Holiday Hangover

Not that kind of hangover!

I’ve been feeling a little blue… the holidays have come and gone and everywhere I go I see discarded Christmas trees waiting to be turned into wood chips. Somehow the time from my favorite season (that would be the “back to school” season) to Thanksgiving then Christmas flew by faster than I could keep track. Now it’s January. Now what?

It’s probably not out of the ordinary to experience a bit of a let down after the holidays. We all rush around, wait in those interminable lines at the post office, and send off cards to people we haven’t seen in years. As stressful as the time can be, there is a lot of connecting going on: parties, family gatherings, more parties…

OK I need to get a grip. Take stock of the fact that the sun is shining in New England today and the great news is that, with the holidays over, my time is again my own.

First things first – I’m going to maintain some of those connections. Why wait for the next greeting card company-promoted holiday to send a simple letter? Remember letters? I love getting them, and I love sending them. In this world of e-communications, there’s really nothing like a good old-fashioned note showing up in my mailbox.

If a letter seems a bit foreboding, start with a card. Please don’t spend $5 on a card! You can easily make your own with a few tips from yours truly. First, follow this link to Joann.com. Pick out a box of blank cards, then a few scrapbook “embellishments,” stick them on the cards and voila! you’ve got handmade cards. People love these!

Another way to stay connected is by throwing a little get-together. I like afternoon get-togethers because (1) they are less expensive than dinner parties; and (2) I don’t have to get dressed up. If you want to spruce up the place before having friends over, you can find everything from tablecloths to espresso machines at Overstock.com.

And if you really want to “get connected,” have you thought about trying out a dating service this year? (The resolutions in my most recent column may come in handy here, like developing a network of hiding places and writing down funny things that happen.) Let me know how that works out for you!

Until next time,

Conna