Remembering Sandy

My good friend, Sandy (September 20, 1943 - June 5, 2026), passed away on Friday. She and her husband, Jim, were among our first married-couple friends. As I sat in church today, memories of Sandy and all our good times just washed over me, and I had to share them.

Here are some of the memories that came up in my thoughts:

• We met in 1982 right after Don and I were married. Sandy’s husband Jim was actually my husband’s college math teacher. When we got together, we all hit it off right away.
• We started meeting for dinner on Saturday nights (alternating between our houses) and then playing the card game Rook for the rest of the evening. Sandy and I were always partners, and we played against our husbands. We had such a great time, and we did this for years.
• I remember that we usually talked on the phone with each other at least once a week. She was always willing to give me wonderful advice when I asked for it.
• Sandy tried to teach me how to make homemade egg noodles, but mine never came out as good as hers.
• I remember going on several boat rides when Jim bought a new boat. One time he ran it aground and ruined the propeller, but Sandy was always calm about everything. 
• When Jim got sick, I tried to call her at least once a week in case she needed anything.
• Sandy and I would meet for lunch in the summers when I wasn’t teaching. I would go pick her up from the law firm, and we would go out to lunch about once a month.
• One year, when I was on Christmas vacation, Sandy went hiking with me at Raven Cliff Falls when it was snowing. We hiked to the bridge over the waterfalls. It was a beautiful hike!
• When the school threw all retirees a luncheon, we were allowed to invite our closest friends, and Sandy came to my retirement party. It meant a lot to me since she has known me for most of my career.
• I remember when her family threw her a surprise birthday party and invited us. It was a great party for such a wonderful person.
• After I retired, I started teaching courses for Furman, and I taught one of my courses every July. Sandy would come meet me for lunch after class ended.
• When Sandy was moving out of her last house, I went over to help her pack up some stuff. We spent a lot of time sharing memories of good times.
• The last time I saw Sandy was at her son’s house. I’m so thankful that she has had such a loving family that was there for her. She always talked about her children, and you could tell how much they loved her back. 

I will miss you, Sandy!

Original photo of Sandy and Pat 

Tyrannosaurus rex

The United States Postal Service released the 2019 First-Class Forever Stamps featuring Tyrannosaurus rex to honor one of the most well-known dinosaurs in history. The four stamps were introduced at the same time the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History opened a new T. rex exhibit. Each stamp displays a different illustration of the dinosaur created by scientist and paleoartist Julius T. Csotonyi. The stamps are unique because they use lenticular printing, which creates a holographic effect. When the stamp is tilted, the dinosaur’s skin appears to fade away and reveal its skeleton underneath.

The Postal Service created these stamps to encourage interest in dinosaurs, science, and museums. Because dinosaurs are popular with both children and adults, the stamps also made collecting and sending mail more exciting. Many stamp collectors appreciated the detailed artwork and creative design. The stamps combined science, history, and art in a way that captured people’s attention and celebrated prehistoric life.

Tyrannosaurus rex was one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs to ever live. It lived about 66 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous Period. Commonly called T. rex, the dinosaur had massive legs, razor-sharp teeth, and an extremely powerful jaw capable of crushing bone. Although its arms were small, the rest of its body was built for strength and hunting. Scientists estimate that T. rex could grow up to 40 feet long and weigh several tons.

The first T. rex fossils were discovered in the early 1900s by fossil hunter Barnum Brown. He uncovered the remains in Montana and other parts of the western United States while searching for dinosaur fossils. In 1905, paleontologist Henry Fairfield Osborn officially named the dinosaur Tyrannosaurus rex, meaning “king of the tyrant lizards.” This discovery gave scientists important information about large meat-eating dinosaurs and helped make T. rex one of the most recognized dinosaurs in the world.

Dinosaurs are celebrated every year on Dinosaur Day, which takes place on June 1. The day encourages people of all ages to learn about fossils, prehistoric animals, and Earth’s ancient history. Museums, schools, and libraries often organize activities such as dinosaur exhibits, crafts, games, and science lessons. During these celebrations, Tyrannosaurus rex is usually one of the most popular dinosaurs because of its enormous size and fierce appearance.

Do you have these dinosaur stamps in your collection?

References:

• United States Postal Service
• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
• National Geographic Kids – Tyrannosaurus Rex Facts
• https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2019/0829-fearsome-dinosaur-immortalized-on-forever-stamps.htm
• https://www.mysticstamp.com/5410-13-2019-first-class-forever-stamps-tyrannosaurus-rex/
• https://nationaltoday.com/dinosaur-day/

Happenings this week

Books:

• Remarkably Bright Creatures - I read this in 2024, and I’m rereading it.
• The River is Waiting - This is an audiobook that I listened to. I got halfway through, and it was so depressing that I gave up on it. I returned it to the library early.

