It's Round Robin season again

I think it depends on the person sending these notes. Some sound horribly triumphal but others can be amusing and almost self-deprecating.

We all know the smug ones and those who are giving actual news, warts and all. I tend to bin some after a quick skim.

We have just received an annual missive from someone DH WIRKED WITH YEARS AGO. We have no idea who the people he writes about are. We have not seen him for years and I actually couldn't stand him.

Oops ! Sorry don't know what happened there.

Actually when I think about it, we only get 2 of the 'I have been round the world this year in my capacity as ........(can't elaborate in case the person recognises themselves!) and all our offspring are doing brilliantly and we don't have any problems at all in our lives' ones. We have a good laugh at these, but some we get are more prosaic and we like catching up with people.

The ones our friends send are usually hilarious- love them. Bar one who is always so boastie - but even that one is fun for that very reason.

Yes I dislike those round robins as well. The super intelligent children, the most fantastic holiday or job etc.
Even worse the descriptions of the illnesses they have suffered over the year, and the treatment.
Just wish me a happy Christmas and leave it at that.

Happy Christmas Christinefrance!

I miss my brother's eccentric late MiL's round robins. Every achievement/birth/marriage etc., was followed by the blunt truth. Bullshitting was never on her agenda.

One of my favourites went something like....

'Dear Friends, I am writing this sitting by the window of our newly extended kitchen, admiring the seasoned oak fence P has just finished erecting which surrounds the whole property and completely obscures the view across our private woodland. It has taken him slightly longer than the estimated weekend due to yesterday's blizzard followed by this morning's freezing fog but he couldn't delay construction owing to the deadline set by the Post Office.... I didn't know Border Collies could be issued with ASBOs.'

They were always at least two pages long and finished with an updated family tree. Very handy should you ever forget the existence of your own rellies

Our favourite Robin joke, was my cousin in Arizona, in her 70s and without children, who wrote

'it has been such a stressful downsizing move , from a 6 car garage to a barely 3.5 one' -we laughed so much and we still use the quote when things are stressful- with her New Jersey (Joysey) accent, lol.

We only get one of these from an elderly aunt of my husbands . It's all news we wouldn't get so I never mind it .

Fortunately, I tend mostly to have kept the kind of friends that I like to hear from. Even if the friendship has waned somewhat, hearing the news, especially of the now grown-up children that you remember fondly is a happy moment for me.
It has become amusing to criticise these missives, but personally I like them (whilst admitting I don't get any of the truly dreadful examples). I had a lovely friend, who always used to write at the top of her round robin'I know you know most of this already, but it's nice to have it all together' and indeed it was nice - I keep them. She died earlier this year and I have been thinking how much I am missing that round robin.

I got one from my cousin today which wasn't at all boastful - just Bl**dy Boring. A great big page full of the stuff - going on and on.........Oh sorry I think this post is going in the same direction

And a very happy Christmas to you Antonia , now about my...........

Well go on then Christine France, don't leave me in the lurch like that!

"Luke had difficulty in choosing between Oxford or Cambridge..."

I am now worried- I don't get these. Messages seem to be hastily written in the cards instead and give only brief details-"We have a new GS", "Fred has taken up golf". Bob has passed away" etc. Sometimes I can remember who the people are but sometimes I am left wondering, was Bob the new husband or the cat? There's usually a "We must meet up soon" which we both know isn't going to happen!

We had one exactly like that Jayanna, and then the following year we were informed that the offspring had 'chosen' Exeter!

We usually get two of these missives, but in fairness, not boasty ones, just general news, but am with you Christine as I really just want to be wished a Happy Christmas.

I do send an A4 page of captioned photos to about a dozen older famiy friends and relatives we are not able to see often and who are not on FB.

Mostly they are of the pics of the grandchildren. I leave a space at the top of the page so that I can write a personalised message and I do sign off at the bottom of the page too.

Everyone else just gets a card!