CHRISTMAS CARDS.

and hugs, x

I'm usually a procrastinator when it comes to writing Christmas cards then I do them in a last minute flurry. This year I can't even manage to get into a shop to buy them without rushing out in floods of tears. It will be my first Christmas without DH and the thought of writing just my name seems so painful. Have recieved some cards already but have put them away on a shelf. Two have been sent to both of us, one exhorts me to have "the best Christmas ever" which I think unlikely to be the case and the rest are full of good cheer. Oh dear am I turning into an incarnation of Scrooge? I wonder if there's a cure for it?

Ffinochio I think it's the sheer number of them, in my case, and I do resent having to do DBH's as well. He says he has to do them for his form at school, but it's not the same, he isn't having to look up addresses and remember their kids' names and so on. I keep in touch throughout the year with most of our friends anyway, on facebook and by email so round robins aren't a feature, only one of our friends does one and it's always fascinating so I don't mind, I know how busy she is. I really resent the cost of the stamps and the amount of time it all takes, on top of all the present-buying and wrapping and posting I have to do - we have a big family, between us and DBH's aunts and uncles still send him presents as do his cousins. So cards become just another chore. I've done most of them now, just have to add the address at the bottom. IF, IF DBh ever manages to retire I shall make him do his family and friends. I have to stand over him while he writes the ones for his form, as it is.

I agree that email is the way to go but I make sure each email is individual - not just a churned out newsletter. No one likes a boaster but I think it is nice to have an update so long as you keep it funny. I love to receive them and send them.

It's great receiving cards, and to send them, at any time of the year. Each is a pleasure. If I thought the cards I received were written begrudgingly then I would wonder why they were sent in the first place. Help me out here, because I don't get why doing them is such a chore. I don't send to anyone through a sense of obligation.

Postal costs are a bit of a fright, but the cards needn't be expensive and I usually make my own. All it takes is time and a bit of writing.

I send to friends and family I don't see regularly. To all friends locally I speak my love and best wishes.

I still enjoy receiving cards, but writing them is a right pain. I used to start them mid-November ready to post first week in December, but I just don't have time anymore......now that I have retired. Where do all the weeks and months go? It's just a year since my retirement and I seem to have more to do as each week goes by.
Ooh and I have the pleasure of writing to all of DH's relatives as he doesn't know what to write in Christmas cards....and it sounds better my writing them apparently

In case I forget to send you all one, make sure you all have

A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS xxxxx

DH sending cards? Don't make me laugh! I don't think he has ever written one in his life.

I haven't started writing mine yet. I was cross to find out that I have been sending a card to DH's work colleague for the past 14 years and he apparently moved house 15 years ago and didn't pass on the new address. He stopped sending a card to us presuming we were departed.

We always get a card pushed through the door from a quite old lady opposite, then last year we didn`t get one, although we still sent her one as usual. Then in September, on the framework at the back of my daughter`s long mirror (she sleeps in our front room) I found Gwen`s Christmas card!

Did my cards this morning. I'm finding the list gets shorter every year, some we just lose touch with and others sadly die. My husband's cousing and his wife die very recently and it was very sad crossing them out of the address book because we were really fond of them.

I love to receive cards! Somehow emails just don't cut it for me,

I used to write to lady informed with before. Marriage, she was very good at writing at least once year then her husband died we made effort visit one 2nd visit she was strange and said don't worry abut writing I can't read your writing! I was so hurt and needless to say won't bother writing again she is. Not computer literate admittedly she was not feeling that well and is on Her own. Strange this is her writing is almost illegible!

Do enjoy receiving cards from cousins InIreland etc etc.
Did about half mine last week when housebound with virus still got rest to do, am cutting down posted ones a little!

