Mail Bag

There have been a few little things in the mail lately to make me smile. Although most of my correspondence these days consists of email, I cherish a handwritten note. I tried sending a letter a week last year and made it to April. That exercise reminded me that a handwritten note is a delightful way to keep in touch. Monthly I try to send out postcards and letters to friends near and far. It happens more often when I think someone needs a little lift. Lately I have been receiving a few replies too.

A month or so ago, KC of Olive and Owl mentioned a postcard exchange on her blog. I received a delightful card from New Zealand and mailed one to Colorado as well as a stack to other friends. To my surprise I received a return note from the woman in Colorado. I think I have a new penpal. I am so glad KC did this project. I was a treat to connect with another person. 

The kiddos received a stack of postcards over two days. My mom recently traveled with a few of her childhood friends to Albuquerque. She usually sends the kiddos a little bit of mail when she travels alone or with my dad. This time she did not disappoint. The kiddos were quite enamored with their postcards. Benton especially loved his, which depicted a wall of cattle skulls.  We talked about incorporating the idea into the backyard somehow. He is ecstatic about the possibilities and the finding of the skulls.

The final piece of mail was a new bag. I happened upon the Wee Whimsicals blog a few weeks ago  and entered her contest. The prize was a bag of my choice. I snatched up this gorgeous blue one. It is perfect for a bit of knitting as well as my wallet, notebook, and phone.

I wonder with all the electronic correspondence of today what will remain for future generations to study. I have a few of the letters my grandmother wrote me as well as a bit of correspondence between my mother and grandmother. There are also letters from my paternal grandmother around my birth. She includes the mundane details of her day as well as neighborhood gossip. I really cherish these snippets from years ago. I hope I leave a bit of myself for my kiddos to have as well as this blog that captures a bit of the mundane as well as exciting.

Resolutions Revisited

I am doing fairly well on my resolution to take a photo a day in 2011. I have missed 3 days so far. I don't think that is too bad. I am not sure if my skills have improved at all. I tried to read a few photography sites, but I mostly wing it. I hope to learn a bit more and utilize more of the functions on my camera in the next few months.

My 40 pound weight loss goal has been a bit more elusive. I joined a gym, and I have been going most mornings. Despite the dedication to fitness, the scale has moved upwards not down. My clothes are now a bit tight with the added muscle. On the bright side, I can definitely feel and see my muscles emerging. For the next few months, I am focusing more on inches lost and body fat, and less on the scale. I will also be tracking what I eat better.

I am still writing my letters weekly. A couple of weeks, I doubled up to keep on track. I really like writing the letters. I think a hand written note is special and usually well received. I am hoping as the year progresses, I even get a few in return.

Resolutions are tough, but I hope revisiting them will keep me focused.

Secret Letters

Inspired by Unplug Your Kids, today we made some invisible ink and wrote a few letters. I mixed up the two ink concoctions. The first was fresh lemon juice. The second was a mixture of equal parts baking soda and water. Armed with cotton swabs, the kiddos worked on their mysterious letters. Aine enjoyed creating drawings and notes with her invisible ink.

Eamon did a few drawings, but worked mostly on decoding the messages. He used a light bulb to read his invisible ink.

I wrote my letter for the 4th week of the 52 project to my niece Ashlyn using the invisible ink. I used both types of ink and even drew a picture for her. I am sure she will like using her detective skills to read the letter.