Canceled Stamps & Stamp Shows

A dear friend recently wrote me a letter, actually two letters.  In her second one, that arrived the same day as the first, there were two little scraps of paper that fell out.  They were canceled stamps.  She found them in a book she bought at a thrift store.  Ooooooh!  I quickly realized that they were 5 cent stamps.  It didn't appear that there were any others under the post mark.

I immediately picked up the phone to call my dad.  I wondered how long it might take him to research their history.  I had no idea how old they would be.

After a brief description to my dad, he did not miss a beat!  He said he even recalled the Shakespeare one specifically.  He pegged them as 1964 stamps and told me the history of stamp values.  He remembered letters being 3 cents for the longest time and then briefly 4 cents.  When they changed to 5 cents, stamps for first class letters stayed at that rate for awhile.  He thinks stamps were 5 cents when he married my mom.  He said the next time I was over at his house, we could look them up in his book.

After closer inspection of the stamps, I realized that 1964 was on both of them.  I still have a lot to learn about stamps.  That dad, he's so sharp!

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I have been thinking about a little family adventure to a stamp show.  I have gone with my dad.  He collects US and Isle of Man (or Mann) stamps.  It's always an adventure.  There are stamps and often postcards from all over the world.  You can just flip through books, browse through boxes, and ask an expert for help digging.

My favorite spot is where they have canceled stamps from around the globe.  You can get them for pennies and they can be a great way for a kid to fall in love with stamps.  I was inspired to draw and doodle based on some Japanese stamps for Letter Writing Day.  I think I may take the Little Miss next week.  My dad thinks we should get her to narrow her search based on a theme:  flowers, birds, dogs, etc.  I think I need to take her to first so she even knows what I am talking about...and have her focus once she finds a few she likes.  There is no major outlay of cash or need for grand storage if she finds a bunch she likes.  If not next week, then sometime soon.


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I always wonder...what was carried in the envelop of a canceled stamp? 



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Stationary Stash(es)

So I have mentioned that I have a lot of stationary.  Only, even I didn't realize how much I have!  I went looking for a specific kind the other day.  I had a hunch where it was.  I seem to have been wrong, but I found at least twice as much stationary there as I remembered.  I went looking for the big box of stationary I knew I had in my old closet at my parents' house...only there were two boxes there too.  Out of the corner of my eye, I think I saw more.  Ahhh!

In any case, I thought I would share all the spaces and places I have found thus far.  I know there is another Rubbermaid bin in the basement.  One day I will get there!

On top of my beloved post office desk is my "daily" stash of note cards, birthday cards, postcards, envelopes, etc.  It is in this lovely wooden basket that just seems like the most romantic place to put my stationary.  Plus, it makes it easy to get down.  Granted there are a few extra boxes that tend to sit next to the basket.

The box at my parents' house that I found, led to this one.  It had better stuff in it, so that is how I decided to bring this one home!  I have always loved whales and love, love, love that they are making a comeback.

The best part of this box was the label on the outside for which any true Chicagoan would stop and shed a tear...I still do...

...I miss you Marshall Field's.  Even Dayton Hudson's treated you better than the new Macy Field's, as my family and I refer to it.

Upstairs I went searching for this stash...there was two or three times what I remembered:





Not one, but two American Stationary boxes...thanks mom!









This box of stationary use to be in my office.  I could easily grab something fun and send it on its way.  I wonder if I will ever disassemble this box...sigh!

Then there was this surprise box...if it can hold 168 diapers, you know it can hold a ton of stationary!  (Sorry for the upside down image.)

In it are at least 2 boxes of personalized and wedding themed note cards. 

My dad and I made this box.  I just love it.  We made it for this purpose several years ago.  I loved working in the wood shop with him and deciding on brass corner pieces, hand hole shapes, stain color, and more.  It holds some of my most favorite and important stationary and desk related items.

This is one of at least two spots for stickers, stamps, return address labels, and other letter enhancing items.  With the stickers, I can cover any holiday (thanks mom) and many other themes:  dogs, topiaries, hearts, dinosaurs, seasons, etc.  Fun to find this again.  Perhaps I will use some of these items in my letters to you! 

Finally (for now), there is this filebox full of greeting cards my mom collected over the years.  She was willing to part with it!?!?!  I couldn't pass it up!  How could I?  My mom categorized everything...hugs, birthday, thinking of you, get well, and many, many more.  Sorry Hallmark, I won't be visiting you too soon, but I will be back eventually.

So if you want me to write you or someone you know for an ocassion, let me know!  Provide the stamp and an address and a gem from perhaps the 70's or 80's will arrive in their mailbox.

