Yes, it’s ritual I can’t shake: the annual (it begins in about February the year before) creation of the Bruess’ holiday card. I don’t actually begin making the card that many months in advance. But I sure begin thinking about it.

Indeed, I try to rationalize all the thought and effort, despite often unsuccessful & unimpressive outcomes: it’s the only time of year we get to connect with far away friends and send/receive real mail! It’s an expression of my formerly-artistic self (B.A. in Art from St. Norbert College, yes I was believe it or not). It’s a ritual, for goodness sakes. And ritual connects people. Gives us peace of mind. Makes for strong communities and families. Ah … how my mind likes to busily make sense of these silly (no, important) little things in life.

So … here’s a sneak peek at our rather silly and unimpressive card for 2009. The final layout (imagine a combination mall-photo-booth-Brady-Bunch-grid) isn’t quite ready for publication. But stay tuned.











Okay, isn’t my dog Fred the cutest dude ever?