After leaving Edinburgh, then spending a few days at New Lanark, I turned The Grey's wheels toward The Hutch once more. Except I didn't actually go into the flat until a week after arriving!
There were a number of factors for why. First, the weather. Until last Thursday, it was hosepipes galore. Second, I had posts to research and schedule (you may not always see the results, but I have lots of fun and lose lots of time going down rabbit holes on philosophy, art, music, nature.....) Third, I needed to cocoon.
Then, fourth, last week, it was Maha Shivratri. This is a thirty-six hour affair, in which one fasts, chants, meditates, and seeks guidance in self-correction. I was able to watch some of the puja/worship held at Chinmaya Mission - these two shots are very poor due to moving picture on laptop, but they still exude the atmosphere.
This festival is for Lord Shiva in all his forms, but mostly as Jagadishwara, the enlightened one. He sits serenely in meditation as the self (Ishwar) merges with the universe (Jagad).
The ego, represented by the snake on his shoulders, is held external and thus controlled. It is not permitted to taint the mind as it rises up through the intellect, further through the chitta (consciousness/awareness), seeking the great union with aum, the very essence of existence.
Sitting in prayer, contemplation, and meditation for this time allows one to retreat with purpose, to refresh, reset, and revive.
Emerging on March 1st, which began very dull and unpromising, I flung open The Grey's doors and did a spring clean. During that process, the sun fought through, and we had a wonderful spring day. I got all the rugs out and swept, beaten, aired. The dusting was more thorough than usual, a total spa treatment for myself (with the doors closed, I must add!), hand washing done and dried, some rearrangements such as getting the winter radiator tucked away at the back door and shifting some other items for greater ease of access.
As I concluded this mammoth effort, I spotted a lady standing with a map, clearly assessing her surroundings. Calling out if I could assist, she said she was okay, but thanks. There was an accent I couldn't quite place, but it was certainly Eastern European. I thought no more of it.
An hour later, as I started shopping at the supermarket a mile away, I turned around as another lady turned around, almost colliding, and we recognised each other! There was this same lady. Acknowledging each other, we exchanged names. I asked if she was on holiday. No, she had just moved here - quite literally moving in that day. Boxes everywhere. Eleven years on from my own move to Dunoon, I recall very clearly how that felt and how I knew nobody. I told her where my address was but that I'm rather more away than here these days. A-M, it turned out, was Polish-born but a long-time resident of Scotland. She has a PhD in Philosophy, as I do, but for her, the focus has been ethics. She moved from that to the practice and teaching of the Alexander Technique.
We moved on separately, but crikey—we approached the same checkout simultaneously! Three's a charm, right? After processing our groceries, we exchanged numbers and emails, touching base through those and firming up the connection.
It will be interesting to see if this develops.
That evening, I made a pizza and cooked it in my new air fryer. The one I already had was too bulky for The Grey, and I still needed it for when I was actually in The Hutch. So, it will stay there, and this new, more space-friendly one will stay in the van. It is also smaller, lighter, and quieter than the Tower one. Add in that it was only thirty quid, and it's hot food all the way!
As I was waiting for that, and before closing the curtain, I enjoyed the gloaming through the van windows. The passing ferry caught my eye... not world-shattering photography, this, but again, you get the feel from it... and come back tomorrow for the other and main reason I was sky-gazing.
