My moment of Scrooge: Holiday Photo Cards

[Coventina]

I know I'm gonna get flamed for this but, here goes anyway...

I really miss getting non-photo Holiday cards.

I don't care about your family photos, your awesome vacations, etc.

I really miss the old cards with the beautiful, or tacky, or funny art.

I miss the glitter, the angels, the jokes about reindeer.

If you really want to include photos of your fabulous life, go ahead, but I really don't need proof that you are living your best life.

I already know that your kids are little monsters and you all got eaten by ticks in the woods.

I used to love the Christmas card displays, and now all they consist of is people wearing Mickey ears or other non-holiday stuff.
I've just taken to disposing them immediately, they don't say "holiday" to me.

I'm wearing my kevlar undies so flame away...

[Sneederbunk]

1. You miss the 20th century.

[Coventina]

2. I miss art and creativity.

[Rorey]

3. I'm not sending any this year

So I guess I shouldn't complain about any that I receive.

I did get the usual photo card from my best friend from high school. She sends a card every year and I send one to her every few years. Other than that we've lost touch. I'm skipping sending one this year because I'm getting a divorce and that's not what people want to read in that annual Christmas letter.

[mnhtnbb]

5. I skipped last year for the first time in about 30 years

because I separated from my husband.

Decided I wanted to let people know--made a joke about missing a year and why--and sent out cards this year. See what happened my post #4.

[mnhtnbb]

4. I sent out real cards this year

and the next day my estranged husband killed himself.

I have resorted to Shutterfly to generate an 'In Memory of" card so that everyone can be notified.

The photo cards do have their uses!

[Coventina]

6. Wow, my condolences, that's really sad.

Photo cards certainly do have their uses, like yours.

Take care.

[mnhtnbb]

9. Thanks.

[Rorey]

8. Oh my

Your estranged husband had the affliction that Robin Williams had? Is my memory correct?

What a year you've had! I hope the coming year brings you some peace and resolution.

[mnhtnbb]

10. Yes, he did, probably.

The only way to identify it is on autopsy.

[Kali]

16. Oh!

that is terrible, I am sorry!

[mnhtnbb]

23. Thanks.

[Donkees]

20. Peace and Condolences

[mnhtnbb]

24. I love hummingbirds!

That is probably what I miss the most about living in a downtown high rise apartment vs a house. I used to have a feeder hung on the deck right outside my study window where I could watch Hummers come and go all season long. We would have them April to October.

Thanks!

[Donkees]

28. I think it was you posting hummingbird migration maps that inspired me to try hanging feeders again.

The hummingbirds did arrive, lifted my spirits each day, and I look forward to their return. Thank you.

[mnhtnbb]

31. ...

[ploppy]

7. I'm with you, Coventina!

I love the cards, too. I line them up on the mantle and enjoy them through Christmas day!

[Squinch]

11. I am with you on this. I am happy my friends are happy, but cards were nicer.

[Polly Hennessey]

12. I love real Christmas cards.

Put them on the mantle, also. What I really hate are the Christmas letters. A Merry Christmas will suffice. I am not really interested in knowing what you did all year long. If you are near and dear to my heart, I already know your yearly story.

[jberryhill]

13. I'm sort of the other way around

There are a few folks whose pictures I enjoy watching the kids grow up in each year.

[IcyPeas]

14. and what's worse...

is the picture is popped into an envelope and a computer printed label stuck on.

Not even a hand written "Merry Christmas" or anything - Very impersonal.

[llmart]

15. I think Christmas cards are slowly going away.

To me it just seems like a waste of paper and they end up in the landfill somewhere, or do people really save these things year after year after year?

[Kali]

17. in my family we cut the decorative front off and use them for gift tags the next year

[mnhtnbb]

25. For years I cut off the fronts and mailed

them to a group that used them for materials for art projects for kids. But I lost the address the year our house burned down and I never got around to seeing if I could find it again via the Internet. I had originally gotten the address through a story I saw in the newspaper.

[Kali]

18. I like them all

though the old style are favorite. keep supporting the Post Office! I will probably get mine mailed out this week. LOL

[Ilsa]

19. I send out real cards, usually.

I don't care much for annual updates on people's lives. What's the point?

[FSogol]

21. Mrs FSogol and I sent out 48 Christmas cards this year.

So far we've gotten 4 back (my Aunts) and 3 photo cards (from Friends).

We love the tradition and will continue doing it even when we received nothing but text message greetings in return.

[TuxedoKat]

22. I'm sending out more

this year then I have in the past as I have more time this year. In fact I am writing them now in between catching up on DU. If you want me to send you a real one, PM me your address! I love to buy the most beautiful cards I can find. I've never sent photo cards. I love sending them as much as receiving them.

[mnhtnbb]

26. Sent you a PM

[Archae]

27. What's worse are the "talking" cards.

I know they've been out for years, but they get more and more complex, (I saw one that records!) and more expen$ive.

[bif]

29. My wife used to get these incredible Christmas letters

from a co-worker. They were a hoot and we would read them out loud. Stuff like what brother has been released from prison, who wrecked their pickup truck, who gets custody of the children, what kid was abducted at the gas station, etc. etc. They were tragic but amusing at the same time.

[seaglass]

30. I love the picture cards, the only drawback for me is having to keep them because I can't bring

myself to throw out photos.

I have never sent Christmas cards, my husband does them (and if he didn't I wouldn't). This year we sent the free Habitat for Humanity cards I got with our request for donation (yes, donated, wouldn't use them if we didn't).

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

32. I liked those old cards; photo post cards not so much.

We used to get a few of those hilarious Christmas letters, usually xeroxed or even mimeographed, describing the awesome wonderfulness of the sender's family - perfect children with perfect grades or careers, wonderful and obviously expensive vacations, acts of charity, etc. We'd read them out loud; they were always good for a chuckle. These things are even easier to create now, unfortunately. You can use all manner of computer graphics, templates and photography to glorify your life, .pdf it and email it to everyone you know.

An in-law sends me one of these every year, even though she hates me - or maybe because she hates me and wants me to know how much more fabulous her life is than mine. They not only include weapons-grade bragging, they are usually downright bizarre. For the last couple of years she's included deranged right-wing screeds along with her vacation photos; this year's letter did not mention politics (can't think why, lol) but along with vacation photos and descriptions of her many philanthropic acts, it included every single detail of the past year's various illnesses and surgeries. She might as well have attached her medical records.

Just send me a freaking card, or nothing. Bah, humbug.