I just finished 84, Charing Cross Road, gulped down in one go, and loved it. Made me want to find a fountain pen and paper and write. It's been eons since I've written a real letter, not just email or quick chats. Anyone out there still do? Anyone have penpals?

I used to have three pen pals when I was younger, but I tend to keep in touch with far away friends via email, phone or text now. It's a shame as I always loved writing and recieving post that wasn't a bill or junk mail.

Well I have a french friend whom i met through a school exchange program and we had to write a letter to them at the beginning introducing ourselves. Although we do talk using email more often than not now, we have mailed written letters a couple of times.
I wished i had more occasions to send written letters as it's such an interesting way to talk to people.

I used to have three (penpals that is)- which was quite silly because they all lived within 20 minutes of me. They were just the kind of people who were great in letters but not so easy to deal with in person. Over time the letters lagged, and sadly I know it to be my fault. I write nice, long letters on pretty notepaper or notecards, stick them in envelopes, and then allow them to sit on my desk for the next three years. No joke.

Same thing with thank you notes (Mum drilled into me at a very young age that nothing but a handwritten thank you note is ever acceptable). For them to even have a chance they must be written at Starbucks with stamps in my purse and a mailbox on the corner. I do love a letter though...

I can relate, sandragon. I had the same urge after also reading the same book. I actually ~did~ get out the fountain pen, but my penmanship is so atrocious I had to stop. Not even I could read what I had just written. It's like I had 'Alien Hand Syndrome' and the hand belonged to an alien of the extraterrestrial variety. (Deep sigh...)

I have also felt compelled to write my own essay to contribute to the thousands of others after having read both volumes of This I Believe. It's still bouncing around in my brain, and I hope I'm near a keyboard (and not a pad and paper) when it wants to jump itself out and write itself down.

As for pen-pals... not me. I'm still in touch with friends from high school (40th reunion is next summer), and lately, I've made connection with 3 old (as in former) girlfriends from way back then, but it's all by email now. Fortunately, MrsHouseLibrary doesn't feel threatened by any of this... She still has long phone conversations with her ex, and his wife invited mine to be her 'friend' in one of those social-network sites.

I'd ~love~ to write letters, but I've next to no fine motor control in my right hand.

Re: #3
My younger brother also has a friend in France who he met in much the same way as you. They still write (email, now) to each other often. The friend is now a doctor, and comes to the States every so often, married with 2 or 3 kids of his own. When he can, he arranges to tack on a day or two to visit by brother who has lived in NYC for over 30 years now.

On one of his trips, he was attending some conference in Houston, which is maybe a 3 hour drive from here. He called me! The next time he's in Texas, he wants to come visit me. He's my brother's friend, and although we got along quite well, I didn't ever think he'd make such a gesture. That call was perhaps 2 years ago, and he hasn't been state-side since, but I'm still hoping that he'll make good on his wish.

I had pen pals through junior high and high school. I miss the thrill of going to the mailbox and finding a letter there. I love to hear from friends and I'm not picky about the method used, but there's something about a letter that email will never touch.

I went to my 30th class reunion a couple of weekends ago. (It had really been 31 year; we were a year late.) The first thing we did was all swap phone numbers and email address. We eventually got around to mailing addresses.

That reminds me...I should post a few pictures somewhere!

The only person I write real letters to (and that, not often enough) anymore, not including thank you notes and birthday cards, is my great aunt. She can't do all the electronic stuff and loves to hold a letter in her hand reading and rereading it. I try to make it something special with humor and lots of information and chat in it. She and my grandmother both wrote marvelous letters.

sandragon - so glad you loved that book too!

I can remember, as a kid, playing with my dad's fountain pens that he had kept from his school days. I'd love to get one of my own but they're pretty costly and I don't think I'd use it enough to justify one. The only times I seem to use a pen are for the occassional to-do list, grocery lists, and for a bit of this and that at work. So much is just done on the computer nowadays.

But now that I think on it, I do have a blank journal given as a gift. I could get a fountain pen and start jotting things down in it.

I feel in the mood to read some essays. WHL, This I Believe sounds good. Hanff also mentioned Charles Lamb and William Hazlitt whose essays I think I will have to try and find. In the meantime I have At Large and At Small to read this summer.

Also, has anyone read Helene Hanff's The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street and Q's Legacy? Are these as good as 84, Charing?

Message edited by its author, Jul 20, 2009, 2:07am.

Yes, yes and yes.

I do have very fond memories of receiving a letter in my mail box! Such a thrill and especially when it was from a boy.

Message edited by its author, Jul 20, 2009, 8:28am.

After reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, I want to find a penpal with the same birthday as me.

I saved every letter our daughter wrote when she was in the Peace Corps. It was such a thrill to get those blue air mail envelopes!

