5000 questions

 Swap-bot: 5,000 questions #14

This one was intense - 100 questions from a decades old LiveJournal questionnaire. I sent mine off with so many pages I had to make an envelope to fit!

I received Brooke's answers in a cute card all written in varying colors (with much better handwriting than mine!), plus a few little extras:

NeverTheSame

 Suzanne in Boston sent me this adorable card via PostCrossing:

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This little guy travelled 1,276 miles

Ugly Postcards

Swap-bot Ugly Postcard Swap #67

I sent this gem off to Germany. I have no idea where it came from or why I've kept it!

Update 3/1:

I got this one from Emily in Austin, Texas, which is not nearly as awful!

"Coniver" by Attaboy

"Carniverous Coniver,  seen here with a cloud of Aristocrat Bats, is frozen in complete anticipation, paralyzed by wanton expectation in a drooling trance, awaiting your exit from the shower."

I love it!

Booklines

Sent this to ensigncelery in California, the first and last lines of Glennon Doyle's Untamed, which my friend Stephanie recently lent to me!

And I just got this from Nicole, with the first and last lines from The Shunned House by HP Lovecraft.

She also included a picture of her "bookworm" Jake, who is an adorable old pup <3

Swap-bot: Bible Writing #41 Jude

Diane sent these wonderful "tuck-ins" along with a handwritten copy of the Book of Jude. She really dove into my swap-bot profile to know what to include in this - I love it all!

I sent mine off to Candace, along with a few postcards and a little collage I had fun with:

3 Things?

3 things in an envelope INTL #16:

Kelli sent the most amazing package! This is so creative and inspiring (and generous!)

I can't wait to get these fabrics in the quilt around the world stash.

The first thing I did after these photos was put these in my stamp binder:

😍 A mushroom themed ephemera pack:

Plus a set of washi samples: 

This is way more than 3 things! I love it all!

Would You Rather?

From Swap-bot, would you rather have the ability to travel to any fictional place or have the ability to learn any skill by observing it?

I sent my answer on this Japanese postcard to Danielle in Massachusetts: 

And got this from Sherra in North Carolina:

She and I had the same answer: learn something by observing it.

Also, she's into Letterboxing, which I had never heard of! I might have to try to find a local box!

more mail in February!

More InCoWriMo mail this month....

Swap-bot Adult Coloring page:

Postcrossing Postcard, Aristarkos requested religious imagery:

Swap-bot vintage tourist card, Vivien prefers city photography. This photo of the Lincoln memorial almost looks like an illustration:

Swap-bot TGIF weekend 331 notecard:

Margiebee and some vintage stamps

Postcrossing US-9099232

Mt Rushmore collage postcard to Margaret in DC. She likes illustrations, especially of cities and places. I hope this fits the bill! 

One of her prompts was "Do you have a story about a memorable meal or food item?" So I wrote a little anecdote...

I also took this opportunity to use some of my vintage stamps! Laura, owner of my very favorite store, Postscript, curates collections of these vintage stamps. I have so many! They are hard to part with, but I am finally putting them to use. 

TGIF Weekend Notecard

Swap-bot TGIF Weekend Notecard #330

Sent to Candace in North Carolina, who likes owls.

Incowrimo #6

InCoWriMo

International Correspondence Writing Month!

"InCoWriMo challenges you to hand-write and mail/deliver one letter, card, note or postcard every day during the month of February." - https://incowrimo.org/

Today is the 5th of February, so here are the 5 things I have written and sent this month!

Feb 1: Photobooth postcard to Martina in Slovakia, who likes photography and asked to hear about the day:

Postcrossing US-9099790

I also got to use an old stamp on this one! 

Feb 2: Oklahoma Route 66 postcard to Vidas in Lithuania. I've had this in my collection since I drove down Route 66 in March 2011!

Postcrossing US-9099217

I hope he enjoys the scene stamps! 

Feb 3: "3 Things in an Envelope" to Candy in Oregon. This was done through swap-bot.com, a swap of 3 things we think the recipient would like. I sent (1) newspaper pages in another language (these i brought home from Spain in 2004!), (2) postcards based on her list of like, and (3) vintage looking washi samples.

Feb 4: Downtown Los Angeles postcard to Heiko in Germany: 

Postcrossing US-9099243

Feb 5: Choshi Waterfall (Japan) to Anastasia in Israel:

Postcrossing US-9099237

Happy InCoWriMo! 

The Cricketer

I've had this postcard for so long, it was hard to part with. Bought at a museum during a trip to Chicago.

 

"Barry Flanagan, The Cricketer, 1989, 186" x 72" x 72," bronze. From the exhibition, Horses, Rabbits, Elephants . . . and People Everywhere, presented by the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, May 3 through October 30, 1996, in Grant Park, Chicago.

 

I wrote a quote:

 

"A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for." - William G.T. Shedd

 

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Mailed early 2016

Allegany County

This postcard was received blank from a swap at swap-bot, and 1 year later (2016) mailed to Vicky in China.

 

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On the back:

"The name Allegany comes from the Native American word "oolikhanna", which means "beautiful stream".

 

If you read that caption, know that there were hundreds of tribes in the United States before settlors came, so I have no idea which language it meant "beautiful stream" in. It's like saying "comes from the European word" ...

Mississippi Headwaters

Sent to Marianne in the Netherlands in April 2016:

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To this day one of my favorite vacations was to the Mississippi Headwaters. I would love to go back to Itasca State Park. But go on a weekday, because the weekends are crazy busy.

A Little Night Music

A Little Night Music (1973)

At a Swedish country estate at the turn of the twentieth century, actress Desiree Armfeldt and her guests work our their romantic issues. "Send in the Clowns" was the show's breakout hit number.

Sent this Broadway postcard to Teresa in Florida! US-4069130

6,127 miles

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Disneyland to Jozef in Slovakia!

Arrived June 30, 2016

Traveled 6,127 miles

Sending the Oregon Trail to China

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THE OREGON TRAIL

Seeking promised fertile land, many started out in western frontier towns such as Independence, Missouri. Facing droughts, floods, disease, looters, hostile Indians, dangerous animals, and dry mountainous terrains, many families saw their loved ones perish as they slowly traveled the Oregon Trail. The strain of traveling the trail shows in this unidentified family. Pioneers, many who walked the entire 2,000 miles, followed the rivers in hopes of reaching Oregon, California, or some place where they could claim their homestead and start a new life. (Photo by the Denver Public Library - Western History Collection)

Sent to Aeon in P.R. China! 

He said he likes history, traditional costumes, old photos, etc.

Arrived 2 Aug 2016, traveled 7,218 miles