Christmas Card Sweep for Lakeview Coffee Joe!!!

Saturday I was able to take down another wall in the shower, which means that part of the bathroom is all demolished. Next up, the other side of the bathroom. Think I should take the towels down yet?







Every year, about this time, my parents have the kids over (and grandkid) and we display all of the Christmas cards they have received that year and vote on the best one. The winner is sent a letter of acknowledgment and the card itself is framed on hung in the hallway referred to as the Christmas Card Wall of Fame. This tradition has been taking place since 1973. A few years back I even created a story for This American Life on NPR, but didn't submit it as my potential contact there left the station.

For 34 years, my entry has always failed to win. A few times I made it into the finals....maybe the final five or so, but have never won. My sisters have won, multiple times even, an ex-girl friend has won, even my (now 8 year old) niece has won!!







But this year, I finally won! It was a close vote. In fact, we had to re-vote once as it was tied at 4-4. Someone changed their vote in the final tally to make it 5-3. (An even number of votes is a problem if I don't have a significant other there, and MWrigley wasn't feeling well and had to work.) This is my entry, which didn't photograph all that well. It is a pretty card though.












This is what I was up against, my niece's card. By the way family, I think she picked her OWN card in the first round! We all know that's not allowed. Anyone else remember it that way??









Here is the third place card, submitted by Bee actually. While you might think it only ends up being the family in the finals, it doesn't happen often actually. We do try harder to send a nice card than most people though. Funny story about this card Bee, Ma was going to send the EXACT same card out this year before you sent it to her!! Ha! Too funny. It really was a nice card and now Bee is bitter about her loss.


Several years ago, after she got married some time I believe, my sister Sue carried on the same tradition in her house with the Christmas cards her family received. My entries have had much better luck in her competition and today I had the winning entry for her competition as well!




Here's my entry. Again, looks better in person with some of the snow shimmering and such. I call it "Rosebud". If I'm not mistaken, it's the first sweep of both competitions!!











This card was the runner up and I had actually picked it as one of my two favorites in the first round of voting (when you aren't allowed to pick your own card). A very nice scene.