Thursday, April 21, 2011

Patrick's Rose

  Most everyone has a best friend  at some time in their life. Someone who knew you better than anyone else, who loved you even though they saw your flaws, who knew what to say when you were down or could tell you without regret when you were making a fool of yourself. Of course this is true within the bonds of marriage, but I am not referring to the marital relationship, since it is so different in many aspects from friendship.
  For me, my best friend was my brother. He and I grew up as Army brats. We moved so often that making friends was difficult and leaving them painful, so we were often to each  other more friends than siblings. I was the oldest by four years, so when I got married, he was still in high school. During a few years when we were seperated by miles and stages of life, we went different directions, but that is often so with life long friends, they are woven in and out of the fabric of our lives. 
  After my husband and I returned from our tour of duty in the Philippines, we seperated from the military and settled down to raise our kids in North Carolina. Patrick and I were able to reconnect and it wasn't long before he moved to N.C. to be close to me. We had such fun, laughing and telling stories, playing with the kids and just hanging out. He owned his own business and worked his own hours, so many times during the day, when my husband was off at work, Patrick would come to help me with the kids and chat over garden chores.
  Patrick had a green thumb, he grew all kinds of indoor plants and collected roses for his garden. Being the "practical" one I grew food, herbs and fruits, I salted in flowers for color and if they were functional, as in  they could be used medicinally or for crafting, I felt free to use my precious garden space for them, but roses were fussy and thorny and took up room where I could plant food, so I didn't have any roses. When we went plant shopping Patrick would buy a new rose and I would say "they are pretty but you can't eat them", and head for the herbs and veggie starts. It became a standing joke over they years and the more he chided me about not having roses the more determined I was not to have them!
  Then Patrick fell ill and was too weak to garden. I would go over to keep his beloved roses pruned and fed so that they would stay lovely and bring him some cheer. We would walk around his property chatting and observing the microcosm of his yard , pausing often to rest. The scent of damask and moss roses filled the air and I would marvel at his hair shimmering like a new copper penny as we rested on the bench in the rose garden. I tried to take it all in, to etch those moments into my mind to draw from in the lonely years after his death.
   A couple of months before he died, he rallied and was feeling pretty good. We went out plant shopping and he bought a yellow rose called Graham Thomas. It was lovely,  it's yellow frills scented like citrus and rose combined. When we got back to his house with his purchase I asked where he wanted me to plant it, he smiled and told me that this rose wasn't going in his garden it was going in mine... His impish grin told me there would be no arguing the point this time, and I didn't want to anyway. So we made a garden in a sunny spot in the backyard at my house, with the Graham Thomas rose as a centerpiece. I filled the garden with herbs and flowers that were blue, yellow or white, to set off the rose. Over the years I trained it to trail along a fence and every year in late April, the same time of year that we planted it together, it gives me it's first lemony blooms. This morning I went out on the deck and there they were in all their glory, their tissue thin petals shimmering in the morning light. A reminder that those we love live on in our memories and the stories we tell about them and that even though petals fade and fall the cycle of life continues.
  I know this story has nothing to do with letter writing, but I just had to share it with you, because that is what letters are all about, sharing pieces of your story with others. Until next time, I'll see you in the mail!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

OutGoing Mail

I am such a scatter brain sometimes.I wanted to make sure that I got my letters posted in a timely fashion, so I dashed off to the P.O. with a stack, mailed them and then realised I hadn't photographed them. Sigh... I am posting a couple that I have recently worked on and did remember to photograph. I have more that I am working on and I will post them when I'm finished.


I used one of Patty's handmade envelopes, made from Laura Ashley wallpaper for this letter.
The envelope for this letter was originally sent to me by Hester in Boston. When I saw the envelope it made me think about the children's book "Where the Wild Things Are". I happened to have an old beat up copy of the book that I got from Goodwill some time ago, so I decided to use some of the elements from the book to decorate the envelope and send it on.

This is the back of the envelope. This "Wild Thing" is one of my favorites from the book.
This postcard is made from one of my original collages. I added some 3-D elements to a print of the collage and made it into a postcard.

I thought it would be fun to add my most recent artistamp and some other "Steampunky"  elements.

There are more coming... and if you are fond of chocolate, leave me a comment and I will send you an Ode to Chocolate postcard. See you in the mail!

Incoming Mail March 2011

Here are photos of the goodies I have received in the mail during the month of March. It has been such fun to look in my POB and find these treasures in there! I opened them to discover well wishes, seeds, vintage stamps, add and passes to play with and pass on, handmade envelopes, photos, Marjolien Bastin calendar pages that are pretty enough to frame... It was really warmed my heart to receive such lovely gifts from my mailart and pen friends! Thank you all!



 


This envie brimming with goodness comes from Sirpa in Finland. Enclosed were several of Sirpa's fine photographs, a letter written on a Marjolien Basten Calendar and other goodies to bring cheer to the dreary March weather.
Hester in Boston, makes lovely cards and envelopes. She sent me a newsy letter and a card set. She mailed it all in a handmade envelope. I have restasked added to and sent to another pen friend. You will see her envie reborn in my outgoing mail post. The same day I received a second envelope with a recipe she meant to include with her letter. I haven't tried the recipe yet, but it sounds great!  


Wanda from British Columbia wrote me a wonderful letter and filled the envie with vintage stamps and some tomatoe seeds from Seedy Saturday, an early Spring Horticultural event in her area. I am starting some of the seed today!


Samuel Montalvetti from Argentina sent me  an"Add and Pass"booklet, a very interesting MailArt folded booklet and other goodies. He is a member of I.U.O.M.A


A package stuffed with handmade envelopes, from Patty in Virginia. She made them from Laura Ashley wall paper and offered them on her blog as a gift to anyone who wanted them.  http://www.justletterrip.blogspot.com/ She sent Five and I have already used a couple of them in my mailings.