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| Holiday Greeting Card |
I have to credit Susanne at Snaps and Snippets for this card idea! When I saw her card, I asked her if I could copy it (using different papers). Her version is cuter, but, I'm pleased with how mine turned out and I've made a few cards in this design, using a template for the tree. Thank you, Susanne!
Cousin P called me again, this morning, and we chatted a bit more. She said she spoke with the other cousins, too, so everyone is now up to date on all what's happening.
Later, I emailed a niece who is out of state, to find out what's going on in her life because the holiday greeting card she sent me had a new address and she signed only her name and her children's names. I had called her, earlier, and left a message, but, she didn't return my earlier phone call, which isn't like her. So, I thought I'll email her. My daughter said I was being nosy, but, I told her, what if there had been a bereavement and no one informed me? Wouldn't niece wonder why I hadn't called or sent her a card or something? I told my niece that if I was being nosy it was only because I cared about her well-being and hadn't heard anything from anyone in the family. She replied to my email right away and sent me her new phone number. She explained the reason for signing the card with just her name and the children's and said I had picked up on it, at once! Ha, Aunt Bless the detective! I assured her that as long as she and her children are happy and doing well, then, that's all that matters. Apparently, they are going to Sri Lanka to spend some time with her parents (my half-brother and his wife). I told her that I sent her a package in the mail, but, most probably it won't be delivered before she leaves. Hopefully, it will still be there when she returns! I also mentioned the birthday card and the holiday greetings card I had sent to her father. If he doesn't receive them, maybe she can at least tell him that I sent the cards!
Neighbor S called and brought over some frozen kuftha that her mother had made, as well as a container of mulberry preserves which I had tried earlier and liked, and two cookies (daughter's favorites). I showed her the new piano book I had bought for myself and she said we can work on some of the pieces, next year, when lessons resume. She also told me not to cook dinner on New Year's Eve! Apparently, she is planning to make something special which she will share with me! How kind is that?
When I was not occupied with being a busybody and playing detective, I made Christmas cards, cooked dinner, ran the dishwasher, put in a small order of groceries, and chatted with friend R.
Today, I am grateful for:
- Chatting with family and friends
- Neighbor S sharing gifts of food with me
- My scrapbooking paper stash (now being used to make cards)
- Working appliances
- Being able to order gifts, etc., online
Today's joyful activity was communicating with family members.
Plans for tomorrow include picking up the grocery order.
How was your Saturday? What are your plans for Sunday?
It was good of you to spot the change on your niece's card. Sometimes family circumstances change, and the person doesn't want to put the details - but will appreciate someone caring enough to ask if all is OK. I hope she is able to travel safely, with her children, to Sri Lanka to be with family. You are a very caring aunt
ReplyDeleteThank you, Angela. Yes, circumstances change, don't they? I do hope that I am a caring aunt. :)
DeleteHaha - I chuckled when you said, "when I was not occupied with being a busybody and a detective..." Funny segue :)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like your niece understood and appreciated your concern since she emailed you right back. I'm glad you were able to connect with her and also send along a message to your brother about his cards.
How nice to know your New Year's Eve will be catered!
Glad you liked my quip about being a busybody and detective, Debra. :D I like to think my niece appreciated my concern. We have a bit of an odd relationship due to family dynamics. When my half siblings had a falling out with my mother, when I was about 10, I was sort of sidelined. My sister kept in touch with me through birthday cards, mostly. My oldest brother (this particular niece's father) kept in touch very occasionally, but, I didn't see him for over 30 years, and I didn't know his 3 children. I still don't know his older daughter and his son, but, I met his younger daughter at my sister's when my sister's first husband died. Since then, this niece and I have kept in touch, exchanging holiday greeting cards, and the occasional emails and phone calls. The last time I spoke with her on the phone, I mentioned something about the family dynamics and she told me that her relationship with me is something she has formed on her own and goes beyond family obligations; I took that as a compliment! :D
DeleteI'm looking forward to my New Year's Eve meal! Such a blessing!
