I have been updating my address book since it's time to send out Christmas Cards. I know, I know; I still send out snail mail cards because I like getting a little Christmas spirit in the mail box. I make the assumption everyone else does too. I've been sending Christmas Cards since 1972 and for the first 18 years, I wrote a personal letter in most of them. I can still feel the hand cramps. My card list kept growing, and I began to dread doing them.
However, in 2000 I smartened up and started sending out a printed Christmas Letter detailing our yearly news to friends. My right hand was so grateful. In 2008 I started writing this blog. This year only the people who would (1) be disappointed not to get the letter, or (2) aren't wired up with email will be getting the snail mail Christmas letter in their cards. You blog readers will get the same letter, just in pixels instead of ink. If you are on my Christmas Card list (did you send me one?) will still get your snail mail card too. If you want to send us a card use the address found below embedded in the following 2012 Smith Family Christmas Letter.
Perhaps, sending Christmas Cards is going by the wayside as electronic communication erodes snail mail. Even I use electronic cards for birthdays and other occasions. This year I'm still a dinosaur hold out and am sending real paper Christmas cards. I can't promise for next year since I've found an electronic greeting card site I think is dynamite. I'd like an informal poll: a) How many of you will send more than five snail mail Christmas cards? b) Are electronic Christmas cards as good as paper? c) What makes a really good electronic card? If you're reading this blog - weigh in: Snail Mail Christmas Cards: Yes or No and Why. Meanwhile, here's the pixelated form of the Smith Family 2012 Christmas Letter.
December,
2012
We've
had another exciting year. We kicked off the year by deciding to buy
a house. We never thought we'd own another property, but that just
shows: “Never say never”. We bought a duplex in a condominium
development in Sun City, Arizona. We were gratified to learn we made
smart choices when we downsized, and the furniture we kept from our
Hurst house fits perfectly into the new digs. Even better, the house
is less than a mile from Drake's mother, and we have access to all
the great Sun City recreation facilities. Our address in Arizona,
which will generally be good from Christmas through April, is: 10309
West Corte Del Sol Este, Sun City, AZ 85351. (The five word street
address made Drake gnash his teeth, but since the house was perfect
for us, he decided to overlook the annoyance of the long address.)
The
second most exciting news of the year is that Sarah Lynn was accepted by Yale University for graduate work. She began a three year course of study in August
which will result in dual Masters' Degrees (an MBA and a Master's in
Environmental Studies). She and Jay packed up with cat in carrier
and flew to Connecticut where they will be for the next three years.
She loves the program and is taking advantage of the plethora of
classes, activities, speakers and symposiums that Yale has to offer
her. She will be going to Indonesia this spring for 'an
international experience'.
Our
biggest news of 2012 is that Sarah Lynn is engaged to be married to
Jay Alton Wilson. He's a UT grad, a software engineer, a pianist,
and the love of her life. He's a really nice guy who loves her, and
he comes from a lovely family with whom we are becoming fast friends.
The entire extended family are busily planning the wedding which
will be in Austin over Memorial Day Weekend, 2013. Sarah and Jay
came to Phoenix at Thanksgiving, and we managed to eat too much,
watch football, and buy a wedding dress. We'll all be together in
Austin for two weeks at Christmas celebrating the season, enjoying
our children, and planning the wedding.
Our
travels this year took us from Spring Training in Arizona, to Logan,
Utah where we spent the summer, and I took Creative Writing:
Non-Fiction at Utah State University. Hopefully, my blog writing has
improved. Next, we spent some time touring. First, southern Idaho,
then to the Grand Teton National Park, on to Yellowstone National
Park, followed by Glacier National Park. Then we rode the Hiawatha
Bike Trail, did a mini tour of Portland, Oregon and
wound up spending two months at Seal Rock, Oregon watching the
Pacific Ocean roll in while bird and seal watching and eating fresh
seafood.
We
hope you all have lovely holidays and a wonderful 2013.
Merry Christmas
Jan and Drake
4 comments:
I send out photo Christmas cards every year. It is one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. I love to display all of the cards I receive around my house. You can't do that with a e-card. However, I do have an appreciation for the e-card idea and still love the fact that someone cared enough to send me a holiday greeting. By the way, if someone was to send you a Christmas card, what address would they send it to the travelers?
I do a little of each. I used to send out almost 100 cards every year, until like you, my hand kept cramping, and postage went up. Now I'll send to people who we've stayed friends with, but live in other cities, states, etc. I don't mind ecards. It saves paper. I like getting the other kind too, but I hate throwing them away, especially photo cards. I feel guilty. But after watching "Hoarders" on TV, I've had to edit those I've been saving for several years. Either way you might hear from us, the wish is the same: Christmas blessing to all, and a very happy, healthy, New Year. Love, Frank & Espie
I still snail-mail Christmas cards because I have always done it with paper cards and stamps and trips to the postoffice. Many of my card receipients wouldn't know what to do with an ecard so I spend my time picking out cards and getting them ready for the postman. I enjoy receiving either kind of card and I read every Christmas newsletter I receive. For me it's knowing that someone has thought of me that's important, not the type of card I receive.
I am terrible when it comes to mailing cards, gifts even bills. I much prefer to email and even that gets lost sometimes. I agree it is always nice to open a piece of mail from someone especially people from my past that I only hear from on Christmas. That is why I am going to work on a Christmas Letter that I can email. I started on it today. I only hope I finish it. I am a huge procrastinator. I don't know how I raised two boys by myself, had a social life and ran a company the way I did when I was younger. Is it age that has made me such a zombie? I still run around all day, almost every day but seem to accomplish so little. In fact, I cannot keep up with my everyday "to do list." Could it be that I don't have a secretary anymore? (LOL)
Post a Comment