Writing Letters Can Be Special

These 1980 15c Letter Writing stamps (#1805-10) were made to celebrate National Letter Writing Week, which took place from February 24 to March 1, 1980. It was the first time the United States released a sheet of stamps with three sets of stamps stacked on top of each other in pairs. Each stamp helps people remember how important letter writing is.

On February 25, 1980, the U.S. Postal Service released special stamps to celebrate National Letter Writing Week. National Letter Writing Week was held from February 24 to March 1, and it was the first time the U.S. celebrated this week in 15 years. The USPS worked hard to make the week exciting and meaningful.

To help spread the message, the USPS teamed up with the National Council of Teachers of English, business leaders, and other well-known Americans. Museums, libraries, and other important places had displays about letter writing. Bookstores and libraries shared books that talked about letters and showed letters written by famous people. On February 25, the USPS held a big ceremony at the Library of Congress to honor the new stamps. Each stamp pair included a small stamp that said “P.S. Write Soon” and another that shared what letters can do, like “Letters Preserve Memories,” “Letters Lift Spirits,” and “Letters Shape Opinions.”

The USPS also helped create a 64-page booklet called All About Letters. It was given to students in grades 6 through 12. The booklet showed how to write different types of letters and included messages from Stevie Wonder, Darryl Stingley, and “Dear Abby.” It even gave addresses for pen pal groups and celebrities, explained ZIP codes, and gave tips on how to send mail safely. Today, the tradition of letter writing is still honored with World Letter Writing Day on September 1, National Letter Writing Day on December 7, and National Letter Writing Month in April. Some people also celebrate National Letter Writing Week in January.

World Letter Writing Day is celebrated every year on September 1. This day encourages people all over the world to write letters by hand. It was started in 2014 by Richard Simpkin, an Australian author and photographer. He wanted to remind people how meaningful it is to send a letter instead of just a quick message online. Schools and libraries sometimes hold letter-writing events to help kids enjoy the fun of writing and receiving letters.

Both the 1980 stamps and World Letter Writing Day show how important writing letters can be. A letter can make someone feel remembered and appreciated. It takes more time than typing a message, but it can also feel more personal. Even though we live in a digital world, writing a letter can still bring smiles and create lasting memories. The U.S. stamp and this special day both encourage people to take a few minutes to connect with others in a thoughtful way.

References:
Cover from the author’s collection
World Letter Writing Day. https://www.worldletterwritingday.com
National Postal Museum. https://postalmuseum.si.edu
https://www.mysticstamp.com/1805-10-1980-15c-letter-writing/
https://nationaltoday.com/world-letter-writing-day/

Knitting Projects, the Lawnmower, and the NC Apple Festival

I finished 5 knitting projects this week:

• 2 emotional support chickens - one small (fingering weight yarn) and one medium (DK weight yarn)
• My Bonfire Tee sweater. I modified it by making a large split hem, and I really like how it fits. 
• 2 hats for the staff at the lodge where we hold our September knitting retreat. 

We also had a little trouble with the riding lawnmower. The back tire was completely flat. We tried to take the tire off ourselves, but Don couldn’t get the lug nuts off. We went around the block to the tire place on Main St., and the guy said that if it was a tubeless tire, he could fix it. So, we pumped up the tire and Don drove it there while I followed behind with the emergency flashers on the Prius. The tire was fixed for $10, and Don drove it back home. I love how the lawn looks after he mows it.

On Thursday, we hiked at Lake Conestee Nature Park. It was an easy hike, but we used different muscles than we use when walking laps in the gym. Some of the trails were still closed because of the damage from Hurricane Helene last year. The weather is beautiful! I was also able to take some nice pictures with my new phone.

 

On Saturday, we went to Hendersonville to the NC Apple Festival. We arrived at 9 am and were able to find a free parking space along the street. Don bought a ¼ peck of apples for $7, and I bought 6 apple cider doughnuts for $7. After taking the items back to the car, we walked back along the vendors, and I found homemade apple ice cream for $5; it was so tasty. We stopped to put some stuff back in the car and then walked several blocks to the farmers' market before returning to our car around 11 am. On the way home, we stopped at Palmetto Yarn Shoppe so I could drop off the 2 hats that I made. Everyone was still at the guild meeting, but Nancy was there. When we got home, we had lunch and spent the rest of the day watching college football.

 

It was a great week!

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Crowns, Stamps, and Antique Technology

After a physical therapy appointment on Monday, Don is almost back to normal. He still isn’t allowed to attend exercise class or walk with weights in his hands. He can put weights in a pack and wear it on his back, but not in his hands, which will throw his balance off.

Tuesday, I went back to the dentist and got my permanent crowns. I guess they were made from the 3D image, and they fit and feel better than any other crown I have gotten. They are nice and smooth, too. They fit so well that the dentist didn’t even have to grind or sand (or whatever he does) to get the bite right.

