saw the Bucket at the Joyce, they always give us pleasure........we had a really good lunch/dinner (we were still so full at dinner time, we just snacked) at the Dosa Hut (I think I got that wrong)............Chiara, Sus and I spent some time at the Frick Museum, choosing our favorite paintings.............we stayed over till Monday so we could watch Chiara's soccer game........ and we even had some time at the Met to look at the new photography presentations and the new Roman rooms. (Those might not be really new, but new to us).

It was good company for us to have Susi along!

Very tired of seeing that last picture.

Here's Jo's birthday 2006. They toured the OR at Strong Hospital.