Christmas Card Confessions

Bless me friends and family, it has been one year since my last Christmas card to you and it will another year before you see my next card. I had these grand plans of sending you all a photo card of Kiki & Snake in some fun European destination. The photo wasn’t the problem, I had cutes ones of them in Paris, skating in front of the Tower of London, at the Cathedral in Canterbury and messing around at the Dickens Fair. The problem, you ask? I am glad you asked (or I asked for you). Apparently photo cards are not that popular here. I looked all over for the kind of card where you either insert the card into a sleeve in the front or you stick the card on the front with some double sided tape. There were none to be found. Then I thought I might make the kind of cards like you can get at Costco, where I have gotten mine for the last few years, where they print the photo and have a large margin for the greeting. Last year our picture was from Mexico and our greeting – Feliz Navidad. Get it? But I couldn’t find those either. I didn’t think it would be so tough. Even at this late date in Northern California, I could either get them printed at Costco or buy some photo cards at a stationary store. They might not have the design I want but I could find something I could live with. So I thought to myself, “Self, maybe you could find a cute Christmas card with some easily recognized London landmark, say like Big Ben or the Parliament or Buckingham Palace, and insert said cute photo of kids in the envelope.” But I couldn’t find one, cute or otherwise. I let myself down! So I give up. But I promise next year to have a card. I guarantee it! How can I be so sure? Because when I get home this summer, I am going to order them online in the US and take them back with me. That’s how.

So what kinds of Christmas cards are popular here? Well, most of the cards I see are what they call “charity” cards. Meaning that if you buy these cards, a certain percentage of the price goes to that particular charity. You can find them for churches, the cancer society, etc. Very noble. Apparently though, most of the people that buy these charity cards like pictures of little birds in the snow or children pulling sleds up hills or ducks flying over a pond. Nothing says Christmas like a duck flying over a pond. (???)

So forgive me friends and family, we will have no card this year. It doesn’t mean we don’t love or miss you. In fact I think it shows how much we care when we care enough not to send ugly cards. It is our Christmas gift to you that keeps on giving. Happy Christmas (that’s what we say in England) and Best Wishes for a Wonderful New Year.



UPDATE***** After I finished this post, I found some photo cards at a department store. I am still not buying them because it cost 5.95 pounds for 5 cards. Plus there is extra postage. So my rough calculations are that it would cost me about $375-$400 to send photo cards. So I am not. What the heck, we haven’t been gone that long – you remember what Kiki & Snake look like, just add a few inches to their height and you will have the mental picture. Happy Holidays!