2015 Day 5 - Written Communication

I had drafted our Christmas letter before I went on my trip.  As it turned out, it was pretty much identical to last year...except we went to Calgary for a week in the summer and Graeme went to Vegas for a week...otherwise, same old, same old.

In reality, its been pretty much the same letter for 5 years...other than changing the date, photos, age/grade of PJ...its pretty much the same letter...BORING!

I printed out the letter, which included photos, plus developed a family photo and bought a box of cards and wrote in each of them....didn't take forever.  What I thought about after the fact, while looking at the cards we received, we only got maybe 2 letters from families like ours...and no 'card' or individual photo...just the photo-card from Walmart...

SO...I'm thinking...why am I spending $ on a letter being copied, a developed photo, a physical card PLUS stamp plus physically writing the recipient's name on each card....when maybe TWO other people are doing the same thing.

Is anyone reading the letter...is just a photo card enough....since that's all they are caring to send...why do I need to send them more?  Maybe only give letter to those we don't see at all during the year (like those that don't have facebook) and then just do a photo-card like everyone else.

hmmmmm...inquiring minds want to know what I should do next year.

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This year, Day 5 was our last day in paradise...boo hoo.  This is a photo of me posing with my water aerobics and zumba instructor.

2014 Day 5 - Written Communication

Christmas cards were different for me this year and there were a few reasons.

1. Trip to Mexico - With having to get the house, gift getting etc ready early, I made a decision that I wouldn't really have time - so rather than stressing myself by MAKING cards again this year, I decided to NOT do it.

2.  No Microsoft Word - We got a new computer in the summer and even though someone in the house can get an amazing deal on an MS bundle...he waited until the DAY before I flew out to Mexico to install it!  This meant I didn't have our Christmas letter designed, made, or sent for printing prior to my trip (as WAS the plan).  THIS point also meant that my labels weren't printed and ready to adhere to Christmas cards (which I had expected to have done prior to my trip).

3.  We got our family photo taken and it included 20 professionally designed Christmas cards...and our son's school had a fund raiser where the kids design a Christmas card and its professionally printed (which we purchased 20)...so, there were my 40 cards!

Anyway - I managed to get it all done and sent...just after the mailing deadline...but it was done!  Kind of felt like cheating...I didn't personalize anything.

PHEW
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This year, on December 5, we took a morning trip to a tiny surfing town near our hotel.  We were able to purchase a few souvenirs and it was quite enjoyable.  I also purchased a cute, beaded Christmas ornament for m souvenir of the trip.

2013 Day 5 - Written Communication

Today I'm going to reflect on Christmas cards.

My mother sent out numerous cards each and every year.  Each card had the un-printed on portion filled with a note (the WHOLE card, not just a sentence)....and for relatives, she'd do a hand written letter (at least 1 page - front and back) AND wrote the addresses on the envelope.  It took her FOREVER!

She still does cards, but now Dad prints off labels for the envelopes and she only writes a sentence rather than a long letter...because now she just calls people to talk to them rather than only conversing at Christmas through a letter.  I suppose long distance rates have declined considerably over the years!

I don't really remember when I started sending my own cards - but I think it was when I was in university.  Like my mother, I would write a long note in the card and longer letters for the special friends that lived far away and I didn't call on the phone (I'm not much of a phone person anyway, so some of those people that lived closer, would only hear from me at Christmas each year).  I would always start to compose the note in advance and then take the last week of November off to shop, decorate and pound through the cards.  Cards were always purchased on boxing day for 50% (or more) off so I'd be ready for the following December.

So, I guess I'm in the minority in having cards being sent out and I still continue with this tradition - although I don't hand-write anything.  I'm so sad that it is going by way of the dodo...although, there STILL are a lot of boxed cards available for purchase...who is purchasing them, I wonder...because we don't get many physical "cards".