Letters are lovely aren't they? I have so many saved from my grandmother and grandfather, my sister, all who are gone now, so they're very special to read over again. I've often thought, when I read books based on letters, such as Love's Civil War that I recently read, (including wonderful letters that Elizabeth Bowen wrote to her lover) that future historians will lose such a glimpse into the personal lives of the famous. Emails just don't get saved and cherished like letters. We don't print them off and tie them up with ribbon like we do our old letters.

I only write to my aunt, as she refuses to enter the computer age, bless her, so she keeps my letter writing skills polished. My sisters and I surprise each other with a letter once or twice a year too which is pleasant.

sandragon, may I recommend The Haunted Bookshop in Sidney for a copy of Charles Lamb's essays? They had a good selection. But I'm sure Russell's will too.

I felt like that after reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Email is a poor substitute but it shall have to do.

edited to fix Touchstone

Message edited by its author, Jul 26, 2009, 2:29am.

Both watching the History channel show on the revolution and reading The Historian made me want to start writing letters to my fiancee, since she lives on the other side of the state, but I've just been too lazy to do so this summer. Maybe I'll start this week. It's just hard to think of things to write, sometimes, when I talk to her every night on the phone.

I love writing letters though, and love getting them! I still have a collection of the letters I have from the cello teacher I had in high school and my best friend in Montreal (who didn't just send me letters, but wrote me poetry and sent me a dragon as well!*). I really need to get back in the habit of that. I need to get back in the habit of journaling too...

*Don't worry, he didn't burn the letter! He did, however, keep guard over my coin pile until my mother's dog tried to eat him. *cries*

Why Don't we start a Green Dragon's Pen Pal Program? I mean we all chat on here, so why not take some time to put pen to paper again.

What do you think?

I think it would be neat :)

i have lots of cam jansen's book so um can i add

my i am a boy ok

It would be really fun! I have a feeling I should start building up a supply of stamps and envelopes anyway. Anyone know how much postage is in the US these days? I feel like a horrible person for not knowing that.

what is the real name of cam jansen is it jennifer or camera what is puffin chapters
by the way what is the birthey of cam jansen
i will sign out now ma log out na ko ok bye

i just finish my book now i am going to keep reading ok

I like the penpal idea. Letters in the US are .44

Rune, I think it's a great idea!

I like it, too! I'm in!

sounds like a weiner to me...
we could do a letter round or 2.
just keep passing it on and adding more, especially if someone doesn't have a lot to add.
just private message the next address to send it to.
then everyone's address isn't posted publicly.

I had a group of friends who I did that with in middle school! It was great fun.

A friend gave me the book Sam's Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson and although it's not really my normal preference in reading matter something about it made me want to start writing letters to my baby granddaughter. Her parents split up when she was only six months old and it occurred to me that I might not always be part of her life as she grows to adulthood so I would like her to know that she is always in my thoughts and that the time I spend with her is very special to me. I've kept the letters and hope that they will mean something to her in years to come.

15, katylit - I think I need to ban myself from visiting Russell's, and any other book store, until the PNW meetup in September. I'll make sure to aske the Haunted Bookshop about Charles Lamb then :o)

I'd love to have a pen pal or two as well. But I think the regular type of pen pal, not a letter chain. We could always pm each other our addresses, or send them via regular email.

I've done a letter chain for a fabric exchange that went on for years. It was a lot of fun and we got to know each other quite well. Otoh, just plain letters are wonderful, too. I'd like to be in, whichever form we go for.

Count me in for the pen pal project too! Sounds like great fun!

A GD project sounds fun, if UK involvement is ok I would like to be involved! If not don't worry:)

I have terrible penmanship. It's so bad someone once asked me if there was something wrong with my hand. I compose well but only on a computer, so I refuse to write anything long hand except for thank you notes. I always type letters for business reasons and since it's the same to type it all in an email, I never send personal snail mail. The exception is our Christmas letter, which is a family tradition. However, that is always typed as I send it out to about 70 friends and family members.

I'd be happy to write letters from Australia. I'm not a great correspondent, I have to admit, but I love getting mail. And a postmark from Australia's gotta be worth something, right?

Postcard exchanges are another common feature of this type of plan.

I'd love to get mail from other countries!
Postcards would be a wonderful idea, especially since I'm not too great at getting letters sent out.

Soooo....who is willing to organize this? :-)

Message edited by its author, Jul 27, 2009, 8:55pm.

And how shall we organize this? Put names in a 'hat' and randomly pair up interested GDers? Do some kind of round robin so everyone ends up writing to everyone else? Or should we just PM those above we'd like to penpal?

I'm in too, this sounds like it would be fun.

I'm not sure the best way to organize this, but I definitely want to be involved. Does anyone want to step forward and offer to be the organizer?

I edited this to add that my hand writing is really not very good. I will apologize to everyone before I write to any of you. :)

Message edited by its author, Jul 27, 2009, 11:36pm.