Knitting:

• Scrappy Socks for Don - It is so satisfying to use up my sock yarn scraps in this fun way.
• Antique Filigree sweater - a colorwork sweater. I always forget how much I love colorwork! The exciting thing is that this whole sweater involves colorwork!

Food and drink:

• Things I’ve cooked this week: Spinach and Mushroom quiche, stuffed peppers, and rice, pork burgers, and pickled beets.
• I made green smoothies for us a couple of times this week.

Watching:

I’m watching some TV shows that I’m sure others have already watched, and I’m a little behind the times.

• Tracker
• Marshals
• FBI

Special Events:

• Don had a cortisone shot in his back.
• I’m recovering from my second cataract surgery.

Fruits and vegetables:

• We picked lots of blueberries and some figs today. 
• I also found little tomatoes growing on my tomato plants.

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Helen, GA

Don and I went to Helen, GA, on our honeymoon 44 years ago. We didn’t have any reservations and were lucky to get the last cabin at Unicoi State Park. After having dinner in town, we walked around the shops. We saw a sign in the welcome center that said if you were unable to find a room for the night, call this number, and they would find a room for you, even if it was in someone’s home. I thought that was so welcoming! Boy, times have changed! Now there are a lot of places to stay and a lot of shops and restaurants!

We met at 7:30 at the senior center and left on a chartered bus at 8 am. Everyone was wearing the pretty pink shirts that we were given. Sue and Heather were so organized! We got a treat bag with a Chick-fil-A treat, along with an itinerary for the day and other goodies. The drive took about 2 ½ hours due to rush hour traffic, and it was raining pretty heavily the whole time we were traveling.

When we arrived in Helen, the rain had stopped. We were told to meet back at the bus by 2:15, and we would leave at 2:30.

Don and I walked around town and saw that a pretzel was $12.95. We looked at different restaurant menus, but none had the prices on them. Plus, neither one of us was very hungry, so we settled on eating at Wendy’s. After that, we shopped some more. We went to the GA arts and crafts building, which also held the History of Helen museum. We were able to watch two videos that told about the history of Helen. The town wasn’t crowded at all, and one shop owner told us that this was the slow season, which made it a perfect time for us to come visit! I liked that it wasn’t wall-to-wall people. We were able to go into the souvenir shops and look around without bumping into people. The sun even came out, and it was a beautiful day!

Everyone showed up on time to board the bus at 2:15. The drive back took only 2 hours, and it was a lovely ride home.

I’m thankful to the City of Fountain Inn for funding our trip and to Sue and Heather for organizing the trip. I know it was a lot of work!

Original Photos by Pat Hensley

1902 10c Special Delivery, Messenger on Bicycle (#E6)

Do you remember when you learned to ride a bike? I remember my dad running along beside me while I learned to ride a two-wheeled bike without training wheels. I was scared to death, but eventually I loved it! May 1 is known as Learn to Ride a Bike Day. This fun day encourages people, especially children, to learn how to ride a bicycle. Riding a bike is good exercise and a useful skill. It also connects to history because bicycles once helped Special Delivery Messengers do their jobs faster. Today, this day is a great time for families to practice riding together and enjoy being active outdoors.

Special Delivery stamps were special stamps that paid for this faster service. People had to put one of these stamps on their letter in addition to regular postage. The first Special Delivery stamp in the United States was issued in 1885 and showed a running messenger. Over time, many different designs were made, often showing messengers, bicycles, or other ways of quick delivery. These stamps are now popular with collectors because they tell the story of how mail delivery improved.

One famous stamp is the 1902 10-cent Special Delivery stamp (#E6) called “Messenger on Bicycle.” This stamp shows a postal worker riding quickly on a bicycle to deliver an important letter. It was part of a new series issued in 1902 and is known for its detailed design and bold look. The image helped show how bicycles made deliveries faster and more efficiently. Today, this stamp is a favorite among collectors because it represents both postal history and the growing use of bicycles in everyday life.

Special Delivery Service was a fast mail service offered by the United States Postal Service. It began in 1885 to make sure important letters were delivered right away, even if regular mail was not going out at that time. When a letter was marked for Special Delivery, a messenger would take it directly to the person’s home or business as soon as it arrived at the post office. This service helped people send urgent messages much faster than normal mail.

Special Delivery Messengers began in 1885, the same year the service started. These workers rushed the mail to its destination as quickly as possible. At first, many messengers ran on foot, carrying letters through busy streets. Later, they began using bicycles to move faster and cover longer distances. The bicycle itself was invented in the early 1800s, with important improvements made by inventors like Karl Drais in 1817, who created an early two-wheeled riding machine.

When was the last time you rode a bike? Today might be a good day for a bike ride.

References:

• Stamp from the author's collection
• Smithsonian Institution – Postal history collections
• United States Postal Service – History of Special Delivery
• Library of Congress – Bicycle history
• National Postal Museum – Special Delivery stamps history
• Mystic Stamp - 1902 10c Special Delivery, Messenger on Bicycle