A Haven for Vee

Friday, January 8, 2016

One of These Things is Not Like the Other...

Hope that you have had a great week. For those of us who celebrate Christmas right through the twelfth day, I am sure that it has been a busy one getting the Christmas decor down and put away. I have a ways to go yet, but the tree is down and packed away in the garage. Do you write yourself helpful notes for next Christmas season? I do. I have reminded myself how many strings of lights there are and where the red button extension cords are and where the Christmas cards are and things like that. 

On Wednesday afternoon, I spent a very pleasant time reading through all the Christmas cards once again. I noted that they come in categories and took photos of some of the most notable ones. 

~2015 stack of cards~

~The Reason for the Season~


~Homemade Lovelies~

~Local Flavor~

~So Pretty~

~Families~

~From Family~

~With Sweet Messages~




As a regular reader, you know that I have been going through the vast amounts of ephemera that landed in my world when my parents' home was closed in autumn 2015. My mother saved so much! This is a precious, precious card and letter from my great-grandmother (pictured above with my grandmother). I was only six years old when she passed away so this was almost overwhelming to read. She writes and tells me how much she loves me and always will. She shares her memories of my singing and dancing for her. She offers sweet, gentle advice on how to cope with a challenging little sister. ☺  She sends money for my birthday for a dress with bows on it as that is what I told her I wanted. She closes with hugs and kisses for each member of the family telling me that she sent plenty for me to share. Yes, I did say overwhelming.

I am more determined than ever to remember to write sweet little notes in cards and letters. Sometimes we do not imagine how valuable they are to those who receive them, even years and years later.

56 comments:

  1. That was such a lovely reminder to write more notes, how wonderful you still have some to look back on. Christmas is packed away and like you little notes made to make life easier for next time. Best wishes.

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  2. Beautiful Vee....thanks for sharing. Have a happy Friday, my friend.

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  3. Well I'm about to do a post on a similar subject (letter writing). It's what our mentor group talked about this month. I too have learned to tuck notes into my Christmas storage boxes, and I've even taken pictures of how I had things in case I need inspiration.

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  4. Beautiful, beautiful post. I miss receiving the odd note or letter in the mail. Waiting for Christmas to roll around and "catch up" with all those folks who've been in my life -- one way or another --seems just too long. Precious writings......

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  5. I have noticed how the Christmas cards fall into categories and I've also noticed how they seem to be on the verge of becoming a dying art. I hope that never happens. Your post today proves just how valuable the written letter can be. What a beautiful treasure you have there. So wonderful that your mother saved it.
    I smiled to know that I'm not the only one writing reminder notes for future Christmases.

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  6. lovely...
    my great grandmother was a saver of particular ephemera
    which i now own and treasure. it's all so special. thank
    you for sharing a glimpse of your collection, Christmas
    cards and the sweet picture and letter from your mother's
    estate. :)

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  7. Oh how very, very precious Vee. This reminds me so much of how my grandmother faithfully wrote letters and sent cards to all of her family and lifelong friends. How special this was! What a wonderful moment in time you had to discover such a wonderful letter. This is just amazing. I so enjoyed seeing all your lovely cards! Wonderful post!

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  8. Oh, what a treasure are these words of love from your great-grandmother...across the years of time, but straight to your heart I am certain. Thank you for sharing this as well as the encouragement to leave our own words of love. Very moving.

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  9. Well written, Vee- so truly poignant and heart-felt.

    Thank you for the reminder - everything these days is text on the cell - gotta change that soon, if only one per loved one.

    Thank you. ♥

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  10. OH I LOVED this! I can just imagine how full your heart was reading that letter. And what a good idea to write one to each of my grands..I am DEFINITELY going to do that. Have a good week-end Vee!

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  11. What a wonderful treasure, that letter from your g-grandmother! And it's a good lesson for me, to write actual letters to my grandkids. I doubt they'll cherish my text messages 30 years from now.

