# Christmas Cards



## Claire (Dec 13, 2010)

Do any of you still do Christmas cards?  So many of my friends don't any more, but I have about 8 so I guess some people still do.  I definitely do; maybe a military thing.  A connection to people you might not connect with otherwise.  I just finished, I think; I sent 4 to Afghanistan, the rest are spread across the U.S.  I try to get it done early.  I love receiving them; yes, I do get email "cards", but it just isn't the same as getting a pretty card in the mail.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Dec 13, 2010)

Only to those people who reciprocate.  Thanks for the reminder, must send one to the dentist office, they are nice people and they sent us one.


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## Zhizara (Dec 13, 2010)

Not any more.  I write emails to my closest friends and family.  Hubble sent me their newsletter with their Christmas card collection with free downloads.  I'll be sending my favorite this year after I come up with a Christmas message.


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## Rocklobster (Dec 13, 2010)

My wife used to do it. Now that her health problems have  become debilitating , she hasn't done it for a few years.


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## Andy M. (Dec 13, 2010)

We stopped mass mailing Christmas cards out a few years ago.


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## licia (Dec 13, 2010)

We only send to a few.


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## Kathleen (Dec 13, 2010)

Like others, I'm pretty much stopped sending them.  For me, it was a choice of how to spend free time.  

A happy memory involving Christmas cards: My grandmother used to save the tops of the cards, when there was no writing.  Then, during the Christmas party season the next year, she would use them to copy recipes when exchanging recipes.  After she was gone, it made me smile for a family member or friend to open their recipe box and pull out a pretty Christmas card top with her handwriting.

~Kathleen


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## babetoo (Dec 13, 2010)

what a sweet idea. she sounds like a lovely women. i don't send cards anymore. most of my friends and relatives have died. or i haven't seen them in forty years. most relatives are in the south. they don't send to me either, they probably think i am dead, as well.


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## Linda123 (Dec 13, 2010)

I send out about 80, and enclose pictures of my grandkids with over half of them. I do have a large extended family - I have 40 first-cousins and many of them have grandchildren and even a great-grandchild or two. I love listening to Christmas music or having a Christmas movie going. I do use printed labels but I sign each one. I love Christmas and all the traditions that go with it and the cards are the "beginning" of the season for me.


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## luvs (Dec 14, 2010)

i give them 2 those i luv; people adore getting mail that is kind


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## Bolas De Fraile (Dec 14, 2010)

Rocklobster said:


> My wife used to do it. Now that her health problems have become debilitating , she hasn't done it for a few years.


Rocky mate my best wishes to you and your wife.


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## Claire (Dec 14, 2010)

Yeah, part of it is that I think I have something like 30 living first cousins.  All but me had kids, so I have cousins I've never met.  No, I don't send cards to many of them.  But mostly it is people we were assigned with over the years, and I really enjoy getting a card and letter; yes, even a form letter, knowing what someone my Dad knew in Virginia, I knew in Hawaii, for example, is doing in Nebraska.  To get this, ya gotta give.  A few family and old friends are elderly, at least one _non compos mentis_, and getting a card makes their day, so I make sure they get the most colorful (or in cases where I know the person was religious ... ) ones I can find.  One high school friend emailed me that her mom was thrilled with a 3-D creche card I sent her.  This makes the entire process worthwhile.  I just wish I had figured out how to make labels on the computer.  Most people I either phone or email regularly, but there are a few holdouts, and most are old family friends, so I do write a short newsletter to those.


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## taxlady (Dec 14, 2010)

I'm a heathen. I don't really think there is a tradition for sending out solstice cards


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## jabbur (Dec 14, 2010)

I quit shortly after my mother died.  I was sending out close to 80 cards and even some of my first cousins couldn't be bothered to send a Christmas card or acknowledge my mother's (their aunt's) passing.  That kind of soured me on sending cards.  The last year I sent them, I got about 15 cards back with wrong addresses.  I gave up at that point.  Now with facebook and email, I can send greetings and keep up with friends all year long.


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## DaveSoMD (Dec 14, 2010)

Yes, sure do.  Just to immediate family and friends.  I think a nice card with a hand written note is a great keepsake. I use the ones I get as decorations.  I hang them off if red ribbon draped over the hall door.  Then I same them for the next year and we hang them off other doors in the house. 

