Catching Up Again

I've been computer-less for a week, so unable to update here. So here are my most recent things sent out (not much!). I did send out 11 letters to my Compassion children, but I wrote them using Compassion's on-line letter writing function (which allows me to embed photos in the letters...and they print them for me!). This one went to my almost 4-year old Granddaughter....

These are post-crossing cards.

I didn't send out any letters because I had no printer (and didn't get around to hand-writing), but what a wealth of incoming mail I received!

This group includes one of those wonderful Inge Look postcards, this time from the Netherlands.



One letter in the above grouping was this great card with matching stamp from Kimi.


And now off to write lots and lots of letters!

I've been frustrated with the USPS web site and unable to find international stamps. I finally wrote to them and discovered that you can get more stamps than show on their front page:

This link will take you to more first class stamps than show on the page, and this link will take you to the "extra postage" page where you can find international stamps. There is now even a $1.05 stamp.

So where was I...?

So I'm back on track again. Look at this -- 4 letters, a card, and a postcrossing card. Yay Me!


Even incoming was fun. Two nice letters and a Post-crossing card.

Playing Catch-up

I've been so bad the last few days about photographing and posting letters, so I'm just going to throw up what I have and then start fresh tomorrow.

Here are recent things I've sent out:

Postcards going to Australia, South Korea, The Netherlands, and Latvia

I honestly don't remember who these letters (and post card) were going to...but I was showing off my new wax seal.

I made this envelope out of the program for West Side Story. It is going across the pond.

I finally got mail today, including the first letter from a Compassion child in over a month

There have also been postcrossing cards received in the past few days.

These came from The US (3), Latvia, The Netherlands, Germany (2), Poland, Belgium.

I also got a couple of letters in plain white envelope, one from Misty (The Pen Thief) and from Cathy T, both of which I have misplaced (but answered already!)

So. All caught up. Now to start again tomorrow keeping things neat and orderly!

Day #245

I didn't write anything on Sunday and obviously didn't get anything on Sunday either, so Monday I had a post-crossing card to Finland and two pen pal letters to send.

The mail brought this wonderful horse postcrossing card from Poland and a nice letter from Cathy T.

Day #221

Another slow day, with only one letter written. But I got my December journal look designed!

Incoming was one post-crossing card, 2 penpal letters and our very first Christmas card.

The Christmas card is from my first boy friend, whom I dated from age 13-16. He is now a Jesuit, but we still exchange cards at Christmas time. His is always the first card I receive and it drives me crazy because he always beats me. But this time I got him. I posted our annual Christmas letter on line and he received it a whole three days before his card arrived. (This may be due to the scary news in his card that he is battling what he calls "the old man's cancer"--I don't know if this is the cancer his father died of or prostate cancer, which I assume can be considered an old man's cancer)

Day #211

I took advantage of a rainy Sunday to write lots of letters, and send one non-Post-Crossing post card.

Day #197

Here's the outgoing...working hard to catch up on answering back incoming mail!

2 Post-crossing cards and, 1 letter to someone on SendSomething, a SwapBot letter, and a pen pal letter

Incoming was a Post-crossing post-card from Russia, which was supposed to be a funny card, but the guy only told me it was a funny card and didn't bother to translate it for me. Maybe the joke is on me.

Also another pen pal letter.

Day #194

Managed to get things in the mail before we left...

There are 2 penpal letters, 2 post-crossing cards, and a postcard to a friend who is heavily into recycling. I love this set of cards that I just got in the mail yesterday.

I had to laugh, when we arrived here at the motel. There was a message from my cranky neighbor letting me know when this week he needs to dogs to be quiet. I have relayed that message to our dog-sitter, so she knows when to bring them in.

Day #190

Just got 2 letters written this morning...one to Amanda and one to a pen pal in South Carolina. I especially liked the Disney envelope I made for Amanda.

Lots of fun stuff in the mail this afternoon.

