Mail Call

You wonderful people. You keep sending mail, even when I fail to acknowledge it with the least degree of gratitude. I'm sorry, and thank you.

Here's the mail (I feel like that guy from that kids' show, Blue's Clues):

From my mom: My favorite type of mop (it's great, really).
She also sent a giant box of food and spices.
She gets me.
Thank you, mommy! I love you. Come here and use the mop!

From my California relatives: a vintage Halloween card.
I wish I could have been there for Halloween, but I'm glad I made it for pre-Thanksgiving.
Thank you for thinking of me! Love you!

From our German expat friends:
A really lovely congratulations card for our baby.
And then two weeks later, they let us stay in their house.
Thank you so much! Please be my doula (but, really...)

From our Long Lost VA Couple Friends:
A Thanksgiving card that we got the Monday after returning from the States.
I read it on the couch when my stomach was recovering. It made me cry.
We're thankful for you, and miss you!

From Lots of You:
Holiday Cards!!! I can't believe we're getting holiday cards all the way over here.
It is so exciting.
Some of you have already received our 2015 card.
The rest of you fell victim to my lethargy. Yours will be more like 2016 cards,
depending on how quickly the pouch goes out.
They are coming. 

It's so thrilling to receive mail here. I can't thank you all enough for thinking of us, and sending us so many lovely things. I hope you know how much Phil and I appreciate you.

P.S. I forgot about my holiday card challenge, but I'm going to do it again this year. I'm going to hang up all of your cards on a wall with a single piece of tape. Whoever's card stays on the wall the longest will get some sort of prize. I realize my track record isn't great with this, since the inaugural winners never received their prize this year (sorry, cousins), but I'll do better in 2016. And I promise you'll get your 2015 prize. Let the challenge commence!