Friday, April 26, 2013

Spread a little love around

After all of the tragic news the world has
endured lately, it's time to share the love.

Try some of these "Sealed With Love" Forever stamps from the USPS. Then, pop in at The World Needs More Love Letters and see how you can write a love letter to someone, anyone. If you still have some love to spread around, go to Send Something and pick out someone to write to.

It's up to us letter writers to cheer this place up some!

Happy letter writing!

Thursday, April 25, 2013

L is for Letter Writing




Writer and blogger Bridget Whelan took part in the April "A to Z Challenge," and when it was L's turn, she wrote "L is for Letter Writing." Her post lists several examples of epistolary literature. It's an interesting piece I think you'll enjoy.

For more information on the A to Z Challenge, even though it's just about over, check out this site.
 

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Great penpal story in Baton Rouge newspaper!

I came across this great story about penpals. I think you'll like it and will be inspired by it!

Decades of deliveries | People | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, LA

Beautiful New Springtime Stamps

The U.S. Postal Service has so many pretty new stamps out this month. Have you seen the La Florida stamps? They are beautiful!

The stamps commemorate the 500th anniversary of the naming of Florida and feature a bouquet that  evokes the beauty of the state’s lush flora. 

The 46-cent La Florida Forever stamps are produced in four designs. They are good for mailing 1-ounce First-Class letters anytime in the future regardless of price changes.

The La Florida stamps are available in blocks of 4 or 8 or in sheets of 16. Plus, there are notecards to match, as well as the usual philatelic products. For more information about the stamps, see the USPS website or the online shop.
La Florida notecards.
 

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

How quickly life changes

Last week, I wrote about April being a great month. Shortly after that post, two bombs exploded at the Boston Marathon. Two days later, a fertilizer business exploded here in my home state of Texas. Two more days later, the brothers suspected of creating and detonating the bombs in Boston went on a bloody crime spree that ended in the death of one brother and the injury and capture of the other.

April may be a great month, but last week was a tragic and stressful week for many people. There also was an earthquake, an avalanche and several other natural disasters, as well as more crime by mankind.

Is any of this showing up in your letters? Do you know people who have been affected by recent tragedies? Have any of your penpals written to you about any of these events?

Often, we put off writing about such topics. They are too difficult to write about. Sometimes, it seems, we put it off until it is too late to send the letter we should have written.

The CBS Sunday Morning Show had a piece on last Sunday about Jackie Hooper and her project, "The Things You Would Have Said." Jackie's website gives people the chance to write a letter saying the things you always wanted someone to know. She posts the letters on the site. I'll warn you now, it's a tear-jerker.

She also has a book out by the same name.

Do you have something you wish you had said before it was too late?

But, think about it...maybe it's not too late to write another letter to someone else. I'm not suggesting you do anything drastic. I'm just saying that some day it may be too late. Should you write that letter today? If there's a letter you need to write, maybe today is the right day to do it.

What do you think?

Monday, April 15, 2013

April is a Great Month!

April is National Poetry Month, as established by the Academy of American Poets in 1996. This is also National Card and Letter Writing Month...I have no idea who decided that, but any excuse to promote letter writing is a good one, in my opinion!
Isn't this National Poetry Month poster great!?!

And, this year, the two "months" are colliding, as the Academy of American Poets is celebrating the role that correspondence has played in poets' development and writing lives by announcing the "Dear Poet Project." According to the AAP website, "In the spirit of Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet, in which Rilke replies to letters from a young military cadet and aspiring poet asking for his advice, we are inviting students to engage with poetry by handwriting letters to some of the poets who serve on the Academy's Board of Chancellors."

Here is the suggestion from the AAP site:
Any young person is encouraged to participate! Here's how:
1) Read some of the poems written by the Academy's Chancellors. Here are some suggested poems to read and respond to:
Latin & Soul by Victor Hernández Cruz
Cherry Blossoms by Toi Derricotte
Broadway by Mark Doty
[Where do words come from?]
   by Vénus Khoury-Ghata,
   translated by Marilyn Hacker
You and I Belong in This Kitchen
   by Juan Felipe Herrera
Fall by Edward Hirsch
A Hand by Jane Hirshfield
Famous by Naomi Shihab Nye
Nothing in That Drawer by Ron Padgett
This Bridge, Like Poetry, is Vertigo
   by Marie Ponsot
Comet Hyakutake by Arthur Sze
Fast-Speaking Woman by Anne Waldman
2) Compose a one to two page handwritten letter sharing your questions and thoughts about the poem with its author. (Be sure to include your age and grade, along with a return address if you hope to receive a response). 3) Send your letter to:

Dear Poet Project
c/o Academy of American Poets
75 Maiden Lane, Suite 901
New York, NY 10038
Select letters may receive a reply from the poet and be featured on the Academy's website, Poets.org!

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Saturday Mail to Continue

According to news released by the USPS yesterday, home mail delivery on Saturdays will continue, following a resolution by the Congress forbidding the proposed new schedule. In an attempt to save money, the USPS had decided to stop delivering mail on Saturdays. The news is great for all of us mail enthusiasts; maybe it's not so great for the postal service that still has to figure out how to meet their budget.

We'll just all have to do our part and write more letters!

And, speaking of writing letters...I can't wait to get some of these new Vintage Seed Packet stamps! Aren't they beautiful?!?

They were introduced earlier this month and are based on photographs of seed packets from a century ago. The stamps are First Class Forever stamps and cost 46 cents each; a sheet of 20 is available for $9.20.
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