Christmas cards 2007

I am seriously considering not sending any cards. Really not in the mood this year.

I swear by Valentine's cards. But I'm not making any promises. It may be St. Pat's cards.

I never got to the cards, so I have a pic of a field of buttercups around a old homesite that I think I'll send after the new year.

It's not looking good for us getting them out this year. It's taken me far too long to get a photo of the L'il Peas, and the one I had 40 prints made of is actually awful, I'm afraid. So, for the first time ever since I've had kids, I think we might sit this one out.
Anyone else not sending cards this year?
I'm actually thinking the Valentine's Day card is looking appealing... ;-)
P.S. If you send out a longwinded Christmas letter with your card, 'fess up and defend yourself.

Sometimes I get them out this late, but it's not looking good this year.

But it's not like anyone is wondering what my kids look like!

Cards & letter...done and done.


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Well, I mailed my sister and brother their cards with letter and pics just today. I'm sure they will not get them before Christmas. But I stopped sending out cards years ago. But the problem in that is I've really lost touch with so many people I care about. I may have to resume next year.

P.S. I love getting those long-winded letters!!

What the HAIL is that 'tar? (I love it!)

P.S. I love getting those long-winded letters!!

This is a source of endless joy with me and my gullfriends. They're always getting letters from in-laws and former roommates which are easily condensed into the following letter:

"Blessings from Jesus and Our House! We've had a great year. Mr. Perfect got a huge raise, which he has always deserved, so we built a 12,000 square foot house with servants' quarters. After a month at the beach, we spent the rest of the summer in Africa feeding starving children with food we grew ourselves. Our daughter is in the fourth grade, but she's smaller than her classmates because she's only seven. Her pre-algebra classes are going well. Little Junior is only in kindergarten, but he's already the president of the student body. I've had a quiet year. After single-handedly decorating my own house and the houses of all my tacky neighbors, I read the New York Times Bestseller list and wrote freelance reviews for all my favorite magazines. I got a letter last week from my old friend Laura Bush congratulating me on my use of literacy. Meanwhile, our marriage is perfect and our lives are wonderful. Merry Christmas."

My gullfriends came up with the following response:

"Holiday Greetings! I'm so happy to get the chance to catch up with all my friends and family. Mr. Perfect is out with his 19-year-old mistress, so I have a minute of peace and quiet. It's tedious having him home all day since he was fired. Of course, little junior requires a lot of attention. We didn't know that he was as dumb as he really is, but he needs a lot of help with kindergarten. Our daughter is quite the social butterfly, though. She seems popular with all the boys; they love it when she shows them her new underwear. If you sent us cards, thank you. It's kind of hard to pick up the mail sometimes; we can't get a forwarding address for the van we're living in..."

Outstanding Nohall!

I received an e-mail "Holiday Newsletter" this year. I had no idea one family could have so many illnesses, surgeries, accidents, deaths, sad stories, hard luck, no luck, etc. Every paragraph began "So and so is great- now! You probably didn't know, but she had blah blah blah". This went on for an entire page and covered 9 family members. I didn't know any of them and barely know the sender.

I was so depressed after I read it! And if I had written it, I would have been really down in the dumps, to see how bad my year had gone, visible on one page. It did make me feel blessed!

Is there a happy medium with these holiday news letters?

All of the letters I get are actually very good & informative. I love reading about their unusual vacations, their kids. The pics of their kids are the best part - - seeing the drastic change in each one, year after year. Some even turn out to be quite beautiful/handsome when I never thought they had a chance 10 yrs. ago!


Nohall, Donna the Buffalo is an awesome band I listened to all day today. If you appreciate bluegrass/folk/rock, you'd like them.




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I quit christmas cards about 8 years ago. something had to give. there is just so much to do during the season. but, I really try to remember birthday cards (not e-cards) and send out letters/cards for no reason throughout the year. I think this is more meaningful anyway. you don't just sign your name - you actually write a message or letter to the recipient. nad include photos if possible.

I see no reason however to subject anyone to a newsletter about me and my family. ever! I just feel that there are two kinds of people in the world: those who send out a holiday newsletter about themselves and those who would not even think of doing so. of course, I kind of feel the same about myspace pages.

