Is this the end of an era???

I'm referring to the tradition of sending Christmas cards. My mum lived a long way from her family so sending Christmas cards was quite a tradition in my childhood. Even if my mother didn't communicate with her friends and family from the southern states during the rest of the year, she always sent Xmas cards and a letter! 

My parents didn't 'display' the cards like many of their friends who would drape cards over venetian blind slats, stand cards on sideboards or string cards up on cords tied from one corner of a room to another. There even seemed to be some sort of 'competition' of who had received the most cards!!! My friend's grandma always seem to 'win' the 'most cards comp'...which always impressed me as a child. 

Even my local pharmacy has some cards from customers hanging up near the registers...

When I married, my first husband and I compiled our own Xmas card list but it was me who wrote out all the cards and envelopes. When I met DH, we combined our lists but we would each write out our own. DH would put up a cord in our lounge room and we would use little pegs to put the cards on display. In the 13 years we've been together, the number of cards we've received each year, has noticeably decreased. Consequently the number of cards that we send has also decreased. People's habits/traditions have changed...often for economic reasons as well as time constraints. It takes time to write out the cards and address the envelopes and then after Christmas, the cards usually get discarded. 

In light of the rather large increase in postage to take effect on January 4, 2016. I have decided that for us, the 'era' of sending cards will end this year. There will be some exceptions...some elderly friends and relatives who don't have computers, let alone Internet connection, will still get 'snail mail' cards from us. So what will the 'new era' entail?

For quite a few years I have subscribed to the Jacquie Lawson site and for a yearly sub, I am able to send any number of eCards to friends and family...and I do. I recently renewed, but took a 2 year subscription this time for $20, which is great value because I really do send LOTS of cards per year. The company has kept up with the times and I can send cards to not only people's email addresses, but also to friends' Facebook pages or Messenger private messages. This is really handy if I'm not sure if their email address is still current. 

In the last few days, DH has written out cards for his list and  I have written out and posted 17 cards via 'snail mail'. I have also sent 50 eCards and have lots more to send. The animated cards are always so much fun...one friend wrote back to say it (the card I sent) made her wish 'she was a child again!'. 

Now here is one of my 'blasts from the past'...

I have kept a lot of my mum's 'recipe clippings'; she was always cutting out recipes from newspapers and magazines and possibly never making the recipes but that's beside the point! Lol. And I don't know why I kept them either??? Any way amongst the clippings were some Christmas cards and that's what I'm going to share with you...

Some of you may remember when stamps cost 20 and 21 cents??? 

The cards...

The messages...

The card at the top was from my mum's friend Edna who lived in Lake Charm in Victoria. Edna and my mum met and became friends when they were in the army during WW2. Every year, until my mum's death in 2001, they sent Xmas cards to each other. Reading Edna's letter, and seeing certain events mentioned, I can say that her card was for Christmas 1979! A while ago now and that explains the 20 cents postage!!

Last Wednesday...

Last Wednesday I stitched most of the day. I wanted to finish the projects that I had been making for an Instagram Christmas in July Swap. Posting date wasn't until July 13 but I wanted to be early for once...

By late Wednesday afternoon the gifts were wrapped. Still 'smarting' 2 years later from paying $27 for postage of 2 mug rugs being sent to a North American address, I kept the parcel as flat as possible. One of the workers at our little local post office had recently told me the 'flat' trick. I had rolled those mug rugs and put them in a tiny post bag...they made a  thick parcel...so expensive postage! 

( the postage on this parcel was a more acceptable $14.50)

So now a little look at what I sent...

Some Christmas iron on labels

Some novelty buttons and some stickers...

A cushion cover...

I didn't do that machine embroidery...a lady on Etsy who embroiders this design on towels, was quite happy to embroider on a piece of homespun instead. I think you may have guessed that the recipient rather likes horses????

And a hexie table centre... The darker green hexies feature little rocking horses! Lol

Still last Wednesday...

On Wednesday night, DH went to the State of Origin Match #3 ( a rugby league match with Queensland vs New South Wales) with DsD2. The ticket had been his birthday present from all the girls and 2 partners. He wore his last year's Christmas gift from DSD2 and her husband...

He had a wonderful time...all the atmosphere and a very exciting game which saw Qld the winner 52-6!!!

And I had a lovely quiet night at home :-)