Footsteps in the snow.   Today I made a new Christmas card spreadsheet for the next few years lists of recipients.  Looking back over the spreadsheets of the last 15 years I notice that we send and receive only half the numbers of the cards that we did in 2005..  It is very sad each year removing the names of people who are no longer here and sometimes not knowing whether they are still alive if we get no card from them.  One friend always designs her own cards and I look forward each year to receiving her news so it was surprising when we had nothing from her.  Some cards arrived very late (three this week) so I decided to wait till yesterday to see if hers arrived before contacting her then got the sad news that she had a stroke recently and is very badly incapacitated and unable to communicate.  When this new spreadsheet needs renewing no doubt there will be more deletions and probably more names to add. Hopefully we will still be around.  The solitary footsteps in the falling snow reminded me of those who have passed away with no further news of them.