Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola

To celebrate the great feast of St. Ignatius, the keeper read a book by a Franciscan, went to church at St. Jerome where the preaching was pretty good this time, and recalled St. Francis Xavier, SJ and his trips to Asia by ordering excellent takeout at the Lucky Dragon Restaurant--Chicken Chow Yuk.  It was very tasty, with fresh vegetables, and no MSG!  She says that in 15 years she has never eaten there.  She just never thought about Chinese at the beach.  But the local paper did a nice review about Liun Chen who had been a bicycle assembler in China before he arrived in the US with his wife, Yanyao.  They bought the restaurant 12 years ago.  The lady in the photo is Sammi who is a sister in law.  The son Ben manages the Lucky Dragon and waited on the keeper.  It seemed a fitting way to honor the Jesuits and their mission as well as a repaired bicycle!

Another DIfficult Day of Vacation!

Victory at La Vogue Bicycle Shop

The locksmith arrived early and worked fast.  The house is secure, or so we think! The keeper was happy to head into Hoquiam to get the post for her bike seat.  Of course she had to cram the whole bike into the back of the RAV since she never imagined needing her bike rack.   But the shop manager was kind and patient. And in the midst of bikes worth many times more than her little beach bike, and in the midst of customers wanting to buy those lovely machines,  he found a post for her, and assembled the whole thing correctly.  She was grateful and crammed the bike back in the car and headed back to the beach, where it had started to rain, so no bike riding, except to test it all out for tomorrow.   There was sun for a mile or so around Copalis Crossing!

Feast of St. Peter Chrysologus

Other than dealing with the bandit, it's been a  quiet, cloudy, not too cold day here.  The keeper reflected on her life and blessings and regrets for the year and her hopes for the coming year.  There was a walk in there, since the bike was out of service till tomorrow, we hope.   The blue herons swooped up and down the canal today, and the robins are everywhere. Otters have been busy in the canal too. The rose hips are out  and there are dragonflies.  Word in town is that we will be having sun soon.

Strange Bandits

Mystery on the beach:  Who in their right minds would break into a house to take a bike seat and the rod that attaches it to the bike, a Gonzaga sweatshirt, a Hello Kitty backpack, and a tackle box?  What a sight! Who would break in and leave the rest of the bike (s), electronics, the liquor, and the water gear?  Perhaps it was the Barefoot Bandit?  No matter who, we have to re- key the whole place. And the keeper has to go to Hoquiam to find a new rod to attach her new bike seat to the bike.  GRRRR!

Fawn

I had a spiritual encounter today with a brand new baby deer.  We stared at each other for a very long time.  I don't thing she had ever seen a cat before.  And I had never seen a deer.  Her mother didn't see me as much of a threat and she took a catnap on the front lawn.

Out for a Walk

I went out for a walk today with this stupid harness.  I feel like a poodle.  But the keeper says there are hawks, raccoons, eagles, and coyotes who eat small animals here.  They sweep in and pluck us up like fish.  So I am trying to learn to like the stupid harness in which you will never see me in Seattle!  The rest of the time I sleep in my basket with my blanket and play with my mouse, although I smell a real mouse that has been visiting the house.

So This is What They Mean . . .

So this is what they mean when they talk about vacation.  I thought I had a pretty good life in town, but this is quite deluxe.

West Seattle Party

The keeper left me to go out with friends to celebrate birthdays.  They went to a place call Endolyne Joes in West Seattle overlooking the ferry dock.  They even got free dessert! This led them to drive slowly all around Alki like tourists from the Midwest, gawking at the sunset.  It felt like a California beach town on a summer eve, she said.  When she got home she let me play with all the tissue paper.  But I could only go out for a minute. She is acting a little strangely.  Does this mean I am going to the vet again? I can always tell when she is up to something.

I Can Run, But I Can't Hide

The keeper was wrapping birthday presents for friends.  I found her bag of wrapping materials.  I thought it would be a good place to hide from her.  I have no idea how she knew I was there. She is obviously smarter than she looks.  This was her day off and she worked again.  How smart is that?

So When Does This Vacation Start?

