Warm Salutations Readers!
How did you welcome in the new year of 2007? I spent it watching a Rocky flick, making what I am deeming an annual tradition of California rolls and potstickers, playing euchre (an Indiana staple card game) and passing out kazoos bought at the Eden Kazoo factory where the largest kazoo resides of course! At midnight friends and myself proceeded to cheer in the New Year by playing Auld Lang Syne with our kazoos out on my apartment patio. Then we decided to call our cell phone directories with the same rendition. If you were one of the unfortunate people not to get a call, rest assured, there's always a new year!
Ok so this year I did a little researching on how to properly write a Christmas letter. I think this is my third maybe fourth letter? Yes, I should have looked into this a little earlier but now is a better time than never. So here we go...
Tip number 1 in writing the ultimate Christmas letter says to begin writing after watching a sappy Christmas movie and listening to holiday music while heating up some mulled cider...so what am I doing as I am writing this? Gunsmoke is on the tv, there are dishes piled in my sink and it's raining cats and dogs outside. Well I did light up my pink Christmas decorated mannequin. Does that count?
Tip 2: It seems that speaking of illnesses or specific medical ailments isn't proper so writing about this past year's bout with hives isn't something I should get into too much. I can see their point I guess, when have you ever seen the word hives in a Christmas letter anyway?
The next faux pas on the list - Tip 3: Don't write about too many achievements. It tends to come off too proud and others want to see that someone else may be suffering just as much as they are so you should throw in a couple of conundrums but remember no illness or medical ailments...
Hmmm. Did winning the People's Choice Award for a painting I did that was one of the three accepted in the downtown art festival something that fell into this category? I thought surely not but maybe the fact that I had my first two art shows this year may...so I will only share a portion of it:
The month of July I had my very first art show! A total of approximately 38 pieces were compiled for the show at the Mary Bishop Memorial art gallery in the C'ville Library. The title of the show was: RESTORATION Depicting a Recovered Past, Answered Prayers and Hope. I used a lot of wallpaper, paint, nails, as well as found objects. If you are computer savvy you can see the online show at my website: Restoration
I had my Second show the month of September at a local coffee shop called Campbells. It used to be a jewelry store and they converted the "vault" into a small board meeting room and art gallery.
Onto the third non-pride filled art related accomplishment. The annual downtown art show which you should be familiar with by now. Three pieces were chosen to display this year and none of them were of covered bridges! I have finally assimilated into the corn-borg! It was in this show that one of my paintings was chosen for the Comcast People's choice award. The painting that won is called "the Dross - Refining". It was a very humbling experience actually. Again if you are computer savvy you can see "the Dross" here: Dross
So that was only four achievements. I think that is a fair amount, not too many. This letter may be ok after all.
Tip 4: Be yourself. Hmmm not quite sure what this means as I am always myself so I guess I can tell you a little about myself instead. Sound ok? Here we go...
1). I play the guitar...sort of. I was given a very expensive guitar in my younger years by a suitor. I didn't feel as though I could accept it and tried to give it back but the person become insanely upset to the point of crazy stalker crazy, so I took it slowly...while backing away. 2). I love to fish with my dad. I don't catch many if any and about a year ago was the first time I had gone in many, many years. 3). I hate my legs and you will probably never see me in shorts. Those shorty pants (capris) are as short as I get. 4). I have changed my hairstyle it seems at least 100+ times in my life. I think someday I will make a webpage of them all. Yes, by the time you get this I will have either had my hair cut and/or colored. EDIT: yes I colored my hair yesterday and also gave it a trim). 5). I have had hives since November of 2006. I don't know what is causing them or what I am allergic to. Please pray... :-) (whoops! Sorry I forgot about tip #2) 6). I hate doing my dishes. If you come over, most likely there will be a pile in the sink. I am getting better at it but...not much.
Ahh I feel better now. On to Tip 5: Don't exaggerate. I guess there is a tendency among MOST Christmas letter writers to try to make every daily events sound as if it's the discovery of the Holy Grail. I should not embellish the truth. This should be an easy tip to follow. Zippy my small gray cat learned to speak. Latin. Haha no not really, just testing. She really only learned to stop biting.
Tip 6: Keep it short. Whoops! That ain't gonna happen. Oh wait, they say one or two typed pages is ok.
