Every year I like to try to come up with something unique to send to my friends each Christmas to take the place of traditional Christmas cards. Sometimes they’re just quirky little cards I made myself, or there was that one year I sent gel cling Christmas trees. But last year, what with my health and all, Christmas kind of got away from me. I felt bad, but I just couldn’t figure out any way to actually get something done in time for Christmas. I ended up missing that year all together. I felt so bad, in fact, that when Valentines came around, I tried to make hand-made Valentines cards for my friends as a kind of act of penance. But alas, that project kept getting bigger and bigger, taking longer and longer, and in the end, not all of them actually made it in the mail. Yet again, more unfinished projects and more guilt!

    But sometimes I just never learn This year I started out with a plan so grandiose, so outlandish, that I figured it would make up for the past year’s Christmas card sins. I was going to draw individual Love Bug comics for each of my friends and mail them as Christmas cards! Yeah, that’s the ticket! I figured that since it had been so long since I’d drawn any LoveBugs – or even mentioned them – that it’d be a big surprise, something no one would possible expect.

    But then I tried to draw one… Don’t get me wrong, it turned out fine! In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by how well it turned out, considering it’s been so many years since I tried to draw one. The only problem was, what with my hands being so swollen and all, by the time I’d finished just one set of comics, my hands were so red, so swollen, and so sore I could barely move them! I didn’t know how I could possibly get through with drawing such a massive multitude of comics in time for Christmas without totally wearing my hands down to the bone. If drawing just one set of comics had rendered my hands completely useless, there was no way I’d get through drawing several dozen.

    That’s when I was struck with an idea – eCards!! But not just any eCard, no no! Not those silly, tacky, predominantly stupid pre-made eCards, goodness no! Not for me, not for my friends, that just wouldn’t do! No, rather I would scan the beautiful set of comics I’d already drawn, clean it up a little bit in photoshop, then present it on a nice little website as my very own custom-made, hand-drawn eCard website! That way not only would my hands be spared, but it was practically guaranteed that I’d actually be able to finish my Christmas cards this year AND manage to get them delivered on time!

    And yet even still, I didn’t get them emailed out until Christmas Eve. Teehee. Hooray for procrastination! 🙂

    Anyway, the only flaw in that plan that I’ve encountered so far is that apparently I have a great many outdated email addresses. I went all the way through my address books and yet there are still several friends whose email addresses I did not have. So if you did not receive a personally addressed card from me this year, I sincerely apologize! In that case, please send me an email so that I’ll have your current email address so I can add you to my contact list. And if you like, I’ll even send you a little note with the link to the card myself. 🙂

    But for those cherished bloggy readers who have yet to fully introduce themselves, I still want to wish you a Merry Christmas too! So without further ado, I present to all of you, my faithful bloggy friends, my Christmas card for 2008:

    I sincerely hope that you’ll enjoy this slightly silly, slightly kitschy Christmas card. 🙂 And hey, notice the nifty new domain name for the LoveBugs? I just got that! I’m so excited! And yes, you can bet there will be some new LoveBugs coming up soon! 🙂

    I hope that you’ll have a truly Merry Christmas, or a fantastically Happy Hanukkah, and that you have an even better New Year! Thank you all so much for your friendship, kindness, patience, understanding, and support! I wouldn’t have it made it through this year without each and every one of you, and for that I am truly grateful.

    Happy Holidays, everybody! Now let’s go open some presents!! 🙂