I thought the keeper started vacation today. It's normally her day off, but all she did all day was work.  Yes, she was home, but not any fun.  The only time she left her computer was when it started to overheat.  Then she made phone calls.  Maybe I just didn't understand correctly.  I got to go out a lot, though.p[[[[[[[[[[[[[; I have also found out that I can track that little arrow on the screen with my paw.

Is There Any Salmon in That Salad?

Yes, dear readers, there was.  And it was good.

Surprise

While I lolled around the backyard, the keeper went to her other churches and ended up for a meeting with the young adults in Bellevue.  They had all just returned from another visit to the migrant camps where they had brought the children tamales and soup and treats and some clothes and had run a bilingual faith formation class.  They were so insistent on gathering back for a meeting, she didn't understand why. It also seemed no one had brought their study materials to finish the class on What Jesus Taught.   Well, it seems the group had other plans.  Just when she was getting frustrated that half of the group had not arrived, they walked in singing with a huge cake, pizza, tostadas, flowers, to celebrate her cumpleanos early.  She said she was absolutely surprised by their thoughtfulness. They had a great time and even got outside to try hula hooping. She learned a new Mexican custom---before you cut the cake you have to take a bite out of it.  She doesn't think she has had her face covered with frosting for many decades.  She says she finds this group utterly inspiring, even when they don't bring her presents.
Someday they will finish "What Jesus Taught."  She thinks they are living a lot of it.

Feast of St. James the Greater

This morning the keeper wouldn't let me out because she had to go to church.  (Where else?)  It was the Feast of St. James and she couldn't be late.  According to her the Mass was stellar--the music particularly poignant and the homily a strong challenge to discipleship to her and the universal church  and its leaders about making the pilgrimage from dreams and hopes of power and glory to a journey self emptying service.  She also loves the huge puppet that makes his way through the main aisle without hurting anyone. She couldn't stay for the party because she needed to be at two more churches.  But she stopped on the way to let me out for the afternoon. Can you believe it?  She even put out my toys, basket, and water.  I am spoiled, I admit it.

Saturday at Home

The keeper and I had a great day at home today.  We started out with breakfast in the sunny side yard which we really haven't used much yet this summer and then she had to work.  Yes, work.  But she moved her office to the deck and ran inside every once in awhile to do something with that computer. 

 But she finally called it quits around 5 because she had finished planning 3 seminars in detail.  She was very pleased.  I think she works better outside and in the sun than inside an office away from here. She went out and bought us Popsicles and cat food. And she brought home some new feeders for the hummingbirds who have been busy.

I didn't work too hard at all, but chased a few squirrels and hid from the crows who were particularly active and noisy today. 

Stassi's Moon

Tonight the moon is for Stassi who loved full moons and who insisted on being outside with it.  I tried to get out to sit in its light, but the keeper said NO.  So, I watch from my perch. Sigh.

The keeper was at work most of the day but came home to sign the papers on the refi of our house.  She says she got a great interest rate.  It means we can get a new front door now.  She said she also ran over to Toys R Us to buy a baby present for a baby shower.  She was not fond of Toys R Us and ran through the store as fast as she could.  every clerk anted to sell her batteries.  They must get bonus points for that.    She said she hates going to the Mall, and today was no exception.  She raced home to me and we sat out under the maple tree while she caught up on her phone calls.  Tonight we are going to bed early so she can work early and be done early. We watched Grey Gardens.  A most amazing story. 

Feast of Mary Magdalene

Today we celebrated one of the keeper's favorite saints--the one chosen to announce the news of the Resurrected One to his disciples.  Her reputation has been slurred with accusations of prostitution and sexual license.  And today, she might be compared to the pedophiles.  But no matter how much those who would tarnish her reputation can protest, she emerges as the evangelist to the evangelizers.  Go Mary of M!

