Monet and Me

are admiring some happy mail. I didn't even have to look at the return address to know it was from friend and guild member, The Postman (he worked for the US Postal Service).

He mixed fun styles for the lettering and placed the stamp in the lower, righthand corner! A no-no! It doesn't look like there were any problems with the placement of the stamp. The stamp is one of the new Baby Wild Animal stamps that was issued in May. Very cute.

The card had a calligraphy cartoon on it.

Thanks, D, for brightening up my mailbox.

The Friday Five Good Things

 Five good things that happened this week.

1. Last month, I applied for the  old people's parking pass to Massachusetts state parks. The pass is for people 60 and over, costs a one time fee of $10, and is good for life! I think they figure us Weebles aren't going to last long.

2. I made giambotta, an Italian vegetable stew, with veggies from the garden.

3. We celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary with Chinese food take-out and hanging out in the sunroom.

4. I Skyped  Microsoft Teamed with the Young One

5.  I received some Happy Mail 

How was your week?

Monet and Me

Monet and I are admiring the Easter centerpiece from the Eldest

and happy mail from Nan. I love how she matched the gnome on the card with a gnome on the envelope. Deliver to the Egg-selent. I love puns and that one cracks me up. Did you see what I did there? Thank you, Nan.

Happy Bill Paying!

 

How an artistic accounting clerk brightens patients' day

Happy Mail

 

A bright spot in the mailbox to start the weekend. A First Day of Issue stamp for the Year of the Snake along with a matching note card from Finnbadger at Envelope 100. The stamp was issued from Boston, Massachusetts. Right in my front yard. How cool is that?

But here's a mystery. Finn sent the note with good wishes for the Year of the Snake. The notecard is dated 21. February 2025! So did this envelope take over a month and a half for USPS to deliver it? Finn, did you write the notecard and it got buried under a pile (I do that) so you just mailed it last week?

Either way, mailed early, late, or last week, I thank you for thinking of me. I really like this year's design.

Happy Mail

Sandwiched between a snowstorm and the car excise tax bill some Happy Mail from Finnbadger at Envelope 100 A Star Wars wanted poster for Princess Leia. After all these years, I never knew she had a last name. Finn added fun Star Wars stamps of two droids, BB 8 and IG. I love when there's a coordinating theme with the stamps.

In 2021 the USPS issued Star Wars stamps that featured droids from the movies. The stamps were to celebrate the 50th anniversary the 50th anniversary of Lucasfilm, the studio that created the franchise.

Finnbadger likes cardinals. He got a new address stamp which featured his address in a circle with the cardinal in the center. Perfectly pressed, too.

Thanks, Finn, you made a bright spot in my week.

Happy Mail

 

From my tablemate, L, when we took Reggie Ezell's year long class in 2017, a Valentine. L's art always includes sheep. I'm pleasantly surprised after all this time she still remembers me.

T Stands for The Old Post Office Tea Room

 

In the package of goodies Tiggy sent me a couple of months ago, was a postcard of the Old Post Office Tea Room, Chapel of Garioch, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire. 

The cute, blue Brown Betty style teapot and the table set for tea is my ticket to T Day. Tiggy explained the postcard shows a local tea shop. "Are you coming?" I'll be there in a heartbeat, Tiggy!

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.

A Wee Collection of Bits and Pieces

My dear friend, Tiggy from Scotland, had told me to watch the mail a few weeks ago, but nothing from Scotland. Not until I returned home from Ogunquit.

In a note Tiggy wrote, " This is a wee collection of bits and pieces I thought you might have fun using in a journal or collaging with. I do love doing that as a guilt free pastime."

So many wonderful things. The black envelope (upper right with the pink floral sticker) has an elephant on it), a postcard of a Scottish kuh (cow), a coloring page, stickers, some words and phrases that can are peel and stick.

A notecard with Aberdeenshire's Historic Kirkyards. That would be a fun bimble (outing) to stop and visit the graves.

More goodies included a drawing by Tiggy with a note saying it's waiting for colored pencils, a sweet, tiny envelope (template), stamps, and a card Tiggy printed on her Letterpress:

GOOD FRIENDS

are like stars

you don't always

see them

but you know they are

ALWAYS THERE

Dearest Tiggy, our friendship is going on close to 30 years. Even though we have never met in person, I know you are always there. A trip to visit you and The Lad and to play in the wee hoosie is on my bucket list. 

