Who is telling jokes today?

This early morning I find August laughing,

and Ollie sitting quietly, seemingly innocent and unaware.

Then I turn around and August is laughing out loud

and ginger snap has the giggles too!

I have a sneaking suspicion that the cat boys are playing with me but that is alright. Laughter is spiritual relaxation and is good for these dudes.

Cat boys are blowing kisses your way so you too would be happy and laughing this Monday!

Ciao!

Awaiting the weekend...

Ollie can already see it in his mind's eye.

August is rolling on the ground, laughing at Ollie's jokes.

His brother can be quite entertaining, when he is not jealous and emotional.

Ollie is pretending to be innocent.
'What me? I didn't say anything', says our Mr Puffy Pants.

August, looking this way and that...he knows the weekend is just around the corner,
and he wishes all a fabulous Friday.  No readings today, only TV, jokes, and radio.


Ciao!

Last night

I wasn't home to play with the cat boys.  I was attending an event at the Western Justice Center Foundation.  This building and the adjacent US Court of Appeals building are so stunningly beautiful that I had to take a few impromptu snapshots with my iphone.  Picture quality is not great but I hope you can imagine the beauty.
The building of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals 29th District

is adjacent to the Western Justice Center and is perhaps even more elegant.  If you live in and about Pasadena, visiting this building will be a grand treat your eyes.

The exterior gardens are stunning and since my iphone was not going to capture the beauty I witnessed, I settled for a picture of a grand palm tree standing tall.

Back to the Western Justice Center, I don't know who were the interior designers but they have done a splendid job.  Everything is beautiful there.  The photo below is that of the entrance hall.  I love the salmon/rose wall color, the pictures and ohh, that staircase.

Here's a snapshot of the ceiling tiles, and I totally forgot to take pictures of the beautiful rugs and so many other things.  I think you get the picture.

The meeting last night, justice related naturally, was to support the plight of 7 Iranian Baha'is who have been wrongly incarcerated since over a year ago.  Congressman Adam Schiff, Mayor Bogart, and Pasadena Police Chief, Bernard Melekian,  were there to speak in support of these people and to encourage all citizens to act when they see injustice.  Police Chief Melekian who is of Armenian descent spoke of Hitler and the Jewish problem. He reminded us that before the planning of the final solution Hitler asked "Who remembers the Armenians?" He was right. No one remembered them, as no one remembered the Jews. Rejected by everyone, they felt expelled from history. This, he said, is what moves him to stand in support of the Baha'is. The Honorable Judge Dorothy Nelson of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals was the master of ceremony and she herself is truly inspiring.  I have to admit that I was pleased to get a first hand impression of our city and government officials and to realize that a lot of good is done everywhere. This morning I saw the report of last night's event in our own local Pasadena paper.

Anyhow, as you might have guessed Ollie wanted to attend, he feels the need to show his presence everywhere, he stands for justice, he fights evil, etc.  And as on another occasion, this happened. 

He attempted to get his way by playing cute,.... and it did not work.

So he sat outside and pointed his ears towards the meeting room so he could eavesdrop.  What a useful creation, rotatable ears!  I wish I had those.

Augustus stayed home, he thought it was more dignified to remain at home because he knew that I would give him a report when I returned.

And he went 'OMMMMM'.

Well, what can one say.  Maybe the only thing to do is to pray for unity...to stand for justice...to not become complacent.

This prayer, so beautiful, was said at the opening of the session.

OO my God!  O my God!  Verily, I invoke Thee and supplicate before Thy threshold, asking Thee that all Thy mercies may descend upon these souls.  Specialize them for Thy favor and Thy truth.

O Lord!  Unite and bind together the hearts, join in accord all the souls, and exhilarate the spirits through the signs of Thy sanctity and oneness.  O Lord!  Make these faces radiant through the light of Thy oneness.  Strengthen the loins of Thy servants in the service of Thy kingdom. 

O Lord, Thou possessor of infinite mercy!  O Lord of forgiveness and pardon!  Forgive our sins, pardon our shortcomings, and cause us to turn to the kingdom of Thy clemency, invoking the kingdom of might and power, humble at Thy shrine and submissive before the glory of Thine evidences.

O Lord God!  Make us as waves of the sea, as flowers of the garden, united, agreed through the bounties of Thy love.  O Lord!  Dilate the breasts through the signs of Thy oneness, and make all mankind as stars shining from the same height of glory, as perfect fruits growing upon Thy tree of life.

Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Self-Subsistent, the Giver, the Forgiving, the Pardoner, the Omniscient, the One Creator. (Abdu’l-Bahá)

Peace!

Musical heads...

After yesterday's comments about a certain red cat's size (no names) I thought perhaps I need to chat with the boys about food. This would naturally confuse the slender Augustus but what can a mommy do. Well, as you see shown below, cat boys have a sixth sense and know when a lecture might be coming. For minutes I was trying to get the boys' attention and not once did I manage to get them both facing me. Well, duhhh! We know cats conference back to back, what was mommy thinking! So I let it be.

