Thanks to the inimitable stefka and stonetimber ... we have a new member of the household.

Some people say you shouldn't get a new cat so soon after the death of an old one. I've never held with that, at least not as a blanket rule. And after Jam died, I wanted a new kitty.

Pat and Stef usually have a good supply of new kittens, so we knew we'd get the new cat from them. They told us we had several choices -- including one older cat ... who is pregnant.

On the face of it, it's a crazy decision -- to bring a pregnant cat and a whole bunch of eventual kittens into our crowded, noisy, chaotic household. But we're crazy people. (Obviously.) And we always wanted one unfixed cat, to give the kids the experience of seeing new kittens born. And I can think of no better way to shake our fist at the Universe and affirm the endless continuity of Life than by bringing Life -- in all its messy glory -- into our house.

So tonight when Pat and Stef came for New Year's, they brought a small grey pregnant cat with them. I always wanted to name a cat after one of the names of Lazarus Long. So will you please welcome:

Her Serenity Seraphin the Younger, Supreme High Priest of the One God in All His Aspects and Arbiter Below and Above. Otherwise known as Serenity.

When she comes out from under the couch, we'll call her Sera.