Homemade Card

 

   Celine's anniversary is coming up. She sent me a card on my anniversary and I asked her when her anniversary was so I could send one to her. I put the date in my phone so I would have it in a safe place. Now at three days away I was panicking a little bit.

   I needed to get the card sent today. It wouldn't get to her on time, but at least it would be close. I looked through my card stash. I had birthday cards, Thanksgiving cards, a sympathy card, and several relationship cards, but no anniversary cards. I sat at the kitchen counter and thought for a few minutes. I'd have to buy a card, take it home and write in it. Then I'd have to take it to the Post Office to mail. That would take time, more time than I have today. Besides, I really didn't want to spend $3.50 or more on something that I'd simply sign and mail. She'd get it, read it and maybe show it to her husband. Then it would go into the recycle bin. I wanted something a bit more personal. If only I could make a card....

   Wait a minute! Why couldn't I make a card? Well, only grade school children make cards to give mommy and daddy. Not true, Dana, my knitting teacher makes her own cards and very nice ones. I don't have stamps, stickers and all the other things needed to make cards. True, I do have paper and coloured pencils. I don't have card stock. This is also true, but I can use computer paper. We make do with what we have. I can't draw very well.

   This one did give me pause. I'm no artist and never have been. I always felt sorry for the art teachers I had in grade school and junior high. Every year they had to pick a piece of art from each student for the yearly art show. I'm sure it was a struggle to find something among the monstrosities I created to find one thing worth displaying. To heck with it! I can draw simple flowers and I can draw hearts. That's really all I need.

   I found a piece of blank white paper and my coloured pencils. I sorted out my pencils to find all the ones with fall colours. I carefully folded the paper in half. I wrote Happy Anniversary! on the front. Underneath I drew a picture of a sunflower.  Then I went to my phone. I looked for inspiring quotes about marriage. I scrolled down the list until I found one. It was perfect. I wrote the quote on the inside using different colours. Then I wrote, "Have a good day!" I wrote my name on the bottom and added a small face next to it. The face had long curly hair. Then I wrote C's name along with a face that looked a bit like him. Then I wrote Scamp's name and drew a small cat face.

  I got out an envelope. After writing the addresses on it I had to do something. I drew wavy lines in multiple colours on the front. On the back I drew hearts and flowers. I had to decorate the envelope. When you buy a card sometimes the envelopes have matching designs. I carefully folded the card and put it inside. I found a stamp and put it aside to mail.

   A large smile started forming across my face. Making that card was fun.  I felt all warm and happy inside. It isn't nice or professional looking, but it does show effort. If nothing else Celine will know that I put in some thought to this card. I didn't get some generic thing that I scrawled a signature on and tossed into the mail. I cared enough to send my very best.

  That's what it's all about after all. If one gets a handmade present of anything, the fact that someone took the time to create the object they gave adds a lot to its value. At least that's how I see it. The thought really does count.

   I hope she likes it...….