Social Correspondence -

Becoming a Librarian

One of the best decisions I made in life was becoming a librarian. Still in my 20s, I took a year and a half break from full-time work to attend graduate school to get the MLS (Masters in Library Science). At this point, I had already had two careers. The first, as an entry level manager for The Emporium department store, involved long hours, working nights and weekends, and lasting foot pain. Standing all day, from crowded buses to the retail floor, was a killer of any social life. It was just not for me, and…

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July 27, 2024

An Abundance of Stamps

Recently, while reorganizing my desk, I discovered an abundance of stamps. More stamps, perhaps, than I will ever use. Among my favorites – Vanishing Species, Songbirds, Edward Hopper Sailboats, American Gardens, and others. Now I have a new favorite, issued by the USPS last month. These stamps feature spectacular images by American photographer Ansel Adams (1902 – 1984). Half Dome in Yosemite, the Sierra foothills, and the Golden Gate Bridge are among the stunning images. A year ago, 100 photos by Ansel Adams were on view in an exhibition at the de Young Museum, San…

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July 1, 2024

Letter writing / Mail / Stamps / U.S. Postal Service

In Memory of Alan Blackman: Letters to Myself

Alan Blackman: Letters to Myself first appeared in Social Correspondence on July 20, 2015. Mr. Blackman died on June 6, 2024 in San Francisco. Alan Blackman has had a long and storied career, as an artist, calligrapher, typeface designer for Adobe, lettering arts instructor, and three years working for the U.S. Post Office at San Francisco’s Rincon Annex. By his own account, however, his most significant work is Letters to Myself. Letters to Myself was a personal project first undertaken by Blackman in 1968. His then 11-year old son Stephen lived across the bay in Berkeley,…

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June 20, 2024

Trail on Mt. Davidson

city living / Grandparenting

How to be a Tourist at Home

Being a tourist at home, sometimes known as a staycation, can be fun and exhilarating. Forget about work, housecleaning, and laundry, and just enjoy being in your home environment. Take a walk by the river, go hiking or enjoy a delicious dinner or lunch at a restaurant with friends, or simply hole up with a good book in the shade at a local park. Main Trail on Mt. Davidson Living in San Francisco as a retiree, sometimes every day feels like being a tourist at home. There is so much to do and see, even in…

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May 30, 2024

Mail / Post Office / Postal Service / U.S. Postal Service

Sometimes It Can Be Difficult to Love the Post Office

Last week was a great week for personal mail. Each day my mailbox revealed a new treasure, including an oversized post card from Sandra, two beautiful Mother’s Day cards (Happy belated Mother’s Day, everyone!) with handwritten notes from our daughters – thank you, ladies, for those amazing messages! – two additional personal notes from Nancy and Jane, and an article about social calling cards from Joan. Postmarks on the letters included Washington, D.C., Brooklyn, New York, Honolulu, Hawaii, and my home city, San Francisco. How much better can things get than receiving six letters and cards…

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May 24, 2024

books / novels

The Joy of Reading

In the spring and fall, publishers release some of the best new books of the year, the ones that most support the joy of reading. This year’s releases have been no exception. The past few months have brought an abundance of great new fiction titles. Sometimes, as is currently the case, my recommended books appear to be lifted straight from the best-seller lists. Generally, I select my reading material from professional reviews published or posted in advance of publication, or through word-of-mouth by friends who read and review galleys, or advance readers copies. Whatever the source,…

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May 1, 2024

Grandparenting / Solar eclipse / Travel / Uncategorized

A Family Vacation

A long-time friend, dating back many decades, once quipped that “family vacation” is an oxymoron. Whether one agrees with this assessment or not, managing hours of travel with young children can be a challenge. A long-planned visit with family in Washington, D.C. had the fortuitous timing to include a road trip to view the total solar eclipse. It was, for me and millions of others, an awe-inspiring event, one that will not happen again in the continental U.S. for another 20 years. Fallingwater, PA This was the right kind of family vacation and road trip, the…

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April 15, 2024

books / novels

The Book Club

The secular book club, or reading discussion group, is a long-standing American tradition, dating back to the late 18th century. Earlier versions of reading groups were generally religious oriented. Today, 88% of participants in private book clubs are women, almost two thirds of whom have advanced degrees. Women today account for 80% of all fiction sales. There are many forms of book clubs. Publishers of popular books sometimes will include a discussion guide, printed in the book itself. There are national reading groups, touting specific books recommended by celebrities, such as Oprah or Reese Witherspoon. There…

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April 1, 2024

email / Handwriting / Letter writing / Mail / Post cards

Postcards in the Mail

Sending picture postcards in the mail is a tradition of somewhat recent vintage. And now, even as the practice fades, who does not enjoy receiving a postcard in the mail? Postcards and notes in the mail The development of postal cards dates back to the late 19th century in Austria/Hungary and shortly after, in Britain. Such cards were standardized in format and did not feature images. Postcards, on the other hand, in which the design features a picture or image on one side, with space for the recipient’s name, address, and a message, on the other,…

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March 17, 2024

Uncategorized

A Winter Drive Along the Coast

Winter has arrived in California with a vengeance, not a good time for a drive along the coast. Lashing rains, heavy winds, and floods make this an unlikely time to undertake a road trip. The arrival of a dear cousin, weeks earlier than anticipated, changed everything. My cousin Laurene, despite having lived in Switzerland all of her adult life, is the closest relative I have to being a sister. We are long-term correspondents, friends from childhood on, and my good fortune to spend a week with her was due to her recent grievous loss of her…

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March 4, 2024