Wednesday, I helped set up for the Thursday tea, and everything turned out beautifully. On Thursday, I was going to help with clean up, but I worked in the yard and then fell asleep, so I didn’t get to go back up there.

On Friday, we headed to the North Georgia Stamp Show. We left home at 6:00 and arrived in the Atlanta area around 9:00. The stamp show didn't start until 10, so we had breakfast at Waffle House (it's been months since we've eaten at Waffle House), and it was so good! The stamp show was held at the Mimms Museum of Technology. When we got to the show, they had an area with a few round tables and comfy chairs, so I spent most of the day knitting on my sweater and reading a library book on my iPad. Since we ate such a big breakfast, we didn't even have lunch. Around 2 pm, I finished my sweater, and my iPad was almost out of battery, so I spent $15 and went through the museum, which was okay. There was a lot of reading, and the lights were too dim to really read anything. I saw lots of things I have used in my lifetime that made me a little nostalgic. I didn't realize so many of them belonged in a museum.LOL The best thing was the first 3D electric car. By 4 pm, my hubby was finished, so we decided to head home instead of spending the night. We got home around 8 pm.

It was nice and cool this morning, so I worked in the yard around 6:45 am to do some weeding. Now I feel okay about sitting and knitting all day! Today I need to wash and block my sweater.

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Dentist, Reorganizing, New Phone, and Mowing the Lawn

This week started with a bang. I went to the dentist needing 1 tooth crowned, but then the doctor found the tooth beside it also needed a crown. They put the temporary crowns on them, and I go back on Tuesday for the permanent ones. My mouth has hurt all week from this. In the afternoon, Don went for physical therapy. He hoped he could start back exercising, but he still can’t. Since he can’t get on the foam roller, the doctor recommended that he start with rolled-up towels.

The worst thing that happened was that my iPhone XS died on Tuesday. I was able to text my sister, log in to MyFitnessPal, and check my steps from the day before. 30 minutes later, my phone was dead. I tried different charging cables and got nothing. When we went to the center, I tried someone else’s cable, but it still didn’t work. So, as soon as the Apple store opened at the mall, we were there. I bought an iPhone 16pro. What was shocking was that the guy plugged in my old phone and it came on. I got $80 trade-in for my old phone, and he was able to transfer everything from my old phone to my new phone. What a relief! Of course, I had to order a new case from Amazon.

I also worked on reorganizing the kitchen. I cleaned out the pantry and got rid of all of the out-of-date food, and now my shelves look empty. We went to Dollar Tree for baskets, and I’m organizing some of the food into the baskets. One basket has all the different teas, another is holding boxed stuff like pasta, and the last one is holding beans. I have 2 more baskets that I am going to fill, but haven’t decided what I want to put n them yet. I’m also clearing off the dining room table and getting rid of old food and putting away stuff that shouldn’t be in there.

Our lawnmower was returned on Thursday, and we are very happy with the guy who worked on it. He replaced the deck belt and fixed a tire. He also fixed our Honda 2000 generator. On Friday, Don was able to mow the lawn, and it needed it! I need to go rake up all the dead grass, but it rained last night, and it’s too wet to rake up. Maybe tomorrow.

This morning, when Don got up, he didn’t want to fix his breakfast, but I had already eaten. So, we went to McDonald's and he got a chicken biscuit meal. I think I’m feeling pretty lazy today. I may work in the dining room some more this morning and then get on a knitting Zoom at 3.

I hope everyone has a nice week!

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Rain, August gnome, and lawnmower repairs

We had a lot of rain this week, so I didn’t do much outside. Most afternoons, I was able to knit and spin. I finished the pair of socks I’ve been making. I also finished the gnome for July that we are going to gift to Don’s physical therapist.

On Tuesday, I went to my knitting group and had a good time. My friend Dagmar’s husband made a red dragon for me on his 3D printer. I sent it to my great-niece Kaeli on Wednesday. I hope she likes it.

On Wednesday, I was able to get out and do some weeding. I spent a couple of hours, but you really can’t tell I made a dent in the weeds. Of course, it set off my allergies, and my sinuses were messed up for 2 days.

Thursday was a quiet day. We ended up going to our local hardware store, which was able to recommend someone who could fix our lawnmower. He sounded very nice on the phone. When I gave him our address, he said his grandmother lives nearby.

On Friday, after Don’s board meeting, we went grocery shopping. Of course, Don was happy with going shopping. I was just glad to get the things I needed.

On Saturday, the guy came and picked up our lawnmower in the morning. We really liked him, so we also asked him to take our small generator with him to get fixed also.

This week, I also worked on washing my salt and pepper shaker collection, and Don helped me put them up on the shelves. I don’t have any more room for any more, so I need to stop finding cute ones at the antique store!

I hope you have a great weekend!

Original photos by Pat Hensley