Moved from TN to WA in Nov 2022.Not currently swapping but still thinking of the community. Thank you for keeping in touch with me in so many ways. Thank you swap-bot community for all the happy mail that has arrived at my mailbox since I last swapped. This community is so wonderful. Thank you to everyone and there was even happy mail from people I have never swapped with. The day brighteners, well wishes, the mail art and lovely notes and special surprises have all been so touching. I am thinking of all of you and wishing you and your families all the best. THANK YOU SWAP_BOT FOR THE REAL FRIENDSHIPS MADE THROUGH SWAPPING!

"Angelgram" is a tribute to my Grandmother.

I have a childlike excitement about getting mail. My tiny hometown had an exchange visit with a group of young ladies from Japan when I was a tween. I became friends with one visitor. That resulted in several years of letters, gifts and craft exchanges.

From that experience I know the joy of anticipation, the sensations of the sound of opening an envelope or package , the graphic visual of the postage stamps, writing, cancellation marks or labels, the surprise of the contents .........

Likewise, I love knowing I can send a letter or package to someone, and they will have a similar experience.

I have met two swap-bot partners in person. In Spring 2018 I spent a week in the Sierra Foothills with a swap-bot pen pal -partner-friend. Previously I met another partner from the Mile High CIty area when she came through TN on her vacation. There are lots of you in Swap-Bot land I hope to meet in person someday.

Since my senior yr in high school I have worked with children who had developmental delays, then adults with multiple disabilities and next with adults struggling with mental illness for a total of 25 years.

Since 2003 I have been a homemaker. My husband needed me home after a 2001 brain injury, His progress was not a steady improvement. It occurred in intermittent leap frog jumps.

I do want to credit 4-H club as being a major influence in my life.

--A FAVORITE QUOTE: -- To hold our tongues when everyone is gossiping, to smile without hostility at people and institutions, to compensate for the shortage of love in the world with more love in small, private matters; to be more faithful in our work, to show greater patience, to forgo the cheap revenge obtainable from mockery and criticism: all these are things we can do.

Pop - Disco - Big Band - Jazz - Blue Grass:

ARTIST: Andre Bocelli - Maroon 5 - Phil Collins - Enya -Snow Patrol - Iron and Wine- Bread- Perry Como- Celtic Women -Toni Braxton-The Ballycastle Players-Loreena McKennitt- 1D -Lee Brice-Toby Keith-Jimmy Wayne- Carpenters -Paul Davis-Sam Smith- O'G3NE

Concerts 1976-Now: - Air Supply- Eric Clapton-Kristen Chenoweth- Bay City Rollers-Seals and Croft- Lionel Ritchie and the Commodores-Barry Manilow-Moody Blues-Eagles-1D

Biographies - Historical -Non Fiction

Fiction authors:Jane Austen - Kim Edwards- Daniel Quinn

Madam X - Vantage Point - A Murder of Crows

Planes Trains & Automobiles - Serendipity - Sense and Sensibility- Dead Poets Society

• VIDEOS/PODCASTS/YOU TUBE

10 minute video "Change For A Dollar'' shows what a homeless man did with a few cents at a time out of one dollar in one day. Each tiny kindness shown made a huge difference in each life (some were life altering changes) a no words drama set to music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DXL9vIUbWg

I love the T E D talks (all are 18 min or less)

TED Technology, Entertainment, Design. The best talks from TED are available to the world, for free. 1400 Talks on line. World's most fascinating thinkers and doers are challenged to give " talk of their lives" in 18 minutes Try the 3 min talks to sample TED. There's something for everyone www.ted.com

NCIS - Flash Point- HGTV- Undercover Boss - BIO channel - I like Science, Nature, Invention and History. I watch The Voice, X Factor in multiple countries on You Tube.

FAVORITES

FOR SWAPS: Your creation may become a new favorite on my list. This list is only what I usually gravitate toward in stores when I window shop and/or have used decorating my home.

