Love, Sian: With a Postcard Update

..and this is how the conversation is going here this sunny Valentine's morning:

So, when your mother texted me about her wobbly crown falling out.." said my One True Love

Yes, I'd noticed the tooth problem," replied the sweet natured result of our joint parenting efforts. "She looks like Granny after the famous Flying False Teeth incident."

This was an unpleasant slur on the double chins of all concerned, I felt, and I was about to say so, when she continued:

"Wait. What. Stop. Hold on a minute. She texted you? She never texts you! You don't text!"

"Your father and I communicate through a true meeting of the minds," I said, loftily. "We have no need of your modern devices."

"Hahaha! " She picked herself up back off the floor. "He needs to put on his glasses every time he looks at his phone, and you are the world's worst typist. That's why you don't text."

...which proves, I suppose, that love shows itself in all sorts of ways. It doesn't always mean red roses. Sometimes it's a pat on the back when a trip to the dentist is required. I hope love finds you today, somewhere, somehow..

..maybe in a postcard? If you are part of the Valentine's Postcard Exchange I'm hopeful that your cards have been arriving over the past few days. Mine have! Thank you! Several of you have been in touch to check blog addresses and details, all the easier to say thank you; and I've been puzzling over the best way to easily make sure everyone knows who everyone else is. Sandra! Genius! Sandra suggested a linky, so that's what we are going to do. If you are part of the Exchange and you have a blog we can all visit, please leave a link below (something simple like, for example, "X is here").It'll be a master list, if you like, so if you are looking to thank your postcard senders, you'll know where to find them. And instead of introducing yourself to the six on your list, you can say hello to as many participants as you like. How does that sound? Now, not everyone has a blog -I know - if this is you, you could leave a message here in the comments if you'd like, to pass on thanks, or say thanks or whatever. I hope that sounds like a plan?

Have a good day, whatever you are up to

Pile Of Postcards: Update

It's a crisp, bright Thursday morning here, and our postman has just arrived unusually early. So I'm taking that as a sign that it's time to get going on pulling together all the addresses and making up the lists for the Pile Of Postcards Valentine Exchange

I have 51 names - even more than the last time! - and that means we have eight groups of six and enough for a ninth if I shuffle myself into more than one group OR if another couple of you get in touch. So, if you are on the fence, come and join us! We've got a great international group - you never know where your postcards might appear from. I'm going to work on the lists tonight...

...and I'll be sending them out next week. It'll be quiet here, I think, for the next few days. With The (Not So) Small One away, her Dad and I have plans. Maybe a road trip? It'll be our first, just the two of us, in twenty years. We don't know where we're going, we think we'll just drive. See you soon. 

It's Back! Pile Of Postcards: Valentine Exchange

Well, would you believe it? It's January 14th already! That means we only have a month, so we'd better get our stamps on if we're going to organise a Pile Of Postcards Valentine Exchange. Would you be interested?

I do hope so. The original Pile Of Postcards Exchange last summer was a lot of fun so of course it wasn't long before I started thinking about a good time to do it all over again. Round about now feels good to me. How about sending a little extra love round the world this February?

Now, I know Valentine's Day can be a pretty inclusive affair, with lots of cards, in some places; but, round here, we have a tradition of sending only a single card, to our one true love. For that reason I'm not going to suggest we send traditional Valentine cards. How about, instead, a postcard with a picture of something you love? Your favourite view, perhaps, or a painting you like, or a special quote? You get the idea. I hope you'll join us!

We'll do it the same way we did it before. Everyone will get a list of six names and addresses to post to and in return will receive cards from each of six surprise senders. I'm making one change in that I'll add blog addresses (if you have one - absolutely not essential) to the list, to make it easier to keep in touch and say thank you.

