Avalanche *part 2*

In the 4 months that I've been exchanging postcards, I've sent 32 cards and received 32 cards in return. The cards I've sent have traveled a distance of 132,784 miles, and the cards I've received have traveled 136,784 miles. Now here's a little info about the last few cards that have shown up in my mailbox.

Jennifer, from Utah, sends a postcard showing some highlights from her state including the Bingham Copper Mine, the Salt Lake Temple, the State Capitol Building, and the Great Salt Lake - Antelope Island. Jennifer is a career woman who enjoys family, art and photography, boating, and teaching the 4-year-olds at her Temple.

Amelie is an 18-year-old from Stuttgart, Germany who likes American postcards. She sent a card to me that was in a calendar she recieved for her birthday! It shows the Mankind Figure (Maiden) that was cast in 1936 by American Paul Manship. This statue flanks the staircase to the Lower Plaza at Rockefeller Center in New York City.

You might not expect a lady in Knoxville, TN to collect snowmen, but that's just what Diane likes to do. She also likes art, music, and literature. She sends a postcard of the Knoxville Convention Center that is adjacent to their spectacular World's Fair Park near where she works.

Dogs take up most of Marjan's day. She does hunting trials with her Weimeraner and security training with her 3 German Shepherds. Oh, she has a 1 1/2-year-old daugher, too! She lives on the border of Germany and The Netherlands, but she is Dutch. She also likes sewing, cooking, and flowers. She shares a favorite flower with her postcard.

It took 70 days for this postcard from Lena in Siberia to arrive! Lena says that by chosing a card, you show your interests and tastes. So, from this card can you tell that she likes to wake up early, climb high trees, and read? Right now she studies Economics and English, and she is part of a theatrical group that is presenting a 2 year run of "What? Where? When?" Her real dream, however, is to be a translator of children's books.

Petra from Finland knows how to make friends quick. Her card starts out by telling me how gorgeous my grandbabies are! And it's true -- they are. She doesn't have children yet, only pets. 3 dogs, 2 cats. She's studied design and construction painting. They rent a home now but hope to be able to buy one some day. And she has a dream of having a cottage near the lake. I hope her dream comes true. The text on the card translates to "hugs."

That's it for now. But maybe the postman will bring a surprise today.

It's An Avalanche! *part 1*

My postcards have been piling up, but today I'm ready to share! Here goes....

Albert, from The Netherlands, is seriously into all things mail -- but mostly stamps, which he has been collecting for the past 50 years. He exchanges them, he paints them, he exhibits them. He belongs to stamp clubs. He coordinates stamp juries. He is editor of a stamp magazine. And he mails postcards with stamps on them to people like me. This postcard shows the town of Castel San Pietro Terme, Italy. (I guess he travels, too.)

Carmen, from Seattle, Washington, is a nurse that lives right beside the Space Needle. She says she "lives in the moment and savors it." Good advice, I'd say. She also enjoys random images and feels that they are oddly beautiful. I can agree with that, too.

L'viv, Ukraine is where Oxana makes her home. She, too, is a nurse and her hobbies include movies, the internet, and cosmetics! Her postcard shows King Danylo Galytskiy (1201 - 1264) who founded her city of L'viv in 1256.

Tarne is from Vierema, Finland, where it was 12 degrees C and raining when he wrote me this card. (That's 54 degrees F in our world.) His postcard shows the local museum.

Family heritage is important to the people of The Netherlands, and the clothes people wear indicates where they are from, what they do, and how they worship. Or at least it used to, anyway. Aletta, from Antwerp, sent a postcard showing this style of dress and "kap." She says her family is a fishing family and their clothing is more colorful, with a pattern of red flowers. She, however, is a Legal Advisor, mostly hired by the government to be their representative in court. So her grandmother wore the traditional style of clothes. Aletta wears a suit.

Monika from Taiwan shared part of her holiday with me. She and some co-workers went to Sabah, a beautiful island in Malaysia. They stayed at Nexus Resort & Spa and Villas Suites Karambunai. The resort's slogan is "Some Say it's Heaven", and Monika agrees that it just might be. When not on holiday, 26-year-old Monika enjoys swimming, movies, shopping, eating delicious food, and taking photos.

What's the number for reservations?

We Took A Vacation!

Somehow, the vacation gods were smiling down on us. We managed to be tucked away in New Mexico for a week -- and he didn't get called back for any crises! Seriously, it was a huge blessing to be able to get away and re-focus. Here's how we did it.

We spent three of the days painting. Painting walls. Painting ceilings. Painting doors. And it looks mar-va-lus!

We also managed to sneak in a 750 piece puzzle (100 cats and a worm), a book (Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol), several DVDs (I DO NOT recommend The Book of Eli -- I don't know what Denzil was thinking), and a theater movie (The Karate Kid -- sure go see it, but there are no surprises.)

And there's more. We camped out one night.

We drove around and saw herds and herds of elk.

We visited Three Rivers Petroglyphs.

We enjoyed the beauty of nature.

And although I have no photographic proof, we also went to the Space Museum, and we enjoyed a pot luck dinner with our new NM friends!

When can we go back?

Looking Back - Fourth

It was a great occasion to celebrate, even if the weather didn't cooperate. My nephew was donned in his purple cap and gown -- multiple honor cords around his neck -- and gracefully made his way across the graduation stage with not even a tiny stumble. I don't think he was concerned about the stumble at all, that's just me. Anyway, with diploma in hand and a smile on his face, Bryan left high school headed toward a big and bright future. In his case, said future includes Purdue University and a spot in the College of Engineering studying Astronautical Engineering.

So, here's my hopes for him as he begins his college career:

• He'll always find a sandwich in his launch box.
• He'll never find an unidentified frying object in the cafeteria.
• He'll remain down-to-earth.
• He won't turn in to a lunartic.
• And, one of these days, he'll have the opportunity to eat in a moon restaurant. (I hear the food is fine, but it lacks atmosphere.)

And a message of caution that we can all learn from:

Jupiter came down to Earth one day and decided to help two criminals to rob a bank. Anyway, to make a long story short, they got caught and the three of them found themselves in court. The judge sentenced the two earthlings to fifteen years, and Jupiter was a bit shocked when he was sentenced to ten years. "But your honor," said Jupiter. "I didn't even take part in the robbery!" "Yes," said the judge. "But you helped them --- Planet!"