Day #170

We were driving home all day long, so I only got one postcard written today. But I did write it in the car on the road!


Came home to a nice stack of mail, particularly those 3 lovely Compassion envelopes (from my sponsored children in the Philippines, Uganda, and the Dominican Republic). There was also a Swap-Bot cat postcard, a letter from a SendSomething person, and a pen pal letter.

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Day #169

I mailed out two postcards I bought on my trip to Santa Barbara yesterday.

I won't know if I have incoming mail until I get home tomorrow.

Day #168

I was in a hurry to get out of the house today, so only sent one Postcrossing card and a short note to a pen pal (I do like the Gumby letters!)


This came, postage due. I don't know who it was from or why it was sent or where the sender is from, actually (but postage is U.S.). Haven't listened to it yet. (This is a composite photo, showing back and front side of the CD...I'm amazed you can mail a CD like this without any padding around it!)

I'm going off to meet the new granddaughter, so won't be picking up mail for the next couple of days, but will record them all when I get home.

Day #167

I thought the backs of the outgoing envelopes were more interesting than the fronts. This is two penpal letters and a letter of introduction to my new sponsored Compassion child


Just one postcard incoming today, but after yesterday's windfall, I can't complain. This is a postcrossing card from, guess where? -- the Netherlands! Surprise, surprise!

Day #166

Two post-crossing postcards this morning, including a second one to the same recipient, since I forgot I had already sent a postcard. Also a pen pal letter.

But what a joy to get the mail this afternoon!

Lessee...There was 2 Swap-Bot letters, and a Swap-Bog postcard, a post-crossing post card (and that picture with the buildings is actually a two-sided post card, which came in an envelope), a packet from Compassion, Int'l with information about my newest sponsored child, and a letter from someone who decided to write to me after following this web page. I just love it when people do that!

Day #165

We were going off early for the day, so I only had time to write two Post-crossing postcards before we left.


It was great to come home to such a collection of mail.


3 Post-crossing cards, including one of those delightful Inge Look cards from Finland, and then 3 responses from pen pals. Fun to sit here and read all after a long day with the extended family

Day #164

I got three things ready to go out before I left for the day. I wrote Amanda her weekly letter a day early, and then there were two shorter notes going out to people who sent me short notes...the one on the left is the back of the envelope. I love my paw print stamp.


There was one incoming homemade card with some lovely pictures from K.D. in reply to a post card I sent.

Day #163

Just one letter, to an old teacher, and 2 "funny cat postcards" to a couple of Swap-Bot people.

But the gods of mail were good today.

A post card from Elle, always a treat, and two short penpal letters.

Day #162

I have apparently offended the gods of mail. I sacrifice to them every day and each day I go to the mailbox and find nothing in return. All I got today was a request for money.

However, I sent a lot--a bunch of postcards from my latest trip to San Diego, all announcing the birth of our granddaughter, a post card to a neighbor, and a letter to a pen pal.


Maybe tomorrow there will be mail.

She's Here!!

Our new granddaughter was born tonight. Lacie Ann Sykes.

Day #161

I sent out one response to a Swap-Bot penpal and two postcards this morning and then went off to Sacramento to visit my cousin. There are so many penpals who haven't written in such a long time that I thought surely I would have mail when I returned home, but no. No mail.

I'm also waiting for news from the hospital in Santa Barbara, where, last I heard, my daughter-in-law's contractions were 5 minutes apart.

Day #160

I had an interview to do this morning, so I only had time to send out one thing...

...a post card to my granddaughter.

Incoming was good.


A post card from Elle Mental, a new letter from Scotland through a Swap-Bot exchange, and two pen pal letters. Be sure to note the very neat handwriting on Troy's letter, bottom left.

Day #159

Sunday's output...

The top letter is an introductory letter to a Swap-bot person, the other two are answers to pen pals. I got a pad of Gumby write-and-fold stationery. I don't write long letters, and have to hand write, but I think they are cute.

Sunday is always such a sad day, with no mail delivery.

Day #158

Once again it's Saturday, so time to write to Soldier Amanda. I also sent a send-something postcard to a woman who requested pin-up post cards.


Fun incoming mail. The postcard and letter on the left are from the talented Elle Mental, the two postcards on the right are Post-Crossing, the top a Brasilian Theater notice from Florida (go figure!), the bottom an official "post-crossing" card from Moscow.

Day #157

I spent most of the morning writing e-mails to our Compassion kids, using the fabulous new templates Compassion has made available, so the actual in-hand outgoing mail was not so spectacular.

This is a Post-Crossing card, a card to my cousin (who collects sand dollars), and a pen pal letter.

There was only one personal mail in the mail to me today, but it was a goodie. This is from my granddaughter.

Day #156

Well, there's only one photo to look at today because there were no letters delivered today, but these are the things I sent out...


...4 Post-Crossing cards, one answer to a new pen pal, and one letter in answer to a Swap-Bot letter.

Day #155

Here's today's outgoing...


Two penpal letters (I really love that Nancy Drew stationery!) and a pin-up card for a PostCrossing person. The envelope on top is made from a Jack-in-the-Box bag from my lunch yesterday.

And it was a good incoming mail day.

A Post-Crossing card from Florida, a great letter from my sweet little Fred in the Philippines, a pen pal response letter and letters from 2 people who wrote from this web site. Yahoo. Great day for mail!

Day #154

Outgoing today were 2 postcards and a letter to SendSomething people, and a letter to a friend.

Isn't this envelope great! It comes from Speck who also wrote a letter that made me giggle.