"Blessings from Jesus and Our House! We've had a great year. Mr. Perfect got a huge raise, which he has always deserved, so we built a 12,000 square foot house with servants' quarters. After a month at the beach, we spent the rest of the summer in Africa feeding starving children with food we grew ourselves. Our daughter is in the fourth grade, but she's smaller than her classmates because she's only seven. Her pre-algebra classes are going well. Little Junior is only in kindergarten, but he's already the president of the student body. I've had a quiet year. After single-handedly decorating my own house and the houses of all my tacky neighbors, I read the New York Times Bestseller list and wrote freelance reviews for all my favorite magazines. I got a letter last week from my old friend Laura Bush congratulating me on my use of literacy. Meanwhile, our marriage is perfect and our lives are wonderful. Merry Christmas."

NoHall, this is awesome! (And exactly the reason I can't handle them.)

Is there a happy medium with these holiday news letters?

Evidently not, based on the ones I receive and NoHall, too, evidently. Here's my feeling: if someone is sending me a letter that is full of information that is news to me, we're not close enough that I should even be sent such a letter. Honestly, I think most people tend to overestimate how interested others are in their lives.

Don't feel bad Pea, cards aren't being sent from this house either. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't, this year ..... I don't. Let this be my official Christmas Card.

It's not looking good for us getting them out this year. It's taken me far too long to get a photo of the L'il Peas, and the one I had 40 prints made of is actually awful, I'm afraid. So, for the first time ever since I've had kids, I think we might sit this one out.
Anyone else not sending cards this year?
I'm actually thinking the Valentine's Day card is looking appealing... ;-)
P.S. If you send out a longwinded Christmas letter with your card, 'fess up and defend yourself.

Today I finally sat down and started the cards. I'm not used to writing by hand much any more so I couldn't get through them all. My penmanship was down the tubes by the 10th card and I had to quit and crack open a beer. Those that don't receive cards from me this year will get them next year, and those that do this year might not next year. That's just the way it works. ;-)

Since I don't know how to work the computer except to write in excess of 6,000 posts and undocumented PMs, there were no photos to enclose because--guess what!--I haven't a clue as how to find the photos let alone print them. I'll blame this problem on Bill Gates, which is what Merman does when the computer gives him problems.

Long-winded Christmas letter, printed on fancy Christmas paper? That what you're talking about? I did it only once in my life and I'm very glad that I did. My mother-in-law was dying during the holiday season in 2001 and I knew that I'd never again write anything to her. So I sat down and wrote and wrote, and before I knew it I had eight typed pages. It was the best gift I ever gave her because it made an old woman happy to hear about her son and her grandchildren so far away from her. (And practical Yankee that I am, I thought it was a shame to waste all that verbosity so every friend and relative got a copy. I think I stunned a lot of people that year...and not in a good way...it was like, shaddup already...)

Don't feel bad Pea, cards aren't being sent from this house either. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't, this year ..... I don't. Let this be my official Christmas Card.

MERRY CHRISTMAS
AND
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

"GOD BLESS US EVERYONE"​

and
dbuck, I love it!
Mermy, you get a pass because of the circumstances and the fact that it was a one time offense.
P.S. Johnrudy, which DTB CD were you listening to? I'm on emusic now looking at all their CDs, and I still have some downloads left this month. I have a feeling John R might be familiar with them.

Outstanding Nohall!

I received an e-mail "Holiday Newsletter" this year. I had no idea one family could have so many illnesses, surgeries, accidents, deaths, sad stories, hard luck, no luck, etc. Every paragraph began "So and so is great- now! You probably didn't know, but she had blah blah blah". This went on for an entire page and covered 9 family members. I didn't know any of them and barely know the sender.

I was so depressed after I read it! And if I had written it, I would have been really down in the dumps, to see how bad my year had gone, visible on one page. It did make me feel blessed!

Is there a happy medium with these holiday news letters?