T Stands for A Mug, Postcards, and Teas

 Back in June on our first trip to Ogunquit this year, Teague and I ate breakfast at The Egg and I, and I was quite taken with the mugs. At the time, it was too busy in the restaurant to ask if the mugs were for sale.

Last week, back in Ogunquit and since our motel was across the street from The Egg and I, we walked over for breakfast. While waiting to be seated, I asked if the mugs were for sale. They were! So after breakfast, I bought two, one for each of us to have as a souvenir.

When I got home from my trip

Lisca's second postcard for the 11th T Day Anniversary had arrived. Lisca wrote the picture is from Gaudix, a town near where she lives and where she frequently shops. She had recently been there with her son and his family. She said, "It was so hot that I enjoy looking at the snow in this card. (it was 40 oC or 104 oF.)

While it's been very hot and humid where I live, it hasn't been that hot. Though to some it might feel like it was that hot. I don't really complain about the heat and humidity. Winter lasts so long. Summer is flying by and Winter is coming.

For those who enjoy the stamps, this travel stamp with the little people with their luggage and backpacks must be the postcard rate. The Correos, the postal service of Spain, did a nice job with the postmark. The card was postmarked in Granada on the July 23. It took about a week to get here.  Impressive.

If arriving home to happy mail wasn't enough, in Monday's mail this envelope and notecard from Lisca. The notecard has a picture of a market and a vendor selling garlic bulbs. It reminds me of when I was little and we would go into Boston to visit my maternal grandmother. Sometimes, Ma would have Dad stop at Haymarket Square where there would be vendors selling fruits and vegetables.

Inside the notecard were 3 teabags. In her note Lisca explains, Pukka is an English brand that has many different herbal teas. The Lord Nelson is from the European supermarket Lidl and it is a sleepy-time tea of chamomile, fennel, and valerian.

The third teabag is called Sex on the Beach and is a cold-brew tea. It immediately got dunked in cold water so I can try it after dinner while relaxing in the sunroom. 

Then because the first postcard I received had a slight mishap in Lisca's bag when her water bottle leaked (though it wasn't damaged), she sent this magnificent postcard of a toreador. Just look at those roses! 

Thank you, Lisca, for being my T Day Anniversary partner.

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.

The Friday Five Good Things

 

Five good things that happened this week

1. Friday is usually the day I change the sheets on the bed and do laundry. It seemed silly to fold my clothes and put them in the drawer when I would need them on my trip. So, I packed my suitcase for the Ogunquit trip

2. The Young One sent me a UPS tracking number. The package is schedule to arrive on Tuesday. I will have already left for Ogunquit so it will be a nice surprise when I get home.

3. Happy Birthday to me! Birthday muffins, Birthday pastrami on bulkie rolls, watching old movies in the sunroom, takeout from the Outback, ice cream cake. Godiva chocolates from the Eldest, something from Himself that requires assembly which he will do while I'm away, and lots of birthday greetings from family and friends. The Young One sent me the Pusheen image in this post.

4. Monday was a red letter day for Happy Mail

5. Tuesday was Ogunquit or Bust!

How was your week?

T Day Anniversary Postcard from Lisca

Lisca from Spain and I were swap partners to celebrate the 11th anniversary of T Day. Lisca's delightful postcard arrived on July 29.  Her postcard is dated July 20, 2024 and only took 9 days to arrive.

The note on her postcard reads: So this is the unfortunate card that got wet when my water bottle leaked in my bad. It's the coastline not far from here. (I live 1 1/2 hr. drive inland) It's a natural park so no development allowed. Great for walking (there are two car parks.) I used to go there often with my late husband. Happy T Day anniversary

I tried to find out a little bit about the stamp, but didn't have much luck. Correos is the Postal Service of Spain. The stamps shows some travelers. Perhaps, Lisca can tell us a little more about the stamp.

I haven't heard from Lisca so I don't know if the postcard and items I sent to her arrived, yet. Joe at the Bellingham post office where I mailed the package said it would take about 3 weeks to get to Spain. It's probably been about 3 weeks. 

If Lisca hasn't received the items I sent, I don't want to spoil her surprise.

Happy Mail

The minute I saw the first day cover, I knew it was blogger bud, Finnbadger from Envelope 100. I didn't even need to turn it over to see the cardinal on the return address label to know who it was from. 

It arrived in pristine condition on a day when I needed a pick-me-up. Thank you so much for thinking of me, Finnbadger.

