I am obsessed with all things mail; the envelopes, the parcels,and the packages.  I love the crinkle of the well-traveled paper and the accumulation of stamps,stickers and signatures  on each one that arrives from a special place.  I am often found carefully snipping out pretty stamps from other countries and pausing for a moment before tossing the envelope into the recycling box. 

I have often considered trying to get a job delivering mail a.) so I could get lots of walking in everyday and b.) so I could touch, squeeze and admire the magical parcels each and everyday of my working life.  I have never been one to have a dream job (except as a small child I wanted to work at Becker's because another obsession of mine was, and still is, cash registers and their delightful little buttons), but this would be the closest thing to it.  However, I know I have romanticized the profession a bit too much and shall keep it on the shelf for now.

As I finished up the last of my baby shower thank you notes {yes, Poppy is now over 6 months old and yes, I am a complete slacker}, I decided to take advantage of the abundant supply of cards, envelopes and stamps to send off a note and a package to a couple of dear friends.  As I did this, I couldn't help, but wonder what sentimental trail will be left behind for my children or grand children other than my facebook and hotmail inboxes?   Will they never hold an old love letter or see fancy cursive writing on aged paper?  Will they ever know the thrill of finding a ribbon- bound stack of letters tucked away; a time capsule of communication between their grandmother and a dear friend?

Believe me, I love the internet and the whole wide world that it opens up to us, but is the old fashioned letter dead and gone?  Am I the last standing soul who yearns for a pen pal of sorts?  Because of this and the simple fact that I am old fashioned and love to receive mail, I will spend the weekend thinking about an original way to breathe new life into the fine, yet dying, art of sending and receiving mail. 

If you are interested in a snail mail revolution, drop me a line here or via email (oh, the irony!) and I will keep you in mind as I think about the project.

Well, we are off to Palmer Rapids to my parent's cottage and some Madness in Maynooth! 

Be well friends!

e.

Comments

[kate]

I so hear you...we've made it a point to have pen pal relationships established for the boys-- both with your sponsored kids in Africa and a few family friends scattered around the states. I *love* watching their faces light up when something arrives for them...and I love the other stuff that happens because of it (wanting to make cards, seeing their writing and drawing progress...etc). Poppy is just a year younger than my Lizzie...perhaps they can be pen pals someday!
Happy Weekend:)
kate

[Missy K]

How I love letters-- not just getting them, but the process of writing a letter-- it feels somehow ceremonial, about so much more than conveying information.

Bring the revolution!

[effie]

funny, i was thinking of starting a letter writing project as well :) it's definitely a fading art that i'd love to see revived. i've intended to run to my thrift store to get a bundle of stationery for days now, perhaps i'll jump on that sooner rather than later!

[effie]

also, darling photo!

[Jeannette aka Lesa aka @-,'--- on my new blog]

I do see it as a lost art. I have one of those stacks of hand written letters from an old childhood friend and wonder if that will ever be necessary for my DD to keep in touch with a dear friend that has moved away. I also wonder if my blog would ever be lost and thus my views of daily life along with it. Keep me in mind as you contemplate this.

Another beautiful blog post and picture, BTW. Your blog is such a peaceful place to visit. :)

[Sara]

Very, very true. Maybe a mail art swap? Or I have seen traveling sketchbooks that are neat too - write a poem, paste a photo. A list of people could start off with a sketchbook each and mail it around and back again :)

[JoAnn]

Ooh I would be up for a creative or not so creative snail mail penpal adventure. :)

[gabriella]

I love to write, esp. with a pen on gorgeous stationary. When something I've written goes into an envelope to be mailed off... oh the excitement! And now that I'm at home, I have this obsession with the mail carrier! (No, not the actual person, but the concept). I keep an eye out the window all morning until I see the truck drive up and I can't wait to get out there to pick up my mail!

I love the parcels too! I am expecting a package next week from the USA... and I've been tracking it through UPS site! I am just imagining my package, which is now at customs... being handled by several people and slowly making its way to my home! I just love that we can track packages. Am I the only one who actually checks daily to see where it is at that exact moment?

Count me in... would love to be involved in this project!

[@-,'---]

Ooooo... or ATCs! Those would be great for swapping!

[Valarie Budayr]

I love mail. I love writing letters and decorating the envelopes. It's so great to get packages. Decorative stamps have a place in my heart too. Oh just sign me up for the great snail mail project. Have fun with the parents.