So, timing, let's think: if I keep sign ups open for a week, that takes us to 21st January , then another week for me to sort and send the lists (though it probably won't take that long)...that'll give us a couple of weeks to pick out and post our cards before 14th February 

Sooo..if you'd like to join in, please email me at the link in my sidebar. If you know I already have your address and blog details, great, don't bother adding those; but if this is your first swap (and you are very welcome if it is!) please do make sure I have all your information. I'd appreciate a FB "like" or a "follow" here, so that I know who you are and how I can find you. This is an international swap, so do keep in mind that you'll have a mix of places to send to and be willing to adjust your posting schedule accordingly. We want as many cards as we can manage to land on or around Valentine's Day.  All cards must be posted by 12th February .If you joined in last summer I'll try to make sure you find some new names on your list this time round. Newcomers, please jump in! I'd love some new names for the list!

Any questions at all, please get in touch. For now, have a think about choosing six postcards to send. What do you love?

Pile Of Postcards Update

*** Desperately seeking Helen, who left a comment saying she would like to take part. Please email me today if you are out there. Sorry, I had no way of getting in touch with you *** Found her!

....and if Helen gets in touch we will have our 48! Most of you will have received a list of names and addresses yesterday (and some of you have already been in touch to say you are ready to get writing. Hurray!). There will be two groups whose lists aren't quite complete until I finalize that last name, but I'm hoping to get that sorted out today. And then we'll be all ready to go.

It's been exciting to see the names come in; and I'm especially delighted that I'm going to be able to introduce some of you to my oldest friend, who reads here regularly and has decided to jump on board. We have known each other since we were about eight, I think, and I can personally vouch for her postcard writing prowess! That old postcard album of mine contains some fine examples of her early work. If Laura is on your list, say hello from me!

If you have questions, do please feel free to get in touch. With any swap I think there only has to be one rule: treat everyone the way you'd like to be treated yourself. So, prompt posting of a perfectly picked postcard should see us all right. I can't wait to see what arrives, can you?

Psst, Pass it On..It's the Pile Of Postcards Exchange

...prepared to post? Then please pull out your pen!

So hey-ho I have a few more days on crutches yet. I was sitting this morning, trying to come up with a cunning and diverting plan for the next week or so, when a card dropped through my letterbox. A postcard from my blogging friend Miriam! Thank you! I propped it up on the kitchen shelf and starting thinking to myself..it's the Summer holidays here and time was, that meant lots of postcards landing on the doormat. We never ventured very far from home when I was little, but we used to send postcards. And we used to receive lots in return: from my Grandparents at the seaside, from school friends who might have made it as far as Spain, from my aunt, the Geography teacher who travelled the world over. I saved them all in an old style scrapbook (and I wrote about it here for Storytelling Sunday). For years I tried to keep up the habit. But the number of my friends and family who post has dwindled. Have you found the same?

Let's do something about it! Let's send some cards! Maybe it isn't Summer where you are? Postcards are good any time of the year! If you are joining in with Rinda's Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt, you might have already taken a photo of a rack of postcards..how about running back and picking up a handful? Or keeping your eye out when you're out on a trip this weekend? Oh go on, please say you're in! It's been over a year since we did the Great Big Swap of Very Small Things, let's have another go....

Here's how it will work

If you'd like to take part, please email me before the end of June. Last day to sign up is Monday 30th. If you took part in my previous swap I'll already have your address so you don't need to include it. Newcomers are very, very welcome - if you haven't swapped here before I'd love to have you join us. Please get in touch, though I'd welcome a "like" on Facebook, or you could follow me, just so I know who you are if you'd like to jump in (and please do)! In the first week of July I'll send you the names and addresses of six postcard fanciers for you to mail to. It's an international swap, so you might have to post abroad, but I'll make sure everyone has a fair spread of stamp costs and I'll try to send you a name or place to intrigue you. The rest is up to you! Send cards from your own area, or from somewhere special you've been, write about your plans for the next couple of months, or sketch out a dream holiday, whatever you like. You have all of July to get your cards in the mail. Does that sound like a plan? I do hope so. Summer is always better with postcards (so I'm keeping my fingers crossed)....

Any questions, please just get in touch. 

This swap comes to you with grateful thanks to Miriam, whose card started it all