We’ve been forewarned. The Christmas tree at Charlie’s may or may not have decorations and it may or may not be upright. In fact, a few days ago Charlie was considering the wisdom of having a tree at all. The reason: Lupe, his new kitty.

This will be Lupe’s first Christmas. She arrived at Charlie’s house straight from the shelter last summer – just a wee ball of fluff but with every proper kitty instinct. She’s curious, industrious, energetic, and, above all, has an air of innocence that immunizes her against any serious scolding. Or so I surmise.

We have yet to meet Lupe. From Charlie’s early descriptions and his angst about what to name her, we thought his final decision was ‘Loopy,’ but I see by some of his FB entries that we have been mistaken. Partly. It’s one of those names which can be understood in several dimensions, so to speak.

When last we spoke, Charlie had not decided whether to get a tree and I was concerned. It just wouldn’t seem quite like Christmas without one, I thought. So I was relieved to see that FB photo with Lupe and the tree getting acquainted. So now I’m wondering if it will seem like Christmas with a tree of broken ornaments. Or of a tree with no ornaments at all? Maybe Kitty-in-a-Tree is all we need for our holiday spirit…