It's difficult to believe. In a couple quick weeks we shall already (hear finger snap) celebrate the one year anniversary of our permanent Minnesotan-ness. I was startled into this realization when the United States Postal Service delivered the reminder via a postcard, the most important byproduct of this info being that after 11/30/16 our mail will no longer forward.
Oh, MAN! Since in the craze of moving last year I didn't send Christmas cards, there are people on our Christmas list who don't yet know we've moved. I need to activate and get cards out early containing our moving info because otherwise this year cards sent to our old address will return to senders. People, dear people, might think we've expired.
When I flew into hysterical mode over this, Dear George made the mistake of wondering aloud why we even have people on our list we only contact annually. My passionate and D R A M A T I C response included words like LOVE and CONNECTIONS and IMPORTANCE and BECAUSE! Because for instance I just received an email from one on the list who said, HOW DID I MISS YOU MOVED?! Which proved my point, and, Dear George, that is that.
My first inclination was, Hey! Rather than send Christmas cards this year I'll buy Thanksgiving cards and include a Christmas letter. (You clever girl.) You know, the catch-up kind I love reading. It's true: I relish receiving long letters in Christmas cards, especially when they're real--and you know what I mean by that. Then we made a trip to Costco and of course I forgot about my great plan (You old girl with an old brain!) and came home with Christmas cards. They were so sparkly and ... sparkly! But as soon as I unpacked them I remembered PHOOEY! I was going to buy Thanksgiving cards, but oh well. Christmas cards will just have to arrive reallyreallyreally early and I'll include a Thanksgiving letter in them. Plus a Happy New Year greeting and MERRY EVERYTHING.
We do what we must.
We make choices to stay sane
because if we don't...
WHY?!
Why wouldn't we choose to make this sacred season calmer where and when we can. If that means dropping something this year (like no cards for us last year) or simplifying or combining efforts to cover more ground, BAZINGA!
I implore you to begin making holidaze (stet) smart choices right this nano second because -- finger snap -- hysteria is most often self induced. Think about it. Pray about it. Let. Something. Go.
So Happy Thanksgiving, Dear TwinkleGrammers, and Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year, and in case you missed it, we've MOVED!