A bit of rambling from my self made cafe. And below a few pictures from Tbilisi.As I said the back street architecture, with much greenery, is very appealing, mystically frontier. And a few very nice cats. I hope everyone is good; such stressful heartbreaking times. I know some of you are ill, suffering, may all heal soon. Now I will get back to my writing, listening to a slow, diminishing rainfall.
❤️🐈☕📚 good morning, Patti.🌺☮️🕊️
On thinking about your cafe more, I will have to agree that Cafe Beverly is perfect. And then perhaps name the bar in the cafe, the Cairo bar. I don’t know. I mean Cafe Mu is cool, but maybe too esoteric. It’s your place. I am sure you have other names up your sleeves. Good luck. I am happy you are home, and I am sure you are writing real cool stuff. Enjoy the rest of your week*~~*
I love this
thank you for these helpful words Patti. We need some respite as well as reflection and the thoughtfulness that art and music can bring us to keep us together and keep us going
I miss my girl too. It is so hard to not have her to snuggle, hear her purring away beside me every day and night. It is an empty feeling. I think about bringing another rescue home but somehow it feels like a betrayal - no one else can take the place of my sweet Byrdee. Maybe someday. 20 years is a long time to spend with anyone and the space they leave behind can't be filled.
Dear Patty Smith queridas/os -heartbroken and also so happy to return to you (see below)
I have been thinking of Patty and you Substack friends during my 6 week stay in silent retreat at the Insight Meditation Society this September and October (where the wild thing are
)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4afJPlJk8hA&t=13s
Heartbroken to emerge from the retreat to learn of the Israel-Hamas war.
Shards surfaced from the past--- when I attended Barnard College (1967-1971) and my older brother was serving two tours in Vietnam.
Going from heartbroken to heartwrenching.
During those days, II had the amazing opportunity to enroll in a class on Greek Tragedy offered by a newly minted , wonderful, brilliant assistant professor.
It was so profoundly compelling to read the ORESTEIA by Aeschylus. The Washington Square Press paperback is still on my shelf--so yellowed and fragile (over 50 years old). The discussion and paper questions distributed by the professor are still tucked in the pages.
Now, in these dark days, I turn to this old translation again, espcially the moment when the FURIES (pursuing Orestes for killing his mother, Clytemenestra) yield to a "judicial hearing" to Athena, Goddess of Wisdom For me, the most important moment is when Athena decided to set up a judicial process exploring "revenge" (the Furies) and "justice."
Just a thought in these dark times, that our hearts might be eased by re-reading the ORESTEIA of Aeschylus---and this Veteran's Day too--as I sat on the steps of Butler Library at Columbia University, amidst the demonstrations against the Vietnam War and heart broken for my brother scooped up by the urgency of the draft for that war.
Inspired by your mother, Cairo, and your mug: “Cafe du Mom et Meow”
Thank you for the visit, Patti, from your own personal cafe. I enjoy the photos you share from your world travels. I know you’re acutely feeling the absence of your dear Cairo. Sending you comfort.
Mom's café sounds just right. Thank you for sharing a few quiet early morning moments. I enjoyed this very much.
I love your little café. Enjoy.
PS, love the photo of your Mother beautiful.
Thank you, rest.
Liked the idea by the Dr. Cafe Cairo.
It's a strange thing how humanity perceives War, Growth, The Soul of Society, The Goodness and Beauty we know and feel that exists.
Hello.
Be Well
Saving your precious thoughts now and for future times...our Native Populations need vaccine Covid.19
AMEN.....thanks for the visit
tara
Good morning, dear Patti. Welcome home! Thanks for having coffee with me at "Mom's Place" or whatever you name your residential cafe. We need this respite. Our world needs respite. We need to take a collective breath and just breath. In. and Out. Just breath. (and sip coffee, too!) and listen to the rain. Until next time, shalom.
Always wonderful to hear about your travel adventures. What about Cafe Cairo? (I miss seeing her too from afar - she was quite the character.)
Even though I'm fast approaching the back end of this day, I still feel the morning quiet. Faint traffic. A neighbor's saw carving out some bookcase. Or maybe a handrail. Have a friend who's husband is a State Department Attache with a number of cities and countries under his "belt". They lived in Tbilisi for a year. Loved the city, the country and its people. Reminds me of Zagreb and Croatia. I'm inspired to search out & make friendly gestures for the Cats in whatever next city, town, village I walk into. Thank you for your Light that brings calm in a world that no longer makes any sense. Be safe out there. We need you as much as you need all of us.
Crying 😿
Patti, I know that like me,
you dig police procedural shows
Now that you’re home
you might enjoy watching
the Icelandic show
The Valhalla Murders
on Netflix
(if you haven’t seen I already.)
Very much in the vein of
The Killing
and Gracepoint.
You’ll dig it.
I love your cafe and this open-hearted moment. My husband was in Santa Cruz on Monday and spent the night at the Dream Inn. That inspired me to reread sections of Year of the Monkey. So many wonderful gifts you have bestowed. xo
Good morning, friend.
Thank you for your calm messages in such dark times. I have benefited from spending some time with you in Cafe Respite. It feels like shelter from the maelstrom.
Calling your new location Cafe Cairo is a wonderful suggestion, too.
Love Cafe Cairo! Yes... has a wonderfully comforting ring to it!
P.S. after reading more comments about missing Cairo (I do, too), what came to mind is Szymborska’s poem about the converse: outliving your cat. I hope this hopefully fair-use excerpt is ok and evokes some knowing chuckle/sobs.
Die — you can’t do that to a cat.
Since what can a cat do
in an empty apartment?
Climb the walls?
Rub up against the furniture?
Nothing seems different here
but nothing is the same.
Nothing’s been moved
but there’s more space.
And at nighttime no lamps are lit.
Footsteps on the staircase,
but they’re new ones.
The hand that puts fish on the saucer
has changed, too.
Something doesn’t start
at its usual time.
Something doesn’t happen
as it should.
Someone was always, always here,
then suddenly disappeared
and stubbornly stays disappeared.
Today is Día de Los Muertos, the day we hold in our hearts the many lost souls both near and dear to us, and the too many unknown. I’ve got a Baby Ruth bar (large size) and some of the old political buttons my Mom wore, and the latest issue of The New Republic and some black licorice for my Dad on our Ofrenda. Plus some other stuff for missing friends strewn among the Mexican marigolds grown from seed my Dad saved.
For myself, I’m gonna sip some visnata and read some of Carolyn Forché’s poems.
I hope everyone reading this has a wonderful day. Thank you for this opportunity to share
🙏
Cafe Cairo! It must be...
I'm a couple days behind, and just getting to your lovely little message. My brilliant therapist would listen to this and tell me, "you should listen to her every day." Listening to you always seems to calm me down and bring me back to my soul. Thank you, my sweet Patti. Be well. 💕
A house without a cat is not a home for me anymore after getting my rescue cat Ozzy (named after Ozzy Osbourne because the vet called him a 'wild man'). Ozzy was shaking with fear at the humane society, and I later found out a woman had taken him home and returned him. Poor little guy.
