Not the best photo I’ve ever taken in my life, but I’m happy to show off my first Christmas tree since 2014. The year following the kitties were still small and rambunctious so I didn’t chance it. The year after that was the Earthquake Christmas in Santa Marinella and I wasn’t in the mood. Last Christmas I missed them in the shops, since I don’t normally put up the tree till the last of Advent, and the shops of course, following the secular custom, get them in about November 20th. The nice thing about Umbrian Christmas trees is they come with a root ball attached, so they last way longer. I hope this one will make it to get transplanted into the garden. I finally risked putting the blown-glass ornaments on, and my wonderful kitties have left the whole thing completely alone, even when I was up in Norcia and they were unsupervised. Shows what a proper upbringing will do.

SUCH good kitties! Good natured Pippy doesn’t mind being used as a pillow and hot water bottle.