The Comfort of a Warm Towel and a Mouse

Cecil has the rain all figured out.  As soon as the keeper gets home from wherever it is she has been, he rushes to the door and throws himself into the rain.  About five minutes later, he appears at the back door sopping wet and lets the keeper chase him with a towel, then catch him and wrap him in it, and towel him down while he chews on his toy mouse. I have to watch this craziness every day it rains.  I don't know why the keeper hasn't figured it out.  But they go through this ritual repeatedly.  She laughs. He purrs.  I prefer a behaving in a more dignified way.  But it doesn't  elicit as much joy from the keeper. Sigh.

Alice the Greedy Two Year Old

Alice wants everything---every seat, every food dish, every napping place. The keeper left for a rehearsal at the cathedral tonight, and I grabbed the meditation chair. Alice had every other spot in the house available to her, but insisted on sitting on top of me until I gave the chair up to her.  I made her wait a very long time.  She is stubborn. When I gave up, she wasn't interested in the chair anymore.  She is such a two year old!

Christmas Lighting

 We were thrilled when the keeper returned home from the walk.  But she had come home with a new purpose.  No, not to prepare the class or talk.  No, she had lights on her mind.  She had seen all of her neighbors' lights up already, and decided that she needed to take advantage of the dry day to put up the most difficult lights.  So we watched her for a while...with the maps she had designed last year for what cords and how many light strings go where. Then we napped.  But she wrapped the weeping cherry and the rhodies in lights, and  threw out defective strings. She has more to hang, and we won't be turning them on till Advent starts, but it appears we are ahead of the curve. And then there is the squirrel issue.  They ate our Halloween lights.  Will they show more respect for Christmas?

Another Day in Paradise

It is hard for us to believe at times that our keeper really grew up in the NW.  She loves the sun so much, perhaps because what is elusive is more precious.  But today was another day of sun and chill.  Yes, we all went out. But she went out more, and went walking again. We reminded her that she really needed to be prepping for a class she is teaching next week, or a talk she is giving this weekend.  But, no, when the sun comes out she becomes 9 years old again and is out the door to explore. That meant we came in and waited for her to return. We would have helped prepare the class, but we had no idea how to do that.

And

The moon appeared

 rising shyly

into the blue afternoon.

Laundry Line

The remaining leaves dangled in the chill light like bright, abandoned laundry on the line.

Leaves of Gold

McAleer Creek still is guarded by a few leaves of gold.

STELLA!

We learned that Stella the shy poodle is missing.  We hope she is reunited soon with her keepers.

The Two Hour Walk

The keeper spent the morning and early aft at SU. But she raced home, we thought to spend the rest of the day with us.  But not true, she went walking like she hadn't done since the end of the summer. She has been too busy to do this. She took her Camino route down to the Lake and around, and she said she kept slowing down to gaze at things, like Mount Rainier and the Cascades.

Non-Cyber Monday!

Today we ordered nothing online.  The keeper actually bought a book from a local non-chain bookstore.  She even walked to the store! It was a rare, chilly, beautiful sunny day. Blue sky.
We like it when the morning starts off foggy.

A Taste of Downton Abbey

 Tonight the keeper made us eat early and she cut off her phone conversations because the Downton Abbey preview was happening. We felt that she deserved a break, so we left her alone. She hopes that somehow Revenge will take a break during Downton Abbey.  Or she could learn how to program her recorder.

Moon

The moon was so beautiful.  The keeper told us that she thinks that it would be a good practice if she and all of her friends remembered each other fondly every time the full moon rises.  We remember Stassi, but we know there is room in our hearts for more.

Gold

                           
                              The keeper came home to us earlier than usual for a Sunday.
She seemed to be weary of church, and seemed happy to be home with us. Will this last?
We hope so.  We got to go out while the sun was still with us.  The sun turned the foliage remaining in the trees and on the ground all golden. Cecil was a bit spellbound by the light and glitter.

At Pomodoro

The keeper brought home a little take out box from Pomodoro on Eastlake.  She couldn't believe P had never been there before. They usually have dined at Machiavelli's. But he was impressed that their waitperson knew all of the keeper's preferences. P headed to Tacoma after dinner and the keeper returned to feed us.