He has turned out to be the best comfort anyone could have. He somehow knows when I am upset at what's happening in the world and licks my chin and snuggles against me.
I think Cairo would thoroughly approve if you got another cat as a comfort and companion to you, as there are so many needing homes. They are the little orphans of the world as so many were abandoned after the lockdown lifted. And perhaps your soul may need a feline soul to commune with as much as mine did. They are incredibly sensitive and wise creatures -- a constant inspiration, not to mention an ongoing source of amusement and humor as they demand to be treated like little kings. I've never opened doors for anyone as much as I have for his highness Ozzy and relished the privilege and pleasure of doing so.
Dear Patti. I hear your heart when it comes to Cairo. Her little being and her huge sweetness is still there. Like you, have been so very sad. And crying on and off. I cannot believe what is happening here in the US and all the world. It is as if the truth and what history provides, is so quickly being put through the shredder. Thank you for sharing your quiet time and your cafe. I was also born in 1947 - after the war. I am moving between being terrified and then when I hear any tidbit of valor and kindness and hope, I feel relieved and able to find a place to be.
Our words of art, our visual works of beauty, our fealty to peace and love —- seem much more important than ever. In these last years of my life, I want to express some of the bravery that truth offers. I don’t know what else to do. Thank you and your followers, who bring these things to share. I feel safe in this place. Love to you and to all. C
Thanks Pati for telling us about tour travels and adventures. Your wisdom and relevance helps me during this time of crisis and madness .
What about naming your kitchen cafe “Cafe Cairo” , your beloved cat will be happy knowing your morning coffee will be always at home .
Lots of Love to you Pati ❤️
Thank you Patti, for all your Grace
I love the idea of a "Coffee with Patti"! I'm having coffee myself right now and feeling like we're sitting together having a chat.
"From my great pains I make little songs"
*Heinrich Heine*
Dear Patti,
whenever I read words of pain and illness, I remember many of your songs and they help me overcome those pains.
Also lately I remember many times in Cairo, heaven be it.
Thank you, dear Patti, we look forward to seeing you in Barcelona soon.
I love your cafe. It’s comforting in these times, and it’s inspiring to get stories of your travels.
Nice to see your Cafe du Monde coffee cup!
Patti
New Orleans
Cairo Cafe?
Yes as these high points help us keep going in other times. They support our belief in Love as the Truth. We need to stay inspired - thank you PS.
Welcome home . I love the neutral peaceful colours of your video.Today I will tidy and rearrange my table , so I can have a cafe too💛
Café du MA - an open inviting place to simply be...together, quiet, listen, share, feel🪷
How lovely to share a morning with you. A girlfriend of mine, a number of years back, shared the most touching photo of you with me. You were doing a show at an outdoor venue in Illinois and her daughter worked at the venue and managed to get a few tickets and had back stage access. My friend took a friend who had a very young daughter, maybe 3 or 4 years old. You took some time to speak with them afterwards and at one point...the moment that was captured...you bent down and whispered into the little girl's ear. It's absolutely the most beautiful moment. And it always makes me smile. Thank you for your heart and generosity of spirit. Wishing you a blessed day.
You belped me reframe my thinking with your cafe. I have had to quarantine with covid all week so I don't give it to my husband.
I had a little typewriter table next to my bed, but now I moved it by the window. I have a chair there too, so voila! : my little quarantine cafe.
Now I look out at the bright red and gold leaves outside as I sip soup and think about healing, and being grateful to have a mild case. Thank you, Patti.
And Rest in peace, dear Cairo. Sorry for your loss. she ❤️
Oh, dear, how hard it is to come home for the very first time with no Cairo waiting for you. And with all the trouble in the world, I think so, so many of us are feeling often melancholy, often agitated, often aghast. I’m sure your little home cafe helps! How nice to seeing you in your NY kitchen. Thank you for inviting us in. I love the picture of your mother. I have my mother’s wedding portrait at the bottom of my stairs, and every time I go up or come down, I get to see her. I miss her like crazy. Rest well after your long tour. These are hard days. Please know how very special your visits, words, and pictures are to us! 💜
Thank you for this message. And I know how hard that first coming home can be. My beloved cat, Django, crossed over on August 5th. He was such an amazing being. I’m certain he was a bodhisattva in a cat body. So wise and sweet and gentle. And although I miss his physical form so much, I feel his presence often and in so many ways. I feel him in the wind, in the garden fragrances of lavender, rosemary, and mint (his favorites), in the sparkle on the ocean, in the stars. He’s everywhere now.
But it’s still hard to come home with his physical presence gone. I often sit at his resting place in my backyard. It feels so sacred there now. And has perfect morning sun. Near to his place, I planted flowers and herbs that attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Messengers from the Spirit World are all warmly welcomed to visit Django’s Love Garden.
Maybe Django and Cairo are having a good time together... wherever they may be. 🐾🐾🌈🌈✨✨
Love the idea of your new cafe. I don't mean this as a comparison, our 7 year old opened a restaurant in our living room and I just admire the free mind. As we get older, life often shapes us in some sort of expected, rational form and the fearlessness and spontaneity of childhood is polished over, even though it's always somewhere underneath. That's why I need voice like yours to remind of that free spirit and humility. And also the one of Etel Adnan you just mentioned – just read her Journey to Mount Tamalpais, capturing the beauty of one of the places she called home – not only in words, but also paintings. Very much recommend.
Dear Patti, thoughtful and relevant as always….from your Cairo Home Cafe.
🐾🧡☕️
Your words were just what i needed to hear. They went straight to my heart.
Love love love etel adnan! Am sure you will too 🌿 The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam did a fab overview exhibition. Sadly, she passed during preparations. Just stunning!
Welcome home. I'd bus tables and wash dishes for your cafe, Patti...meow meow to Cairo on the Other Side....
Dear Patti, Welcome home. I know it must be strange to be there without your Cairo. I love your little Cafe. Cafe Cairo is a lovely name. Cafe Ma. Cafe Lotus.
Prayers to all those that are suffering.
May all beings be filled with kindness,
May all beings be healthy in body and mind,
May all beings be happy,
May all beings be safe,
May all beings find peace.
Amen
Wonderful to hear from you after all your wandering. I’m sure it was heartbreakingly sad when you opened the door and Cairo wasn’t there. I miss seeing her in your posts, too. The pictures are lovely. Merci!
this rush towards war and destruction. It is like the grey weight of too much sorrow during times of collapsing forms, They have forgotten who they could be and everything that could be. Exactly at the time of crisis. Love and compassion solutions only way through it could be done but the machine runs it now and it runs hot Peace we need it now. Mamas Cairo Cafe needs some cool lamps
hello everyone. I love all the cafe ideas...I am thinking of all of them. In any event, at last a little fun. Thank you for the thumbs up on our new cafe...
