Letter writing Archives - Page 3 of 10

Resolutions

Another year has arrived, and I am reminded that it is time to update my New Year’s resolutions! Most likely, some of mine are similar to or overlap with yours. Resolutions: Fitness First off, there is that pesky weight gain that coincides with fall celebrations. Whether they come from too much partying, excessive sweets, calorie-laden holiday meals, or simple inactivity, daily walks and other forms of exercise are part of the antidote. My father, gone now for 25 years, would have been 99 years old this coming May. He had a sense of humor about my…

0 Comments

January 8, 2019

2018 / Handwriting / Letter writing / Politics / Postal Service / U.S. Postal Service

National Letter Writing Day

National Letter Writing Day is Friday, Dec. 7. The date is timely because it serves as a reminder to reconnect with the people you care about during the holiday season. The history and origin of National Letter Writing Day is unclear, but it is perpetrated by a website, National Today, which endeavors to find a reason to celebrate every day of the year. National Today is the inspiration of PR Hacker, a broad-based San Francisco public relations firm specializing in technology and health. National Letter Writing Day is different from World Letter Writing Day, an endeavor…

0 Comments

December 6, 2018

2018 / Handwriting / Letter writing / Note cards / Post cards / Post Office

Too Many Note Cards?

Can a person have too many note cards? A recent home renovation project required that I pack and move the contents of one large closet, four bookshelves, a lateral file cabinet, and two writing desks. Along the way, I rediscovered more than a few boxes of stationery and note cards, as well as holiday cards, postcards, and assorted greeting cards for all occasions. A move can be a very effective way to discover things that are no longer needed. While downsizing, I donated several boxes of books to the Friends of the Library for the Annual…

2 Comments

November 27, 2018

Birds in Winter. Image courtesy of USPS

2018 / Letter writing / Mail / Memorabilia / Post Office / Postal Service / Stamps / U.S. Postal Service / War letters

More About Stamps

Stamps have been in the news recently. The surfacing of a rare inverted Jenny stamp, a dispute over the use of an image of the Statue of Liberty, and new releases of novel, innovative and popular stamp motifs have all received media attention in recent months. New stamps, now on sale at post offices or online through USPS.com, include four new holiday stamps as well as re-releases of past popular images; a World War I commemorative stamp; Hot Wheels; Birds in Winter; Dragons; the much anticipated John Lennon stamp; and others. John Lennon The John…

0 Comments

October 17, 2018

John Lennon stamp will be releases on Sept. 7

2018 / Letter writing / Mail / Mailboxes / Politics / Post cards / Post Office / Post Office Boxes / Postal Service / Stamps / U.S. Postal Service

What’s New at the Post Office

Services, facilities and politics are evolving at the USPS. So, what’s new at the post office? One service I tried out this year and have found very helpful is Informed Delivery. Launched in the spring of 2017, Informed Delivery provides the postal customer with a daily email, which includes photocopies of the letter sized pieces to be delivered in that day’s mail, as well as notification of anticipated packages. Given the massive quantities of junk mail that the average customer receives, this service is valuable in anticipating important letters and documents. If you haven’t yet signed…

0 Comments

July 2, 2018

Seagull

2018 / Handwriting / Letter writing / love letters

Love Notes by Denise Tapscott

Almost every day, I take a brisk walk. It doesn’t matter what my schedule is like. I walk at work, I walk at the gym, I walk when I plan to lounge around at home, and I even walk when I’m on vacation. Why the daily ritual? It’s a way for me to shake off any negative energy that might cloud my day. The cardio gets my blood pumping (which is definitely needed after creating dark stories and peculiar characters, letting words spill from my brain through my fingers, onto a keyboard). I also walk because…

1 Comment

April 14, 2018

2018 / books / Grandparenting / Handwriting / Letter writing

Diaries: Letters to Ourselves by Kay Roberts

A few months ago, I rediscovered a diary I kept when I was thirteen years old. This find made me think that diaries might make good Christmas presents for my grandchildren, ages ten and thirteen. I cautioned them to avoid dumb entries such as my own: “Washed my hair, went to the show.” I do like my entry about liking Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, except for being "stuck beside somebody who smelled like barn" (I grew up in a little farm community in Wisconsin). I had hoped my old diary would give me a glimpse of who…

1 Comment

March 15, 2018

The chain letter today is distributed by email

2018 / email / Letter writing / Mail / Mailboxes / Post Office / Post Office Boxes / Social Media / U.S. Postal Service

Post Office Boxes by Kay Roberts

On a recent little vacation in Calistoga, I realized I would miss a friend’s major birthday if I didn’t find and mail her a card. So I got myself out of a steaming pool and over to the post office. I go to Calistoga for those steaming pools at least twice a year, but I never had occasion before to visit the post office, and when I saw the rows of beautiful old post office boxes, I became (excessively, says my husband) nostalgic. What memories of growing up in the 1940s and 50s in Cumberland, Wisconsin…

0 Comments

March 2, 2018

Valentine greeting card

2018 / books / Handwriting / Letter writing / Mail

Love Letters

Does anyone write love letters anymore? Last week, my husband and I attended the beautiful wedding of his great niece in Las Vegas. There was so much joy, happiness, and tears going around that one could literally feel the love in the air. The young bride and groom met in a creative writing class at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Their writing instructor served as the best man at their wedding. The couple bonded over their shared love of reading and writing. I like to think that there will be many love letters in their future,…

2 Comments

February 13, 2018

Frederick Douglass: Gentleman of Letters

Frederick Douglass's private study

2018 / books / Letter writing / Politics / Typewriters

Frederick Douglass: Gentleman of Letters

Frederick Douglass (1818 – 1895), African American writer, orator, and social activist, was a gentleman of letters. Born into slavery, he was largely self-taught, learning to read and write prior to entering his teens. His eloquence and fiery oratory gave him great influence as an abolitionist, social activist, and diplomat throughout his adult lifetime. Last month, on a visit with my daughter in Washington, DC, we had the opportunity to tour Frederick Douglass’s final home, Cedar Hill, located in Anacostia. Douglass, who purchased Cedar Hill from the Freedmen’s Bank in 1877, lived there for seventeen…

0 Comments

February 11, 2018