Believe it or not

we each had a different thought on our minds, that faithful afternoon in late September.

I was thinking about what made people do great things, choose the untrodden path with such certitude, I really felt a longing to know.

My feline companions also had their own concerns.

Augustus, known in philosophical circles as Mr Sweet Pants, wanted to know about the change of seasons and the rotation of celestial spheres.
Ollie, who is known amongst his investigator friends as Mr Puffy Pants, was investigating odor particles that were clinging to the leaves. Please make note of his gorgeous ears-pointed back,
and now front,
and now look at that heart-melting head tilt!

Most thoughts left my mind at this point in time I was so into these dudes, transported into their world.
I noticed then that SweetPants gave the motion to read something because he was about to make those kisses.
And so I read to them this from the mystic work, Seven Valleys:

"Every semblance, every shape that perisheth today

In the treasure-house of Time is safely stored away.

When the world revolveth to its former place,

Out of the invisible He draweth forth its face."

They approved of the reading.

Mr Sweet Pants eagerly proceeded to make those kisses to send your way
and the two of them sent their best wishes for a happy last week in September.
Ciao everyone!

The woof and warp of the fabric of our days...

So much a part of our daily lives are these two furry dudes...who would have thought that it'd be so?

Just as I follow the cat boys around with my camera they too follow me about like two furry shadows. I have developed a tendency to check around and below me at all times, I feel two pairs of eyes are following me, and that really is a good thing.

Yesterday I tried to sneak around a back door when Ginger spotted me and immediately called his brother to come and make note.








I left without reading to them. Instead I handed them out this reading from the Persian Prophet so they could reflect upon it together. I wonder what the outcome was.

Thine eye is My trust, suffer not the dust of vain desires to becloud its luster. Thine ear is a sign of My bounty, let not the tumult of unseemly motives turn it away from My Word that encompasseth all creation. Thine heart is My treasury, allow not the treacherous hand of self to rob thee of the pearls which I have treasured therein. Thine hand is a symbol of My loving-kindness, hinder it not from holding fast unto My guarded and hidden Tablets…. Unasked, I have showered upon thee My grace. Unpetitioned, I have fulfilled thy wish. In spite of thy undeserving, I have singled thee out for My richest, My incalculable favors…. O My servants! Be as resigned and submissive as the earth, that from the soil of your being there may blossom the fragrant, the holy and multicolored hyacinths of My knowledge. Be ablaze as the fire, that ye may burn away the veils of heedlessnessand set aglow, through the quickening energies of the love of God, the chilled and wayward heart. Be light and untrammeled as the breeze, that ye may obtain admittance into the precincts of My court, My inviolable Sanctuary.

As I was driving away I noted kitty kisses flying in the air, and then I knew that precious dudes were making kisses and blowing them in the air for us. They melt my heart.

Ciao everyone!

It is still one of those a little bit of this

and a little bit of that type of months. The cat boys wanted to know if there was a name for these types of months. We three stared at each other for some time.

I pointed out to them a little sunflower that had volunteered to grow just next to the white roses. They were impressed, slightly only.

I soon found them in a spot only two cats with exquisite taste would discover, the gentle shade of leaves, a cool tree pot, only the surface layers of earth warmed by the sun, a dry cement ground with ample room for rolling around in the safety of big cat brother's eyes.
Augustus Sweet Pants...
Ollie Puffy Pants...
For reasons that are no longer clear to me I had planned to read them this, and once I saw them it did not seem relevant but here it is, from Promulgation of Universal Peace:

"Let us not regard our own respective capacities; nay, rather, let us regard forever the favors and bounties of God. The drop must not estimate its own limited capacity; it must realize the volume and sufficiency of the ocean, which ever glorifieth the drop. The tender and simple seed, solitary though it may be, must not look upon its own lack of power. Nay, rather, its attention must ever be directed to the sun, in the rays of which it finds life and quickening; and it must ever consider the downpour of the cloud of mercy. For the bounty of the cloud, the effulgence and heat of the sun and the breath of the vernal zephyrs can transform the tiny seed and develop it into a mighty tree. And may you remember that a single infinitesimal atom in the ray of the sun through a shining beam of the solar energy becomes glorified and radiant."

Seeing that I don't want our togetherness moments go unfulfilled, I played for them this, one of their favorites, and precious cat boys that they are, they really loved it.

Cat boys were in good humor, made kisses and blew them in the air for your new week.

Ciao everyone!

Calling El Senor Dulce Pantalones and El Senor Puffy Pantalones...

I usually prepare myself for changing circumstances, I try to remain detached from outcomes...and so when I call for the doodle cats I do so with no expectations.

