sunday sermon

There must be always remaining in every life,

some place for the singing of angels,

some place for that which in itself

is breathless and beautiful.

Howard Thurman

Peace Rose

i still love a piano

Way back when - about two years ago - I wrote a post (here) about being given an upright piano by J's Dad's church. For two years, I've been trying to find a way to get that piano from there to here - all of three blocks. I asked for help. I advertised for help. I checked the prices of moving companies. I never could find help and since there are no moving companies in our little town, the price to bring a truck from Chico and move a piano is astronomical. I even considered rolling the piano here! I kept the space clear and ready for the piano, but could never get it here.

Cut to now time. The pastor of the church that gave me the piano was recently transferred. The board wants to provide the new pastor with a new office - the room where my piano was stored. Suddenly help could be found and a man from the church moved the piano here this afternoon. I have a piano!

Oddly, it doesn't quite look the way I remembered it. It's a cherry wood, not the soft brown I recalled. But it'a a sweet piano. A Kindler & Collins, made in New York sometime between 1914 and 1924, it wasn't an expensive piano in its day and it has been well used. It smells a little musty under the "hood," one key sticks and another is way out of key, and a few of the ivories are missing. But I love it. J wants to take piano lessons and I'm thinking it wouldn't hurt for me to take lessons again myself.

Below is a picture of the keyboard of my new baby. If I could get a photo of the piano with a cat on it, it would be a perfect Cat Saturday photo for today, but so far the cats won't go near it!

wed wednesday

My favorite photo of the week from my tumblr, veilsandtales...

photographer: ben yew

via grey likes weddings

meet savannah

I've been busy lately. A little cat showed up across the street at the empty house next door to J's Dad. He didn't want anything to do with it and called me. It had a collar with a tag but was skittish around people. The cat had worked one paw through the collar and it was rubbing under her leg and across her neck. We guessed she was a she. She looked like a she. After a few days, I was able to get close enough to cut the collar off. Her name is Savannah.

I called the number listed on the name tag - a few times. Her former owner finally got back to me about a week later. He had had her for seven years but ran into hard times and gave her up to some friends to care for. He got in touch with them. They didn't care the cat was gone. The poor guy was in tears. He kept changing his mind about taking her back. Back and forth for days. Finally he decided he couldn't take her. That left me or the animal shelter. So, really, that left me. I really don't want another cat, but J is already attached and I can't abandon the cat too. 

J and I brought her over to our house tonight. We're going to try to make her an indoor kitty. Right now, she's in the bathroom. We're letting the kitties get used to each other's smells and sounds. Tomorrow I'll let her into the attached bedroom. And the next day, they'll all be together. Wish us luck. Right now, little Savannah is not very happy. Poor kitty.

taken with my iPhone

supermoon

Super Moon June 23, 2013

from my front yard

sunday sermon

A lifetime may not be long enough to attune 

ourselves fully to the harmony of the universe. 

But just to become aware that we can resonate with it --

that alone can be like waking up from a dream.

David Steindl-Rast

one source

I love you when you bow in your mosque,

kneel in your temple, pray in your church.

For you and I are sons of one religion,

and it is the spirit.

Kahlil Gibran

I've been drawn to churches lately. Not to religion or to the services, but to the buildings. I think I could make it a life work to photograph churches. There is something ethereal and mysterious about the hushed interiors and something both grand and accessible about the outside of churches.

One morning last week, early, I walked down to the small Catholic Church on the corner and took some photos. Graycee had just died and I couldn't sleep. Unfortunately, the church was locked so I couldn't photograph the interior, but I got some exterior shots.

wed wednesday

My favorite photo of the week from my tumblr, veilsandtales...

photographer: clayton austin

via green wedding shoes

on point

One week ago yesterday, Miss J performed in her fifth ballet recital. She rocked it!

And because it's all about the bun and the tutu...

sunday sermon

Even if happiness forgets you a little bit,

never completely forget about it.

Jacques Prevert

cat saturday

This is Rose. She is beautiful and sweet. She's made quite a few appearances on this blog. She's on now because she needs everyone's good thoughts and prayers. She's very ill. Please pray for her...

wed wednesday

My favorite photo of the week from my tumblr, veilsandtales...

Love the gold nail polish...

photographer: amanda suanne

via style me pretty florida

goodbye

My dear dear feline friend, Graycee, passed away this morning. He has been suffering and slowly declining for weeks. The vet couldn't seem to do anything to help. I couldn't do anything to help except give him lots of love and attention. He drew his last breaths this morning as I knelt beside him. Miss J and I buried him with food, a blue jay feather, and one of J's crystals from the mountains. He's resting under the oleander where he liked to bathe in the morning sun. We are greatly saddened by our loss. We will miss him so much.

