Snail Mail and little things...

It's the small things in life that we neglect...

Life gets hectic.  We, as Americans, supposedly have the hardest time of all when it comes to slowing down, and relaxing.  Most of us keep tight schedules which allows little time for  thoughtful repose much less to sit down and thoughtfully compose a hand written letter.  Vacations help to remind us of our need to slow down, to take in our surroundings... to notice the color of the sky...the smells that are in the air...new sounds all around... It is time to notice the little things around us. 

 I was impressed with the shells while we were there.  I was mainly interested in the very small ones ( I wanted to leave the bigger ones for the youngsters who were collecting with their sand pails in tow!).  What an unlimited variety of colors, shapes, sizes!  To consider  the possible journey each shell  may have taken to have  washed up on the shores of NC... well, that can just sort of stagger the imagination.  Literally it is incredible.  Some were huge, others were so tiny that they were less than a centimeter, yet perfectly formed and beautiful.  Little things.

Little things are important in the large scheme of life.

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We have been blessed this week to have enjoyed this view from our balcony deck!  What a sight it has been, a definite change from the rolling  hills and pastoral scenes of the Piedmont of Virginia.

My mobile letter writing kit and my favorite rocker awaits. 

I have taken advantage of the down time to pen several letters...

Don't for get to bring your favorite Vacation read!   I have selected the Illustrated Letters of Jane Austen.

I discovered a small book store in the village and found this wonderful little stand with the Leuchtturm 1917 journals and planners, it was literally hiding behind the postcard stands in a corner of the store.  I selected one off the shelf after much contemplation.  This holds a world of yet to be written. journal entries, notes,thoughts, sketches, whatever comes to mind.  Hot Pink...oh yeah!

I also did some sniffing around in some old thrift  and antique stores and found these lovely boxes full of vintage postcards.  I only had time to go through the box on the left.  Ugh , I hated leaving the other one untouched.  Dear Reader, I left it for you!  It was so entertaining reading the notes written from the 1920's,30's and 40's.  I will post more on my finds at a later date.

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I also brought with me a selection of letters to reread while on vacation.  Oh, and "of course"  that is NOT a rubberband you  see encasing those lovely letters....it is a delicate ribbon...oh, ok.  it is a rubberband unfortunately.  I wish I had  a lovely lacey ribbon, but alas I secured  this collection of letters at the last moment before departure.

This brings to mind a quote:

What a lot we lost when we stopped writing letters.  You can't reread a phone call. 

~~Liz Carpenter

Do you reread letters?  If not, you are missing out on a real treat.  The above letters are a collection from a young friend of mine.  They tell a bit of a story of her life over a period of time.   I encourage you to save letters, you won't regret it.

This week has taught me many things.  I need to make more room in my life for contemplation.  For little, but important things.  Letter writing is one of them.  Take time for the little things in your life as well.

Write letters,

Write often.

Lady Pamela