Max and garland

Despite the fact that it was a splendid, post-deluge day, I spent most of the time indoors, writing well in advance of deadlines, cleaning everything in sight, and planning meals for an entire week. Our 20-plus-pound cat found himself festooned in a festive Hawaiian lei. The living room, which had been organized and spotless, was quickly a shambles. The quiet halls and corridors of our home echoed with squeals of delight, and the mad dash to safety by our other two, less-than-Max-placid felines. The cause of this dramatic change in the air was the arrival, for the next week or so, of a charming three-year-old known around here as the Energizer Bunny. Miss Stasia, my granddaughter, has moved in for a visit, and chaos will be the order of the day and night. Max doesn't mind, and my wife and I wouldn't have it any other way.