Austin, TEXAS, December 29, 2005 — I have more perspective on things sometimes when I get the distance that perspective requires.

A few days after Christmas I can delight in a slide show of pictures my niece took of youngsters in pajamas with a multitude of plastic toys. A Snapfish display is about the right distance for that activity.

I can stop and revel in my favorite aspect of the holidays: the giving and receiving of holiday cards. We hardly ever snail mail each other these days and even though a lot of the cards are commercially printed for mass

consumption...the individuals pick them out and decide to send them to you.

Last year I wrote about my Christmas card exchange in the form of an essay. This year I think I'll just wrap it up here with a paragraph or two.

We sent about two hundred cards. We sent them before Thanksgiving in a flagrant attempt to be first and be done. About ten got returned. At least one never arrived according to one of my loyal journal readers. I had a stack left. So I sent another today. (Didn't get one? Write with snail mail address.)

We got about sixty-five cards, more or less. This is down from last year when we got over a hundred pieces of mail.

About twenty cards featured photos of the senders. About thirty percent by my calculation. Fourteen or so were from businesses or charities. Over twenty percent. Only four had an image of Santa. Six had animals in some form...cartoons or photos and a reproduction of a painting (of someone's dogs). One (from South Africa) had African Penguins. Christmas or Merry Christmas were overshadowed by Season's Greetings or Happy Holidays. One said Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah (appropriately from a mixed religion family). One card featured an aluminum tree in an interior. Only one other featured a Christmas tree as the dominant element. One card had a Texas Longhorn on the front. One had a 14th Century Mary and Jesus. One a moose. ("Moosletoe.") One had a child's drawing of a snow scene. Three others featured snow scenes. Two featured the Three Wise Men. Three featured ornaments. Another holly, another a wreath. One was a simple pattern design, not all that much in the Christmas or the Season of Lights spirit. Four had snowmen. One said 'Viel Glück und Erfolg in Neuen Jahr' but it was from Germany. Other Happy New Year greetings might still arrive I suppose. One had a Texas Flag. My personal favorite had a reindeer pulling an Airstream. One featured skates, one a candle, one a Star and message about the Messiah. Two featured angels, one a child praying, one simply wished Peace. But then four had doves. (Two of these were beautiful and elaborately constructed identical cards from two different people. Only duplicate this year if you don't count my niece picking the same photo 'frame' as we did from Snapfish.) Two featured birds, one featured snow flakes, one a bell. One had a Nutcracker, one a poinsettia. Two had abstract art. Only two included a letter with the 'year in review' for the family. (Although I understand my sister sent one of these...but we didn't receive it.)

My assessment? More and more people are sending pictures of themselves. And a handsome lot they are. But fewer and fewer will write a few paragraphs about their year. Perhaps they have a WEB page. People's selections are as diverse as they are and reflect a variety of beliefs and sentiments. I loved getting every one of them, even the ones from charities and businesses. It's my favorite part of the season.

When we went to a party this evening, I admired the view and the nice array of food but I also caught myself looking at the holiday cards they'd received, arrayed around their public rooms much as I did mine. The numbers are down, but I think the tradition will survive a few more years.

It was also a day to think of downsizing. We had a lunch with a developer of what we think may be the downtown condos we are most interested in. To say that a significant paring down of possessions will be required is an understatement. That didn't stop us from acquiring a book and some tapes at Book People on the way home. Although the tapes are for Forrest's dad. It's time to take a hard look at possessions. A New Year's Resolution perhaps? (Please, stop me, before I futilely resolve again.)