You can't count friends

I've been out to post some more Christmas cards this evening . Only another 50 or so of the 180 that we send each year to go.

The people we send them to is a certainly not a chart of our best friends. Its often governed by tradition over the years. Some of the people we hardly ever see but we don't want to lose touch; some of them we see nearly every day but it is part of the relationship. But there are so many people we are close to that we don't send Christmas cards to. There are a few that we send each year regardless of whether we ever get one back.

I've made many friends through the website during the past 13 years but I don't send them all Christmas cards. A few of the people who contact me only do so to moan about some trivia or perceived hardship; others contact me to say that they appreciate the service or to share something really interesting and/or important. Others stay in the background but when I meet them it amazes me how much they have taken in from the website. "Who told you that?" I say."You wrote it on your blog" is the reply.

We entertained around 400 people in October but there were loads of people on our Christmas card list that we couldn't find room for. And since starting to use Facebook a couple of months ago I've made or revived loads of friendships with people who were neither at our party nor on our Christmas card list.

I went out with Marie to celebrate her birthday last night and whilst in 14 North we chatted to the dentists from the practice we spend too much time at. There is always a friendly face on the Isle of Man. But unlike Facebook you don't have to count them. You just know they are there.

From children's parties as in the 1999 photo to last weekend when Marie's mother moved into a residential home You don't count them, you count on them.

We are so lucky.