Chatty, last year at Christmas, my boss and best friend Bren, and I went to the local city shelter to take treats and blankets to the animals. This shelter, in Deer Park, doesn't have much funding, no frills, just a pound. But we know some of the people there, they have hearts too, paying out of pocket for things they need and the city does not provide.

We went to hand out a little kindness to the creatures, cookies and blankets for the cages and runs. I came home with a little tiny kitten, pewter colored, I call her Jingle Bell.

I didn't intend to, but when I looked in the cage of mewing kittens, she was in the back, quietly looking at me. Our eyes locked, and I was in love again. When I asked if I could hold her, they put her in my arms, and her tiny purr trobbed in my ear. I asked what the fee would be to adopt her, and the attendant said,"Just take her, but have her spayed!" No problem there. She rode around in the bib of my overalls most of that day, as we completed our errands.I went home and prepared myself for the "we can't afford another!" speech, but my hubby just looked and sighed.

That was last Dec., she is quite the lady cat now, races around with the little dog, bullies the guinea pig, and generally makes it lively here. Oh yeah, she is strickly indoors, our first all indoor cat.