The Letter Writing Revolution

Revitalizing a Lost Art One Letter at a Time



Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Killing Time with Another TLWR Giveaway

I have had a really great post written and sitting in my drafts for several days now. Why? As I mentioned, I went on my 3rd field trip last Thursday and because it involves Canada Post, I felt it was only appropriate to send the draft to one of the powers-that-be to give his seal of approval before posting it online. Turns out, he is a very busy man so I am patiently waiting to receive an email from him to let me know that the information is accurate and represents Canada Post in a positive light. In the meantime, I am throwing up these silly posts in an attempt to kill time while I wait.



I came upon another blog, "I Love Letters", that I am enjoying. This blog comes out of rural Australia and is easy to read and follow and has a very warm "feel" to it. 'Kaz' posts her address and welcomes letters. She promises to write back so if you feel like sending a letter to Australia, she's the one to send it to. I also came upon"A Postcard A Day." In her words: "I'm one of those people who has led a nomadic existence, and so did my parents. My father started collecting postcards as a way to continue this life at least in spirit when his wandering days were over. I'm continuing the collection and posting at least one, chosen more or less at random, each day." It's like taking a mini virtual vacation to places and times you may never have visited had it not been for this blog. Not only can you visit exotic places all over the world, many of the postcards are from long ago and due to the research that goes into each post, you feel like a time traveller. This is especially great for those of us who are home bound due to careers, commitments and children.


So, while I wait, why not have another awesome GIVEAWAY? No matter where you are in the world, you can win this GIVEAWAY. This time, TLWR is giving away a  Letter Writing Kit. Not only will you receive a package with all things you need for letter writing but a part of the gift will be personalized stationery courtesy of Inky Design of Ottawa, ON, Canada. To be eligible, you must be a follower of The Letter Writing Revolution blog and then all you have to do is leave a comment below to enter. Comment once per day if you wish until Wednesday, October 20th when the winner will be randomly selected and announced. I recently received personalized stationery from Inky Design and it is beautiful and classy! The winner will email me their address and before long you will receive a gift of all things stationery! This GIVEAWAY will be mailed to you wherever you may be.

On a final note, I recently made a decision to take a sabbatical from Facebook. I have never been into Twitter but I have found Facebook has slowly started to take control over my time. Reminds me of the way I used to have the odd cigarette and before long I was a pack-a-day smoker. I created a profile on Facebook about three years ago and now it is a habit that I check into several times per day. Gotta know if Karen P. is happy/sad/constipated/hungover, etc.or whether or not Janet L. is eating a bagel/bored or on her way to work. Seriously. When I actually thought about it, I realized that aside from the cool links and photos, I really waste a heck of a lot of time on there. I know, I know, I really could control my urges more and only allow myself 30-minutes per day on Facebook but I am an all-or-nothing kind of a gal and so I decided to just have a leave of absence and go "cold turkey" just as I did with my smoking habit 12 years ago. So far, so good. It's been 48 hours and aside from a handful of panicked comments, I haven't received any FB messages and I feel free. I have also accomplished a lot in the last couple of days as I am not getting distracted and losing pockets of time on Facebook. My sister said something to the effect of, "It will be interesting to see who your "friends" are when you're not so easily accessible on Facebook."

Sorry...couldn't resist.
I guess it's the false sense of connection that I get from Facebook and the weirdness I feel when I run into someone who I haven't seen in two years and they ask me about something I did a month ago. When I look at them with that twisted/confused look, they reply, "Oh, I read it on Facebook." That creeps me out and I think I want to return to real connection like phone calls and handwritten letters. This cartoon  was posted in the comments at Good Mail Day. Made me laugh.

One last thing..........
The other day, I asked a friend (during a chat on, you guessed it,  Facebook) for his snail mail address as I wanted to send a birthday invitation to his son for our daughter's birthday. A few minutes later, I received an email from him with his email address in the body of the message. Huh? I replied and explained that I needed his street address and postal code as I wanted to mail an invitation. His reply, "Oh! Weird. Paper. I remember that. We'll have to find our mailbox!"

Yep, time for a revolution. A Letter Writing Revolution.

34 comments:

  1. Love that cartoon! I'd like to post it on Facebook- lol! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good for you for going cold turkey on Facebook. I have really cut back on it too. Some days I don't even look at it. It is a huge time sucker!! Can't wait for your Canada Post post!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sounds like an excellent giveaway - count me in! Incidentally I also linked your blog from mine.