A wonderful envelope from Kendall in Maryland, including the pop up "Hi" card and the sympathy card, and also the Where's Waldo postcard, a post-crossing card from Atlanta, a letter from Mary in Canada, one from Kimi in California and one from Cathy (my most prolific writer) from Ohio.

Day #184

We had guests this morning, so I only had time to get one letter written.


Two incoming letters, but who could resist the chance to post the birth announcement of our new granddaughter, which we also received today!

Day #183

All four of these are letters sent today.

And a nice assortment of incoming mail, including my first "letter" from my newly sponsored child, Theresa Ewusie from Ghana, who is only 4, so can't really write but has someone write for her. Other incoming was the nice Halloween themed envelope from a pen pal and another pen pal letter.

All in all, can't complain!

Day #172

I got 3 different pieces of mail to send for tomorrow, one a postcrossing card.

Then, since it was Sunday and there would be no mail delivery, I spent the afternoon making a whole raft of envelopes so I could finally clear away all the things I've been saving to make envelopes out of when I had the time. While I was working, I watched 8 episodes of Dexter, Season 5.

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 #138

It's the weekly letter to soldier Amanda, and a reply to the neat letter I got yesterday.

Incoming was a note from my daughter, a penpal letter, an IOUMA envelope of goodies, and 4 post-crossing post cards

Day #130

Two outgoing today, one to a penpal in the UK and one to my granddaughter, thanking her for taking me to see butterflies when we were visiting her last weekend.


Incoming included a Swap-Bot dog swap card, a penpal letter, and a card from someone on SendSomething.

Day #124

Ever prepared...

I remembered to bring a writing kit of sorts, so I could send post cards from Santa Barbara.

Naturally, no incoming today.

Day #121

I did my bit...

This is a letter to a pen pal, two cold-call letters to SendSomething people, and a card to a PostCrossing person.

No incoming mail today, BUT, I did win a contest! The Pen Thief was giving away this lovely book and pen to celebrate her birthday.

I never win anything, but what the heck...I chose an in-joke number: 63. And I won!!!! Thanks, Misty! Can't wait to see it.

Day #111

I spent the day driving to San Francisco, conducting an interview, and driving home again, so there was only time to write one letter.


This is to another soldier in Afghanistan, not one I've "adopted," but one who just needs to hear cheery things from home. His wife is pregnant and so I sent him one of my parenting stories from my diary of the years when the kids were little. I hope it doesn't terrify him!

There were two penpal letters in the incoming mail. One was from a penpal in Ohio and one was from a penpal in England.


But the best thing about the envelope from England were the stamps.


This envelope is definitely a keeper!

Day #102

A mish-mash of outgoing today.


Actually the top 3 are pen pal letters (two of which were re-mails because I made stupid mistakes in addressing them), but the bottom one was a "dear Rodrigo letter." This young man from Brasil and I have nothing in common and I find his letters to be more of an irritant. I thought I would just not answer, but he sent another letter, so I wrote to let him know that I just didn't think it was going to work out. He's younger than my children and seems to only be interested in heavy metal music and getting drunk. NOT my kinda guy!


Only two things incoming, but what fun. Lynn, in Pennsylvania sent a getting to know you letter. She was the first person to write first and I found her letter charming. And then Treva wrote a letter that for a time I thought I wasn't going to be able to get out of the envelope because she had it taped so securely, but she included such fun things, including a regular post card, the "world's tiniest postcard," and some blank postcards for decorating.

Day #101

I had no letters to answer today, so I wrote two letters to friends in Japan, congratulating them on the Women's Soccer team's win in the World Cup. I was rooting for the Americans, of course, but if they couldn't win, I was thrilled that Japan had something wonderful to celebrate, which I think they sorely needed this year.

The incoming mail was almost overwhelming!



3 pen pal letters (Canada, Brasil, and Ohio), 2 Swap-Bot postcards from the "You Animal" swap, 3 Post-Crossing post cards (California, Netherlands, Japan), and 4 cards from SendSomething people. Also two of my own letters were returned because I made stupid mistakes in addressing the envelopes.