St. Ignatius Day

The morning started off dismally--clouds, rain, mist, our pillows on the deck all wet.  We were bummed.  But eventually the sun came out and we stayed out into the evening.  The keeper went walking and all was happy again.  We are hearing rumors that she may be going to the beach. We don't know if we are going with her or if we will have a cat nanny. Alice tells me that if we go with her we have to travel a while in cages and then have to wear harnesses when we go out.  There are bears and coyotes and cougars that eat cats there.  Maybe a cat nanny sounds safer. And we can sleep in our own beds.

A Beautiful Restful Day

The keeper spent a very restful day, reading, writing, walking,

and thinking about her life and how rich it is. We were happy to accompany her in her solitude.  Cecil got to eat coconut ice cream at the end of the day.  So did the keeper.  Alice liked the roasted chicken.

Happy Birthday, Phil!

It was so sunny today Cecil had a hot stone massage in the side yard.  Happy birthday to our friend Phil, Mr. President!

Our Harvest

We had a lovely surprise the other day.  A bean.  Yes, a bean.  One bean.

We should be grateful for the fact that we are getting anything at all.

It's Blue! (And Jackie Kennedy's Birthday!)

Well, loyal readers, she went and painted the door blue.  It was tricky and took two coats, and Cecil had blue paint streaking through his fur as he leaped through the cat door opening just for fun.  Thank God it was water based.  Now all the keeper has to do is to scrape all of the windows where the paint splattered.  These little projects are never that little.  We warned her.  But she got it finished at 11:30 last night and today we let it dry while she ran around entertaining her friends from other places.  We think she got the painting bug out of her system for another summer.  What will it be next year? 

Day 3 of Vacation--We Paint the Kitchen Door

                                 Before                                      After

She sanded, taped, put plastic up, and went to work.  So, now the door is primed.  So is Cecil.  He ended up with a big white patch of non toxic Mystic paint on him when he kept running through the hole where the cat door usually is. Tomorrow she was going to put white semi gloss on it.  But it seems that so much white is overwhelming the kitchen.  We may end up with a Greek Blue door.  What do you all think?  As long as we can have our cat door, we are happy with any color.

Still Waiting for the Sun's Return

We are getting a little wiggy.  The keeper had to put the flower bouquet outside  because Alice's allergies were going crazy.  She sounds a lot like a pig--snort, snort.  I have been doing  lot of grazing on the grass on the side yard.  And so I have been coughing a lot, trying to get those hairballs up. The keeper did read an article today by Temple Grandin which said that black cats are the best and most gentle.  So I guess I qualify because I am mostly black with patches of white.  I am a peaceloving feline, for sure.

Feline Day #1 of Vacation--Lounging

It's our first day of vacation too.  Once she finally got home we took up our position on the lawn.  The bluejays were very annoying. Even the squirrels were nervous.

Vacation Day #1: LFP Farmers' Market

She brought us home raspberries and flowers from the market.  Everyone came out for it today.

Clown Shoes!

The keeper has a thing for shoes, as many of you know.  She loved the shoes the clown wore, and found out you can order them online for $99 and don't need a clown license.

Feast of St. James and Day 1 of Vacation!

The keeper was excited to get up this morning and get down to the Cathedral to celebrate the Feast of St. James.  She ran into a host of former parishioners and friends.  We hoped she wouldn't stay long so she could come home and let us out to play in the sun.

Summer at Last

Sigh.  Perhaps it will last a while.

Birthday Desserts

Strawberry Shortcake

Coconut Cream Pie--aout 1/4 of the pie



Happy Birthday MKD!

The keeper went out tonight to celebrate her friend MKD's birthday.  They went to Arnie's in Edmonds.  But we are impressed that MKD stopped at our house to visit with us and pay her respects, and bring greetings from Molly the cat.  She seemed very impressed with Cecil. They were lucky that they had made reservations today.  It was packed, and the desserts were packed with calories.

She Visited Benny Again

It's been a busy few days off for the keeper.  Not so much for us.  Although the air is a bit warm, it still feels like November.  So we are less frustrated about being locked up all day while she flits around.  Yesterday she raised funds for Cabrini Ministry at a restaurant for  12 hours or so, and brought us home steak tacos.
But then today, she spent at Benny the cat's house planning a class for SU with Benny's keeper.  They are teaching it together next year.  She came home reeking of Benny and so we even checked the car to make sure he wasn't in it.  She told us that he is so athletic that he jumped from the floor to the fireplace mantel and then up to the kitchen counter to knock all of the cherries out of a bowl. We hope he never brings him home because we could never keep up.

Bothell Cup--Mexico vs. St. B's

The keeper left us for Bothell and the young adults had prepared a great farewell feast for Fr. Johnnie who is returning to Malawi. After filling up on ceviche, flan, and sandwiches, the great futbol game began--a symbol of the Reign of God...children, women and men, young, old, gifted, not so gifted all playing soccer in the mist. The women were strong players, and the kids complained that the grownups were hogging the ball.  It was a close game. There were fans and cheerleaders.  But the keeper got cold and had to leave before the game ended.  For all we know, they could still be playing.

