Today I was delighted to find, in amongst the bills in the mail, a Christmas card. I could not have cared less that it arrived after I'd taken down the tree and boxed up the stockings. It was snail mail from a faraway friend who made the effort to put pen to paper despite the date. There was a brief, but handwritten, note and signature accompanied by a photo collage of the family's year of adventure.

Holiday greetings came in all forms this year: the handwritten cards, round robins, photo cards and emailed greetings from online sites like the charming Jacquie Lawson E-Cards and the hilarious JibJab, which allows you to superimpose a photo of your head onto, for example, a singing penguin.

I studied the cards, a record year for my mailbox due in large part to my friends' expanding families and the fact that I'm now of an age when I'm included on every second cousin's round robin mailing list. I observed that each method of sending greetings was about making the process of correspondence easier for the sender.

The online cards, although experiential, were sent with the push of a button. Round robins were printed en masse on a copier. Several posted cards had only a signature, while few photo cards had a signature at all, and most envelopes were addressed with labels — a technological temptation I fell for this year after organizing my own digital contact list. Avery labels were my hand's ally so I could spend more energy personalizing the messages inside the cards without cramping up.

While I'm entertained by e-cards I can't put them on my mantle, so they run the risk of going "out of sight, out of mind."

The photo card phenomenon has become a rite of passage for families, and the range of styles from stationers like Tiny Prints, Minted and Shutterfly is limitless. What amazes me is that these collages usually contain lots of photos of "little Max," "little Madison" and "Fido," but rarely photos of the parents with whom I'm friends. Of course, I'm thrilled to see how the kids have grown since last year's card but I also want to connect with my peers. As I flip these cards over I am greeted by more images of little Maxs and little Madisons but am hard pressed to find personalized greetings ... let alone signatures.

Don't get me wrong. I'm grateful to receive any method of correspondence. The thrill of opening the mailbox throughout December is, for me, akin to opening stockings on Christmas morning. In fact, these distinctive cards will be displayed through Valentine's Day because I can't stop looking at them. But are we so hurried and overtaxed that we can't write in our own hand? Expanding address books (be they paper or electronic) may make us feel like we're more connected than ever, but more names equals more cards equals less time for composing personal notes.

The one type of correspondence you must personalize is the thank-you letter. As we regain our footing after a monthlong frenzy of parties, presents and added pounds it's important to remember that this next round of correspondence is an inherent obligation. Etiquette authoritarians and publishers Debrett's says "people will appreciate the fact that, in our busy, digital age, you've taken the time to sit down and write a letter."

In your note, always make a positive comment about the gift or a complimentary reference to the hospitality you have received. You may want to add some news about your holidays.

Tiny Prints suggests customers "Use handwriting. This will give your cards a personal touch and show that you care enough to take a few minutes to give each card some attention."

Call me old-fashioned. I'm a sucker for stationery and stamps, Emily Post and the post office. After decades of typing, my penmanship looks like a 6-year-old's. But I'll always scribble out "Dear Laura" and "With gratitude, Bizia" because what's in a name does matter. It shows intent and adds meaning to your content. Whatever the occasion, make a resolution to express yourself in your own hand this year.

Bizia Greene owns the Etiquette School of Santa Fe. Send your comments and conundrums to etiquette@etiquettesantafe.com or 988-2070.