The names in a hat thing would be the easiest, if we did the private PM thing, someone might get left out and that would be sad. The round robin would be fun in the sense that we would get to write to more, but it seems more difficult to organize. I would offer to organize, but have no time right now. I am itching to send either a card or some postcards though, there are some lovely ones with local photos on them at my work.

One group I was in had an organizer who collected everyone's address who wanted to be included, then sent them to all in the group who were participating in a Xmas card exchange. Just a thought there.

Interested penpallers:

RuneFirestar - Southampton, England
fuffybaby18 - ?
MrsLee - Red Bluff, California, USA
GeorgiaDawn - South Georgia, USA
Morphidae - Minneapolis, USA
AnjilaG - West Virginia, USA
sandragon - Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
jennieg - Highland Park, Illinois, USA
scaifea - Howard, Ohio, USA
The Library Nook - Cambridge, UK
WillSteed - Canberra, Australia
katylit - Vancouver Island, BC, Canada

Have I got everyone? Anyone else want in?

That looks like it to me, sandragon!

Count me in! My handwriting is atrocious (left-handed) but I will try my best. (And, CHina mail is having nice stamps)

Esta 1923 -- Walnut Creek CA

I'd be interested as well. I'm in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, UK.

Interested penpallers, updated:

RuneFirestar - Southampton, England
fuffybaby18 - Michigan, USA
MrsLee - Red Bluff, California, USA
GeorgiaDawn - South Georgia, USA
Morphidae - Minneapolis, USA
AnjilaG - West Virginia, USA
sandragon - Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
jennieg - Highland Park, Illinois, USA
scaifea - Howard, Ohio, USA
The Library Nook - Cambridge, UK
WillSteed - Canberra, Australia
katylit - Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
J_ipsen - Guilin, Guangxi, China
Esta1923 - Walnut Creek, CA, USA
Teazle - Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, UK
Jodyreadseverthing - Doncaster, England
kcs_hiker - SE Missouri, USA
jillmwo - PA, USA

I'll give it the weekend to see if anyone else wants in. If anyone else has any other ideas about how we can organize this please let us know. And maybe we can vote/decide next week?

Message edited by its author, Aug 6, 2009, 1:26pm.

If we have the right numbers, I think it would be nice to be paired with someone from a country other than our own. Then if someone really wants to correspond with someone else, they are certainly welcome to. Any other ideas?

#15 - Katylit you have a letter on the way, just dropped in the post this morning :-)

Also I would like to sign up for the penpal project! I didn't read further down before I posted. I'm in Doncaster, England if that helps with the pairing up.

Have fun with the pen pal program! :D

I don't think I will participate, because I am not sure what I would say in a pen pal letter that I wouldn't (more easily, for me) say here. But again, if others want it, I am entirely supportive! :D

:-D Thank you Jody! I feel like we're sort of cheating a little as we already have each other's addresses, thus have a head start. Yay, something to look forward to :-D.

This is going to be fun. Now that Jody has joined in, there are an even number of people, so we can pair off, 7 from the USA, 4 from the UK, 2 from Canada, 1 from Australia, 1 from China and fuffybaby18...? It won't be a problem to pair up someone with someone from a different country.

fuffybaby18's American. She posted it on the "Where you live" thread.

I'll offer a couple of ideas for pairing penpals.

1. One person could put all the names in hats, draw out pairs, and then post the results.

2. If we're going to use the idea of pairing members from different countries, we could put the Americans in one list alphabetically and everyone else in another list alphabetically. We could then be paired from the list based on the order we are listed. There are more Americans than any other nationality. That's the only reason they would all be in a list together. Of course, that would force everyone who is not American to correspond with an American, and that is not really fair either.

Any other suggestions?

Message edited by its author, Aug 1, 2009, 3:33pm.

Thanks, Will. For some reason I had it in my head she was from the UK but I wasn't sure. Maybe her fiance is in the UK at the moment?

Another suggestion. How about pairing each person up with two penpals, one from the US and one from another country?

is it too late to get in on the penpal idea? please please! I'm not a great writer, but I promise to try.

#56 That sounds like a good idea to me, sandragon.

That sounds like a good idea to me too sandragon.

I like it sandragon, there are too many on the list for me to be happy with just one! :)

kcs_hiker, I don't think there is a too late for this. Welcome!

ok I'm ready to start... browsed Office Depot today for just the right pen and the right paper, have a baggie for envelopes and stamps to carry in my backpack (goes everywhere with me).

#61 - You are way more organised than I am. Whoever gets me is going to have to forgive ruled notebook paper, postcards that you get free from the cinema and whatever pen I can find at the time. I am excited about starting though.

Hi just come across this thread.
I also like letter writing and often write to children through a UK organisation called Postpals, there is a similar organisation in the USA called make a child smile.

