We send out cards that I make, every year. Been doing it for at least thirty years. I've only sent out a Christmas letter once, and it was somewhat tongue in cheek, starting out something like:

"This has been a wonderful year, even though I didn't get that promotion, our car is another year older and spends half the time in the garage, we're still living in the same modest apartment and our refrigerator is on the blink." I don't generally enjoy Christmas letters that sound like self-promotion. I do receive some that are wonderful, unassuming. warm and thoughtful, so they don't necessarily have to be that way.

I like to finish all the preliminaries for Christmas early. We've already sent out over 140 Christmas cards (and receive an equal number) and have finished decorating the house, shopping and wrapping presents. Now, we're doing cooking. It's not because we are so organized, although I suppose we must be. it's because I like to clear the decks so that we can enjoy this season, and try to give the greatest of presents, our presence, at nursing homes and health care centers. We're heading off in another ten minutes to sing Christmas Carols with Barbara and Frank Shaw and others, at a Vet's Center, and two days ago, we did a program at a Nursing Home.

It's payback time!

Jerry