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Dear Thelma: I know it has been said that regifting is OK, but I still feel there's something wrong about it. Should I just get over it or stand my ground?

Answer: You should do what your "heart sense" tells you is right.

If you are worried that giving your sister the gift card from the shoe store you can never find a proper pair in would offend her in some way, don't do it. Keep looking and maybe you'll find a handbag there on which to use it

However, if you are receiving a gift that you suspect to have been recycled, be sure that you accept it in the spirit of love and giving in which it is presented. If your brother, knowing that your coffee maker just broke, presents you with a brand-new one, does it really matter that his office secret Santa gave it to him? No, it only matters that he thought of you and your needs.

If you do choose to regift, do so graciously. Present the item unused and in its original box.

Make sure that you label any items you plan to recycle with the original giver's name and the situation in which you received it. Don't trust yourself to remember. If properly labeled, the present won't be in danger of getting back to the original giver or to anyone closely connected to that person.

Dear Thelma: I didn't have time to get Christmas cards written or sent. Can I e-mail New Year's greetings?

Answer: You can e-mail holiday greetings to people who use e-mail regularly, but your communication shouldn't seem hurried or like a last-minute fix.

You are responsible for molding the message in a way that sends a thoughtful sentiment and comes across as gracefully as a colorful holiday card. You must put the same content, quality and creativity into your message that would be contained in an envelope.

Composed this way, e-mail becomes a substitute for postage but not for the grace behind the greeting.

For those on your list who you don't communicate with regularly by e-mail, get a card in the mail as quickly as you can.

Dear Thelma: Is RSVP French? What does is mean?

Answer: RSVP is an acronym for the French phrase r‚pondez s'il vous plait. Seen in an invitation, it means "please respond" and indicates you should promptly notify the sender of your decision to attend or to not attend.

Resolve in 2007 to act promptly and properly when you see "RSVP" on an invitation.

For the New Year and beyond, good manners never go out of style.