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I love mail. Fun mail, that is. Happy mail. A card or letter. A surprise package. While I'm not too fond of advertising circulars or mail that requires I send money back, I even admit a fondness to catalogues. I like getting it and I like sending it. When I hear about the post office being financially threatened, that our carriers aren't being provided with PPE, it makes me a little sad, a little mad.
So I decided to send out some happy mail this week -- and share some of the happy mail I'd received!
The Outgoing is pretty easy. Over the past few months I've scanned dozens, maybe hundreds, of photos, stripping my photo albums and digitizing them. There were stacks of originals, Kodacolor gems of parties past, Christmas dinners, road trips and more.
So, off they went to their original subjects, all stamped with one or two "Sesame Street" or "Orchid" stamps. Happy mail sent!
Happy Mail in is even more fun, especially during the time of quarantine when I'm not getting out. My longtime public tv friend Maryanne sent me "The House on Vesper Sands."
It's a good mystery, set in Victorian England by Paraic O'Donnell. I'm enjoying the ride! And it was beautifully packaged, cushioned by this wonderful merino wool roving for my felting in rainbow sherbet colors!
Dear Dorothy surprised me with a several packets of seeds. These, along with Maryanne's earlier packets and the basil Rick picked up for me at the hardware guarantee me lots of colorful blooms this season.
Former blogger and art pal Joanne surprised me with an envelope with this pretty in it! Art in the time of quarantine is always loved!
A few posts ago, I mentioned my friend Jim, a potter in North Carolina who made masks for Rick and me. I bought a few things from him that will be shared over the course of the year as birthday and Christmas gifts.
And from one of my "book traders" and a colleague I've known from my years in public television, a little snack!
Last, but far from least, I was a winner! I hope you read the beautiful and inspiring thoughts of Jennifer Richardson on Ripplespeak. She is truly a poet who writes from the gut and whose words and photos never cease to amaze. She recently held a drawing for some of her art and look what arrived in my mailbox!
I love this journal with its beautiful pages, some blank for writing, others beautifully painted. It's a treasure!
And with it came some beautiful notecards. These are all mixed media photographs from Jennifer's garden.
What a generous drawing and what wonderful happy mail from friends. I am indeed the luckiest woman in the world!
Sharing with: Pink Saturday
46 comments:
Oh Jeanie! Thank you very much for sharing all these treasures you received through mail! I am also a big snail mail fan and I was an active member of postcrossing before and even when I stopped, I did gain some life long friends through it. Once our mail system is back, I would love to send you a few cards from our country! Cute stamps, sesame street!!!
Happy Tuesday dear Jeanie!
Sweet treats!!
I don't think I've had any personal mail since Christmas.
Grand Corona Virus Creating Ideas.
For Giving and In Receiving!
You accomplish LOTS my dear!
Jeanie, Sharing all your thoughts and items over this time has been a joy to behold. I have kept up one continuous letter pal since we were both in our thirties, she is better than me at writing, I should share with you all some of the beautiful cards she has sent over the years, I have so many that I thought of making bunting with them, but then I'd need to have a party. Although I did say to my husband this morning, we're have to have our own party. Take care, keep well. Christine
So many delightful treats to enjoy, small acts of kindness are what will help us grapple with these difficult days.
https://hazelbarn.blogspot.com/
Here's a link to my new (from today!) blog
turning the page.
Such bounty! Such beauty! So many blessings! And what a joy to find this measure of generosity in this time of constraint and confinement. Thank you, Jeanie.
Wow, you are a lucky girl to get so many lovely presents, enjoy! Hugs, Valerie
Mail carriers are surely some of the most valuable workers who are keeping on with it during the time we are all shut in! I haven't mailed anything for ages excepting the occasional check (some of my service providers like the lawn and garden people don't have online pay options). But it's incredibly important as a NETWORK in the basic sense: someone who lives in a remote place can send mail and I can reach them, so the difference in cost to connect isn't an issue, it's about BEING CONNECTED. Not to mention how many orders I've received from amazon.com, not all of them from the Prime Truck. Or King Arthur, who seems to have solved the flour and yeast supply problem for the moment. Or L.L. Bean.
be well... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
It is frustrating to see these attacks on our postal service. We really depend on them or so much. You got such delightful Happy Mail!
