A London Surprise

Back in July of this year, I received a postcard from Ingrid in southern Spain. She sent me a postcard of the Costa del Sol. She had put her return address on the card so I sent her a "thank you" postcard. She received it and sent me an e-mail saying she was thrilled with the card and said it was an unexpected surprise. In the e-mail, she said she would be moving to London soon and once there, would send me a card. Guess what, I received that card today, October 30th! What a great surprise for me. Ingrid says that she is "finally here and loving it!" She also says that she wishes all the best for me and Charlie and hope I have a wonderful golden autumn. Thanks Ingrid, you are one of the reasons for me having a wonderful autumn.

Below is the "royal" stamp that brought Ingrid's card to me.

Down By Six

I have quite a few postcards that I have received in the last three days, specifically, 6 and have not had a chance to post them. I would say 6 is a jackpot, but I received the 6 cards over a three day period of time. I did receive 4 in one day!

This first postcard comes from Bri who lives in Adelaide, South Australia. She says it is home to about 1.1 million people and is a nice enough place to live. Bri is a freelance photographer. With the name of Hahndorf, you would think this is a place in Europe, not Australia. Thanks again, Bri for the beautiful card.

This lovely stamp brought Bri's card to me. It is hard to tell, but it is a scene of of cliff overlooking a canyon. It says Gross Tuloss Gorge, New South Wales. Apparently, there are many different gorges in the area of New South Wales in Australia.

These stamps to the right were on the second card that came to me on Monday. If you look carefully, you can see they come from Belgium. Judit, a mother of three sent me the card from Belgium. It is a picture of the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerpen.

It is hard to see, but the dates on the card point to the years that each part of the steeple was completed. The cathedral itself was completed in 1420 with different parts of the steeple completed in 1455, 1475, 1480, 1507 and the top completed in the year 1521. Thanks for the lovely card Judit.

Isn't he just adorable? He comes to me all the way from Lulea, Sweden. Catrina, along with her husband and two children sent me this little guy. Catrina says that Lulea is in Northern Sweden and is a beautiful city by the sea with about 70,000 inhabitants. It has 4 seasons with the beautiful northern lights in the winter and the midnight sun from June to August where the sun shines even at night. Wow! Now that sounds like my kind of place.

These were the Swedish stamps that brought that adorable little puppy to me. As the card was a cutout, it was hard to scan the stamps. However, they are worth the trouble. I love both of them, especially, of course, the pumpkin one. I think the US needs a pumpkin stamp! Thanks again, Catrina for the lovely card and the lovely stamps.

Here is another adorable guy - well, if you think moose are adorable - which I do. Terhi from Finland sent me this card. She said that she could not decide between this card or one with a "photo" moose on it. Well, we can see which she chose! Terhi said on her card that she is a avid dog lover and thought that Charlie was very cute. She has three dogs herself. In the last paragraph, Tehri states, "say hello to your mom for me. :) I have exchanged a few cards with her too." Sure enough. Terhi is mom's friend in Finland who sends her the Inge Look cards that mom so dearly loves. Six degrees of separation at it again! Another interesting note about this card. Today, I got a message for MooseLady in New England who said that she really loved this card and wish she had one like it. Thanks Terhi, for being so thoughtful in sending something that was right up my alley.

From one dog lover to another. Tehri put this beautiful stamp on my moose card. She said that the breed is called a Finnish Spitz.

Brrrrrr! From fall to winter. It happens in a flash, doesn't it. Darkpunkangel in Montreal sent me this great card. I love the snow. I especially like how it covered the bicycle in the left picture. Darkpunkangel said that since I like winter so much, she thought she would send me this card. She says that she hopes they dont have a bad winter there in Montreal. She says she likes snow, but not too much! Thanks again, Darkpunkangel.

The last card I received in the last few days comes from Jana in Germany. Jana sent me a handmade card. Jana is 21 and is really into art and is studying art and literature. Although you can't see it here, the postcard is actually a silver hologram. By moving the card in different directions, you can see the shapes appear to be moving and taking different forms. Sometimes, you see circles and sometimes you see triangles. Thanks Jana, for taking the time to create and send such an unsual card. Jana also said that like me, she loves autumn. When she goes running through the woods, the leaves are already orange, red, yellow, brown and green. Awesome, she said. She hopes that I am enjoying autumn in Texas. Probably not as much as you, Jana, but the postcards help make up for it!

