The Christmas Star .

Summer has returned . Blue skies and warm air. Wilf ploughs purposefully through piles of fallen leaves along the lane . I could swear he's delighted with the noise he makes . Walk finished , he finds himself a cosy spot under the cherry trees in the orchard and sleeps for two hours . The warm grass an old fellows royal throne . At lunchtime he stirs himself to bark at the post lady. '' You've got a parcel from Canada " she says standing at the gate .

Every year we used to have a Christmas card printed that highlighted something that had happened in the prior year. A new house , twelve months without breakages ( never happened ), every day family events involving the Cost Centres . Somehow, between here and Italy we fell out of the habit of doing this . We've now , at last , reinstated the annual tradition . Susan Black ( www.29blackstreet.blogspot.com ) , a very kind and talented artist in Nova Scotia has produced a Christmas scene of two shaggy Polish Lowland Sheepdogs sitting on a hill looking on wonderingly at the Christmas star .

In the background a patchwork of Umbrian mountains and fields . She's even included an olive branch in the bottom left hand corner as a happy memory of Italy . We're really delighted with the result . Funny, tender and festive . Christmas card closure .Who knows ? Next year the card may be of Madame Bay, the old farmers Christmas star, or graduation trips to the States. Perhaps it might even be of Wilf ?