How to Write a Thank you note....
Vastmind
Memphis, TN Veteran
Gratitude is a habit worth practicing on....and in the spirit of living up to my schtick,....here's an easy read with the how to's.....
"Many people underestimate the power of the hand-written thank you note. Some think it is better to send an immediate e-mail or simply say thanks in person. But, a hand-written note is the ideal way to show your appreciation. With the ever-growing popularity of technology, the art of writing an “old-school” note is being lost. It may seem daunting and maybe a bit archaic to pick up a pen and a stationery card, but just remember these tips and you’ll soon be a pro....
http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/solutions/thank-you-note
Don't feel like reading??? Here's a quick little video....
http://www.southernliving.com/food/entertaining/how-to-write-a-thank-you-note
Just remember...no one HAS to do anything for you...so when they do...Thank them. 
Comments
I used to work with a guy in his 50's who I invited to the odd party at my house.
Within a week I would receive a thank you card from him in the mail.
It was lovely!
I love to write thank-you notes! I have a collection of decorative arty cards so I can treat the person to a little piece of art when I thank them.
I like postcards myself
Thank you cards have their place, of course! But I love to get a postcard, just a random "Hey! I'm here, and I'm thinking about you!" note. I like to send them, too, even though I'll never understand why they take 2 weeks to get anywhere, lol.
Thank you cards are nice. But they still give me nightmares of sitting at the dining room table into the wee hours of the morning doing dozens of them for my high school graduation because I was wanting to go on a trip and my mom wouldn't let me until I did all like 275 thank you notes, LOL.
275 thank you notes!!!! That's nuts......perhaps RSI wasn't a known issue in those days @karasti ?
I'm wondering how anyone could manage to get 275 guests to one's HS grad...? But yeah. Imagine how useful a computer would have been; compose a letter in nice script, print out 275 copies, then hand sign it, with a short personal note.
This is what people should do for their wedding thank-you notes. I haven't noticed that anyone bothers sending thank-you-notes anymore, even for wedding presents.
LOL I have a big family. Our wedding, however, we only had 22 guests at, go figure! Between my husband and I, we have almost 30 aunts and uncles. Nevermind cousins. And when you live in a small town, half the town is invited. Parents friends, parents coworkers, bosses, relatives of the people your parents remarried, and so on. We chose a small wedding because we couldn't afford to host them all, lol.
My good friend got married in October. He sent like a thank you post card. But the neat part? At his wedding, there was a camera set up with a white screen, and everyone there could have multiple photos taken. Then Rob and Matt (the grooms) choose the best photo of each guest and had a postcard printed with that photo as a thank you. So our thank you card had a nice note, and on the front was a picture of myself, my husband and our kids
the post card was pre-printed with a nice quote, and then he hand wrote a brief note. I thought it was a creative idea, it was so fun to look at all the pictures of all the people at the wedding 
They were like burst shots, so you got all sorts of funny faces and stuff.
I have always, but always sent thank-you notes. I have never yet sent an 'electronic' one.
To me, there is no other way....
We received 3 thank you notes and 2 reciprocating invitations this new year, after we hosted a new year party for 5 couples (and 9 kids) where we cooked everyone a 3 course meal and played games and chatted about life, and made merry, it was one of the best new years eves I've ever spent in the company of others, 2 of the thank yous were electronically transmitted, but the one which was hand-written and came by snail mail only last week melted our hearts most!
Ive also introduced my 10 year old nephew to the concept.. Which has been interesting... Sort of like me using telegraph lol
Yes! Receiving actual mail (vs. bills and various promotional materials, catalogs, etc.) is one of life's great simple pleasures! And is a rare occurrence, these days.
I much enjoy writing thank you notes. Sometimes they can be seen as thankful notes. Also enjoy a lifelong exchange of letters with those who like to receive them.
The power of the handwritten note (thank you or otherwise) became apparent to me when my wife went away. In twenty-four years I received over 10,000 handwritten letters from her - and saved each one, of course. In the beginning I would type her letters but the artwork that was her penmanship made her presence more palatable as I read them. I could hear her voice attaching to each word she created with her own hand. I started handwriting my letters to her soon thereafter.
And while I'm on the subject ...and seeing how loneliness is a nearby topic... Here's a cure for loneliness that I found accidentally. Call up a friend - or even more than one. If they're not home - go ahead and leave a message. Should sound something like this:
"I just wanted to call and tell you that I love and appreciate you. You've been a great friend. Thank you."
Then simply sit back and wait for the calls to insure that you didn't just learn that you're terminal or something. Apparently, not too many people do this sort of thing...cause I tend to frighten people momentarily when I do. Gratitude kicks in a few minutes later.
@yagr How is your wife's situation? There were bureaucratic issues involved with her probation and employment, as I recall. Any positive movement there?
@Dakini Thank you for asking. The situation is as yet unresolved but I can never tell if that's a positive thing or negative thing.