GoodReads win

INCOMING!     I received my first package of the year today! If you are unaware, GoodReads does daily giveaways. I enter every once in a while and have actually won quite a few books. I love this because 1) I can try some books that I might not have bought without being disappointed if they're not what I was hoping, 2) I've been introduced to some new authors (I've also chatted with quite a few of them, which has been pretty cool.) and 3) I love to save some money. Today I received a book I had won a little while ago. This book is called Ordinary How to Turn the World Upside Down. It is written by Tony Merida, a pastor from North Carolina. I have not read anything by him yet so I look forward to reading it.

  For my art friends, I like the cover of this book. It's designed like an older book. It looks like the cover originally said "Extraordinary How to Conquer The World" and it's been altered for the new title. It's also designed to look well-worn. Kinda cool. It seems like the whole premise of the book is to develop your faith in your everyday life through service to others and humility.
   The only thing I'm not quite as excited about is that books that come in my apartment automatically go on my "to read" shelf. Do any of you have any quirky, almost obsessive habits? Well, Matt is always laughing at me for my way of choosing which book to read next. I have a specific system and I seem to be very OCD about breaking the rules of that system. So, who knows when I will read this but hopefully it's soon. I aim to read at least 1 book a month. I'm currently reading 2 but it's going slowly. I will being a new book on Feb 1 at the latest. I'm also quite obsessive about not being late.
OUTGOING!
     I couldn't find my SD card for the camera before I ran out to the post office. Guess where it was? In the SD slot of the computer... duh. My outgoing mail was a postcard of the Statue of Liberty headed to Germany and a card for a little guy in my chorus who lost his grandmother this week. :(
The 366 Project:
Sent: 13
Received: 3

Last card from Christmas RR

     I realized earlier that I forgot to take a picture of the stuff I sent out today. 1 outgoing postcard went to Japan and 1 letter went to my 2nd ChemoBuddy.
     My mail headed out next is a card to a university student in Taiwan.

 My incoming mail today was the last card in a Secret Christmas Card RR. I sent mine to Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, France and the Netherlands. I received cards from Germany, The Netherlands, Ireland, and France. This one, which says "Prettige Kerstdagen en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar" is from Belgium.

First mail of 2015!

Yeah! I finally received some incoming mail this year. My first card/letter is from Belinda in South Africa. I was excited to see South African mail in my box because it has been a while that people have sent to or received mail from me because of the postal strike.

Outgoing to Poland Hotel Room by Edward Hopper

The 366 Project:
Sent: 9
Received: 1

Timmy got a hamster for Christmas. He actually got 2. Santa Claus brought him 1 and she died the next day!?! Seriously. She was Loretta. We bought him one after that.  Meet Blizzard.

Outgoing Mail 1/2-1/4, Chemo Angels

Outgoing:

 Postard to Latvia, card for a former ChemoBuddy

 Postcard to Sharon, PA. Letter to a current ChemoBuddy

Postcard to Belarus. I got this card at the New England Aquarium, isn't it beautiful?

The 366 Project:
Sent:8
Received: 0

   I mentioned that my One Word for 2015 is "create."  I'd like to create an opportunity for you! Another person will be the lucky recipient of this opportunity. I am involved with a program called ChemoAngels. ChemoAngels offer to support people who currently have a cancer diagnosis and are going through chemotherapy. The basic commitment is that you send your buddy something like a letter, card (or package if you can handle it!), or small gift once a week. This is not a penpal program. In fact, the "buddy" you are assigned to aren't required to respond back. After a month you can check in and get an update for the person. I have had 3 chemobuddies.  One ended up leaving the program because she had a bunch of encouragement from her family. I currently write to 2 people. One person I have not heard anything from. The second I have exchanged letters and cards with as well as become friends on Facebook. I'm greatly enjoying getting to know her. If you are interested in checking it out, look at the link above.
    I know that at least 1 of my penpals does ChemoAngels. Let me know if you get involved too!

366 again?

    For the past 2 years I have tried to send and receive 366 pieces of mail in one year. The first year I just cared about quantity and sent out as many letters as possible, yet felt guilty that I was getting behind in catching up with my mail. I decided that I would rather have quality correspondences with people and that maybe I could help my project by including my postcards and cards that I receive. Last year I attempted it again. I sent better quality mail but struggled with organization and logging everything. So, I got discouraged and gave up again. With a new year comes a new attempt. I think this is my year. I hope it is.

Outgoing mail today:

 Headed to Donna in Canada. Sorry about my finger. I still haven't figured out how to blur my address.

 Art card headed to Elena in Russia. You may notice that I have many art cards that I send. One day at school, a colleague approached me with a HUGE pile of postcards and asked me if I knew anybody who could use these postcards. Oh, the irony. She explained that her sister works at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and that they were going to throw the cards out.  Her sister rescued them, but now they had a ton of postcards. Now I have a ton of postcards!

   I made this card from some of my favorite washi tapes. It is headed to Katrin in Germany. I hope she likes it. I enjoyed making it.

