Social Correspondence

Americans rely on mail delivery for letters, packages, checks, medications and more

Mail Trucks: Next Generation

Mail trucks now roam the streets of San Francisco and other towns and cities in the U.S. on Sundays. In fact, this past Sunday, a mail truck drove right up to the front of my house, where the postal carrier hopped out and slid a package under the gate. But don’t expect to receive a birthday card from your best friend or a letter from your cousin on a Sunday anytime soon, as this new delivery service is limited only to packages from Amazon. The U.S. Postal service delivers mail and packages to every address in…

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April 28, 2015

Postal Service / Stamps

A Stamp Brouhaha

Postage stamp errors have been plentiful since pre-paid stamps were first introduced in the U.S. in 1847. Stamp mistakes often are related to spelling, color, using an incorrect image, or perhaps printing an image upside down. None are more likely to cause a brouhaha, however, than factual inaccuracy. It is highly unlikely that the U.S. Postal Service intended to create a controversy, but a recently released Forever commemorative stamp has caused such a brouhaha. Issued on April 7, the stamp pays tribute to the late poet, writer, singer, producer and actress Maya Angelou. Ms. Angelou died…

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April 20, 2015

Handwriting / Letter writing / Mail / Postal Service

National Card and Letter Writing Month

The United States Postal Service kicked off National Card and Letter Writing Month on April 1. “Letter writing improves social and penmanship skills. More importantly, it helps create lasting memories with the people you care about most,” said U.S. Postal Service Judicial Officer William Campbell at an event held in Washington, D.C. This year the Postal Service, in collaboration with Scholastic, is encouraging classroom activities that teach children to write. The occasion of National Card and Letter Writing Month was marked by the issuance of a colorful new From Me to You Forever stamp. The stamps…

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April 13, 2015

Handwriting / Letter writing / Mail / Postal Service / War letters

Wartime Letters

High on a shelf in the closet of my parents’ bedroom there was a box full of letters, written from 1942–1944. It was wartime, and my father, a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, was stationed in Tiburon, but spent his days on a World War I era minesweeper, the U.S.S. Eider. He was 21 years old in 1942, and my mother was 19. As a teenager, I very much wanted to read the letters, but because I was told not to, I didn’t. There are two kinds of children, it seems: those who won’t take no…

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March 26, 2015

Mailboxes, Sausalito, CA Photo by Tibby Storey

Letter writing / Mail / Mailboxes / Postal Service / Twitter

Mailbox Magic

The magic of a mailbox is not necessarily what it looks like, but what it contains. That special envelope, perhaps a baby announcement, a love letter, an official job offer, or even a much-needed tax refund check, are all pieces of mail that can brighten one’s day. When I left home for the first (and last) time at the age of 17 to attend the University of California, Berkeley, a mere ten miles from my home town of Lafayette, California, it was a given that surprise in-person visits from family were not allowed. This was my…

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March 16, 2015

Handwriting / Letter writing / Mail / Stamps / Uncategorized

Readers Corner – Wedding Etiquette

Dear Readers, As always, I enjoy and appreciate receiving your comments and letters. The following are excerpts from letters received about the post "Wedding Etiquette," See also comments posted on the site. "Happy mother of the bride!" LETTERS Just read your posting and enjoyed very much! As for timelines, I'm happy to receive a thank you anytime! I know manners have changed dramatically in the past decade or so, and I'll accept any form of thank you! Although with my limited experience, because my kids or their friends don't tend to get married, it seems when…

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March 3, 2015

Mail / Postal Service

Wedding Etiquette

I have a new best friend. Her name is Emily – Emily Post, that is. Emily has been guiding me through the intricacies of wedding etiquette, especially with regard to written correspondence. As my own wedding took place nearly four and a half decades ago, I am a bit rusty on protocol. But while serving as first lieutenant for planning my daughter’s Valentine’s Day weekend wedding, I learned many valuable tips from Emily. Of course, the one and only Emily Post no longer is with us, but her sage and gracious advice has been updated by…

4 Comments

February 20, 2015

Mail / Postal Service

Readers Corner: Letters

Dear Readers: It is a new year and while snail mail is being delivered a little more slowly than in the previous year, my mailbox nonetheless has been filled with cards and notes over the past month (more on that in the next post). Please check out some past posts to see recently updated reader's reactions and comments, including "How the MTST Changed My Life," "Letters in the New Year" and "Winter Mailbox." The following email was sent in response to the post "Winter Mailbox." It addresses the deluge of mail we receive throughout the fall, including…

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February 4, 2015

Letter writing / Mail / Postal Service / Technology

Letters in the New Year

Welcome to 2015. Holiday cards and letters have been filed away, wrong sizes or colors have been exchanged, and now we must play catch up - pay bills, mind our New Year’s resolutions, and most likely, watch our waistlines, after some good holiday eating. Each new year, I vow to be more on top of things, but somehow, the late year holiday frenzy always gets in the way. But I am happy to report that I hand wrote, stamped and mailed all of my year-end greetings this year, even though Social Correspondence suffered. After all, the…

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January 20, 2015

Uncategorized

A Letter of Thanks

Thanksgiving is the quintessential American holiday, at its best filled with the delicious smells of a home cooked feast, and the sounds of convivial conversation among good friends and family. Such pleasures, however, are not to be taken for granted. For me, Thanksgiving is a time to remember those who once gathered at the table who are no longer with us, and to give thanks for the enduring friendships and the love of family that continue to bring blessings to life. This has been a year of happiness and joy, but also one of loss. It…

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November 28, 2014