    Good for you on that Facebook decision. I have never been on it, and am a holdout for similar reasons as yours, I think - I don't need another time-suck, and I connect just fine with people in other ways. And hey... it leaves more time for writing letters! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. i agree, facebook is a time-suck, but i still venture on it almost daily, checking out everyone's photos. it's more habit than anything. maybe a break from it will do me good.

    LOVE the comic you posted!

    great giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  5. What better way to replace some facebook time, than some good ol' fashioned letter writing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The revolution has truly been growing! I'm one of the revolutionaries as well! Thanks for your blog, which I recently discovered.

    I have been anti-facebook and will continue to hold my ground against the swelling tides.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I loved your blog, Julie. The facebook/narcissism cartoon is hilarious! I plan on writing you a letter soon. I've always loved writing letters, but nowadays I only send snail mail to Ruth and to my Dad! It's so great to open the mail box and see something personal, rather than just junk mail and bills. Way to go with this blog! :-D

    ReplyDelete
  8. I decided in July to delete my facebook, and while I know I can re-activate it and it'll all be just the way I left it, I feel quite content to be without it. I was also just slightly sucked into it, and I think I realised that I just didn't care about keeping in touch with some of the people that were my 'friends'.
    I know that it feels weird at first, but after a couple of months, I feel very glad that I did it! There's a letter going in the post for you today, hope you don't mind!xx

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your giveaway sounds fabulous!
    I completely agree about Facebook. While it is a nice way to keep in touch with some people I wouldn't otherwise, it can get a bit ridiculous and there are better ways to communicate. And it's WAY to addictive...well, off to check my Facebook...just kidding, I've already been there today ;)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thank you for visiting and for the link, and kind words! :) I've never had a Facebook account, mainly because I suspect I have a slightly addictive personality. Postcards could very easily take over my life.

    I love what you are doing here. We need more letter writers!

    ReplyDelete
  11. This giveaway sounds just awesome!!! Since our big move, we've been really taking the time to write more letters to our friends to show them that they really do matter and are worthy of more than just an email! :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I admire your decision about Facebook. I orginally joined because my mother-in-law asked me so she could see pictures of the kids and stay in touch. I've made it a rule that I'm not "friends" with someone I don't already keep in touch with. If I wouldn't pick up the phone and call them or invite them to dinner, then I'm not friends on Facebook. What drives me crazy is that friends who I use to recieve letters from now think because they are posting about their lives on Facebook there's no reason to write me a letter. Love your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Julie,

    I was just about to send a few Facebook messages to thank some people for stopping by and dropping off a few care package-type items. I am now getting out my nice writing pen and some lovely blank cards and hopefully, if Lily stays napping, I will be able to put them in the mail later, (when it stops raining). I feel so much less tacky now!

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'm enjoying your blog very much! Thanks for the opportunity to win. I'm excited!

    Jackie
    Letters & Journals.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. I found your blog following a recent post I made on my blog ... I thought I was the only lonely letter-writing soul left in the world (well, that's how it felt, anyway). I'm a letter-writer, too - woo-hoo! I own pens (lots of them, a shameful amount of them, actually) and I swoon over writing paper the way other women swoon over shoes. So nice to know that other people share my passion-slash-affliction :-)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Ah, letter-writing! And collecting stationery, and seals, and pens! Oh yes, I "did" that - when did it stop? Sometime in the 90s, I think. This year, I have bought four different colours of ink, and two new fountain pens, as well as nibs and a straight pen - and Have I used them? Not yet, but .... that will change this weekend. I found your blog from a Ravelry comment - and I will be checking in regularly. Thanks for the inspiration, and the links. (And thanks for a contest, too!)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Julie, so good to see your TLWR followers increasing in number. And I am a patient person .. so now I will just wait for a newsy letter of "goings on" in your life.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I am Facebook free! I broke away from the daily checkups of others and now am forced to write them personally. I am no longer interested in group updates, but personal connections. I have also been inspired to pick up a pen and use good ole snail mail. I coloured the envelopes and put my love into the pens I drew with. As I edge away from technology, I grow a stronger craving for simplicity.
    Check your mail...you never know I might have written you as well! xo

