Letters 5 and 6

I have to admit that I got a bit behind in my letter writing. I haven't missed sending out a letter but for three weeks I was one letter behind, meaning that I always had two letters to send out and I never sent two letters out in a week so one letter kept being pushed a week ahead. Get that? Confusing, I know.

Well, last week I remedied that and actually mailed out two letters.

First, let's back up just a bit and say that letter number 3 went to Mrs. Cheevers. If you recognize the last name, you're right, it's THAT Cheevers, as in Gerry Cheevers, goaltender extraordinaire. If you know hockey, you'll know Gerry's mask: in 2008 Hockey News rated it the best goalie mask ever. I think I'm right in saying he was the first to ever decorate his mask - with stitch marks each time it was hit with a puck.

Mrs. Cheevers is his mother and just as importantly, mother to Pat Cheevers who was John's dad's best friend, pretty much forever as far as I can glean. Unfortunately for this world, Pat and Ken are in the great hereafter enjoying a beer (or several) together but Mrs. Cheevers is hanging on like a champ. She's what you'd describe as a spitfire in the best possible terms. I've always really liked her although I haven't seen her in a long time. I believe she is around 90 now, maybe a bit beyond that even. John's mom is close to her and visits her frequently. This is how I learned that Mrs. Cheevers was complaining that she hadn't received a letter in a while. That sealed it for me. Mrs. Cheevers was next on my list to write to. And I'm happy to report that she was thrilled to get my letter. I'll make sure that I write to her again in a few weeks.

Letter number 4 was a birthday card - a really nice one I bought at Chapters - for Donna, my dad's wife. I understand why people, and I've done it countless times, send e-cards but a real birthday card is just so much nicer. I will not be sending one e-card this year. It's going to be the real thing all the way... it's also a really easy way for me to send out a letter!

Letter 5 went to my dear friend Marnie. She reads my blog so I'm not saying more about the letter (actually, package). Marnie and I met in first year university. We lived in the same residence: Conrad Grebel College, the Mennonite college at the University of Waterloo. To say we hit it off, is an understatement. I could go on and on and on about our exploits - together with the other member of the trio that year, Holly (Hi Holly!). The following year, after Holly moved off-campus, Marnie and I shared a room and after that, a few houses. We've stayed very close through all these years and thankfully I got to spend lots of time with her last year when we were in Waterloo although we both kept saying that it still wasn't enough. She's one of my very special friends who I can not talk to or see for a while and when we meet again, it's like no time has passed at all.

The other letter I sent was to someone else who reads this blog so I'm not going to say much else. Getting real letters is such a rarity now that I don't want to spoil the surprise.

I'm really enjoying this. I'm not being too hard on myself if something is delayed a week, as long as it get the letter out eventually even if I have to double-up one week. The loveliest part of this whole project is spreading the love. People really appreciate getting a letter or card or package and it makes me feel like I'm beautifying the world a little bit by brightening up someone's day each week.

More on my beautifying project in a future post!

Letters 1 and 2

I'm on track so far for my 52 letters in 52 weeks, granted it is only the second week but I like to give myself kudos occasionally...

Good for me!

Last week, I eased into the project and sent a birthday card to my friend, Pam. Last week I also ordered these pretty flat notecards on Etsy and bought some real-life notepaper from Chapters in preparation for what is to come.

By the by, it took me a coon's age to actually find any decent writing paper. I scoured Etsy. There was almost none to be had that was worth paying shipping for. I happened to be in Chapters picking up some SillyBandz for Hope (a reward for relearning how to go to bed and stay there) when I found some nice writing paper. They had one design. They had three boxes. $10. Done and done but wow, it really drove home how rare letter-writing has become. That doesn't come as a surprise of course. In fact, the back of the box of paper reads: "Designer letter sheets add flair to your correspondence, as you keep alive the fine art of letter-writing."

Yikes. The pressure! "Fine-art"... I doubt anyone will describe my letters that way. I am making an effort to sit down when I have no distractions and give my letter some undivided attention. This will be my once-a-week quiet time. I think that's something I could use.

This afternoon I sat down during a quiet moment and wrote a real-life honest-to-goodness letter. I haven't done that since.... I honestly have no idea how long it's been. I used to write letters all the time. And then email took over and it was probably circa 1994 that I last put pen to paper in a disciplined effort.

I chose to write to my friend Ferne today. Ferne is around 80 or so, maybe just shy of that. She visits the cottage right next to ours and we became fast friends during one of her early visits. Ferne worked for years in the maternity ward in one of the hospitals in London, Ontario and LOVES babies. She never had any of her own but you'd never know - she knows all the tricks and talks to babies like she had 40 of them herself. She also is just the hippest, most interesting 80-year-old I've ever met. I hope we cross paths again this summer. I don't see her every year but we write Christmas cards with short notes and she calls me occasionally.

Everyone needs a Ferne in their lives.

In fact, we've actually named her The Ferne because she's that awesome.

Anyway, I wrote to Ferne today for a couple of reasons: (1) she's a good friend and (2) she and my mum really liked one another and today is the anniversary of my mum's death and I just really wanted to be in contact with someone who knew and liked her but wasn't family.

From the side of self-serving, I also know Ferne will write back which is an added bonus to this project; I'll likely get some letters back!

In fact, I was triple-super-over-the-moon-excited to receive a letter from one of my soul-mates and best friends, Marnie, today. She wrote me a real letter. For real. On paper. With pen.

And I didn't write her first.

What surprised me most was how much joy I got from reading the letter. Not because of what it said necessarily but just because she took the time to write. It felt really special. I hope that's how people feel when they get mine. Because making someone's day a little brighter is something I would like to do more often.

52 letters, 52 weeks

Have you heard about this? A blog I jus discovered called The NonConsumer Advocate has started this challenge. The challenge is to write and send 52 letters or postcards or thank-you notes or care packages, one a week, HANDWRITTEN and sent in the REAL MAIL for all of 2011. Well, I'm going to do it! Granted it is the second week of January right now so it will be a 51 week challenge. You can read the original post here.

Last year I read the book The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.... twice. If you haven't read it yet, do go get it. After reading it I was inspired to start writing real letters again. It didn't happen. I needed something to push me out of the gates. I think this challenge will be the very thing.

Now to get me some nice writing paper! My Ottawa Citizen scratch pad won't do it.

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