On this particular afternoon I called for the cat hijos and pronto...

one Augusuts, the SweetPants,
and one Ollie, the Puffy Pants








immediately responded to my call and sat, assuming one of their many postures of learning!
I asked them what they wanted to hear and this was it:

Intone, O My servant, the verses of God that have been received by thee, as intoned by them who have drawn nigh unto Him, that the sweetness of thy melody may kindle thine own soul, and attract the hearts of all men. Whoso reciteth, in the privacy of his chamber, the verses revealed by God, the scattering angels of the Almighty shall scatter abroad the fragrance of the words uttered by his mouth, and shall cause the heart of every righteous man to throb. Though he may, at first, remain unaware of its effect, yet the virtue of the grace vouchsafed unto him must needs sooner or later exercise its influence upon his soul. Thus have the mysteries of the Revelation of God been decreed by virtue of the Will of Him Who is the Source of power and wisdom. (Gleanings)

I am never astonished as I said earlier. I complemented them for their genius selection and praised their inquisitiveness. They then made kisses and blew them in the air for you all. Enjoy!

Ciao!

Dynamics of Changing Seasons

This title is the long way of saying that we don't know how to make the transition into fall.
One of our favorite things about fall is the softening of the sun. It still shines through the same leaves but does not burn them.
El Senor Dulce Pantalones gave a lazy sigh and loved it. Nothing like yawning to get that extra bit of air out of the lungs and replace it with fresh sunny air.
He then placed himself in the cat pot, temporarily that is,
and later on the stairs behind the rose bushes.
El Senor Puffy Pantalones accompanied his shadow to another corner. I love that with his shadow there are two of them to love.
The weight of the cat world on his mind he crossed his paws and assumed the posture of meditation.
I knew it was time to read even though my own mind had been jumping around from topic to topic.
Sweet Pants noticed my indecisiveness and grabbed a book and put his paw on this reading:

"O Son of My Handmaid!

Didst thou behold immortal sovereignty, thou wouldst strive to pass from this fleeting world. But to conceal the one from thee and to reveal the other is a mystery which none but the pure in heart can comprehend."

(The Hidden Words)

Enjoy today, the cat boys just sent you pawfuls of kisses!

Ciao!

Phantasmal moments....

There are those special hours each day when things look good even if temporarily. As we looked up at the skies we noticed that our building was partially merged into the sky, the sky was so white and colorless. Though we three prefer a true mediterranean blue, perhaps a deep sea green blue, maybe even a prussian blue, today and at this moment, the correct choice was that pale blue that allowed our building to look tall and good.
Down below, the sights were far far far more delightful with El Senor Dulce Pantalones leaning on the warm cement, his green eyes recently awakened from his day nap.
I knew that up above a feathery treat was sitting far from reach allowing only mental pleasures
yet demanding inspection from more than one angle.
There it is, a very ordinary bird looking especially good at this hour and nicely tucked between the spiny palm branches.
And here is my other eye pleasure, ElSenorHinchadosPantalones, Ollie. He too appeared not entirely awake- the long afternoon nap had exhausted him!

I was not quite sure whether to read to the boys or dance or play music...and so I decided to read a favorite of Guss':

"Having recognized thy powerlessness to attain to an adequate understanding of that Reality which abideth within thee, thou wilt readily admit the futility of such efforts as may be attempted by thee, or by any of the created things to fathom the mystery of the Living God, the Day Star of unfading glory, the Ancient of everlasting days. This confession of helplessness which mature contemplation must eventually impel every mind to make is in itself the acme of human understanding, and marketh the culmination of man's development." (gleanings)

We wish everyone a happy weekend with a lot of delicious cat kisses!

Ciao!

One Early September Afternoon....

we were out in the courtyard. The sun was starting to go down behind the back wall of the complex and the last rays of the day shone through the petals of the unruly shaggy roses. Most tenants have voted these to be unattractive but this afternoon they were not so, they were transparent and light.
Mr SweetPants sat and observed from afar with his long tail. We are all particularly fond and proud of that tail. It used to be very short and he was pleased when it started to grow longer and longer. Now it is so long that he frequently does not fit into a regular photo and I have to change the aspect ratio!
Mr PuffyPants who is always running understood that an afternoon like this must be absorbed and so he assumed the reflection posture.
SweetPants sat in front of him.
I thought that an opportunity had obviously presented itself- I ran and got a reading for their enjoyment.

"When we observe the world of created phenomena we discover that each atom of the atoms of substance is moving through the various degrees and kingdoms of organic life. For instance, consider the ethereal element which is penetrating and traveling through all the contingent realities. When there is vibration or movement in the ethereal element, the eye is affected by that vibration and beholds what is known as light.

In the same manner the bestowals of God are moving and circulating throughout all created things. This illimitable divine bounty has no beginning and will have no ending. It is moving, circulating and becomes effective wherever capacity is developed to receive it. In every station there is a specialized capacity. Therefore we must be hopeful that through the bounty and favor of God, this spirit of life infusing all created things shall quicken humanity and from its bestowals the human world become a divine world, this earthly kingdom the mirror of the realm of divinity, the virtues and perfections of the world of humanity become unveiled and the image and likeness of God be reflected from this temple." (Spiritual Teacher-Abdul Baha)

The cat boys felt content and slowly made kisses that were gently blown into the soft air for this first week of September.

Ciao everyone!