I love the idea of recipes on the back of the card face!


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## Bolas De Fraile (Dec 15, 2010)

taxlady said:


> I'm a heathen. I don't really think there is a tradition for sending out solstice cards


This heathen does Tax, I also quite like the people who send me Christmas Cards that the proceeds go to charity


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## Zhizara (Dec 15, 2010)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> This heathen does Tax, I also quite like the people who send me Christmas Cards that the proceeds go to charityView attachment 9252



VERY good, Bolas.  Just happened to have one handy?  I'm impressed.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Dec 15, 2010)

Zhizara said:


> VERY good, Bolas. Just happened to have one handy? I'm impressed.


 
The cards I am sending out this year are from the World Wildlife Fund and the Humane Society.  I have two Arbor Day cards that are inscribed as "a donation tree has been planted in "blank" name.  

So far, I've gotten greetings from my dentist and my Step-Daughter.


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## Bolas De Fraile (Dec 15, 2010)

Zara this is my fav


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## Zhizara (Dec 15, 2010)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> The cards I am sending out this year are from the World Wildlife Fund and the Humane Society.  I have two Arbor Day cards that are inscribed as "a donation tree has been planted in "blank" name.
> 
> So far, I've gotten greetings from my dentist and my Step-Daughter.



I've done the WWF before.  They have beautiful pictures.  Mom and I sent ones with the mother polar bear and her cub to represent us one year.


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## getoutamykitchen (Dec 15, 2010)

DaveSoMD said:


> Yes, sure do.  Just to immediate family and friends.  I think a nice card with a hand written note is a great keepsake. I use the ones I get as decorations.  I hang them off if red ribbon draped over the hall door.  Then I same them for the next year and we hang them off other doors in the house.
> 
> I love the idea of recipes on the back of the card face!



Ditto Dave,
It's always been a tradition to decorate with them.


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## babetoo (Dec 16, 2010)

in years past i made gift tags for the next year out of them. also made recipe boxes and put in christmas recipes for gifts.


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## lifesaver (Dec 17, 2010)

I used to send out op to 100 cards but don't do that anymore due to the high cost of postage. I now just send to close family and friends that send to me too.


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## Andy M. (Dec 17, 2010)

lifesaver said:


> I used to send out op to 100 cards but don't do that anymore due to the high cost of postage. I now just send to close family and friends that send to me too.




You got that right!  100 cards costs about $44.00!  That's gift money!


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## Kayelle (Dec 19, 2010)

I mailed out 20 cards yesterday.  When we were in Germany last summer, we visited the largest Christmas store in the world.  It had an adorable antique Christmas truck parked in front, and we thought far enough ahead to have our picture taken in front of it.  We have a computer program for Christmas cards, and we sure had fun making them.  Merry Christmas to all of my DC friends.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Dec 19, 2010)

Merry Christmas, Kayelle!  What a wonderful picture and memory!  Thanks for sharing.

My question for everyone is, who signs the cards in your house?

I sign both our names.


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## Kathleen (Dec 19, 2010)

Kayelle!  What a cute picture!  Thank you so much for sharing your memory!

If I could just get Frank to smile....*sighs wistfully*


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## PrincessFiona60 (Dec 19, 2010)

KathleenA said:


> Kayelle! What a cute picture! Thank you so much for sharing your memory!
> 
> If I could just get Frank to smile....*sighs wistfully*


 
Shrek feels the same about me.  Something about a camera stuck in my face.


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## Kathleen (Dec 19, 2010)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Shrek feels the same about me.  Something about a camera stuck in my face.



Bah!  His mother has a picture of him balancing a spoon on his nose.  A smile is all I ask.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Dec 19, 2010)

KathleenA said:


> Bah! His mother has a picture of him balancing a spoon on his nose. A smile is all I ask.


 
My face always goes completely blank or such a fake smile it ruins the picture.  Most often in Candid shots.

How about, "Smile or the Kindle gets it!"


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## Kayelle (Dec 19, 2010)

Thanks so much for the nice comments, PF and Kathleen.  I *hate *pictures of me.  I never recognize myself...I guess my brain just remembers my youth. Funny how that works.


