Social Correspondence

Driverless Cars

Autonomous vehicles (AVs), or Driverless cars, have been testing their performance in San Francisco for many months, at first with drivers at the wheel to trouble shoot. With its steep hills, crowded streets, distracting views, and large numbers of pedestrians, the city is notoriously difficult to drive in, making it a good test ground. That is, good for the profit-making company sponsors, including Google, GM, Amazon and others, but so far, not so great for San Francisco residents. The AVs went truly driverless just a few weeks ago. In a totally unscientific survey, I asked a…

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August 29, 2023

2023 / Letter writing

The Art of the Condolence Message

While a simple card or handwritten note is a meaningful way to express sympathy on the loss of a loved one, the art of the condolence message comes in many forms. People send flowers, prepare food for the bereaved, attend memorials and funerals, make donations to charity. Bereavement and loss can come suddenly and unexpectedly, as it did for me last year (2022) when I lost my husband of over 52 years. Condolence messages came in all of the above forms. Friends and neighbors brought meals, flowers, honey, and plants, made donations. During Murray's brief illness,…

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August 12, 2023

2023 / city living / News / newspapers / Pen Pals / Politics

I Left My Heart in San Francisco

When Tony Bennett sang “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” my heart sang along with him. Although he recently left us, at the age of 96, he immortalized a song that previously had had little traction. And along the way, that old-time New Yorker became a permanent icon in the hearts of San Franciscans. It was not my intention to live my life in San Francisco. I grew up in suburbs, and had my eyes on the temperate climate of Berkeley, CA, home of “Cal,” my alma mater. Or perhaps Mill Valley, a beautiful town…

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July 31, 2023

2023 / books / email / Handwriting / junk mail / Letter writing / Mail / Pandemic / Post cards / Postal Service / U.S. Postal Service

What’s in Your Mail?

National Postal Worker’s Day was July 1, which seemed like a good time to check out what’s in your mail. As people have moved from doing business through the mail to electronic communications, first class mail has declined. Banking, including bill paying, and personal communications have largely moved online. Only occasionally do I receive handwritten notes, cards, letters, or postcards, and I suspect that I am not alone. Even event invitations are conveyed electronically, through sites that track responses (RSVPs) and comments from invitees. Since 1926, the USPS has tracked mail volume by type of mail.…

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July 22, 2023

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2023 / Pets

Just Like an Old Married Couple

Autumn and Percy My cats Autumn and Percy recently turned twelve, and it is noteworthy how much they behaved over the years like an old married couple. They ate their meals together, Autumn always leaving a little bit of hers for Percy to finish. They raced up and down the hallways together, tearing up the house from one end to the other, leaving fluffs of fur in their wake. Both of them liked to take great naughty leaps onto the kitchen counters, though not necessarily at the same time. Percy was brazen and open. Autumn is…

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July 5, 2023

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

Slower delivery, higher costs projected for holiday mail

Holiday mail in 2021 will have slower delivery, higher costs, especially if you are shipping gifts or letters and cards across the country. Global supply chain issues, elimination of most air mail delivery, and labor shortages due to the pandemic all add up to slower processing and delivery times. Industry experts project that states west of the Rockies and mainland extremities states, including Texas and Florida, will be the hardest hit. But according to the USPS, new high speed package sorting equipment and facilities will improve service reliability and efficiency (albeit at higher cost and slower…

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November 8, 2021

country life / Pets

A Week in Tomales

Thanks to the generosity of friends, we escaped the fog of San Francisco and spent a week in Tomales, CA. It was a beautiful week. The weather was perfect: the sun was shining, the birds were singing, the cows lowing, and honeybees flitted through the gardens. For the most part, the only sounds interrupting the quiet in this small town were the nighttime hooting of an owl from the trees across the street, and the crowing of a nearby resident rooster. Weekends, however, are a slightly different story. Shops and other businesses open up to visitors…

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October 6, 2021

email / Handwriting / Letter writing / Mail / Note cards / Pandemic / Pen Pals / Post cards / U.S. Postal Service

Pandemic Pen Pal

Many of us are experiencing a new normal – perhaps working from home, avoiding theaters, dining outdoors – and with these new Covid restrictions, what better time than now to develop a written correspondence with a pandemic pen pal? Commonly, pen pals are people who seek friendships and new experiences through the exchange of letters, often among people who have no previous connection. Many people favor international correspondence in order to learn and better understand the culture and customs of another country. In the early days of Social Correspondence, I often read sweet stories about long-term…

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September 24, 2021

books / mystery / nonfiction / novels / Pandemic / Politics

So Many Books, So Little Time

Finding time and space to settle down and read a good book can be difficult, depending on one’s circumstances, but the phrase “so many books, so little time” has never seemed truer. The quote is widely attributed to the late composer and musician Frank Zappa, and has been used on T-shirts, mugs, and other merchandise for decades. The quarantines and shut downs over the past year and a half due to Covid turned people’s lives upside down. For many, anxiety and stress challenged the ability to read for pleasure, and would-be readers turned to audio-books, podcasts,…

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September 1, 2021

Archives / books / Letter writing / Note cards / Stamps / U.S. Postal Service

Beyond the Art of the Stamp

Selecting just the right stamp to mail a card or letter often reflects the mood of the sender, but a card from Gigi Trabant goes beyond the art of the stamp. Her hand-crafted cards and envelopes are inspired by a selected stamp, which she surrounds with original related drawings and design, tailored to the individual to whom she sends the card. With her large collection of vintage and modern stamps, coupled with her imagination and artistic talent, a card from Gigi is a real gift. Wedding Card Gigi has been designing cards and envelopes based on…

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August 11, 2021