Cafe Patti!
A poignant homecoming for you Patti ! I am so happy that you can see trees from your kitchen window…..always a comfort in difficult times ! It is such a privilege to join you in your ‘cafe for one’ that welcomes so many ! Thank you ! 💙
Maybe the Cayenne Cafe? I use your recipe most mornings on my toast. I am heavy on the cayenne and cinnamon. With a little black strap molasses on top it’s divine! xo
Love the new venue. Perfect place to gather for the Smithposium. I always wanted to be part of a Salon. ☕️📚🖌️🎨
Envision ☮️❤️
Thank you for theses quiet moments in your cafe, not exactly for one. ;)
Welcome home, Patti. NYC is so much more tolerable when you're here.
xox
Thank you, Patti, for welcoming us into your cafe to share some quiet moments of much needed respite. And, of course, missing dear sweet Cairo and her gentle spirit.
Thank you… and for your last words🙏🏼❤️
Sending comfort your way, along with the moon and the rain…
Café Cairo? 💙
I miss the continental drift.
Good morning to you too and thank you for sharing your earliness and thoughts. Love mum’s picture in the back. Could feel the loneliness…
Thank you for this respite, the breath taking. I’ve just come in from picking olives, tomorrow we go to the press. I will pour some of the fresh green liqueur on my toast with the spices you like and think of you in your solo cafe that opens to the world.
On Friday I answered pope Francis’s call and along with many of every faith and none, fasted for peace. It was a small gesture, just something to be united in this shadowy darkness that has enveloped us. I pray the light will crack us open.
“It is a serious thing
Just to be alive
On this fresh morning
In the broken world.”
Mary Oliver
"Cairo Cafe" might be a nice name for your cafe of one. // I’m very sorry she’s not there. // Welcome home. // I’m traveling now and your message today made me feel calm. // Thank you. // I also sent a similar message to this from my Instagram account that shows little snippets from our life in rural Utah. // Kindest regards.
Love your humble ways of speaking about your travels, accomplishments, performances, meetings with heads of state. A life filled with expression, and, reward. Cairo’s Cafe perhaps? Your descriptions of the sorrows and horrors of our world and its people resonated deeply with me. Thank you so much for articulating what I’m certain is on the minds and in the hearts of those of us who care about humanity and our planet…♥️
Thank you so much for spending this evening with me and the beautiful Japanese people here in Tokyo where the people are so optimistic and smiling and saying hello(konnichiwa)with such inspiring curiosity. We need to say hello with as much optimism as the people I have encountered here in Japan to get through to the other side of this messy world*~~*
Always nice to sit with you in the morning.
How wonderful to sit with you this morning, Patti. How kind of you to welcome us to your beautiful little home café on your very first morning back from such a journey. I am so sad that Cairo is not there to greet you and be a little bit haughty with you for having been gone! I love seeing your beautiful Mama on the wall behind you. You are just such a gentle and calming soul, and I love your spoken letters to us so very much and wish You A restful and beautiful day. How I loved how do you spoke about the state of our world. You express so beautifully with your words, but also your silences in between your words say so much and it is a gift to our hearts. The kindness from you. Thank you thank you. May the day hold you gently and in strong health and rest.
Good morning Patti.
Nice to have you back home in NYC.
Good morning to you, can feel your loss and still you are so humble and occupied with friends and literature. Couldn't understand the name of the poet? Thought it was your mother, when I noticed the foto on the wall.
Patti .. good morning and hello !! Sending you a BIG HUG!!!!
Welcome home!…Your moment of despair as you reflect on our hopes for new beginnings, which seem to have evaporated like a summer rain, is shared by many of us. Feeling Cairo’s loss as a shift in your universe is a universal. Many times, life seems like just a series of seemingly unfathomable changes. And yet, we persevere. Coffee, poetry, visits with friends are the vehicles that help us navigate the ruts….Thanks so much for this meeting at Cafe Rimbaud-in-Exile. May you be well. I look forward to your next visit. Here’s to Cairo!☕️
Thank you dear Patti for your kind & thoughtful words...the world is certainly in a mess right now...& my son in law is in hospital with a previously undiagnosed heart condition he’s only in his mid forties, another worry, thinking of him bless him. Thinking too of the poor souls in Palestine a situation I can’t even imagine, time we cleaned the slate as you say, & start afresh. Easier said than done, but war & vengeance do nothing but cause death & destruction & more hatred, & it never returns those murdered back to life. Much love & thanks Patti, 🤔💜☮️🕊️#talksnotterror
Thank u Patti! for this, in these days we look for hope in people <3 you are love!
Thank you for these moments. I hope we all can find solace in our shared human compassion.
So lucky to have you in our live.
Thank you Patti.
Have a good day.
Good morning from London. So lovely to see you in your kitchen cafe with that beautiful picture of your mother on the wall. I’m so sorry about Cairo she will be forever missed and always be with you in spirit. She was a beautiful presence in your arms and we all loved to see her sitting on your lap and trying to turn off the computer! Tbilisi sounded lovely and both the place and people sounded welcoming. As for what’s happening in the world it breaks my heart. Like you l was born not long after the war ended and think my parents instilled in me the idea of peace. Like many l feel useless but going and marching with likeminded people makes me have hope. There was half a million of us on Saturday and l found myself and a nearby woman crying. Both of us from other places giving each other a big hug. This gives me hope and has stayed with me. Thank you dear Patti for your always wise words 🙏
Welcome home dear Patti,
You are so right, we all need to step back and breathe, just take a minute to gather ourselves. Then maybe we can have a little more clarity. We all need a bit of respite from the appalling violence and division that consumes our world.
Thank for these posts and for all that you do, you bring such wisdom, comfort and peace.
Sending warm wishes from Detroit. And condolences for your loss.
☕🕊️
PS I love the new idea of a café.
I just love hanging with you here!!!✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽💥💥💥💥💓💓💓💫💫💫
I feel you, Patti. I really do - about the world and Cairo’s transitioning. Cairo. My heart aches for your not having your little roommate around to welcome you home. Your putting your heart on display encourages me to do the same. Respite is everything. Appreciation of the tiniest pebble kicked is everything. Your message reminded me of our oneness - our strength when we realize that we need to forget about our differences - these deliberate distractions - and come together. Somehow, someway, we need to stop this dark madness. It’s hard enough to grieve in our personal lives without feeling the hot breath of the destroyer’s of life breathing down our necks…
Name your cafe after your mom. Expand what feels good because it’s everything. Love to you.
Glad you are home and getting some rain. We are still in a severe drought here in the Shenandoah Valley where the green corn fields turned prematurely brown and the trees look okay for now, but will suffer next spring when the lack of ground water will be seen. I too was hoping humanity would have evolved so much more by now. So sad and disappointing. I miss seeing your kitty cat too. She was just so darn cute when she would jump on your lap! She sure lived a life filled with love.
