I also have a few more cards to write and post. What do you do? Do you write and send cards from your list or do you wait until you receive cards and then send one in return? I am sure people have different ways of handling the Christmas card thingie. Going through my address book the other day I was saddened as there were a few names I had to cross off...people no longer with us, in particular two penfriends I've not heard of for a year or more. It's times like Christmas that we stop and think of loved ones, both family and friends, with whom we once shared the holiday season. Some still feel so close at times, almost as though they never left.
One of the Secret Santa wants was for a book store voucher. I thought to make it simpler for Phil to carry out this wish by ordering said voucher on line but no. I logged on to Dymock's website and where you order vouchers you can either send it by email to the recipient or have it delivered to their door. The other alternative is to order one for oneself. Fat lot of good that is if you actually want to place the voucher as a gift in a card. Fortunately Phil said not to worry as he had to go to Garden City with a Medicare claim so two birds with one stone taken care of.
The other voucher I wanted was for our two little great-granddaughters so they could go with their parents to Aqwa. On their website I was able to pay for the voucher with PayPal (which method of payment I prefer) and download the voucher as a PDF. Done so easily.
I don't know if I mentioned it or not but recently I bought a new printer and although it is a Canon (I always buy that brand) some of the settings were different this time. I didn't want to print out a lot of colour but couldn't find a way of changing the setting. I messed around for several minutes without any luck and just as I was about to give up when there at the bottom of the little window was the word 'greyscale'. Wonderful....clicked on that and get a perfect black and white print. Shows I am not always a dodo with computers or was this just sheer luck?
It is hotting up here and we have a forecast for next Wednesday of 39C (102F). That will be on the 21st and I am hoping it will gradually cool down before the 25th. Fingers crossed that will be so. I've often noticed if we have a cool Christmas then we will have a hot new year which usually means a hot birthday for me. Oh well, can't do a darned thing about it but just hope. Finger, needless to say, are crossed!!
P.S. Have you noticed there is no mention of Christmas on our special Australian Christmas stamps this year. As you know, I am not a religious person but it is at this time of year that we celebrate the birth of a very special man. I do hope our government has not decided to omit the word Christmas on our stamps for fear of insulting or annoying anyone. Does anyone have an opinion on this? I have emailed both MP Peter Dutton (who has complained about many schools not having carols and other Christmas celebrations) and also the Prime Minister pointing out that this has the appearance of backing down because of the opinion of some minority groups.
Hari OM
ReplyDelete...I don't recall seeing the word Christmas being on stamps previously - unless in part of the design as in 'Merry Fest' or such. If the design is clearly festive, then no need for words. It's good that they are different every year. The UK ones don't have writing this year... nor the year before as I recall.
I like the 10 'freebies' - truly Loving. I too found my list somewhat shorter this year. I try always to send out on the first week of Advent and don't worry about whether am matching cards with anyone.
Well done on conquering the printer!!! YAM xx
I looked back on our Oz Christmas stamps from 1955 and they were much more religious than they are now. Apparently there is one 65cent stamp this year with a religious theme but it is in a booklet which we didn't buy.
DeleteI thought the list of freebies thought provoking and should keep in mind.
Have sent out about 25 cards and will now wait for late ones to arrive before sending more. xx
I have mailed out all my cards. So far I've received a few, including two from people I did not send cards to. I think I will just leave it at that. If I try to play catch up I will be running to the store for more and more cards! :) Hope they understand.
ReplyDeleteWe tend not to have the word Christmas on a lot of official government things here (stamps, etc.) and for a long while stores and offices tended to say, "Happy Holidays" instead. When I worked in HR our benefits information listed holidays, except Christmas was instead written simply as December 25. I thought it was hilarious, like we didn't know what that day was. But...it seems to me to be making a comeback. I have heard more people saying Merry Christmas. The receptionist at my doctor's office even said it. Haha...funny how it is. Not really funny. You can say any other holiday, but "Christmas" might offend.
You are so right when you say that Christmas seems to offend some folk. I know there are some religions that recognise Jesus as being a prophet but not the son of God. Maybe that is why they feel we shouldn't celebrate his birthh.
DeleteI have my cards sent except a couple I don't have addresses for. They may or may not get sent, depends on my luck finding them. Sill looking for son's socks ...
ReplyDeleteI have no problem saying Happy Quanza or Happy Hanukkah to other people. Sigh ... Merry Christmas doesn't seem out of line. I'm getting sick of other people and their objections! I haven't noticed - Is Easter also taboo?
I would say happy whatever to anyone who celebrated differently so why on earth are some unable to say it back.
DeleteWe have to quietly fight back and establish our festivals permanently in our countries.
I thought the Christmas stamps were fine. The word might not have been there, but the Christian intent and basis were obvious.
ReplyDeleteI hope that Christmas is cool for you.
Cards? I am so behind. So very behind.
I guess I felt the stamps lacking something but now find there is a religious one after all...we just didn't buy the booklet that contained it.
DeleteChristmas is definitely going to be HOT but having had the granddaughter's aircon fixed we are looking forward so sharing the day with the family.
I used to have a list of names for gift buying and crossed off each name as the gift was bought, that way I didn't forget anyone. Now I only have a few cards that get sent each year, so the list is in my head.
ReplyDeleteI really dislike the way we don't have Carols and Santa in Kindergartens and schools these days. In case we upset other cultures? Ridiculous in my opinion. They don't stop their practices when they come here, so why should we just because they believe something else. Let them accept our culture and we'll accept theirs. The true definition of multicultural.
I agree with you re the definition of multicultural but it has to be give and take with understanding of each other's beliefs. Otherwise it is not going to work long term.
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