Black Friday Rituals

Today it poured. It always seems to pour on Black Friday. The keeper and her friend P have an annual reunion and ritual which most years they are able to observe...a trip to the Episcopal bookstore followed by an insertion  into the throbbing mass of humanity downtown.  Not to shop but to overpay for parking, browse,  chat, sample, have a light lunch, watch all manner of God's creatures on the Seattle streets. Neither bought any more stuff. It seemed a little early for Christmas shopping. However, the keeper was quite taken by a tiny InFocus projector she found which attaches to an IPad. She doubts she will ever get something like this for Christmas, though.  We are sure she won't. We are happy she is being so realistic.  We would hate to see her disappointed.

Final Scene from Thanksgiving Dinner

Dessert included Lemon Ginger Ice Cream with biscotti and coffee.  The  person sitting to the left of the keeper indulged wildly at dessert time, while the keeper was much more moderate. She even sent some of the ice cream home. We are quite impressed.

Now everything is cleaned up and put away and the dishwasher is cantering through its cycles.  The keeper is going to remove our bows, and we will all sleep very well and gratefully. Happy Thanksgiving!

Scenes from a Thanksgiving Dinner

Ward provided the potatoes mashed with carrots and chives, Judy provided the salad and perfect asparagus.  And Cecil and I provided the entertainment   The keeper forgot to take a photo of the bird as it came out of the oven.  Very beautiful.

Judy made each of the individual salads which were like precious works of art.  At our home we eat salad at the end of the meal, although neither Cecil or I eat salad, unless by mistake. Tonight they ate the salad at the end of the main course. 

Scenes from a Thanksgiving Dinner

Mary Kay, Katherine, and the keeper have spent many Thanksgivings together--in Tacoma, and in Madrona, and it was lovely to have them join us again.

Scenes from a Thanksgiving Dinner

I am very partial to wise spiritual guides, and wanted Katherine to notice my inner beauty that sometimes is lost underneath my sleek and sophisticated demeanor. But she noticed it right away, and I lavished her with my affection.

Scenes from a Thanksgiving Dinner

I was the official hostess this year. I took my responsibilities very seriously, and used all of my charm.  I was rewarded later in the evening with some of that big bird.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

"And now, bless the God of all,

who has done wondrous things...

May God grant you joy of heart 

 and may peace abide among you..."

   Sirach 50: 22, 23

Waiting for the Turkey

We understand that tomorrow we will be hosting guests for turkey and other food.  We have been watching the turkey thaw in the sink. The keeper tells us that the turkey is a very healthy one, without the additives and butter and we hear it grew up with room to roam.  We have noticed that our party bows are out, so we will be expected to perform. We will behave as long as we get our share of that healthy bird.

In the Bleak Mid-Autumn

In the middle of the dreary, rainy days here there have been little ribbons of sun, and on our porch the hollyhocks are still blooming mixed in with the beauty berries and the rosehips. Glimpses of hope! We were listening to NPR with the keeper and heard from a weather expert that Nov. 19 is typically the rainiest day of the autumn, and it diminishes after that.  We hope so.

Encircling Gloom

This was a dark day, physically dark.  It rained so much there was a huge pond by our side gate.
Even Cecil didn't want to climb the fence.  The keeper turned her alarm off at 7 and thought she would check the time later, and when she checked again, found out it was noon.  It was as dark as it had been at seven.  Chastened by her negligence of our feeding time, she rushed around and did Thanksgiving errands, only to find her headlamp had gone out, so she came home before 4, in the dark, and stayed.  We encouraged her to work out her frustrations in the gym in the garage, which she did. But the view from there was foreboding. See above. We feel like we are cave cats with their keeper in Alaska, or something, in the winter, just without the snow and the cold. Lead kindly, light....We also learned that Ray Bourgeois was booted from the Maryknolls today. And that priests visiting Rome now have to wear cassocks! We think this will not go over too well with our friends.
Lead kindly, light...

A Very Wet Saturday

Meanwhile, back in the Northwest, Alice and I waved the keeper off to yet another presentation.  We had just said hello late last eve when she returned from giving a different one...So, we watched the rain fall, and when the rain wasn't falling, we watched the next round of leaves land.  We now have 18 bags of leaves which are becoming too heavy to move to the street for pick up.  And we probably will need to fill another ten.  Maybe Jesus should bring his truck. The birds are having a field day, though.  The chickadees are eating all the dead flower seeds, and we think we saw Northern Flickers on the roof this afternoon.  The keeper told us she saw a small eagle in a tree over the north shore of Lake Washington this morning on her way to Bellevue.

