31
“
Home For The Holidays” November 21, 2012 A Lincoln Daily News Magazine Copyright 2012
At skype.com, an account can be created
in order to have a face-to-face chat online.
The computer has to have a Web camera
readily available, but seeing the faces of loved
ones is amazing. Faraway grandparents can
actually view grandchildren opening
presents. A Skype account is easy
and convenient to set up. This type of
face-to-face interaction is not limited
to Christmastime and can be used
year-round.
The traditional Christmas card and
letter is still a great option. Many
long-distance family members and friends
catch up through the annual letter. It is still
fun to decide what kind of Christmas card
theme the family will send: sophisticated
to whimsical, commercially prepared or
customized.
The costs may be a deciding factor and
vary widely. An electronic greeting can cost
nothing. When mailing, in addition to the card
costs, postage has increased from last year to
45
cents per stamp. However, there are bulk
mailing rates for those families who have
more than 100 greetings to send.
Finally, there’s deciding how to send the
Christmas gifts. If mailing gift cards is the
way to go, all stores and restaurants
have some sort of gift card available
for purchase. Even online stores like
Amazon offer gift cards.
Here in Lincoln, the chamber
of commerce has Chamber Bucks
available. These encourage shoppers
to shop locally, which supports the
community. Chamber Bucks can be used at a
wide variety of local stores and restaurants.
Check out
www.lincolnillinois.com
for a full
listing.
It doesn’t matter how a Christmas greeting
is sent. What matters is that most recipients
of a Christmas card are excited to hear from
the sender, no matter how the greeting got
there.
[
Hannah Michalsen]
link
link