February 1st! Let the Letter Writing Begin!

By the time this is posted, 5:30 AM, it will be February 1st, the first official day of the "Month of Letters" challenge.





I have my first postcards ready to go out today. Just in time for one of my favorite holidays, Groundhog Day!

A few of these cards are also heading out for friends and fun.

I don't have a clue why I like this so much, but I do. Maybe it is the adorable fuzzy little guy that we are celebrating. Maybe it is the funny reason for the holiday. I don't know.

I just learned about a cute little Post Office in Vermont that is in need of some mail support.

Isn't is cute?!

It has recently had its hours cut. In order to keep it from closing altogether, Jane Davies has proposed a postcard campaign as a way to increase volume of mail passing through it's quaint halls. I will be working on a few Etegami cards to send her way. In the meantime, I share Jane's original blog post about the Post Office and her challenge.

Focus....Focus, dude...

The title of this post is a line from Finding Nemo. I feel it is appropriate to my life at the moment. Well, maybe, my life most of the time... I am trying to get my mind and life back in focus, after a crazy start of the school year, adding Calligraphy Classes to my weekly schedule, as well as a few other events.

(I have started and stopped this post so often I think I will proof read it and post it no matter what.)

I am still busy with Postcrossing. I had my 50th Postcard arrive at it's destination! Kind of a milestone of sorts. Here are a few cards I have received lately:

I have been taking a Calligraphy class for the past 2 1/2 months. I kind of jumped into the middle of a year long course, starting session 3 of 4. Oh well, it was an interesting learning curve the first few weeks.

Our "final" project for Session 3 was designing a card that we could reproduce and use. My first attempt was a Thank You card I can use in my classroom. I had my original reduced and printed on card stock. Then I added color with watercolor paints.

My second attempt was more elaborate, a birth announcement. The week of our last assignment, my "daughter"(see story) had her first child, Rowan Ian. So I am now a Grandma.

I was able to go out and visit the little family last week. Holding the precious, sweet baby boy was quite an experience for me. Not only see see this adorable little bundle just snuggle down, comfortable and content. But also to see the radiant, poised young lady who gave him life. Wow! I can't find words to describe the awe I feel at how she has grown up...

I wanted to try to draw Rowan, but I am chicken. I don't feel comfortable drawing more than a childlike version for my 3rd graders to see. So I took a hint from Lyric Kinard, and transferred major lines by tracing a photograph.

My first attempt, I outlined in pen. I don't like the look. So I tried watercolor pencils. I like that one better.


top: 2nd attempt, bottom: first attempt.

So, as you can see I really need to find a focus, or maybe a few less things to focus on. I have felt like I have lost it on this blog. Or maybe I just stick with my original plan for this blog and bounce around with what interests me.

I leave you with several photos of Rowan and all his other Grandmas.

Ivette's Mom, Maritza.

Jeremy's Mom, Cheryl.

Rowan's GREAT Grandma!

Love My Mailbox

Over the years, our mailboxes seem to transitioned in function. Once we used these funny little tin boxes to bring us news, and greetings. We sent cards and letters, sometimes packages making connections with the outside world. Now, it just seems to ask for our money, and help fill our recycle bins with unwanted ads and offers.

I love opening my mailbox. I am sure you are all thinking I am nuts. But I really am enjoying that little funky little lock box a lot more now that I have done a few things to make it a happier part of my daily life.

First, as mentioned in previous posts, I joined Postcrossing back in April. So far I have had 34 postcards make it to their destinations across the globe. I have received 28 from a wide variety of countries. The most interesting places to date have to be Estonia and Belarus. There have been cards from grandmothers, single moms, and college students. But it really made my heart smile to receive one from a 12 year old the other day. Wow! A 12-year old interested in snail mail!!!! There is hope that snail mail won't completely die out.

Some of the postcards I have received:

Second, I have been making a concerted effort to write notes and letters to friends and family, instead of sending a quick email. As I started sitting down to write the first letters I was reminded of how much fun I used to think it was to write a letter. This was really made evident to me as I started to dig through the overflowing baskets of stationary and envelopes I have collected over the years. One of the first letters I sent was to a friend I see often. We usually communicate via email in between times together, but I found some paper I knew she would like and wrote a short note filling her in on some news I had for her. I received a wonderful thank you from her. It made us both have a better day. I encourage you to pick up pen and paper to write a note to someone. It doesn't have to be long or eloquent. Just from you, in your own hand, and from your heart.

Hope you have a happy Mailbox soon.



Postcards are Traveling

More computer troubles. Thank goodness I have a laptop to help out in the void left by my sick desktop. I have been sending out postcards for my Postcrossing adventure. So far I have sent out 14 cards. Eight of them have arrived at their intended homes. The other 6 are still traveling.



A map showing where my cards have traveled to.





NOW I am beginning to receive cards in return. So far we (my class and I) have received 6 postcards from Malaysia, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, the UK and one from around the corner (well kind of) San Diego. 



Map of where my postcards came from.



Here are a few of the cards we have received.





Hope your mailboxes are smiling as much as mine is.

Postcrossing Around the Globe

In my search for pens that led me to letter writing, I also came across Postcrossing. This is a website that is dedicated to the sending of postcards around the world. You are given a member's address to send a postcard. Then someone different sends you one. Kind of like a large pool of pen pals. You never know where you will be sending a card, or where your next one will arrive from. I joined a few weeks ago. As a result, I have been hunting for postcards to send to Postcrossing Members. You would think in an area like So Cal, within 5 miles of two large amusement/theme parks, I could find a bunch. But not really.

As much as I like getting mail, I love to send it too. I thought this would be a fun way to see more of the world. I also hope to share the cards I send and receive with my students. I think they will get a kick out of seeing the pictures and finding the countries of origin on a map.

The first cards I have sent off to Postcross Members.

I see this as an sign of how little we write any more. I have sent 5 cards to Lithuania, Finland, the US and Austria so far.  I know that one of the cards headed to Finland has arrived, as well as one to Austria! Can't believe they showed up before the one to Nebraska.Oh well. Now that one has arrived, one will be sent to me. I am excited to see where my first card will come from. Will it have a map on it? or a picture of a monument? a photo of a beautiful scenic area or interesting architecture? hmmmm.
Until it arrives, I will be waiting (not so patiently) at my mailbox. Maybe I will look around for some goodies to MAKE my own post cards. I know some members would prefer not to receive them, but others would like "mail art." I think I will try my had at a few....Now what should I use? Paper? or Fabric?"

www.postcrossing.com