A gardener's work

can be easily performed by two cats. And I plan to propose to our home owner's association to replace our current gardeners with our lovely cats.

That time of the day when the sun is considering to retire is a special time. The dabs of golden light on the leaves are so metaphysical
that even a busy cat like Ollie would have to sit for a spell and soak in the peace and beauty.
No sooner had he begun to fade into the softness of those moments that his other self (the naughty one) woke up with Vulcan ears and told me that he was my leader! I simply looked back at him maintaining continuous eye contact.
He jumped down from his pot of glory and decided to tend to the garden, a new plant had suddenly appeared in our courtyard.
In his puffy gardening pants, he stood up and checked the plant
thoroughly,
from all angles, and with immense attention.
Sweet Pants was in charge of watering but he had created a lake
that he could not cross, too deep for his sweet pants, so he walked around it.
The gardener cats exchanged looks once
once
and again
twice at each other remaining in constant communication.
I had the urge to kiss them and so I did. They made kisses and blew it in the air.

Then Gus retired to the back and reflected on
this mystic passage that only he understands:

"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." (from the Hidden Words)

All in all it was a grand afternoon outdoors where most land is covered by cement.

Ciao everyone!

Sometimes they hide

when I approach them with the idea of a reading and reflections!

The palm tree that is the center piece of our back yard living room is fascinating. I take pictures from all angles and never tire of the visual treat that it is to me. I chose the dried up brown parts today.


A couple of nights ago I went to a talk. The quote from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians was discussed, the one that goes like this:

"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face." This was the scriptural lesson on April 14, 1912 at the Church of Ascension in New York.

Here's the opening paragraph of the talk delivered by the guest speaker to the audience in 1912 building on the theme of the scriptural lesson:

"The light of truth has heretofore been seen dimly through variegated glasses, but now the splendors of Divinity shall be visible through the translucent mirrors of pure hearts and spirits. The light of truth is the divine teaching, heavenly instruction, merciful principles and spiritual civilization. Since my arrival in this country I find that material civilization has progressed greatly, that commerce has attained the utmost degree of expansion; arts, agriculture and all details of material civilization have reached the highest stage of perfection, but spiritual civilization has been left behind. Material civilization is like unto the lamp, while spiritual civilization is the light in that lamp. If the material and spiritual civilization become united, then we will have the light and the lamp together, and the outcome will be perfect. For material civilization is like unto a beautiful body, and spiritual civilization is like unto the spirit of life. If that wondrous spirit of life enters this beautiful body, the body will become a channel for the distribution and development of the perfections of humanity." (Promulgation of Universal Peace)

The speaker, a chemist, noted that a silversmith knows when silver is all pure when he heats it to the point that a black surface layer forms on the top and fumes away, and then he can see his own reflection in the molten silver, first see through a glass darkly but then face to face. Think about this.

Here is naughty Ollie who was hiding from this morning's reading
followed closely by his naughty big brother Augustus who followed suit immediately!
No churchy talks for cat boys on a Friday.

Still they came out to make kisses and send you their best wishes! Happy Friday everyone!

Ciao!

Conceptual Frameworks...

In our world the early mornings offer a lot to see and to ponder. It is probably exactly the same in your world. On this early morning I was not surprised to see the two Misters busy doing their cat thing. After all I am the enabler, I disperse the seeds for the squirrels and I take the cats out back to the theatre.

On this particular morning Mr Sweet Pants was the one who noticed the rustle in the debris and his crouch signaled to Mr Puffy Pants that something interesting was about to happen.
I want you to know that chubby and fluffy as Ollie might be, and he is, what he is definitely not is being lethargic. Mr Puffy Pants is not familiar with the concept of inertia and so he always springs into action, promptly.
With laser like focus
and in their adorable hunter crouch,
the cat boys checked the little squirrel up and down with excitement,
and mutually arrived at the idea that he was not all that interesting or perhaps, "do we really want this dude?", and so they stopped having entirely enjoyed the game just for its own sake...
This posture I cannot figure out but then again that is Ollie!
While they were busy with their thing and I was clicking my camera away I was also thinking about my conception of the world around me, what was the framework I was conceptualizing for the world that shaped around me? What were those bits of 'acquired knowledge' that were not necessary and gave me a negative outlook and what were the positive ones. Was I laser-like in my analysis of the world or more like a hummingbird.

