Live From Pomodoro!!

She left us with our bowls of food to meet two friends at Pomodoro. Luckily she knows the owner and they got an early seating, but as they left a horde of people waited for the chance of a seat. Good conversation, great food, and a good beginning to the New Year's Eve festivities. Meanwhile, we have the cottage to ourselves.  Who knows what kind of party we will be throwing, and we won't be telling either!!!

Theological Inundation

We are awash in boxes of books. The keeper has spent the last few days moving out of her office, but she isn't going into the new office for several weeks. But she doesn't need a lot of the books on liturgy and theology at her new place. They are coming home with us. The books on culture, social justice, liberation theology, leadership are all going to the new office. But right now she is trying to make space. We are keeping our mouths shut but soon she will realize she needs to build a new room for what she has brought home. We will let her figure it out herself. Maybe she could give some away...yeah, right! She would sooner give us away.

Thank you, Carol

On Christmas Eve, our keeper received an amazing gift, a hand knit  scarf with a beautiful wooden pin. Today she tested it and it kept her warm all day! She is not letting us get near it.

A Visit to Mount Pleasant

This morning she left us for Queen Anne to plan a funeral.  She discovered Mount Pleasant Cemetery next door to the mortuary. We are not sure why she likes these places, but she finds them very peaceful. This one seemed pretty old with many stories buried with those resting in this hallowed ground. 

It Blossomed!!!!

On the fourth day of Christmas, one little paper white burst into our lives. Clearly life triumphs over any trauma caused by the keeper's careless Advent practices!

A Lovely Night

Surprise!!!She left us again this eve for a dinner in Lynnwood with R, M, M,  and J. 

Roger is the consummate host, and although diiner seating included first  and business class, it was all top drawer. Lovely Christmas decor, great preprands, delicious food and fine conversations with brilliant conversationalists. Lots of stories. We suppose we are not as fun as all of that. And she came home amazed that the person  she had been concerned about over the last month or so was the woman whose funeral they had celebrated just today. Sometimes she just has a sense about things. We get it...Feline intuition.She inherits it 

 from us!

Proof of Pedicure

We are probably the only creatures who will see the toes painted with "First Date at the Golden Gate" red since her feet are always so cold and wrapped in wool socks. You will just have to believe us and the great folks at Sensé Nail Spa!

Feast of St. John Nap

Things are pretty boring here. She left us again for a holiday pedicure and to repair the nail she burnt while lighting the Christmas dinner candles.

Christmas Blossom

Right on schedule, the cactus blossomed. We are still waiting for the Paper Whites to do their thing. We think that the delay may be the result of trauma caused when the keeper failed to notice that the 4th Week of Advent candle lighting singed some of the tender shoots. We are hoping for a speedy recovery.

Back At It!

We are now into a holiday recovery routine. That means the keeper is back at a discipline she has ignored for several weeks. We like her a lot better when she goes to that gym. She works things out and leaves them there.

We Were Part of the Gift Exchange

Our names were listed as donors on the gift cards. We were pleased.

We Mingled

We practiced our best social graces when we visited with the guests.

There Was a Meal

Three friends came over and feasted on prime  rib and many other dishes. We are not beefeaters, so this did not tempt us.

We Had To Wear Bows

Merry Christmas!

Christmas for our house began at sunset yesterday, and by midnight we were all watching for our friends on the televised Midnight Masses from St. James and St. .Peter's. Dawn came early and radiant, and she left us for St. James again. There is a manger scene in the chapel and she spent some time there before the Mass started. Very peaceful, we hear. Eventually she came home to get ready or our guests.

More Gifting

It seems there were enough gifts for all and then some. A great evening, we hear!

Gifting

The Call from Santa

Mary Grace received a call from Santa. It seems there was some concern about  Nintendo and Kindle Fire. Somehow MG and Santa worked it all out.

Waiting for Santa

Scout was anxious for dinner to finish so they would open presents.

Christmas Carols at LFP Town Centre

The keeper left us today for the gym because she woke up feeling perfectly well again. 

They were greeted by a lovely young horn player offering carols to all. 

We Will See You Under the Christmas Tree!

"Blessed is she who trusted that the promises made to her by God would be fulfilled."