How about calling it the Hello Everybody Cafe?
Oh, thank you Patti. I love your intimate cafe, with your mother behind you, still having your back, so to speak. And, yes, it had to be painful not having Cairo to greet you - I've been through that with so many beloved cat buddies over the years. I am right there with you about the turbulence in the world. Every day seems to bring another threat. Working with CAHOOTS in Eugene, we see the effects of all the chaos and the scars of the pandemic daily, not only with our unhoused clients for sure, but sadly, with so many others, including many pre-teens and teens as well, at a level we hadn't seen before. As Monk said, without the dark, there is no light, and as CS&N sang, the darkest hour is just before the dawn. I have to believe that a change is gonna come and we have to do our part. Even the seemingly small things like smiling and saying hello to a stranger and being kind go a long way. Sending peace to you and this precious community.
Hello Patti, Welcome Home!
How about Cafe Cairo? Thanks for sharing your thoughts and adventures.
Happy to hear from you (tonight). Having a glass of red wine and thinking about sweet cats and how much they are missed when they go.
And then there are the wars and climate change……
Home ❤️
Cafe Cairo?
Cafe Cairo
Grateful you are home, Patti, and I hope you will have time to slip into those quiet moments you spoke of to heal, grieve, rest and restore your being. Also, I love your ring with the black stone. I've been noticing it in your posts, a beautiful talisman. Sending peace and love to all.
Oh, I do like it here in your cafe. Good morning, Patti ☕📖🌧️
I needed that. You are a gift❤️
Enjoy your cafe for one Patti! You are right we need these moments of quiet , of listening to the rain, or watching as a sunbeam catches the glass and lights upon the wall, and especially in these challenging times. Thank you and welcome home.
Welcome home Patti & thank you for sharing the photos. That is a beautiful picture of your mom. I am sure it is sad not to be welcomed by Cairo but she is in all our thoughts and we all miss her. I have been making my coffee for some time now and love the smell of it perking while I get ready for the day. As always, I look forward to your messages. It would be nice if you could see us while you are speaking but I am sure you know how appreciative we all are when we see your posts. Hope you have a great evening.
In 1976 when I bought Radio Ethiopia (I was 19) the album was missing the liner notes. I wrote to an address on the album cover. In an oversized envelope I received the liner notes and a note from Patti's mom, an apology saying a number of albums mistakenly went out without them. How do I know it really was from Patti's mom? Because the note was handwritten and signed. “Beverly Smith, (Patti's mom)”. I believe she also mentioned she was helping out with the Patti Smith Fan Club. Unfortunately items are lost to the ages, thankfully memories are not.
The Welcome Cafe. I would guess most here feel this; a warm welcome when you share all of your bits and pieces.
Thank you, Patti, and welcome home. This cafe and forum are so appreciated, a place for our shared humanity. And for our love of cats and the natural world. I hope you feel Cairo’s beautiful spirit in your room. It’s also comforting to see the portrait of your mom. I’m sure she’s proud of you and for the space and kindness that you extend to us.
It’s heartbreaking losing a loved one, you cry if you want to, as much as you want to. I know it hits when you’re not expecting it. My family had a Dr come and help Phoebe pass on. I was against it. Her back legs were in bad shape but I had a friend that bought a custom made wheelchair for her dogs back legs and she went on for a couple more years. I was out voted and we the Dr come over. I’m crying now thinking about and it was 4 years ago. I’m sure you’re going to write a great song out of this. I’m feeling better 3 nights in a row with natural deep sleep. Love you
so good to see you Patti! i’ve missed you!
Patti, a bittersweet homecoming - but home safe and sound. I'm having evening coffee with you
and appreciating your sharing some time here. We have a choice where we put our thoughts and
energies, and that's a challenge these days. It really is a matter of our emotional survival. You are
offering a place where we can stop for a few minutes and enjoy whatever you might put on the table.
Thank you Patti - and welcome home.
Welcome home, Patti. Surely it was a poignant pause to return to the familiar space without Cairo to greet you. Thank you for sharing your new cafe space, your travels, poetry, and thoughts on the state of things these days. If only we could pause the troubles of the world so everyone could breathe and rest. Thank you for the reminder that we can be both present to all, but also step aside for a time to gather our thoughts.
Welcome Home.
Thank you for this moment of respite, its so much needed in these sad times we are living. Love your cafe for one, and Cairo’s presence is felt if not seen 🤍
I like the suggestion of cafe Cairo that K Truman made! I watched your lovely message with my Lila Kitty in my arms and felt heartbroken for your missing sweet Cairo Kitty. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. 🙏🏽💛
I love 'our visits'!! It did occur to me right before you said it, that you should name the cafe after your beautiful mom! She was sending out vibes! Or maybe Cafe Cairo after your beloved 'baby'?? I cry every night watching the news of how so many innocent people are being killed/hurt. "Men" seem to love war - 'what is it good for? NOTHING' sweet dreams tonite xoxo
Dear dear Patti, thank you for this café moment of quiet contemplation. Thank you for articulating the necessity for it. The moment you considered the name for the café I blurted out "Cairo Café!" because it does have a ring to it:) I am so sad for your return to NY without your beloved girl to greet you, cross though she may have been by your absence. 22 years. Such a long love, and beyond.
And yes, let us not plunge headlong/headstrong into madness--the world has lost touch with humanity, it seems. xo
Your words really resonated with me today. My little kitty guy, Kneemoe, also passed away recently and I sure miss him as well. Also, appreciate your comments on war and climate change enveloping all our world (or does my Weltschmerz appreciate it?). We need more love and more compassion. That's really the crux of it. Thanks for sharing. I really appreciate your posts.
Welcome home, thank you for inviting us into the respite cafe. I look forward to hearing poetry during these times when we can step back and catch breath, even if only for a brief moment. May Cairo's memory be a blessing. As always, w
That's a good name
The Bev Cafe or Cafe Bev.
Made a film in Tblisi in 2007, At the Top of My Voice, about a Georgian writer and poet and actvist Irakli Kakabadze and his then wife Anna Dolidze. It's filled with Georgian music Tblisi architecture and the warm and wonderful Georgian people. Think you would very much appreciate and enjoy it.
Thank you Patti, your cafe is warm and welcoming, and a beautiful way to start my writing day in Australia. My condolences on the loss of dear Cairo. x
Thank you for inviting us in to your Cafe for One--though we are all joining you in this virtual way, so Cafe pour Tout may be another way to put it. A quiet space to rest when rest is called for.
I understand that feeling of a missing being, a most familiar shape now space-filled. Only, in my peripheral vision they linger--and leap and run stare pointedly at the food dish. It is true that energy is never lost, but it does rearrange.
I'm glad Cairo got to spend her luxurious 22 years with you.
Thank you Patti for these simple and powerful words today. I think we all needed your calm space to sit and have coffee.
