We must pause again....

When October decided to roll up there was no guarantees of a different pace, only different days, different temperatures...and so, this past weekend as the boys and I gathered for a brief powwow we agreed that we needed to pause and reflect...

Ollie gave me his best attention. I was reminded of Marilyn Monroe for some reason

when I saw his fluffy stretched out paws.
Too shy to be photographed incessantly he changed positions and hid his gorgeous paws. He is too naughty!

Mr Sweet Pants Augustus was observing us silently...

He then glanced at me a sweet glance

and gently chuckled, entertained by his ginger brother!
Augustus chose this reading for reflection...

O SON OF THE WONDROUS VISION! I have breathed within thee a breath of My own Spirit, that thou mayest be My lover. Why hast thou forsaken Me and sought a beloved other than Me? (the Hidden Words)

and from the look of it Ollie really enjoyed it. He practices meditation actively.

I decided that I liked being referred to as "The Son of Wondrous Vision"...and decided to focus on that.

Later that afternoon Mr Sweet Pants retired to the indoors where he rested his tired paws

and the rest of him too.

Some of his time was filled with making kisses for you guys...to wish you a happy end of October...
The owner of these little paws chose to play outdoors and I am certain that he too made kisses for you.

Happy end of October everyone!

Ciao!

Cat boys do not lack readiness...

if they only could learn to handle labware I would hire them instantly because I have yet to know any human forms that display their eager readiness to do any task. For them there is no ordinary, they live in the realm of always new and extraordinary.

Alas, alas...they are furry and the laboratory is not a good place for them, the noises, the artificial light, molecules that escape their containers to float in the air which may tickle their little noses!

When we were having this discussion one day...one particularly lovely day

Ollie went into deep thought. He was torn between management positions, outdoor supervision, gardening, and bird hunting where he would be allowed to also spend time meditating!

Note that Ollie is sporting a feline Michael Jackson look, he has one wrist bare to look more punkish!!!
Augustus was more resolute, and exclaimed that he would gladly take care of the birds and the squirrels_which meant that he was interested in animal control without the khaki uniform. He wanted to be an under cover agent!

The squirrel was confused.

We decided to momentarily reflect upon this unrelated theme only because I could not get my thoughts focused too, I really wanted their readiness:

"In creation there is no evil; all is good. Certain qualities and natures innate in some men and apparently blameworthy are not so in reality. For example, from the beginning of his life you can see in a nursing child the signs of desire, of anger, and of temper. Then, it may be said, good and evil are innate in the reality of man, and this is contrary to the pure goodness of nature and creation. The answer to this is that desire, which is to ask for something more, is a praiseworthy quality provided that it is used suitably. So, if a man has the desire to acquire science and knowledge, or to become compassionate, generous, and just, it is most praiseworthy. If he exercises his anger and wrath against the bloodthirsty tyrants who are like ferocious beasts, it is very praiseworthy; but if he does not use these qualities in a right way, they are blameworthy. Then it is evident that in creation and nature evil does not exist at all; but when the natural qualities of man are used in an unlawful way, they are blameworthy."

Ollie appeared puzzled and I realized that he does not know what evil is, and that is a good thing. I had to control myself as I was about to lunge towards him for some kisses.

Cat dudes made pawfuls of kisses for you. Enjoy!

Ciao!

Much happens when I seemingly look away

Standing in the courtyard with the two cat boys my mind was going full speed today. I was visiting the various rooms in my head where various thoughts were being materialized in a different dimension- in one the plan for the day was being laid down, then there was the one that considered deadlines, perhaps deadlines were required, one insisted on reflecting and spiritual meaning, and my present self agreed that that was the one to focus on....

Meanwhile the furry dudes had their own ideas and considerations...

Augustus was on the wall to get a closer look at something and Ollie felt that he could not be left behind.
No procrastination, no inertia to overcome, he literally sprang into action.
I had to laugh as I saw him fly upwards
and here I could not smile any bigger as I looked at his cute hind legs...how he got his name MrPuffyPants!
Well...it seems like their mission was accomplished, and I wished that mine was too!
MrSweetPants felt that the wall could not bear the two of them or perhaps he wanted to give me a flying cat hug, and so down he jumped...
flying like the SuperCat that he is
"ROAR"


We thought about this quote from the Persian Prophet to mentally prepare for the day....a good place to rest our thoughts:

"Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer to the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility."

Catboys cleverly noted that the standards in the quote were too high but still that was a good place to place our intentions. I concurred.

Catboys sent pawfuls of kisses for your day!

Ciao!

Re-emerging rhythms....

