Another week, Another card

Actually, this week there have been a couple of cards. I’ve simply been too busy and too tired to blog about them. Cards have gone out as well, and another milestone of sorts has been reached. Where shall I start?

The milestone! Because I was under 10 cards sent, I was only allowed to have 6 cards travelling at any given time. Now that I’ve passed the 15 cards sent mark, I’m allowed to have 7 cards travelling. The next milestone is 25 cards sent. Then I’ll be allowed 8 cards at any given time. Right now, I’m at 18 and there are 7 cards out there somewhere. By the time all of them reach their destinations, I’ll be able to send an extra one.

Then, there have been cards received this week. Two cards have arrived in my mailbox this week.

This was the first, in more ways than one. It’s the first one this week, but it’s also the first one I’ve received that arrived in an envelope, a handmade envelope! I love that!

And the card. It’s a collage of city views of the town of Tampere. From the views on this card, the city looks like it’s a fairly modern city.

If Marika ever reads this blog, she should know that I don’t have any cards similar to this one and, so far, hers is the only one that has arrived in an envelope. That makes it a special card, wouldn’t you say?

The second card that arrived showed up today. My husband didn’t tell me a card had arrived; he let it be a surprise (I love that about him!) When I saw it, I could not help but smile!

I’m not sure what “Ale Beka!” means (if you know, please feel free to leave me a comment with the translation) but I love this card! How can a card like this not make you smile? David scored a “fave” with this one. Incidentally, this is also the first card I’ve received from Poland.

As well as receiving cards, a couple of cards went out this week. A PC member in Finland will be receiving two cards from me. She specifically requested that cards not be written on and that they be sent in an envelope. Her profile said that she has two sons and that they like cats. I sent a postcard with a cat (a very special cat; she had been rescued from an abandoned house in the fire zone when we had a major forest fire here in Kelowna in 2003) and a bear, but not the furry kind. This one is a local sculpture that is located in a waterfront park here in Kelowna.

A second card will be going to Russia. That one is a postcard I picked up here in town.The last card to Russia took 33 days to arrive. Still out is a card to China that has been on its way for 34 days and counting. So far, the longest time travelling has been a card that took 44 days to get to the recipient in Belarus. Will the card to China top that? We shall see.

So you see, it’s been another busy Postcrossing week! This weekend, I’ll be heading to the post office to pick up some more stamps. It seems I have none left.

 

Off to Norway

I am, I admit, a little bit obsessive-compulsive. My morning routine includes checking my email. Whose doesn’t, right? I don’t just check it first thing. I check it mid morning, I check it at lunch time, I check it mid afternoon and I check it when I get home. I should qualify that and say that I will only do that if time allows.

This morning, when I checked my email, I still had seven cards travelling. When I went online about an hour ago and checked Postcrossing, it said I had six cards travelling! That meant a card had reached its destination! Immediately, I checked my email and, indeed, the birthday card I sent to the States had arrived, and had been very well received.

I immediately requested another address, fully expecting to send another card to the US. I was wrong, however. This card is going to Norway. The recipient also has a birthday upcoming, so even though this isn’t an official birthday postcard, I did wish her a happy birthday.

And the best part of all? Now, I can expect another card to be winging it’s way to MY mailbox!

 

Another One!

I didn’t think another postcard would be arriving so soon. I thought I was caught up. It seems I wasn’t. Today’s mail was just that… real mail. On our door handle was a notice that John has registered mail to pick up tomorrow and in the mailbox was a postcard.

This one, to be exact…

One place in the United States I’d really like to visit (well, ONE of the places, actually) is Washington, DC. I’ve been to a small town in Maine (Greenwood, to be precise) and I’ve corresponded with a gentleman in Vermont (if I remember correctly) who shared his love of US history with me (he was passionate about photographing famous battlegrounds, and did a marvellous job of doing just that). The entire east coast of the continent is so filled with history, something we really don’t know out here on the West Coast. If you go back 100 years, you’re pushing it. This was wilderness. Not so for the East Coast. I like that. I love the sense of history that you find out east and in Europe.

