Are You Ready for Letter Mo?

The month of February is traditionally the month to celebrate letter writing.  I noticed on the Postcrossing Facebook page they had put up a reminder to get ready and I am glad they did or I would have missed the beginning of it which starts tomorrow!
For those who are not familiar, the goal is to send one piece of personnel mail (bills do not count) a day and try to respond to people who write you during the month. 
The mail can be anything from postcards to letters to a note sprawled across the back of Cheerios box made of cut and paste words from a magazine.  The point is to send some mail love and celebrate the art of a letter. 
And if you need more motivation for your efforts, check this out. (P.s. I do not care about the product so much, but the video commentary is spot on)

Even if people do not write you back, like much of my family and old friends, they will still appreciate it!
Use that stationery set you've been hoarding for a rainy day and send a smile!
-b

Remember

Hello all,
I am unsure how to start this, so I will just put it out there.  My Father died this weekend after a very, very long illness.  Please hold the condolences!  I do appreciate them, I really do.  But this was a mixed blessing/ loss.  He is no longer suffering and his death has brought parts of my family together that I have not seen in nearly 7 years.  So his loss is sad, but there is a silver lining to that cloud.
And yes his illness was part of the reason I took a break from blogging and probably honestly will continue to do so for awhile.  I just had/ have too much floating around in my brain to want to put up light hearted banter about the mail world. But I will get back to that space. 
Until then, hug the ones you love and remember life is fleeting. 
My Best,
-b

Heart to Heart

I guess by now most of you have realized my mind has wondered in other directions outside of this blog.   I truly want to blog, but my heart is not currently into doing such and one should not force their hearts into actions they feel untrue towards.

Where is my heart?  Well its into working on the house, dealing with a very sick parent, and trying to create more.  I feel as though I lack all the hours in the day to get everything done, but then I look at my DVR and realize, I probably could give up more of that!

Today I had a cathartic moment as I met up with the card crafting group that gets together every now and again.  I focused my time there on filling 2 mail art requests and I am happy with the results of both. 

It was also nice to hear that I was not alone in my worries over my abilities to create, manage my time, and that somebody had been before where I stand now with the illness of a parent.  It sounded as though I was not the only person that lacked the drive to blog and that's when I realized I may never gain it again. 

This however is not a farewell, but more of a "I'll drop in when I can" moment.  I have learned and earned too much from this little electronic wonderland to drop it from my life.  I wholeheartedly appreciate every single follower and friend I have made along the way. 

Some of you have crossed from readers to my fellow pen pals and even to flesh and blood friends I have met up with.  I guess what I am trying to say is I am moving away from the intangible electronic world into a more tangible world.  I am seeking the physicality of companionship and opportunities for growth.  I hope this year leads me to collaboration on projects and better understanding of my spiritual side as it relates to me and is fueled by my passions such as writing and art.  A side I have not attended to in awhile.

Again friends, we will meet each other again in this space, but I have no intentions of blogging multiple times a week like I used to.  I hope you will all understand and stay tuned for what's to come!

Wishing you much joy in 2014!
-Becky
thesnailmailer

Happy New Years! Try Something New

It's that time of year again.  Time to pull out the pen and paper and write out a list of goals to try to improve yourself.  To lose weight, to eat better, or maybe fulfill a life dream, these and more may be on any given list.  Don't get me wrong, even though I heard on the news that 60% of folks are not bothering to make any new resolutions, I think I will set some goals, but in a unique way. 

First thing I hope to get done before the end of the month is making a vision board.  The board is to represent areas I would like to focus or balance in my life.  I have often heard that the subconscious mind is stronger than any of us can truly understand, but not the easiest thing to tap, and I am hoping keywords and images will help me focus in on what I truly want out of this year!  Also it will serve as a visual reminder daily to keep my mind focused and ready.  One of my favorite movie quotes of all time is from Eat, Pray, Love when the guy said, "You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day."

If you have questions about how to make a vision board, I recommend checking out this video.

I have also decided to make this a "yes" year and focus on the experience of trying new things, making new experiences, and learning! Sounds simple right? Actually I have to chuckle as I the prospect is so daunting, but as the movie Yes Man was about a man getting out of his comfort level, I hope this too will get me out of a rut I have found myself in.  I do not think it will culminate in my singing a jumper off a ledge, but who knows!  Obviously the saying yes will be tempered by free time, reason, and money.  But heck, lets try something different this year, and my first new experience will be the vision board.

My best to you all!
-b