Letters

Some of you may not know that I have pen friends. I had about 25 until a year ago when I found out I had more health issues and needed to cope with them. I still have some pen friends, and I also write to relatives or friends of our families. At one time I wanted to have a pen friend in every state! Wow! That would take a lot of time...and postage stamps.  I send birthday and anniversary cards to everyone in our extended family, i.e., our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren (over 50 now) as well as siblings and some cousins.

Those of us with pen friends are always aware of the increase in the prices of postage stamps, they have been going up and up. Currently a forever postage stamp is 73 cents and post card stamps are 56 cents. International or global stamps are $1.65. An unusual sized envelope will cost $1.19 to mail. I look at it this way: think how much it would cost to drive to the person's house to give them the birthday card, or any other mail! 

So cute!

In addition to writing letters to pen friends frequently, there are a few "clubs" or groups which have seasonal events. For example, at this time of the year, you may send "cozy" mail. There are birthday groups. I am no longer involved in the clubs but the last time I participated in a birthday group I received over 50 birthday cards! The goal is to have fun. 

We don't put our outgoing mail in our mailbox because it is on the sidewalk next to the street where a lot of people walk. When we are gone, we get our mail held. To have your mail held, you can go online to do it or go to the post office. You need to have it held for at least three days. You choose to pick it up when you return or have the carrier deliver it to you at the end. I couldn't grab the link but just type in: usps hold mail. 

A friend asked our daughter, Katie, to send mail to her father because he looks forward to going to the mailbox and getting mail every day. Katie passed that on to me, so I've been sending the gentlemen a piece of mail about once a week. I don't know him, he doesn't know me, but it is fun for me to do, and I hope it is fun for him, too. If you know someone whose day would be brighter by receiving a card or note in the mail, let me know!

There are so many different stamps, some fun, some commemorative, some for certain events. Our little post office doesn't offer too many choices, but a person can order stamps online.