When I registered this card, I read Cathy’s profile. She’s an interesting lady! She is, apparently, a published author! I’m impressed. And dare I say a little intimidated? (And maybe even a little jealous!)

 

Czech Republic Joins the Crowd

I managed to get to the mailbox first today. In it, I found the first postcard I’ve received from the Czech Republic. If you’re keeping track at all (and why would you, really?), that now makes a total of ten countries I’ve received cards from. Can you tell I’m having fun?

From these cameos, I would say that the Czech Republic has some beautiful scenery! Some of it reminds me of areas of British Columbia. I guess that can be said of many parts of the world, can’t it? I mean, areas in similar geographic locales (i.e. the South of France and the southern part of British Columbia, both on about the same parallel) could be similar in appearance, right?

And the back of the card. I love the stamps, especially the singing cartoon character! How cute is that!

Because Ota wrote his message sideways, I’m also including a rotated view, just to make it easier to read.

Already, even with this brief foray into Postcrossing, I’m getting a window on a world I’m never likely to see. I can tell you, though, I’m seeing many places I’d love to see in person. This truly is a wonderful little window.

In a brief aside, one card I sent a while back, to abuk in Poland has now been faved four times!! Pretty cool!

 

It’s a Small, Small World, Isn’t It?

Part way through my day today, I stopped to check my email. Lo, and behold, another card has reached its destination! That destination was the Netherlands. This is where the “small world” thing comes in. My family is from Holland; I’m first generation Canadian. My father comes from a small town in the north of Holland; the card I sent to Holland went to that same town. Not just that, the recipient works in a bakery; my cousin owns and operates a bakery in that town. She doesn’t work at that particular bakery, but she knows it well. And… she knows my cousin.

Is that a small world story, or what?

Because her card was registered, I got to request another name. Once more, a card will be winging its way to the Netherlands. Maybe I’ll try writing in Dutch this time.. or maybe not.

Then, when my husband picked me up from work today, he said that another postcard had arrived. I asked him where it came from but he hadn’t had the time to look at it closely. It was a lovely surprise to find this card from Nina in Thailand. It’s lovely!

I can almost imagine being on the banks of the river and watching the royal barge floating by, twinkling with lights. It must be an impressive sight to watch.

On the back, Nina explained that the card shows three things that are important to the people of Thailand: the river, the temple of the Emerald Buddha and the Royal barge. One of the stamps also shows the Royal barge. I love that the stamp echoes something from the front of the card. The flower stamps are lovely, too.

I’m thinking that I really need to start paying attention to the stamps I buy. I’ve decided that once a month, I’m going to go to the post office and purchase a booklet of both international stamps (anywhere outside of Canada or the US) and a booklet of stamps for the US. Hopefully, each month the Post Office will have different stamps available. I think I’ll also stock up on local stamps and occasionally mix things up a bit.

 

Another Destination Reached!

Today I received notification that another card had reached it’s destination. The card I sent to North Carolina arrived today and you know what that means, right?

Right! Another one goes out with tomorrow’s mail. This one will, again, be going to the east coast of the US. It’s a little different, though. I have a feeling that this recipient isn’t an American-born American, perhaps an exchange student. She’s Japanese and her profile states that she currently lives in the States and speaks very little English.

While reading her profile, I noticed something interesting; her birthday is coming up! That got me thinking. How much fun would it be to receive a birthday postcard around the time of your birthday? So that’s exactly what I’m doing!

Here’s the card she’ll be receiving. I’m only showing you the front; the back already has her address on it. Suffice it to say, there’s a cupcake on the back and I’ll be writing out my birthday wishes tomorrow, when the card is to be printed.

Do you get the feeling I’m having fun?

 

One More Out, One More In

I wasn’t expecting anything yet. There were 10 cards in and I’d sent 10 cards out, so there probably shouldn’t have been another one in my mailbox, but there it was! All by it’s almost lonesome self, accompanied only by a pizza ad, a single postcard from Germany. Written in Dutch. Because we both understand a bit of Dutch. It was a very pleasant surprise!

