Sunday is such a good day for writing letters. Did God give us a day of rest so we could catch up on laundry? No! It'll still be there until Monday. With the onset of spring and recent rain to clear the valley air, I sat in the sunshine today for the first time in months and soaked it all in. I also wrote a letter; destination: Australia. I enjoy letters to Australia because I imagine my friends there living in opposites from us. Just as our weather is warming up, theirs is cooling down. What is it like to have Christmas in summer? I'll have to ask. I suppose it just seems normal to them like Christmas in winter is for us. I'll save that question for December and enjoy the season of the moment. Not only was today a sunshiny day, writing a letter made the world seem a small place. I hope your Sunday was a day of rest too.
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I want to show you a card that deserves mention. No, it's not a belated Valentine's Day card, it's just a belated post. Remember the mystery sender who occasionally sends postcards with no name? Well, this sweet thought comes from the same hand. Thank you, Valentine. I would write back but you never include your address! Maybe one day? I smile when I see it because I can hear the Pillsbury Doughboy laugh. Do you remember this commercial? I do. Listen for the giggle at the end. Next up is envelopes within envelopes from Patty. This is brilliant. She tells me she didn't think of it herself but I know she's responsible for the cuteness of it. The back provides instructions. This is two envelopes joined by the glued flap to create a sort of folder. Tucked inside are smaller envelopes. She's given me a set of ten. If you receive a letter from me in a Halmark envelope you'll know you're in possession of one of Mrs. Duffy's exclusive envelopes. I just know there's something I can do with this envelope idea to pay it forward...but what? It'll come to me in a flash of inspiration...soon I hope. And finally, from one of my most avid snailers, COMICS! Now who wouldn't delighted to find funnies in the mailbox? I feel one of my story book envelopes is in order. I may not post pictures of everything I receive but. I enjoy every letter and card. Now go write a letter and brighten someone's day!
I recently received a letter from The Missive Maven herself. As anyone who follows her blog knows, The Maven is known for mail art and vintage stamps. I want to show off the envelope I received from her. The stamps are the art. These stamps are BEAUTIFUL. They are works of art. My favorite is the one posted below of the woman writing a letter. Below is the caption, "Letters mingle souls." Not only is that a great slogan, it should be the result of meaningful correspondence. When we write letters we impart something of ourselves to others that can not be imparted electronically. Much more is involved in handwritten letters than in "digital grams": the choice of stationery, ink, stamps and more importantly, words. Written communication requires more investment of thought, caring and resources than does firing off an email or posting a tweet from one's cell phone. We really do give of ourselves when we write letters. ![]() Not only did The Missive Maven give of herself, she also gave of her stamps which she inherited from her grandfather with instruction to enjoy them. I notice that generous souls enjoy giving things away. Receiving this letter with it's charming contents was a delightful moment of my day. I enjoy receiving letters as much as I enjoy sending them, but don't we all. Reflecting on this lovely letter I realize one thing I can improve on is making each letter a gift bearer. We all enjoy small gifts and I want my letter recipients to experience the same enjoyment I did. I'll have to be on the look out for small tokens of thoughtfulness to enclose in each envelope I send. Thank you Missive Maven for your letter and for your inspiration. ![]() I have a friend of a particularly generous nature. The last letter I sent her was enclosed in an envelope I made from scrapbooking paper. The first time I saw her after she received my letter she handed me a packet of colorful paper with which I could make more envelopes. What fun! I felt like a kid at Christmas. ![]() Of course I had her in mind when I made the first envelope and wanted it to be special because she had blessed me so much. Two of the pieces coordinated perfectly, one having a sky and cloud pattern, the other sky and clouds with butterflies. This combination was too cute to resist. I hope she enjoys this envelope's whimsical attitude as much as I do. ![]() In this picture you see the finished result. I see I'm getting better with glue as the paper isn't wavy at the seams like it was on the last few envelopes I made. (And I here I thought I had mastered cut and paste in kindergarten!) Even the simplest things take practice. I find that letter writing itself, though simple, takes practice just like anything else. The more letters I write, the easier it becomes to put thoughts on paper and produce a letter that not only communicates well but may even be enjoyable to read. And enjoyment, dear readers, is always my hope in this letter writing adventure. What's yours? |
Letter Matters
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