When they heard "Laduree" they came running...

well, actually August was licking his lips,

and Ollie was running!

These doodles are all too familiar with the finer things, they love receiving little treats all the way from L'Hexagone!

As you see here our lovely friend Violetta is presenting me with a box of Laduree macarons. Her mom who is visiting from Congo purchased these at Laduree during her stop in Paris. I was so stunned, I could not believe that someone had read the mental blob above my head that always says..."I wish I had some macarons from Laduree" ! I have been eating every single crumb!


We got together later for dinner after she finished work, we ate, told tales and played with kitties.

Kitty boys were so excited to have guests from overseas- they kept meowing in French, and just to show off a bit more they ran into their library and selected this poem from Hafez for our evening reading:

THE margin of a stream, the willow's shade,
A mind inclined to song, a mistress sweet,
A Cup-bearer whose cheek outshines the rose,
A friend upon whose heart thy heart is laid:
Oh Happy-starred! let not thine hours fleet
Unvalued; may each minute as it goes
Lay tribute of enjoyment at thy feet,
That thou may'st live and know thy life is sweet.
Let every one upon whose heart desire
For a fair face lies like a burden sore,
That all his hopes may reach their goal unchecked,
Throw branches of wild rue upon his fire.
My soul is like a bride, with a rich store
Of maiden thoughts and jewelled fancies decked,
And in Time's gallery I yet may meet
Some picture meant for me, some image sweet.
Give thanks for nights spent in good company,
And take the gifts a tranquil mind may bring;
No heart is dark when the kind moon doth shine,
And grass-grown river-banks are fair to see.
The Saki's radiant eyes, God favouring,
Are like a wine-cup brimming o'er with wine,
And him my drunken sense goes out to greet,
For e'en the pain he leaves behind is sweet.
Hafiz, thy life has sped untouched by care,
With me towards the tavern turn thy feet!
The fairest robbers thou'lt encounter there,
And they will teach thee what to learn is sweet.

Indeed we gave thanks for a night spent in good company! Wishing all macarons de Laduree or other yummy treats! Kitty boys meowed in French and blew pawfuls of kisses in the air!

A bientot!

A new garden and truly TGIF...

What a week, what a week...all I can say is whew! A final instrument breakdown discovered Thursday afternoon determined the course that was to be taken- no more do I do this first or that...I knew what I had to do. I suppose some disasters come to aid us!

So I share with you a garden update. The plants are now clustered in a new yet only temporary pattern. The rustic cart is gone because it was not doing anything for the catboys. They said, "Get rid of it, mommie!", and so I did.

Here's my lovely Aloe...

and the jade plant,
the ever-refusing to bloom amaryllis (despite our blossom dance), an agave cactus (?) in the back, a christmas cactus to the left, and some other succulent (left front).
The Lazy HouseWife green bean seeds that I received from dear Michaela grew too big and so I trimmed them,
and the two sage seeds that she sent me are now standing slender and straight in this pot.
After gardening we all went to the courtyard and I told the kitty boys many tales of woe and intrigue

which had Augustus perhaps puzzled

but Ollie was not listening and was only watching Augustus very carefully!

A distraction, perhaps a human, bird, squirrel or dog stole my audience!
Well, there it is...it is time to enjoy the weekend, no matter what or how! Hope yours is a splendid one!

We listened to our favorite Eric Harper....

Pawfuls of kisses blown in the air just for you!

Ciao!

Discourses of Spiritual Significance!

Yesterday we went out into the courtyard to shoot the breeze Augustus and Ollie told me that they wanted their discourses to have spiritual significance! I was really not sure what topics would be of spiritual import to a pair of lovely kitties but I decided not to ask for fear of appearing to be stupid.


I praised their high-mindedness and read to them a passage on the spiritual effects of good music:

"Music is one of the important arts. It has a great effect upon the human spirit. Musical melodies are a certain something which prove to be accidental upon etheric vibrations, for voice is nothing but the expression of vibrations, which, reaching the tympanum, affect the nerves of hearing. Musical melodies are, therefore, those peculiar effects produced by, or from, vibration. However, they have the keenest effect upon the spirit.

In sooth, although music is a material affair, yet its tremendous effect is spiritual, and its greatest attachment is to the realm of the spirit. If a person desires to deliver a discourse, it will prove more effectual after musical melodies. The ancient Greeks, as well as Persian philosophers, were in the habit of delivering their discourses in the following manner: first, playing a few musical melodies, and when their audience attained a certain receptivity thereby they would leave their instruments at once and begin their discourse. Among the most renowned musicians of Persia was one named Barbod, who, whenever a great question had been pleaded for at the court of the King, and the Ministry had failed to persuade the King, they would at once refer the matter to Barbod, whereupon he would go with his instrument to the court and play the most appropriate and touching music, the end being at once attained, because the King was immediately affected by the touching musical melodies, certain feelings of generosity would swell up in his heart, and he would give way. You may try this: if you have a great desire and wish to attain your end, try to do so on a large audience after a great solo has been rendered, but it must be on an audience on which music is effective, for there are some people who are like stones, and music cannot affect stones.