[jennifer]

yes. yes. yes.

[Claire]

I'd love to play too.

[Desiree Fawn]

ooh I love mail as well!
another plus to being addicted to places like etsy -- I get lots of little packages!

[http://mysweetbabu.typepad.com]

I think this is a wonderful idea! There is nothing I enjoy more than getting a note in the mail...I love that my mother adn some of her friends communicate with notes on beautiful stationary...

Ofcourse, I am biased since my husband does work fot he post office! He loves the outdoors and although he does not think about it, I know he is aware of how much joy he brings to people each day when he brings them thier post.

Lately, mpore people have been "going green" and paperless, and this really has effected the post office. Something I have done, to keep supportine the post, but also in staying "green" is that I shred my magazines and things like that, and then will use the shreddings for packing material or in gift baskets! All of the colors look so cool! Just an idea...
Have a great weekend!
a.

[Mixing Bowl Mama]

Twelve years ago, when I was fresh out of University (I can't believe it was that long ago), I moved to the South of France to be an au pair for a year. I met a lovely girl from Manchester, England who was there doing the same thing. We lived in the wonderful Mediterranean for a year together and then I returned to Canada and she to England. She has come here to visit three times since then but not we both have families and it's much to expensive for us to travel. We write and have written several letters over the years. We have sent cards and packages and notes and it's been wonderful. She's terrible at email, which is actually a blessing, for we have a fantastic snail mail relationship. We talk on the phone every Christmas, and sometimes once more throughout the year, but it's mostly a friendship that withstood the passing of time and I cherish my letters greatly.

Good luck finding your mail project.

[Kristine]

You are not alone in your passion for the mail. The highlight of my day when I lived in the country was seeing the little red flag on the mail box go up signalling real mail in my mailbox! I love to get a parcel in the mail and I love to get a letter and I love to receive a catalog. I love to see what people's handwriting looks like. I'm curious about your developing project, so keep me in mind!
K.
p.s. I have two friends who are posties - they love the walking part, the knowing the neighborhood part, but they do have some...interesting...things to say about some of their colleagues and their time spent inside sorting mail...

[Amanda - Django Mango]

i'd be up for this - it sounds fun! i miss letters:(

[Dusti]

Oh! How wonderful! I LOVE writing letters, and love getting them even more! And the old love letters... My husband's family still has all of his grandparents' letters they sent each other during World War II. They are so wonderful to read...
I have tried to get my friends to start sending regular mail, unfortunately they always e-mail me after they get a letter from me.... I thought I was the only one left who wanted to send snail mail! I'm glad to know I'm not!!!

[Trinity Mommy]

I have an obsession with "real" mail also!!! I am hoping that I can teach my little ones what a treasure it is to receive a handwritten letter from a friend! It is difficult to find others out there that share this same love!

[Ann]

I never thought about it until you mentioned it but you are so right - with facebook and blogging, what sort of legacy in writing will I have to pass down to my (unborn) children and grandchildren. Hmmm.

I love packages and letters - both sending and receiving. :D

[heather]

i'm in love with all things mail too. did you get to read my version of the story for the old photo yet? i slipped my mail love into the story in a way that i love.

i will probably be into this project, probably probably. definitely keep me in mind.

[Hannah]

I love your post. I'm also mad about snail mail and when the postman knocks on our door my heart skips a beat! I have a dear friend who lives hundreds of miles away now and we have been sending eachother letters and parcels for a decade this September - isn't that exciting!
I'd love to hear about what you have in mind :o)

[Ana]

Oh Erin, I would love to be your PenPal! I too mourn the lost art of sending and receiving letters in envelopes - I often send my friends letters, just "because", just to keep it alive. Nobody ever writes me back though, or they send me an email to say thanks for the letter! I just keep on sending them every once in a while... I have even written my boyfriend many letters, even though we talk on the phone every single day, because there's just something in handwriting letters that you can't really say any other way. Also, I do want to leave that legacy of "love letters" behind for future children and grandchildren to dig up one day in the far away future...

[granolagirl]

Count me in:)

[Desiree Fawn]

Hey again -- just wanted to let you know about this group that a friend of mine & I have started: http://www.meetup.com/Natural-Parenting-Peterborough/
It's a mama meetup group and we'd love you to join up too!
We're having our first meetup Sept. 17th!
Peace!