I will continue to document other stashes as they reveal themselves.  Hopefully, there is not too much more.  One delimma I have is what to do with all the personalized stationary with old addresses and my maiden name.  One to ponder!

Slow Mail

I had the most delightful Facebook chat with a good friend last night.  I have been waiting for moments like last night to share my little project with people.  Moments when I really miss an old friend, moments when someone says something that makes me think, "She might like to write a letter!", moments when I think I am going to be brave and share this.  

So, I thought she might enjoy this.  I also thought, since she recently got married she might have extra wedding themed stationary left with no purpose.  She could use that.  So, I asked her if she wanted to hear about my little project to which she said yes.  I sent her the link to the website.  Her immediate response was that this was so me. And then, it happened.  Again.  We spiraled into the most delightful exchange about mail…especially stamps for her…and more.

My friend told me that she orders stamps directly from USPS.com because she loves getting the non-boring ones.  How cute!  I got all excited and wanted to know if there were web secrets.  So of course I had to recount my visit to the Postal Museum in D.C. and going to the philatelic window.  Our exchange quickly led to a more thoughtful place.  She said this was like the slow food movement, but rather “slow mail.”  I loved it.  Yes!  Slow Mail!  That’s it.  Taking time to sit down, read, enjoy, savor, and reply.  Slow Mail.

Our conversation took the same tone.  Slow, savory, intentional.  The house was quiet, full of sleepy heads.  So it was easy.  It was fun to reveal what else we want to do…besides write letters and check Facebook.  We reveled in what neat things are out there, like the Slow Food Chicago events and more.  (www.slowfoodchicago.org)  It was such a rewarding connection with my friend that we instantly planned a fun gathering around food together…this time perhaps a luncheon.

I made me think about earlier in the day, when I was talking to our mutual friend.  He shared that he has all this motivation right now.  A new spark to do things that are new and different, yet how do you squeeze it in with everything else?  I mentioned that right now I am overwhelmed with ALL the things I want to do.  How do you do it? How do you prioritize?  I do know I want to be more intentional…and slow.  “Slow Mail” just might be my way.  Not only is it what I can do right now, it’s one thing I definitely want to be doing right now.

Thanks friend…I look forward to your letter!

Fill Me Up!

As long as I am awaiting more letters, fun to observe what's on the other side.

Nice to know my post office is patriotic!

And to know that hints of my wooden post office desk can be seen in the metal ones on the other side of my box.

Have I told you how much I LOVE the post office mail plastic corregated boxes...the kind on the top of the adjacent post office desk?  Especially the real deep ones?  Love them!

Woo Hooooooo!

You should have heard the screaming and shrieking and seen the jumping and dancing in the post office today.  After days of checking and checking...we got mail!  I was the most composed of the three of us.  My two little helpers were thrilled that they each could get "a mail" since there were two letters.  They tried desperately to rip open the envelopes only to have me say that we needed to get home to open, read, and write. 

Letter #1 was from a friend whom I miss dearly.  We met in a training session at work and I wanted to be her friend from our first hello.  Not only did we have so much in common, she was fun, funny, and kind!  I was happy that we decided to lunch together and before long we had a little lunch bunch.  I needed those ladies and those lunches or I would have forgotten to eat many days. 

Life’s path always change and we both headed in different directions, but I was happy that she has remained one of those friends that is still a friend…meaning whatever time passes, passes and things just pick up where they left off.  No worry for the fact that we have not been in the middle of every everyday.  I can call or email and I know she’ll get back to me.  So getting a letter from her was worth the wait…and it was a good letter.  The kind I like to save…a memory from the past, a family story, a little info about now, and a hint of a next letter.  Just the kind of letter I love!  The funny thing is we also emailed about the letter!  Oh, how ironic.  We were reserved in how much we discussed the letter, but funny to think that technology has a place in this project.

In fact, technology led to letter #2.  She forwarded my email about this to a friend.  This woman has captured my interest.  She mentioned writing a book…checked my library system (no go, I think I will request they buy it), searched on Amazon.com, and finally googled her.  She has written many more than one.  So, I requested a different one from the library.  It should be here in a few days.  She mentioned keeping a blog in her letter, but I also found it from Google..so I started that reading.  Already I wish I could have her for dinner.  I haven’t written her back yet…still doing a little research…but cannot wait to do so. 

My dad always said that often it’s what you find on the way to finding what you want that’s much more interesting.  Who knew such a fun diversion would happen so quickly. 

[My little helpers would tell you that finding an empty mailbox was always eased by getting to watch trains from the Post Office ramp.  I would admit I liked that too.  Who knew we would get those moments?!?!]