Happy Mail

 

This envelope made me smile when it landed in my mailbox. Postmarked on May 4. A May the Fourth be with you (and also with you. Sorry, as a retired Catholic that reply is automatic 😺). From Mail Art and Blog Buddy, Phillip from Envelope 100.  Phillip used the R2D2 and C3PO Droid Star Wars stamps issued by the USPS on May 4, 2021.

To complete the ensemble, Phillip included this cool notecard where the illustrations were taken from the US Patent Office. The drawings are for a toy robot. The patent was granted on April 17, 1979. The original assignee was Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation.

Thanks, Phillip. This really made my day.

Happy Mail

A pretty envelope

The Tabby Love stamp, one of my favorites.

Such a pretty unbirthday card, front and back as it's not my birthday. Inside a note from the Food Service Girl and Mackerull. The tall card format was perfect so they didn't have to put too many folds in

this beautiful butterfly coloring page.

Thank you, FSG and Mackerull, you made my day.

A Bright Spot

 

A bright spot, especially on a miserable, snowy morning. My SIL sent a floral pop-up, thinking of you card. 

It's been a long time since I've had flowers in the house as most flowers and plants are toxic to kitties. It's nice to have flowers on the dining room table again. 

Happy Mail

I stopped at the post office to mail a package to the Young One. While I was there, I thought I would check to see if there was anything in the post office box. I signed up for Informed Delivery where the post office gives you a heads up to what will be hitting your mailbox. Nothing showed up for the post office box so I was surprised to find

all the way from the Land Down Under, a postcard shaped like a stubby ('Strine or Aussie slang for a small bottle of beer) sent by Iris from Braunschweig, Germany.

The stamp looks like boats, but it's sideways. The picture is the iconic pregnant oyster better known as the Sydney Opera House.

Danke sehr, Iris for thinking of me while you were on your vacation. I'm so glad you're doing better after your spider adventure and relieved you didn't encounter a Huntsman.

The Friday Five Good Things

 Five good things that happened this week.

1. I had to pick Himself up at WPI and to wait an hour or so until he got out of class. I walked up to the Campus Center and treated myself to a Chai Tea Latte.

2. Happy Mail. A St. Patrick's Day card from Nan

3. We had our traditional St. Patrick's Day corned beef and no cabbage, and we watched A Quiet Man. It was free on Pluto. But surprise! They cut the ending to start Donovan's Reef, another John Wayne movie.

4. On impulse I purchased Celestial Seasonings Vermont Maple Ginger tea. It was delicious

5. After a brief hiatus, Teague and I finally had a play day

How was your week?

St. Patrick's Day Happy Mail

Thanks to Nan. She never forgets to send me a St. Patrick's Day card. I'm pleased to be an honorary Irish woman. Uncial (Celtic) lettering and a fun Mr. Snuffleupagus stamp. That has no cancellation mark

It might be St. Patrick's Day to the rest of the world, but today would have been my Dad's 105 birthday.  

Happy Mail

Friday was a jackpot, happy mail day.

Elizabeth and Bleubeard sent a 10th anniversary T Day ATC, a charming kitty and 10 teacups. Two postcards don't that have any snow on them and note signed by E and Bleubeard. It took a day or two for me to get to the post office box where Elizabeth mailed the goodies. Thank you, Elizabeth and Bleubeard (and thanks to Squiggles, too) for such a wonderful surprise. I didn't expect an ATC as I didn't participate in the exchange. So many thanks for thinking of me.

For those that like stamps, Elizabeth used the Year of the Ox stamp issued in a virtual ceremony sponsored by the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce. USPS did a great job of running Elizabeth's envelope through the cancellator. Such a nice, crisp postmark.

L, my tablemate from the 2017 year-long class with Reggie Ezzell surprised me with a Valentine. L loves sheep and they feature in her artwork. Even more surprising is the stamp didn't receive a cancellation mark though the city where the card was posted is printed as well as the bar code along the bottom.

L doesn't read the blog so I'll be sending her a note thanking her for the Valentine.

She used the new 2024 Love stamp issued January 12, 2024, Romance, AR 72136

My blog buddy, Phillip from Envelope 100 sent me a first day issue, complete in a cellophane wrapper with a cardboard insert to keep everything flat, the festive, metallic envelope and lovely notecard. Thank you, Phillip, I was blown away by your thoughtfulness.

The first day issue have the date and place where the stamps were issued along with a special cancellation mark based on one of the animal stamps.  There are 4 animal stamps in the Woodland Animal series and you can see them on the flat that Phillip mailed to a friend.