10 tips for writing a great letter.

...what a timely prompt for those of us participating in a month of letters - thanks, carole!

this morning's letters with their pretty stamps (#1) matched to their recipients (#3), and dated (#9)

1. use pretty stamps. I am obsessed with stamps and recently discovered I could order them on-line and have them delivered to my mailbox for about a dollar. the selection is extensive and not having to visit the post office is a treat!

2. use pretty paper. another obsession. I have boxes of cards and postcards and always try to add a few to my "collection" when I travel.

3. match the paper to the occasion. if possible - and given my extensive collection it often is! - I try to match the paper (and the stamp :-) to the person and/or the message in my letter.

4. write, meaning no typing. my handwriting is borderline illegible. and some days I cross that border - my mom returned a snippet of a letter I wrote to her with a word circled and "what does this say?" written in the margin - oops! but oh well, my handwriting is part of me. (I will break this rule if I have a confined space to send a specific message because typing does fit more words on the page!)

5. use your own voice. I correspond with a few people I've never met in person - but from reading my letters, I think they know what I sound like.

6. don't share "old news". (at least not on purpose.) for me that means I don't put into a letter something that I've posted on my blog.

7. be personal. I want the person reading the letter to know it was meant for her (or him) specifically.

8. be kind, necessary and true. once that letter lands in the mailbox there is no taking it back. words that are kind, necessary and true won't come back to bite you.

9. include the date. I think timing is an essential part of the context of the message. I'll often include the time of day, as well ("monday morning" or "sunday evening").

10. mail it. a letter isn't really a letter unless it ends up in someone's mailbox. and that can't happen if you don't mail it!

click here to join the ten on tuesday fun!

hello fall.

...I'm so glad you're finally here! summer definitely overstayed his welcome and your arrival is truly a breath of fresh and cooler air.

I have big plans for us. many walks in the park with holly. we only did one lap today, but she kept up  and even pulled me a few times (not just to chase the squirrels!). a successful 2-day walk with my sister. fig pizza. cookies. wine tasting. birthday celebrations. an anniversary. thanksgiving with the whole family. better photos.

and of course, knitting.

so please, settle in and make yourself comfortable. we're going to have a great time!

love, mary

more kitchen table time.

...it's been way too long since I indulged in a kitchen table photo. probably because it seems kind of weird  when it's just me. it's much more fun if there's someone else to share it with. 

click the photo to see the notes

today's story isn't about knitting*, but letter writing. I've got three regular pen pals (my mom, katie and sara) in my life and I try very hard to send weekly letters. because then I get weekly letters. and getting real mail is worth it!

*I was actually surprised that I was knitting in all of those kitchen table photos. really? is that all I ever did while I was sitting there?! (no need to answer!)

letters.

...from abroad and North Carolina.

From Barcelona and Madrid:

1.carte postale 2 front, 2.carte postale 2 back, 3. letter 1 stamp...yes! that is a knitting reference above the postmark!

From North Carolina:

I know Sara said I could scan and publish letters, but it didn't seem quite right with this one - so all the blog gets is the envelope - the stamp and the postmark! (but rest assured, the letter is totally cool - everything is good!)

yes...today's mail was beyond benevolent. a postcard and a letter from Katie and a letter from Sara. I got to enjoy them all in the "evening sunshine". Missing them much, but so glad they're having the experiences to write home about. Looking forward to catching up in person when they're home.

...p.s. I now have a "pro" after my name in flickr too. decided to upgrade (and honestly not exactly sure what it means, but the price wasn't outrageous!) so I didn't have to worry about how many photos I was sending there. I used up 42% of my monthly capacity last weekend, and figured that wasn't a good sign!