Thank you for your life and death, precious Graycee. Bless you on your way.

chicken little

My faith in humanity has been rocked. My next-door "neighbor" - by proximity only - is a hunter. Loves to kill things. He is married with two very young sons who are already being taught to kill. He recently got three chickens. I was hoping it was for the eggs. He had the chickens about a week or so. Saturday night my seven-year-old daughter and I were in our back yard visiting with our sick cat when we heard him and his hunting dog in his back yard. The chickens started squawking and we could see him through the cracks in the fence. He was grabbing the chickens by the legs and knocking their heads against a stump then siccing his dog on them. "Come on, boy! Get the birds!" I quickly sent my daughter in the house. I stayed outside and witnessed him and his dog killing the chickens all while the poor chickens squawked and tried to escape the yard. I was in tears and said something to him through the fence. He either didn't hear me or didn't care. I have to admit I didn't want to get too much in his face. I am afraid of him. If there hadn't been a fence there though I would have gotten between him and those chickens in a split second.

I called the county humane society. They aren't available on weekends but I left a detailed message. This morning I received a message from a very nice sounding woman asking me to call back with more information so they could make a report and call on him. I called back. The man who answered began by demanding to know who had given me that number. The call quickly disintegrated as I tried to explain what I had heard and seen. His response was to berate me and accuse me of not knowing what I had seen. I kept trying to explain. He continued to berate and abuse. Finally, through tears, I hung up on him. These are the people around here who are supposed to be promoting the welfare of and protecting the animals. No wonder so many of us work under the radar trying to help the animals on our own.

How in the world did I - someone who loves and respects and does whatever she can to assist the animals - end up next to a man who is happiest when there is animal blood on his hands?

sunday sermon

The goal of life is to make

your heartbeat match 

the beat of the universe,

to match your nature with nature.

Joseph Campbell

new moon

There is a New Moon today in the sign of Gemini occurring around 8 pm pacific time. The new moon is a moment when the old passes away and the new is not yet here. It is a perfect time to set intentions for things you’d like to create or cultivate. The time is magical. Make your wishes within the first eight hours of the new moon and give it up to Spirit to make your dreams come true.

There are a few rules. You must write your wishes down on paper – no computers. Write more than one wish but no more than ten. More than ten scatters the energy. They can be wishes about different subjects or rewording around one subject. You cannot make wishes for other people. You can make wishes to adjust your thinking or your approach toward others. Wording is important. Trust your intuition. You may have to repeat a wish at each new moon if you have deep resistance to that wish. Date and keep your wish list. Wait for the magic to happen.

The sign of Gemini rules motion/activity, learning, communication skills, logic/cleverness, social ease, positive daily interactions, and calming mental anxiety. You can write wishes about any subject, but wishing about Gemini issues is especially potent during this new moon.

Happy Wishing!

Twins

For more information about New Moon power periods and wishing magic, see Jan Spiller’s book New Moon Astrology. Available here.

butterflies

While researching the symbolic meaning of black butterflies, I came across some beautiful words and art...

Morning light, silken dream to flight

As the darkness gave way to dawn

You've survived, now your moment has arrived

Now your dream has finally been born

Black Butterfly, sailed across the waters

Tell your sons and daughters

What the struggle brings

Black Butterfly, set the skies on fire

Rise up even higher

So the ageless winds of time can catch your wings...

Deniece Williams

 here

 here

here

here

transformation

I've been seeing butterflies lately. Not just any butterfly, but black butterflies. The other day, Miss J and I were walking and a black butterfly flew right in our faces. Everywhere I go, black butterflies. I'm not seeing any others, just black.

I know Nature has her own rhythms and black butterflies may be hatching or migrating right now. I also know the Universe is vast and wondrous and Spirit always takes care.

I've mentioned in previous posts that doors have been closing for me. I have been worried and frustrated. While nothing has changed that I can see - no new openings - yet, I am seeing black butterflies. Too many to disregard. So I researched the symbolic meaning of the black butterfly...

The butterfly symbolizes new life from an old one.

The black butterfly symbolizes a new strong but subtle life

after a period of transformation - 

a sign of positive change in the present situation.

Thank you, Spirit.

wed wednesday

My favorite photo of the week from my tumblr, veilsandtales...

This photo was my fave, until...

photographer: jen fariello

via 100 layer cake

I saw the chicken...

photographer: ashley davis

via bride chic

words

Lately it seems doors are closing for me. I'm trying to keep the faith and looking for other doors - or even windows - to open. Pondering my current situation, I remembered the words to the only poem I ever memorized...

Listen to the mustn'ts, child,

Listen to the don'ts

Listen to the shouldn'ts

The impossibles, the won'ts

Listen to the never haves

Then listen close to me --

Anything can happen, child,

Anything can be.

Shel Silverstein

from Where the Sidewalk Ends

by Shel Silverstein

center of cool

No. Not me. I'm definitely not cool. Not in any sense of the word! Summertime has hit early in my little town. We're already in the low 100s and it's expected to get warmer. I finally gave in and turned on the air conditioner today when the inside temp hit 90 degrees.

I'm longing for a cool, calm mountain lake...

Miss J wading in Center Lake, Mt Lassen two summers ago

sunday sermon

Ask, and you will receive;

seek, and you will find;

knock, and the door will be opened.

Jesus

Matthew 7:7

cat saturday

Pietro - then and now...