Just to let you know, I am not in anyway associated with any of these organisations.

Have fun writing x

I think that's a great idea Sandragon! I'll go with whatever every one wants to do.

I've updated the list in #47.

There are 17 interested penpallers; 9 from the US, 8 from elsewheres.

It sounds like 5 people (including me) like the idea of having two penpals, one from the US and one from elsewheres.

Any other votes/ideas for how we organize this?

#65 - I think you are doing a marvelous job and I'm happy you are taking the lead. :)

I like the two penpal idea.

I'll take two as well. I've got lots to say ;-)

Message edited by its author, Aug 5, 2009, 9:55am.

Two sound good to me, too.

Thanks Sandragon! You're doing great!

By the way, I borrowed 84, Charing Cross Road from the library. It is a lovely book!

Am I too late to become involved? I'm in PA

Fourthing the two penpal idea.

Stick me with whoever. Although, it would be neat to get a postcard from all the other countries.

That's probably what I'll send out, due to not being a lengthy letter writer.

Thanks, everyone :o)
There are no dissenters, and I'm eager to get going, so I'll get everyone paired up in the next couple of days, using the Excel version of pulling names out of a hat.

#72, Jill - Your profile page has your location as Northeast Corridor, and when I followed the link it showed me a map of the Netherlands. Do you live there as well?

Sandragon - You are wonderful for doing this! Thanks!

Actually, I live just outside Philadelphia, PA. But I have traveled to the Netherlands -- so does that count?

Sandragon & Jill: Don't you just hate when a map is a tiny bit off like that?

"I knew I should have taken that left turn at Albuquerque!"

Jill, I figured it was a sign and counted you from the Netherlands for pairing Americans up with Others.

This was harder than I thought. I did so many Excel random number generations to figure out how to do a fair sorting that I don't know how random it is anymore, LOL. And because there are more from the US signed up, it worked out that WillSteed and I both have two American penpals. Hope that's all right Will.

fuffybaby - jillmwo
Georgia Dawn - The_Library_Nook
MrsLee - RuneFirestar
kcs_hiker - sandragon
jennieg - Teazle
Esta1923 - katylit
AnjilaG - J_Ipsen
Morphidae - Jodyreadseverything
scaifea - Willsteed

scaifea - MrsLee
Morphidae - GeorgiaDawn
Esta1923 - kcs_hiker
jennieg - AnjilaG
fuffybaby18 - WillSteed
jillmwo - sandragon
katylit - RuneFirestar
J_Ipsen - Teazle
Jodyreadseverything - The_Library_Nook

Hope this seems fair to everyone. Have fun!

Message edited by its author, Aug 8, 2009, 4:29pm.

Wonderful sandragon! Thank you so much for doing this, you are the best :-D

Sounds good to me! Thanks you so much!

Coolness!

No problem, sandragon! Thank you for taking the time to do that.

Cool! Thanks!

Thanks sandragon, I will be pm-ing my address in a moment.

Thank you!! It will be great to find something personal in the mailbox. (I have sent my address to the people you chose.)

Yes, thanks sandragon for all your effort - this is exciting!

Thanks from me, too. I've sent my address to 'my' people.

I have sent and received addresses. Let the writing (or scrawling in my case) begin!

I got writer's cramp just from writing a postcard! Out of practice, poor unused hand muscles.

Thanks, sandragon! This will be fun.

This is so exciting, thanks for all your work!

Just saw this thread today. Too bad. I would have loved to be a part of it. It is too late now, right?

Anyway have fun and enjoy.

I'll add you to my penpals if you'd like, trisweather. I'd love to write to someone living in Greenland as well.

Message edited by its author, Aug 18, 2009, 4:12pm.

#94

May I vouch for my mother's (Teazle) writing skills. You'd be wise to take her up. She's very good.........she was around way way before computers you know. And pen and ink for that matter.......her dad did stuff with letters on stones, that gives you an idea ;)

#96 Cheeky monkey!! I'm not THAT old!

Really?? Oh..............I'd better take back some of the 3000 candles I bought for your birthday cake then. Will 200 suffice?

Don't forget I owe you some money, so you'd better watch what you're saying about me!

*pulls up a chair to be comfortable while watching*

Go, Teazle!

Ahh.........but I can hold your birthday present hostage........and trust me.........you really really want this

# 100 - Do you think we could sell tickets?

We can give it a shot. Maybe we can earn some clam shells for the Hugotontheonbiquiffinarians dues.

hehe, the fight will have to be paused while I go to bed early, I have a stinking cold! Tune into tomorrow for round 2........we can keep going for a while ;)

It should be worth at least two clam shells for the good seats.

Let's ask three.

I suppose someone should check and see if the pool boys can hold the cards for each round.

And tend bar.

Roll up, Roll up for round 2 of the Big Mother/Daughter fight to be continued some time tomorrow evening!

