An abomination The dreaded pen cancel. How many of you have received an envelope with an ugly mark scribbled across the stamp instead of a classic cancellation ... like the "Thinking of You" one pictured above? If you're not familiar with pen cancels, I've recreated the look below. Don't worry, I didn't use a real marker, it's computer generated. Graham Beck of Exploring Stamps has a name for it, and it's perfect for sharing on Halloween:
PG | Philatelic Gore October is Stamp Collecting Month and before it ends, a good time to share Graham's Exploring Stamps website and YouTube channel ... where you'll find his video on pen cancellations (go to the 2:14 minute mark to see PG | Philatelic Gore, it's funny). Graham is a stamp collector who (in pre-pandemic times) will pull a stamp from his collection and travel to the country of origin to get the story behind the stamp. It's a great way to learn more about the world ... and a great example of how finding inspiration in one thing can lead to so much more. I hope you'll watch the video to get the full story of what he does.
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Give them something to hold on to
It's hard being apart from the people you love and like best. Texts, phone calls, and social media are great, but sometimes it's just not enough. What can you do? Write a letter. Yes, an old-fashioned pen on paper letter. And mail it. Write to a friend or family member. Tell them you're thinking about them. Write about what's happening in the neighborhood, that disaster of a recipe you cooked last night. Or the yummy cookies you baked today. No, it won't replace a hug or having a conversation across the kitchen table, but it will give them something to hold onto. And people love getting mail. They really do. Embarrassed by your handwriting? A Snail Mail Guide to Cursive Writing Practice will help. Was you school one of the schools that dropped cursive writing from the curriculum? Has it been a while since you've handwritten ... well, anything? A Snail Mail Guide to Cursive Writing Practice has instructions for writing each letter of the alphabet, tips for improving your handwriting, and all you need to get started writing letters: - ideas for who to write to and what to write about - how to address an envelope - where to the stamp - how to set up your letter |
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