Ha! You know what's worse? When you dig through your trusty 20+ year old box of Christmas cards, you know, the box with all the odds and ends of cards, address labels, torn-off addresses of received cards, beat-up old address books, and you wonder, as you write a card to someone, if you've sent them that exact card last year, and the year before and the year before that. They really oughtn't make boxed card sets with more than 20 cards in them since the opportunity for repeats is enormous. Especially when your Christmas card list gets smaller and smaller each year because of your 'forgetting' to do the chore more years than not. (Did I just say chore? You know I didn't mean it!)

Oh, and the other thing is looking through your address book and noting how many people in it have died. You tend to accumulate a lot of corpses when you've been married a really long time.

I got off a few cards, but have been so busy I did not get them all out. I meant to send one to every single one of y'all....really I did. Y'all know I love ya anyway.

We get a lot of corporate/business type cards at work and I can't tell y'all how many of them were not even signed. Why bother?

I got off a few cards, but have been so busy I did not get them all out. I meant to send one to every single one of y'all....really I did. Y'all know I love ya anyway.

We get a lot of corporate/business type cards at work and I can't tell y'all how many of them were not even signed. Why bother?

EXACTLY!!!

Mermy--you DO get a pass. The letters I describe are nothing more than, "Hey, friends and family! Let me tell you why I'm better than you!" There are acceptable ones--I get letters from friends when they've been abroad doing missionary work, when they've had a tragedy (and we all want to know but are afraid to ask), and I've had a couple of friends send page-long letters after a "miracle baby" comes, accompanied by pictures of fat-and-happy cutie pies. I love getting those letters.

My gullfriend's SIL sends letters telling about acreage they've bought and their children's complete academic transcriptions. Bleh. When her oldest son was born, her husband would introduce him and say, "This is Junior. We think he has below-average intelligence..."

I usually send out cards to all my clients. Hand-written, hand-addressed...I don't understand any other kind of card from a company unless it has money in it.

Here is my card to you all.



Happy Alcoholiday!!!

Sorry to say, I did not get cards out this year. I even bought them, addressed some and then that was it....I think I actually sent 5. Mr IBD was not happy about this but I told him it was OK b/c other sowallers did not either...

So I too, will be sending out another holiday card....

Outstanding Nohall!

I received an e-mail "Holiday Newsletter" this year. I had no idea one family could have so many illnesses, surgeries, accidents, deaths, sad stories, hard luck, no luck, etc. Every paragraph began "So and so is great- now! You probably didn't know, but she had blah blah blah". This went on for an entire page and covered 9 family members. I didn't know any of them and barely know the sender.

I was so depressed after I read it! And if I had written it, I would have been really down in the dumps, to see how bad my year had gone, visible on one page. It did make me feel blessed!

Is there a happy medium with these holiday news letters?

I am not a fan of the letters either....I really do not enjoy the self-inflating ones...talking about personal successes and I agree who wants to hear about everyones illness..

here's one from sowalgb:

Dear friends:

Thought you'd like to hear the latest from our family. Well, here goes.

We've all been flossing regularly.

The newspaper landed in the bushes twice, but we got it out, thank goodness dad has those long arms.

They put a new gas station on the corner. It's the self-serve kind so there's been a lot of talk around town about it.

The other night we took the whole family to the pancake house for dinner. We all had pancakes except for mom. She had a waffle. She's a free spirt, you know.

We're saving up to buy a goldfish and can hardly wait. Pets are very exciting. And if not, you can flush them down the toliet.

Our kid finished his milk today. No one noticed we're using margarine instead of butter.

It's pretty cloudy here. Sometimes we watch tv. Other times we don't.

We may go shopping this weekend at the mall. There are forty-one stores there. So far we've been to twenty-eight. Thirteen to go. Unless they build more. They probably will. They always do.

That's about it for the big news.

It's been some heck of a year. How about you?

Love and all

i always wanted to send out a letter on super fancy embossed glittery heavyweight expensive paper that said

This is what went on at the _________'s this year:

Same $hit, Different Year

Sorry to say, I did not get cards out this year. I even bought them, addressed some and then that was it....I think I actually sent 5. Mr IBD was not happy about this but I told him it was OK b/c other sowallers did not either...

So I too, will be sending out another holiday card....

Oh, IBD, you've made me feel so much better!