Brother Bryce the Cat Our parish church held a blessing of the pets on St. Francis' feast day. Debi and I thought about taking Bryce to be blessed, but decided against it. That would have meant loading him into a cat carrier, a process he protests vociferously. Plus we weren't sure the other animals -- … Continue reading A canticle for Brother Cat (for Bryce and strays, ferals and rescues everywhere) on St. Francis’ feast day
Remembering a calico queen, a semi-feral little ‘scamperpuss’ and the joy — and heartache — of adopting rescue animals
The day we lost our calico cat Elizabeth (pictured above at left) to an arterial blood clot, her pale ginger housemate Bryce (at right) hid under the bed. By evening, however, we were able to cajole him out to join us for kitty treats while we ate supper. For our usual ritual, in other words. … Continue reading Remembering a calico queen, a semi-feral little ‘scamperpuss’ and the joy — and heartache — of adopting rescue animals
‘Fiddler’: A little schmaltz as a tonic for grief in spite of the tragic tones lurking in the background
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsDP-90j9x8&t=4s Tevye: A fiddler on the roof. Sounds crazy, no? But here, in our little village of Anatevka, you might say every one of us is a fiddler on the roof trying to scratch out a pleasant, simple tune without breaking his neck. It isn't easy. You may ask 'Why do we stay up there … Continue reading ‘Fiddler’: A little schmaltz as a tonic for grief in spite of the tragic tones lurking in the background
Spiritual direction, April 2022
Editor's (admin's) note. Lightly edited copy of an email I sent to my spiritual director the night before our April meeting. I email her every month, mostly to focus my mind before we meet, and I archive them here so I have a record of issues I've dealt with over time. This will be very … Continue reading Spiritual direction, April 2022
A bittersweet reminder of the time we adopted two truly awesome rescue cats from APL more than 10 years ago
Ten years have passed now since my wife and I wrote this story for a monthly newsletter the Animal Protective League of Springfield puts out with pictures of cats -- dogs, too! -- available for adoption. (Click HERE to learn more about APL's adoption and fostering program.) It's a bittersweet reminder that when you adopt … Continue reading A bittersweet reminder of the time we adopted two truly awesome rescue cats from APL more than 10 years ago
Early spring visit to Jubilee Farm and friendly rescue cat reawaken thoughts of stewardship and new beginnings
Grass beginning to green up at Jubilee Farm, Old Jacksonville Road. Genesis 2:8-9, 15 (NRSV) And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the … Continue reading Early spring visit to Jubilee Farm and friendly rescue cat reawaken thoughts of stewardship and new beginnings
Ernesto’s cat shelter in a time of civil war and pandemic — Dr. Youssef’s story
https://www.facebook.com/TheAleppoCatMen/posts/3630023537059869 Excerpts below from a first person account by the resident veterinarian at Ernesto's Sanctuary for Cats* in Syria. I've linked to the blog where it appeared -- so you can read it there, because I'm leaving out important parts, and, besides, I'm sure they can use the clicks. I've followed Ernesto's cat sanctuary since … Continue reading Ernesto’s cat shelter in a time of civil war and pandemic — Dr. Youssef’s story
Notes on Mohammed Alaa’s cat shelter
dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH Anas Alkharboutli, "The cat man of Aleppo: rescuing battle-weary Syrian strays," The Guardian, Aug. 6, 2019 https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2019/aug/06/the-cat-man-of-aleppo-rescuing-battle-weary-syrian-strays. Pix of Mohammed Alaa Al-Jaleel rescuing animals in bombed-out Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun. I've written about him before -- here, with a quote from Mr. Rogers -- "look for the helpers" -- and … Continue reading Notes on Mohammed Alaa’s cat shelter
Ordinary Time 