What do you do with your old Christmas cards?
12/15/06
What do you do with your old Christmas cards? I would like to know. My friend Pete, North Miami Beach FL, sent me a picture showing that he hangs his up on a display, so he can keep the memories in the forefront through the year. Me, I hate to throw them away, but I haven’t been able to save them either as I already save too much stuff for another day.
Today I went down in the basement to clean up my xmas wrapping table mess and in the process decided to clean out the box I have my xmas paper in. It had been sitting on the floor all year. The bottom had been wet and was stuck to the floor. This was probably the result of the cat pulling the dehumidifier drain out of the floor drain last summer. Possibly looking for mice coming in through the drain from the woods. This caused a minor flood on the basement floor. Which I did not notice for several days. Anyway, I had placed several Christmas cards in this box several years (4 - 6) ago. It was interesting looking through them, even though most of them had been wet and stuck together. So maybe I should be more deliberate and save our xmas cards in a box to look at in later years.
Now comes the thought of a Christmas letter. Do or not to do, a Christmas letter, is the question. Do I really want to bore everyone about how many 4H turkeys we raised and butchered, how many chickens we have, how many motorcycle rallies and trips I took, how the sheep did, how many bales of hay we had, did I or did I not fulfill my beekeeping new years resolution, what my kids and grandkids are doing, etc. I had pretty much decided NOT. However, one of the water damaged ‘found items’ in the box mentioned above, was a Christmas letter I sent out in 2000. I read it. I liked it. Why not? Why not send this out again? Everyone has probably forgotten about it. Would it be sort of like ‘regifting’? Are there any rules against such a thing? I couldn’t think of any. If there are, I am sure it is not illegal.
So here goes. Verbatim from 2000. (next page)
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2007 and thereafter.
Tom Anspach
---------
Christmas Cards, excuses, tribulations, guilt, and other thoughts.
As you all probably know, I am not very good at sending out Christmas Cards. I have all kinds of excuses. The best this year may be my trip to Germany to surprise son Tom on his birthday (Dec 15th) and returning Christmas Day. But none is better than just simple procrastination waiting for time to pass. Lately I have been thinking that I should send out some belated cards. Those thoughts coupled along with pure guilt were pushed into action by the poem that we received from my daughter in law Susan’s’ parents. Which I like and am including along with this card.
Merry Christmas
I have a list of folks I know, All written in a book
And every year at Christmas time I go and take a look.
And that is when I realize that These names are all a part
Not of the book they're written in But of my very heart.
For each name stands for someone who Has crossed my path sometime,
And in that meeting they've become The "Rhythm of the Rhyme".
And while it sounds fantastic for Me to make this claim
I really feel I am composed of Each remembered name.
And while you may not be aware of Any special link
Just meeting you shaped my life More than you can think
For once you've met somebody, the Years cannot erase
The memory of a pleasant word or Of a friendly face.
So never think my Christmas cards Are just a rnere routine
Of names upon a Christmas list Forgotten in between.
For when I send a Christmas Card That is addressed to you
It's because you're on that list of Folks I am indebted to.
For we are but a total of the Many folks we've met,
And you happen to be one of those I Prefer not to forget.
And whether I have known you for Many years or few
In some way you have had a part in Shaping things I do.
And every year when Christmas comes I realize anew
The biggest gift that life can give is Meeting folks like you.
And may the spirit of Christmas that Forever and forever endures
Leave it's richest blessings in the Heart of You and Yours.
Added by me-------
I know it may be hard
For all to see,
Even though you may not get a card
You are listed in my book
And everytime I have a look
I know my memory of you is part of me.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Best Wishes for all of 2001 and beyond.
Tom Anspach- tom28.2n@att.net
What do you do with your old Christmas cards? I would like to know. My friend Pete, North Miami Beach FL, sent me a picture showing that he hangs his up on a display, so he can keep the memories in the forefront through the year. Me, I hate to throw them away, but I haven’t been able to save them either as I already save too much stuff for another day.
Today I went down in the basement to clean up my xmas wrapping table mess and in the process decided to clean out the box I have my xmas paper in. It had been sitting on the floor all year. The bottom had been wet and was stuck to the floor. This was probably the result of the cat pulling the dehumidifier drain out of the floor drain last summer. Possibly looking for mice coming in through the drain from the woods. This caused a minor flood on the basement floor. Which I did not notice for several days. Anyway, I had placed several Christmas cards in this box several years (4 - 6) ago. It was interesting looking through them, even though most of them had been wet and stuck together. So maybe I should be more deliberate and save our xmas cards in a box to look at in later years.
Now comes the thought of a Christmas letter. Do or not to do, a Christmas letter, is the question. Do I really want to bore everyone about how many 4H turkeys we raised and butchered, how many chickens we have, how many motorcycle rallies and trips I took, how the sheep did, how many bales of hay we had, did I or did I not fulfill my beekeeping new years resolution, what my kids and grandkids are doing, etc. I had pretty much decided NOT. However, one of the water damaged ‘found items’ in the box mentioned above, was a Christmas letter I sent out in 2000. I read it. I liked it. Why not? Why not send this out again? Everyone has probably forgotten about it. Would it be sort of like ‘regifting’? Are there any rules against such a thing? I couldn’t think of any. If there are, I am sure it is not illegal.
So here goes. Verbatim from 2000. (next page)
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2007 and thereafter.
Tom Anspach
---------
Christmas Cards, excuses, tribulations, guilt, and other thoughts.
As you all probably know, I am not very good at sending out Christmas Cards. I have all kinds of excuses. The best this year may be my trip to Germany to surprise son Tom on his birthday (Dec 15th) and returning Christmas Day. But none is better than just simple procrastination waiting for time to pass. Lately I have been thinking that I should send out some belated cards. Those thoughts coupled along with pure guilt were pushed into action by the poem that we received from my daughter in law Susan’s’ parents. Which I like and am including along with this card.
Merry Christmas
I have a list of folks I know, All written in a book
And every year at Christmas time I go and take a look.
And that is when I realize that These names are all a part
Not of the book they're written in But of my very heart.
For each name stands for someone who Has crossed my path sometime,
And in that meeting they've become The "Rhythm of the Rhyme".
And while it sounds fantastic for Me to make this claim
I really feel I am composed of Each remembered name.
And while you may not be aware of Any special link
Just meeting you shaped my life More than you can think
For once you've met somebody, the Years cannot erase
The memory of a pleasant word or Of a friendly face.
So never think my Christmas cards Are just a rnere routine
Of names upon a Christmas list Forgotten in between.
For when I send a Christmas Card That is addressed to you
It's because you're on that list of Folks I am indebted to.
For we are but a total of the Many folks we've met,
And you happen to be one of those I Prefer not to forget.
And whether I have known you for Many years or few
In some way you have had a part in Shaping things I do.
And every year when Christmas comes I realize anew
The biggest gift that life can give is Meeting folks like you.
And may the spirit of Christmas that Forever and forever endures
Leave it's richest blessings in the Heart of You and Yours.
Added by me-------
I know it may be hard
For all to see,
Even though you may not get a card
You are listed in my book
And everytime I have a look
I know my memory of you is part of me.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Best Wishes for all of 2001 and beyond.
Tom Anspach- tom28.2n@att.net
posted by IN Tom at 4:20 PM
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