Prayers for Japan

My sister in law Lou gave me these wonderful notecards for Christmas, maneki neko-- the beckoning cat.  It's supposed to be calling for good fortune for its owners.  It's based on the legend of a cat who helped its owner by calling to visitors.  The exact details vary, depending on the version. Now you can see umpteen versions.  Some come in non-cat colors, like pink or purple, and each has been assigned a meaning:  love, prosperity, ward off evil, etc.  This picture probably depicts a Japanese bobtail, a traditional breed.  Calico Japanese bobtails are considered the be the epitome of the breed.

Scotty and Lou were in Japan just before the major quake hit.  They missed it by hours.  I'm so thankful they left before the disaster.

My heart goes out to all those suffering in the devastation.