Hello, Patti. Glad to find you here. Understand your sadness at losing Cairo. I lost my dear Sweetie in 2017. What a lonely change. Love your work.
“Cafe Cairo,” Patti…. Lost my sixteen year old pup, several weeks back… it’s an emotional void, like nothing else…I’m in New Orleans…I See that cup..BTW, a colloquial name for Cairo is Al—Un-Dunya…How bout, Café du Dunya!!!
What about Cafe Cairoly, then it honours them both.
Anyway, a name will drop down from the ether.
I think the back drop is lovely. The trees through the shutters and your Mother’s beautiful picture behind you. I believe our Mothers are always behind us, they have our backs. One day you will be behind your children, just whispering, or as in my Mothers case, yelling 🤣
Good morning to you too Patti. Thank you for articulating what so many of us are thinking right now - it's a terrible state of events in the human world, and in the wider world our damage to the environment continues unabated. Important to share those moments of respite, for me your messages are that time away from my duties - I value them very much and miss Cairo too.
I'm very grateful for your posts and always helpful outlook Patti. It's rough out there, and we've nobody better to help us through it than you.
I'm sorry for your losses, near and far. I hope we make it x
What about “Café Cairo”?
Hello, Patti. Glad you traveled safely home. Thank you for the chat from your own cafe. I have the same coffee mug from my wedding trip to NOLA in 2018. Here's to positive thoughts and some peaceful moments of good coffee in the middle of a struggling world.
Welcome home, Patti, here's to your new cafe. Comforting to have you back. xo.
My mommy died on Oct 4th. I miss her . She is not here to welcome me home. I keep wanting to pick up the phone and call her to tell her what's going on. I know what you mean by a shift.
My mom passed on August 4th, 2022. Miss her everyday. I'm very sure I always will. I know what you mean about calling your mom. I spoke to my mom everyday. I still do...not by phone but just talking out loud. I think she is listening. Praying for all the people suffering in our world.
My mom died October 6, 2017. Someone asked me when I stopped missing my mom. That hasn't happened yet. . .❤️
Welcome home Patti! Love the new cafe and the pic of your Mom. I am sure we all miss seeing Cairo..butt and all! The raw feeling of missing our fur babies is always so hard. Hugs
I feel like you. So hard. Love dearest.
Good morning Patti
I like your cafe. It seems warm and cozy.
Hey Patti, good morning.
And 'morning all!
Welcome back Patti! Hey, new beginnings! I like our new Cafe setting!🥰
thank you for this quiet moment of much-needed respite in your lovely cafe… so sorry for your huge loss… who is remembered, lives—deep in our heart!! x (((💜))) 🤲🏼🎶🤲🏼
Dear Patti,
For these past several months, reading your books, listening to your music, watching your lovely vlogs - it all made me feel so surreally close to you somehow... Like I'm a very distant spectator of a wonderful person, who's been living a very rich and adventurous life, full of emotions, full of hope, wisdom and inspiration.
The wish of seeing you inspired me to travel to Germany this Summer to your concert in Ulm, I even took my mother with me there and those 2 hours were one of the happiest in my life.
Then, several days ago, I learned that you were in my own home town, Tbilisi, which was a complete shock for me - like a blessing, a chance to see you again in my own city.
Unfortunately, I didn't have a ticket for the show, for they were sold out already, but I still tried my luck and went by the theatre when the show was about to start, with hope of something... Very lucky for me, there were two other girls who were also desperately trying to sneak in and the very kind people at the theatre let us all in and gave us free seats on the balcony, on the top floor. It was a magical experience, the one I'm gonna be telling fondly for the years to come. But that was not all...
The next day I found out that there was book signing planned and it was another blessing for me; so I grabbed my Georgian copy of Just Kids and ran to the Rooms hotel with my brother. We stood in a very long line of people and after 40 minutes or so, I was standing in front of you, nervous, still shocked and still in a dream.
I learnt that a lot of people in Georgia also love you as much as I do, and it was a very nice thing to learn, to hear all those people in the theatre singing along to Because the Night... And seeing their anxious faces, just like mine, waiting in line to see you and get an autograph. It was very surreal, yet so heartwarming. I bet you've also had many times like this, meeting your favorite artists, feeling their magic presence and being filled with that precious joy and excitement. Now I know how that feels too. And Thank you for it! Thank you for being you.
With too much love from Georgia,
Sopho
Thank you for sharing your wonderful story. These experiences connect us all. I am from Hawaii, a place so far and different from yours yet I can so appreciate and feel your story as if it’s my own ❤️
I saw Patti in Berlin recently and was inspired, rejuvenated, comforted by her 💫
Thank you so much for your appreciation, Jean!❤️ It's a truly magical feeling when you have a chance to see your favorite artist's live performance and I think everyone should experience this at least once in their lifetime.
How very wonderful for you🤗, I still have to see Patti...one day I sincerely hope 🤔💜💙☮️
When you really want something, the universe has its way of making things happen. So, don't lose that hope 😊✨❤️
🤗💜☮️
Welcome home, Patti - even if it is now sadly sans Cairo. Nice to see you have a view of trees outside, and I wonder if you have a balcony. I'm reminded of a TV show made in New Zealand called Ëating Fried Chicken In The Shower". A local depressed alcoholic comedian invites famous people into his mental health safe space (the shower), for a finger-licking chat about headspace and happiness. Maybe you could invite a few friends into your kitchen cafe for a video chat!
Good day Patti. Last night, the weather was cold and crisp in Washington state. I could see the large full moon and the stars, and I always say "Hello" to my beloved pets who left last year are part of the universe now. Cairo will always be near. I made myself a cup of Philz coffee and enjoyed your check-in today.
Another PNW Philz drinker! I came back to Seattle after 20 years in San Francisco and despite this being the supposed coffee capital of N America, I could not find a replacement for those cups of love.
::lifts mug of Tesora::
(when I was younger I drank Ether but.. it would keep me up all night now!)
Cafe Bon Jour? It is a welcoming visual space, with the window over your shoulder opening up to changing seasons.
It also reminded me of a long lost framed print carried from studio to studio apartment. In the Midnight Kitchen - blue ink line drawing on unbleached paper.
Home Cafe. :)
/Users/Rachel/Desktop/hunter's moonrise.jpg
Hello, lovely post. There is a such thing as a bad post from you. Thanks for touching base from "Patti's Place" (my vote for your cafe.) I love the wooden shutters in the background, and your wise and thoughtful words, as always. I don't know if we can post pics, but if the top line is appearing, this was the moonrise last night from Lucy Vincent Beach, Chilmark, MA (Martha's Vineyard), thought I would share it with you. If you can't see it, you can find it on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/rachel.baird.94/. I went to the beach to take a moment to breathe deep and step away from the chaos and sorrows of this world. Turned the corner and there was the moon, doing what she does so well.
