Comments on: Written Tradition

By: elizabeth

elizabeth — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:40:28 +0000

You’re sweet, Mary. I appreciate you recognizing the time and effort I put into those letters; they really are a labor of love for the PEOPLE I love. And I will NEVER forget all the postcards you sent me in Eugene, bringing light to my day during a particularly dark period of my life.

By: Mary Wyninger

Mary Wyninger — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:15:10 +0000

Tonight I realized that receiving Liz’s holiday letters has truly become a new tradition during a season that, for me, has becoming increasingly disappointing over the years. I don’t reciprocate in kind, I’d like to think I earned my fair share of Liz correspondence during her tenure in Eugene, when I sent her postcard upon postcard on account of…well…just ’cause. At any rate, thank you for sharing the process behind your letters, and for what it’s worth, I think this year’s was one of the best yet.

By: ABF

ABF — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:06:44 +0000

I hesitate to do a Christmas newsletter now on the grounds that it sounds like most people could give a crap about them. This makes me sad (and a little nerves about what people thought of my newsletters before).

Oh well! Who cares what the masses think of my newsletters. I like doing them and my hand writing stinks so don’t expect them to be hand written either. If you don’t like it tough, you can always use it for kindling.

By: Danyiel

Danyiel — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:11:18 +0000

I love christmas cards. Unfortunatly my list seems to keep growing and I never have enough time. So there are years we do a letter and there are some years that it is a picture with a Merry Christmas and love the Jobes, but I do try to update everyone that we don’t see that often.

By: Nicki

Nicki — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:53:53 +0000

I love writing cards and letters but, alas, cannot write all the letters I want and tailor them to the recipient. I do a letter of sorts on the printer and make my cards. The card layout is on my to-do list for today.

By: Anne

Anne — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:50:21 +0000

I actually love writing cards…but I begin to hate it when I don’t have the time to dedicate that I want. It’s like thank-you notes…when I write one, I want it to be GOOD. I have such a conflicted relationship with holiday newsletters. It all hinges on the tone. If it borders on bragging, I tune out. If it’s happily newsy and REAL, I love it.

By: Nikki

Nikki — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:04:10 +0000

I was disappointed by the Christmas card selection yesterday. I wanted something that either had great artwork, was humorous, or regional. I found an Oregon adaptation to the 12 Days of Christmas, but it didn’t quite work for a vegan to send out with some of the lines being “eight maids a milking goats,” or “three free-range hens.” Then I saw a stand with unicef cards and there was one with bright artwork, which appealed to my love of the world and different cultures. I was still feeling a bit let down and then, this morning, I realized how fitting it is for many of the new friends I’ve made this past year and their mission to make the world a better place for all people. I think the card picked me this year.

By: Brenna McKinnon

Brenna McKinnon — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:49:11 +0000

I have only discovered my love of Christmas cards over the past few years; since becoming a mom. Maybe I have a bit more joy to share, or maybe because I’m now officially a grown-up.
Each year, the card creating consumes a good, solid week. I love hand-making cards, but feel the need to go above and beyond the card from the previous years. I’m sure the day will come when I throw in the towel and go traditional, but for now I enjoy the process of finding the winning idea. And this year, easily tops them all!

By: elizabeth

elizabeth — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:20:49 +0000

I love this idea, Jennifer! Thanks for sharing. I’m always looking for new ways to reinvent the tradition of staying in touch during the holiday season.

By: jennifer

jennifer — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:00:45 +0000

I used to love writing individual Christmas cards, but eventually, that became impossible. And while I always read the Christmas letters we receive, they can be too wordy…if not boring and/or absurd. So what to do?
One year we hit upon the perfect solution, and it is now our absolute tradition. We produce a photo-and-caption card, showing a handful of scenes from the previous year, with informative/funny descriptions. Luckily for us, many of our friends are designers, and we’ve had some beautiful graphics created for this project. When the boys were little, the card always contained a Christmas tree drawn by one of them….sniff, they are now too old for this!