In actuality, as of yesterday, 11 cards had reached their destinations. The card I mailed to Germany reached it’s destination and this afternoon I requested another name. Interestingly, I sent a card to Germany and received a card from Germany.

Translation: (Loosely translated) “While I’m not from Friesland (a northern province in the Netherlands) or the Netherlands, I speak a bit of Dutch. I saw that you do, too. My name is Miriam, I’m 25 years old and come from a small city in Southern Germany. It’s called “Landau”. I work in a preschool, I love animals, books and reading. I’ve never been to Canada. Too bad! I think it is a beautiful land.”

Miriam also suggested that I might like to send her a card in return. I am more than happy to do so and she’ll be getting a postcard featuring baby moose. This is the first time anyone has even suggested that they’d love to receive a card in return. I like that!

As far as sending goes, this card will be winging it’s way to the Ukraine tomorrow.

This is one of the postcards I made. Seeing as I’m an amateur photographer, and seeing as I work in a print shop, I’ve been making more and more of my own postcards. All of these pictures are pictures I’ve taken and in the top right picture, if you look carefully, you can see my shadow.

Do you get the idea that I’m having fun with this? I truly am!

 

 

Wow! Busy Week!

Today’s mail included another card! I’m all caught up now, if I’m not mistaken. So far, all the cards I’ve received have been from the northern hemisphere and today’s card is no exception. It’s my first card from Portugal.

From Paulo’s description, he lives in a somewhat rural area. I’ve been there. He lives around horses, bulls and open fields; I grew up with cows and open fields (I’m not a farmer’s daughter. We just lived in a rural area.)

As well, my card to Belarus was registered today and that means I can send another card. I already have a recipient’s name in hand (why wait, right?); the next card will be going to Finland. I’ll be looking over my ever-growing assortment of cards to decide which one will go to Alina.

 

One More Received

Yesterday, when we got home, John took the mail out of the box and another postcard fluttered to the ground. I love seeing those cards in the mail. Getting some real mail is such a treat, isn’t it? It’s especially nice when the mail doesn’t have bills or advertising.

This card came from the US again. That makes a total of three, so far, from the US. It’s also the second card I’ve received from California.

Mimi is in San Diego (one of my favourite American cities) and she and her husband come here to walk and watch the seals. I didn’t realize until tonight that the “rocks” at the foreground of the beach are actually seals! Very cool!

So, the way things stand right now, I’ve received nine postcards; ten postcards I’ve sent have reached their destination. That means there’s still one card winging it’s way to my mailbox. As well, right now, I have six more cards travelling.

I wonder where the next card will come from?

 

It’s Only Tuesday

…And already I’ve received a card, had a card reach it’s destination, and sent out another two cards. Where shall I start?

The card to a young man in Poland, I think. He’s a 14 year old who loves hockey. Who doesn’t? Around here, we certainly do, especially at this time of year… it’s playoff season! Anyway, he requested hockey postcards from anyone in Canada or the USA. Well, I couldn’t find any. I tried!

I work in a print shop; my boss is an ex-NHL physiotherapist. In the same building, there’s a sports memorabilia store. I tried. Three people suggested I make my own NHL postcard, almost in unison! So I did. I sent a card with a picture of Alex Ovechkin and, apparently, he’s abuk’s favourite hockey player! The card has been faved twice already! Score one for me!

In the sent category, yesterday I posted a card to the USA, North Carolina to be exact. This morning, I posted one to Germany, my first card to go there.

As for received cards, yesterday’s mail brought a second card from Finland. I really like this one. I think it’s because I can relate to what Eeva wrote in her note. This lake, she writes, is about 10 minutes from her home and it’s a place she likes to go to, a place she likes to sit and think.

I have a place like that within about the same distance. Hers is a lake; mine is a creek; it’s my favourite place to walk and think. As well, I see the same flowers (yellow flag) and plants (horsetail) around here.

 

And I LOVE the stamp!