In recent years, I have cutback on sending Christmas cards.

Or, shall I say, others have cut back on sending me a Christmas card.

Go figure:  Not everyone appreciates being mentioned in this column.

Never did get a Christmas card from Lowell Franzen, the former Mower County feedlot enforcement officer.

That came after I confused his departure from county employment. Voluntary retirement, termination, resignation, a buyout…I could never really understand what happened.

Never did get a Christmas card from Dan Wilson, the Austin fire chief, who’s in and out of the news with troubling regularity.

He did pay me a visit recently and spent an hour telling me his side of the story after another one of my comments in the column.

Personally, I find the guy very interesting.  He has been one the most charismatic and outspoken public figures in recent Austin history.

What reporter couldn’t find him anything but interesting and candid?

I do think it is unfortunate the entire Dan Wilson story may never be told or believed if it were.

I would like to thank (we’ll call them:) “Paul” and “Ron,” in advance, for the rides to, and from, the chief’s retirement party.

Never did get a Christmas card from Gerald Meier at Adams.

The venerable (that’s another word for “old”) man never misses saying this about my column:  “Whenever I read something you’ve written about me, I consider myself lucky if you get half if it right.”

Mr. Meier is one of my toughest critics and best friends. Go figure.

I don’t expect to get a Christmas card from Bob Stephenson after I referred to him as a “windbag” in a column.

I didn’t mean any harm, but family members said it was an insult, so I apologized.

My first Christmas card this year arrived before Thanksgiving from Rose Creek friends, Bob and Colleen. Then came one from my son, the DIL, Zeke and Zo. This week I got one from Dick and Julie.

Truth be told, I like getting them and keep all until the next Christmas arrives.

Once again, I will use this column to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. My own Christmas card list is limited to the number of cards I buy.

Too bad not all of you readers will see this year’s holiday newsletter.

It’s a LOL, OMG classic, and the picture of the svelte 65-er would make Levi Johnson jealous.