So nice to receive your Sunday morning greeting. There seems to be a pall of sadness all over the world. My lifetime friend just lost her pet, and when visiting could see and feel their loss. But let us all keep soldiering along and meeting the challenges we are given. We all know nothing remains the same. Love your new cafe, cozy and warm. Most important work is accomplished in a kitchen. Thanks for the contemplation and thoughts.
Café Cairo.
To honor the homey, Egyptian sand-colored cat who grounded your house and heart. Also a nod to your wanderlust when you aren't curled up in this kitchen.
Beverly's Kitchen Cafe.
Cairo's Kitchen Cafe> (maybe too soon for that)
The Poet' Place. . .
Welcome home, Patti! We all need our moments of quiet; they are very important for us to rest, to heal, and to enjoy a cup of coffee.
I hear you about Cairo and am there with you in your feelings of loss. The kitchen cafe seems like a good place to be. That could be a good name for it, Kitchen Cafe. OR just before you mentioned your mother, I thought, wonder what your mother's name is and it could be named for her.
Thank you for connecting. I understand your thoughts on wishing we were living in a more compassionate world. So many of us wish for that to. For ALL people and sentient beings.
Right now, there is a tiny lizard climbing on the wall outside. How high you going to go little thing? These precious moments, I am thankful for and wish everyone to be happy.
Be well Patti. Excited to hear you're writing a new book. I have your others. I had Babel many years ago and gave it to a friend. I was missing it and finally bought another one.
I am sitting here with my cat Buddha, a rumpy (a form of Manx). I He came to be 2 weeks after my last cat of 3 , 18-year-old Beau died. I didn't think I wanted needed any more cats. But I am sure glad he came into my life. ANYway. Sending love and hugs.
I've had him about 12 years now.
Go, tiny lizard 🦎. We're rooting for your journey.
Cafe Cairo, perhaps? Although Beverly or Mommy Cafe could be something. Thanks for sharing coffee and some time. I just finished teaching a slow, gently movement lesson to friends and colleagues, watched the first snow of the season fall here in Boulder, Colorado, and will turn to my own collections of poetry. Now, to turn up the heat under the kettle and settle.
that bread sounds really Gone. and that's why you had " two slice"s :-)
M Cafe... xx
It would be my dream to sit in Cafe Cairo with you and share a cup of coffee.
You give my soul what it needs.
Gracias, and sorry Cairohas left the planet. I know that feeling...left to exist in your heart forever.
Thank you Patti for expressing for me also the disappointment and sadness at the world situation!! Why can’t the leaders find another solution besides violence? I am grieving with you for all the lost lives...... and for Cairo too!
Thank you for the cafe date Patti! Always wonderful to listen to you! ❤️
Cafe for One - sounds great! I'm with Monika!! Alas, our cups together will be virtual each in our own cafe together. Welcome home. Thank you for the moment.
Cairo is there in spirit and, possibility, cranky that you have been gone so long. A little blessing to you both this morning. Love seeing your bike in the frame!
Patti your words resonate with those of Robin Wall Kimmerer in her book, Braiding Sweetgrass. The idea of standing back and accessing, and caring for all forms of life.
Your Cafe Mama is charming. Seeing the bike made me smile. Thank you for being a day brightener.
A very bright silvery moon. XO
Thank you for your thoughtful musings - so important to have such communities.
Hi Patti , I understand how you feel about Cairo. We’ve had a animals for a long time . It’s always heartbreaking. Oh yea my cat now is the same way when I’ve been away for a while she’s very ambivalent. Then she warms up eventually. Good to hear from you . Enjoy being home .
✌🏼💜 Nina
Thank you for these words
I travelled to Tbilisi a few months ago, I fel in love with this city and, it reminded me a bit of Istanbul. The Mother of Georgia holds a sword and a glass of wine, symbolizing courage and hospitality
I hope that you had time (if not, maybe in the future) to visit more of Georgia, a country full of treasures and adventures
Heartfelt thoughts for Cairo
Cafe Home
Ps. Love the idea of your cafe. I’m
Imagining a possibility of a visit and a cup of good coffee. Welcome back xo
Good morning to you from rainy Austin. I am so grateful for your words. Sometimes it feels like I am catching up with an old friend. I so appreciate the connection.
I listened to you share about missing your Cairo as I watched my dog Sadie, just turned 13 yesterday, napping away. I am even more aware of the time slipping away. It’s a blessing to have her here with me now, but I know the inevitable is not far away. I too cannot imagine my life without her, but know that somehow, like you I will manage when the time comes.
I am also grateful to hear about your many travels. I am in awe and usually left to wonder how you do it! I leave home for a few days and usually feel more exhausted! But I know you are a world traveler and therefore much more experienced in these things.
Lastly, thank you for sharing your thoughts on the state of the world. It’s so heart wrenching. I guess all we can do sometimes is to sit in our own personal cafes and pray for better days ahead.
I just drank my morning coffee out of the same cup haha! The US Embassy in Tbilisi is a very attractive blue (if my memory holds) house in a quasi residential area. Don't take pictures of it because the local authorities will assume the worst. At least they did in 2004.
Hi Patti. Thanks for the check-in. I saw your post on IG and thought "oh good, she's home". I'm having my mid-day tea. Still working on winter preparations. Covering the deck furniture today since it's only in the 30s. I won't be sitting outside for another 7 months. 😁 I mss Cairo too being in the picture.
Hello Patti
I’d like a cup of black coffee , please xo
Thank you so much for today's message. I especially appreciate such a moment of respite today.
I think Café Beverly has a nice ring to it.
Ahhhh such welcome respite with you, dear Patti, in the Your Quiet Cafe will this community and friends of Cairo. It’s a salve for my soul 🙏🏻❤️
Love your Café Du Monde mug
Beignets would be delicious with your coffee this morning in that cup. So delicious!
Thank you for your moment of peace from your new cafe. 🕊💙📚🎶
Dear Patti, it has now been three times that I’ve written a reply and, in my discombobulated state, touched something on the screen and lost it. I’m frustrated but also think it’s fitting that what words I have are “writ in water” (Keats).
I don’t have the strength to try to write it all again so I’ll just say that I welcome you home but have known it would be hard without Cairo to greet - and be a little cross with - you. It is true that we will all miss her, but no one as acutely as you.
I love seeing your mother behind you and hearing you call her mommy and love the idea of your sending missives from Cafe Beverly.
I can find no respite for the horror of this time. All my life I have tried with all that I have and am to believe in and advance the power and possibility of kindness and mercy and peace. At 61, I feel the same as I did at 6 and 16.
With all my heart, I thank you for this space, a place to share our hope, sorrow, and rage.
I send everyone wishes for health and strength. Patti, Max sends you love and snuggles.
In sorrow and solidarity,
Robin
Robin, So nice to read your post, I always look forward to them because of the thoughtful intent you put in them and the wisdom. Be well.
Thank you, Kristen. I’m truly touched and grateful for your words. Warmest wishes to you.
