Advent #4: Christmas Cards

I love getting mail. (I especially love getting mail that isn't seeking payment. I do not love getting what appears to be home loan application paperwork on a Friday afternoon for someone who does not live here from a lender that is not open on the weekends). When I was a little girl, one of the biggest thrills for me was to ride my bike across town to the post office to get the mail. I don't know why this was such a thrill-there was rarely anything for me.

This time of year, I love it even more because each day when I open the mailbox, I wonder if there will be any Christmas cards. Receiving Christmas cards brightens my day and makes me feel so much more festive. I especially love the photo cards and seeing how much the children of my cousins and friends have grown from year to year. I have a wall in my kitchen that I have been hanging them up on for the last couple of years and then after Christmas, I tear the covers off and keep them for a craft project of some sort that will probably never actually get done. (The photo cards go in my box of photos for safekeeping). The original idea, which still floats around my little pea brain from time to time, was to make a wreath out of the card covers.

I typically send out about 40 cards a year. I have (wait for it...) a spreadsheet I use to keep track of who I send to and receive from. If I send one to someone for 2 consecutive years and don't get one in return for those two years, they are off the list. Family is the only exception to this. Also, if I only use a partial box of cards, I write who I sent them to in the box so I don't send them the same card twice in a row. Normally, I work on them the first Saturday of December (that is also usually when I decorate), but I am behind this year. I haven't even looked to see if I have any cards yet. I normally buy them the day after Christmas when they go on sale. I don't remember buying any last year, but in all fairness, there really isn't a lot about last year I do remember. Now that I think about it, I was snowed in last year so there is a good chance I am out of cards. Good thing I plan to go shopping tomorrow!

For the last several years, I have wanted to do a photo card with the boys and Santa but have never had a good enough picture to use. This year's pictures were taken by a professional (I get them tomorrow) so I have high hopes that next year, I will finally get to do my photo cards.