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Pen Pals <3

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Remember in the 4th grade when you could bring your dollar to school and sign up to have a pen pal? Or if you never did that, maybe you remember the sheet in the very back of Teen Bop magazine? Same kinda deal there. I was assigned a girl in... Maine? No, I made that up, I can't really remember where she was. I think we wrote back and forth to each other maybe 5 times total. That's actually probably an exaggeration. When you're in the 4th grade, what do you really have to write about anyways? I don't remember a single thing about her, or where she lived, or her name. I just know that I was greedy for snail mail. Is anyone else thinking about the movie Beaches and crying a little?

...Anyways, when I moved away from home in 2006 I started writing letters and sending little things to my friends back home. Not many people really wrote me back. That's the worst, isn't it? Well sometime in 2007, I got a new pen pal! A real one! The kind that actually writes me back! Some of you might know her as BeckyKayDesigns. Well I feel like I've become a bad pen pal. A slacker. Mostly because I know she reads my blog. Because I update this thing daily, I don't leave much room for interesting details in letters. What does that leave to write about? How can I put the spark back into our letter loving relationship?

I find myself jumping at the chance to send things out to other people. There is nothing like the feeling you get when you're sealing up a handmade envelope, am I right? I recently did a trade with hobocampcrafts. A set of my recipe cards, for the most amazing handmade plush apple keychain in the world. But that wasn't enough. I needed an excuse to send more. Next, thank you cards begin to go out left and right. Everyone needed a birthday card. You've got a sniffle? Well then you've got to have a get well soon card! And my most recent sending spree, was 2 hummus recipes tucked inside a personalized naked lady military greeting to Miss JessicaJane. I'm a letter-writing-sending-stuff-in-the-mail freak. So I ask again, how can I put the spark back into mine and Becky's letter loving relationship? I feel like I'm totally cheating on her with other envelopes.

-"Writers Block Postcards", by threedogparty, $5.00.

24 comments:

LoveMeKnot Creations September 21, 2008 at 10:03 AM  

becky is awesome :)

umm... any plans for halloween? she has a craft show this weekend, ask her how it went? your pregnancy?

Kim Caro September 21, 2008 at 10:10 AM  

i too had penpals but never paid. i did it with my younger uncle across the country. we still have that one hting in common because none of my other siblings did that. i think ive always been one for writing to people, blogging while others just do it to be cool or follow the trend oh or out of pity and obligation lol

Kari September 21, 2008 at 10:14 AM  

I remember having a pen pal in 3rd or 4th grade, but like you I have no clue where she was from or what we wrote about. Thanks for the memories!

jessicajane September 21, 2008 at 11:39 AM  

I've had this Russian penpal from St. Petersburg Russia since I can remember! I am thinking we started writing when I was in 3rd or fourth grade.We wrote for years until I got into high school, I forgot about her. Then a few months ago I found her address and sent her a letter with wedding photos. I got one back like a month ago! I still have to send one back to her. OH and Ive also sent stuff back home but havent gotten anything back :(

Gray Eyed Scorpio September 21, 2008 at 12:30 PM  

I kept my pen-pals through the end of high school! It's still thrilling to get a real letter in the mail.

Chichiboulie September 21, 2008 at 1:49 PM  

I actually just went to my penpal's wedding in the Netherlands. We've been writing for 24 years and have only met twice! :D

We just chat about life in general... nothing overly special but special all the same.

Unknown September 21, 2008 at 3:03 PM  

How about sending off a few funny postcards here and there, that is what I am doing with my sister right now, it adds to the fun of being a penpal:)

Unknown September 21, 2008 at 4:00 PM  

well, i'm not sure how you can get the spark going again, but i admire the fact that you're a "sending stuff in the mail" type person. that's love, and i think more love is in order.

CREATEaTHOUGHT September 21, 2008 at 4:31 PM  

THOSE birdies are amainzgly CUTE

Stela September 21, 2008 at 5:25 PM  

I tried to have a pen pal (i found through a teen mag-how creepy!) but she never wrote back :(

UniqueNurseGranny September 21, 2008 at 7:30 PM  

A dying art reiting letters.Too sad as it made such memories of historical figures..Lovely thoughts here.

