In the bleak mid winter

 
Has anyone had difficulty buying Christmas cards this year? Maybe it’s just our wee town but the three card shops I tried announced they had either sold out or I bought the last remaining packet.
Strathcarron hospice shop said they could not believe two weeks before Christmas they had no cards left, and they had no idea if they would be getting more in.
 
The British Heart and Stroke shop say they had sold over a 1,000 Christmas cards and only had a couple of packets  left. 
“ Of course, we are delighted,” says the manageress. “Normally we have to sell  them off at half price in January.  This is very unusual.”
Finally, I tried my favourite little gift shop only to discover they had one packet left– and I snapped that up.
Nobody can explain this surge in card giving.  One theory is that we have had such a rotten summer folk started planning for Christmas in September. Just to have something to look forward to.
 
Certainly, it looks as if the high cost of postage is not a deterrent.
Whatever. Bring on the festive spirit. We put our tree up today, (see extra).