West Coast and East Coast

I received two cards over the weekend. Funny, they are both from coastal regions of North America. One is from the U.S. and one is from Canada.

My first card comes from Michele who lives on the Outer Banks in North Carolina. She says that her family has lived there for a number of years and she really likes it. This card is from the North Carolina Aquarium, just a few miles from where Michele lives. She and her granddaughter like to go and look at the fish and other animals. Thanks, Michele for the wonderful postcard. I have not been to the Outer Banks, but my mom and dad have and they love it!

From the Atlantic to the Pacific Coast, my second card came from Jenifer who lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She is 19 years old and loves the beach. Of course, summer is over and so it is getting colder now to go on the beach, but she said she thought this postcard "was fun." I think it is fun too, Jenifer. Thank you. I'm wondering if I could write in the sand like this on the beach and get a picture of it.....hmmmmm....maybe next summer.

Sint Maartin's Day

Last week, I sent a "thank you card" to postcrosser Lena in the Netherlands. She had made me a postcard that never reached me. She graciously sent me another one and I therefore, sent her a thank you card. It was one of my vintage Halloween cards. When she received it, she sent me a note stating how much she enjoyed the card and told me that the kids there in Haarlem celebrate something like Halloween called Sint Maartin's Day which is on November 11th every year. The children take lanterns and go from house to house asking for treats. I researched this "holiday" and here is what I found out.

The History

On the eleventh day of November, Saint Martin's Day is celebrated all over Northern Europe. Named for Saint Martin, the Fourth Century Bishop of Tours, this holiday originated in France, then spread to Germany, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe. It celebrates the end of the agrarian year and the beginning of the harvesting. It also marks the end of the period of all souls, that begins on November 1st which Halloween, or All Saints' Day. Hence, Saint Martin's Day activities resemble those done on Halloween. People, mostly children, walk down the streets with lanterns and torches, and sing Martin's songs praising the Saint's generosity. Then kids come into the nearby houses and by singing songs, dancing, or citing poems, earn sweets, pies, or whatever the host can give them. The lanterns the participants carry have become a distinctive part of the tradition. The primary difference between age groups is seen in the lantern design, which becomes more elaborate with the age of the builder. Older youth often opt to take a flashlight and attach craft paper with cutout designs augmented with transparent colored cellophane paper making them appear like stained glass torches.

Many places in Europe, as well as here in the United States celebrate St. Martin's Day by having a parade. St. Martin Day parades are held in Philadelphia, Boston, New York and Richmond Virginia.

The German Society of Philadephia makes various types of lanterns every year and sells them as a fundraiser.

Thank you Lena for sharing your talents with me and also sharing your culture with me as well.

Luzern and Lingonberries

Jochein from Luzern (Lucerne) Switzerland sent me one of my most recent postcards. Jochein says that Luzern is in the middle of the small country of Swizterland and has a nice lake and surrounded by beautiful mountains. On the day he sent this card, he said it was "a beautiful autumn day today, warm and sunny." He also wished me a happy autumn. Hope you have a happy autumn too, Jochein.

Check out the beautiful stamp that brought Jochein's card to me.

"Whooooo go there?"

An appropriate stamp for October, I think.

I think you can pretty well guess where my next postcard came from considering the above stamp was on the card. Hmmmmm.....let me guess.....Finland, right???

Yep, that's right. Sanna sent me this beautiful card of lingonberries on the forest floor. She begins by saying "this year I was lazy and bought lingonberries from market instead of going to forrest and picking them myself. Lingonberries are my favorite." She goes on to say that just yesterday she ate lingonberries with curd cheese (cottage cheese?) and cream.

I was really excited to get the postcard of the lingonberries. It brings back some great memories of my first trip to Door County, Wisconsin. Mom, Dad and I stopped off to eat at Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant in Sister Bay. As part of the meal, they bring you a bread basket with a bowl of lingonberry preserves. That was the first time I had tried them. Loving berries, like I do, I LOVED THEM!

So, of course, I had to BUY some and take home! They were so good. I remember that I served them at a Christmas Tea I had that year with Deb and Nina Keller.