I've become very organised. A friend who shares my card-writing pain ( I do have arthritis which doesn't help) bought me a christmas card book, in which you make a list each year and then tick off whether they have sent you one, which gets done as I take the cards down. I started mine this afternoon (MIL interrupted as I sat down, so didn't get them finished, I swear she is psychic and knows the exact moment when I take a break and do something in front of the tv) and discovered that I could take four off the list but have to add two, and could potentially remove another four if I hang on long enough. As for DBH writing any cards - don't make me laugh. As soon as we got married MIL was on the phone with a list of relatives who would be overjoyed to receive a card from DBh now that he had a wife. I wondered why she was doing it, until I realised that of course she had been carrying on writing her cards with his name in them.

I would remove all relatives from the list if I could - they are stuck with me anyway!

I've just made a collage (using Picasa) of recent family photos from this year and put Merry Christmas on it. There will be an accompanying e-letter. I'll send that to anyone with an email address and use the saved postage money as a charity donation. I did it last year and haven't lost any friends over it. Then I'll just send or give cards to the remainder - older relatives appreciate a real card I think. The main problem is keeping tabs on who gets what!

I usually send 80+ each year but this year, the 2nd without Mr.G, I decided to cut back radically, sending only a few to old and distant friends. In addition, I am sending e-cards to friends whose email addresses I have. It's fun to do, you don't get writers cramp or become bad tempered and it's very cheap

Some of them do go on a bit !!

I am not keen on the "UPdates" at all . ---OOOps !
hmmm

I don't like writing them but I enjoy getting them! I do write updates in some. My problem is this year is that I thought I had everyone's addresses but now I can't find a couple of them!!! Where on earth have I put them? Why aren't they with or in my address book? Oh dear - I and my brain are another year older

Living so far away from the majority of my friends and family, I always enjoy receiving cards. If the sender has taken the trouble to write an update of their year I appreciate it . Just because we have had a lot of sadness and difficulties doesn't mean I begrudge anyone else their happiness.

The cards I am sending this year came from the hospice in Edinburgh where my sister died seven years ago. They had a lovely selection and were not too expensive.

Mine writes one tanith - well he hasn't done it yet.

The irritating thing is that I have to send them to people who are friends of DH that we never see, I don't like and only send one when they get ours.

I hate writing them too, have to do about 50 that go in the post but I deliver locally by hand and family ones are given by hand also.. I tried to cut out about a dozen for people that I never see but once their cards started arriving with nice messages catching me up with their lives I just couldn't do it so reinstated them and they all sit on my desk waiting to go in the post now... I just wish the custom would die out quite frankly.

Oh and don't get me started on the fact that 30+ are for OH's friends and family , if I didn't write them they'd never get one. Does anyone else's husband actually help with the card sending?

I love sending Christmas cards to keep in touch with people I don't see very often due to life changes but care about. I like to add a little catch up note and ask about family. Sometimes this leads to a phone call or meeting for coffee. To me it is a happy thing. Carols playing on my iPad and a little festive drink - sherry or Baileys (mmmm) the card list has diminished a bit due to the Grim Reaper but it is to me the beginning of Christmas!

I'm a bit sentimental about Christmas

I posted 40 yesterday and bought 'Scouts' stamps for 20 people in the village. I could easily deliver those by hand but it seems a good idea to do it via the scouts. I suppose I hand deliver a further 30 to people I will see fairly regularly before Christmas including family.

I love getting cards and regret the passing of the 3 or 4 deliveries a day that we used to get when students did the post.

I get a card each year from someone I used to work with but no longer see. The card always contains a round up of her family's year, telling me about all their successes, holidays etc. I find it odd.

DH delivers the local ones by hand on his daily constitutional to keep costs down. So although I write about 20 I only pay post on half of those.

86!!! I don't think I could name 86 people.

We have had a Christmas card from one of DHs cousins. Typical of their style.

A glossy vista print photo of a man and wife very poshly dressed gazing lovingly at each other in front of a lavish Christmas tree.

The caption underneath reads......

December 2012- we had a wonderful time in the Carribean on board Celebrity Eclipse celebrating our 40th Wedding Anniversary, and the new year in style.

Oh dear Oh dear! IMO not what your should send to people. Is it supposed to say look how successful we are?