A Second Cup of Coffee

We have been experiencing torrential rains and thunderstorms since yesterday evening.  My phone as a Geo app on it and it is sending out warnings of severe thunderstorms and flooding.  We have stayed put on high ground since we do not know the area well.  Aging brings with it certain cautions.  We would likely have just continued on with our plans, even a few years ago, but time and experience have taught us to pay attention to what goes on around us and the forces of nature are best respected.  Perhaps this is ­­also a good reminder to us that even though the bulk of this time in France is education leave we can still take time to relax, read and enjoy that second cup of morning coffee.  

So I am sitting back enjoying my novel, The 13^th Disciple by Deepak Chopra which is referred to as a spiritual adventure while waiting for the weather to decide how the rest of day will be spent. 

Edmund captured the storm as it began to move in, it started with slight cloud coverage

Here it is getting cloudier and harder to see the houses opposite us

 And it deepens

Until even with the zoom you can not see the houses

I have also been reading the book Practical Prayer during my time here in France.  It is an easy and practical read just as the title indicates.  This book makes suggestions as to how a person can set up prayer time with the time that they have.  So if the only time is while on a daily walk, run, gym workout, driving and so on then it can be turned into an opportunity to pray and to be in touch with the presence of God in a way that can speak to the present situation and time frame.  This handy little book emphasizes the importance living a balanced life.  A life that uses the whole of ourselves, spiritual, mental, physical and to be grateful for the faculties that we have.  I particularly liked the reference “to work is to pray” (p.48) and how work does not have to be “religious” to be a prayer.  Work and meditation go hand in hand as we use familiar activity to focus and have our deep thoughts, whoever could imagine that the ritual of washing dishes could be turned into a time of meditation and deep thought?  Or something equally as mundane?  Yet this book talks about such ordinary things becoming extra-ordinary experiences.

It would also seem that a mother cat and her kitten took up residence yesterday on the kitchen window ledge where it is dry and warm.  I am a soft touch and the cats looked hungry so they are being well treated for our duration.  Edmund figures that these guys are pretty smart. Sit on the ledge and look in with those beautiful appealing eyes and voila milk soaked bread in a bowl arrives, or left-over meat is cut up and put out.  They will be well fed for a little while at least.  I can also quote the bible when it suits my purposes and I reminded Edmund that the creation story charges humans to care for all that is put in their charge, at the moment I appear to have two cats, end of discussion.

I had opened the shutters to get a picture of the kitten when Momma Cat jumped up and got between us.  And how can you refuse that face?

Momma and baby -- looking into the kitchen but they already had Chicken and Potatoes for dinner! Eternal Optimists hoping for more