The Restory Retreat Centre

Photo: George Angus I put the big cushion on my lap as I sit down. Wordlessly waiting. He knows. How, I do not know, but he knows. I hear him coming in from outside, deliberately  walking down the passage and into the room. I do not see him. I sit with eyes closed. I feel the soft landing as he jumps onto my lap. He kneads the cushion for a moment, purring, and settles in. I fold my hands in prayer around his cold, strong hunter’s body. Gradually, we become one warmth. “But oh! God is in his holy temple! Quiet everyone – a holy silence. Listen!” * * Habakkuk 2:20 (The Message) George

I don't know whether it's an Irish nursery rhyme, limerick or short poem, but it goes like this: There once were two cats of Kilkenny. Each thought there was one cat too many. So they fought and they fit, And they scratched and they bit, 'Til except for their nails, And the tips of their tails, Instead of two cats, There weren't any! We definitely do not have the two cats of Kilkenny. In the course of an ordinary day there is peace and harmony in the house with each of them sleeping in his or her own sunny spot. From time to time those sunny spots can even be very close to each other without any problem. But there are days when Patat is so little-brotherish that Mily becomes vocal the moment he enters the room. And he can be quite devious in the way he taunts her – innocently lying in the sun close to her and then stretching specifically in her direction to prod her in the side. It is just enough to be a nuisance and too little to be seen as harassment. However, sh...

“Francis called all creatures, no matter how small by the name of brother and sister; because he knew they had the same source as himself.”                                                     Saint Bonaventure's Life of St Francis "If humankind could have known God without the world, God would never have created the world."                                                     Meister Eckhart "In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!"                                                   Colossians 3:11 ...

Foto deur George Angus Ons kat Patat, het ‘n handige stert. Dit is gekalibreer in tien netjies gespasieerde strepies wat “ patats ” genoem word. ‘n Patat is die eenheid waarin katirritasie gemeet word. So ‘n gekalibreerde stert staan bekend as ‘n “ Watchitometer ”. Jy begin by die punt en lees dit na sy lyf toe. Lê hy by ons op die bed en jy vat aan sy een agterpootjie, dan knak sy stert mooi op die tweede strepie. Die 2 patats sê “Watch it!” Jy vat aan elk van die toontjies aan daardie selfde poot. Die Watchitometer gaan op na 5 patats toe. Jy los die pootjie en druk-druk sy dy tussen duim en wysvinger en sê: “Jy word lekker vet, nè.” Sy hele lang stert krul en lewe daar van sy boud af. “Ek het gesê watch it!” interpreteer jy die 10 patats . Sou jy die lesings ignoreer en met jou lawwigheid aangaan, doen jy dit op eie risiko. Jy is gewaarsku. Dan gaan hy jou nie eers sy strepie-stert laat lees nie. Hy gaan net sy ore plattrek, jou hand met albei vo...

Photograph by George Angus “I am not saying that we should love death, but rather that we should love life so generously, without picking and choosing, that we automatically include it (life’s other half) in our love.”                                                                                    Rainer Maria Rilke I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, so that you, together with all God's people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ's love.  Yes, may you come to know his love - although it can never be fully known - and so be completely filled with the very nature of God.                                   ...

Was machen Sie?  Nichts.  Ich lasse das Leben auf mich regnen.                                                                    Rahel Varnhagen  [Wat doen jy?  Niks.  Ek laat die lewe op my reën.] ~ v ~ Sit and be still until in the time of no rain you hear beneath the dry wind's commotion in the trees the sound of flowing water among the rocks, a stream unheard before, and you are where breathing is prayer.                                                 Wendell Berry   ~  v  ~ Hy laat immers sy son opkom oor slegtes en goeies,  en ...

Photograph by Elliott Erwitt, New York City 1953 We cannot attain the presence of God because we're already totally in the presence of God. What's absent is awareness.                                                                                          David G. Benner In a previous post ( Klein Kaper ) Matilda wrote about the new arrival in the household, the kitten named Patat (Patat being Afrikaans for sweet potato and commonly used as a term of endearment especially where children are concerned). Lately he is often called Tappet as well (Tappet is an English word used in Afrikaans to describe a person somewhat rough around the edges. For some reason “tappet” just does not have a similar meaning in English). Since Matilda introduced him he has g...