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  12. A treasure, for sure. I just went through my mother's old recipe box and it was so full of memories.
    I had to chuckle at your last post and the funny comments about the Cheerios box. Do I need to send you and John a book on marriage?? Realizing, of course, that the pages will be already well worn and used from my house!! :)

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  13. Those written words are a beautiful thing... I wrote a letter to my first grandchild as soon as I found out my daughter was pregnant. It has never been given to anyone. maybe I should take care of that... I love this post and I love that you appreciate old things, the heirlooms that are passed down to us. we are kindred spirits there. I keep everything. lol
    Love, Mona

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  14. Hand written letters are so special, Vee. Your heartfelt post is filled with love and such special memories. Yes, I must handwrite more notes to my family. My problem is my handwriting is not what it used to be...I don't think that matters to those that would receive them...♥

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  15. Lovely post, Vee. I hope it will inspire all of us to write those thoughtful notes that mean so much. A dear aunt of mine passed away on Christmas Day. She was so faithful in writing notes and sending care packages over the years. She sent care packages to her grandchildren in their college years and also to ailing relatives who could use some cheering up. She had a multitude of people to whom she regularly wrote kind and thoughtful notes. (And by "regularly", I mean weekly!) I have really been convicted over the past few years (and especially over the past couple of weeks) that I need to follow her good example.

    As for the other kind of notes, the kind that remind us of important information regarding the components of our Christmases -- well, you know I write that type. Many of them are in my Christmas notebook, but I will stick post-its among the Christmas boxes and bags to remind myself there too. I always take pictures of my Christmas hutch and any other decor I want to remember.

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  16. Oh how very precious that is Vee! I've gotten out of the habit of writing letters and birthday cards but it would be good to resurrect that habit. I don't have any grandchildren yet so I still have time to consider your determination.

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  17. Some people are great with words when sending cards and I always cherish them. I keep so many of them and have them stored in a trunk.

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  18. What a precious treasure! So full of love and memories. I fear the next generation and especially the generation after, will not have such sweet remembrances to look back on.

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  19. OH! Vee, this is precious, what a sweet great grandmother you had, I am sure your great grandmother had no idea that when she wrote those words, that many years from then that her granddaughter would be touched once again!I Ahh! the power of our words, this is certainly a gift that keeps on giving, I am so touched! I too have decided to write more notes and letters this year! Your card and sweet note meant so much to me!
    Love from me to you,
    Sue

    I reread all our Christmas cards before putting away, yes! I am one who keeps cards!

    Thank you for sharing!

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  20. That letter is just precious! My grandmothers both died when I was a young child, so I little to remember them by! What a treasure. Happy 2016, good health!

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  21. A sweet post. Since we saw each other so often, my grandmother and mother never left me very many written words. I wish they had so that I could read them today. Not sure if my own children would save anything that I wrote today. They are not all that sentimental. :)

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  22. What a lovely post, Vee. You certainly do have a great collection of pretty vintage ornaments and beautiful Christmas cards. I can't bare to throw them out so I have them through the years in case I get really ambitious and creative to make some sort of craft from them. That note and card from your great-grandmother is a real treasure. How wonderful that these priceless items found their way back to you after so many years. Thanks for sharing! Enjoy your weekend :)

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  23. Oh I so glad that I have taken a break from my "trying to declutter" my outside shed....to read this post Vee. How precious are these cards and especially those that have words written upon them. I would still be blubbering reading those words from your great-grandmother! WOW! Melted my tired heart today! And yes it does mean so much when someone takes the time to simply write a few words in a card or letter or something. With so many ways to communicate today I am afraid we have forgotten the importance of this act. Speaking of cards, well, I don't do many Christmas cards these days except for closest friends and family. However the cards I do receive have never been wasted. For years I would use the last years cards to make name tags out of for the next years gifts. About two years ago I began in the beginning of the new year and would pick one of the cards out of a basket daily that I had gotten and I would pray for that family for that day until all my cards had been prayed over. Hoping you have a great weekend Vee. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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  24. Beautiful cards and beautiful memories! It is lovely that you have photographed them in this way. xx

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  25. I just re-read all our Christmas cards and letters a few days ago - such a fun thing to do! I've noticed that we're getting more and more picture cards, and not many actual cards anymore. You, too? You've certainly got some pretty ones there. Any plans to give them a new life after the holidays?

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    1. Hi Leah~

      Just so you'll know...I can't reach you anymore. I tossed that email with the link and now Google won't let me in.

      No plans yet.

