“They told us not to speak to the press.” Maria, my letter carrier, anxiously blurted out. She continued saying- that the local postmaster made a rare appearance on the workroom floor today, swooping around in a nervous frenzy, cautioning the carriers to “keep mum.” I relayed to Maria, that when I was a carrier, if […]
Having a Pen Pal is Healthy for You
Dear Reader, There IS a letter writing resurgence happening as a result of the global pandemic. Here’s a great article written by a 20-something. Mr. Salama is taking a break from the screens and is finding comfort by reaching out to friends with handwritten letters. He says he’ll keep writing as long as someone writes […]
Making News
Randall Beach writes: Sending out your thoughts during this pandemic June 23, 2020 Updated: June 24, 2020 11:34 a.m. Carol Christmas of Hamden, who has a card-writing service, offers advice on writing condolence cards in this time of many deaths from COVID-19. Photo: Peter Hvizdak / Hearst Connecticut Media Carol Christmas sat on her front porch in […]
Save our postal service
Randall Beach: Save our postal service A U.S. Postal worker makes a delivery with gloves and a mask in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 2, 2020. The U.S. Postal Service is keeping post offices open but ensuring customers stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) apart. The agency said it is following guidance from public health experts. […]
25 Years of Graceful Envelopes
At last, here’s some “eye candy”- the 2019 Graceful Envelope Contest Winners with their Put Your Stamp On It masterpieces. There is no question, The Graceful Envelope Contest elevates “mail art” to museum quality levels. Every year, since 1994, the Washington Calligraphers’ Guild and the National Association of Letter Carriers team up to sponsor the […]
The Write Way makes the news
Randall Beach: A passionate letter writer spreads the word By Randall Beach Sep. 28, 2019 (Reprinted courtesy of The New Haven Register) When Carol Christmas was a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, she noticed she was delivering fewer and fewer real letters. She also noted that on those rare occasions when she did […]
Climate Strike at the New Haven Green
Let’s face it, there is nothing more important than attending to the place we call “Home,” the planet Earth. Last Friday, I participated in a local rally for the Climate Crisis. It was designed by The New Haven Climate Movement, a group of determined New Haven high school students with some help from students from […]
9 billion phone checks a day*
Ever wonder how much time you spend checking your phone on a daily basis? And how much does that all add up to in hours and minutes? In a recent survey of 8,000 people, the “Average daily screentime usage” was 3 hours. Most people spend between 1-4 hours on their phones. If you spend a […]
Handwriting Help 101
Many people lament, “My handwriting is awful.” And so they shy away from anything to do with handwriting. There is help, if one has an interest in polishing the skill with pen to paper. The above simple tips are an invitation to ease into the “art of penmanship.” Other more detailed posts are to follow. […]