You've certainly received some great gifts … many thanks for sharing them, they look lovely.
All the best Jan
Hello,
I also support and hope for the best for our USPS. I am thankful for the mail carriers and post office. You received many wonderful items, lucky you indeed. Is the wool for your fest creations? The Journal and note cards are lovely. I will have to check and see if my library has that mystery. We do get a lot of "junk" mail here, it goes right into the recycle bin. Take care! Have a happy day and enjoy the rest of your week.
I look forward to photos of the plants you get from the seeds. Happy Mail is good mail.
I love happy mail too, to send and to receive, and I want our postal service to continue on! They are very reliable. I have a friend in another country where mail is not delivered to homes, she needs to go to the post office and can't during the lockdown. So we are blessed that they deliver to our homes. I like your merino wool sundaes, very cute.
What a wonderful idea! It's like the days before the Internet. 😄
I did not know there are Sesame Street postage stamps!!!
The whole issue with the postal service is a Trump inspired disaster because he's having a pissing contest with the owner of Amazon who uses the post office extensively for shipping, which only benefits the system---don't get me started.
I love your happy mail.
Your have had happy mail indeed...it would brighten anyones day.
Jeanie you have really received some wonderful snail mail from friends. I am still waiting for package from England sent before Easter and delayed by Covid. She always sends the most beautiful packages. Other than here I barely know anyone that sends snail mail. Have a wonderful week looking over all your parcels and thinking of and preparing the garden. Looks like you will have some colourful blossoms.
How wonderful! Since I was a child I have loved getting mail. Isn’t it even more special these days?
This happy post is dear to my heart!! And I must get some of those Sesame Street Stamps! I just made a post in which some stamps were also featured. YOU attract happy mail as much as you love sending it!! Let's face it, you attract and generate happiness in all situations!!
I did leave comments on previous posts, I do hope you got them.
You have very creative and thoughtful friends!
Lots of wondrous goodies. Definitely day brighteners:)
What a wonderful post full of happy news! Love that art work too! Janice
Those Sesame St. stamps are pretty cool. Sending and getting happy mail is such fun. You had some nice packages. Once this online school ends I hope to have more time for happy mail. 3 1/2 weeks. Take care Jeanie and let's hope the post office manages to get through this troubled times. It would be sad not to have it, or to be able to get such fun stamps. hugs-Erika
Happy mail is one of my favorite things, Jeanie! Such wonderful friends you have and lovely gifts you have received. I love how you share your joy with us! Our postal service is a treasure that we all must protect.
That journal is so pretty
Ohhhhh. Dad always - ALWAYS - watched Sesame Street with me!
We had the American version, translated to German. We loved it!
1980-something we got a German version, awful. My poor lille Brother had to watch by himself,we could not stand it, Dad and I.
Elmo sits right here btw.
LOL. I digitalized pics, too. In 199... ? with Ingo´s scanner. I could go grocery shopping within ONE set! That thing was SLOW. Oh, help!
Oh, sooo many great gifts, I´m happy for you :-) xx
I wonder if many people under the age of thirty even know the joy of receiving real mail? I look forward to it at any time and a few bloggers have sent me postcards and the like. Some even enclosed stamps from their country with birds or other aspects of natural history, which I especially enjoyed. So, I hope that you continue to receive it, Jeanie. Remember the days when international mail came in air mail envelopes with a striped border around the edges? It was always especially exciting to receive that kind of mail! Stay well! If you and Rick have been a meticulous about social distancing, hand washing etc it's time to give him a hug if you ask me. That's even better than mail!
Beautiful gifts. I do like the journal.
Happy Mail indeed..I have one stamp left:( You can't order stamps online in QC..weird as that may seem:(
So annoying when blogger has a hiccup! Hope it's resolved soon. I love getting happy mail, especially during the "Stay Home" period of COVID19. Cards especially and I love seeing what's new in catalogs. You've certainly accomplished a lot reorganizing all your photos. I wish and I need to at least start on this. I have cleaned and reorganized all the closets in the house. With all the amazing spring weather we've moved outside to work, this makes me really happy now. Happy week Jeanie........