Incoming- We didn't have mail delivery today so I don't have any mail from the new year yet. If you'd like to send me mail during the year, please do. I would love being surprised by people I don't normally correspond with through postal mail. Who doesn't like a nice surprise in their mailbox every once in a while? I look forward to catching up with my penpals. I would also love to create some new friendships this year. If you'd like to send me a card, letter, postcard, package- whatever and need my address, let me know.

366 Project:
Sent: 3
Received: 0

One Word 2015

     Happy New Year! Last year I leaned about One Word 365 and decided that instead of using resolutions, I would choose 1 word to guide me throughout the year. (You can read that post here.)  Last year's word was rejuvenate and although I do not feel completely rejuvenated, I can see the impact that that word had in my life last year. Here are some examples:
- A renewed love in being close to God and trying to remain close when it would be easy to run away.
- The ability to say no to things that will not be rejuvenating.
- The courage to try art, just for my own enjoyment.
- Rejuvenated relationships and intentional time with friends and family.
- Giving up my department head position at school in order to have more time at home and less time being anxious about things that weren't really my issues. This was a huge decision for me, and one that many people did not understand, but it was a very healthy decision.

     The word I have chosen for 2015 is CREATE. I had thought of my normal goals like "declutter" and others but I found that sometimes if I concentrate on something that seems negative, my attitude goes in the same direction. Being a music teacher, you'd think I'd be very creative but I'm pretty limited in my creativity. This year I plan to create:
- Art (Mail art too. Always inspired, encouraged and challenged by my friend Ashley on this one!) I'm starting my first art journal this year, thanks to some awesome gifts from my sister-in-law Anne. I am also going to be working through some prompts at Daisy Yellow.  If you enjoy art and encouragement, Tammy is amazing and I have learned a ton this year from her prompts and by looking at art that others have submitted. Check it out!
- Friendships. I would like to be open to taking a risk and developing friendships with some acquaintances I do not know well.
- Opportunities- For myself, my family and my students.
-Space. (Declutter?) I have TOO MUCH stuff. I have been organizing and purging items from my apartment this week and I'm starting to see (and feel) a difference. I would like to live somewhere that I feel relaxed and at home. Currently I feel buried in all the extra stuff that is all over the place. (As I was cleaning I realized that I have a TON of extra paper, journals, notebooks, etc. No more buying these until all are used up.)
- Experiences- Again, being open to trying new things or pushing myself outside my comfort zone.
-Music. Celebrating the gifts God has given me and sharing them with others.

      I think that focusing on creating all these things will bring me much joy in the upcoming year. It will also help in some goals I always have- getting the house organized, losing weight and getting more healthy in general and growing in my relationship with God and the people He has put into my life. I am also going to restart my 366 project in the hopes that I will actually finish it this year. First letter of the year is going out today to Donna in Canada.
   
     What are your goals for the new year?

End of the year mail haul

   Two days ago, I told you I would write and update you on my postcards. I thought about showing all of my mail but I got a ton of Christmas cards with pictures and I didn't know if my friends/family would mind me posting them. (They all are beautiful!)  I also got a great package from my friend Jenny in Germany that included a card a magnetic notepad and some DELICIOUS Advent chocolates (which I may or may not be devouring at an unhealthy rate...).
     Here are all of my cards over the past month or so. Being a musician in December has greatly interfered with me just sitting around and having time to blog.
   From Poland:  

 From the US- Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado... beautiful

 From Russia. Check out the sticker that was stuck on it. When the Postcrosser sent it to me, the sticker was not there. Anyone every see this sticker before? There's a close up under the postcard. What does it mean?

 From Germany:

China: A postcard of a stamp from 1997.

 From Germany- David took this out of my mailbox and was startled. I love it. I've developed a liking for owls.

 Taiwan:

 More owls from Plymouth, MA- less than 2 hours from me. I'd love to meet more local Postcrossers.

 Czech Republic:

 Russia: (art card. Isn't it pretty?)

 Belarus: More owls! Can you tell I updated my Postcrossing preferences?

 China- Confucius Temple.

 Finland- Moomin!!!! I also love that the proceeds from buying the card will help to build a children's hospital in Helsinki.

 Russia: This card confused me a little. I thought Konigsberg was in Germany. Apparently, after 1945 it is called Kaliningrad. It was the easternmost city in Germany until it was captured after WWII. (According to Wikipedia..lol)

 From Taiwan:

 China:

 From the US- Minnesota. I was telling the Postcrosser that I know the man who is currently renting Einstein's viola from a museum. I have heard it played. It's beautiful.

 These cards are from a Christmas card RR I did through Postcrossing. The first is from Ireland and the next 2 are from Germany, and the last is from the Netherlands.

Oh, I should also show you a gift from my Reddit Secret Santa. I sent a pashmina scarf to a Redditor in CA. I received this gift from a Reddit user in Oregon who didn't tell me their name. Thanks if you are reading this!

    

It is a kitten calendar, which David claimed, cookies and an art kit. I was especially excited about the art kit because I've wanted to try pastels but haven't wanted to pay for them in case I stink at it! lol