Today marks the 9th anniversary of the keeper's mother's passing. We understand she was a brilliant woman who was not afraid to step into new territory all the way until she stepped across the border between heaven and earth. Sharp of wit and strong of opinion, she insisted her children never be boring. She loved Christmas, the music, the gifting, the decor, the whole scene. (Note: We think the keeper inherited this trait.) At this time of year the keeper's mother and father used to say to each other, "I'll see you under the Christmas tree." The children never were certain what those words meant for those two, but they seem fitting words now as each gathers under their own trees, both in remembrance and in hope of the day when all will be gathered together in peace and the night will be as day. 

Santa Came Early!!

We heard the delivery truck pull up. We didn't look at the time. But it was after 9. 

 There was a knock on the door.

We watched a man in brown drop off a box. She opened the door, yelling, "Thank you, and Merry Christmas!"  to him as he leapt  back into the brown truck which would probably take him many more places this night. We looked at the box--2nd day air! We watched her slide the knife down the taped edge to find with glee a great gift which we will put under our tree.

Clouds of Heaven II

Lift up your heads and see.  .  .

Clouds of Heaven I

This late afternoon when the keeper was hanging the last strands of Christmas lights, she looked up and sighed. Not even the 

Sistine Chapel is this beautiful.

Emmanuel, coming on the clouds of heaven, must be near!

Bloom!

The Paper Whites in our Advent wreath are working overtime to make the Christmas blooming deadline. The picture behind them, incidentally, is of a Russian Easter brunch with blooming bulbs. We don't think we will have to wait that long.

"Who Am I to Judge?"

Tonight she left us for  the fabulous Lessons and Carols at St. James, where she was able to get a front row seat through no merit of her own, other than that a former parishioner of hers, now a Cathedral parishioner as well,  saw her come in and offered her the amazing seat. They have sat together at this event in years past. It was a beautiful event, and the children were polished and took their ministry very seriously. There is something about singing "Silent Night" holding a lit candle in a darkened church that stirs many memories. Now the memories include the last years at St. James
which have been a gift beyond measure.

On the way home she stopped at Whole Foods to buy her Sunday night pizza and Christmas dessert, and a magazine she used to read religiously from her youth. She wanted to put the cover in a frame! The article might be all night, but the cover is a keeper! She couldn't believe that one issue now costs   $7.99. She just got an offer of a full year for $20.00 + !! This cover was worth it!

O Rex Gentium!

It's the Fourth Week of Advent now. It has gone so incredibly quickly. There seemed no time to wait!

And what an Advent it was, we understand. The keeper told us that she decided to take a bold step with a new job, and that we don't have to move or anything. We may even see her more. We don't believe that last part for a minute. But while she was tearing around, our paper whites tore it all up too, and we may even have a blossom for Christmas! We are told they are overly fragrant and will make Alice and the keeper sneeze. 

Coat Check Bed

The keeper left us tonight and ended up with a friend for what started out as a short time at some other friends' huge party. They visited with people from their pasts, politicians, activists, philanthropists, environmentalists, and many more they didn't know. All very interesting people. But once they found their coats and prepared to head to their next events, they spent as much time outside waiting in the rain for the valet parking guys to find their car. While waiting, they ended up greeting the waves of arriving guests and opening the front door for them. She came home to us soaked but happy.

Sweetest Card of the Week!

This week we received a very creative and whimsical Christmas card from two friends. We told the keeper that it is a keeper! Thanks, friends!

O Key of David

It snowed a bit. Lots of hoopla about it as usual.

O Key of David, 

come unlock what is still frozen in us, 

open our chill doors to the warmth of your light and fiery love. 

Cecil can never get enough snow. Or coconut gelato.

Crèche

Last eve the crèche appeared. The scene gets larger each year as more and more angels, choristers, and more human,  four legged, feathered visitors take part. A very catholic "here comes everybody" sort of event. 

Comandante Marcos even keeps watch over the scene from behind a reindeer and the ducks are still nesting in the hay where the child will be placed. It's not a tidy or quiet crèche at all.

Advent Moon

In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high will break upon us and guide our feet in the  way of peace.
Come, dawn. 

Oh Root of Jesse

We are watching our Advent wreath come to birth. The paper white bulbs are beginning to burst and shoot up out of the smooth river stones. She told us she would like to stay home and watch the growth spurts. But she will just have to rely on our testimony. Unless it snows a whole bunch tonight.

Oh Adonai!

Not quite a burning bush, but if we were able to wear shoes or sandals, we would have certainly taken them off of our paws. But we knew we were standing on holy ground. So did the keeper in her boots.