Our routines disrupted with Mr Puffy Pants' upset stomach, we are starting to restore the rhythm of things, bit by bit.

I noted that the palm leaves appeared more vibrant one dark, one light, one dark, one light...
Mr Puffy Pants was on an afternoon stroll with me tasting fresh grass that had surely sprung out for him.
Exploring various sounds, me standing behind just to make sure...just to keep him company.

Meanwhile back in the condo our rag doll Sweet Pants was resting exhausted from his long day of inspection and supervision. I had to chuckle when I noted that even his long tail appeared tired!
I wondered what he was dreaming of.
his tired paw shaking rhythmically to the beat of his dreams.
We all felt good....and craved for rhythm of the best kind.

Cat boys wished all a week of joyful rhythms....they said that kisses will be sent out in rhythmic bundles....

Ciao

This morning...

I would have liked to share photos of cat boys running and hunting but not today...

Little Ollie is sick. He has been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease. He is not allowed out and has to take several medicines that he does not like.



Little Augustus is very concerned. He is used to being attacked by his brother, at least 5 times a day.


I told Mr Puffy Pants that Sylvester, Augustus and I were very thankful for him. I wanted to know what he was thankful for.

He said that he was thankful for us and for the earth being round instead of flat! I thought that the statement he made was very profound.

We then meditated on this:

"From the exalted source, and out of the essence of His favor and bounty He hath entrusted every created thing with a sign of His knowledge, so that none of His creatures may be deprived of its share in expressing, each according to its capacity and rank, this knowledge. This sign is the mirror of His beauty in the world of creation. The greater the effort exerted for the refinement of this sublime and noble mirror, the more faithfully will it be made to reflect the glory of the names and attributes of God, and reveal the wonders of His signs and knowledge. ..." (Gleanings)

Cat boys decided to spend part of the day reflecting with their eyes closed and the other part making kisses to send out later.

Ciao everyone!

our world early this morning

The world belonged to them this early morning. (And I wished for some moments for better photographic skills.)

Augustus SweetPants
and Ollie Puffy Pants?!?!
Set the camera to high sensitivity...Olllie attempting to climb the palm tree was too precious for me.
He came down. I started humming and he too hummed


as we listened to this...

The World is Yours :

This is the song that you throw on
When life is feeling rather long
And you're longing for confidence to make it

And these are the words that make you feel
That all your dreams aren't dreams
But real events that simply haven't taken place yet

But if you stare high
The sky will come right down and kiss you
If you keep your head towards the stars
They will assist you

The world is yours
The world is yours

This is the time of night
When all the streetlights rub their waking eyes
The day and night find compromise in dark blue

This is the magic in the air
That whispers, "You are almost there"
The worries, cares, and daydreamers will leave soon

But if you stare high
The sky will come right down and kiss you
If you keep your head towards the stars
They will assist you

The world is yours
The world is yours

Well, this is the song that you throw on
When life is feeling rather long
And you're longing for confidence to make it

And these are the words that make you feel
That all your dreams aren't dreams
But real events that simply haven't taken place yet

But if you stare high
The sky will come right down and kiss you
But if you keep your head towards the stars
They will assist you

The world is yours
The world is yours
What are you waiting for?

The world is yours
The world is yours

Cat Kisses were made and wrapped with the loveliest kitty wishes they were sent out your way!

Ciao everyone!

Spiritual Gathering of Cats without Chopra

I told the cat boys that I was going to go to this event tonight. Sadly they cannot attend because some people could be allergic to their fur but the mere mention of the gathering inspired them to spiritual matters.

They gathered around and within a potted tree.
MrSweetPants assumed the posture of spirituality
with deep focus!
while MrPuffyPants could only assume the posture of cuteness. He does not know Chopra!
Naturally a spiritual gathering of cats calls for a spiritual prayer, which I was happy to offer:

"O Thou Lord of the Kingdom! Though our bodies be gathered here together, yet our spellbound hearts are carried away by Thy love, and yet are we transported by the rays of Thy resplendent face. Weak though we be, we await the revelations of Thy might and power. Poor though we be, with neither goods nor means, still take we riches from the treasures of Thy Kingdom. Drops though we be, still do we draw from out Thy ocean deeps. Motes though we be, still do we gleam in the glory of Thy splendid Sun.
O Thou our Provider! Send down Thine aid, that each one gathered here may become a lighted candle, each one a center of attraction, each one a summoner to Thy heavenly realms, till at last we make this nether world the mirror image of Thy Paradise."

And then the enlightened cats gathered in perfect harmony to make kisses and to send you off with warm feline wishes.