Travel - Maps - Ships ( all sea faring ships - tall ships- clipper ships and also especially the RMS QM2 ) I DREAM OF GOING TO THE TALL SHIP EVENT AT BOSTON HARBOR

-International flags- Olympic flags- Globes especially the ones with multi national children/adults holding hands- Postage- Mountains- National parks-Monuments- Gates- Doors- Benches- Columns-Metal work-Archs- the Moon- Aurora borealis- Trees- all trees leaves or no leaves

Birds especially owls- Koala bears- Foxes-

CANADA -France-Germany-Japan--England and the UK -Italy- Greece--New Zealand and I love to learn about all other countries

Favorite B/W photographers:

.Dianne Poinski: professional photographer who hand-colors her black and white photographs with PanPastel

Alan Blaustein

Favorite Color Photography: Gabi Gealbhain An Ruadh

Favorite Artists and Watercolorist Kimmi Bui (see her ETSY)

TEA:excited to try new flavors and brands. I have on been on a quest to find the Best Earl Grey tea. I have ordered various brands from EBAY. I would love to about hear your fav EG. Thanks to my partners for tea samples and SB penpals for the samples.

I want to try new teas so introduce me to yours.

NOT INTERESTED IN THESE THEMES OR ITEMS occult--vampires-futuristic-dystopian-zombies-cartoon characters- fast food kid meal toys. - PLEASE NO MASKS or PHOTOS WITH MASKS

I collect stationery from International Hotels and Inns (A friend who travels brought some back for me two years ago. I loved researching the Hotel, the area and attractions. That first stationery had a watermark. I learned watermarks as an identifier on paper can be traced back to the 13th century.

A very special Swap-Bot Friend sent me a treasure chest. I keep my collection of hotel stationery in there. Swap -Bot friends are wonderful!!!!!!!!!!

I love researching so much it is a hobby.

Another indoor hobby is interactive COMPUTER TRAVEL: I travel around the world sitting at my desk using:

www.airpano.com for 360 degree aerial views it is like a helicopter tour and you pilot the helicopter

a non-for-profit project focused on high-resolution spherical panoramas shot from a bird’s eye view. (choose sort by country)

www.panoramas.dk
(.dk Denmark.) for ground level views

free website of interactive 360 degree full screen Panoramic Photos of World Destinations, Monuments and Festivals. On most of the screens you can go up and down view with your mouse in addition to the full circle 360 degrees to see the scene behind you. Type in Elves Chasm (at Grand Canyon) in the search box and you'll be hooked. Go to the top of Mount Everest and have a look around. ( If you move mouse too fast you'll get vertigo).

I also watch real time WORLD TRAVEL BY SHIPS at

           MarineTraffic.com 

IS NO LONGER FREE: It is an open community project hosted by a research team at the University of the Aegean, Greece.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) requires all vessels over 299GT to carry an AIS transponder on board, which transmits their position, speed and course, among some other static information, such as vessel’s name, dimensions and voyage details.

The Greek University has stations set up around the world to receive the signals for research purposes and share the tracking capability with the public.

Go the live ocean map and click on a sector. You will see the different type vessels (which are color-coded) as it sits in it's realtime location in the ocean. Click on the icon and see a photo of the ship, check the country of origin flag that are flying, the stats, etc. At my last log on they had 52647 ships on the live map, 474004 vessels in database 1495096 photographs uploaded.

Seasonally, I follow www.viewbirds.com

to watch owls and other birds nest and raise their young on webcams located around the world

----My OUTDOOR HOBBY is LETTERBOXING---.

LETTERBOXING started in England in 1854. It is an intriguing pastime "treasure-hunts" in parks, forests, and cities around the world. Participants seek out hidden containers by following clues.

The prize: finding a miniature piece of art known as a rubber stamp. Many people carve their own unique image and some of us use a store bought rubber stamp.

You use an ink pad to make the image of the found rubber stamp into your personal log book . Then you use your personal rubber stamp with your trail name and image and ink it into the hidden log book. Carefully put the container back in the hiding place. Be discreet so as not to let other people see what you are doing as they do not yet understand the rules and purpose of the hobby.

You will need an outdoor bag, mini back pack fanny pack etc to carry your supplies

My stamp is a snail I bought at Hobby Lobby. You also need an ink pad and ink pen to write in your trail name, date and your city. ( A compass is optional as most letterboxes do not require a compass.) There are several that are hidden indoors at eateries , libraries and tourist areas so you can still do this in the winter.

www.atlasquest.com for locations by country or city directory, clues, mileage, terrain descriptions, hide/ find rules