mostly back to normal...

You'll think I am terrrrrible. It was December 29th when I finally sat down and looked at all the holiday greetings that came in the mail over the past few weeks. And mostly due to being prodded and shamed into it due to a daughter who wanted to see the  current version of family up-date letters she has been reading over the years. Some had been opened and some were still sealed up. But I've read, sorted, copied return addresses and will be writing odd bits of news and such to all those faithful correspondents in the coming weeks. Using all the note paper, cards, stationary received as Christmas gifts. These came from at least three sources - so it's pretty obvious how many folks either a) expect to get correspondence from me; or B) know me well enough to be sure the cards will be put to good use.

Last Remaining Correspondent in Captivity: that's me.

I've made reference over the years to events people get 'guilt-ed' into observing as they purchase balloons, cards, candy, flowers, other remembrances; days that I call 'Hallmark Holidays'. Pretty sure these occasions/ events did even exist on the calendar thirty or more years ago. They are things that the greeting card industry or media dreamed up to persuade us to celebrate, or feel badly as neighbors, friends, co-workers, cousins, passers-by were celebrating. To acknowledge the work of Nurses, or Firefighters, or Teachers, or Grandparents, or Bosses, or Administrative Assistants, or Lunch-room Ladies, or Taxi Drivers, or Trash-truck drivers, whatever. If you don't buy a card or gift-y item and bestow it on your favorite fill-in-the-blank you will have a big Black Mark by your name throughout history.

I used to be a consistent reliable Christmas news-letter writer, but could have said back in early November that it would not be happening this year. I realized I was swamped long before everyone else started addressing and stamping envelopes to send greetings.  Though it did not happen at all this year, as we age, I notice that my list is decreasing in length, as time passes and people do too.You'll get cards and letters from me, as I continue to do my part to support the postal system. Newspaper clippings and goofy cartoons, sent with love. As faithful as I am, you'd think they would give me a volume discount on stamps.  As the price of postage goes up, and services decrease, it's pretty difficult to understand how they keep getting deeper and deeper in the red bookkeeping-wise.Thanks to all who are supporting the USPS. Keep up the good work. Let's sit back and see how much deeper they can dig their hole in the coming year....