Here is the postcard that will be in the mail to you Tuesday (Monday is a U.S. Holiday)
I love books and like you all, I love postallove.com post cards. There wasn't enough room on this postallove card to tell you about my all-time favorite book from my kid days - The title is Big Red. Actually there were three books in the Big Red Series and I read them all, more times than you would believe. If you can't get Big Red, let me know. If you do get it, let me know what you think of it. Thanks for reminding me of it, I just ordered a new copy.
Take special care of yourselves through these uncertain days and always have fun. Yours to count on, Bert
I didn't want to wait for Tuesday. Here is your card (actually traveling Tuesday, May 26th & I suppose this is actually not your card, but rather a digital preview).
In these "different times" I've had some extra moments to become more active on Facebook. I wrote this post for Facebook and could find no way to add a clickable link to a post. I spent way to much time looking, then it came to me that I could post it in a blog and put the blog on my Facebook. This is my first run at that:
It is Sunday morning, April 5th.Bright, sunny and 67 degrees in Huntsville,
Alabama.I just found this Logitech Tablet Keyboard that I used on my old Microsoft Surface 3 (now blown up and departed).I took one look at it and knew it would be perfect
to use at my still, almost new, Stand Steady desk.
This is a trial run of the old keyboard, attached to my
work computer for the first time and after my first few lines, I know it is a
perfect match.
The “stand up” desk has been awesome, and I know it will be
even more fun with this keyboard and a hot cup of Death Wish Coffee.
Now, I’ll prove that… first though, I have to
fill a few bird feeders and scatter some peanuts for the squirrels and
chipmunks.
Have a great spring day!Be well, stay well, love everyone – we ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER, let’s
remember that as we travel through.
Dear Nihan, This is probably one of the first Postcrossing postcards you will receive (I'll put it in the mail tomorrow 2/19/20), so I thought it should be special. Since this is one of my favorites I'm hoping it will be one of yours. Happy Postcrossing, Bert
This is the front of the postcard I will put in the mail today - it is a reproduction of a painting by Norman Rockwell called The Bookworm. I picked it because you love books (so do I).
This is the message. I printed and taped it to the card. I got the idea from a card I received from Hong Kong - Here is what I posted about it:
Today (Saturday Feb 8, 2020) I received this postcard from Vince in Hong Kong. I love pen pals and I love postcrossing. My love for writing letters often spills over into my correspondence. At those times I want to say a lot more than I have space for on a postcard. This postcard is 6 X 3.75 inches. Conventionally, half that space would have been taken up by stamps and my address, leaving very little room for a hand written message, so Postcrossing addicts usually limit themselves to a message like, Dear Bert, Greetings from Hong Kong, where those of us who live and work here are under threat constant threat from our police. Then maybe a line or two about the weather and close that usually is a line like Happy Postcrossing, followed by a signature. As you can see, Vince typed her personalized message to me. What you can't see is that the message is taped neatly to the back of the postcard which traveled 33 days and 2,300 miles to reach me. Also invisible is the education and inspiration that I received from from the postcard.
Excuse the James Bond reference - It's a laid back Saturday and it seemed appropriate and it is "sort of connected" to my real subject, which goes this way: I just put this postcard in the mailbox. That's the first step in it's journey to Katerina, who lives in Russia.
I purchased the card from Pixilluv.com, a New Zealand postcard company whose postcards I find delightful. I received Katerina's name, address and profile info from Postcrossing, a super cool operation based in Italy. I live in the USA and Katerina in Russia. There are four countries involved in this mailing. A nice international transaction.
And now, my primary motive for writing this post. INSPIRATION. On her profile, Katerina shared her Instagram page. It inspired my selecting this postcard and it has inspired me to get serious about my Instagram page. For that, I thank everyone involved in my revelation. So, the bottom line is inspiration: How it might appear. An example of what do when it does. And an illustration of how many individuals, companies and countries might be involved as you follow yours. Now, check out Katerina's Instagram Page.
As I searched, with little success, for the right illustration for this post, I remembered The Storyteller, a print I purchased in a Seattle mall during an art sale more than thirty years ago and that was the end of the search.
The look on the fairy's face as she gazes at the storyteller is what this blog is all about.
I saw the same look on Joe Bonamassa's face as he described how he felt when he first heard Eric Clapton. As he told the story, he was standing on the stage at the Royal Albert Hall, an ambition he'd held since being inspired by Eric. Then he introduced Eric Clapton, and the two performed Further On Up the Road together for a packed house. Take a look:
As I watched the video for the fourth or maybe fifth time, I thought of the first person, outside my immediate family, who inspired me as the Storyteller inspired the Fairy and Eric Clapton inspired Joe Bonamassa. Her name was Ms. Tillman and she was my first grade teacher. Had it not been for her, I'd not be able to write this post because moments after being dragged into her class by my mother, I made up my mind that I'd die before I'd let that happen again.
As I look back almost sixty-years to September 1947, I realize, not for the first time, that Ms. Tillman knew how I felt. She understood the resolve behind my commitment to never return to her class or any other class even if it meant death. To her credit, she didn't decide to put my resolve to the test. Instead, she showed me the value of reconsidering my vow, and she did it in a way that made it easy for me to understand and take a different position.
That's what a person who cares does for one they care about. First they make it clear they understand your position, and then they show you other possibilities.
Take a moment and think of the first person who did that for you. Now, think of someone you've done it for. Before you leave those thoughts, consider sharing them with us in the comments. We're looking forward to reading them.
A postcard reproduction of Norman Rockwell's Painting
The Jury Holdout, 1959
Feb 14, 1959 Saturday Evening Post Cover
Jonathan, I've waited for years for the right person to send this postcard to - You Are The One. I'll get it in the mail to you tomorrow. I'm also a pen addict. If you haven't used Main Street Pens for repairs and vintage pens, check them out. Ron and Robyn Zorn are the best. Have a great, almost New Year. Bert
Today I will put this postcard, a
reproduction of a Norman Rockwell painting, that appeared in the August 20,
1968 issue of Look magazine, in the mail. As you read this, this postcard
is traveling to Jouni Vedenoja, a young man who lives in a small village in
Finland.
I'm a member of Postcrossing.
Members receive postcards from other members who have
"been assigned" their name and address by Postcrossing, and
members send postcards to other members who were
"assigned" to them by Postcrossing.
Name assignments include a profile
of the member who has been selected for a postcard. Today Jouni was
assigned (by random computer selection) to me as a recipient for a
postcard. I selected this for him based on his words from his profile:
"Peace, freedom and equal
rights for everyone and everywhere are important for me. Freedom of
speech is a great value! Open democracy is important! Freedom is
not politics, it is a human right..."
On this noteworthy day in American
politics, I found my friend Jouni's words a most welcome and inspirational
reminder.
