 Lifting more than a wicker basket We woke before dawn to drive north in time to see the hot air balloons. When we arrived, sleepy spectators and the fabric of balloons yet to be inflated stretched across the open field.  Moments later, the roar of the first burner pierced the air signalling things were about to get interesting.  One by one the balloons, like oversized quilts on a clothesline, puffed and billowed.  Moving from one to another, we marveled at how big they were and how much they grew and grew ... and grew.  I've since learned that what we call the "balloon" is referred to as the envelope(!). There may be a scientific reason for the name, but I like the idea that, like a paper envelope, it holds so much anticipation and possibility. The way the fabric, laying as flat a paper envelope on the open field, conceals what will soon be revealed.  After a dozen teardrop balloons filled and took flight, we watch two others inflate. But these were not like the others. They had odd shapes filling and protruding from the envelope. No, we were no longer in teardrop territory ... these were different. At first all we could see were spike-like shapes protruding from the black fabric, and heard someone say, "it's a spider." But then something that looked like a crown appeared. And then a face ... is it a dog?  Not sure ... now it looks more like a bear?  No ...  It's a lion king(!) ... fully inflated, puffed up and tethered alongside a cartoon sloth.  What fun.
It would be impossible to stuff these jolly characters in an envelope, but it reminds me how much mail matters. How the sight of a paper envelope can, like the hot air that fills these balloons, lift spirits.
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 Springsteen's newest title track and album: Letter to You
For true fans of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, every song is like a love letter. But this new release, "Letter to You," really is a love letter. A letter to who? We don't really know. About what? He doesn't say. That's not the point. The song is a reminder that letters are a way for us to exchange our thoughts, ideas, and feelings. A unique and personal way of sharing ourselves with one another. Listen here, think about someone you could write to, and as Springsteen does, grab a pen send a letter.  Qwirky, QWERTY Love: It’s Typewriter Day! Last year I wrote a love letter to my typewriter and I want to share it with you. When I composed the letter, I included as many typewriter terms and sounds as possible: - keystroke - typebar - tap - bing! - bell - return - click - carriage - ribbon - spooling - shifting - cap lock - margin - royal (Royal) - space bar Each typewriter has a different touch on the keyboard and unique bell tone. I typed the love letter on my Olivetti Lettera 35 (with great care ... nearly holding my breath, straight through, with no mistakes...whew!). Do you have a typewriter? What do you write on your typewriter? The manuscript for a book? Poetry? Love letters? I write lots of letters ... and sometimes, love letters. p.s. What is QWERTY love? QWERTY comes from the first five letters on the upper left of the keyboard. The term is used to identify the standard layout on an English language keyboard. I do love my typewriter(s)!   A little spice, a lot less work What to do when your thumb is less than green Gardening takes time, a lot of time. There's the weeding and watering, pinching and pruning, bug patrol, and more weeding and watering. I like the idea of a garden, just not all the work that comes with it. I'm not sure if I want a garden or just what comes from the garden. The plump tomatoes, crisp lettuce, and striking magenta-colored potato skin on just-rinsed red potatoes. And flowers. Seeing what others do with flowers nearly makes me weep. It’s stunning. I don’t want to do the work, but I yearn for the look and the bounty of it all. Last year I found a solution: container gardens. Well, window boxes that sit on the porch railing. There’s a cut-out on the bottom of the box that fits the railing and holds it in place. It is, for me, the perfect solution. With container gardens, I satisfy an itchy, but less than green thumb. And having the boxes on the porches where I see them as I come and go ensures I won’t forget to prune and water, and water and prune what I've planted. But still, I keep it simple. Marigolds, some geraniums, and a small kitchen garden. Just herbs, really. Four plants: parsley and mint for one of my favorite summer recipes, quinoa tabouleh, along with thyme and oregano for good measure. Container gardens are the answer to small spaces, and small ambitions ... in gardening. Do you have a flower or kitchen garden? A more ambitious spread with rows of peas, potatoes, and varieties of this and that? If gardening is not happening in your world, remember, there’s always the farmers’ market. Green thumbs all around and plenty of parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.  Geraniums and flowers I cannot identify  We took a ride today and from a distance, the bright red petals of the poppies caught my eye. Stunners.
 You don't have to be a writer to write a love letter.
You just have to be yourself. Here's a fill-in-the-blanks love letter to get you started: Dear ____________________, This Valentine's Day I want you to know that I think you are ____________. When you __________________________ it makes me _________________. I'm so very ________________ you are _______________. --------- You can write to your partner, your spouse, your children, your friends. Try it. I'm willing to bet it will make you feel good, too.  A Workshop: Love Letters at The Press Hotel So excited to share a new Valentine event: LOVE LETTERS AT THE PRESS HOTEL . . . yes, The Press Hotel, Portland’s fabulous boutique hotel where writing is celebrated and typewriters are elevated to art. So often we think the people we love know how we feel. And maybe they do, but let's tell them anyway. Share your love this Valentine's Day with this two-part event. A workshop designed to celebrate love and the art of slowing down. Give someone a gift they'll treasure . . . and give yourself a morning of paper hugs and pastries. With guided instruction, along with muffins, pastries, tea, and coffee from UNION restaurant, we'll help you say something nice to someone you love. February 9, 2020 10:-12:00 The Press Hotel   It’s National Handwriting Day and I’m excited to preview a page from my upcoming book: Cursive Writing Practice by the Letter.
The workbook brings together cursive writing practice and letter writing—one of my all-time favorite pastimes. This page from the workbook features the "I Write Letters to Say" series that showcases the storytelling side of letter writing. And because reading cursive can be a challenge for a lot of people who have never been taught cursive, each entry features handwriting samples from different people. The book is in the final stages of editing, scheduled for publication this spring. What will you write about?  A sneak peek at some ideas for the cursive writing handbook I'm working on. What do you think about handwriting, and more specifically, cursive writing? Though I' may not always be happy with the way my handwriting looks, cursive writing is a lifeline for me, and it's helpful with hobbies like journaling, writing, and mail art. Writing allows me to sort my thoughts, write letters, lists, and more lists. And recognizing someone's handwriting on an envelope, addressed to me? It just about takes my breath away. Some people think it's a waste of time now to teach cursive writing. They argue that we have computers and telephones and texting. I love all of the technology, but still believe there is a place (and need) to learn how to write in cursive. Your handwriting, my handwriting, it's as unique as we are. It allows us to express ourselves, to get to know ourselves, to be ourselves. And I don't think we should erase it from our lives.  |
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