NOT YET

“This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.” (John 2:11)

I picked out that verse because it’s about a “beginning”...a FIRST.

I’m just wondering when we’ll receive our FIRST Christmas card this year. I know this is still pretty early, but one year we received out first Christmas card on November 30. Another year, we received our first card on December 1. Several years, the first card has come on December 2 or 3. It’s December 5, and so far, no cards.

I wrote a lengthy piece about Christmas cards on the blog a year or two ago. I’ve noticed that each year, the number of cards we receive decreases. I think one reason for that is that more and more people send e-cards. But I think another reason is that while Christmas cards were a BIG part of my parents’ generation, I think the custom of sending them is slowly dying out. I heard one clerk at a post office this week say that the post offices are NOT busy like they were in past Decembers, and so far I HAVEN’T seen any overwhelming lines at the post offices I’ve done business with.

At our house, Mary Ann does 99% of the Christmas shopping, 100% of the Christmas cooking, and 90% of the Christmas decorating. I am fortunate, because outside of the Advent and Christmas sermons I prepare, I have only two jobs to do for Christmas. One is to pick up the Christmas tree. We always get a real tree, usually from Higgins’ Christmas trees on Route 126 in Ashland. (I haven’t done that yet, but it will probably happen within the next week.) The other is that I take care of writing out and mailing the Christmas cards, AND I hang up all the cards that come and check them off on a list I have. Over the past 24 hours, I wrote out all of our Christmas cards. I now cheat, because I use all computerized address labels, but I do SIGN each card. I’ve only mailed one card so far because it’s going out of state and because it’s for a disabled person. A friend of theirs is trying to get that person to receive a record number of cards this year, so I was glad to help out in sending one.

I was just thinking about it and I thought I would write about it. I wonder with the economy and all how that will affect Christmas cards this year. My guess is the number we receive will be down again.

And, for those who think I’m a total Ebineezer Scrooge or Grinch (I kind of have that reputation, and I ACTUALLY HAVE A STUFFED GREEN GRINCH!) there ARE some parts of the season I DO like, and one of ‘em is the Christmas cards!