Hello, lovely person(s), reading this little blog. It’s been quite a few months now, hasn’t it, but I don’t think anyone minds, do they? Life has all been a bit helter-skelter of late and I’m not the sort to give a self-imposed deadline. I’m not that disciplined for a start and I generally need a burning desire to write something, so sporadic and occasional, possibly interesting, maybe something and nothing, that’s the vibe here. Really, if I’m totally honest I found this wonderful and brand new Bullfinch notebook together with a pencil that is just the right Goldilocks consistency (see earlier blog) which inspired my trip up the Letter Writing Shed to write something. Only I thought I had at least an hour before dinner was ready but having realised the little digital clock (can’t stand a ticking one) was an hour out, one press of a button has just erased those 60 minutes… (Are you still with me?)
Anyway, I have really been meaning to write a thank you blog for all the fabulous love and support around the Society’s 5th Birthday back in October, and in my defence, I did start to write one but got distracted by sending letters to Simon Thompson, CEO of Royal Mail, in a bid to help him see the error of his ways which diverted my attention, but equally I do hope everyone who made the occasion so special knows how grateful I am about that.
[Minor tangent: Someone locally feeds the pesky Herring gulls – I know we live by the seaside but the cliffs are a good mile away and recently great flocks of them go on a shrieking frenzy above our house before dusk. I’m wondering if the neighbours would think it odd if I’m sitting up here in the shed with ear-defenders on!?*]
Well, it is definitely jolly lovely that it is now nearly 7.30pm before I have to light a candle to write by. And it also means the shed will start to get a little less cold and fusty of an evening. We even took bets as to when I’d be able to walk up here in just my slippers, Sacagawea style. Not yet unfortunately!
Looking back, I think the overriding memory of our 5th Birthday was the amazing replica Victorian postbox that member Emily Ludgate kindly organised a fundraiser for so that I could take it to events and for it to look pretty outside the Letter Writing Shed. As it is, it actually resides in our living room because I can’t bear the thought of it getting all wet and rusty but it’s always a permanent reminder of the loveliness of friends and members in their support of The Handwritten Letter Appreciation Society.
The cards and gifts and well-wishes that arrived were incredible too and it was lovely to adorn my letter writing desk with them all. Thank you so much if you sent one. I’m always completely bowled-over by the kindness of others. I can’t tell you enough. Also I may have exhausted my repertoire of letter-related cake designs now, so if anyone has any ideas for our birthday next October, do drop me a line. I can’t remember how the #THLAS5 one came about only I was experimenting with making quill-shaped candles out of normal ones. And I discovered you could buy brown icing on the internet.
Oh! and I nearly forgot! The wonderful THLAS Postbox Stampers from the English Stamp Company! I’m not sure why I hadn’t thought of it sooner to offer the chance for members to have their own for whereabouts they live too. It’s been amazing to see all the places immortalised (to some extent) on the envelopes that have arrived at THLAS HQ, from right around the world. I managed to make a little slideshow out of them.
So, there you are, a little meandering blog, if nothing else to reassure anyone who pops in here that I haven’t completely abandoned it. Maybe with Spring now upon us the writing sap will rise again and there may be more blog posts than anyone can bear (unlikely), but mainly I wanted to say thank you 1) for dipping in if you did, and 2) especially for keeping letter writing forever flourishing! I think you’re all marvellous.
Dinah
(* I’m not, by the way)
I enjoyed reading the blog ( I am the same about ticking clocks ) and looking at the ‘pictures’; lovely poem. Thank you.
Here’s a little ditty of mine, prompted by Liz’s poem above.
The Letter Treasure Grove
At the bottom of the garden, there is a little shed
Where all the special letters go, to be so lovingly read.
No matter what their colour, dimension, shape or size
They’re all guaranteed to give Dinah, a wonderful surprise!
They come from all different places, right across the globe
And daily arrive at the THLAS treasure grove.
There are also despatches as Dinah writes far and wide
Sending the THLAS message from the kindness that’s inside.
So please write a letter, for the postie to deliver
And frequently aspire, to be a gladness giver!
JC 28 March 2023
What a lovely, slightly rambling around the subject blog!
We have a very elderly relative convalescing with us and the postman has just delivered 6 cards and letters. So much love in those handwritten envelopes.
I really love the conversational tone of your blog post, very enjoyable to read. There is a sense of familiarity to your writing style that makes you feel like you are reading a letter from someone you know. Very charming. Congratulations on the society’s 5th birthday. It sounds like you have created something wonderful indeed.
Dear Rebecca, Thank you so much for your lovely comments about my blog post. I really appreciate you taking the time to say that. It means a lot. I must make time to write some more because I do love it when the mood takes me and when I feel I have something to say. Thanks everso again, and I can’t believe it’ll be our 6th birthday in October! I need to start planning how we can celebrate it. Warm wishes, Dinah