Update March 2024

Spring is springing here in Central NM and I'm so excited to see the buds on trees and hear the birdsongs. Some birds have been around all winter, but the level of singing has increased exponentially in the last few weeks. The other day I saw a male house finch feeding the female on our courtyard wall, and a curve-billed thrasher has claimed the cholla out front and is vociferously defending it.

Update Jan 2024

I'm just getting over having been pretty sick with a respiratory virus (yeah, that one). I've been coughing so much, it's exhausting and I have not been doing much other than resting and basic life. I'm going to start catching up on rating, etc this week. May everyone be well, this has been a virus-y winter for most people I know. Even dh got sick, and he never gets sick. He's still coughing too, so I don't feel so bad, lol.

Update Nov/Dec 2023

I'm back from my extended trip helping my mother move 1500 miles, lol. It was really a great trip. And a trippy trip, if you know what I mean. I get why people move to Florida, it sure was beautiful in November. So many birds!! But so much humidity, blech. I am glad to be back in the high desert, even if it is cold (and a bit snowy). It's a dry cold, hahaha.

Update June 2023

NOTICE: my new local post office keeps deciding that my outgoing mail is non-machinable, and sending it back for more postage. I am frustrated, I am packing envelopes like I always have without trouble, weighing and adding the extra ounce as needed. But now I've just had my third envelope returned. If something you are expecting from me is late, I apologize. It may have been waylaid by the PO. I feel sad that I will not be able to include as many goodies as I would like. I will try the post office in the next town, but I don't get out there all the time.

Hi Friends! I'm feeling like what I appreciate most of all these days is a handwritten note. We are all just people who have hopes and dreams and hard times, sometimes. I want to remember that, I want to spread that feeling of connection around. At the end of the day, we all have so much more in common than we realize.

Tell me something about yourself, your day, pets, kids, a joke you heard, your favorite internet rabbit hole, habits you are trying to make or break, anything you want to say.

Wanna play a game? I'm going to put up a couple of questions to answer if you are writing to me in a swap. Or not, your choice :-)

Spring 2024 questions

1 Planning any trips this year? Are you going to see (or saw) the April total eclipse?

2 I recently learned that some people really don't like Spring, which surprised me. How do you feel about Spring?

3 Do you have a go-to icebreaker question?

We recently relocated to ABQ area after 25 years in the Pacific Northwest. Woo-wee, it's so different here and I am LOVING it :-)

Our mail comes to a mailbox grouping at the end of our street, about a half mile away from our house. I don't pick up the mail everyday. When I mark something sent, I've dropped it in the outgoing box but it might not be picked up until the next day.

We don't have broadcast or cable TV, but we've been streaming service sampling lately.

Right now we have Apple TV and are in the middle of The Morning Show. Hmm, we are getting into COVID territory and I'm not sure how much I'm going to be able to watch of it if it continues on this way. I'm still not ready to watch COVID unfold in TV land...

We have enjoyed:

Ted Lasso (Apple TV) I had heard the last season was not the best, but we thoroughly enjoyed it. I understand why others did not, though.

Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime)

Bonus Family (Netflix, in Swedish, but don't let that stop you. It's a hoot!)

Succession (HBO Max) - and now it's done. That last season was a rollercoaster, eh?

Seinfeld - because we watched it in prime-time in the 90s, lol. It's so funny to see it again now, see what is still funny and what is not. (Netflix)

In the 80s I used to love a show called The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd (starring Blaire Brown) - anyone remember that show? It was never released on VHS/DVD as far as I know - something about the music rights. I'd be so curious to see it again, see if it holds up for me.

Okay, I just saw Barbie and it exceeded my expectations. What did you think? By and large I have not really enjoyed current films - what have you liked lately? The Oscars usually give us a list of films to catch, but this year, the ones we have seen have been just okay, in my opinion.

We watch a wide variety of movies. It's hard to call favorites. Anything from the subscription service Film Movement is usually always good. They are foreign films - we get them at the library. I really enjoy foreign films, because I never know what to expect. It's fun to see different cultures, and wonder at the cultural references that we are missing in the subtitles.

Daily Pages - see the Awesome Ladies Project for more info. It's free form scrapbook/collage/stamping/whatever makes you happy. A truly welcoming space, I encourage you to check it out. I'm branching out to include actual photographs on my pages, that's radical for me.

I also knit and cross-stitch, and have been doing a black work SAL with Peppermint Purple (group on Facebook) Since starting on Swap-bot, I've rekindled my love of Zentangle :-) I've enjoyed Soul Collage in the past, and have done mini Soul Collage cards.

I'm considering taking up scrappy quilting, though it's been a long time since I did machine sewing.

I'm just having so much fun being artsy again and trying new things and old things in new ways.

My favorite colors are yellows and purples. But really, I just enjoy color. The bigger and bolder the better, though I can also appreciate pastels and even black and white. The older I get, the more I appreciate all of the colors. Even browns and greys, which were never my favorite. If you had told me even 5 years ago that I would be considering brown shades for my living room, I would have scoffed at you. Moving to the desert southwest has given me a new appreciation for warmer colors.

'm learning Tarot - how fun! Also been attending workshops with the Oregon Friends of Jung and finding it fascinating. Analyzing my dreams has been an adventure and never boring.

I am not religious, so if you are sending holiday cards and have a non-religious option, I would appreciate that. However, I do appreciate the spirit of all things sent :-)

You don't need to send me anything just to include something. I have enough stuff, and really just want to get to know people. If you want, use your stuff to decorate what you are sending me, or grab a sticky note or journaling card and answer one of my seasonal questions :-)

If this happens to be a swap where you are required to include something (or just can't help yourself, lol), I especially appreciate:

things that are decorated with colored pens, washi, stickers, you name it.

Washi samples

fabric scraps

stickers

notepad sheets to write notes to others in swaps

blank postcards

unused postage stamps

tea bags - I like everything except plain black and chamomile

any fun coffee thing

ATCs - I'm starting to make these, so I like to see what other people do.

Zentangles

Mail Tags (ask me a question and I will reply, or vice versa)

And what I appreciate most of all is a handwritten note. You can sub in a written note for a trade item anytime for me, I won't rate you down for it. Tell me something about yourself, your day, pets, kids, a joke you heard, your favorite internet rabbit hole, habits you are trying to make or break, anything you want to say.

Happy Mail, yay!

I've been doing postcard swaps lately. I like things that are colorful, or beautiful nature scenes. I also have a fondness for box set postcards, if you have those to send, bring them on :-) I'm thinking about starting a group to swap box and book set cards. If you are interested, let me know.

I've decided to start collecting state postcards, mapcards and/or anything with the name of the state on the front. Especially just the state, but city and state also works. Don't worry about repeating states, it's not likely you will send the exact same one that I already have (and I don't have a lot right now). They do not need to be mailed from the named state. They can even be blank. If you need help deciding which one to send, here are some lists:

States I have nothing for:

Arkansas

Connecticut

Delaware

Georgia

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Massachusetts

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

North Dakota

Oklahoma

South Dakota

Tennessee

Vermont

Washington

West Virginia

Wyoming

States I have many for (but you can still send, especially map cards)

California

Florida

Michigan

Texas

States I have blanks for, but would love written:

Arizona

Idaho

New Mexico

Oregon

Utah

Washington

In the same vein, I love National/State Park cards, any manufacturer.

I do also collect Lantern Press, especially: the rainbow states National parks Mosaic

However, all cards are appreciated, and I so enjoy seeing the variety of cards that exist.