Amma turns 80

Right from the beginning of this year we have been excited with amma's 80th birthday. We celebrated appa's sathabhishekam on 1st january 2006.We had a family function in the morning with sudarshana homam and a reception in the evening!Yes and appa was resplendent in a full suit! Amma was as usual dazzling in her bright kanjeevaram silk saree and her  'prasanna vadanam'

We had invited the extended family of amma's siblings and their families as also appa's siblings and their families and a few close family friends. The venue was a nice open air resort sort of place right near our house with a big hall for appa and amma to be seated and receive guests and bless them! It was 1st january so chennai was at her best weather make over.It was buffet dinner and catering was just superb. We had very soft instrumental music  of nostalgic value.

We have been planning a good time for amma's grand D Day. What we did not plan but happily happened was her becoming a great grandmother 3 months before her 80th birthday. Right from january she has been exultant and looking forward to the newest arrival. She was the first to arrive in the nursing home soon after the baby was born. She insisted on holding the baby, even though she was far from steady in her movements and had a nurse accompany her. That is amma, she has a very strong will and always the body has to tow what her heart and mind dictate.

So it was that she cut a cake.Yes we had to assure her repeatedly that it was eggless and she could safely bite into it. The tiny tot was prominently present right in front of her happy that there were so many people around.He would have very well assumed that he was the centre of attraction. But that day last week, the centre was slightly shifted to his 'kollu patti'. This was the first birthday cake she cut, so she went with great gusto and from a corner and started doing the 'mysore pak' cutting action. We started to laugh and clap and amma was blissful.She knows to make tengai barfi and mysore pak patterns which she has been doing all her life, and cake was just an extension of that.We quickly captured this on video. Kollu peran can enjoy viewing this years later.

My sister's daughter is a great one for making handmade greeting cards.She is such an original thinker, that the card came out so out of the world and so dazzling.She has said that she does not believe patti is 80, she has asked for a 'recount'. She is the one who helped patti scoop the cake pieces and receive the first piece.

We had our family vaadyar do special puja in ashtalakshmi temple and bring the prasads.He also brought two garlands and we had them exchange garlands with a helping hand from us..Such a sight.

Then  sister threw a googly. She was not a needlework entusiast while at school. We studied in a christian school and needlework had pride of place  in imparting holistic education. She will delay completing her work and amma and me would readily help her  finish it in time. After school we have not seen her threading a needle ever!
Hence when she presented amma with a beautifully stitched decorative piece we kept asking her if she really did it. Y had seen her sitting with it and had no difficulty in nodding and saying yes, chitti did do this. Sister is a very capable and accomplished person and we always know that there are very few things which would fox her. We thought stitching and needlework was one such. That barrier also broke that day!
Amma is a great craftwork and needlework expert and enthusiast.So it was really what would warm her heart. Perfect gift!

And the icing on the birthday cake!