That will give me time to think up my next line of defense :-)

#107 Pool boys? Where? Where?

Message edited by its author, Aug 18, 2009, 4:46pm.

Maybe katttg and I could provide an opening act.

Jello wrestling?

Not an aesthetically pleasing idea, really. I was thinking more along the lines of witty repartee.

Oh. Well, that would probably draw a crowd here, too.

Of course, she usually has a life to run at the times I'm on. Maybe there's another mother-daughter team out there.

*******HA! Got a postal from my penpal!!!!

Aww bummer I just got arround to reading this thread (damn work has been taking up to much of my GD time & I've not been able to keep up with much apart from my kitten thread)... I'm not much of a writer, but I'd love to swap post cards if anyone's interested & I'm not too late!

Are we just posting when written or are we waiting for a particular date?

Thanks Teazle. I will pm you my address

Hey Seanie!

I'd love to swap postcards with someone in Australia...

omg, now I can't get Hugh Jackman out of my head, singing "I won't Dance"

Is that even a bad thing?

Um, I'd like to swap postcards with Hugh Jackman.

Oh, I mean, any of my Australian friends! ;)

Today mailed letter to a penpal. Standby your mailbox, Katylit!

I have letters to mail to my penpals, too! (I apologize ahead of time for my penmanship.)

Would like it to be announced that I had a very exhausting day at work, which was very hot and long, and I still have this cold! So round 2 shall be postponed........

Excuses, excuses.

Lol, you'll note that my competitor hasn't shown up either ;)

Ms Teazle, it sounds like you have put a scare into Luna.

Absolutely not. Its just that she has to work tomorrow and I don't, so I don't want to do too much damage. Wouldn't want her missing a day of work.

Such a thoughtful daughter.

>126 As a mom myself, I'll bet she's digging up some particularly hideous moment from your early childhood to use if it gets really nasty.

*pulls up a chair*
*passes popcorn to everyone*

Which round is this?

Got my first postcard! woo-hoo!

(need to get mine in the mail...)

verah nice, verah nice

The disadvantage to snail mail is when you're in touch with the person in-between-times by phone and/or with emails. My hubby's away right now and I was so inspired after writing postcards to Esta and Rune and Jody, that I wrote him a long letter too. But then I've spoken with him on the 'phone almost every night since, and emailed him too. And it's been very difficult to not tell him the things I said in the letter! LOL. Snail mail is right, it took almost a week for the letter to get to him! I warned him not to expect too many letters, it was too stressful keeping my mouth shut! ;-)

He did like the letter though.

He probably laughed, too, about you keeping you mouth shut. I giggled myself. (In the kindest possible way. I'm rather fond of you myself!)

He did laugh (he was sympathetic too, knowing how hard it is for me...lol). Thanks MerryMary, the feeling is very mutual *hugs* :-)

Oh, I didn't know we were updating here! I got a postcard from Jody, very cool idea. And I've sent postcards out to Jody and GD. Soon I'll write "real" letters.

#136 - Yay it arrived, that means I got the postage right!

>132 Was it from me? I was so proud I remembered to buy them and then actually found them on my desk!

#130

I'm not sure I have any completely terrible childhood moments she can drag up. I did bite her once.........does that count?

#130

I'm not sure I have any completely terrible childhood moments she can drag up. I did bite her once.........does that count?

Don't think your mother forgot something just because you were too little to remember. Moms accrue a lot of dirt over the years . . .

I don't think that I'd be too embarrassed by anything that happened when I was so little I can't remember.......she may prove me wrong but I don't think so!

Anyway, she's probably too forgetful to remember ;)

Touche!

I can't be here for the bout this afternoon. Jennieg, can you referee?

Not me. I'm rooting for my penpal, Teazle. We need a neutral party.

#Hmm, I suppose I could post a link to an embarrassing childhood photo, although I don't actually think I've got any that ARE embarrassing - there's one of her dressed in nothing but a blue woolly hat, but that's just cute, and it's her first ever picture - 6 weeks early, weighing just under 4 lbs, in an incubator :-)

Message edited by its author, Aug 20, 2009, 5:56pm.

It sounds adorable.

jennieg, thanks so much for the postcard and letter. I'll try to write this weekend, probably when I'm Mum-sitting while my sister goes to a wedding.

I'm looking forward to it, Teazle. lunacat says your letters are worth waiting for.

Well I've swapped addresses with a AnjilaG & MrsLee so we can swap postcards, so this wknd I'll hunt arround for some cool postcards to send :) This really is a fun idea - thanx to rune for the idea & sandragon for organising :)

I've sent a postcard to Seanie, scaifea and RuneFirestar. They had better arrive, my OH works for the P.O. ;)

See, I was never embarrassing at all :)

I can embarrass my mum though!

