Tuesday, 23 December 2014

CHRISTMAS CARDS PAST

 
Do you keep your old Christmas cards? I do.
 
I'm sure you've heard the rumour that the tradition of sending actual printed greetings cards is dying out - stamps are too costly, cards are a waste of trees, virtual cards are more fun, only old people send them etc. etc.
Sometimes I look through my Christmas card collection and have a sentimental wallow, remembering the past. It's not quite the same with e-cards.
 
 
Mr N's cards are always chosen with care and...
 
 
come with words to warm my heart - and a different message every year!
 
 
Some were sent from overseas.
 
 
This patchwork card came from Japan, handmade by Japanese pensioners. My old school friend in Yokohama teaches English to senior citizens.
 
I love this hand drawn card, made by an elderly lady artist I once knew. She had serious mental health problems but loved to create little watercolours and line drawings - see the lonely old man in his muffler on a bare wood chair, while his beloved pets have the cosiest places and a present each!
 
 
What a cruel Santa!
 
Aged 10, Master N's confidence in his own brilliance was a little misplaced!
 
 
A last card from Dad.
 
If I'm still around when "proper" cards disappear, I shall put up some favourites from the collection - come to think of it, why am I waiting?
  
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12 comments:

  1. What a lovely post! Merry Christmas!

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  2. Smashing cards. Your son's card reminded me of a card my son once sent to me. Madonna and Child on the front, he wrote inside, the image "was a reference to our mutual divinity".

    He's such a wit.

    Merry Christmas.

    Jean x

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  3. a lovely trip down Christmas card memory lane nilly. I have a box of cards from our daughter, lovely to look at them, some home made at nursery and school, very precious memories. I have the last card from a bunch of flowers my father sent me saying "to the best girl in the world". Have a very happy Christmas time. Jayne

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    1. Oh yes, those "last cards" are the most poignant and treasured. The last birthday card I received from my long-lived granny contained a note complaining about the price of greetings cards - a pause while she checked the oven - then the words "the tart is cooked perfectly!"
      So typical of her that she couldn't even write a card without giving a running commentary!

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  4. Merry Christmas dear Nilly to you and your family !!
    Love Susy x

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    1. Merry Christmas to you Susy. Hope your Christmas day has been as sunny as ours.

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  5. i keep the best ones and have quite a few from japanese students over the years. works of art. i hope you have had a lovely few days and not travelling this weekend! barbara

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    1. Hope you have had a lovely time too Barbara - we've had a "different" time this year, meeting lots of new people. And yesterday we had an early morning trip to an antiques fair in snowy Doncaster!

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  6. A beautiful post. I'm now feeling very bah humbuggy, as for the first time ever this year, I didn't put our Christmas cards up...they just sat in a pile in the corner of the room. You are right...the special ones deserve to be kept, loved ...and displayed. Happy new Year Nilly. x

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    1. Oh dear Janice - not you too!. I have to admit I didn't put up all ours this year either, just a selection of favourite old ones and some special new ones. We also had a pile languishing in a corner.
      And isn't that a quaint old phrase, "putting up" the cards and decorations. That will disappear soon too, no doubt.

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