Athalia

Let me introduce you to another member of our family. She is a cockatiel, and her name is Athalia. Athalia means, "Yahweh is exalted," according to my wonderful Wife and her Bible name book. (Now she's going to find it, to make sure.) As I type, Athalia is perched on her Daddy's shoulder. (She is cleaning herself. I think she just pooped.) Athalia was Shirley's long before we met, and over the months before our marriage, I spent so much time at Shirley's, that I became Athalia's Daddy.

I like being Daddy. I was already a Daddy--I have an eight-year-old daughter, Cheyenne. So, I know the joy of being a Daddy. I know the work of being a Daddy.

So, when I became Athalia's Daddy, I knew what I was in for (in a sense--this is a bird).

She talks a lot, like her Daddy. She is messy, not unlike her Daddy. She sometimes wants attention, like her Daddy (thankfully Jesus and my Shirley give me plenty of that). And she can be affectionate, like her Daddy.

The last couple of days, she has wanted some more attention. She has been vocal about it. We had a new Black Crowes live DVD on yesterday, and I think she liked it--she was singing with it. When we took it out to watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail and eat, she became quite vocal.

Shirley then said, "Why is she out of her cage?" I turned to look, and she, indeed, was sitting on top of the cage. Somehow her door was open. She ended up on Daddy's shoulder, we shot a little video, and kinda figured it might be OK for her to be out from time to time.

So, this morning, Ms. Athalia was very vocal again. Daddy took her out of her cage, she got on my shoulder, and we are spending some good time together.

She's gray,white, and yellow, with a grey tuft over her head. She's a cute bird. Her cage is next to the consecrated altar in our living room. (we're Franciscans--what better place for her?) The other altar is in front of the house in the Oratory of St. Bonaventure, the "Bonny Room," our chapel/library/music room--where we have the Reserved Sacrament. It has the San Damiano altar cross. The living room altar has a large grey celtic cross--a gift from the Order when I took my temporary vows a few years ago. That one is next to Athalia. She is quite vocal at times when we both (or even one of us) leaves the room, and she knows we are still in the house. Like her Daddy, she can be a mess. Oh, well. We love her.

Shirley got her Bible name book. Athalia does mean, "Yahweh is exalted," in Hebrew. Fortunately, this Athalia is more faithful to the Lord than the Athalia she was named after. : )

Well, now you've met Athalia the cockatiel.


br. francis