It was a weekend, and I was up the apple tree in our garden (a usual haunt), my dad was inside and my mum was mowing the grass.
As she came round to by the tree, she mowed over something that made one of the blades on the lawnmower break. And because of this, she uttered the most terrible swear word ever......

"Damn!"

I climbed down from the tree and went running into the house to my Dad to tell him that Mummy had said "Damn!". Ahh, to be innocent again.

See, she was a disgraceful mother, swearing all over the place ;)

We used to charge a dollar for every curse word spoken in our house. Guess who paid the most money in? Only because of scary dangerous situations like you described though.

My postcard from Morphy arrived! Morphy, it's lovely!

Eep! MrsLee I havn't even got you a postcard yet! I was bidding on some Hugh Jackman postcards on ebay but lost em, lol... I'll go out & find a few post cards this wknd coming, so sorry that there'll be a bit of a wait from me...

Not a problem luv, and I appreciate the thought on Hugh Jackman! :)

OOPS! Somehow I missed the fact that we were starting with POSTCARDS. I wrote a letter (possibly boring, at that!). Will respond with card when opportunity arises.

I started with a letter as well. No worries, Esta. We're just enthusiastic is all.

Yay! I have missives from both of my pals (thanks MrsLee & WillSteed)! MrsLee, yours is in the mail, if you haven't gotten it already, and Will, yours will be posted tomorrow. This is so much fun!

>157 Nah, just some of us. Send what you like, there are no rules!

Esta, your wonderful letter arrived on an absolutely dreadful day, and was truly the only ray of sunshine. So no apology necessary, it was very gratefully received and has been read and re-read and very much enjoyed. My reply will soon be on it's way :-)

This is such a great idea, I'm loving it.

#159 - It arrived! Love the quilt. :)

No rules Esta, I have a very large amount of postcards from various relatives who have traveled and brought those back instead of pictures. They have passed on and it is in my nature to use the cards up rather than throw them out, also, I feel a bit braindead at the moment to write a long letter, hence the tiny printing on a postcard. :)

Morphie I got your postcard with the birds on it, thank you very much.

I am certain that tomorrow I will get both my letters out to Morphie and Library Nook.

MrsLee I got your postcard today! *yay* I'm gonna put it up on my desk at work :) & I love the bear, thank you muchly :)

Sorry I forgot again to get postcards to send out this wknd just gone - I WILL get some & post to you & AnjilaG within a week :)

Message edited by its author, Sep 1, 2009, 4:09am.

Teazle, your postcard arrived yesterday. I wish I could go to the Nutshell; the smallest pub in Britain sounds so inviting. The card is on the bulletin board over my sewing machine, where I can see it as I go in and out.

I'm glad it's arrived.
I must confess I've never been in the Nutshell, though I've walked past it, and seen in, hundreds of times. It really is tiny. I think there's probably only room for about 7 or 8 people standing at the bar at most, and there's one very small round table with a couple of chairs.

I sent a couple of postcards from Banff a couple of weeks ago. jillmwo, kcs_hiker: did they make it to you?

I'm a little behind. I noticed there were a couple more people interested but it looked like they got paired up. But then I got distracted by some mother/daughter wrassling. Is there anyone without a penpal?

I'm glad y'all are having fun :o)

I'm behind, owing correspondence to my pen pal. I promise its coming! Your postcard arrived and was so nice that I want to make sure my own tidbits don't seem dull by comparison.

Message edited by its author, Sep 2, 2009, 7:01pm.

No problems, Jill. I'm just glad it made it to you. I was starting to worry maybe they were stopping my mail at the border!

PS - And here I am hoping I don't seem dull to you :oD

I have a few penpals from Library School. We haven't been very diligent in the past year, but I'm hoping to change that (just sent a letter off this week, actually). I also write to family overseas just because that's how it was done when I was little and I like the idea of my younger cousins getting mail.

I love letters (both reading and writing them) for the same reason I love books: personal, private, and someone took the time to make it just for you (well, I know books are made with the idea of publishing en masse, but still, someone took the time to sit down and write it).

I received my first postcard from my penpal yesterday. Thank you Teazle.
I hate the color of my closet doors, so I fill them with postcards. And the new one will fit right in with the rest of them. And I got a new town on my list of places I would like to visit.

I have a postcard in the mail for you. But I have no idea, how long it will take. I have learned not to plan too much when dealing with the post uphere.

#171 I'm glad it's arrived :-)

I've never sent anything to Greenland before, so I didn't know when it might get there.

Sorry for the lack of updates- I received a lovely postcard from Jodyreadseverything, thank you! Mine will go out this weekend, so sorry for the delay :)

Came home from work to find a lovely postcard from Greenland waiting for me! Thank you, trisweather.

I've got a week off work next week, so I should finally be able to find the time to write my letters :-)

So Sorry to miss Lee and kaylit. I've been that busy recently that my head is going round. But still you should be getting something very soon!