While I am happy to get any and all cards, I do like it better when there is a bit of news to go with them--especially if there is an address change. In these days of COVID, you never know. I'm glad your niece and family are doing well.
ReplyDeleteI do like it when people write a little note about how they are doing in their cards. I try to do so in the cards that I send and it takes time, but, these are people I don't write to all the time (and they don't read my blog). Yes, especially in these days of Covid, when a name that had been included in a card for several years suddenly gets left out, what does one do? I wondered if there had been a death (after all, accidents, heart attacks, etc. still happen) and, due to family dynamics, I am often left out of the loop when it comes to family news from my father's side of the family. :)
DeleteYou are a caring aunt, no doubt about it. Your card is lovely, very well done.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Eileen. I do care about all my family and friends. I don't have a very close relationship with several of my family members, but, I do my best to keep in touch with them. :)
DeleteAs for the card, I sent it to an aunt and I hope she'll like it. :)
Families need someone like you who cares enough to check things out. I'm glad that your niece is okay and that you have peace of mind after speaking to her.
ReplyDeleteHow exciting that you will have a New Year's Eve meal supplied by neighbour S. Which piano book did you buy for yourself please?
Thank you, Eileen. I do care about others and will often check on family and friends if I don't hear from them. Not sure if they all appreciate it, but, I think niece was happy that I checked on her. :)
DeleteI bought myself the "Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course Lesson Book Level Two" (the other one I had was Level One). S thinks it might be a bit too much, for right now, but, I can work on the pieces, over the course of the year.
Yay, I have that book, well a copy of books 2 and 3 combined. C doesn't use it as all the theory explanations use American terminology but she's quite happy for me to use it when I want to as I already understand the theory side of things. I quite like some of the pieces, hope you enjoy it too.
DeleteThat's good that you already have the book and the next level, too! To be quite honest, I don't really care about the theory, I just want to be able to read the music and play! :D
DeleteI'm glad that you are having more conversations with cousin P and that you now have some peace about your niece and her family. How exciting that neighbour S is planning to share something special for you both to eat on New Year's Eve!
ReplyDeleteI baked some gluten free cookies yesterday and I was going to make a kind of shortbread with toffee and chocolate chunks in, but the toffees were too hard to cut up! So I put them in a saucepan with some milk and butter and melted them to turn them into a spread, but the result is too thick! So I may scoop out small amounts and roll into balls and coat with chocolate. As for the shortbread, I saw a recipe with dried cranberries and orange zest, so I will use that instead of toffee and chocolate.
Thank you, Bushlady. Family is important to me and I try my best to keep in touch with the various members and be supportive of them. :)
DeleteOh, too bad about the toffees, but, it sounds like you have come up with a good solution! Chocolate covered toffee balls sound delicious! The shortbread with dried cranberries and orange zest sounds like a winner! I've been wanting to make some shortbread cookies, myself. I'm buying more butter, today, for all the holiday baking I plan to do! :)
You weren't being nosy at all, it's nice that you cared enough about your niece and her well being to call and check up on her. I'm sure she appreciated it. How nice that you have a New Year's Eve meal coming, I sure wish someone would cook for us on New Year's Eve. LOL Denise
ReplyDeleteThank you, Denise. I'm a born mother hen, always worrying about and clucking over her chicks! :D
DeleteIt's lovely to be spoiled with meals cooked by someone else, isn't it? One of my friends used to belong to a meal exchange group - she and two or three other friends would take turns making meals and sharing so that each person in the group had to cook only one or two days a week. I rather liked that arrangement!
It's nice that you check in with family and friends. It shows that you care and, especially at this time of year, people appreciate that.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sharon. Yes, everyone needs someone to check on them and say, "How are you doing today?" don't they? I remember how much I appreciated it when people called to check on me during my cancer treatments and how disappointed I was when certain people I had thought would call me, didn't.
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