2 good mail days

Incoming....

     Both pieces of incoming mail are responses to Lettermo postcards I sent out. I look forward to responding to both of them!

 Jackie- Did you stamp this or print it? Very cool. I would like to make my own postcards but I'm generally just bad at art. :( I try. I'm thinking of trying a mail art project this month. I'll see...

  Angie (from Mailbox Happiness)- I love the postcard from you too. Great idea. I just read your blog last night about how your writing has evolved over the month so it was nice to get your postcard today. I approached writing a little differently this time. Most of my first correspondences this time were just about what was going on here and general conversation, rather than the awkward intro letters. Now that people are responding, I will respond and tell them a little more about me and my family. It is a lot easier knowing more about them too. All of the people who have written seem like they are great letter writers. Nobody left me in a situation where I didn't have anything to respond to or talk about. Good stuff. I'm really glad I am taking part of LetterMo this year.

Outgoing...

     Package for Ashley, 2 soldier letters, 2 postcrossing cards (Finland and Russia) and 3 Lettermo postcards to people who signed my postable. 

What's a Postable?

     Postable is an online address book. From what I've read, it is very secure and lots of people that I've contacted through Lettermo are using it. Basically, it stores your addresses online and you can access it from wherever you are. This will save me (and, more so, Matt) a lot of frustration since I won't have letters hanging out all over the house. (Except letters in a "special spot" like Ashley's. Ugh. I will find it.)  It will also be nice if I'm on vacation and pick up some postcards for my friends. So, please feel free to sign my Postable and let me know if you have one of your own. I'll send any new friends a postcard  :)
 

Mailbox happiness!

Incoming...

     We went on vacation for a few days and I came home to a lovely stack of mail. Here it is:

 From a postcrosser in Belarus. I don't have many long cards like this.

 Timmy loved this pig card from a postcrosser in the Netherlands.

 Here is a winking gnome from Stefanie, a postcrosser in Germany.

 From postcrosser, Liyn, in China. They work for a chocolate company. The chocolate looks delicious. The top of the card says "Every piece of Choc Choco tells a story" My chocolates are usually screaming in fear.. lol.

 This is from a Lettermo friend from Georgia. I love postcards that are mail related!

 Another new Lettermo friend. Missy is from Arizona. I love the Mother Theresa quote. Missy, if you're reading this, you should check out a woman named Mama Maggie Gobran. She works with the street children of Cairo, Egypt and is the most humble person I have ever heard speak. If I remember I will add some of her quotes to your letter.

Mail from South Africa, Australia, Maryland and Virginia. The woman in South Africa is a fairly new penpal and the other 3 are fascinating new pals from Lettermo. I'm so excited to that I joined this year.
  Reading back in the blog, I realized that I needed to update a few other pieces of mail too.  This was from last week. Sorry I have not been good about updating this week. 

 Package from my friend, Akiko, in Japan!

 Ooooh! Exciting.

 Oops... this was out of order. Great postcrossing card. It's in the other room so I don't remember off the top of my head where it is from.

 Tea from Japan- this will make me feel beauty... good stuff.

 Nice postcard from Akiko

 Tsurago Castle in Japan

 "The Big Bad Wolf and the Seven Little Goats" Akiko, is this a story? We don't have this story here. You will have to tell me it.

 Tea!

 Chocolate- white, milk and dark!

 New Lettermo friend from Indiana. I love the card. She made the photo below as well.

       Lastly, I got a letter from Wendy (Lettermo) in Australia. I grabbed it on my way off for vacation so I didn't take a picture.
     I can't complain about not having any mail this week! Hopefully it keeps up like this and I can write like a madwoman to keep up!

Outgoing...

    Didn't take any pictures of mail on vacation but I mailed 3 of my soldiers, a penpal package (Melanie's) and a few Postcrossing cards. Here are my new numbers since it's been a while.

The 366 Project:

Received: 31
Sent: 59

     Today is the 52nd day of the year so I'm still on track!!! Woohoo! 

    Off to write some letters.  Today I saw that my page has hit 2000 page views. Yeah!

   

Luthuanian postbox

Incoming...

    I was hoping between the blizzard (aka.. no mail on Saturday) and being part of Lettermo that my mailbox would be flooded today with wonderful goodies. Alas, it was not. I got 1 postcard from Lithuania. On a good note, I really liked it. It is from Fredda, a postcrosser. I really like the Lithuanian post box. I love mailbox/mail related cards. 



















    I also wanted to share a picture of the postcard and sunglasses I got from Lamberto in Italy since I hadn't photographed them the other day.  Again, thanks!

 Outgoing...

    Being locked in a house with a travel ban on the roads has been great for my writing. Over the past few days I have finished a letter and a bunch of postcards. The letter is going into a package but I haven't been able to send that yet. (Today has been awful all around. Hopefully I can focus later.)  Here are some of the things I sent.

 

Help from Blogger friends?

Hi everybody. Could someone tell me how I add someone's widget to the side of my page? I use a template to write the blog but I don't seem to be able to add a gadget. Any advice for me? Thanks! I might also be interested in adding some of the blogs I follow over there too.

Blizzard update...

SNOW!!!!!!

