Friday, August 24

Imagine That

When the daily mail arrives at our house, the carrier places the post in an narrow opening just to the right of our front door. From there it falls into a side cabinet on the wall and waits for someone's curious retrieval.

I suppose I should clarify that the arrival of the mail is not a deeply anticipated event around here. Most often it is only bills, or a boring blah-blah-blah kind of general correspondence. There is a sticker on the outside of the house declaring NEE (no!) to advertisements or junk mail kinds of deliveries, so there isn't even the hope and joy of looking at the grocery store flyers or ads for the latest miracle wrinkle removing cream.


Nope, mail time is not so much a party time around here.

Except for the day when you get a postcard in the mail.

I shall repeat that.

A postcard! In the mail!

I got a postcard in the mail.

One day last week I casually opened the door to the mail cabinet and there sitting on the shelf was a postcard. Cool, I thought. I picked it up and turned it over in my hands.

On the front of the card: an Edward Hopper print. And on the back a handwritten note, but not in a handwriting I readily recognized. I scanned through the message quickly and then my eyes fell to the signature.

Allison.

My friend Allison.

Yeah, you know her too. Maybe you call her SMID, but you know her. The socially conscious, deeply passionate wife, mother, blogger, advocate, mentor and friend who speaks without a Boston accent.

She also sends postcards.

Isn't that the epitome of cool?

Seriously, I was so touched that she took the time out of her day to write a note on the back of a card, address it, stamp it and send it. To me. It made my day. Nay, it made my week.

And I have been thinking about it a lot ever since it arrived.

Think-think-think-think.

This is what I hit on. I want to pay that thrill forward. I want you, my friends and readers, my readers who are my friends, to receive a piece of cool mail in your letterbox. I can't make it a surprise like the arrival of my postcard was, since I am telling you about it now, but I do want to make it a little something to look forward to. C'mon, a postcard from Holland? That will be some fun, right?

Here's my plan.
(Pay attention, this is also the way I am coordinating this post to work for my Friday Fifteen for the week. Stay with me here, and applaud me for my creative thinking.)

1. If you want to play, meaning:you want a card, leave me a comment.
2. Your comment needs to be a 15 word reply.
3. Not fourteen.
4. Nor sixteen.
5. Just fifteen words in the comment box.
6. Be creative.
7. Be redundant.
8. Be enthusiastic.
9. Be brief.
10. Fifteen words. (That is words NOT syllables)
11. Sign off with your email address.
(which doesn't count as part of your 15 words)
12. Encrypt it anyway you like.
13. I will need that so I can contact you
to get your HOME ADDRESS.
14. Because I am going to send you a postcard.
15. In the mail.





36 comments:

  1. I want a postcard. I love mail. Some call me mail obssesed. It is true.

    (you have my email)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Since I sent the postcard I want one too! Pretty please with sugar on top?

    [15 on the dot! And you know how to reach me...]

    ReplyDelete
  3. And not part of the postcard plea -

    It was my pleasure to send you a postcard since I figured you would like an Edward Hopper mini-print from the exhibit I just saw. And what a lovely thank you - playing/sending it forward.

    I adore you!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Postcards are fun and so are penpals. Friendly mail is much more fun than bills.

    amy@thomas-construction.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jenn,
    This is a wonderful idea. Please send me a postcard from Holland. Thank you.

    mollyjane60@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I want a postcard! I always send snail mail to my friends. I Can't wait!

    grisleyd@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. This post is to request that you put a postcard in the post to me.

    bestlightlori at the host run by google and shortened to just its first letter and the the word mail.

    (I can feel your glee from this post -- feels warm and fuzzy!)

    ReplyDelete
  8. a postcard?? what is that again?? oh...yes...a vague memory is surfacing.

    yes please!

    hilbec281@optusnet.com.au

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wonderful it would be,
    For my sad eyes to see,
    Something truly special,
    Awaiting me.

    (I Don't know how to leave my email and encrypt it, but SMID aka Allison knows my email)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh Jenn, how I would love to find
    A postcard! It would blow my mind.