Watching the Fuschia Thrive

We are not prone to complain ( okay, not too prone), but if we had wanted to live in Aberdeen and Grays Harbor, or in the Rain Forest, we would move there.  This rain and gray sky is getting us down.  The keeper says she is grateful that she doesn't have to water the garden, but she is hungry for heat and sun.  So are we.  We are not able to sit out on those soggy chair cushions, and so are back in the house, looking at the happy fuchsia.

Our Roses With Less Black Spot

The NEEM oil seemed to work on the roses.  The black spot is going away and the flowers are abundant and beautiful.  They smell good too!

Angry Bronchial Tubes

Cecil here!  I have great news! I do not have a heart problem.  I have angry bronchial tubes.  Dr. Smalley told the keeper I can have my dental work now, as if I find that thrilling. But I do not have to take any pills or anything.  They think it might be related to all the grass I eat, and the weeds too. They irritate my lungs, I guess. But the keeper seems very happy about all of this news.

An Afternoon with the Bishop

The keeper has been really running around lately.  We have already forgotten that she took days off last week.  Last Sunday she was gone most of the time and spent the afternoon with the Young Adults and Bishop Elizondo.  They had a Mass, a very lively discussion, and a great time.  But when she got home, she let us out, and we all stayed out until it was dark.  We love the summer, the light, the flowers, the keeper staying in the yard with us, watering the lawn and all the flowers.  We are indeed fortunate pets.

Peonies

Our peonies are still in bloom.  But they are fading fast, and they remind us of tattered old feathery hoop skirts way past their prime.

Dental Work Postponed

It was quite a morning for me, Cecil.  When she brought in the cat carrier I was sure that it was for Alice.  But, imagine my surprise when I was pushed into it and swept into the car and whisked into the Northgate Veterinary Clinic. The keeper was nervous because she thought I might think she was leaving me there for good.  Well, they did some tests and found irregularities in my heart, so cancelled the dental work, and did more tests. The keeper met with Dr. Smalley and now we wait to hear about what the rest of the tests mean. But that meant I could have gone home early. But the keeper was running all over with funerals and visits, so I stayed at the vet till late afternoon. I was hungry since I hadn't eaten since 10 last night, so the keeper asked them to give me some food. I am just very happy to be home.  I like it here so much.

A Trip to Mount St. Vincent

After the funeral on Capital Hill, the keeper headed over to West Seattle to visit with her friend of many years who is living at Mount St. Vincent now.  They had a good long visit outside on the patio, soaking up the sun and good conversation.  Her friend is making some good progress, and the sun doesn't hurt.

International District Crawl

After planning a funeral for a friend's mother, the keeper and a friend spent part of yesterday exploring the International District, looking for the Panama Hotel.  The keeper had a wrong address for the Panama Hotel, so they wandered and saw every corner.  After a lunch break, a stroll through Uwajimaya, they found it, but realized they needed a whole other day to stop there and spend time at the Wing Luke Museum.  She finally got home and we finally got to go outside.  We helped her plant more vegetables. Cecil had to stop eating at 10 PM because he was going for dental cleaning on Wednesday morning. Cats need anaesthesia to have their teeth cleaned.

The Sheridan Beach Residents are SO Thoughtful!

When the keeper left us for her walk, she left us each a bowl of water.  She said that one of the bigger residences in Sheridan Beach was as equally thoughtful.  She figured that they had a pretty good party there last eve.

The Neighborhood Fireworks

This afternoon the keeper let us stay outside, with very strict warnings not to leave the yard, and then she left the yard. She went walking down to Kenmore and was overwhelmed by the flowers bursting everywhere.  She said they were way better than and much less noisy than the fireworks we are listening to tonight. By the way it was too hot for us to leave the yard while she was gone.  We slept in the sun.

Warning: Stay in the Yard

Just to prove her point, the keeper brought us back evidence that it is dangerous outside of our yard.  She says that she has never seen so many Missing Pet signs ever.  Rumor has it that we have coyotes roaming after dark. OK, we get it. Point taken.

Fourth of July AM

Well, we all rose a little late, but we joined the keeper outside for breakfast this morning.  This is the first time we have done it this year. The mock orange is out and it is a beautiful smell.  Alice found an old toy mouse hidden in the bushes, and played with it while the keeper ate her oatmeal and read the paper,  I, Cecil, rolled in the hot gravel.  I love it when it is hot!  So does the keeper. We are soulmates.  She is not fond of rolling in the dirt or the gravel, though. It's been a year since my original owners gave me up for adoption.  I think I got very lucky.

Lilia and Ramiro's Wedding

We have seen a lot of the keeper these last days.  She is taking a mini vacation at home.  Mostly she has been gardening.  But on Saturday she stepped out for the afternoon to attend Lilia and Ramiro's wedding at St. L's.  Lilia had been one of the key leaders in Espanol faith formation there. She is waiting to be escorted down the aisle by her mother and son.