From Fir to Fur

The halls are undecked and startlingly bare, the Christmas tree is gone for another year and this is the earliest I’ve put things away that I can remember. We have always left everything up at least through January 6th. The tree was undecorated and taken outside for recycling on December 27th. As I played Santa on Christmas Day, I noticed the needles raining down onto the gifts as I withdrew them from under the tree. Not a good sign. This tree had arrived at the crispy stage and I was loathe to turn the lights on for fear of instant combustion.

There was another reason for the expedient removal of the tree--our new kitten. Within hours of coming into our house, he appropriated the space beneath the tree as an excellent hiding place. I found myself holding my breath just waiting for the moment he would take it into his head to charge up the center of the tree, causing ornaments to crash to the ground. Our first kitten did just this very thing at approximately the same age. As luck would have it, this did not happen. Good kitty! I decided not to push that luck and put my treasured ornaments away.

It’s so very nice to have a little animal in the house once more. I’d forgotten what fun kittens are and this little cat is developing a most pleasing personality. He’s social, vocal and seems to be quite a lover with occasional little furry pats as if to confirm ownership, his.  I forgot how soft a kitten’s fur is and how comforting it is to have one curled up in your lap, purring away contentedly. And the daily fits! I forgot about those too. This phenomenon known to all cats seems to occur mostly in the very early a.m. and just before bedtime with our guy. I wonder what is the real purpose of this mad tearing around the house? I’m sure there’s some good reason for it; anyway, it’s amusing.

I didn’t feel quite so melancholy this time as I was taking down the Christmas decorations. From the beginning of the holiday celebrations to the last, this was a wonderful Christmas. They’re always nice but this one seemed especially so. Life is good at present and I think bringing a little cat into our home at this time of year has given a real lift to our day-to-day existence in what is usually a long, dreary month subject to boredom and a severe case of the doldrums. There’s a lot to be said about having a little creature about that grows toloveus in a fairly unconditional manner (remember, I’m talking about a cat here). I’m so grateful to my daughter and son-in-law for giving this gift of furry love to my husband and ultimately, to all of us.