Purchasing cards

Cards
I’m one of the few people I know that still purchases cards at Hallmark. Let’s face it is easier to send a free card online or just wish a person happy birthday or holiday at no cost on Facebook.

But I think a traditional card adds a special touch. It shows you care. I know my grandmother loves the ones I get her. In fact, she pretty much has every card I’ve sent her for the last 10 years or so hanging on the door that leads you into her kitchen.
I’ve been a Gold Crown Hallmark member for years. I’ve gotten thousands of bonus points and lots of free cards. I joke with my mom and sister I just “got” your card for your upcoming birthday. They know it may have been a bonus one and didn’t cost me a cent.

I have the cutest two-year-old nephew and for his first birthday, I added him to the club. Sadly, there are fewer and fewer Hallmark Gold Crown stores. The other day, I purchased and really paid for several cards. But alas, I got zero points, as this store no longer participates in the program. Months ago, I trekked around midtown on the Westside and found no participating stores.

I emailed Hallmark and asked if they could put the cards on my account. I was told no. I said there are no stores in my area that are Gold Crown. They looked up my zip code and sent me a list of stores within a five-mile radius of my residence.
Ok, so a few stores exist. But I cannot get to them. No train goes near them and they are not easy to walk to. You can be sure the customer service person who sent me the email is likely not in the USA and has no clue about logistics in NYC.

I think I’m done with purchasing cards. But I still want to add that special touch. So, I am going to revert back to the days when I was in elementary school and made cards. I remember being handed out construction paper and magic markers to make cards for mom and dad for Mother’s and Father’s Day.

Yeah, my penmanship is awful and I cannot draw. Just ask an old scout leader who “enjoyed” reading my Citizenship in the Nation merit badge work. I mailed him a dozen or so pages of the answers to the badge’s questions. My merit badge work looked like cave writing. But my answers were correct. Therefore, I got the badge and stayed on the path to Eagle.
So for those of you that I send cards to, be on look out for my artwork. It may be abstract enough to go on display in the MOMA.

I’m off to buy construction paper.