    ReplyDelete
  19. this is just a cheap way to enter your contest

    *lulz*

    ReplyDelete
  20. Loved the cartoon. Maybe one day, Facebook will be so 2008, and people will have gone back to calling and e-mailing. The equivalent of a fad really. Recommended your blog to a friend on Facebook (ironic) because her status update today was "going back to snail mail writing". Hope she comes and visits.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I seem to be having a problem with being able to comment on other people's blogs... because I'm SURE I commented here yesterday... or did I dream it? That's always possible, too! I just wanted to say thank-you for the lovely mention. It's exciting, isn't it, when you discover a community of like-minded people. I only began my blog a few months ago but feel embraced by so many other letter-lovers out there in the big wide world.

    Your giveaway looks fabulous, by the way.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Totally agree with you about Facebook, it's a pretend-intimacy that stops any real intimacy (I do have a profile, but I never check it, honest! ;-) ). Pleased to have found your blog, I was thinking the other day about how I never hand write anything any more - so I actually hand wrote a blog post! Perhaps I should go the whole hog and write someone a letter.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Excellent blog Julie...one, I love how you've taken your life back from Facebook and I am definitely going to take your lead. Secondly, your friend that has to find her mailbox is hilarious! Twitter, Facebook and texting are definitely taking its toll on our lives!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I never had a Facebook account and I don't feel the need to have one!

    ReplyDelete
  25. I gave up facebook a few weeks ago - and have checked it about twice since then. I've taken everything off my profile and have kept it there, in case I change my mind in the future, but it is just a shell. That said, I DO use Twitter, but as it is just a stream of information, without the temptation to click to see XYZ photos and watch videos, I don't find it consumes as much of my time. I can't get sucked into Twitter as I can on facebook!

    Good for you!

    ReplyDelete
  26. ooooh exciting giveaway! hooray!

    Had to laugh when you mentioned asking for an address and the person returning with an email address. same thing happened to us when we were trying to mail out wedding invites. really??!!

    I've debated leaving FB many times, though I like the useful links and photo sharing with loved ones - but these are also people I keep in touch with in REAL life - hmmmmmmm maybe time to slim down my 'friends'. I like intimate & personal - it's more cozy that way. : )

    ReplyDelete
  27. Good for you on the Facebook decision! I am pondering the same thing. BTW - I started following your blog today. I write letters

    ReplyDelete
  28. Thanks for the giveaway:) I am a new follower,but have been reading your blog for some time. I've tried to ween myself away from facebook before, but the longest I can go is a few days.. It is a terrible addiction I'll admit.
    tanyainjville at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  29. great post Julie. I can wait for the next one post it soon.

    ReplyDelete
  30. LOL about the email with the email address! Just found your blog and it is lovely! Am an avid letter writer and thus will be back regularly!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Sounds like a great giveaway -- thanks for the opportunity to win some beautiful stationery.

    I've found (freelance) jobs through facebook -- I'd like to give it up, but it also seems to be the preferred mode of communication for a lot of people. And I also get the most hits to my blog off of facebook, so yeah -- the narcissism factor is unfortunately quite huge for me at the moment.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hello Julie,

    Your blog is like a wake up call for me. I remember my days when I was 10 years old, been writing letters to friends I met during girl scout camping who lives in different towns and cities. And for years, I miss writing and receiving letters. The excitement and happiness I personally felt when receiving one was just like memories of the past. We were so overwhelmed by modern technology that lacks heartwarming and personal touch of communicating. I am your 100th follower and I guess to fill up that gap of not writing a letter for 20 years, I need to start a commitment to send 100 letters starting tomorrow.

    I like your blog and thanks to you. More Power.

    Richel from the Philippines

    ReplyDelete
  33. I was diagnosed as HEPATITIS B carrier in 2013 with fibrosis of the
    liver already present. I started on antiviral medications which
    reduced the viral load initially. After a couple of years the virus
    became resistant. I started on HEPATITIS B Herbal treatment from
    ULTIMATE LIFE CLINIC (www.ultimatelifeclinic.com) in March, 2020. Their
    treatment totally reversed the virus. I did another blood test after
    the 6 months long treatment and tested negative to the virus. Amazing
    treatment! This treatment is a breakthrough for all HBV carriers.

    ReplyDelete

I need to know that this revolution is growing and impacting the masses. Your comments motivate me! Please take the time to let me know how TLWR is working for you.