And she is Hundred

Ten years ago when I attended her 90th birthday party, she told me "if all goes well, the next milestone should be 100"  

clicked 10 years ago

All is well and she made it, but unfortunately it is a different world. There won't be a birthday party, nor can the near and dear ones come and wish her. 

Before the lockdown, whenever I visited her, I could see her sitting at her table, painting a fabric or knitting. 

The usual time when she sits at the dining table and paints is from 9 am to 1 pm.

Whenever any machine stitching has to be done she uses her grandson's room.

There are many well wishers who are waiting with sarees and fabric so that she will find some time to paint them. (there is some voluntary payment too done by the well wishers)  

Two months ago this saree was picked up by a well wisher for Rs 11000/-  

First she draws the outline 

Then she fills it up with colours. Painting on tussar silk is not an easy task.  Each saree takes about three months.

Imagine, being 100 and still earning, and in the bargain keeping yourself occupied both mentally and physically.

Padmavati (Padmam) is ninth in the line of ten siblings. You can have a glimpse of her family tree in this short video.

the family tree

standing, third from left

Having lost her husband at an early age, she brought up her five kids in a very disciplined way. She spend her early life in Kerala. After getting married, she moved to Bombay and later settled in Pune with her daughter. 

In keeping up with the changing times, she is deft at sending e mails and receiving messages on WhatsApp.  
Some of her work adorning her drawing room.

Another activity that I enjoy at her place is having the Onam sadhya (lunch) with her every year.

Her daughter in law (Dr Geeta) writes "I am in awe of her. She radiates this calmness and peace to people around her. She has the unique ability of occupying herself and never getting bored. Exceptionally talented, she occupies herself by painting, knitting, writing, embroidery and thereby creating happiness and beauty all around her"

The mandatory cake cutting with just the immediate family

and the rest of the family participated  through a zoom meet 

Some of them were dressed up for the occasion and one wore the duppatta that was painted by Amma.  

I have put a one minute video on the 100th B'day celebrations on FB. 

Update on 23rd July 2020 
Her daughter Lata saw her enjoying a Malayalam rap. 

For those who want to make further enquiries regarding work done by her, the contact mail id is given below in the comments. 
More of her work can be seen in the links given below.

Link 1

Link 2

Link 3

Link 4 

Ground Zero

"That morning, my mom, then a public defender at the Legal Aid Society and eight and a half months pregnant with me, walked the five miles away from the burning Twin Towers in lower Manhattan to my parents’ apartment on the Upper West Side. She went into labor that afternoon. After a cab ride across Central Park, with a police escort and lights and sirens so my mom-in-labor could cross the barricades, I was born at 5:15 p.m. by emergency C-section at Mount Sinai Hospital."

These are the words of Caleigh Leiken who was born on 11th Sept 2001

Even though I did click many pictures, I will post a one minute video on what I felt while visiting Ground Zero.

Photo shoot

Three photo shoots covered in the last two weeks, and all three happened to be birthday parties (first birthday)

It was an experience, especially with kids all over the place. If you are on the lookout you can get some good expressions especially of the kids. This one was ready to trade a kiss for the chocolate bar 

 

This one had some nice coochie coohie things to tell the guests. 

But the best I liked was the expression (and action) of this little guy when he was asked to pick the winner of the game “bombing the city” Looked like he was saying “Oh my God, I have the privilege of picking the winner?”  

The same guy was very loud and clear in his protest when his mother picked up another child to pose for a photo.  

This child was not comfortable in the arms of Mickey Mouse, but then mamma wants a picture clicked for posterity.  

The first programme was almost a washout with the unexpected rains in Pune. 

But I managed to capture some of the highlights of the evening and strung them together to make a small video.

Some have it in real grand style with magic shows 

 and there are cameras of different shapes and sizes to capture the event 

If you keep one eye on the cake you are sure to see this sight – kids making a quick lick even before the cake is cut. 

I have to work more on my yoga classes as squatting and getting up is not an easy task for me. To catch this girl's impromptu dance I had to go down on the ground level.

 pic from two feet height

 pic from six feet height

Obviously the former picture is more appealing.

Apart from handing over the soft copies, the parents are happy when I isolate some of the pictures with a white background. 

At the end of the day the birthday baby is real tired with all the attention.

Joyce Wordsworth

In this age of texting and abbreviations that are used in the name of “communication” it is a pleasant and welcome change to hear someone speaking English, the way it is meant to be spoken. I had the privilege of meeting such a person who knows the value of the language and she is 90 years old.

Yesterday was her birthday and I was very much there to witness the sparkle in her eyes while she cut the birthday cake. I am talking about Joyce Wordsworth.

Long distance wishes

As the party progressed she saw me busy with my camera, she beckoned me and asked “so how many photos have you clicked so far? A hundred?”  

I told her “It could be a few hundreds, but more than that I have to make a confession”  Her eyes widened and she brought her ear closer to me urging me to go on. (I felt as if I was kneeling at the confessional)

I told her that I took the liberty of clicking some photographs of her house while she was busy with her guests outside in the lawns.

“Really?”

Now I was not sure if that meant “Why?”  or “ without asking me?”

So I quickly added “you see I write blogs and I feel I should write a post on you. I would like some photographs to accompany my post”

She gave me an approving nod with a smile. I told her that once it is done I would bring my lap top and show her the post.

“Yes please do that, and also tell your wife to get me that freshly baked bread that she promised me long back”

Now it was my turn to raise the eyebrows. Such sharp memory!

with her nieces and nephew

So now I have to make sure both are delivered on time. Here is a person who will not forget anything and here I am who does not remember what I did yesterday morning!!

"where is the bread?"

She was a teacher in some of the prestigious schools in Pune. Her ex-students approached her and requested her (on bended knees) to accompany them for a party in advance for her 90th Birthday. She willingly accepted and joined them. She still takes  Spoken English classes.

with her brothers

Walking around her small cottage was an experience for me. I did hear many stories about how she refuses to dispose the old things in her cottage. I think each and every article in the house must be memories for her. 

Those key chains, those photographs, there must be stories attached to every item. I have made a mental note to come later and sit with her and talk to her. I am sure there will be many stories that she could unravel for me, both about herself and about Poona.

The party in progress

And now a picture of her from 1962 when she was teaching in one of the prominent schools in Pune (then known as Poona )
I think its easy to spot Joyce.

After all it is not every day that one meets someone who was born just after the aftermath of World War One.

The whole Wordsworth clan

Happy Birthday Joyce :-) There are not many like you . . . .

PS:
Joyce Wordsworth expired on 23rd Nov 2013 at the age of 91.