    (You know my e-mail.)

    Have you any idea how tricky it is to shift from haiku-counting-syllables gear to counting words gear? I think I heard my brain pop.

    ReplyDelete
  11. A postcard! What a treat! Jenn, this is a wonderful idea. Thank you so much!

    (you have my email)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I had to giggle, because your post reminded me of "The Knights Who Say Nee!"

    krysmh@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. I don't want a postcard. I'd rather have a visit. Come and see me soon!



    (He He Hee!)

    ReplyDelete
  14. I get to read Jenn's fun entries AND get a postcard! How cool is that?

    You have my address, too (but I think you should play fair and let us send you cards from where we live - how much fun would THAT be??)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am giddy at the thought of receiving a postcard from my beloved Hollandy Jenn!!!

    Love, Brillig--whose email address you most certainly do not need again!

    ReplyDelete
  16. By the way, your Friday Fifteen was REMARKABLY creative, and your rules were fun to follow and! That SMID is be a real darling.

    And I'm with FA--a postcard would be DELIGHTFUL, but don't you want to just come and visit? (Okay, I realize that when FA says it, it's a bit more practical than when I say it. Still... doncha wanna come visit?)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oooooo I want a post card too really I do. Paying it forward is fabulous!

    (I think you have my email)

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love postcards! I LOVE real mail. When it comes I want to yell, "MAIL!"

    (Miss you, Friend!)
    cactus5@cox.net

    ReplyDelete
  19. Please, please Mister Postman
    look and see
    If there's a card
    from Jenn for me.

    (My apologies to The Marvelettes, The Beatles, The Carpenters and any other group who recorded a version of "Please Mr. Postman".)

    Just in case you lost my email address, it's
    JamiWard at Weirdness dot com

    And if you send me YOUR address, I'll reciprocate! And rejoice and a bunch of other "re-" things I can't think of right now.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oh my gosh we love postcards! From other countries especially. We will send one too!

    mb32ATcomcastDOTnet

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'm afraid that this will probably be longer than 15 words...
    Thank you for choosing my post and for the lovely comment that you left on my site - I feel honoured.
    I'm very pleased to have discovered your own site. It seems that I have a lot of pleasurable reading ahead of me.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Please include your address and I'll send a postcard back to you. Thanks ... what fun!

    emerging DOT paradigm AT yahoo DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  23. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Uh, aren't you a silly goose! You know I want a postcard! I also want


    (Oh shit, ran out of words ~ you have my email ~ hee)

    ReplyDelete
  25. Okay, count me in - I love mail too! And thanks for judging Scribbit's writing contest!

    ReplyDelete
  26. You should have said the first fifteen people get a postcard! Then add fifteen more.



    (Do I get another one now, since I did it twice?)

    ReplyDelete
  27. what a cool idea! postcards rock. photos AND words - it just doesn't get any better!

    (jennqr AT gmail DOT com)

    ReplyDelete
  28. A postcard is such an exciting piece of mail, bringing a smile to a day!

    gillsjottings@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  29. I do not know you but I want a postcard too. I love postcards dearly.

    jqviolin@earthlink.net
    San Francisco, CA

    Thank you so much in advance if you send me a postcard from Holland. Something arty, not touristy. I'll send you a postcard too.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Very fun - I'm not responding for the postcard - just saying that I think it is fun as well. We need a "box" to collect our mail. Instead it goes straight to the floor and often gets trampled on as I come in the house with arms too full to pick it up straight away. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  31. I thought of you last week. I attended a workshop with a co-worker from Leiden.

    rlgelber at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hi Jenn! I'm new to your blog, but I love reading it! Please send postcard!

    propinquity02AThotmailDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  33. I used to make homemade postcards out of photographs glued to an index card--I'm in.

    scribbit at gmail dot com.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Just found your blog through Scribbit. Awesome. Send me a postcard, I'll send one back.

    micheletmoore@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  35. Dude, what if I commented on your blog...

    ReplyDelete