Thanks, Samma, for the card and for the memories.

From the Pacific to the Atlantic

I am a little behind again on my blogging (or blobbing, as my mom calls it)so I am going to try and catch up. One of the latest cards is from a private swap from my friend Carolynne in Stockton, California. This is the third postcard from Hawaii that I have received from her. She says that she really likes Hawaii. I hope to get the chance to see Hawaii in person some day. Thanks again Carolynne for sending me pictures of the beautiful isles of the Pacific Ocean.

Another card I received comes from the Atlantic Ocean side of the United States. Lindsay from Miami Beach sent this card to me. She said that Miami Beach is the tropical playground of Florida and contains the largest concentration of 1920s and 1930s resort architecture in the world. The place below is the only designated Art Deco National Historic District in the United States. Let's Rock Around the Clock, Lindsay.

Now, let's take a trip across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. Zaltbommel, The Netherlands to be exact. Jannie sent me the postcard below. Zaltbommel is not only a tourist area of the The Netherlands but is also a historical industrial distict. Zaltbommel was an original member of The Hanseatic League. The building below is an old cigar factory. You can also see a steeple of a cathedral in the background. Thank you, Jannie for sharing a part of Holland's history with me.

The last card I received on Saturday was from Lena who lives in Haarlem, Holland. Lena had contacted me several weeks ago stating that she had sent me a homemade postcard but that I had not registered it. She wondered if it got lost in the mail. I told her that I had not received it and therefore, probably did get lost in the mail.

To my surprise, she sent me another one - a handmade one! As you can see, it was well worth the wait. I feel very honored to receive this beautiful card from Lena. Thanks, Lena, for taking the time and using your creative talents to brighten my day.

Japanese Autumn

Another great surprise in the mailbox yesterday. A beautiful card that was sent to me by Yukimi in Japan. I received her address in postcrossing and she sent me this beautiful card as a thank you. She said that "Now, she has autumn. It's very nice season! Leaves turn red and yellow." Yes, they do, Yukimi and the leaves are beautiful in Hiroshima as well as here in the United States. I really like the way this picture was taken, the hazy, out of focus background and the clear, in focus leaves in the foreground. Thank you, Yukimi, for showing me a picture of a Japanese autumn.

These beautiful stamps brought me my card from Yukimi. There also were some happy little ghost stickers on the back of the card as well. How fun!

Two Postcard Makeup

My 4th and 5th postcard from Tuesday, October 14th, came in this beautiful envelope. Note the rose background. The whole envelope was made of this background. Balbina from a small town near Cologne, Germany, sent me this envelope. The stamps are beautiful and unusual as well.

The lighthouse stamp is from Amrum, a Frisian Island in the North Sea off the coast of Germany. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The man in the stamp above the lighthouse is Johann Hinrich Wichern. He was a theologian in Germany during the 19th Century. He advocated feeding the hungry of the inner cities and educating the children as a way of improving their lifestyle and future.

The postcard above, Balbina said, is of a cathedral in an area called Bergischen Land after the Dukes of Berg who lived there during the 13th century. This place is near her hometown. Of course, the postcard below, is of the famous gothic cathedral of Cologne. Balbina said that Cologne or Koeln is famous for its long history, beautiful gothic cathedral and for its celebration of "Karneval."

Balbina said that she hopes to be able to visit my great country some day. I think that Balbina has a great country as well. Another bit of surprise in the envelope from Balbina were these two autumn leaves. I noted that they were not real, but beautiful nevertheless. Balbina ended her letter wishing me a "wonderful autumn!" I hope you have a wonderful autumn too, Balbina.

Puppies, Pansies and Joeys

I hit a second Jackpot yesterday receiving 5, yes, that is right, 5 postcards yesterday. That is the most I have received in one day since beginning postcrossing 4 months ago. Jenny from Dortmund, Germany sent me this cute little puppy postcard. She read that I like dogs and she said she likes dogs too. Her "fave" is the pug! However, she has a cat. She said she has a cat because they do not require as much time and attention as a dog (you don't say!).

More German critters as these little bunny rabbits were on the stamp that brought my puppy postcard to me. Thanks Jenny, for the little critters!

