Postcards and GoodRead wins

   This past week I took part in the Penpalling& Letters (Penpal Group on Facebook) Surprise Postcard Event. I have a ton of cards and my mailbox was slow so I decided to send a card to almost everybody who signed up. (Rather, I sent a card to everybody who was signed up by the time I printed the address list.)  I realized as I was logging things that I have sent over 125 postcards this year! I wish I could say the same about letters.
    I got some good mail over the past few days too. Here are the books and postcards that have come in!

 This is my first received card from the P&L Postcard event. This is the Trifels (3 rocks) Castle in the Palatine Forest. It is sent by Melanie, who spent time as an au pair fairly close to where I grew up.

      I loved the title of this book when I saw it on the GoodReads giveaway page. As part of my job, I'm used to talking to 150 different personalities a day. (Sometimes all in 1 kid! Just kidding!) I don't struggle to converse with people I don't know well but sometimes I, honestly, have a hard time if conversations I have with people are shallow all of the time. I also have a hard time "loving" or being around annoying people. Ha ha... because I'm NEVER annoying, sigh. In all seriousness, sometimes I can be judgmental or have a tendency to not give people a chance if they have made mistakes. Honestly, I am glad that I recognize this in myself because it helps me to be open to people that I might not feel that I fit in with. It also makes me notice if I'm sounding a little "holier than thou."
    On the other hand, I'm friendly and I genuinely like spending time with people. So, sometimes when I see an acquaintance and speak with them for a while, I actually remember their name or say hello if I see them again. Sometimes, especially being a New Englander. people look at me like I'm really weird for being friendly. (This is why I married Matt.. he's super anti-social.. again, just kidding.) I actually had a conversation with a few moms at a birthday party yesterday. They were trying to figure out how long we've known each other and both said that I am "a person you feel like you've known for years." My insecurities yelled- "yeah, because you talk so much" or "it's only been 1 year? Gah!" but they said it was a good thing and that I was personable and they felt like they could talk to me on a "real" level. I laughed when I got home and saw this in my mailbox right after that conversation.

 This is a postcrossing card from a grade 10 student in China. "My love, you are like a flower"is printed on the back. I don't know what is written under the heart on the front.

    Another Goodreads win. I am not a huge mystery reader but this seems a little different. I look forward to trying the recipes. The author also signed it and wrote me a small note on the inside of the book. Thanks!

   In other news, I still haven't shared too much about our upcoming road trip but let me tell you right now that I have been worrying endlessly for at least a week. I have also discovered a few things about myself this week. Some of these things I already had glimpses of but many things have been put into a different perspective this week.