Thank You, Pat

We waited quite awhile for her to come home.  Our food was not as fresh as we would have liked.
However, we understood that this would be a long day which included Bothell and Sammamish. Later as we listened to the radio we heard that the roads were clogged. But by 8:30 we had new food and clean water.  She had gone to Pat C's vigil service because she couldn't go to the funeral tomorrow. We asked her who he was and she said that he was a very fine, just man who loved a good conversation and a good fight. She said that many years ago, during some dicey situations which came up while running the church, his was one of the numbers on her speed dial. He kept her sane on some days. He had some great turns of phrase and was always so positive and encouraging. He left us too soon, it seems, but we now have a new advocate on the other side.

Big Planning Day

Today we were inside most of the day. The keeper had a big meeting in her office most of the morning with the dream team, which included the Littlest Intern, Lucas.  They are getting excited about the anti bullying forum that the Women's Justice Circle is planning.  They are also excited about Jennifer's big event on Saturday at St. James.

Lavender

The new lavender has arrived.  

It is going wild in the front yard and the bees are having a wonderful time.

And it smells heavenly!

Standing With the Sisters

We were allowed to be out most of the day today.  Yes, the keeper kept working in the garden.
Then she left us for a board meeting at the cathedral and she stayed for the rally for the sisters on the Cathedral steps.  Over 400 people were there and a few supportive dogs.  She said that she knew over half of the crowd, some from each of the communities she has served, even a rather large group from Tacoma!

Feeder-Gate

 The Pope's butler probably didn't do it.  But we know who did..at least we know stole the hummingbird feeder right off of its hanger! The renegade squirrel!  In shock, the keeper and I watched him lift it off the hook, sucking the juice out, and then with it still in his mouth he leaped over the pergola and ran up the tree carrying the feeder! He has a serious sugar addiction!

The empty hook.  He even pried the wasp guard off the spout. He should work for the CIA.

Hidden Treasure

We helped as she surveyed the front yard and cleared downed branches, and what did we find?  The most fragrant red rose ever hiding in the lush vegetation in the front garden.  

Memorial Day Gardening

Our keeper is a gadfly.  She didn't come home after the wedding, but went to another party with some wonderful people and just relaxed.  When she finally got home she announced that Monday would be garden day.  She was devoting the day to the backyard.  Jesus had done a great deal of work out there, but she weeded all of the border beds and pruned all kinds of things.  She has a partial black eye now because a very thorny rose bush smacked her and tore her eyelid. As well, we think she may be a little sore in the morning tomorrow.  She certainly did not need to go to the gym today. We are proud that she truly took the holiday.

Happy Wedding, Blanca and Edgar!

So, after lots of church, the keeper attended a wedding of a wonderful couple from Bellevue. They were so happy, and all their friends from St. L showed up.  Though, the best time of all, during  the whole wedding ritual, belonged to the small children who robbed all the bubble vials off the tables and ran and screamed as they chased bubbles all through the room. The officiant did not seem amused.

Happy Pentecost!

Yes, we know, we have been off-line for a few days.  It's not because we didn't care.  No, as you can imagine, the keeper was B-U-S-Y. So, we stayed inside and watched the world go by.  Yesterday we all celebrated Pentecost. She was too busy to remember our red bows, and we didn't remind her.We heard that the cathedral service was superb with fire and wind and awe.  The music was incredible we hear. Then there was little report on the other services except that Fr. R preached an inspired word at St. B's.  The poppies were all in the Spirit this weekend.

We Stand with the Sisters

We stand with Sr. Ignatia Ann, SNJM.  The keeper switched high schools late in the game. She was released into the care of the Sisters of the Holy Names.  Sr. Ignatia Ann was a brilliant drama teacher who infused the school with dramatic productions before and after school, weekends, and even at lunchtime.  She brought Mrs. ' Arris Goes to Paris to the school that year, and the House of Dior in Paris loaned them a gown for the production. It was a big deal, we hear.

Sliver

Oh my!  What a beautiful day!  Of course we spent most of it inside. But thankfully her highness came home early, something about her computer not working well.  We scooted out and supervised Jesus as he finished up his first round of yard work and while the keeper worked at her desk. Then there was a planning session to construct a response to some of the ecclesiastical insanity and we returned to our perches indoors.  We didn't want to miss anything.  We are not sure what the insanity is about but we heard the words Girl Scouts and Vatican Bank in the same sentence. We understand the planners like good G and T's and appetizers.  We can say the planning was lively. But we are sworn to secrecy. No Wiki leaks here.