    Here are pictures as of an hour and a half ago. It is still snowing. The snow is up to my thighs by the cars.

 

366 Update

    Forgot to update my numbers:

The 366 Project:

Incoming: 16 (Hoping this picks up soon. I am already so behind)
Outgoing:  35 (Only 5 behind where I'd like to be.. I'll catch up this weekend!)

Goal- 43 outgoing by Monday.  

Blizzard mail

Blizzard!!!!

    Hello from snowy Massachusetts. We're supposed to get 16-24" of snow tonight, which is nothing compared to what some of my friends get for snow, but a lot for here. Here are some pictures of the storm right now:

 Timmy in action

 Matt, David and Timmy sledding in our side yard. (Well, Matt is pushing rather than sledding!)

 David.. who really flies with a good push.

 The side yard/driveway. We live next to a shop, hence the classy dumpster. Past the dumpster, next to the snowy truck, is a huge pile of lobster traps. A fisherman from Gloucester stores them here. (Just some random info. for you :) )

 Looking down toward the highway.

 Across the street.

 Timmy.

Timmy probably secretly hoping to run David over.

     I'll take more pictures for "after" shots.

Incoming....

    Only got 1 letter today. It was from Linda, a penpal from AL. I loved a little sticker she had on there.  It made my day.

  The other day I was super excited because Matt texted me that I got a package from Italy. I wasn't expecting a package from Italy so I was a bit surprised. In fact, I don't even have a penpal from Italy. I got home from work and rushed to my mail. I pulled open the package and found a postcard and a box. The postcard from Postcrosser Lamberto in Italy. (Impressive- he's the number 1 postcrosser in Italy for postcards sent and distance sent!) In addition to being a super postcrosser, he seems really nice. In addition to the postcard, there were 2 pairs of Timberland sunglasses in there. What a cool random act of mail kindness :)

Outgoing....

    What blizzard? Good thing John was working at the post office and waiting for me to come by. lol. (The post office is closed tomorrow here. No mail delivery I'm sure. Maybe this will make Monday and awesome mail day!) 
    Today I sent 3 Postcrossing postcards and care packages to soldiers 2 and 3. May I just say I hate customs forms for the military packages? Thanks. Here's the loot:

 I ran out of shipping tape so duct tape had to work for my top package. (That's a Month of Letter sticker on there too!)

Other...

    We tried the miso soup and Chinese noodles sent in the food swap. They were tasty. It's a good thing we have Ramen noodles because here were the directions:

 In Japanese, I believe it says: "Dear Jen, it's instant soup and noodles. Are you really trying to read the directions? Let me draw you a picture... dummy."  The pictures worked..lol.

      This was tasty. The noodles tasted different than the noodles that are in our similar noodles. I was also surprised that the miso soup flavoring was a liquid. Many times with instant foods in the US, the seasonings are dehydrated. My penpal Akiko said that the curry and the pasta sauce that was sent in the swap should be put in boiling water, heated in the package and then used on the food. Hmm... I'll try them all soon. Timmy wanted to try the soup and he really liked it too. (Tim says: "That soup was awesome- a little spicy but very yummy")

     In other notes, I just got a postable. If you'd like, please update your address for my online (secure) contact book.  A lot of people from A Month of Letters are using it. It will certainly make things easier if I'm trying to send a letter from school or something.
    
    Have I rambled enough yet? Maybe I'll go finish Ashley's letter (seriously) and write a few letters. 

Outgoing packages and LetterMo

Outgoing....

     I'm so glad I'm doing LetterMo. It will start getting me caught up with my letters. (Guilt is a great motivator too!) Here is my outgoing mail today... so far. (I'm hoping to write at least 1 letter tonight.) 

 
These are 2 packages headed out to 2 female soldiers that I support through Adopt A US Soldier. Soldier 1 is getting the large box. It contains snacks, drinks, hygiene products and some cards and letters from Timmy's Boy Scout troop.  I hope she likes it!
    The envelope is for my newest soldier. (Soldier #4- I'm not using names and locations because of the OPSEC rules)  This is just a small getting to know you package. She e-mailed me and said that she needs to get some paper so... here it is, a notebook, some girly stationary, envelopes and some Brach's candy conversation hearts for a treat. Of course there is a letter in there too.

Other...

     What is LetterMo?  It's the Month of Letters challenge. I'm hoping to send and receive lots of cool mail and make some new friends. Of course, I'm planning on catching up with my current penpals first. I plan to be writing a lot!  Here is the challenge:

"I have a simple challenge for you.

1. In the month of February, mail at least one item through the post every day it runs. Write a postcard, a letter, send a picture, or a cutting from a newspaper, or a fabric swatch.
2. Write back to everyone who writes to you. This can count as one of your mailed items."      Sounds fun right?  Possibly terrifying if you don't like to write, but it's right up my alley.

If you're visiting from LetterMo, welcome to my blog :)

1st mail out for The Month of Letters

Outgoing...

 
     First mail out for my Month of Letters quest: a postcard to Galiena in Russia. 
US-2060598

  
Valentine's Day themed. It says "In sickness and in health I lub you." I don't think they celebrate Valentine's Day in Russia so I'm writing about that. First postcard out with more postage too... ugh.