Those Christmas Letters!

I really don't care what Ann Landers, Carolyn Hax or any other etiquette guru says. I LIKE Christmas letters and pictures. I enjoy reading about what everyone has been doing and seeing the pictures of families and especially seeing how the kids have grown. I really dislike opening a Christmas card and only seeing someone's signature -- or printed name. I want to know what's been happening to you! I want to know who's getting married, or having a baby, or being promoted -- or demoted, or graduating, or retiring, or getting a new job, or becoming a grandma or??? I don't throw them away either. It takes me a year -- sometimes longer -- to finally toss them out. (Right now I have three years worth...)

Maybe it's because we are on the road much of the time and I don't see you very often. But, I don't think that's it either. I've ALWAYS liked Christmas letters and photographs. That's most likely why I like Facebook, newsletters and blogs as well. Even if it's only a glimpse, I enjoy knowing what's going on in your life. It's the same reason I've never wanted to live in one of those "65 and older" places. Life is more than my own age cohort -- that's what makes it so interesting.

But, I must confess, I've not done well the last few years with sending out a Christmas letter. I think I've let my blog sort of take its place... I've had good intentions and have even started once or twice, but obviously haven't gotten it done.

When we were in Office Depot a month or so ago, I saw some very nice Christmas letterhead, "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given."  It had an ornament in the corner with silhouettes of the Holy Family. Giving in to an impulse and hoping it would motivate me, I bought a packet along with matching envelopes. Naturally, every time I've opened the file drawer, I've seen that stationary just sitting there, looking back at me.

A couple of days ago, I sat down and started drafting a letter. Always before, I've just typed one up and added some pertinent clip art to it. It's not quite as easy to fit a letter into a prescribed format. Forry read my draft, added some comments and changed a couple of things that didn't quite make sense (everyone needs an editor). This afternoon, I got serious and got the letter printed. I wanted to add some pictures to it, but realized that in an entire year, we did not get a single picture that had both of us in it! (I did stick a little picture of Auntie Violet and the Toad into a corner.)

Now that it's done, I feel good about it. I'll sit down tonight and tomorrow night and get them addressed and stamped. And then I'll wait for the mail, so I can start reading yours!