Cheers,

Rune

:) Thanks Rune, I think one of the ideas of this is to not get stressed, but to have it be fun! I'm lovin' my card from Seanie and Scafia though, and looking forward to yours.

Well...here I come....the very, very late comer who may not deserve any consideration. I was being picky about which Green Dragon threads to read and opps! I made a very bad choice and have been skipping this one. But I truly love to write letters and postcards; and I love shopping for beautiful post cards and stationary; and I so would love to have a pen pal, or two. Are there any lovely LibraryThingers left who would like a pen pal from the States? I promise I'll be faithful; and, at the great Pacific Northwest LibraryThingers Meet-up in Victoria B.C. I bought a used copy of 84 Charing Cross Road to read, again, and I loved the movie.

I hope someone will adopt me, please, please, please!

I'll adopt you, maggie1944!

Thank you so much. We are leaving to go shopping soon and I'll look for a Victoria B.C. postcard for you. I will also go leave you a PM with my particulars, right now.

Oh yay - so you got the card I sent MrsLee? When did it come?

Seanie - I think I received it on the 11th? Now I have to write back, because if I respond here, what will I say in a letter? *zips lips*

I have been SO terrible at this! I have received letters, but did not mail the ones I mentioned earlier. RL sort of jumped all over me and I just didn't do it. I'm writing new letters now to mail this week. *sigh* I feel terrible about falling so far behind.

Wow that got to you quick MrsLee! I posted it after work on Tuesday September 8!!!

#178

I'm alarmed by my mother adopting so many people. Soon she won't have any time for me to beg books or BM points off her!! ;)

Well, then, you could jump into the challenge and adopt me, too? What do you think?

#185

I'm terminally hopeless at anything like that! If I adopted you, you'd be lucky to get a postcard, let alone a letter. Sorry!

RUNE!! No apologies!!! I got your lovely card and letter, I've been meaning to jump in here and tell you, I've just been a teensy bit distracted. Soon a reply will be on it's way.

Esta, I've been carrying around your reply in my car for over a week (maybe 2 *blushing furiously*), but have to dash into post office to get enough postage and haven't done that yet. I promise I'll do that either today or tomorrow. It's on the top of my list, and I'll make sure I get postage for Rune's while I'm at it!

Jody, I LOVE my postcard, it's on the fridge and makes me smile every time I see it (which is lots!). Wonderful :-D

Maggie if you don't mind a little disorganisation and letters with baby-food thumb prints on them then I will also adopt you.

Thumbprints. Bwahahahaha! We'll identify you and solve all those dastardly crimes you've been hiding!

Oh, Jodyreadseverything...I'd love to see notes and letters from you and especially if Babyreadseverything can add a bit of "color". Woo hoo.

I got two postcards today and plan to write on them tonite. Please send me a PM with your address. Thanks.

#189 - Will, I'll just confess. I did give Andrew's favourite shirt to the charity shop because I didn't like it. And I threw his socks away and claimed he must have left the shirt and the socks on his ship. And I did eat his bar of chocolate and blame the dog. And he still thinks I baked the valentines day cupcakes that I actually bought when the ones I tried to bake went wrong. I iced them myself though.

Maggie I will PM you now.

Thanks. You are On!

*blinks at the dastardly crimes of Jody* blink, blink I'm shocked.

Well, I've never committed such nefarious crimes against my husband.

That he discovered.

I'll just blush and hide my shame.

OK, now I'm struttin' my stuff: put two post cards in the mail today from Victoria BC to some places in the UK. Woot!

Yayyy! I got your letter Jill. I'll post, um, pen a letter back this weekend.

Sandragon, does that mean it took nine days to get to you? It was mailed on the 8th of Sept (a Tuesday). I'm just trying to get a reality check on expectations.

Hi Jill - 8 days. I didn't get a chance to read it until yesterday. Hmm. I wonder if it's the same going the other way. I'll let you know when I send out a letter.

Jill - I sent a letter out to you yesterday.

I'll keep an eye out. Thanks!

I got a letter today from Jodylovesreading! Thank you so much, off to read it now:) Yours will be with you soon!

#202 - Glad it got there alright with all the postal issues we've been having.

I got a lovely card from Maggie today, thank you. It was the first thing to arrive in our new mailbox.

What a wonderful omen. May your new mailbox be filled with happiness and friends!

Jodyreadseverything's post card arrived in my mailbox today! A very nice card and oh! this is fun. I used to watch for the mailman with anticipation of receiving a letter from friends who were traveling, or relatives who I only saw maybe once a year. It is nice to have a reason to anticipate the mail man.

Plus, my nephew-in-law, the mail carrier guy, thanks you all! Don't give up on snail mail.

Ho! Katylit's postal came/ I answered by letter AND NOW I have a letter from her!!~~~ Teenaged penpals surely did no better!

