National Letter Writing Week: Part 5
January 13, 2011
“The mail is our daily dose of promise.”
— Barbara Holland, Endangered Pleasures
Mailboxes used to be like treasure chests, holding the promise of letters from loved ones. These days the pleasures of mail are dwindling — too many bills, junk mail, solicitations.
I was reminded of the pleasures of mail while reading a new book by one of my favorite bloggers — Turkish Delight & Treasure Hunts by Jane Brocket. The entire book is a delightful romp back to old childhood classics. As the title implies, Brocket shares ideas for recipes, such as Pippi Longstocking’s Swedish pancakes, and imaginative activities, such as playing Poohsticks. One of the chapters is called “Run Your Own Post Office,” inspired by the old bird house/mailbox in the garden of the March girls in Little Women.
“The P.O. was a capital little institution, and flourished wonderfully, for nearly as many queer things passed through it as through the real office. Tragedies and cravats, poetry and pickles, garden-seeds and long letters, music and ginger-bread, rubbers, invitations, scoldings and puppies.”
— Louisa May Alcott, Little Women
I wonder what surprises my mailbox will hold today.
January 13, 2011 at 7:32 am
Hurray for National Letter Writing week and every day before and after for writing letters!
January 13, 2011 at 10:27 am
Glad to learn about your bog and your intriguing project to write a letter a day for one year . . . will you be continuing it in 2011?
January 13, 2011 at 2:09 pm
Something sad about that old mailbox, still got a key to the promises it holds … an After the Ball is Over feeling ;>)
January 13, 2011 at 4:20 pm
Yes, if only it could talk — what would it say?
January 13, 2011 at 4:56 pm
This book sounds like something up my alley.
January 13, 2011 at 5:06 pm
Yes, you’d like it. I’m sure you could find ways to use it in your classroom, too.
January 21, 2011 at 2:43 pm
I’ll be writing letters and blogging in 2011; but not one a day to a different person each day.
October 17, 2012 at 7:30 am
“Turkish Delight and Treasure Hunts” is a delightful book! Such fun and so many activities to choose. I’ve started collecting old (vintage?) wooden mail slots that I find at tag sales. The slots are the type that folks used to hang by their front door. I’m going to label the slots for friends and relatives, and give as holiday gifts. I haven’t decided if I’ll paint the names or simply use a nice font on a label maker. 🙂
October 17, 2012 at 6:20 pm
Nice idea for a collection and gifts.
October 29, 2012 at 11:29 am
[…] https://rosemarywashington.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/national-letter-writing-week-part-5/ […]
August 1, 2013 at 7:54 am
[…] https://rosemarywashington.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/national-letter-writing-week-part-5/ […]