Hearing the tsk tsk of a hummingbird above I called the cat boys over to another corner and asked them to look above.
They observed the hummingbird swiftly zipping back
and forth,
up and
down!
Incredibly genius cats that they are they told me that this reminded them of dan roam
encouraging us to balance our fox and our hummingbird. Ha ha! Those boys are clever indeed, sly as foxes and aware of their environment as hummingbirds. I was forced to kiss them both on their funny faces.

I don't have really much to say except that I like to apply this to the way I restructure my conceptual framework of this world, what do I expect it to be like and what my role would have to be. This is all too much for a beautiful day like today but something to think about for later.

Cat boys sent kisses and best wishes like they always do...

Ciao!

The rhythm of our days...

I have noticed how important rhythm is to the focus and energy of cat boys. A disciplined ritual collects their random energies, and so this is why we walk, read and reflect together.
I bought these plants for the cat boys. They love beautiful surroundings. The plants need to be beautified but that will be another day's project. I love how each cat inspects the plants.

Inspections over the cat boys ran into the courtyard. Here's Sweet Pants Augustus
with his musical gait.
Ollie Puffy Pants hurried right behind
and the two set off like two horses onto the track.
Ollie split...games began.
They did ask me about the future state of life on earth, I researched, we read this from Abdul-Baha, spiritual teacher:

"The Lord of all mankind hath fashioned this human realm to be a Garden of Eden, an earthly paradise. If, as it must, it findeth the way to harmony and peace, to love and mutual trust, it will become a true abode of bliss, a place of manifold blessings and unending delights. Therein shall be revealed the excellence of humankind, therein shall the rays of the Sun of Truth shine forth on every hand."

This they found pleasing, they made kisses and blew them in the air for your fat Tuesday!

Ciao everyone!

they have chosen our hearts....

The tulip tree outside our unit is hurrying towards full bloom, a treat for
Augustus Sweet Pants who likes to sit on the patio wall to eat his breakfast.
Later in the morning he reposes while I read to him a passage for his meditations.
"He hath chosen out of the whole world the hearts of His servants, and made them each a seat for the revelation of His glory. Wherefore, sanctify them from every defilement, that the things for which they were created may be engraven upon them. This indeed is a token of God’s bountiful favor." Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah

This is one of our Murs des Chats, or cat walls, with illustrations from lovely Carolina.
Mr Puffy Pants is calm. He said hello and made kisses for you.
We wish all a lovely Wednesday!

Ciao!

Happy Valentine's Day dear friends...

Two cat boys seated like this in our courtyard could mean a couple of things. One is that they want to sing for me in unison. Delightful as that would have been it was not the case.
Second, it would have to be the berry rain that falls down when the Pasadena parrots fly our skies. It mesmerizes the cat boys. We hear these birds nearly every day, and we love them. They seem to need to exercise their beaks by breaking off little branches, and so wherever they gather it rains little berries and branches.
Sweet Pants Augustus went out to figure out why it sounded like rain but without the droplets. He went out to investigate
and found a street covered with berries and branches.
Standing there immersed in the ocean of sounds and colors
was a powerful experience!
It was musical. It was magical.
Later that night I went to see Augustus to read
and reflect...
We had nothing particular in mind, just feeling calm, perhaps in awe...remembering...

"I knew not what amazement was
Until I made Thy love my cause.
O how amazing would it be
If I were not amazed by Thee!" (Divan Ibn Farid, mystic poet)

Then I went to the next level to get Ollie. This scene told me that I was too late.
Mr Puffy Pants was plumb exhausted.
The cat boys sent you their best wishes for a happy valentine's day in addition to all the kisses that they could make.

Ciao everyone!