I Didn't Want To Butt In So

[Barsel]

Following on from Bobbisox's Christmas card thread, do you still send Christmas cards to people you don't see anymore?
I still send a card to someone ( a distant relative) who I've never even met, and am unlikely to and someone who was married to one of my cousins who I've only ever met once, not to mention old neighbours.
Do you think it's worth keeping in touch in this way?

[Barsel]

That's the thing LadyB. I have no phone numbers for some of the people I send cards to, so I can't even phone to ask if they are still alive, moved home, or are just not sending cards anymore.

[Bobbisox1]

There is one couple ( again a holiday meet up , this time Gran Canaria ) although they are local, last year was the first year we didn’t get one back and thinking back 30 years now, they were a bit older than we are so I don’t know shat to do this year tbh

[Togo]

Your helpful friend would have been 91 this April then Lady. What about an I forgot the card card. I have a link for that. Better check if it is before the watershed content.

[Togo]

Parental guidance warning. Funny.

[barry1010]

I used to send cards to people I was no longer in contact with in any other way - then I decided enough was enough.
In the last card I sent them I said this would be the last Christmas card as I was donating the money to charity instead and wished them well.

I had a couple of cards back with messages along the lines of - thank heavens for that, I can't remember who you are :D

[gness]

But do you ever send a card to a stranger, Barsel?

A cousin...I have lots...and I only ever exchanged Christmas cards for a while. They were busy...we were busy. They moved house, I was told, so one year I looked them up in the phone book to send a card. I knew it was on an estate with their road ending in Brook.
Unfortunately they had a fairly common surname for the area....Stewart. Found a Stewart living in Eastbrook Road so every year I sent them a card from M, B and the children and promising that this Christmas we will call to visit them....we'll call in and surprise you....we really will!
Those poor Stewarts in Eastbrook Road must have dreaded a Christmas visit from a family they didn't know because it was a few years before I discovered my cousin was a Stewart living some streets away in Westbrook Road.

[ladybirder]

I wrote quite a long reply a while back in response to Togo and now I can't find it. Gawd knows what I did with it. So, Togo thanks for that info, 91 sounds about right. Love the Micky Flanagan vid and have watched a couple more since and no doubt will again when there's nowt on tele;-)

[Barsel]

That made me laugh Gness.
I do wonder sometimes if people I send cards to might have moved and haven't told me, so there's always the possibility I've sent their card to someone else at that address.
The thing is, not everyone actually reads their cards and my brother kept getting a Christmas card from a long distance relative putting his and his wife's name even though he told her they were divorced.
This happened for years and years and even when my brothers wife died and he told her this, she still sent it to them both!

[jennyjoan]

I am only sending about the doors and no posting - but not by being mean the price of posting - but the neighbours and friends will know about their cards because they will be personal.

Can't believe when I left work some years ago - I recall getting 70 cards - brother came up and said "there's no way you got them - you posted them to yourself. "right brother - I'll pay for that postage - NOT - I have lost 5 friends 4 due to death and one who doesn't want to play any more due to having a heart attack 3 years ago and has lost her identity. So there you go.

[Smowball]

70 cards JJ- wow, I’m impressed! you must have been very highly thought of x

[jennyjoan]

thank you Smow - I was LOL - highly regarded hahahahha.

Not so much now - - my bestie friend, my main friend who we have shared 40 years of friendship, hilarity, parties, understanding of life's woes, the whole heap (this is the one I have mentioned that has taken an unbelievable identity problem - she had a heart attack 3 years ago and has let me go. So between the Covid measures I have lost a great friendship.

Amongst the other friends the few I have left - they can't believe she has blew me out like a hot potato. And I am so sad but I need to carry on.

[Smowball]

What job did you do again? And I don’t know the story but am baffled why your friend has done that x

[gness]

Growing up we had a neighbour who would pop into the other houses in the street and count their cards. She would then brag about how many more she'd received.
One year my mother kept the cards from the last year and displayed them with the new ones.
Neighbour was furious that we'd received more than she had.

[jennyjoan]

well Smow - I was a Civil Servant but friend was a catering assistant - nothing with to do with occupations.

I am asked what has happened and you know what - I don't know.

She was a smoker (heavy) collapsed on the old ladies run - luckily a nurse was nearby - gave her CPR broke a couple of ribs, she was on a ventilator in Altnagelvin for a week - and so hasn't got over the fright. But to be honest re the Covid we never got to talk about it.

[jennyjoan]

Everybody knows we had a wonderful friendship and so it is difficult to say what went wrong. I told sister tonight - "we don't play any more".

[Smowball]

Gness that made me laugh!
JJ - that must be frustrating as well as baffling x

[Barsel]

Gness your Mum sounds as entertaining as you are. :-) x
JJ so sorry to hear about the end of a long friendship.
My best friend and I fell out once, but when the Covid came, she was worried for me and got in touch and it was like we never fell out.
This year we celebrated 70 years of friendship.

[barry1010]

JJ, what is 'the old ladies run'?

[jennyjoan]

Coach trip for old ladies

[barry1010]

Oh! I thought you meant a half marathon for older women or something