itsgotsomethingtodowithjaneausten: holiday card 2013

The story for the front of the card:

One morning Rufus’ human (who we will call Jack, though to Rufus his name is not very important. Rufus has, however, heard other humans call Jack a hippie, which he does think is important. Rufus actually thinks his human is rather skinny. He thinks that if Jack did actually have bigger hips his lap would be more comfortable) said to Rufus:

“Time to get ready, Rufus. We’re going to go get a tree for a family who are taking care of some foster kids and who can’t afford one. I know a farmer who grows them responsibly who’s going to help us out. Then we’re going to take them the tree and visit. You have to be good around the kids and just sit calmly so they can pet you, ok?”

“Yay, kids!” thought Rufus. “I promise, I promise, I promise!” Rufus barked and barked.

Jack sighed. “Not an auspicious beginning,” he said to Rufus.

Rufus danced while Jack got dressed. He jumped around on his hind legs and pawed the air with his front legs. He raced in circles around Jack, wriggling his butt in rhythm to his own drumbeat. To Rufus, Jack seemed to take forever to get dressed but eventually Jack had his shoes on and had shoved his arms into his coat.

“Your turn, Rufus,” he said. He wrapped Rufus’ purple scarf around his neck, and tugged on his Santa hat. “You’re ready to go, Rufus!” Rufus sat and stared impatiently at the door, willing it to open.

Finally, Jack grabbed the car keys. Rufus ran out the door to their VW van. He liked to jump into the van through the back doors and race up to the front seat. Once Rufus settled into the seat, Jack put his harness and seat belt on, climbed into the driver’s seat, and after a couple of attempts, got the van started. Rufus stood on his hind legs with his paws on the armrest, and stuck his nose out the window to catch the wind. He loved the wind. It was a long drive to the tree farm. He watched houses flash by, then fields filled with corn, grass for hay, and trees. He barked at horses and cows and parked tractors.

Then he saw the snow. By the time the van drove down the long drive leading to the tree farm and rolled to a stop, Rufus was wiggling in his seat with excitement. Once Jack took off his harness and seat belt, he jumped down and looked around in amazement. Snow banks rose higher than his head. Snow dusted the swarms of trees, big and little, full and scraggly, all dwarfed by one enormous, towering tree that stood guard over the rest.

Jack’s boots crunched on the snow as he walked through the trees. Rufus jumped into a snow bank and disappeared into the hole he made. He kept leaping, high into the sky, to disappear into the snow on landing. He licked the snow, he ran in circles, he made snow dogs by laying on his back and squirming. He heard the bang of the ax, and when he heard the boom of the cut tree landing on the ground he ran to Jack.

Jack picked him up and said, “Did that scare you, Rufus? I’m right here.” Rufus snuggled into Jack’s arms while the tree was roped to the top of the van. When Jack put him down, Rufus stood on his hind legs, his front legs on the side of the van, and looked up at the tree on the roof.

“Just this once,” Jack said.

So he lifted Rufus up to the top of the van. Rufus wiggled down into the tree, stuck his nose into the air, and rode the wind, purple scarf flying behind him.

It was already the best day ever, and he hadn’t even met the kids yet.

Some disclaimers:

*Please do not let your pets/animals ride on top of your car. This is only a story. No animals were harmed in the making of this card.

*As for whether any trees were actually cut down to make this card, the sticker on the wrapping and the back of the card state that it is fair trade and recycled. There is no reporting of the percentage of recycled content or whether it is post or pre consumer use.

*I’m sure that the VW van in the story and the card has been converted into an electric or hybrid vehicle.

*Lars doesn’t know Rufus, but he thinks he would be fun to play with.

The middle of the card: