CHRISTMAS CARDS - For 40 years I have been sending and receiving Christmas cards. If it had been left with my husband to handle, no one would have ever received one from us and we would probably have totally quit getting any from anyone else a long time ago. - At first, I started out with a long list of everyone in the family including distant cousins and everyone else I could think of. A few years ago, I noticed we either didn't hear from some of them until well after we sent their card or not at all.
I finally decided at that time that a lot of people were
probably wanting to cease and desist on the Christmas card
swapping perpetual motion machine. The cost of stamps were
going up regularly along with the cost of cards, not to
mention the cost of time to sit down and write the usual
note and sign them and address the envelopes. To add to
the consideration, I began to have a type of arthritis in
my wrists especially in cold weather that would sometimes
keep me from even being able to press down with a pen on
paper enough to even sign our names.
So - - - bottom line - - I decided to just wait and see who
REALLY wanted to keep this up and who didn't. So, each
year I started waiting until we received a card from
someone and then answering it. (I kept a stack of
Season's Greetings ones to send in case we got one AFTER
Christmas from someone.) That radically reduced my load
just after the first year. Of course, there are some that
send them year after year first, and year after year I
answer them as I would any note or letter. More drop off
every year, and, of course, I always send first to my
husband's parents and his brother and sisters and to the
few remaining brothers and a sister of my parents who are
both deceased. There will always be a few elderly or
handicapped relatives anyone will not want to omit, but
I think many of the fringe original hundred name list I
started out with are secretly glad they no longer receive
a card from us nor feel obligated to send us one. (I
include a page of stamps in with the cards going to the
two relatives in their late 90's who still send cards to
their close relatives.)
On drinking - have a Coke, Pepsi or Ginger Ale on the
rocks and eat anything you like. Merry Christmas!
That is what I do too. So far I have counted 5. My urgency today are relatives who live out of state and since I did not send presents this year, I thought I had better at least send a card.