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## Claire (Dec 19, 2010)

I just counted the cards I've received: 30.  I'm a happy girl.


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## Zhizara (Dec 20, 2010)

Kayelle said:


> Thanks so much for the nice comments, PF and Kathleen.  I *hate *pictures of me.  I never recognize myself...I guess my brain just remembers my youth. Funny how that works.



That is SO true.  I was shopping the other day and looked up to see a new TV screen and a woman shopping.  I looked around to see the lady, but there was nobody there but me!  When I think of myself, even in dreams, I see the me the way I used to look.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Dec 20, 2010)

Zhizara said:


> That is SO true. I was shopping the other day and looked up to see a new TV screen and a woman shopping. I looked around to see the lady, but there was nobody there but me! When I think of myself, even in dreams, I see the me the way I used to look.


 
I look like my Mother, do you know how confusing that is?


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## Zhizara (Dec 20, 2010)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I look like my Mother, do you know how confusing that is?



JEEESH.  Well, at least you recognize her.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Dec 20, 2010)

Zhizara said:


> JEEESH. Well, at least you recognize her.


 
I keep wanting to ask myself why I'm in Missoula and not at home in Wyoming.  Of course, I look like my Mother did 17 years ago.


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## Kayelle (Dec 20, 2010)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I keep wanting to ask myself why I'm in Missoula and not at home in Wyoming.  Of course, I look like my Mother did 17 years ago.



Give it some time PF, you have some years to go. The thought isn't original, but I'll never forget the shock of the first time I saw my mother's hand sticking out of my sleeve.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Dec 20, 2010)

Kayelle said:


> Give it some time PF, you have some years to go. The thought isn't original, but I'll never forget the shock of the first time I saw my mother's hand sticking out of my sleeve.


 
That I don't have to worry about, I got my Dad's short fingers and early grey hair.  Since I look most like my Paternal Grandmother, I'm just biding my time.


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## taxlady (Dec 20, 2010)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I look like my Mother, do you know how confusing that is?



Oh my. Thank goodness I will never look like my mother. She was blonde and Caucasian. I take after my father's side of the family. He was half Saami and I look it more than him 

This is a picture of my father's mother. This is the look I'm heading for.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Dec 20, 2010)

Here is a pic of Mom and my namesake Rebecca Elizabeth. I have blonde hair...the only blonde in the family.






Mom was one week into chemo in this pic.


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## Claire (Dec 21, 2010)

How funny about who you take after when it comes to looks.  When I was a child and a teen, I looked so much like my mom that people I never met could have picked me out in a lineup; to this day you can confuse my first communion photo and my mother's.  Then, somewhere in my late 20s-30s, I became _Matante Claire_, my father's sister.  Then a few years ago (when I first entered my 50s), my Mom's sister saw me for the first time in a decade or two and said, "Holy S--t!  You look just like _Madame Roy!!"_  This is my father's mother.  Now, how I morphed from looking like my mother to looking like my father's female relatives is a mystery to me.  By the way, I consider all comparisons good!  All good women who I can only aspire to emulate.


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## Zhizara (Dec 21, 2010)

I recently received a package of old photos of my Dad's family.  I was enjoying a picture of my grandmother with darker hair, but when I looked on the back of the photo, I found I was looking at HER mother.

Years ago, I saw a picture of my Dad at 18.  My face on a man.  Every feature was there.  Now I look like a blob.  Dad's pictures near the end, he looked like a blob too.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Dec 21, 2010)

I always wondered where I got my lack of red highlights and my brown eyes.  Everyone in my family, both sides, were brunette with blue or green eyes.  I also happen to be the shortest of three generations.  Then we found some pictures of my Maternal Great-Grandmother when she was my age...spitting image, except for my Dad's side of chunky bodies.


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## babetoo (Dec 22, 2010)

i have always been a mini version of my mom. she was very tall and i am short. she had larger bones as well. the older i get the more i look like her.


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## luvs (Dec 29, 2010)

people have, here & there, figured my Mom was my sibling. she & i, we're very similar, mostly.


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## Rocklobster (Dec 29, 2010)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> Rocky mate my best wishes to you and your wife.


 Thanks. We have so much to be happy for.


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