Sending Christmas cards

Crooner in secretarial capacity, basically saying "Tell me again why we don't do this more often?"

I was supposed to have dinner with Marvin tonight, but he called me about four to tell me that his car had broken down. That put him behind on his business trip to Atlanta, and so he wasn't going to be able to stop. That's just the way it goes with him though. He has this impossible life, and something is just always coming up to prevent us from spending more time together. I like him, but have just given up on dating him. He did say he wants to stop for dinner on the way back tomorrow, and I hope he is able to. Its probably just as well he put me off, because I really needed to get Christmas cards out.

The ride home tonight was amazingly sane, especially considering that water was coming from the sky, which usually makes South Carolinians nuts. I actually ran a few errands on the way home. I went by Kmart for gift wrap boxes, by the grocery store, and even by the post office for Christmas stamps. This last because I knew if I had the stamps I would have no excuse not to do Christmas cards.

I have been sending cards since high school. Last year was the first year since then that I didn't send them. I even sent them the Christmas Michael left (determined not to let it affect my Christmas that year, etc - like that was possible). I always send bear cards, and Lisa is good about looking for them for me. If she sees some, she'll pick them up. She bought me a couple of boxes on sale last year, but of course I didn't use them. I had really been kind of dreading doing it, but after dinner, I dutifully got out all the stuff and started. I was surprised how nice it was, and how much I enjoyed it, despite the work.

There are people in the family that I only touch base with through a Christmas card, and I guess some people would say "Why bother?", but forty-two cents seems to me a small price to pay to let someone know you think about them, at least once a year. I still have my Sunday school teachers from high school on my card list. Andy and Betsy don't approve of the path that I have taken, but they like to hear from me, and haven't given up on me. I've talked to them about my painful journey away from the church. Although they didn't agree with my decisions, they are glad that I still have faith, and thought my testimony was very powerful.

But I digress. ABC Family Channel obligingly had a Rankin and Bass Christmas special marathon on last night, which was the perfect background to do cards by. Crooner had an absolute blast! I have a system where if people send me cards or something through the year and I need to update their address, I throw the envelope they sent into a drawer. Then at Christmas, I get out the envelopes and update my address book as I do cards. There were more than usual because I didn't do cards last year, and as I updated, I was just throwing those envelopes in the floor so I didn't have to get up from the couch (I was working on a tray on my lap). Crooner clawed and ripped the envelopes, rolled in them, sneaked up on them and then ran away when they crinkled under his feet, tried to steal my pen, and just pretty much did adorable cat things the whole time.

It went faster than I thought it would. By ten o'clock, I had 43 cards done, stamped, and addressed. Flush with achievement, I took them immediately to the post office to go out. I have one card to go to Europe, so I'll have to send it when the post office is open, and then six addresses I have to track down. It aggravates me when people move around like restless pigeons all the time. I have a whole page in my address book with Lisa's moves and name changes alone. But the thought of those little bits of my love going out through the mail just makes me feel good.