Yesterday, sitting at the pool looking out over the Sea of Cortez playing Mexican bingo, I suddenly realized it was the week of Thanksgiving.  I’d not only totally forgotten what time it was, I had to ask what day it was.  Today we’ll ease back in to reality. Time’s up, vacation is over like the end of a good book that should be longer.

How could I let the end of the year creep up like that?  I haven’t even ordered Christmas cards.  Last year I got so busy I sent Happy New Year Cards and if I’m not careful, this year it may be Valentine cards.  

When John Horsley invented the first Christmas cards in England over 150 years ago as a favor, he had no idea what he was starting.  Thanks John.  Now the pressure is on.

I want so badly to be creative with my cards because I enjoy getting the ones that don’t just say, “Love, fill-in-the-blank”.   Anyone can sign their name and stick on address labels. I’ll admit I sometimes come up just short of sending out of control Christmas letters. Maybe not just short of.  My friend Sharon sends one every year, but I look forward to it and when it comes I make hot chocolate and curl up on the couch to read it like a novelette. 

Last year we got a card with their family picture from friends we hadn’t heard from in several years. I thought they looked so old until I remembered they were younger than me. Then they looked great.

After the first of the year, when I take down the all decorations, I'll look through the cards one more time and read the notes again.  Sometimes I keep them in a closet for a year then throw them away.  It almost fells sacrilegious to toss them in the trash.

So strap in, here we go for the next 6 weeks.  Game on!  And, for me, it all starts with the Christmas Cards.