Ben by Daniel Shelton for December 16, 2020

I don’t blame Ben for turning away from singing chipmunks.

The first time it is cute, the 100th, not.

As a matter of fact, I do miss the horse and buggy rides at Christmas time, on a snowy day, nothing beats it.

I am of the dying breed who still sends Christmas cards….even though social media has kept me in touch with MOST (but not all) of my friends and family. It’s such a nice tradition….and I love displaying the cards as part of my holiday decorations. However, in recent years, I receive back only 1/4 of what I send out (if that!)…. I have begun to save my favorites (prettiest ones) from past years and display them along with the newest/current ones to make the display more beautiful. Between emails, texting, and social media, people rarely send snail mail these days. It’s so special to receive a birthday or Christmas card in your mailbox. Young people just don’t get it.

Spammers use e-cards to get you to click on the link in the e-card, which drops malware on your computer.

Ben possesses one of the great minds of the mid 19th Century.

I miss getting cards because it was such a big deal when I was a kid. It was fun to get mail addressed to “and family” because then I could open it up. My sister and I were in charge of where the cards were displayed. We sent out a bunch and got bunches back.

This year I have sent out less than a dozen and got one in return.

Better than Jingle Cats

Ah yes, a horse and buggy ride to Grandma’s house, indeed!

Send me a singing chipmunks Christmas card, and you’re off my Christmas list

I’d almost rather hear the chipmunks than “The 12 days of Christmas!” I said almost. Lol

There was still the old singing telegrams.

Bob Rivers… Twisted Christmas 1987

We wish you weren’t living with us

We wish you weren’t living with us

We wish you weren’t living with us

We’re not happy you’re here….

You drive everybody crazy

You’re hopelessly fat and lazy

You’re constantly in the way here

So pack up your gear…

You’re feeding your face

You’re taking up space

We wish you weren’t living with us

We’re not happy you’re here.

{CLOSE THE REFRIGERATOR!}…

Correct us if we’re mistaken

But those are long distance calls you’re makin’

How long do you plan on takin’

Advantage of us?

{PAY UP}…

We wish you weren’t living with us

We wish you weren’t living with us

We wish you weren’t living with us

Get out of town

NOW

There was something about pulling items from the box after the items had travelled so far as though the sender(s) were reaching over the distance.

Ben Franklin’s little idea was not only for the purpose of economic benefit, but to sew one thread at a time to bind little bits of fabric which were isolated and alone while scattered among vast wilderness. His personal experience during life especially when far from home.

We wrote out our Christmas cards this past Saturday night and mailed them out late Sunday night – went to the collection box at a PO, husband has refused to go there and we have been going to a collection box on a quiet residential street to try to avoid areas with people (Sunday night at 11:30 pm) – we used to mail at our PO when we went in to pick up mail at our PO box.

I have to mention to my sister that we only had cards to send out as we have been buying boxes of cards for a few years from a store which is slowly going out of business (older woman has stores at 3 farmer’s market and home and has been working on taking down her inventory in general to just sell from home location) so we have tons (well, not tons, but definitely pounds) of them. But she will not be getting a birthday card – just a birthday email – as we don’t have birthday cards etc in the house. (And when husband made cards with hand cut paper designs on them they were not well received by either family so we won’t make cards for them.)