December 28, 2007

• The First Annual CAACCA Awards (Part I) & Un-Orphanizing

  
  What are the CAACCAS you ask?  No, they’re not some long overdue tribute to master blogger Cakalusa, nor are “The Caacs” (as they’re affectionately known in the industry…get your minds out of the gutter, it rhymes with yaks, not box), some Harvard bestowed scatological honor.  CAACCA stands for Carey Anthony’s Annual Christmas Card Awards.
  

  

  So, without further ado, this year’s first batch of Caacs go to:  **

  
  Best Merged Family Card

  

  
  Best Illegal Domestic Bliss Card

  

  
  Best non cyber card
  
  

  
  Best Homemade Card

  

  
  Best Fabulous Non-Christmas Card Received at Christmas

  
  Best use of origami in Christmas Card
  
  
  This one is my favorite, because….

  The card above is from my friend John.  He was my next door neighbor in my college dorm in 1983-84.  I probably haven’t seen him since 1986, so over 20 years.  He married his college sweetheart, moved to Chicago, and raised two beautiful kids.  The only time we ever correspond is at Christmas.  This year, when the above card arrived, I thought to myself, “How’d the Spanish looking kid get in there!?”  LOL.  When I went to the website on the card, this is what I found:

  It has been on our heart for several years to adopt internationally, and this was the year for our dreams to come true. We decided on Colombia and started the paper work in January. Thank you to all of you who helped us by writing letters/gathering paperwork. The first week in November we got word it was time to travel to Bogota, Colombia to meet our new son/brother, Edison. The five of us spent two weeks in and around Bogota. What a beautiful city and country. At no time did we not feel safe. The people were very kind and helpful. The weather was always perfect, between 60 and 80 during the day. We spent a lot of time playing at a park and touring the city.  We enjoyed trying various exotic fruits and native food. The taxi rides are something none of us will ever forget. We all made several new friends who will always be in our hearts and lives…

  

  The best part though, was the part written by their oldest son, about traveling to Colombia and adopting a new brother:

  The day we met Edison was really weird, we were in this little play room, with the two gifts that we brought him, and some social workers came in and were translated for us and stuff, and then he walked in, and you’re supposed to hug him, to make him feel really close to you right off the bat. It was really awkward at first, because he spoke Spanish and we didn’t and even though the racial and language differences, we could still easily communicate. That’s probably been our best moment with him yet, worth the sleeping on the rock-solid floor of Miami, or the total of 10 hour plane flight down here, or even the entire culture switch, that we get to take home this giggly, fun and brotherly little orphan boy and un-orphanize him.

  Isn’t that just the best thing you’ve ever read?!

  More awards later when I have time to photograph some more cards.  Night Night.

  **All voting for CAACCA Awards is conducted by secret ballot and tabulated by the international auditing firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers. Secrecy is maintained by the auditors – the results of balloting are not revealed until the now-famous envelopes are opened on stage during the live television program. Because the Academy numbers among its members the ablest artists and craftsmen in the Christmas Card world, the CAACCA represents the best achievements of the year in the opinion of those who themselves reside at the top of their craft.

   

   

  
  
  

  • 4:10 am
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