Beth September 21, 2008 at 8:46 PM  

That's great. I haven't had a pen pal in ages. Everyone emails. Folks think I'm antiquated because I still write letters. It is a shame.

Diana September 21, 2008 at 8:58 PM  

I never had a pen pal. I knew that I would be just awful at it, as I was with writing diary entries. I would buy a beautiful little diary, with a lock and key, then begin, "Dear Diary, we're going to be great friends!" and hate myself even before the ink dried because I knew (and it knew) how badly I was lying.

When I was a little girl, they had this animated jingle for international pen pals that would come on Saturday mornings. I was always tempted to join, but I thought how awful it would be to be a youngster in another country, all excited to get a pen pal, just to find out you went through the process to get coupled with a morose downer of a chubby loner. I abstained.

I think it would be a great idea to only correspond in a constrained fashion. I had a wonderful time once, in my unrestrained and hedonistic late twenties, with a written correspondence with a hot MC in San Francisco. We only wrote in haiku. It was a great flirtation. By the time we actually had sex, I'd wished we'd stuck to imaginative syllable usage.

So how about haiku? Rhyming couplet? Only talking in questions? Something fun like that will make you fun to the envelope, whether giving or receiving. And make your relationship that much more special.

Miss you very much and love you and think of you all the time,
Di

The Bookish Life September 21, 2008 at 9:26 PM  

I loved writing letters to pen pals. It was so magical, I wish I had kept it up. Having pen pals used to also mean exchanging mixtapes in my world. Miss that a LOT, too.

Ashley Newell September 21, 2008 at 9:27 PM  

I love snail mail.

You could always just send joke, magazine clippings, thinking of you cards, pieces of gum, etc... Anything in the mail other than a bill is usually a pleasant surprise.

Kylie September 21, 2008 at 9:30 PM  

This post has brought back some memories. I had 5 pen pals...one girl from England, Elizabeth, and I wrote to each other for a number of years. I loved writing letters, still do, but with email an text messages, I've ran out of people to write to ;)

AngelHeartBeads September 21, 2008 at 10:37 PM  

That's really sweet! I used to have tons of pen pals. I even signed up for the pen pal exchange that was going on on Etsy - but I never heard back from my exchange partner. :( I used to have probably 10 or 12 pen pals in high school. I *love love love* sending people stuff. I have one friend in NJ that we still send things to each other - CD's, jewelry, pictures, post cards, etc... I love doing that kind of thing. I love making pretty packages, and wrapping things up in pretty paper, sending little goodies to brighten someone's day. If I could be a professional care package sender - if such a thing ever existed - I would totally want that job.

Unknown September 21, 2008 at 10:39 PM  

hey there!

i just found you through your post in the forums at etsy - awesome blog!

.. for the record, i'm outting myself as a horrible penpal to etsy seller red otter (http://redotter580.blogspot.com) but am working on bettering myself. i may or may not have just stumbled across some inspiration!

Giftbearer September 22, 2008 at 12:37 AM  

That's the great thing about convos on Etsy. You can connect with a number of people on many different things. Glad they will be back tomorrow.

Tia Colleen September 22, 2008 at 8:27 AM  

Aww, I'm so glad to see I'm not the only one that loves writing. Y'all need to get on your game, don't suck, keep in touch!!

BeckyKay September 22, 2008 at 9:21 AM  

Awwww! You're not a bad penpal, Tia! I got your letter on Saturday, and I thought, "Crap! Wasn't it my turn to write?" LOL!

See, I'm the bad pen pal! :)

melroska September 22, 2008 at 7:49 PM  

i have a penpal i've totally been neglecting. thanks for the inspiration, i'm going to write her as soon as i get home.

Alicia September 22, 2008 at 11:20 PM  

Hi! I just clicked over here from your topic on Etsy. I love your blog, you guys have really great picks, and also good stories about pregnancy and kids, neither of which I know anything about. I'll be back!

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