Now,  you may notice that the blog has been a little silent lately. But the keeper has been too busy running around, going out to dinner, and
generally ignoring the blog.  But it seems she has been enjoying summer.  I have been looking at it through the windows a lot, although on Tuesday she spent the whole day in the yard and let me play out there all day. She weeded the front areas and filled a dumpster with tired bloomed stems.  And she sprayed all the roses because they have black spots.  she also planted fall flowers and perennial seeds for next year.  When she was finished she was covered in weed and dirt.  she looked happy.
We found these beautiful silver dollar seed pods which had turned purple, and looked lovely with the allium.  We do not remember them being purple before. The butterflies are coming and the flowers seem really happy.  The keeper tends them like babies. When she goes on vacation she has to hire people to water. Just like she does for me, only I get food too.  Still no kitten.  I overheard her talking about an older cat named Cecil now!

Contemplative Eyes

Last night after her last event the keeper came home charged up about the sermon she had heard this morning.  She said that Fr. Ely's homily at St. James was a call to contemplation midst the distractions.  She also mentioned to me that she is grateful that Prince Anastassi talked her into putting this blog together because it forces her to pay attention and put on tigers' eyes and ears and give attention to things which she often ignores. 

Like today, which is an errand day.  She came home with a list of things she had seen which literally or figuratively jumped at her and said ,"See me!  She loves her lists.  Here are some snatches from it.

1.  The adolescent East Indian women waiting at a bus stop on N. 155th who were jumping out at cars causing near accidents or heart attacks.
2.  The quiet men at St. Vincent de Paul on Aurora who bend down from the loading docks hour after hour to take stuff we don't want.
3.  The octogenarian great grandmother  who boldly maneuvered  her motorized scooter with its little flag on a tall pole waving  across Linden Avenue in the face of impatient and rude motorists.  She did have the green light, after all.
4.  The young preschooler chasing after her mother down 135th St. unaware that her sun hat had flown off like a kite.
5.  The apricot sky brushed with swirls of silver clouds  like canopies over Lake Washington this evening.
6.  A butterfly dancing along the bushes on 145th.

The keeper thinks this is special.  This is the world I see all the time.   And I see even more marvels from my window. But I think she is learning.

Bees and Mercer Island

I spent most of the week indoors looking through my windows waiting for the keeper to come home.  She was all over the place.  We did have a bit of an incident earlier in the week. She was trying to plant some perennials when a pack of bees swarmed her.  She said many bad words and also that she was very very disappointed in them since she has provided them so many flowers this summer. They did not seemed chastened, although some died because they gave her their stingers.  Anyway, her right arm was covered with bee stings and all swollen.  It's finally getting better, but I am not going anywhere near that flower bed. If they do that to her, what will they do to me? 

That didn't stop her from running all over the town, and even making a visit to a pastor friend on Mercer Island.  Her friend has a beautiful old house which was one of the original beach houses on the island, and the windows are designed from scenes from Swedish paintings.  The keeper loved being in such a light and airy house with such wild gardens.  No bees troubled her there.

Finally we have been home together the last two nights--last night we grilled  and watched the French film Seraphine; tonight we grilled and are watching Carole King and James Taylor in concert.  The keeper is old.  She gets very nostalgic about this old music.  It's ok, I guess.

Still Waiting

I guess  Booker T, kitten, will not be coming in the next week.  He needs to grow up some more and have an operation.  Then he will come with us.  The keeper says I might get to go on vacation with her in the meantime.  I don't know if that means I have to ride in a cage or not.  More on this later.  But on the other hand, there is great news from the keeper's family.  Her niece Tiff, with her husband Todd, just returned from Ethiopia with their new daughter, Eva.  she is very cute and the keeper is now a great aunt.  The only great aunts she had ever known were Mary and Grace who were some of the more distinguished odd spinsters in Fargo, ND.  I think the keeper will be able to fill the family shoes in this regard.

Meet Booker T

Booker T is only 7 weeks old and was found in a vacant house.  He only weighs 1.5 pounds right now. He has black fur with spikes of white. When the keeper entered the cat room, he howled and got her attention and all but leapt into her arms and wanted to stay there.  he is a wild young thing. he is too young to leave Whisker City.  But it looks like he may be my new brother after he grows up a little.  The keeper says he will keep me young, and I can teach him all he needs to know.  He likes the Bird Toy like I do. The keeper said she will go to visit him regularly until he can come home with us.  Maybe I can go with her.  They remember me at Whisker City.  I remember them too.  They saved my life. 