A pocket full of posies, I mean, pansies were sent to me by Ida in Finland. Aren't they pretty? She said that the cold, wet, winter weather has not come yet so it is still warm there in Finland. So, Ida, what do you consider "warm"?? Of course, here in Texas, pansies are very common here in the wintertime. They like the cold.

P.S. I was just informed by my mom by way of "comment"that pansies mean "friendship" which makes it a perfect subject for a postcrossing card. 10/16/08, 11:16 a.m.

Below is the stamp that brought me my pocketful of pansies from Finland. He looks like a carpenter of some kind. Thanks Ida, for sending me the beautiful card and stamp.This mama kangeroo and her little joey (baby kangeroo) were sent to me by Scott and friends who live in Melbourne, Australia (Down Under). I learned from my mom that a baby kangeroo is called a joey and then I looked on the back of the card, and sure enough, it says "kangeroo with joey". Isn't the joey just precious? Scott said "his friends" are his two cats. Thanks Scott, for sending me another "critter" card. I enjoy the critter cards.

I have cards of the following critters: hedgehog, ladybug, grizzley bear, moose, puppy, tropical fish, bunnies, a snail and now a kangeroo.

Shakespeare's Birthplace

I received my latest postcard on Saturday, October 11, 2008. It comes to me from Fiona in Great Britain. As you can see, it is from Stratford upon Avon in Warwickshire, England and as, Fiona states, it is from the town where Shakespeare was born.

Fiona says that Autumn has arrived in the UK and they are having wet and windy weather. She says that it is okay because it blows all the cobwebs away! Thanks, Fiona, for adding yet another cathedral to my collection.

Lucky Ladybug

This lucky ladybug card was made for me by Aista in Lithuania. She said that she somtimes likes to paint small pictures like this. She is 23 years old and is studying in the capital city of Lithuania, which is Vilnius. She said she loves the city. It is cozy and beautiful. Aista began her card by saying "Labas Brenda!" which means Hello Brenda in Lithuanian. She also said that her parents have 3 dogs, 2 huskies and a fox terrier. She ended her note by saying "Best wishes for you and Charlie!".

Aista's card was in a yellow envelope with this beautiful stamp. Note the Beijing Olympic symbol on the stamp. Thanks, Aista for sharing a part of your creative talents with me.

Happy Hedgehogs

These happy little hedgehogs came to me from Megan who lives in London, England. She is originally from Canada but teaches elementary school in London. She is doing this so she can more easily travel to Europe on her school holidays. How clever, Megan. These happy little hedgehogs were painted by artist, Sarah Battle. Thanks Megan for the cute card.

Germany, Finland, Sweden or Florida

I received three postcards in the mail yesterday. One from Florida, one from Germany and one from Finland. You can read on and see why I put Sweden in the title of this blog entry.

Leena from Pietarsaari Jakobstad in Finland sent me this first card. Isn't it a beautiful place? Leena said this is the town that she is studying in. She is studying International Business. The town, Leena said, is located on the west coast of Finland, just across the sound from Sweden. She said the town is pretty much bilingual. That is why the town has two names. Pietarsaari is Finnish and Jakobstad is Swedish. She said it feels funny to be the minority in her own country - over 50% of the town's population speaks Swedish as their native tongue. Thanks, Leena for sharing a piece of your world with me.
This is the cool stamp that brought Leena's card to me. Get it?? It's a stamp for "snail mail." What could be more appropriate? I think it is adorable!

My second card from yesterday comes from Jasmina who lives in Wiedenbruech which is just to the northeast of Dusseldorf. Jasmina says she likes to play with her cat, swim, play other sports and laugh alot. I like to laugh too, Jasmina. Thanks for sharing. Wiedenbruech does look romantic, almost like out of a fairy tale (maybe a Brothers Grimm fairy tale?).

And this is the lovely stamp that brought Jasmina's card to me. Appropriate, don't you think that there is a bleeding heart flower on a stamp about a romantic place!

And now, for the last postcard of the day, we travel back to the United States to see a beautiful sunset from the Florida Gulf Coast. Stephanie from Freeport sent me this postcard. Nice, peaceful way to end the day. Stephanie said that she did not have much to write about because she was so tired. I think a peaceful sunset would make me tired too.

Thanks, Stephanie for a glimpse of another part of the Gulf Coast.