Do you love getting snail mail? I certainly do! And I love sending it too, and anticipating the surprise on the recipient's face when he/she receives a totally unexpected piece of mail that isn't a bill or junk mail.
That's why I've signed up for A Month of Letters, a project begun by Mary Robinette Kowal. I used to be quite the snail-mailer, back in the early 1980s. I had several British pen pals, and got at least a letter a day at times. I miss those days.
Sure, I love Facebook, and getting e-mails. Sometimes there's a definite need for a quick response to a question and only e-mail will do.
But I also love getting real letters. And I adore collecting old postcards, some of which served much as e-mails or phone calls do today.
Postcards weren't just of the "wish you were here" variety. They were used to make arrangements for upcoming visits, to let a loved one know about one's health, or simply to inquire about a friend's life.
I've been collecting postcards all my life. One of the most interesting ones I have reads: "Dear Papa, Mama is feeling fine and looks better. We are going to Mag Smith's to-day. Had a big cave on Chestnut Street Sunday. No. 16 school went down and the German preacher's house and a number of others. Bertha."
The card was mailed from Scranton, Pennsylvania, to Mr. Dan Barth, Bay City, Michigan, and is (sadly) undated. I've always wanted to look up the old Scranton papers and see if there's a record of a school falling into what must have been a mine cave-in.
I've also created my very first Etsy Treasury, which features all sorts of goodies for letter-, card-, or postcard-writing. I hope you enjoy looking at it as much as I've enjoyed creating it. Now...how to stop myself from buying some of those lovely items...
If you're feeling like stretching your writing muscles, sign up for A Month of Letters. And feel free to send me a postcard, drop me a line...anytime!
Stay well, stay warm!
