Happy Equinox

I realized too late that I should have sent out a postcard with flowers on it today, to honor the beginning of spring. And by that I mean I realized too late that I don't have any floral postcards to send. Instead, I dispatched a very groovy and unequinox-y Japanese cartoon postcard to a friend that I fear I'm in the process of falling out of touch with.

I'm not sure if a bunch of late night thoughts jotted down on a postcard of animated toast people and snaggle-toothed squirrels are enough to affect the cyclical ebb and flow of friendships, but a girl's gotta try.

I still wanted to send something spring-like, so I found this card to send to another friend, whom I hardly ever see or talk to but when we do it's like no time has passed.

I just bought a box of these cards - they are old polaroid pictures - and I thought they were postcards even though the box clearly says notecards. That's what I get for not paying attention. No matter, I can mix it up from time to time, and no need to discriminate against envelopes.

Where Does the Time Go?

Eeex, I realized tonight that it's been almost a week since I sent any postcards out - this is why the once-a-day challenge was so good for me. It's too easy to let more and more days go by.

Mailed March 13:

Most of the postcards I have I bought because they appealed to me; this one was purchased with the recipient very much in mind - it was sent to a Seattle expatriate with a big love for his hometown and its sports teams. I tried to find a Sounders postcard, but no dice. Here's hoping this brought a little bit of Northwest flavor to the 'Ham.

Mailed March 18:

This one's a bit more my style, a photo by Henri Cartier-Bresson. I didn't even realize when I bought this a year or two ago that this was the Berlin Wall (in 1962). I just love the photo.

From the Vaults #4

This weather is making me want to curl up in bed all day long. I feel like this painting.

September 1987:

Loren MacIver, "Morning Cart" 1960

"Hey J!! Sorry I wasn't home when you called! Next time leave a number where I can call you back if you have one. I love being in school again. I've been on lots of field trips - I even saw a copperhead snake once (these things are exciting to field biologists. Today is my 1st exam and I'm quite worried about it because I haven't studied enough. I hope you are happy there. let me know how things are going. Is your roommate ok? Mine are but they have bad taste in music. Write when you can! Can't wait to see you at T-giving! love, A"

This was my first quarter in college, and my sister's first semester in grad school. I ended up getting mono the week before Thanksgiving. I spent 4+ days in bed unable to function, and had cancelled my Thanksgiving plans...but the day before I started feeling human again, and I was able to score a ride in a tiny 1960s Volvo with three other students. They wouldn't confirm my passage until the last minute because they were hoping to get someone who could share driving time (I didn't and still don't have a driver's license, which makes me a very unattractive rideshare prospect). We left well after midnight. I remember waking up as the car was drifting off the road as our driver fell asleep at the wheel - no crash, we were all fine, and we pulled over so the driver could sleep for an hour or so. We arrived mid Thanksgiving morning to rain and crankiness, and an old hippie who looked like Santa Claus came out to greet us and to ask if any of us would like to partake in some vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner. I called my sister and said "I don't know where the hell I am, but come pick me up NOW".

Of course, by my second year in college I had turned into a vegetarian hippie, but it's amusing to remember what a culture shock it was at the time.

Behind the Times

I'm realizing that one of the benefits of the daily mail challenge was that it kept me on task. Now I forget about postcards for a few days or am really inspired and want to send like 10 all at once. Same problem with posting. I've got some catching up to do.

Mailed March 8:

Mutts - Lil Pink Sock!

My kitten could use a version of the lil pink sock. Right now she is intent on destroying anything that comes into her path.

Mailed March 10:

Sigh, the last of the postcards I bought on my trip last fall. Memories.....

Mailed March 11 (so really today):

Another postcard from the neighborhood pie shop. Why don't more businesses have postcards?This totally makes me want to go hang out and have some pie.

I've got a couple more that are going out tomorrow, including one that I started writing on Saturday. I'm determined to not fall into the old trap of writing-but-not-sending. Determined!!

From the Vaults #3 and Happy Birthday!

My oldest niece's birthday this week. She will get a card (late - see yesterday's post) and a present (later, 'cause I can never get it together in time), but in the meantime, here's a bit of ancient history...

From some time in the mid-'90s. My niece has always been interested in science, which is pretty darned groovy. My mom must have taken her to the American Museum of Natural History and then sent me this card in a letter. How adorables, no?





And yes, I'm quite glad there was no internet for my relatives to post remnants of my childhood on when I was a young lady....

Oh is THAT what you meant?

Over the weekend I was talking to my mom on the phone, she asked how the postcard project had gone, and said she would send me some postcards. "How nice," I thought, "my mom is going to write me". Today I opened my mailbox to find a large envelope full of blank postcards she had collected over the years. Oh. Then I looked at the cards and saw she had put a post-it one each one, which made them hilariously awesome.

My mom did in fact just go on a quick trip to Paris, so this is fresh from the City of Light. And apparently virgin!

"because I love you here is Rembrandt's dog"

well, I can't notice her face because there's a post-it on top

Keep Going

Now that it's March, I went to go BUY MORE POSTCARDS. Only I didn't find very many that were interesting. I did pick up a couple of cool birthday cards, though.

Mailed March 3:

Echo and the Bunnymen, postcard form the mid-'80s. So cool and atmospheric. Love.

For the Month of Letters challenge, I took pictures of the notes I wrote to people. I had some notion of transcribing them, like I'm doing for the archive postcards, but I decided against it. When I look at the ones from the beginning of February, I can see how rusty I was at correspondence - the messages were brief, jokey, a bit awkward. I thought about that while writing this postcard, because I filled the whole space, curling the text around the address, and I could have written more if there was the space. I feel like the habit of writing is slowly returning to me.


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Speaking of those birthday cards I bought yesterday, I need to send one of them this week. I wonder where I put them...... Ugh, this is why I find things years later shoved between cookbooks or under the stereo or at the bottom of a sweater drawer. Total magpie.