So many beautiful happy mails!
What wonderful gifts!
You are surrounded by kindnesses, Jeanie :)
Wow, Jeanie, you are a fortunate soul. How wonderful to be blessed with so many beautiful friends. Happy day, Jeanie.
I love MAIL...I miss that you don't go to the mailbox and find mail daily! I remember as a teen my cousins that live in Georgia and I would write letters all the time. I was always so excited getting mail. Now I have a few friends that like sending cards to say hi and stuff like that. I also have adopted sending out cards to people who are sick or have lost a love one. I know when I lost mom those cards were so touching. Makes me think...I need to send out some mail!!! Thanks, great post.
Love the Sesame street stamps, how cute :)
And that wool, such beautiful colours.
A lucky lady indeed but you certainly deserve all those gifts Jeanie.
I have been putting extra stamps on my outgoing mail, too. :-) Including some Sesame Street stamps. :-)
Congratulations on winning this beautiful journal! I love Jennifer's art. Oooh, and I LOVE the Sesame Street stamps - I don't get to the post office often (even though I mail tons of stuff) since I want to avoid closed space as much as possible, but that also means I don't get beautiful stamps. A few years ago we bought the National Parks stamps - I still have two sheets and feel very reluctant to place them on pieces of mail. I really only need to keep one sheet, I think I take your idea of happy mail and will place those special stamps on those pieces of mail. Thanks for the inspiration!
jeanie, I certainly agree about the USPS and those Sesame stamps are so cheerful. I love putting stamps on all my letters and when they run over weight always ask for the correct stamp because I dislike postage strips on personal letters/cards. I've been buying some classic films the past few weeks but only on eBay as (1) they are always sent thru the USPS and (2) they are cheaper than Amazon and come in the mailbox here at the apts. Thanks for the shout-out on the surprise seed packets, so happy you enjoyed getting them. And, you certainly have shown lots of nice surprises. A piece of mail whether a note or card or photos can certainly lift spirits which is why I will hope the USPS keeps going. SOmeone should start an online fund for it.
I love to get happy mail too, it reminds of being a kid and writing back and forth to my grandparents. I've been trying to send a little more happy mail during the pandemic. It's amazing how much a card or letter can change your day.
Jeanie,
Thanks so much for all your visits!! I have been busy finally packing away Easter and now starting to decorate for the Patriotic Summer Holidays.. we have had frost warnings 3 days in a row so I will not be planting flowers until next week...You really did get some happy mail!!
Hugs,
Deb
Jeanie I did so enjoy seeing all your happy mail.....so fun! You sure got lots of bright and happy packages, cards, seeds, etc. I love getting good mail and used to have alot of pen pals when I was young. Loved seeing all the pretty things/art etc. people made for you. Hope you have a great day!
Happy mail is the best! Doesn't it bring a smile to your face when you open that mailbox and see a personalized letter?!
I am not sure if my last comment on your last post went through... it didn’t show my profile in the comment form - just said google account. So maybe it didn’t stick! So odd!
You have received some great mail lately! Fun mail is just the best. And I love the Sesame Street stamps! So fun! I am still working through my Christmas stamps. I guess I over bought this year!! Whoops! That journal is so lovely!!!
That's a good haul:)
Thanks for sharing - so glad you enjoyed the surprise:)
Big warm hugs,
Jennifer
I love seeing all the gifts from friends, but that wool roving was just gorgeous. It looks like sherbet in those dishes for sure.
You got some really nice 'Happy Mail', Jeanie. The journal is great, and it's always a pleasure to see your talent with the pain brush. Wow, you've been busy with your photos and albums. I have two big boxes filled with them, and don't know where to store them cause I don't have a lot of storage space at the new house. But our photo albums are treasures, so I'll have to figure something out. Sounds like you're keeping yourself busy during this time. Love the colorful wool for your felting. : )
~Sheri
That's a whole load of great happy post there. How nice that so many people sent you stuff. Also, congratulations on the win.
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