Near Marriage Proposal

I love travelling with Susan to India because she loves Indian food, loves the sights and smells and is just a great and fun travelling companion. But there is one really big thing I don't like!! Everyone here asks if she is my daughter. Now she's a lot younger, but my daughter.....? I was hoping this wouldn't happen this year since I have lost 5 lbs. and have a new short, slightly immature looking hairdo.

Tonight we were in a big market together, and I noticed her talking to a tall, handsome well-to-do looking young Indian man. I was looking at some pashmina stoles to buy, and I just kept checking on her. Sometimes we get unwanted attention here, but she looked okay. She joined me, and I was showing her the stoles and shawls and explaining what i had learned and she kept giving me funny looks.

Tall, dark and handsome was still with us and it seemed he wanted to speak to me. He approached me in the very proper manner of a refined Indian family asking me first if I were her mother and then wanting to know her name and complimenting me on her before I could even get out of my mouth that I was not nearly old enough to be her mother! Either way he sensed I was her keeper and continued to very politely express interest in her. I was so taken aback by this show of good manners rather than the usual crude language and leering looks that I stopped and listened to him as he told me that he is a dentist and appreciated her smile greatly. I looked at her to see if she was appreciating this show of fine manners just in time to see her "What in the h___ are you thinking?" glare at me. She quickly informed us both that she was very happily married, and I chimed in "Yea, she's very married!"

I was thinking how nice if she was my daughter and this very polite young man was asking for permission just to gather some information on her. Okay, what exactly was I thinking?

I guess after sitting in a warehouse in the middle of Old Delhi telling the owner exactly what we wanted that we had bought last year and being shown everything but that one thing made me just a little too open to someone who seemed honest and polite. No worries, Houston -- I will definitely not give your wife away...unless someone thinks she is my sister instead of my daughter.

arrival and pillows

ah, new delhi.

no city quite like it. it is hard to have lukewarm feelings about this complicated city for many either love or hate it.

the hate it camp will describe the ever-present smell: smoke, curry, fuel and sweat. families living on sidewalk. the slums. the very old and the very young begging. the vast difference between wealthy and poor. the seemingly absence of middle class. the maddening traffic, where chaos is king.

the love it camp will try to explain a timeless city marked by its old-world past and colorful, if not haunting, present. a city that awakens all 5 senses. marble buildings with old heavy wooden doors. open air markets with a plethora of goods. women in bright colors. smell of spices. the feel of walking on barefoot on cool marble. food not meant for the faint of heart...

today was pillow day. we met with our pillow vendor to place our spring and fall orders. for spring, we decided on yellow, robin blue and white as our predominant colors. this yellow pillow has flowers outlined in brown and white. so cute. lynn got an additional pair for her house.

i adore this robin blue pillow with its white leaves and almost mustard yellow buds. it would look so good in a sea of white pillows or against a brown couch. it is the perfect summer pillow.

i am a huge fan of white on white fabrics. it is a pure and simple look that works on so many different levels. my favorite part of this pillow is how the flowers are a bit off. not lined up in a perfect pattern, but carefree as if the petals were scattered. love, love it.

unfortunately, i am having trouble uploading the rest of the pillow photos. so i will stop now and will try again in a later post.