I hope that all the kind wishes that you bestow on others (and I notice them all) come back to you Robin. You are just the kindest soul, and just like the bird of your name you sing of freedom from all the harshness of our world.
If Heaven is our home and all is peaceful there, then it might explain why we don’t have it here?
Dear Jayne,
Thank you so much for this note. Your warmth and kindness mean more than I can say.
I’m not sure what to believe about heaven, but I have the absolute conviction that we must behave in this life as if it were all there is. To be alive is such a gift; to love and feel loved, the only measure.
What came to mind when I read your question was this, from Keats: “I am certain of nothing but the holiness of the heart's affections, and the truth of imagination.”
With warmth and gratitude,
Robin
Holiness of the heart’s affections
Wow!
I currently have 1,228 emails - I delete most automatically, but always open yours. You are so very adept at speaking to our troubled times, but offering hope and art to counter the sadness and terror. A cafe… Brilliant!
I felt like I was sitting in your Cafe with you, sharing in the moment of respite, looking at your pictures. I'm sure I speak for many of us when I say that the personal video messages you send to us are comforting, and cherished. Thank you.
One more vote for Cafe Cairo :) Thanks for your serene wisdom in times of turmoil. Welcome home.
Oh yes Cafe Cairo what a great name. And quite appropriate
Or Cafe Artaud …
Cafe du Maman! Have another cup, relax!
As I write this message from France, it is midday in New York.
I'm sad to see you so sad. Sadness that I understand all the more when bad things happen one after the other.
I wish you the best and many beautiful things that you deserve.
I love you so much dearest Patti ❤️
Patti It's somehow comforting knowing that many people still enjoy a freshed brewed cup of Joe at home without distraction of the price of their satisfying brew ☕ Peace Love
I just saw that same coffee mug from the Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans in a church basement in Seattle...how very synchronistic the world can be.
Grief is love with no place to go [Jamie Anderson]. We grieve because we love.
Good Morning-Thank you for taking the time to say hello. We do need these moments and each other and a collective awakening and decision to do better. I agree completely with that. ♥️💔❤️🩹
I feel all of this. I’ve returned from a Saturday visit with my parents-90 and 84 respectively- and a visit to the grave of Catzandra who departed a week to the day ahead of Cairo. It is a shift in the universe.
I'm having my 2nd 'morning' coffee watching this in Owen Sound, Ontario, it's after 1pm EDT. I am very grateful to see and hear you Patti, as I live with just my doggie Oscar. You are a soothing inspiration and I love to hear about your travels, and literary inspiration. Thank you for being there for so many. <3
Hello and welcome home, Patti.
I loved reconnecting with you in your cafe for one, accessible to all of us. A precious peaceful and pensive space to share your thoughts and emotions with purity and honesty. It’s always a gift to receive your messages, always resonant no matter what the topic or state of our planet. Through these interactions, however simple, whatever the length, you are making a lasting impact.
Forever grateful🙏 We shall overcome….✌️
Moments of quiet.. There is a Japanese concept of space, known as "MA".
It refers to empty space, or the void. In order for a vessel (such as a cup) to work, the inside needs to be carved out. In this way, it can hold water, and we can drink from it.
As you say, we need these moments of still, of nothingness, for us to recognise and be ready for action. Happy Hunter's Moon, Patti!
That is a wonderful concept. The positive negative.
I am glad that you understand MA and are a supporter of Patti.
MA is a philosophical word rooted in everyday language, consisting of Kanji, which is also read as Aida.
Thank you very much.
Yoshi! I'd like to know more?
Elle,Thanks to you for your interest.
It's hard, Ma,Aida, there is an English paper on Betweenness.
Watsuji Tetsurō The Mutuality of Climate and Culture and the Ethics of Betweenness Search for PDF.
Perhaps Ma alone is a word commonly used in Zen, tea ceremony, and Japanese martial arts.
Thank you. Ma is also a good idea.
As it connects with Mama. Mother.
And mine is part if my cafe.
Cafe MA
I like that. It's cool.
PS. Have a look at the Japanese symbol for Ma.. it is two gates with the light from the sun beaming through.
A beautiful space to rest.
Loved this peaceful time with you this morning. Thanks.
Love, love, love IS the most important....
I was at your concert in Brussels.
It was juste beautiful. Thank you so much
You and your band were fantastic.
It was a magical moment.
Communion, generousity and love. It was what i feel
Also, i rediscoverd Rimbaud ( i like " le dormeur du Val) ...because of you.
Thankssss.
Sorry for m'y english
Good morning, Patti .
It looks like your lovely light-filled room.
As you know, you seem to have war trauma. Try not to watch any news or other images related to it. The flashbacks must be very painful. May they occur less frequently. Maybe you are a little safer now that you have crossed the Atlantic.
My condolences about Cairo. Here is a link to Coping with Loss that I have provided before.
Coping with the loss of a pet
https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/coping-loss-pet
Have a nice day. Thank you.
Cafe Peaceful
Plan B.
The collection of poems; an introduction and review of Etel Adnan's Night, which Patti talked about. The starred reviews are all highly positive.
"Writing on a window onto the world": a review of Etel Adnan's Night
https://medium.com/anomalyblog/writing-on-a-window-onto-the-world-a-review-of-etel-adnans-night-680958feb66b
thank you thank you. I kept trying to read the title of the book. I really appreciate this and all that Patti shared.
Good morning from Brooklyn, hearing the same rainfall, feeling the same feelings
How nice to have your own new cafe.
The rain sounds lovely. Our morning is wind blown and the trees outside are swaying. I loved hearing about your search for respite and calm... I tend to seek this more and more. I feel as if tears are always hovering right now, and the thought of the how brazenly a person can hurt another is so shocking to me. Sipping coffee and reading poetry in your personal cafe sounds perfect! I think Cafe Cairo is a perfect name. Have a peaceful morning~
It was a great visit - not too long!
Your words resonate with me in a way that reflects our similar ages; I’m 74.
No Cairo at home!
I kinda thought that as I aged the changes would slow down. Not so. Change and change and change....
I want to add my vote for Cafe Cairo! All of us, especially those that are pet owners, can totally relate to your coming home from a long absence and not being greeted by both the love and the where have you been recriminations. Love for Cairo lives with all your subscribers, and thank you for this beautiful post in a terrible time.
Etel Adnan was a dear friend of ours. Listening to you, finding a place for my day through your posting, I had a shock on hearing her name. I met her in Paris at Village Voice bookstore when she gave a reading in 1993. I had brought a notebook with clippings from a group I had started in l991 to protest our first attack on Iraq. She invited me to have tea with her. I have her books on a shelf behind my desk and she continues to be an anchor. She won the highest honor for her work in France. I think you may have won this also. We had many special evenings with her and her partner Simone on Rue Madame. She was a writer and a painter and maintained a vast network of friends until her death at 94. Since you have become an anchor for me, hearing her name filled me with gratitude for those connections that we have during difficult times.
