Lemonade Stand

Remember when we were kids and we would make a pitcher of koolade, write on a big sign "Lemonade 25¢" and then set up a table near the best intersection for stopping vehicles, it was like a popularity contest, how many people will stop for us today?
Temperatures have been above 100 for weeks now.  Lately the temperature range has been about 103 to 116 Fahrenheit.  And truly when the temperature is that hot you notice the difference of 103 or 116.  It's HOT and then it's brutally HOT.  Breezes during temperatures like this feel as refreshing as a blast furnace would about then.  AC is the only way our family chooses to survive the heat.  From the AC house into the AC car.  Drive to the AC location and stay there until we need to brave the heat and return to the AC car to go back to our AC house.  Not much adventure in that.
This fine Saturday afternoon, it is only 12:30pm mind you, the temperature has already risen to a balmy 108 Fahrenheit and I can see our guard waving his hat in front of himself to get a slight relief  as I sit inside my AC house and the lemonade stand of my youth comes to mind. 
Kids Middle and Three are gone for the summer and we have some lemonade concentrate, their drink of choice during the summer, in the freezer.  So I made a quick pitcher of the refreshing drink, grabbed a pile of paper cups we have from our last party. Then I trodded down three flights of stairs with pitcher and cups in hand and began pouring a refreshing glass of lemonade for the guard at our gate, guards from the neighbors' gates, the driver and others that begin to flock to the "lemonade stand" inside our gate area.  The same feeling of my youth and that of our children's youth.  Pour a glass and they will come, they also begin to smile.  All those gathered are happy to take a cup for themselves, most nod with appreciation.  One woman asks for her cup to be filled "more" to the top so she can take it across the street to the construction sight (there is one on every corner, right).  I pour until my pitcher is empty and my glasses are all used up.  Perfect ratio of lemonade for the number of cups, almost as if I have done this before.
"Stay hydrated" I say as I trod back up three flights and sit inside our AC house.  It was probably more fun for me because I was able to take a break from the work inside the house. 
By the way, I did NOT charge 25¢ per glass.  Hardly a martyr by any stretch of the imagination. 
Below I have attached the weather link from BBC for your entertainment.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/1261481

Shopping

I have somewhat limited myself in the shopping in Delhi up until my mom arrived for a visit.  Not that my mom is a big shopper but she does love a bargain.  While Mom was here we shopped at Cottage Emporium, ACSA vendors, Santushti, flower market, Hauz Khas Village, C-Block Market, produce market, Sarojini, Khan Market, Old Delhi spice market and most successfully at Parhar Ganj.  It was great fun for all of us.  We bought treats and trinkets for family and friends, scarves in every color of the rainbow, clothes for all sizes from baby to XXL, we bought cups and tea, spices, pottery and clothes, hankies and belts and we bought glasses for Mom.  She has not had a new pair of glasses in almost 15 years so she treated herself to two new pairs.  It was so fun to see her revel in the bargains and even get into bargaining herself.  Kid One taught Grandma that whatever price is quoted, cut it in half and go from there, unless it is fixed prices.  Unfortunately Kid One was also so busy with end of the year events, get together and required classes that she was not able to join us in most of our bargain shopping.  Kid Middle and Kid Three attended Parhar Ganj with our trip and returned with some fun bargains of their own.  We will see how well the helicopter actually works but it was worth the $20 to see the delight on the faces of both Kid Three and the man who sold it.
All the kids have said one thing they miss from the US is Target.  After we stock up on the things we need from Target this summer it will be fun to come back to India and do our bargaining for the things we can get from here, and for the most part at a much better price.

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye

Graduation has happened and our graduate walked across the stage with the grace and elegance we knew she would.  Her momma cried only a little wet eye and we celebrated as a family that night.  Then everyone began to leave.
It is hard to say good bye.  After graduation ends we never know when or if we will ever see some of these people again. (Negative comments could go here).  The end of the school year brings that same question of doubt to many of the children attending international schools and their parents.  Families move post and businesses relocate employees, students graduate and families move along with the current.  This is quite a ride we are on but the friends we have made along the way are painfully wonderful.
We said good bye to many friends we have made here in India and we will say good bye to more friends as we continue to live here. But it is all good.  We are meeting so many people to fill our lives with more happiness and friendship along this adventurous path.  I wouldn't trade a minute with my Delhi born Indian neighbor who showed me the way around our hood.  Or the time we spent on our roof AND the neighbor's roof celebrating Holi with neighbors and friends two years in a row.   I will miss my partner in crime with the PSA works.  I will miss all of my many, many many seven cities fellow members who are leaving this summer and I can't believe my whole small group (the three of you) left me behind in one fell swoop.  My blogger friends who have moved on to bigger and better pastures.  Keep blogging girl.  Our family will miss friends moving off to colleges all around the world.  Friends moving to Australia, UK, Thailand, Singapore, Canada, Jamaica and Mozambique only to name a few that I can think of off the top of my head.  Friends are moving all across the US relocating to California, Washington, Texas, Michigan, Illinois, New York and Virginia.  Thank you for all the memories and go make more, many more where you plant roots next in your life.  You will be missed here but surely not forgotten.  Love to you friend and safe travels where ever you go!
As for me, I will help pack up our graduate and cherish our time with her, just her, this June.  Kid Middle and Three have returned to the US with Grandma for a full summer of "party in the USA" .  We will meet up as a family for some summer visits before Kid One branches off on her own adventure to start college.
I flit, I float, I fleetly flee, I fly...Goodbye.  Goodbye.  Goodbye!