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Friday 29 April 2016

My postman

I've got the best postman in the world and it's no good you telling me yours is better!

When it's hot weather (remember that?) I watch out for him and give him an ice lolly to show my appreciation but he's wonderful for everybody.  He seems to do his round at the trot, wearing shorts no matter what the weather is like.  He's got a smile for everyone and we have an "arrangement" when parcels which won't go through the letterbox need to be delivered and I'm not in.

And of course he brings wonderful things!  Actually I've just realised that's an advantage of on-line billing - whatever the postman brings now is lovely!  Today was an especially good day.  He brought a letter all the way from Texas!  (No', I don't think he brought it all the way, just the last leg of its journey.)  

This handmade card brought me joy in January and is still on display
You can't beat a real letter for bringing pleasure.  I know somebody will say that postage is very expensive but I truly think it is wonderful value for money.  I don't know what it cost my lovely penfriend to send that letter but I know it will cost me £1.33 to send a reply.  If I send a letter in this country it costs 55p or 64p first class.  That's less than a bunch of daffs and gives just as much pleasure if not more.  I keep letters for ages, reading and re-reading them, delighting in the quirks of handwriting and the care which my correspondent has put into her creation.  If I am lucky enough to receive a letter on a handmade card it is on display for weeks if not months.
Writing a letter takes real effort.  These days we dash off e mails or pick up the phone without much of a second thought but to write a letter takes a bit of planning.  Once it is written it has to be taken to the post box, or even the Post Office if it is going abroad and I'm not sure of postage.

It's National Stationery Week.  Neither my postman nor my pen will be stationary!

8 comments:

  1. I totally agree there is such joy in the sending and receiving of letters/parcels that can be savoured. Not sure I agree with you having the best postman...LOL!!!

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  2. Glad you got it!I really enjoy writing letters and more people should do it. I remember when my husband was away at college and we wrote letters every day. I would go to the corner mailbox and mail them -- we still have those letters and there are quite a lot of them. One day our children will go through them and probably laugh, maybe be embarrassed, maybe even get sentimental -- all something they could never do with a disappearing email or text message. Yes, I am in favor of real letters and cards and yes, handmade are especially special!

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  3. Love this post! I still primarily use a fountain pen - it takes cartridges which isn't nearly so satisfactory as squeezing up the ink from a bottle of Quink! (Do they still sell that?) I had a phase for turquoise ink when I was much younger - then brown - trying to be different I suppose. Yes, email is quick but snail mail nicerX

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    1. I just checked and yes, you can still buy a bottle of Quink! I have two fountain pens. One has Quink cartridges but one has to be filled from a bottle in the old fashioned way. It is filled with a special ink for writing registers.

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    2. Sorry, my reply went in the wrong place

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  4. I couldn't agree with you more! I hope someone instills in at least some of the upcoming generation these values. We're losing touch with things we can touch and that saddens me so. So much extra does go into sending mail, real mail. And the sentiment is wonderfully and gleefully sent and received. E-mail is okay, but mail is special.

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  5. I'm amazed Quink is still going! The register ink - would that be a bit like Indian ink so that it's more permanent and smudge proof? I need to buy a new fountain pen; despite all my cleaning attempts it keeps blocking.

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    1. It's very permanent but I'm not sure what Indian ink is like. As far as I am concerned it's a bit of a pain as I have to keep a special pen for the use of wedding couples and, what is worse, find it when I need it!

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