“According to Vedanta, there are only two symptoms of enlightenment, just two indications that a transformation is taking place within you toward a higher consciousness. The first symptom is that you stop worrying. Things don't bother you anymore. You become light-hearted and full of joy. The second symptom is that you encounter more and more meaningful coincidences in your life, more and more synchronicities. And this accelerates to the point where you actually experience the miraculous. (quoted by Carol Lynn Pearson in Consider the Butterfly)”

― Deepak Chopra, Synchrodestiny: Harnessing the infinite power of coincidence to create miracles

Ciao everyone!

living in a thin veneer on tippy toes

I told the cat boys of what I had learned during a talk last night, a talk given by one of the scientists who worked on correcting the Hubble Telescope's vision. You can see him on minute 1:20 of this video. He spoke as a scientist and as a philosopher in awe, how could one not be so when investigating this world, whether microscopically or macroscopically?

So I asked the cat boys if they realized that we lived in a 10 mile veneer shell on the earth, stretching from 2 miles under the oceans to 8 miles above!

They meowed.

We talked, chatted, meowed a lot. Before I knew it we were all tired. So Augustus, Mr Sweet Pants, took advantage of this opportunity to show me how to stretch, I had mentioned to him one day that sitting at a desk made me tired.

And so here is your cat stretch, those of you who sit at a desk....
Mr Puffy Pants Ollie chimed in that one could use the wall to do the same stretch effectively.
And just to out do his brother he added another movement that he calls "Tippy Toes"
I did not want to giggle seeing his little legs.

While this was going on the sly one chose to escape the reading that he was sure would be following!!!
Today's quote is from Loren Acton, the astronaut, who said this when viewing the earth from outer skies:

Looking outward to the blackness of space, sprinkled with the glory of a universe of lights, I saw majesty but no welcome. Below was a welcoming planet. There, contained in the thin, moving, incredibly fragile shell of the biosphere is everything that is dear to you, all the human drama and comedy. That's where life is that's where all the good stuff is.

Well, life is sometimes good, and sometimes great, and quite often not so good, and this changes all the time. But really though there is no place like earth, and our job is to fill it with love every minute of every day.

The cat boys wished everyone good times sprinkled with their lovely kisses and purrs!

Ciao everyone!

Rain was in the forecast (and then part II)

and I shared the news with Mr Puffy Pants.

It did not go over well.

He had an emotional fainting once here

and later here.
I told him that I had nothing to do with it, and that sometimes water had to pour down from the skies.

Now, we go to Part II, which is going to be titled

"What happens between 5 and 7 a.m. on a rainy day"

or, alternatively,

"Sometimes my little wishes come true!"

One of my little wishes is to simply be able to sit on these stairs in a space that is not strangled with demands. On this rainy morning after the cat boys spent a good hour outside that little wish came true because it started to rain and good boys that Ollie and Gussy are, they did not want to get their furs too wet. So, in they came and that is how my wish came true.

I quickly made a cup of tea, ran up the stairs, said a small prayer because I wanted to create that space, sat down on the stairs, and started looking out my hourglass life with my companions about. Of course the big companion was upstairs sleeping.
Mr Sweet Pants made a spot for himself above my head, still not too pleased that he had to be indoors.
And Mr Puffy Pants was playing the game of running up and down, to him every moment is a moment reserved for games.
He decided to investigate the narrow space between the rug and the comforter on the floor.
Does anyone know what that big lump is?
Peek-a-boo! I wonder who that is under the covers...
Two paws?? I wonder whose they are!!!
Mr Sweet Pants wondered about his brother.
Now Mr Sweet Pants is drinking tea.
And now he is absorbed into another world, another wave of rain, the rapid drip drip of the October sky that was oh so blue yesterday had him mesmerized.
Rain
Rain
Rain
He is too precious for words, his little tongue sticks out when he tries to think very hard.
Mr Puffy Pants finds his own corner and
reflects quietly
as I read to him....

O YE PEOPLE THAT HAVE MINDS TO KNOW AND EARS TO HEAR!

The first call of the Beloved is this: O mystic nightingale! Abide not but in the rose-garden of the spirit. O messenger of the Solomon of love! Seek thou no shelter except in the Sheba of the well-beloved, and O immortal phoenix! dwell not save on the mount of faithfulness. Therein is thy habitation, if on the wings of thy soul thou soarest to the realm of the infinite and seekest to attain thy goal.

Later he will recite this to Mr Sweet Pants.

Cat boys send you faithful kisses and lovely wishes...

Ciao!