Today, in the elf workshop, I worked on my Christmas cards. One of my favorite days of the year.
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I have distinct memories of helping my mom with her Christmas cards when I was maybe four years old. My brain carries a perfect image of our table top strewn with cards and envelopes, sorted into various piles and stages of completion. I recall her blue fabric-covered address book and the magical set of pages whose edges were designed with tiny alphabetical tabs along the side. And perhaps best of all were the breathtakingly beautiful postage stamps, bursting with holiday spirit. It was my special job to rip each stamp along its perforations, lick it oh-so-carefully, and carefully postion it just so onto each envelope.
Then we would bundle them according to zip code, wrap them in string, and carry them down through the snow to the mailbox. It was also my job to put the ice-covered flag up, to signal to the mailman that we had outgoing mail, and I remember working hard to accomplish that with my little mittened hand.
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Ever since those days, I've cherished every step of this annual card-sending ritual, and for many years now, I've extended it considerably by making my own cards. It's completely arguable that I'm insane for adding layers of complexity to my already-long list of holiday preparations, but this tradition is one of my favorites. Christmas cards are one of the delights of the holiday season.
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Read more about my getting-ready-for-Christmas adventures:
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