It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Tedward ...

Ted says:  Buy your Christmas cards here. You know it makes sense! (But not that fox gazing wanly into the night or the seasick donkey, no, this here picture below is yer classic Christmas greeting, innit, and that handsome hound posing for the picture is clearly a professional and might even be available for other gigs, you know ... )

There's even added poetry:

The Oxen

Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock.
'Now they are all on their knees,'
An elder said as we sat in a flock
By the embers in hearthside ease.

We pictured the meek mild creatures where
They dwelt in their strawy pen,
Nor did it occur to one of us there
To doubt they were kneelng then.

So fair a fancy few would weave
In those years! Yet, I feel,
If someone said on Christmas Eve
'Come; see the oxen kneel

 'In the lonely barton by yonder coomb
Our childhood used to know,'
I should go with him in the glooom,
Hoping it might be so.

Thomas Hardy

TED HAS HIS OWN CHRISTMAS CARD!

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, prevent the dog from sulking with his very own  ...

CHRISTMAS CARD!!!  

Yes, a sneak preview of this year's card starring an unusually still and attentive Ted. (How on earth he held that pose long enough for Dru to paint him, I shall never know!)

On the back of the card, one of my favourite Christmas poems by Thomas Hardy:

THE OXEN

Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock.

   'Now they are all on their knees,'

An elder said as we sat in a flock

   By the embers in hearthside ease.

We pictured the meek mild creatures where

   They dwelt in their strawy pen,

Nor did it occur to one of us there

  To doubt they were kneeling then.

So fair a fancy few would weave

   In these years! Yet, I feel,

If someone said on Christmas Eve,

   'Come; see the oxen kneel,

'In the lonely barton by yonder coomb

   Our childhood used to know,'

I should go with him in the gloom,

   Hoping it might be so.

Available from Dru's Etsy page.