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Monday, December 12, 2011

You've Got Mail!

by Anna Campbell

It's that time of year again.

The time of Christmas MAIL!


Oh, man, I'm so tempted to put 'male' there instead but I'm resisting the urge to be silly. We'll see if the resistance lasts, LOL!

Here's a photo of the latest lot going out. I've been a Christmas card-writing factory here over the last few days. And as you can see, I mean the old-fashioned, delivered by the postman, string up along the windows as a decoration kind of Christmas greeting.

I've noticed a trend recently of emailed Christmas cards. Frankly it's always lovely to hear from friends and family, but I've got to say for me nothing replaces the pile of envelopes in the mailbox and the stamps from around the world and the ability to display all the cards on a convenient bench (until the wind starts to blow!) until way after Christmas.

Well, maybe there's one exception to that statement. Each year, I get a couple of gorgeous Jacqui Lawson email cards. They're so romantic and imaginative with music and art and magic combined into a lovely greeting. Right now I'm playing with the Advent Calendar which is set in London and give me such a fun start to each day. I was lucky enough to score one of these last year too. They're gorgeous!

Anyway, this year I got organized earlyand I've done nearly all my overseas cards and a fair slab of the local ones. Each year, I think around the end of November I should do Christmas cards and then tell myself I've got plenty of time. Which means I find myself scrambling to write cards on 23rd December. Not this year.

Well, not so far. Time will tell with the cards I still have left.

For overseas people, I generally pick up something with a pretty Aussie scene on it or some local wildlife. I figure it makes a nice change from Santa and snow and Christmas trees. The nicest ones I've found are from a photographer called Robert Rankin. Beautiful wilderness scenes!

This is my last Tote Bags 'n' Blogs of the year so I'd like to thank Lee for hosting such a wonderful selection of writers and I'd also like to thank all the wonderful readers who popped by to comment on my posts each month. I've loved our conversations. See you next year! And in the meantime, however you celebrate the Festive Season, I hope it's happy, healthy, full of love and laughter, and packed brim full with great books.

So are you an old-fashioned Christmas card person? Or have you taken the digital revolution to heart? Or is it Bah, Humbug to the whole season? LOL!

16 comments:

Kandy Shepherd said...

Anna, I agree there is something rather special about an old-fashioned Christmas card arriving in the mail. I have good intentions but sometimes mine don't get posted until after Christmas, as that's when I have time! The Jacqui Lawson e-cards are the next best thing.
I hope you enjoy a wonderful Christmas and get lots of cards!

Anna Campbell said...

Thanks, Kandy! As you say, there's something lovely about the old-fashioned Christmas card in the mail. Come on, postie! Bring me my swag ;-)

Di said...

I just took my pile down to the post office today. I try to write a little note in each one, particularly for the people that I.m seeing around the holidays. I didn't know about those ecards - they sound lovely, just different. Either way, it's nice to be thought of.

Anna Campbell said...

Di, you're right. It IS nice to be thought of. But there's a special thrill to stuff through the old-fashioned snail mail, I find. I must say I've got slack with writing notes in a lot of cards. There are a couple of people who get full-scale letters at this time of year but most people just get good wishes. Happy Holidays!

Anna Campbell said...

Laughed at bah, humbug, Artemis. Must say I'm feeling surprisingly goodwillish towards all this year. Not quite sure why. Generally I'm just stressed in the runup to Christmas. Love getting the family letters too - love updates like that. And some of my friends turn those into works of art!

Beth said...

I love getting Christmas cards in the mail and you have to send them to get them so off they go. We sent ours early this year. I've gotten some pretty crazy Christmas letters over the years which fall into the category of TMI, but even they are fun. Merry Christmas Anna, and your card is on the way :)

Kaelee said...

I love getting cards but I put off mailing ours until the last minute every year. This was going to be my organized year but somewhere it came undone. Still will send out about 75 cards though. I get in touch with a lot of cousins at Christmas.

ev said...

I'm not a bah-humbug, but I do have to get my cards together and do them at work. Finding time to do everything is killing me.

I love the Jacquie Lawson stuff, it's always so beautiful. I wish I had an ounce of her talent.

Merry Christmas!!!

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, Beth, how cool about the Christmas card. Ditto - although mail from here to the US has been dodgy all year. I'm not sure why. But some things can take up to six weeks to get there airmail. Which is CRAZY! Yeah, I think that's a rule of the game. If you don't send cards, you don't get them. Life's funny that way ;-)

Anna Campbell said...

Kaelee, I've got a huge long list too - I've made so many friends in this writing game for a start! This year, I'm delighted to say I'm pretty organised. Sure takes the pressure off this last week or so before Christmas.

Anna Campbell said...

Ev, I think the Jacquie Lawson stuff is gorgeous too. This advent calendar starts my day and it always gives me a smile. We went to the North Pole to see Santa Claus this morning! Hope you get everything done before Christmas!

Mary Preston said...

I'm a bit of both. I send an actual card to those I know will appreciate it. Others get digital. No Bah Humbug here. I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!

mondal said...

I'm feeling surprisingly goodwillish towards all this year. Not quite sure why. Generally I'm just stressed in the runup to Christmas.

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Anna Campbell said...

Mary, pleased to see no bah humbug out your way! Bah humbug to bah humbug! Happy Christmas!

Anna Campbell said...

Mondal, I'm feeling goodwillish too. Maybe there's something in the water ;-) Happy Christmas!

Michele L. said...

I definitely love to send cards out. I like to decorate the envelope with stickers and decorate my cards. I am a card maker so it is a blast for me in designing my Christmas cards! So call me a traditionalist.