We Stand with the Sisters

Today we stand with Sr. Alexis, SP. She became the Principal of the keeper's high school and brought a confidence and an enthusiasm which was contagious. She later went on to manage and develop low income housing for senior citizens. She truly cared for all the girls, but also for mathematics, and helped them see how intriguing numbers could be.  The keeper loved the logic of solving the problems, but always preferred the printed word. And at that point there weren't many story problems.

Don't Judge

We got to watch Jesus sculpt the laurel edges today--from inside, of course.  The keeper left us early for her office quite cheerfully.  She is busy hatching plans, she tells us. We also watched the squirrel finish off the last of the hummingbirds' sugar water. Then the keeper came home and found the poor bedraggled iris sagging over the driveway, all frumpy and too heavy for its stalk.  But she held the yellow mess up close to catch the fragrance that is as delicate and as graceful as our hummingbirds.  They say that the human sense of smell can carry even old people back to their childhoods, and tonight it took the keeper back to a multicolored garden thick with irises overlooking the river and that glorious fragile sweet essence. Sigh.

Exquisite

The keeper raised some significant money for the program today. She was thrilled about this, and so were we, because we like to keep her happy (and we like our lifestyle).  But she was equally thrilled to find poppies bursting forth from a crumbling pot under the wisteria vines.  She sighed several times in adoring awe at something so fragile and outrageously beautiful.

We Stand with the Sisters

We stand with Sr. Helen Ann, SP. Sr. Helen Ann was school librarian and her love of good books attracted the keeper and her bookish friends to the library like bees to honey. In spring they spent hours in lovely chairs absorbed in some deep meaningful novel, sighing and gazing out the open window over the buzz of lawnmowers, sprinklers, and the steady plop of the tennis balls on the courts below. Were they in heaven?

The Blogger

Lest anyone think that cats are lazy, and averse to working, here I am, helping the keeper find all of her radical feminist theology (whatever that is) blog posts and helping compose our daily offerings to all of you. I think I look quite distinguished.  I am hiding the paw which the keeper stepped on last night.  Thank you for asking, I am fine, limping  a bit, but nothing is broken. I will survive.

So Here Is the Answer

The keeper has been refilling the hummingbird feeders every other day, and is happy to do so.  She was thinking that the two or three birds were very thirsty.  Well, this morning she finally saw for herself what we have known for a while, and we have kept quiet about it.  The squirrel. He has developed quite a sweet tooth, and drinks right out of the spout. We will be putting the bee guards back on the spouts now.  The squirrel may go into insulin shock.

We Stand With the Sisters

We stand with Sr. Mary Lawrence, SP, who was the keeper's Freshman Music teacher. It was in her class listening to the Air in G, that they all learned of JFK's assassination. She also took the girls to many concerts and taught them how to sneak backstage in order to meet the artists.  That is how the keeper at age 14 met Van Cliburn and Aaron Copland, and a few others. The girls in turn, took her out to the Benson Hotel and the Multnomah Club for "sophisticated meals."

While the Keeper Was on Retreat

While the keeper was on retreat today with the AB and yet another new group of friends, we watched Jesus sow the new grass seed into the bare ground.  He is such a careful worker, and takes great pride in his handiwork. He made sure the birds wouldn't find the seeds, and the wisteria threw down some petals to hide it as well.  We guarded the fresh earth from our inside window perches.

Our Lush Garden

Need we say anything?  

This is all about fragrance that wells up after the rain and wraps us in sweetness.

We Stand with the Sisters

We stand with Sr. Margarita, SP, who taught the keeper biology and Latin. Sr. Margarita died very young, but not before her students could speak Latin with trilled r's and could translate, recite and act out every nursery rhyme in Latin. She was probably only a few years older than her adoring students.

Ascension Day

It rained all day.  Jesus worked in the yard in the rain  It was a perfect day to sow some new grass seed. He is cutting our hedge and making us look presentable.  This kind of total makeover requires a lot of talent, which he has (in addition to patience with the keeper who keeps thinking of new ideas).
We stayed inside all day.  She left us for three churches and she came home saying that she loves the Women's Schola and she really liked the homily which included the bit from Ephesians. So we are happy too.

