February isn't far away

Belated happy New Year. remember to write 2016 instead of 2015 when dating your letters this year. I have sometimes forgotten to do this. Sometimes I forget which month it is and have written the previous month. I write the month out in full (and also the year although I may omit the 20 to replace with ' for '16) because I do write to people around the world who may do dates in different order - is it day-month-year or month-day-year or even year first?

Back to the title of this blogpost - February isn't far away. Over the last few years, there have been postal projects in full swing for the month of February. Lettermo (A Month of Letters) and InCoWriMo (International Correspondence Writing Month). The latter one was promoted to fountain pen geeks to encourage them to use these writing implements. I write mainly with fountain pens. I do not know as yet if either side will be updated and opened for this year but there is a thread of interest on the fpgeeks forum. The idea is to write a letter every day (29 letters or a few less if only writing on postal days). Don't worry if you don't think you'd be able to manage this, perhaps you could set yourself a more realistic target instead. Or, as an alternative, you could try the challenge on A World of Snail Mail - 5 Questions (you ask on the forum) 5 Letters (you write to 5 other people answering their questions). This challenge is monthly and you don't have to take part every month. Don't worry if you can't manage 5 letters either. These postal challenges are supposed to be fun - social correspondence is to be a pleasure. In time, treat as friendship. Correspondents / penpals can be friends.

Here's to 2016, to penfriendship, and more.

Writing on the bus!

Today, I went out on the bus and had some ideas for a blog post. I got out my notebook and pen, proceeded to write but the bus journey was bumpier than I expected. I gave up after a few words and listened to a radio podcast instead.

What can you write about in letters?

One of the questions I have been asked by non-letter writers is, "What do you write about in letters?" My answer is almost anything and everything, although it depends on who it is you are writing to. Topics generally avoided are - Religion (faith can be personal, and may also be divisive), Politics (some politicians this year have said things I think are hurtful, racist, sexist or just plain silly), and Sex (yes please ;) - I actually have drafted this blog post on paper and drew the wink however my drawing looks evil). However, anything else is generally fine. Talk about roast turkey should be kept at a minimum with vegetarians, and should also avoid telling them about your child's dissection of a sheep's heart in science class at school (some brought in cooked or frozen hearts...). Make sure the letter is not all about you. This may be difficult for the first letter you send to a new penpal. 

Speaking of days, it doesn't matter if you can't finish a letter in a single sitting/day. I tend to write the new date when I continue on a different day, even if it is just after midnight. It is a good idea, especially if you write internationally, the name of the month and not its number - a date last week was 10/12/2015. In the UK, this means 10th December 2015, however it can be interpreted as 12th October 2015. 

You can talk about family - sometimes, they can be annoying. You can pick your friends, pick your nose but can't pick your family. Penpals can be great listeners - there's time to think and craft responses. Have we all, in speech, said something possibly hurtful without thinking? We may be able to offer advice and suggestions, or just provide a shoulder. It might not be good to keep things bottled up inside, however not every penpal would want to hear about your woes. There'll be close penpals, friendly penpals, acquaintances who are correspondents, akin to friendship in the 3D world (I didn't want to use "real world" because to me, penfriendship is still real friendship).

Some letters I've received have had me in fits of laughter. Laughter, after all, is the best medicine! You could admit to doing silly things - I once put sugar on my chips (fries) instead of into my cuppa (at least salt didn't go into the wrong place). Some people write diary letters but that's OK in moderation. What happens to you on a particular day can be of interest to your penpals but they don't need to know every detail of your day. The sometimes silly Five Questions.... challenge over on A World of Snail Mail can be cathartic, and maybe take you down memory lane. Now, which leg did I put in my trousers this morning?

Introducing....

I occasionally get updates from Royal Mail via e-mail, at least it didn't start with, "Dear Customer"

We're introducing a new Large Letter format for our international services. Measuring a generous 35.3cm x 25cm x 2.5 cm, it means you can now benefit from a lower letter rate when sending larger, flat items abroad with Royal Mail.

The Large Letter format for international mail has been around for more than 6 months and was mentioned in the postal rates for April 2015 onwards.  So, I was wondering what "introducing" means.

Bring (something, especially a product, measure, or concept) into use or operation for the first time

.. is a definition from the OED for to introduce.  7 months too late! I already knew about this and had picked up the postal prices leaflets sticking them up on the wall.

First Christmas Card + post boxes.

 Last week, I received my first Christmas Card for 2015 from Canada. The greeting is very apt. I will be sending out more Christmas cards soon (I have posted a few already) and to those who will not get one from me, I wish you all a peaceful Christmas and New Year, may your lives be full of joy and happiness.

Last month, I spent a few days in London. I also took my letter writing supplies and stamps. I did write some letters but I decided not to post them in this wide-mouthed post box by the steps up to Tower Bridge.

Instead, I went to the post office near the National Portrait Gallery and posted them inside. I was also low on airmail labels and some of the small value stamps so stocked up there. The postboxes outside though look very greedy. 

Another place I visited when in London was the Victoria & Albert Museum. I didn't see everything but I was a little disappointed not to see much about letter writing. There was a display of the Tom stamps from Finland but not much else in that theme. This bookcase has a table and I can just imagine myself sitting at it and referring to books to quote from in letters. 

The other week, I bought a book on Writing Antiques. The item in the top is a stationery box with a set of postal scales and weights! I currently use a set of digital scales meant for use in the kitchen.
The bottom item is a portable writing set. My current portable set consists of an Angry Birds Space pencil case full of pens, a plastic freezer bag with ~A5 writing pads in, and an A4 document box with A4 sized paper in. It does me well but doesn't quite have the romance about it compared to this set or a writing slope. 

3rd month of 5 Questions 5 Letters challenge

Over at A World of Snail Mail forum, there is a monthly challenge 5 Questions 5 Letters. The first two months have been great, with quite a few people taking part. November has some questions up already, but I'm still thinking of what to ask - any suggestions? Or better still, ask your own.

There is a thread on the board about laconic penpals, those who barely say anything of consequence or personal - I don't think the ones I've received from knew what to write. What can you write about in letters? Almost anything within reason, for example - the weather, what you've been up to, books read, music listened to, television / films watched, gone somewhere nice, food (although try to be considerate if your penpal is a vegetarian or vegan) or perhaps, mentioning overhearing on the bus a conversation about dunking biscuits - to dunk or not to dunk...

Five Questions Five Letters - October

I was pleased the Five Questions Five Letters Challenge had participants in its first month. This month, still not over, has some new forum members taking part in this challenge. The questions perhaps are better, more varied, mostly light-hearted, with some needing to be thought about. Last month, I still had to think about which leg I put in my trousers first! These ice-breakers have given first letters more life and excitement.

To Dunk or Not to Dunk, that is the question!
Is it nobler to have a softened biscuit
Flavoured with coffee, tea or chocolate
Or to have it full of crunchy integrity..........?

There is still plenty of time to sign up and take part http://s-mail.proboards.com/ this month, or perhaps wait for the next...