Hey. When you guys start a new round, let me know. I can't believe I missed this thread!

I missed it too. :(

#207 and #208

Why don't you two swap addresses, and then at least you'll have one person each? And maybe someone else will adopt each of you as well?

Message edited by its author, Sep 23, 2009, 4:19pm.

Katy, Morphy and Maggie, I'm having a bit of a worry about my post reaching you, I sent some postcards with UK first class stamps on them but have since found out at the post office that we are not supposed to use any stamp with first class on it to send letters abroard.

I don't know why, I was speaking to a woman who couldn't see why further explanation than "because they have first class on them" was necessary. We had a circular conversation that didn't get much further than "but why does that matter?" "because they can't be sent abroard." "But why" "Because they say first class."

And the two stamps I put on each card had a higher value than the necessary postage price. So they should get there, I hope.

The cards are from Clumber Park or Sherwood Forest and are about our day out there, so I will be especially pleased to know they arrived. I posted them on Monday this week.

Jody, I got a delightful Alice in Wonderland postcard and a lively letter from you.

I came home to mail today! Huzzah. I love it. Thanks, Scaifea.

You'll get some from me soon, I promise!!! I kind of fell out of existence for a while there >_> Stupid life!

Jody, my postcard with the Eiffel Tower is much appreciated. I guess the first class stamp worked just fine. hehehehehehe

I'm up for it if you are XenaBallerina.

#207 and #208 I wouldn't mind for penpals, so you are welcome to pm me your adresses if you want

Sure!

Hey, Sandragon, I got your letter in this am's mail. You mailed it on the 21st of September (according to #200 above) and it got here on the 26th! From the far reaches of British Columbia to the wilds of mid-Atlantic US in five days. Does that make it faster than the Pony Express?

Will turn something around this weekend!

Message edited by its author, Sep 26, 2009, 11:36am.

Cool! My turn to haunt the mailbox.

You get mail deliveries on weekends? For us, regular letter mail only gets delivered on weekdays, but packages have been known to arrive on Saturdays or Sundays.

Yay! I came home from a weekend away and there was a lovely postcard from MrsLee waiting patiently for me in the box. Thanks!

:) I sent one to my other penpals too.

2 lovely postcards arrived from dear Jody today :-) Guess 1st class postage works just fine.

I received a lovely postcard from the UK today. Woo hoo. I need to get out my pen and stationery and write a nice letter or two. That is the whole idea, eh?

and, oh! yes! have a cup of tea

Nice cup and saucer, maggie1944. Tea doesn't seem to taste as good if it's not in a nice china cup.

Sandragon, the cup is one I saw in the Empress Hotel, during our tour, and they use it for the "high tea" they sell there. You could go and have a cuppa in it. But then, again, tea is better tasting at home with feet on the coffee table, isn't it.

Definitely better at home where I can get comfy, preferable wrapped in a blanket. I tend to stretch out and take over the whole couch.

Tea is really only good tea when you have a rich tea biscuit to dip in it and a small black dog leaning on you waiting for her share.

Jody, I could agree just a bit more if the dog happened to be a "he" and was one of three waiting for their shares.

Hi Kelly, your letter arrived today thank you, I hope to be writing more again soon.

Hey Jody! Robin Hood's oak arrived at my house yesterday. Very impressive!

Oh I am glad it got there, that was one of the ones with the first class stamps on it that had me worried.

I'm having so much fun with this.

>230 Phew I am so sorry for being slow:)

I got your letter! I just haven't had time to dash off a reply! Will get one out to you soon though!

Morphy another letter from you arrived today with four beautiful horse stamps on it, thank you.

Yay! Glad you got it.

To my poor penpals: I'm so so sorry that I haven't written in a while - I'm simply overwhelmed at work right now. I promise to write soon!

Maggie I received a lovely card from you today and there are cards in the post to you, Morphy, Katylit and Kelly.

MrsLee & AnjilaG I'm so sorry that I've been so slack. I have received postcards from both of you recently but just haven't gotten arround to replying. I do have cards there sitting on my desk in my study waiting to be written on & I will get arround to it soon...

it's ok! I'm somewhat embarrassed at how long it took ME to send postcards out!

I stocked up, though, when I bought those...*grin* no excuses now...

(just have to remember the postage for China is extra)

Jody....it was fun to write you. I am enjoying this...even the guilt of knowing I should sit down and do the writing when I'm running around doing other things, or playing stupid app games on Facebook. hehehehe

Jody, I got your wonderful postcards. They arrived when I was in the midst of a terrible migraine, so they cheered me up immensely. Thank you!

oh wow, i used to have like 30 over penpals from a pen pal program which name i have now forgotten. except, of course, i became too broke to maintain it all :(

well, if you guys are ever doing another round add me in!

anivyl, I can always use another penpal, if you are interested?