Day #153

Sent mail this morning was a penpal letter and one to a guy I found on SendSomething, who demanded birthday greetings--so I sent him one.

Incoming mail included 2 things from Post-Crossing (actually one of them was a letter, not a post card) and a letter from the two girls from 365 Letters in 365 Days. They've been thrilled with the number of letters they have been receiving...check them out!

Day #152

Sunday writing...no mail pick up or delivery, of course.

There were 3 postcards to SendSomething people, a letter to a sendsomething woman because she indicated she was interested in Russia and I had found my admission ticket to The Hermitage and wanted to use it on an envelope! The other two letters were both to service men who had asked for mail from home.

Day #151

It's the Saturday outgoing mail.

My weekly letter to Amanda, 2 pen pal letters, and a request from theLetter Writers Alliance asking for a new penpal. One of the two they sent me earlier worked out great, but the other seems to have gone by the wayside. I didn't even get an answer when I sent an e-mail asking if there was a problem.

The afternoon brought one post-crossing card.

This is from 2 year old Pavlik in Belarus, who writes very well for a baby. (I suspect there was help from Mom!)

Day #150

This was the outgoing mail, both answers to pen pal letters. I just love the bottom envelope, which is made from a program for a dinner show we saw in Beijing.


Only one incoming letter today, but you don't need more than one when you have something this fun. This is from Penpalling Dad, in Colorado, who decided not to stalk me but to brazenly write to me. What a fun letter. I hope I hear from him again.

Day #149

I didn't get home until too late to write mail to send out today. But what fun with incoming.


Two pen pal letters, one new letter, and a PostCrossing card that is probably home made, since there is no ID or even a state identifier on it--but I love the horses! I also love the floral design on the letter. One of these days I might actually take pen in hand and try decorating something.

Day #148

I managed to get a few things ready to send before I had to leave at 9:30 a.m.

This is to a SendSomething person who likes HelloKitty, two PostCrossing postcards (one sent in an envelope, by special request), and a reply to a pen pal.

But no incoming mail.

Day #147

A happy day -- there is mail delivery today! It looks like I only sent 3 letters, but that's wrong.


Each of the two Compassion envelopes has three letters in it. So there. The squirrel envelope is going off to a friend.

But then came the happy time of day when the mail arrived...isn't this a cool collection of stuff?


New pictures of my sponsored child in Indonesia, two post-crossing postcards, an answer to a Swap-Bot letter, a sweet letter from someone who felt bad because I had no mail for several days, and another Swap-Bot letter.

Now that, my friends, is a "Good Mail Day"!

Day #146

Holidays are not good mail days!


And because I was out most of the day, I only wrote (hand-wrote, no less) one letter while I was out, this to a friend. Tomorrow mail comes again! I hope.

Day #145

A productive Sunday.

There are two very lengthy letters, one to an old friend I made contact with again after several years, one an intro letter for a Swap Bot project. There is also a send-something postcard and a pen pal letter.

Day #144

Saturday is becoming Armed Forces Day.

This is 4 letters to soldiers who wanted more word from home, plus a postcard to go into a book for a soldier. There is also a penpal letter in the batch.

The afternoon brought only one PostCrossing card, which initially I lost, but fortunately found again, so I could register it with PostCrossing.

Dear PostCrossing. I have received a post card from Buffalo, but I have lost it and so I cannot register it. All I know is that it was mailed to me from someone in Buffalo, New York.

Dear Beverly:For Postcrossing to be able to help you finding an unknown ID, including lost postcards the only way is submit all the information you have about the postcard. The more information you provide about the postcard, the easiest and quickest it will be to find the correct ID.

Give us lots of information like:

- the date or numbers or town on the postmark (even if it doesn't make sense to you)

-the parts of the ID you can read (even if it is only one number)

- what the picture on the front of the postcard is including any words

- if the sender says anything about themself or their town/area.

- their name or if you can't work it out even just the first initial of the name

When we find the correct ID through this system, we will send you an email with it and it will appear on your 'received postcards' section so that you can register it afterwards.

Dear PostCrossing: Please reread my letter. I DON'T HAVE THE POSTCARD IN MY HAND!!! i HAVE LOST THE POSTCARD. It was addressed to Beverly Sykes, [address] Davis, CA 95616 and it came from Buffalo, NY but that is all that I can tell you.

Dear Beverly: For Postcrossing to be able to help you finding an unknown ID, including lost postcards the only way is submit all the information you have about the postcard. If you don't have much information, fine.

And you don't have to shout.

Dear PostCrossing: ARRGGGHHHH!

Day #143

Outgoing this morning were a penpal letter and 3 Post-Crossing cards. The one on the upper right is an old one, my favorite San Francisco Postcard, showing Dorothy on the Yellow Brick Rd. The one on the lower left is the Johnny Cash family.

No incoming mail today :( but our local Borders is closing so I went to check out the sales. I found postcards for fifteen cents each, an unheard of price. I took advantage of it!

(this represents 40 Davis, and California postcards, and I may go back tomorrow and get some more)

Day #142

I had lots of outgoing today: 5 postcards, 4 for Post-crossing, 1 to a Soldier, a pen pal letter, and a letter to one of my Compassion kids.

I don't know how the recipient will feel about the Quaker oatmeal card I made, but she claims to be crazy for cereal. I loved it...it has a typed message on the back. The card with the light glare was to the Soldier and was a Where's Waldo card, which I thought might be fun for him.

Nice incoming mail too.

There were letters from two of my favorite pen pals, a Postcrossing card from The Netherlands, and a "letter" from my granddaughter.

This is panda eating bamboo, just in case you can't quite see it clearly.