I loved going to readings at the Village Voice bookstore in Paris. Such a charming place! I miss it!
I'm going to look her up right now! I haven't heard of her. Thank you.
Peace and love this Sunday and always.
Your words are calming and carefully selected. Now, I want a coffee.
Lovely. I needed that. Cafe Cairo?
Lovely photos!!
It’s so good to have this calm space here, thank you. I’m very much feeling this sadness and also even some fear about the future with what is going on in the world. You phrased it so well - it seems like there is almost an excitement about aggression and war.
I agree. A terrible energy in the air.
The Bev Cafe!
The beautiful picture if your mom reminds me if my JW mother. We share that experience. I miss my cat Mitzi, who followed Cairo. We share that experience. Heavy hearted I am with the state of the world. We all share that experience.
It’s is not just a beautiful moon, however. It’s the conjunction of moon and Venus; spectacular! May we all find beauty, art and peace. Take care Patti!
Sent from my iPhone
Good morning, peace and love to all from Northern Minnesota <3
Enjoy being home. But very sad and disorientating not to come home to Cairo. I'm going to try olive oil and cinnamon on toast! Xxx
Thank you Patti so good to hear you again. I know the sadness of coming home and not being greeted by a loving kitty. Mine passed two years ago and I still miss her daily. The cat you posted looks just like her. On the bright side the kitty I adopted a year ago, although she is 3 like my other black familiar has taken to giving me kisses like she did and constantly hangs with me.
Like others have suggested I believe Cairo Cafe has a nice vibe.
It is a dreary morning in My neighborhood also. Just finished a trail run in the rain. A hot shower, hot coffee and your “visit” is a perfect end.
Glad you are home safe and sound. Peace light and love.
Sorry this was longer than I intended.
so many condolences for your loss of Cairo, Patti. You have helped me more than anyone deal with close losses in my life, I draw from your strength, you help the world in more ways than you know. My appreciation for you is infinite and eternal. Please read some Rumi poetry some time if you can! Or any of the Sufi poets. With love and respect
I shared a virtual coffee with you there, you in New York and me in Scotland, loved our chat, let’s meet at the cafe again soon! 🩷
Welcome home (although I think the whole planet is your home). I'm putting in another vote for "Cafe Cairo."
Welcome home and thank you for the respite moment in the Cafe. We need to be fully present for what is happening in the world now, but we also need to go inside psychically and care for ourselves care for our wounds and our neighbors wounds by amplifying the dream of love. Cafe Patti is the safe house.
In these days of despair, your visit brings comfort and the solace of home. I know you're feeling torn apart by the state of our devastated planet, by the fact that our generation was supposed to change the world and look where we are. Yet you greet us with the simple pleasures, the morning ritual of coffee and toast, the soothing sound of a shared conversation. It helps ease the pain and brings a touch of Monk's light to keep us from surrendering to the darkness. I think Katherine and others, below, have a great idea with Café Cairo. I see that you like it as well. It would be wonderful if Cairo had a continuing presence in this community. So many of us miss her, not as you do, of course, but, still, in a deeply heartfelt way. Take good care everybody.
Yes our generation was suppose to change all this and the sadness that we did not outside of our own small communities astounds me. My father use to say which always annoyed me “ it’s easy to think that things like peace and love will change the world when you don’t have money” and I was always so mad and thought him unkind. For years now I see his words in action and realize that he was just trying in his own way not to get my hopes up. Always enjoy and find wisdom in your postings, thank you.
Thank you for your kind words, Kirsten. And for the insight of your father. My mother tried to do the same for me. I was so certain the world would be transformed by the time I reached the age I am now. Like you, part of me is astounded but a bigger part now sees how the odds were stacked against us. It's hard not to give up but I hear voices in this community and beyond that keeps the spark of hope alive. So we do what we can and try to bring beauty and love into a world that seems set on shattering those things to pieces. Maybe our hope is in the shards. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts, Kirsten. Take good care.
Well said Jim. It’s funny, as I was watching Patti, I kept looking at the window expecting Cairo to peep through. Maybe I could see her in my mind’s eye, maybe listening to Patti turns off my mind filter and many fantastic things slip on through!
That's a normal day for me. Good to hear from you, Jayne.
Lucky you !!!!!!!😂
You take care too, Jim.
As always, all the best to you, Robin, not only through these difficult times but also with your health issues. Your voice is greatly treasured.
Thank you, Jim. My health issues have always been bound up with the cruelty and violence in the world. Maybe someday if we’re strong enough to build the peaceable kingdom, I’ll be well.
Hello Robin. What is happening!!!!!!
I still have no words. I too have had reportable issues with my Doctor these past weeks. Apparently all my worries are related to stress and I’m “healthy as an ox” well, obviously not in spirit.
As Patti said, we need to remove and recover. My husband and I are travelling to
Melbourne to a concert tonight. An old rocker from the 70’s Russell Morris, who had many hits in Australia “The real thing” probably the most well known. Backed by a fantastic orchestra in Hamer Hall, should be the best place to remove and recover ourselves.
Take care Robin, it seems doomed but all is not lost, yet.
Trying to be hopeful,
Jayne
Thank you for your good wishes, Jayne. I’m grateful that you’re healthy as an ox and happy that you’ll be going to a concert tonight. I wish you a wonderful time.
Warmly, as ever,
Robin
Thank you Patti, for this hello...for sharing your "café for one" with us, which is now a café for many who love and appreciate how you share your world with us. The world is indeed in a state of devastation and we all grieve, rage, take the actions we can, and find moments of beauty and respite. I'm wondering if your café might be called "Cafe Cairo"....love, gratitude, and respect.
Thank you for the good morning greetings Patti. Looking forward to hearing the name you choose for your cafe.
Yes, the world and our country at this time are in crisis and I find myself hoping things will turn around very soon, but I can’t help feeling sad.
Welcome Home, Patti🍁🍂🪵🔥🌻 Cafe Maman? Cafe Cairo? Or what is on your mug-Cafe du Monde? I enjoyed the posts from far-flung places that I have little expectation of visiting myself, so, thank you for a bit of the world through your eyes, and Richard’s videos ( do I have his name right? ). Am sitting at a partly disrupted desk due to a Wild Hare of a small decorating-my-writing-room seizure of creativity. Enjoy the full moon of Fall as I am here in New England, where I can see the moon rise since a large number of leaves have fallen to leave gaps. It was very pink near the horizon last night, then rose into the clouds. Will have to check in with Peter Gabriel’s Full Moon Meditations on YouTube...💌
Good mourning
Cafe Coffee with Patti
Not much to say
on a wet day
on a Sunday
no sun today
I too am mourning
your lose of Cairo
and the children of
Gaza and Israel, too.
I'm contemplating,,
Lot's of work to do
We need a restart of
creating a world view.
Welcome back!
my heart hurts for you... and with you.