It started out with what I thought was a really great idea (the fact that I bother to have ideas I feel is “great” at this point, so no judging, please). In fact, this sums up where my brain has been most of this last part of the year (and may explain why “great” really isn’t part of my world, and only tip-toes around my moods) : (Strong language warning. The video may be offensive to many.)

(Start about 23 minutes in, or heck, watch the whole thing; it’s worth it.)

The downside to my really great idea, or what is probably in actuality just a meh idea, is that I decided to get it together a little late. My idea was to send Thanksgiving day cards to express how truly grateful I am to various folks in my life. You know, like you send Christmas cards, (because nothing says “I appreciate you” like a stamped out Hallmark greeting – this is fact)  I really wanted to just buy a box of identical cards, maybe support a charity if I was lucky, and then write a little message and call it good.  An aside – I’m not sending Christmas cards this year. It’s not that I don’t wish you all a very Merry Christmas and all of that, but I don’t have it in me.  I used to make Jay sign each card, because I actually find it cheesy and a bit dishonest to sign for your significant other, and this year writing “Beth &” hurts a little too much.  Anyway… It’s also my birthday, and maybe I’m tired of having to send people a card on my birthday.  No one else sends me cards on their birthday.  Also, I may be cranky at the world. (See offensive video above)

Y’know, you’d think finding Thanksgiving cards in bulk would be a bit easy, but when you actually start trying to hunt them down you run into a huge wall of “Thank You” cards. Ok sure, “thank you” is giving thanks, but it lacks the oranges, browns and harvest golds of my 70’s childhood. Were we living in a Thanksgiving card back then? Yuck. I was only asking for some cartoonish turkey looking hopeful for a presidential pardon, and maybe a pilgrim pun.  I wasn’t asking for much.  Well, apparently I was. (Hallmark, you need to step it up.)

That left me with creating cards, and there I thought “I know, I’ll upload a picture to some site that allows for custom cards, and then I’ll get them out the Monday prior to Thanksgiving.”  In truth, I ordered these in plenty of time, and was quite pleased with myself.  I won at the internet! Except I forgot that PayPal and my security software are at odds, and I got a note from the company from which I ordered my cards saying, “hey, did you want to complete your order?” days later. Crap. I shook my tiny fist at PayPal, the security software that protected me from the evils of getting my cards ordered in time, and  then I shook them at life in general. (Play the video above again, assuming you weren’t completely offended the first time.)

So, Thanksgiving day I sent out my weird little emails thanking the people I’m closest to, and probably left a lot of people feeling weird.  To that I offer a tiny snippet of a story – my trainer and I were talking about how people give and receive love, and I realized that for me it’s through words (and quality time).  It’s how I show you I love you (or like you, or check off the YES box in the note I passed back to you.) The other part of the “why” is that if something happens to me tomorrow (I run off to join a circus, I slip into the Upside Down looking for Jay, or I suddenly become mute and can also no longer type), I don’t want anyone to ever wonder how I feel about them.  A gift Jay left me before leaving was letting me know he loved me, and it’s the one thing I never doubt.

All of those above words to say to my Phalanx – when you get a card and feel like I already thanked you, I really wanted you to have something personal… handwritten.  If you need to, just chalk it up to goofy June failing at the internet and also wanting to rid herself of all these corny cards.  Also, a heads-up guys, since I did order so many you “may” get them again as birthday cards, Texas Independence Day cards, Memorial Day cards – you get the idea.  Blame the company that said “minimum order of…” for forcing my hand into purchasing too many.

For the rest of you whom I didn’t get a chance to thank, let me do so now.  Thank you for being a part of my life.  Thank you for your love and your words of encouragement.  Thank you for continuing to bring beauty and warmth into my world. Thank you for putting up with a ton of crazy from one deeply flawed human being.

I love each of you.