My 2019 Christmas newsletter and card

Nathaniel Christopher

Okay folks, here is my 2019 Christmas newsletter:

I distributed hard copies to about 60 people so this is for the benefit of anyone I missed.

This year I decided to take a different approach to both the design and content of my newsletter. In previous years I approached the newsletter with the mind of a journalist, constantly thinking of the tastes and comfort of my readers.

However, a good friend told me that I was holding back what I really wanted and needed to say and challenged me to provide an honest account of my year.

So, that is what I did. It is, by far, the most honest and personal newsletter that I have published to date but I feel that this is perhaps the most effective use of this platform.

I wanted to present a “real” image of who I am and where I’m at so I dispensed with any notion of making myself look “pretty” and asked an artist friend to take a photo of me as I really am.

I like McDonald’s so I asked her to take my photo next to a McDonald’s and used that photo for the cover. This was the only photo that went into the 2019 newsletter.

I had planned to put photos of my favourite pieces of fine china on the back cover but alas, I was working against the clock and I did not have the time to do all of my Photoshop magic so I just said, “fuck it.”

That being said, there’s nothing that prevents me from sharing that right here.

Among friends I am slightly well-known for my collection of fine china. What people don’t know, however, is that my favourite pieces are not all that “fine” or expensive.

A few years ago my brother Gino found three McDonald’s decorative plates during one of his thrift store hunts. He knows that I’ve always liked McDonald’s so he picked them up for me.

They were not especially expensive but I thought it was a very thoughtful gesture on his part.

My brother Gino gave me these three McDonald’s plates from 1989.

Finally, here is the art that I used for my card:

The art for my 2019 Christmas card.

One of the lawyers at my old work decorated his desk with a creepy Santa doll that he dug up from his mother’s basement. Apparently it’s over 50 years old and it definitely caught everyone’s eye. The Charlie Brown Christmas tree was also a nice touch.

I thought it would be perfect for my Christmas card so I asked the good lawyer if I could borrow his doll and tree for this purpose. He graciously agreed and I kindly thank him for this.

Anyways, I hope you have a merry Christmas and a happy 2020.

I am a resident of Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada who has blogged here for 20 years. I like to share my thoughts and feelings on my own online space. From 1998 until 2017 I worked as a journalist and I hope to use this website as an archive for all of my stories.

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