One of my roommates decided to decorate the bathroom with cards and postcards. There's a sympathy card with an image of a guy sitting sadly hunched and gazing at his knees that says "IN DEEPEST SYMPATHY...I'm so sorry your dream died"

I get a good laugh out of it every time I see it.

I have a friend who likes to give me bad birthday cards. My favourite was the one with gloves and a map and the embossed Italicised Gold "Happy Birthday"

Deuce of clubs.

Years ago when I was a poor Legal Aid lawyer, I wrote out the Christmas cards for both me and my then-husband, using one of those pens with gold gel ink, because I thought it looked nice and seasonal.

My husband worked as a warehouse supervisor and earned much more than me, although his workmates never believed it, they thought that because I was a lawyer, I must be raking it in and that my husband's wages were pocket money. (Fact: I earned more as a secretary working for a bank than I ever did as a Legal Aid lawyer)

So, a few days after he'd given out his Christmas cards, he brought one home and handed it to me saying "don't ever, EVER use that gold pen again"

Inside the card was written "I'm sorry this is only written in ink and not in gold but this is how the poor people have to live."

I actually thought it was quite funny, but my ex-h was really upset about it.

I don't think there's such a thing as a bad card. It's nice to be thought of.</eeyore>

Oh yes sisterhavana! Religious cards are the worst. Especially when the sender knows the recipient will be offended! And I get several, several, several many times throughout the year.

Count yourself lucky you only get the cards. We get videos. Because I'm obviously only one poorly produced VHS away from conversion.

Back to the subject at hand, I like to send my folks cards that are just slightly off. Like, "To Dad and His Wife at Christmas." Or "You've been like a father to me. Happy Father's Day!"

My sisters and I only exchange cards if we find something extra funny. Then we give them but don't seal or sign them so the recipient can pass it on.

A dear friend of mine sent me a card just last year that had Jesusy stuff on it (but not in a tasteless kind of way). I know she's been getting into being Catholic and all, but she knows me better than that. On the other hand, they live in a very small town so I let it slide in case that was the only card they could find.

I don't think there's such a thing as a bad card. It's nice to be thought of.

I agree. I like/appreciate when my Grammy sends me a card, even if I won't like the card itself because it's all preachy-like.

Count me in as another against the Jesusy cards. The worst is when they're not even signed.

The worst is when they're not even signed.

That made me laugh so hard. That's just too fricken' funny. You really get unsigned jeebus cards? OMG. I just find that hysterical for some reason!

I got a birthday card from an ESL student years ago with the handwritten message, "I wish for you this year a happy memorial."

My brother always sends cards that just say BIRTHDAY CARD in caps on them, or POSTCARD when he's somewhere exotic. I like that so much, I've adopted it.

I LOVE it, MGL.

My grandma sometimes sends cards with just the signature 'grandma' inside - no names. I think she buys and signs them in bulk. Thing is, she's only got 3 grandchildren (me and my siblings).

One day I got a card from my mom, as she occasionally sends - no occasion. It has a momma mouse on it in a long poplin dress, smiling over her two little mousekins who are eagerly rummaging through the contents of a large wooden chest. The caption says, in swirly blue type, "What fun it is to find treasures!"

I know I should just dismiss it as a piece of popular tripe designed to tug at the heartstrings, but I can't. It makes me think of what it was like to be a kid, to be carefree and eager and without any worries more profound than whether or not the fun from the next good thing I found would last until suppertime.

And I'm sure that I'm going to keep it forever and one day my mother's going to die and I'm going to come across it and cry, which is exactly the opposite of what was intended.

Man, I'm really tired and out of sorts. I should get some sleep.