What Is Christmas Without a Tree?

Never leave the house to go shopping for a couple of hours, if you don't want things to change whilst you are out! That's the lesson I learned for today.

Last night I thought that I heard the usual banging around in the family room. This morning, when I arose, It didn't look like they had even removed the cover from the party house. Not a good sign.

I didn't ask questions. I just went on my merry way to do some late Christmas shopping. The real mistake was not starting the shopping months earlier.....You know the feeling.

I found a few things and also got sore feet.

I knew something was amiss when I came home, entered the back door and not a sound was to be heard....Then I strolled into the living room and saw this!

The party has started. At least the decorating part has.

I confronted Tessie(and Zar) with, "What did you do? How could you?"

Tessie stood up to her full five and a quarter inches, looked me straight in the eye(she was standing on the third level) and said..."Well the cats seldom use this monstrosity. We decided that we want our usual Christmas Tree Party and this is the only tree in the place! We've got dibs!"

Zar was a big help. His comment was, "Yeah. What she said!" All the while fidgeting and pointing at Tessie.


I looked up and on the very top, Santa was perched between two trees. Nobody seemed to notice. He was checking his list....There were a great many checks on the "Naughty" side....

Below him and to the left is our one and only wrapped present for the year. It's something that I got for Walter. I can't tell you what it is. He reads this.

The next step down, Esmerelda, Spike and Buffy were settled in with beer and cookies. I question their taste in party food.

Yes, there are real lights around the edge of this layer and the next one down. I went and looked in the drawer where I keep the batteries....All gone.

Going down.

The spinning sister seems to be happiest when left alone. With drink in one hand and three pizzas to keep her company, can you blame her? She is putting up with the tiger cub, Theo, kind of. He had best draw back that paw from the deluxe pizza box though. She is Tessie's older sister and a witch to boot.

Inside, Tessie has the best room in the house(as usual).She moved in some of the mid century modern furniture and she has the tree from last year. This is the only room with actual lights. The fireplace is flickering. She stuck one of those little battery operated tea lights behind the screen. They also managed to get one of the LED lights stuck to the ceiling...I am going to have to investigate that....Bubble gum or Velcro?

After I got over the shock, I decided it wasn't so bad. I did tell them that it was up to them to keep the cats out of their party if they insist upon staying in the tree....It IS Mookie and Widget's tree. Not theirs.

As everything stands now, it looks like interest has been lost in the party house.

Maybe if one of the cats tries to take a bite out of one of them, they will change their minds.

Either they will go back to the party house or I am going to have to clean up the mess that they started. Wish me luck!

See you tomorrow.