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  26. What a precious keepsake of a letter! I saved special letters and have some from my mother to me when I was at camp and even ones I wrote home from camp. I sure was homesick! I'm sure the letter got delivered the day I got home as it was only a week of camp which to my young mind seemed like a month! I save my Christmas cards until the next one and re-read them. If they have pretty fronts, I cut them up and use them for gift tags. Some I just keep for their prettiness. :) Enjoy the weekend Vee.

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  27. That's very sweet. I wish the bunch I got stuck with had been kind like that. You're very fortunate to have a loving family.
    You know, next year, maybe we should have a blogging Christmas card exchange or something. I like cards. I think they're a nice way to say "Hello". ~:)

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  28. Hi Vee!

    What a lovely bunch of cards, I can tell you are very loved . . . :0) I love to get cards at Christmas, and can never throw them away! I decided that I would start cutting off the front and using them for little notes, or gift tags. It has worked so well, and it's fun going through them each season.

    How precious is that letter and card?! Precious little finds like that makes all the work of going through and cleaning out, worth it. What a treasure! I would frame it in a picture box and keep it where I could look at it and read it everyday!

    Hugs,
    Barb

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  29. Thank you for sharing your Christmas cards with us. Beloved and I were very surprised at the small number of cards we received this year, and it wasn't due to E-cards because we got very few of those, too. Things are changing all around us ...

    So enjoyed the card from your great grandmother. That was soooo special.

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  30. Your Great Grandmother's letter is such a sweet treasure and it makes me think I too should write my grands more.
    I hope your still singing and dancing, Vee!
    Kim

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  31. Vee, I just love your assortment of cards. I noticed how there are quite a few that we might also get but I don't think I've ever had ones like the ones you got with the lighthouses.

    I'm just amazed at that precious note from your great grandmother. You know what struck me? She spoke your language. My grandmothers never spoke English to me or very little. Anything they would have written would have been in German. I don't think I have anything they wrote to me and you have something from your GREAT grandmother! So precious.

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  32. I have the stack of cards sitting nearby and am planning to go over them once more. I have a box of treasured letters written by my grandmothers and my great aunts who are now with the Lord. Precious keepsakes, and a good reminder to write my own notes in cards.
    Enjoy the slow putting away of the decor while keeping the season in your heart.

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  33. Oh that is so true Vee.
    What a wonderful letter with such precious memories.
    My father knew how to write a good letter and I love re-reading them and seeing his strong handwriting.
    It's a dying art that we must try to preserve - emails won't cut the mustard in years to come.
    I collect old postcards and admire the written content and style.
    Yes Christmas stays in our house until the Epiphany too - I love the tradition and cycle of the Church year - I appreciate the constant things in my life as most of us do as we get older.

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  34. What a treasure you have in your great grandmother's letter. You had quite the assortment of cards, you're right, there are different groupings that have similar themes. I even recognized a couple of cards in those photos. No, I don't make notes for myself for next Christmas. If I did. . . I wouldn't remember where they were, and I wouldn't remember that I even wrote them. ~ Abby

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  35. What a wonderful letter, Vee. And wonderful cards a well. Reminds you of the power of words and kind thoughts.
    Amalia
    xo

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  36. What a wonderful surprise. I have saved every letter note and/or card I have ever gotten from my kids and grands. They are indeed a treasure. I have been in a very nostalgic mood also through the taking down activities. Being the last of our original families on both sides of the family, there is a lot to remember.

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  37. I'm partial to the picture cards. Especially from the families with small kids with new additions or just 'growing' reviews. I didn't get any cards sent out this year. My friend says she only sends cards to people she doesn't see very often who live far away. I don't enjoy getting cards that include long reports typewritten in the third person. You get any like that? You received some very beautiful cards. I think social media along with the price of stamps has had a big impact on the Christmas card business. Too bad, because I used to love sending and getting them, especially the hand-made ones.

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  38. I have a relative who sends out a two-page typewritten letter, single-spaced on both sides and written in the third person. I don't allow my grandkids to use this word, but this letter is boring.

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  39. Wow...how special to have those handwritten words from your great-grandmother! I'm afraid words sent via e-mail will not be preserved for generations to come. I have kept most all of the cards ever sent my way...those handwritten messages are precious to me. We recently had an elderly gentleman thank us for all the cards and words of encouragement we had sent his way over the years. His wife recently passed away and now he was going through boxes of old cards...and came across some 'we' had sent. I don't even recall sending them...but those words now meant a lot to him. We never know know the power of our written words. :)

    Thanks for sharing your Christmas card collection with us. I'm always a fan of the 'homemade lovelies'!