Tip 7: Don't be boring. Ok how's this? Fun with apartment living - Eviction notices! Misunderstandings mean they can just tell you to leave! I even packed up my magnet collection...that is how serious this was. Fortunately while searching for a new home the complex "let" me sign a year lease. This was all happening at the time I was preparing for my art shows and needless to say I was a little stressed and that is no exaggeration. My lease now runs out in March and I am currently beginning a search for a new place to call home. I do know that it is definitely time to move from this apartment as it is also time to buy a new toilet brush. Isn't it true you don't buy a new toilet brush until you move? I mean who wants to move an old grimy toilet brush? Get back to me on whether this story was boring or not will ya?
Tip 8: Share new additions, marriages etc. Well, I became an aunt on May 22 to Shylee Makenzie Stewart (who is already the apple of my eye). My sister Lori had a difficult pregnancy. The delivery was even more so and there was a point that we were not sure Lori was going to make it through. Fortunately the little miracle baby came into the world and Lori slowly began her recovery. Lots of prayers later she has done extremely well and six months later, I acquired a brother-in-law. They make quite a cute family I may say...
Tip 9: Make it visually appealing - be creative. Um. Photos to come on the left...maybe...
Tip 10: Talk about Roadside America trips. OK there really wasn't a tip number ten but I can't write a Christmas letter without sharing my traveling adventures. This year there weren't as many excursions out but the amount of RA's that showed up in each trip made up for the lack of outings.
While traveling to "the armpit of America" coined by Steve Martin which is Terre Haute Indiana, we found a french cow "Le Moo" and a giant Uncle Sam on a car wash roof. These were cool but the Uncle Sam was no where near the giant Uncle Sam at the Enchanted Forest in New York. A couple friends and I traveled to Barnard IN to see the Worlds Largest Slingshot. This trek ended up in the paper. Of course, having a journalist friend who came along helped...unfortunately the slingshot burned down a couple months later. I must investigate the matter. During that same trip we came across a 400 lb. functional bicycle about 4 feet high. We were able to meet the builder of the bike while there. His name is Denny. A couple friends and I went to Holiday World this summer for my company picnic. We did get stuck in a multi-hour traffic jam but we spent the time singing and talking so it's all good. We were able to see multiple Santas and holiday personalities. A high diving horse as well. I took one of THE BEST roller coaster rides of my life at this place. My friend and I sat in the first car. There were points that I literally thought I was going to fall out of the car and it was going to be my last day on earth but we survived. On our way back from Holiday World we saw the mother load of RA treasures. A gigantic santa at a motel, three pink elephants, a white pig, a buffalo, a giant strawberry and a giant peach. Whoa! That was one busy day. Later in the season we went to the state fair. The fair itself could have used a bit of help but seeing the world's largest boot helped matters. Also getting to meet and get my picture taken with Dick Wolfsie who is the fellow that wrote two books on Indiana Curiosities. It was here that were were able to submit our own data to a computer about odd places and we told him about the large slingshot. Since it has burned down, he probably thought we made it up...Drat. The fun news is that we were able to find out about new places to go. I also got his book and he signed it of course. Later that evening during dinner I spotted Rupert from the Survivor reality show. I of course snagged a pic.
I could write a book about these wild days in this wild corn-town but I must abide by tip #6. I do wish the best to all of you dear readers and request that you don't get caught up in the busyness that this time sometimes brings upon us. I did a little survey with people this year asking them about how Christmas of their youth compared to that of now. They said that it was slower and not so commercial. Family and giving were more important than getting the present you wanted. Yes, I often think about Christmas when I was a child and how simple it was and how peaceful it seemed. Yes of course it seemed that way being I was a child and I didn't have the responsibilities I have now but still the survey showed that the parents as well longed to go back to that time. The days of shopping without long lines at 4am. The days of $5 Christmas trees. The days of easy-bake-ovens instead of ipods and the hottest video game player...yes those were the days. If you can, give of yourself and your time and what is important.
Wishing you all well!
Merry Christmas!
Love,
Nina
PS
I found out yesterday I won the $150 million Powerball Lottery. I am writing this from Malapascua on a laptop from the beach. Maybe that is why Christmas seems a little off. Too much sand and not enough snow? Hm, could be.
Download free Pink Grace Christmas card pdf here.
*Portions of this (tips and so on) snagged from miscellaneous web articles that I now can't find nor give credit to. No monies made from nor animals harmed in the making of this letter so I hope no one minds. : –)
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