My mom always sends out those kind of letters but it is largely to family. We have a very large extended family that is still pretty close but it is hard to keep up with everyone. The letters fill everyone in on what the third cousins twice removed and the like are doing. The only annoying thing about those is that My grandaunt will send a letter talking about what all her grandkids are doing, then her kids will send letter telling about what all their kids are doing, and if those kids are grown, they send letters telling about what they and their families are doing. Hearing the same news in three or four letters is annoying.

Ray Stevens has a Christmas song called Xerox Xmas Letter where he makes fun of someone's letter and writes his own redneck version. I love it. Then again, I have a warped sense of humor and love everything by Ray Stevens, so what do I know.