Dear Reader- If you’re like me, feeling anxious and helpless around the crisis in Ukraine, I have a suggestion. First donate if you can. And then pick up your pen to protect our fragile American democracy. The midterm elections in this country will be happening in a few quick months. How our government works or […]
Hot Potato: How to Make Your Vote Count
Originally, I wrote “Hot Potato’ for my Connecticut neighbors. Then I realized, of course- EVERYONE NEEDS TO HOT POTATO THEIR BALLOT because of the serious problems the post office is having with delayed mail… Hot Potato: How to Make Your Vote Count A recent headline shouts: “1 Million Primary Ballots Were Mailed Late.” (NYT- […]
Return to Sender
In my 33 year experience as a letter carrier, postal management would generally find purpose in fixing things that weren’t broken. The resultant chaos would throw workers off balance and erode productivity. Every new boss would try to “reinvent the wheel.” Occasionally, a new manager would work with the employees, but that was a rarity. […]
Look and Touch History
Correction on previous post- “National Handwriting Day” and John Hancock’s birthday is actually January 23rd (not the 26th). Yet since I have your attention, allow me to offer the added bonus to “Look and Touch History with John Hancock’s Original Quill.” This project was designed by middle-school student, Ken Ellis back in 2015. Master Ellis […]
Penmanship Revisited
Today is John Hancock’s birthday. Let’s celebrate by talking about penmanship. Last month a friend sent me an article featuring a business with robots writing thank you notes. Human handwriting is being mimicked, complete with smudges. “Grrrrr,” I say. We’ve come to that? Everything has become so fake. To counteract that robot story, a current […]
Pat Yourself on the Back
Condolence mobile
It’s been two months since my sister’s passing. Then, two days ago, the phone rang with the sad news that my teacher and mentor from college died on April 15th. Elaine Rapp was my all time favorite teacher. She was a Gestalt therapist, a large stone sculptor, and one of the founding minds behind Pratt […]
“Betty Bonkers working on jet lag”
My favorite younger sister, Andrea, died on February 22, 2019. It was sudden and unexpected with dubious circumstances. She had just come back from a dream vacation to Hawaii. Her last text to me said, “Betty Bonkers working on jet lag.” Next, I heard Andrea was dead. So many parts of this jigsaw puzzle will […]
Summertime is for postcards
“I still think that to receive a postcard in your mailbox is happiness.” Margaretta Magnusson Postcards are synonymous with Summer and fun. Friends and family leave for vacation. You wave goodbye and hear yourself say, “Send me a postcard.” Hopefully, they will. One way to be sure to get one is by signing up with […]
A thank you letter from MLK
What a treasure to find this draft for Mr. Hunter’s thank you letter. It speaks volumes in a few short lines about Martin Luther King Jr. who was definitely “his brother’s keeper.” Here he stands, hand-in-hand with the crowd in the midst of the March on Washington, 1963. Martin Luther King, Jr. would have turned 89 […]