Unlikely Place for Grace

So, uhm, guess who we picked up on Saturday?

I'm thrilled to have her home-- but I fear she's remembering all the reasons the house was crap.  That's okay.  Mate was fixing up her old room (Squish's room now) and changing her sheets and everything so Chicken could come sleep in a freshly made bed.  I said, "Do you want to clean the rest of it?" and he said, "No.  We want her to be welcome home, but eventually, we want her to leave."

And some people have asked how the cats have taken the new family addition.  I thought I'd show you Steve.  Chicken and I have created the following thought bubble for Steve:  I get six square meals a day, I sleep in a warm bed as long as I want, and people routinely stroke me until I purr.  Ask me how many f***s I give about the other carbon based life form in my sphere.

Alrighty then... Thank you, Steve, and your warm and bubbly personality was such a treat.  We can't believe we were worried that the advent of the dog was going to disturb you.  Clearly, you were disturbed already.

 And, uhm, EEEEEEEEEE!!!!! Yup.  Still cute.  He likes to sit on our lap.  All of our laps.  You name a person sleeping in the day (and Chicken's back in training for the olympic napping events--it happened as soon as she hit the door!)  and this dog is asleep curled up under the covers.  My friend said that would be a bad thing.  So far, uhm, no.  He cuddles, we cuddle, we all cuddle together.  Go figure!

And Mate and I went Christmas shopping.  This here is an art supply place, for our girls, and we're heading for a record store for our boys.  It's funny, how important Christmas shopping seems sometimes.  It's not that gifts can't fail, but the talking together about the important people in our lives seems to matter.  It makes me happy, especially with my Mate.

The country is in mourning right now.  I wasn't sure whether or not to mention it, but I know it's hit me hard.  Dropping the kids off in the morning is hard.  Picking them up in the afternoon is a terrible relief.  Christmas shopping today with Mate was reassuring.  We talked about our favorite people and discussed the things they loved and the many things we knew about them.  I could (and I may) at some point get terribly political about this.  I have so many things I want to scream at the universe.  But right now I simply remember that this is what faith is for--whether it's Hindu faith, Muslim faith, Pagan faith, any faith, is so you can believe even if the universe sends its worst, somewhere out there, someone--human, deity, collective race consciousness--can dig deep and find some grace.

I discover my grace in my family, and that gives me faith to hope they will be safe.  May the world find better grace this week.  May our politicians and our protectors find better grace.  May those mourning find grace to give them strength.  May the world find grace to comfort those grieving.  May those of us in fear find the grace to be brave.

Holy Goddess, Merciful God,
Let it be so.  Let there be grace.
Cannyagimmehallelujia? Iknewyoucouldamen.