Before I got a chance to say something, Ollie tells me this:

"All food was lawful to the children of Israel save that which Israel forbade himself before the Torah was revealed."

I am thinking 'what the heck?', 'is he reading my mind?', and 'since when is he a child of Israel?'.  Confused as I was, I did not let him gain the upper hand, and I went straight into an explanation of the famous Supper.

"O thou yearner after the Truth!
The Supper of the Lord which His Highness the Spirit (Christ) ate with the apostles was a heavenly supper and not one of material bread and water, for material objects have no connection with spiritual objects. As at that time material food was also present, therefore the leaders of the religion of Christ thought that it was material food which was changed into spiritual food.
The proof that it was not material food is this: The apostles upon many occasions partook of material food with His Highness Christ, yet the supper of that night became designated as the “Lord’s Supper.” From this designation it is plain and evident that they ate heavenly food at that supper. That heavenly food consisted of the love of God, the knowledge of God, the mysteries of God and the bestowal of God." (Tablet of AbdulBaha 514)

From the ensuing bites I understood that he was not falling for this stuff, he likes his treats, and he will not be tricked.  So there we have it.  I need to call Siegfried and Roy and while I am waiting to hear from them, I will dispense treats with moderation.

Wishing all a treatful Wednesday and cat kisses.

Ciao!

Guarding the treasures?

Ollie, the Magnificent, guarding his treasures...now you know why he is so fluffy!

And, Augustus, the Most Precious, guarding the door!

And last night we reviewed the following...

"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...." (Gleanings)

May cat kisses and abundant treasures be yours this Tuesday!

Ciao!

A weekend of cat bliss...

means 'open house'. The doors were left open and the boys ran in and out, in and out, in and out, to their hearts' content, which explains why by Sunday evening they were tired. Naps here and naps there. However, intelligent cats that they are, they did not miss on their readings and asked mommy to choose a passage.





Here's what we read, The boys loved it and hope you do too.

Man is the supreme Talisman. Lack of a proper education hath, however, deprived him of that which he doth inherently possess. Through a word proceeding out of the mouth of God he was called into being; by one word more he was guided to recognize the Source of his education; by yet another word his station and destiny were safeguarded. The Great Being saith: Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom. If any man were to meditate on that which the Scriptures, sent down from the heaven of God's holy Will, have revealed, he would readily recognize that their purpose is that all men shall be regarded as one soul, so that the seal bearing the words "The Kingdom shall be God's" may be stamped on every heart, and the light of Divine bounty, of grace, and mercy may envelop all mankind. The one true God, exalted be His glory, hath wished nothing for Himself. The allegiance of mankind profiteth Him not, neither doth its perversity harm Him. The Bird of the Realm of Utterance voiceth continually this call: "All things have I willed for thee, and thee, too, for thine own sake." If the learned and worldly-wise men of this age were to allow mankind to inhale the fragrance of fellowship and love, every understanding heart would apprehend the meaning of true liberty, and discover the secret of undisturbed peace and absolute composure. Were the earth to attain this station and be illumined with its light it could then be truly said of it: "Thou shall see in it no hollows or rising hills."(Gleanings of Baha'u'llah)

PS. the cat boys know that the term 'man' in the above passage includes them as well because after all they are two years old now. How precious is that?

Wishing all a Peaceful Monday and may cat kisses...

Ciao!

Let's bungle this Friday...

Ollie bird, aka Mr Puffy Pants
and Augustus, aka Gussy Gus
ready to bungle
in the jungle




Finished bungling!

No readings this Friday, only singing...

Let's bungle in the jungle

Walking through forests of palm tree apartments ---
Scoff at the monkeys who live in their dark tents
Down by the waterhole --- drunk every friday ---
Eating their nuts --- saving their raisins for sunday.
Lions and tigers who wait in the shadows ---
Theyre fast but theyre lazy, and sleep in green meadows.
Lets bungle in the jungle --- well, thats all right by me.
Im a tiger when I want love,
But Im a snake if we disagree.

Just say a word and the boys will be right there:
With claws at your back to send a chill through the night air.
Is it so frightening to have me at your shoulder?
Thunder and lightning couldnt be bolder.
Ill write on your tombstone, ``i thank you for dinner.
This game that we animals play is a winner.

Lets bungle in the jungle --- well, thats all right by me.
Im a tiger when I want love,
But Im a snake if we disagree.

The rivers are full of crocodile nasties
And he who made kittens put snakes in the grass.
Hes a lover of life but a player of pawns ---
Yes, the king on his sunset lies waiting for dawn
To light up his jungle
As play is resumed.
The monkeys seem willing to strike up the tune.

May your Friday be sweetened with singing cats....

Ciao!