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  40. What a precious gift to find that card! She told you in so many ways that you were loved and adored! What treasure. I think, like you, that I need to be more mindful of writing to my children and Kamryn. I make sure I verbally tell them, but to have it in written form to look on and read again and again....priceless.

    Deanna

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  41. i Vee ... How sweet and loving and what a nice memory of a special grandmother you did not get to spend much time with. It's obvious how much she loved you Vee and how lucky to be able to read that so many years later and still feel the love from her words. I too have a huge album of cards that I have saved over the years and every once in a while I open it up and realize how lucky and how loved I am and the tears start to come. It is definitely overwhelming even when those special people aren't near to us any longer. Your post brought tears to my eyes too. Thank you Vee for always stopping by and leaving such nice comments ... I have been very lax lately and I apologize ... I have made a vow to do better this year with blogging even if my life is dull and boring with not much going on. :)

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  42. Beautiful and blessed blog post, Vee. So many lovely cards. Each with it's own story and owners. My mother kept everything...when she passed in 1991, there were binders of cards, note and letters. How very special. With technology, the art of handwriting is getting lost. I still write personal notes... I love the flow of ink, and the heart behind it. Thanks for sharing a bundle of memories.

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  43. Beautiful post. I love the cards and it is so special these days to get those cards in the mail. I make a point to write a note in each one that I send. I am thrilled with the beauty a card provides and a nice note could just be the bright point in someone's day.

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    1. Carol, I've been visiting, but am not allowed to comment as I am not a Google + member. Is this something you wish to change in your settings? I have a number of blogging buddies who have Google + where I am allowed to comment. (I am not going to become a Google + member.)

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  44. I spotted the card I sent you! : )
    I put all my cards in a bowl and each day I pick one out and pray for that person throughout the day.
    What a special card and note that is. What a treasure that you have it.

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  45. There's just something extra special about holding a tangible piece of your very own history in your hands.
    Wee are still in our camper which had not one tiny bit of Christmas decoration in it since we were last here in October. Time enough to deal with the trees and all the 'debris' when we get home - which will not be for another week yet!! At least!!

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  46. I did very much enjoy seeing your Christmas cards. I send and receive cards from family and friends but also participate in card exchanges with two book discussion groups I belong to. what surprised me this year was that I had so many cards with birds on them, especially black-capped chickadees. They were lovely, but surprising. (I don't mean cards with Doves signifying peace.)
    How wonderful to find the letter from your great grandmother.She sounds like a wonderful and loving woman and I know your heart was touched by this treasure.

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    1. Yes, I noticed a lot of cards with birds on them, too. I saw not only chickadees but also a good many cardinals and some other birds as well. As I've done a bit of online Christmas clearance shopping, I noticed that a lot of the Christmas cards feature birds. Lovely, as you said.

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  47. First, I love your new header. You are so creative.

    What a great idea to take pictures of the lovely cards you received and share them. I enjoyed your cards, too.

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  48. I see you just commented on my blog as I'm commenting here. Fun to think we were reading each others' blogs at the same time! I treasure the notes I have from my grandmother, and was thrilled to be able to read from my great-aunt's diary from the early 1940s. Yes, we never know what people will hold onto and treasure, so it's good to make our words sweet and kind.
    I had to smile in sympathy for the aunt who tells you old age is not her favorite place to be. Blessings to her.

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  49. What pretty cards you received, Vee! I received many, many, photo cards this year, which is always exciting to see, plus a few nice chatty letters from old friends. In the olden days I always wrote a note in every card, but I seemed to do that less these days and should get back to doing it again. Your ;letter from your great grandmother is precious! I don't know anything at all about my great grandparents. My grandparents were decreased when I was young except for one grand mother and she only spoke Ukrainian. She was orphaned young and raised by relatives so sadly she even did not know much about her parents.

    My eyes are coming along. The cataract part of surgery was easy, the glaucoma part was hard.I am seeing well in one eye but my problem right eye still does not have good vision. Frustrating after going through so much, but it had to be done anyway. I'll see what my doctor says this week.

    Happy New Year to you and John!

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  50. Hi Vee - what a lovely selection of cards and it is always nice to look back on them in years to come. Joan Jepson

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