Here are other shots of him which may capture his true personality.

Some Whisker City Friends

Meet Buttersocks, Rusty, and Indie.  Buttersocks has a brain problem, Rusty is a womanizer, and Indie looks like she could be my mother.  I don't think any of these cats could come to our house.   Buttersocks needs a lot of care, Rusty needs to move as a pair with his girlfriend, and Indie could come, but she isn't too playful, and the keeper is afraid I might drive her crazy. But she is a beautiful animal.

Is This the Day?

I have been hearing of "You're going to have a new little brother or sister soon."  And I do listen in to the keeper's phone conversations, so when I heard her talking to Mellissa at Whisker City and to her friend MKD about a trip north to find my new companion, I figured that this would be the day.  I heard her bringing out an empty cat carrier, and she didn't give off the vet vibes, so I did not panic.  I tried to be calm.  I stared at the outside fence.  I heard her leave, and waited in anticipation.  And I waited. I waited some more. I tried not to let my excitement show.

More Migrant Camp Stories: Laundry

The camp is filled with clothes hanging on lines.  Most have been washed in one of the two ashing machines for hundreds of people.  But some are so covered with mud from the field that they need to be hosed off before they are put in the washer.  The church clothing bank provides the workers with clothes to replace the ones which are too filthy to clean.

Sunday at the Migrant Camps

The keeper left at 6 this morning and headed to meet her young adults for a trip to Burlington.  The young adults are taking on another ministry--with the indigenous migrant workers at the camps.  Today they attended a Mass and had a tour of some of the camps and met some of the children.  They were both inspired and shocked, the keeper said. The children loved playing with them.  But  some of the young adults' dogs have better homes than the lodging which is given to the workers' families. Some of the units have four rooms and in there are families of 16 living in each room.  The running water is outside, the communal bathrooms and showers are in separate outbuildings. It is a sin that anyone would allow human beings to live like this.  Pet shelters are way better.

Sweet Summer

I believe that the keeper loves her garden more than anything.  She tends, weeds, waters, clips, fusses over all of those beds more than she does me.  But in winter they go away.  And I stay.

And good news.  Mellissa from Whisker City called.  I overheard the keeper talking with her about a time to come and pick out a companion for me. Next Tuesday.  But we might not be able to bring her or him home on Tuesday especially if  the cat has been brought in.  Mellissa said that just today she had calls from 12 people wanting to relinquish cats.

Mellissa also told the keeper that she remembers when I almost died, and was skinny and starving and having fluids pumped into me. She says I am a miracle.

Fresh Air in Issaquah

The keeper left me at home and headed off to St. Joseph in Issaquah.  Sitting in that church was like being at camp. The green space outside breathed fresh air into the sanctuary. They have a window that looks out onto the green space, which she learned is the city's old cemetery. 

Sleeping with a Cooling Blanket

Stassi taught me this trick last year when it was 100 degrees.  The keeper put the bandana in water and wrung it out and put it on me like a I was racehorse.   She told me that when she drove through the bank drive through deposit she could see through the window and all the tellers were shopping for bathing suits on their computers.

Trying to Sleep in a Fur Suit

Finally, Some Sleep

It has been pretty hot inside and while the keeper is gone I have to stay in.  It's cooler outside. It's harder to sleep when I can't get comfortable. So, I am grateful to find a cool dark spot with a breeze under the window. The keeper likes this weather.  She also doesn't have to wear a fur coat.

Not In Our House!

Still no kitten!  I hope this doesn't turn out like those hamsters which Stassi and I asked for as Christmas gifts.  We never got them. 

The keeper was invited by some friends to the noon Storm game today.  They have an unbeaten record at home, and today was no exception, but it was tense for quite a long time.  They won in the last quarter.  But this time the keeper came home with her voice intact.  Last time she was hoarse for days. 

When she got home I got to go out.  Finally I had a chance to enjoy the sun. We had our first al fresco dinner on the deck.  I liked the way she fixed our salmon--with a chipotle chile rub.