Though lovely and festive and generally affirming, the newly arrived Christmas tree has thrown everything into disarray. For example, the cat tower usually stands by the window in the corner now occupied by the tree. Not really knowing where to put it, I lugged it into our studio for safekeeping until we could come up with a better idea.

Imagine my surprise a few hours later to find a previously unknown cat perched atop the tower, passing the time by picking its nose.

Ah, the perils of Christmas trees, the unpredictability of the holiday season. We decided to leave the new cat alone. A few minutes later, it climbed back down and demanded a cookie.