Open Doghouse 2

As sunset approached on Sunday afternoon (it comes to us early, up in this mountain valley), we celebrated the completion and occupation of John's "Studio" -- aka, for some of us, "The Doghouse". We set up a festal table on his desk, with the Kente-cloth runner our Ghana friends gave us; some candles (including Maria's Lampatka); a silver salver with a little blessed water from Lourdes that a St. Mark's friend gave me many years ago (it doesn't lose potency over time, I believe); an Asperges Bundle -- of rosemary and lavender branches; and of course an Agape of small hors d'oeuvres and sparkling Vouvray wine. In silent prayer, we blessed the interior of the Studio; and then I read a lovely blessing prayer (which I'll print and frame for him to put on one of the walls -- along with Leenie's gift of the "Attenti al cane" plaque she sent from Italy). This is the prayer:
"Bless this Studio, bless the walls / Nothing but blessing here befalls / Bless the candle that stands by itself / Bless the books on every shelf / Bless the chair-back that rests the tired head / Bless the windows: bless this shed! / All who enter here, let them know /Nothing but blessing, before they go / Those who go from here, let them bear / The blessing of hope, where else they fare / Bless the lintel, and every wall / Nothing but good this place befall."