Prayer for the Mideast

This morning as the keeper read the paper early she read about the shelling of Gaza and the threats to Tel Aviv and Old Jerusalem. She told us that four years ago this month she had been there with a wonderful group of people, led by an Israeli and a Palestinian. She wondered how they and their families were faring  at this terrifying time.  She remembered all the bomb shelters in the hotels and buildings, and hoped they would not have to be used.  She also remembered what it looked like on the other side of the Green Line, and prayed that no more lives would be taken, that they would not give up pursuing peace.

O God Source of Life, Creator of Peace. . .

Help Your children, anguished and confused,

To understand the futility of hatred and violence

And grant them the ability to stretch across

Political, religious and national boundaries

So they may confront horror and fear

By continuing together

In the search for justice, peace and truth. . . .

With every fiber of our being

We beg You, O God,

To help us not to fail nor falter. Amen

Rabbi H. Rolando Matalon

Congregation B'nai Jeshurun, New York, NY

Persistence

Alice could teach everyone a lesson in persistence.  I had reached the bedroom chair before Alice did, and was already starting to doze off, when she decided that she wanted to sleep there. So she decided to sit on me and wait until I moved.  She's not that heavy, so I let her sit on me until I was ready to move, several hour later.  She didn't sleep, she just sat and glared at me. I hope she is happy now.

Safe and Sound

We had a bit of excitement here.  You all know how hyper the keeper gets about missing cats. I had been out to sample all of the new puddles with the huge rainfall, but I came back in where the keeper wrapped me in a big towel and dried me off.  She is finally figuring out that I go out to get this towel treatment later,  It is a true kitty spa here.  But I digress....

The keeper thought that Alice had gone out with me and became worried when she didn't come back in.  So out came the flashlights and boots, and out she went seeking Alice.  I was trying to tell her that I knew where Alice was, but she thought I was asking for treats, and so I gobbled down the freeze dried chicken and forgot about my message.  So the keeper came back in, wet and worried.  I decided I needed to do something, so I started howling from the bedroom, and the keeper followed me.  I blew Alice's cover in between and under all the pillows on the bed, snoring soundly.

Twelve Bags Full!

The neighbor texted yesterday to see if we needed any help with our leaf raking.  The keeper had just spoken with Jesus who was overloaded with homework and yard jobs. But she was willing to wait for another week. Meanwhile, the leaves were piling up like soggy cornflakes. The neighbor offered to do the raking and sacking. The keeper told her it was at least worth a case of good wine.
And twelve bags and a dumpster awaited her arrival back home this evening! Such neighborliness is pure grace, and our neighbor will be well rewarded!

Sights Which Never Grow Stale

Oh, Seattle, there are some sights of which we could never tire!

Afternoon at the Museum

The keeper and her friend J headed out to lunch at Harborside and then to an afternoon at SAM to see ELLES: WOMEN TAKE OVER.  Perhaps they were  not in the right frame of mind, or it was all too close to the bone, but, they didn't spend their usual several hours there. They favored the third floor over the art from Paris. They were surprised at their own responses. But, some of the art, was simply odd to them, but perhaps they should have done homework before showing up.

Here are two odd ones:

 The gold plated urinal, "Fountain"

and this one....although they liked the artist's other works.

So much for Cuhl-tcha!

Farewell, Dear Magnolia

The second event in Bellevue today was the farewell blessing for Magnolia who tomorrow is leaving Bellevue after many years to begin anew in Cali, Colombia, where she grew up.The keeper will miss her warm hospitality and her generous faith, as will many more.

A Blessing for the Graduates

Another of those days again...she left early, returned late. She is consistent with our feeding, though. But this morning she left to work with Fernando at SU to do a quick debrief of the workshop on liturgical space (It was a raging success, by the way), then headed to Bellevue for
two events...the blessing of the first group of graduates from the Parenting Class there. She said that she was so proud of them: all brought their certificates, all were present with their children, and received a special blessing and recognition from the pastor. Many tears and applause. She says this is the best possible pr for the next round in January.  Who wouldn't want to get a parchment certificate with one's name calligraphed, and the parish seal embossed in gold?  Who wouldn't want to be recognized by the pastor, and 1000 other worshippers with their own children watching?  Who wouldn't want to feel like they have a place in the community as a leader?

A Stunning Close

As the keeper was pulling out to return home to us, she spied the setting autumn sun over the mountains and Elliott Bay.  We probably would have stopped too, although our lack of opposable thumbs makes feline photography difficult.