Oy! So busy!!!!!

     I just wanted to check in. Life has been insanely busy- even when I'm specifically trying to slow things down.  I have been praying for many of my penpals as they celebrate birthdays, deal with marital struggles, family sicknesses, everyday life, serving in the military, planning for exciting vacations, etc. Please know that I have not forgotten about you.  I will write when I can catch my breath a little!
     So this month I finished being the music director for our school musical. (The Little Mermaid Jr) All in all, the kids did well and I really enjoyed working with them.  I also am planning 3 assemblies for our elementary schools. Next I have to bring some students to our District Festival. Having some workaholic tendencies, I sometimes struggle with not working all of the time.  Honestly, I really love my job too so it doesn't always feel like work.

     On a less hectic note, my little guy turns 5 tomorrow. He is one of the sweetest children I know. He has a beautiful smile and is always extremely helpful. I love his little giggle. Happy birthday!

2 good mail days

Incoming....

     Both pieces of incoming mail are responses to Lettermo postcards I sent out. I look forward to responding to both of them!

 Jackie- Did you stamp this or print it? Very cool. I would like to make my own postcards but I'm generally just bad at art. :( I try. I'm thinking of trying a mail art project this month. I'll see...

  Angie (from Mailbox Happiness)- I love the postcard from you too. Great idea. I just read your blog last night about how your writing has evolved over the month so it was nice to get your postcard today. I approached writing a little differently this time. Most of my first correspondences this time were just about what was going on here and general conversation, rather than the awkward intro letters. Now that people are responding, I will respond and tell them a little more about me and my family. It is a lot easier knowing more about them too. All of the people who have written seem like they are great letter writers. Nobody left me in a situation where I didn't have anything to respond to or talk about. Good stuff. I'm really glad I am taking part of LetterMo this year.

Outgoing...

     Package for Ashley, 2 soldier letters, 2 postcrossing cards (Finland and Russia) and 3 Lettermo postcards to people who signed my postable. 

What's a Postable?

     Postable is an online address book. From what I've read, it is very secure and lots of people that I've contacted through Lettermo are using it. Basically, it stores your addresses online and you can access it from wherever you are. This will save me (and, more so, Matt) a lot of frustration since I won't have letters hanging out all over the house. (Except letters in a "special spot" like Ashley's. Ugh. I will find it.)  It will also be nice if I'm on vacation and pick up some postcards for my friends. So, please feel free to sign my Postable and let me know if you have one of your own. I'll send any new friends a postcard  :)
 

Mailbox happiness!

Incoming...

     We went on vacation for a few days and I came home to a lovely stack of mail. Here it is:

 From a postcrosser in Belarus. I don't have many long cards like this.

 Timmy loved this pig card from a postcrosser in the Netherlands.

 Here is a winking gnome from Stefanie, a postcrosser in Germany.

 From postcrosser, Liyn, in China. They work for a chocolate company. The chocolate looks delicious. The top of the card says "Every piece of Choc Choco tells a story" My chocolates are usually screaming in fear.. lol.

 This is from a Lettermo friend from Georgia. I love postcards that are mail related!

 Another new Lettermo friend. Missy is from Arizona. I love the Mother Theresa quote. Missy, if you're reading this, you should check out a woman named Mama Maggie Gobran. She works with the street children of Cairo, Egypt and is the most humble person I have ever heard speak. If I remember I will add some of her quotes to your letter.

Mail from South Africa, Australia, Maryland and Virginia. The woman in South Africa is a fairly new penpal and the other 3 are fascinating new pals from Lettermo. I'm so excited to that I joined this year.
  Reading back in the blog, I realized that I needed to update a few other pieces of mail too.  This was from last week. Sorry I have not been good about updating this week. 

 Package from my friend, Akiko, in Japan!

 Ooooh! Exciting.

 Oops... this was out of order. Great postcrossing card. It's in the other room so I don't remember off the top of my head where it is from.

 Tea from Japan- this will make me feel beauty... good stuff.

 Nice postcard from Akiko

 Tsurago Castle in Japan

 "The Big Bad Wolf and the Seven Little Goats" Akiko, is this a story? We don't have this story here. You will have to tell me it.

 Tea!

 Chocolate- white, milk and dark!

 New Lettermo friend from Indiana. I love the card. She made the photo below as well.

       Lastly, I got a letter from Wendy (Lettermo) in Australia. I grabbed it on my way off for vacation so I didn't take a picture.
     I can't complain about not having any mail this week! Hopefully it keeps up like this and I can write like a madwoman to keep up!

Outgoing...

    Didn't take any pictures of mail on vacation but I mailed 3 of my soldiers, a penpal package (Melanie's) and a few Postcrossing cards. Here are my new numbers since it's been a while.

The 366 Project:

Received: 31
Sent: 59

     Today is the 52nd day of the year so I'm still on track!!! Woohoo! 

    Off to write some letters.  Today I saw that my page has hit 2000 page views. Yeah!

   

Luthuanian postbox

Incoming...

    I was hoping between the blizzard (aka.. no mail on Saturday) and being part of Lettermo that my mailbox would be flooded today with wonderful goodies. Alas, it was not. I got 1 postcard from Lithuania. On a good note, I really liked it. It is from Fredda, a postcrosser. I really like the Lithuanian post box. I love mailbox/mail related cards. 



















    I also wanted to share a picture of the postcard and sunglasses I got from Lamberto in Italy since I hadn't photographed them the other day.  Again, thanks!

 Outgoing...

    Being locked in a house with a travel ban on the roads has been great for my writing. Over the past few days I have finished a letter and a bunch of postcards. The letter is going into a package but I haven't been able to send that yet. (Today has been awful all around. Hopefully I can focus later.)  Here are some of the things I sent.

 

Help from Blogger friends?

Hi everybody. Could someone tell me how I add someone's widget to the side of my page? I use a template to write the blog but I don't seem to be able to add a gadget. Any advice for me? Thanks! I might also be interested in adding some of the blogs I follow over there too.

Blizzard update...

SNOW!!!!!!

    Here are pictures as of an hour and a half ago. It is still snowing. The snow is up to my thighs by the cars.

 

366 Update

    Forgot to update my numbers:

The 366 Project:

Incoming: 16 (Hoping this picks up soon. I am already so behind)
Outgoing:  35 (Only 5 behind where I'd like to be.. I'll catch up this weekend!)

Goal- 43 outgoing by Monday.