We Stand with the Sisters

We stand with Sr. Virginia, SP. who later became a beloved colleague of the keeper.  But many years earlier Sr. V introduced her students to the idea of concupiscence, and gathered them all together in the wake of the JFK assassination. She pushed the keeper into leadership of many things, and taught them about discernment of spirits, and taught the keeper how to preach, and insisted the keeper do it. She was also an awesome tennis and soccer coach, we hear. She  was forever driving them all over the state, to colleges, to retreats, to conferences.  Such energy!

We Stand With the Sisters

We stand with the sisters.  We stand with Mother Joseph and all of the Sisters of Charity of Providence who taught thousands of girls and a few boys at The Providence Academy. The boarders said you could hear Mother Joseph still hammering through the night, a hundred years later.  This amazing woman not only found the funds to build the elegant school and a hospital, she physically took part in its construction, even helping make the bricks and carving the beautiful oak furniture in the parlors. Her pioneering spirit lives deep in our keeper and we are grateful.

Wedding Day!

Laura and Luis celebrated their wedding today.  Their young daughter carried the train, howling at the top of her lungs, and proceeded to howl for the Liturgy of the Word. The presider forgot the nuptial blessing, but got it in before they all recessed out. All in all it was a beautiful celebration and one which this lovely couple had been preparing for years, selling pupusas and tamales to pay for the expenses. Many members of the Parenting Class helped out and celebrated with Laura and Luis.

We Stand with the Sisters

We stand with Sr. Catherine Louise, SP.  She died very young but before she left this earth she incited in her students a love of history.  She seemed obsessed with WWII, and would read from journals of prisoners, soldiers, reporters from the different fronts.  She also was the sports coordinator and is responsible for the keeper's track career. Always the egalitarian and justice seeker, she took responsibility for leading busloads of 7th and 8th grade young women to Providence Heights in Issaquah when she found out Fr. P was treating all the boys to a trip to St Edward's Seminary.The girls had a marvelous overnight in the elegant new headquarters.

Cecil Stands with the Sisters

I like the old style black and white habits. They match me.

Ministerial Theological Integration

Yesterday the keeper came home later because she went to a celebration for something called MTI.  It means Ministerial Theological Integration, we hear.  But what's important to remember is that J who was interning with the keeper gave a very lovely talk and all the students were feted because they lived through a year of contextual theological education.  The keeper was thrilled to see a former parishioner, T,  also completing MTI this year. We think that the baby Lucas also should have received an award for participation all year long in and out of utero.

We Stand with the Sisters

We stand with Sr. Eileen, SP, who was the keeper 's 8th grade teacher.  During those years she was Principal, Mother Superior, and 8th grade teacher. It didn't seem to stop her from insuring all 44 students understood Latin and were kept up to date on Vatican II. She also made sure the Portland Symphony sections came to visit the school, and that all students could sing in four part harmony. Not only that, but her students had to walk the halls with books on their heads so their mortarboards would not fall off, come graduation.

We Stand with the Sisters

We stand with Sr. Theresa Frances, SP who was the keeper's fifth grade teacher, who inspired her to learn and learn some more. She taught the keeper  how to love poetry, to memorize it, and savor its sounds. She also taught the keeper and three other like minded odd children new math. This teacher didn't seem to mind that the keeper was obsessed with horses, either. The keeper's mother and Sr. TF were great friends.

We Stand with the Sisters

We stand with Sr. Mary Leona, SP, first grade teacher who taught Mike the Boy (to distinguish from Mike the Dog) for not one, but two, years, since he liked her so much.  She is a very patient person and very creative, and with a steely will.

We Stand with the Sisters

We Stand with the Sisters.  We stand with Sr. Rita Clare, SP., who single handedly shepherded 50 plus high spirited first graders, including the keeper ( first row, second from the left), and their anxious parents. This happened 57 years ago.

We Stand With the Sisters

And we are not kidding!

Such Sweetness!

Today once the keeper got home from SU, we all got to go outside and bask in the sun. We were smothered in birdsong, in the sweet perfume of lilacs and wisteria.  Sigh.  She didn't do any yardwork.  Tomorrow  will be more physical, we hear.

Fom the Cat

Look what showed up today in the mail!  The postmark said Boston, but we are very thankful to Nancy for helping us express our affection for the keeper.