Aberrant Prose

Kids ’n cards

This is a fun time of year—time to throw my imagination into gear and come up with a design for our Christmas card.

I have made our Christmas cards since 1971 and over the years, have come up with lots of different ideas. Many of my favorites are from 1971 to 1986 starring Chris and Kathy.

I didn’t always just sit them down and take their picture. Oh no. I had them climbing into a mailbox, hanging from a fireplace, riding in a hot air balloon, standing in a cloud, laying in straw and standing in a chimney.

Did they really enjoy this parade of silliness? How much coercing and bribing did I have to go through to gain their cooperation? Well guess what? I found the cards and it really does look like, for the most part, they had as much fun posing for the cards as I did creating them. Take a look.

Who does this coat belong to?

Robert and I did a total wipe out today. Thanks to United Cerebral Palsy announcing a curbside clothes drive we totally went through our closets this afternoon and took everything out we didn’t need and even the things we thought we needed but decided since we haven’t worn or used them in over two years we probably didn’t really.

Counting all the empty hangers that were left I’d say I threw out donated at least sixty tops, pants, skirts, dresses and blouses. There were probably another thirty items that I had stored thrown in the closet shelves and piled in neat stacks scattered on the closet floor that I also decided to donate. Plus Robert donated his coats, pants and shirts as if he were in competition with me. Between the two of us, there is so much stuff we will be setting out two large boxfuls and, I am sure, four or more very full garbage bags tomorrow morning for pickup!

If there was anything we didn’t recognize like duds Chris or Kathy have left here and never took home over the years, out they went. Except for this coat. It looked very familiar so I am holding onto it.