Home sweet and wet home....

It is raining again, just softly which is good , it gives it time to sink into the soil and not cause too much erosion....it seems this year our area will really break the drought, lakes and water holes around are starting to collect water.
Holy Pushkar Lake is over 5 foot deep, it needs another 10 or 15 feet to be really full but it is slowly getting there.
Inflation is very high In India, has been for the last 2 years , the price of food since I have moved here on average is 25% more than when I started here. We notice this- especially with the hotels, but how do local people go? They live hand to mouth...a good harvest will hopefully help drive inflation down and there will be food from the feilds to be stored, not bought. Local people tend to just grow a grain and a dal, the government has been trying to introduce the idea of a vegies patch- increase nutritional opportunities for the family but I suppose having to carry water from a pump to your house, sometimes kometres, and many house wells drying out that does not seems like a good idea to locals- a real conundrum.
We give water to one of our neighbours as theirs has gone, they are just organizing a room to live in the village as they can't stay on their land with no water in their well.

Glass is now in all windows....see the finger marks?

Office window looking out to the Studio Courtyard....so you know your way around when you arrive....hint, hint.

Our field of Mung Beans is springing and sprunging...so exciting!! Praveen is bubbling up like me, but is better trained at being discreet- he actually gave me a big cuddle [when no one was looking] he was so happy to see this start, so good to be sharing this with him.

Arrived to find the floor man playing sandpits in the Studio Courtyard? Why? one might ask....there is a reason

to make beds for the marble so he can cut them to size....I find marble such a luxury item I keep wondering why we are splashing out like this but here in India this is the cheapest way to do a floor- everything is of stone and cement here. The luxury item is any type of timber....so different to Australia.

I got to garden whilst all this was going on, I have planted many fruit trees- banana, amla[indian gooseberry] mango, jamon [Indian blackberry] pawpaw, mulberries, lots of bouganvillia flowers for colour, ashok trees along the fence to make a lovely hedge/wind break, curry leaf trees, roses, jasmine, lemongrass, frajipani, crepe myrtle [for my Grandmaother she always had some growing] aloe vera and a few things from Australia- elderberries, grapes, comfrey, globe artichokes, fig, wormwood...useful things I always have growing.

Vegie seedlings have started... gardening is so relaxing and satisfying.

I rarely have time to look at blogs but I do have a few I have listed and enjoy it when I  get the occasional chance to see them....Dijanne runs around like me, but also has time to make...Spiritcloth really got to me yesterday...summer time, and time out to make and explore- I want to have that!!

We are so busy, I just want to be home more and tinkering away like I used to...OK it has always been part of a whirlwind but I did regularly get to the studio....Cathy Cullis has been playing with monoprint, that has been in my hopes list for a while too!

Slowly, slowly [in Hindi I hear it directed at me a lot by various friends 'deery, deery'] we are getting there, the house is nearly done, my assistant is working well helping me with all our office work, records for hotels and Wednesday posting for etsy [which, let me brag, is becoming very busy!]....soon, soon, soon after trip to Oz and Indian tour I can look forward to some home time- I hope :)
Really just an abundance of opportunities for which I am grateful.