"It was for this reason that His Holiness David sang the psalms in the Holy of Holies at Jerusalem with sweet melodies. ... In short, musical melodies form an important role in the associations, or outward and inward characteristics, or qualities of man, for it is the inspirer or motive power of both the material and spiritual susceptibilities..." Promulgation of Universal Peace

Ollie reacted to the reading this way, by reflecting on his back

while Augustus reacted this other way...by reflecting seated in his potted tree!


The boys listen to music everyday and just told me that they plan to sing their orders to me from now on!

Musical meows and kitty kisses to all on this gorgeous Thursday!

Ciao!

After a very satisfying afternoon siesta

Augustus and Ollie came to me and spoke of their mutual dream! Have you guys ever had a mutual dream? Kitty daddy and I sometimes do, it is quite fun!

Anyhow, special cat boys that they are, they mutually dreamt of this. Augustus thinks he ought to be wearing a necklace now that he is approaching 3 years of age (in July) while Ollie thinks that the color better matches his Scottish/Swedish temperament (we think he has some Scot and Swede in him since he likes plaid bow ties, haggis, herring and reindeer). Should they win, I will wrestle them both for this gorgeous foliage necklace, which reminds me of lovely Michaela and the beautiful heartland that she paints before our eyes.

We are crossing our paws and our fingers...

Ciao!

Slacking off...

Kitty boys accused me of slacking off and of shirking my responsibilities! "True!", I said, "I cannot spend all of my time walking about with you dudes." Still I could not resist their little meows and so very early this morning I walked with them down the street.



We stopped across from what used to be an unkept house with an ungroomed garden that served as their playground(this house burnt down a few months ago and we no longer visit here).

We strolled down further to look up at the lovely pine,

then we stopped by the loquat tree with yummy loquats,

and finally we inspected the bright green fern!

And then we headed back because August and Ollie wanted to me to read them some poetry.


I wanted to tell them that I was in no mood for love poems but I decided to give in today. So there you have it, a poem by Hafiz!

SINGER, sweet Singer, fresh notes strew,
Fresh and afresh and new and new!
Heart-gladdening wine thy lips imbrue,
Fresh and afresh and new and new!
Saki, thy radiant feet I hail;
Flush with red wine the goblets pale,
Flush our pale cheeks to drunken hue,
Fresh and afresh and new and new!
Then with thy love to toy with thee,
Rest thee, ah, rest! where none can see
Seek thy delight, for kisses sue,
Fresh and afresh and new and new!
Here round thy life the vine is twined;
Drink I for elsewhere what wine wilt find?
Drink to her name, to hours that flew,
Hours ever fresh and new and new!
She that has stolen my heart from me,
How does she wield her empery?
Paints and adorns and scents her too,
Fresh and afresh and new and new!
Wind of the dawn that passest by,
Swift to the street of my fairy hie,
Whisper the tale of Hafiz true,
Fresh and afresh and new and new!


We wish everyone a lovely Tuesday with lovely strolls and love poems and pawfuls of kitty kisses, por supuesto!

Ciao!

After the love poem came grooming of Ollie, washing of August's little chin, one load of laundry, one load of drying, getting ready for work...a lot gets done between 5 and 7:30! Whew!

Breathing Space...

Last night or maybe the night before I had a weird dream where I was in France taking a shower with my clothes on with a group of blog friends. We descended a tight, narrow space that seemed like a crevice in a glacier but it was all rocky and there was a faucet. I was busy lathering my hair while trying to save water for the others.

August could not make anything of this and suggested that I forget..


Ollie was ashamed to hear such nonsense and said "when I turn my back we will pretend you did not say anything"!

I suppose somethings better left that way.

This early morning kitty mom went to breakfast with a friend, then off to school to prepare for her classes, and in all likelihood took her first deep breath in the early afternoon...she remembered that August had put a note in her pocket and that note was a quote for her to read when she felt tired:

O SON OF MAN! My majesty is My gift to thee, and My grandeur the token of My mercy unto thee. That which beseemeth Me none shall understand, nor can anyone recount. Verily, I have preserved it in My hidden storehouses and in the treasuries of My command, as a sign of My loving-kindness unto My servants and My mercy unto My people.

Hmm I thought, the gift of majesty! And so, I smiled ...

Kitty boys send pawfuls of kisses and little purrs ....

Ciao!

While these two were plotting again

right in front of kitty mom, a very effective tactic to intimidate me,


I was zsinking of this, that and the other...but I will not bore you!
I decided to open my book of game plans, which had one little kitty curious
but not the other, naturally!

I reminded them both that I was not born yesterday to which August did this

while Ollie did this...(he turns his back to me a lot)!

During this month of May rascalousnous has abounded!
My more pleasant thoughts hover about FTMS not because I am going to spend most of Friday in San Diego doing this but more because I am so fascinated with it. Imagine slipping between various domains...and I suppose we all do!

We all opted for fun and humor in place of reading and reflection (O my! I am ashamed).
We watched this, snickered, giggled, and relaxed!

Cat boys send pawfuls of kisses and best wishes for a happy Cinco de Mayo!

Ciao!