Ramblings and Announcements

Just not sure about this whole blogging thing. I am not sure what I am doing it for........

I mean, I have LOVED the people I have met, the letters I have received and the letter writing that I am doing once again. I am pumping out several per week whereas before TLWR I was receiving maybe three pieces of interesting mail per year and writing the odd Christmas card, sympathy card or card of encouragement. Oh, and loads of thank you cards. As far as writing letters, though, I had stopped writing letters years ago. I wonder if this is the case for some of you. How have YOU been inspired?

I am aware that there are a few people in the world who read this blog regularly and who probably feel a bit of excitement when they discover I have added a new post especially because my blogging is generally irregular and inconsistent. The thing is, I want to hear from all of YOU......Who is reading this blog besides my two sisters, my mother and a few friends??? I know you are out there as I check my stats occasionally and have discovered that this blog has made it to all corners of the planet. I would to see who is reading this blog from Vietnam, South Africa, Russia, to name a few.

I received a message from a friend who was the provider of the contact in Afghanistan for the Letter To A Soldier post. It turns out that "Kris" is in Canada this week for a visit home and he has reported that he has been overwhelmed with letters to fellow soldiers because of TLWR! It is almost expected now and he just announces, "Who's turn for a letter today?" What I would like to know is who has written to a soldier and who has heard back? I haven't heard back from my soldier but I am just assuming I brightened someone's day with my funky stationery and ramblings. If you did write and received a letter in return, let me know. Apparently, the first Letter Writing Revolution letter that arrived in Afghanistan was sent from Guelph, Ontario. Please do not send letters to the address on that post after October 15th as Kris will have finished his service overseas. Go HERE to find an updated mailing address for writing to a Canadian soldier overseas.

This is Chuck. He is serving in Afghanistan and will be home in a few weeks for a visit.
He and his wife took my prenatal classes and this is a photo of him holding his first Father's Day card from his son!

Due to a chance meeting, I will be getting a tour of the main Canada Post plant in Ottawa next week where all of the letters are sorted. The tour is at 7:30am as this is the time of day when the letter sorting floor is at maximum capacity. I think this is kind of cool and I am looking forward to seeing what actually happens to my letters after I drop them into the mailbox at my local post office. Of course, I will be reporting on this outing to all of you and will hopefully get some interesting photos.

Next week, I am hoping to get to my favourite stationery store in Ottawa to interview one of the owners and to offer you, my followers, a TLWR giveaway. Stay tuned for that!

I received the following from a friend/colleague. It's messages like this one that keep me motivated to continue on with the revolution!

"I have never been a letter writer but I have always loved looking for or making the most appropriate/best card for whomever I was sending it out to. I try to mail out birthday cards and Christmas cards to all past clients. But as the number of cards to send out grew and I received very little feed back I began to lose heart. While I loved the picking out, writing a special note , sticker on the envelope and the calm walk to the mailbox, I sarted feeling like no one really cared if they got a letter or not until.......... there in your picture on your blog is my Christmas card from two years ago  lovingly pinned up, out for all to see.....my card. So thank you, while I'm not the letter writer, I am again excited about the cards. I am off to look for the perfect one to send to you."

I mailed out several letters this week including a birthday gift to a special, not-so-little girl. Never get tired of seeing the stack of colourful envelopes, stamped and ready to mail. Have YOU been writing letters? Have YOU been getting any back. Did those of you who requested a letter from me, get your letters? Please answer my questions as comments below.

I love to hear from you.