Fairy Postcard

Yesterday, it was a wet and dreary old day... not cold, but rather hot and sticky because it's Summer here.  But at the post office, I found only one piece of mail; and that was a postcard.  This little postcard was from the UK and it was of a gorgeous little fairy.  I love it!  Thank you so much for sending it as a HGG.  You wrote that you posted it off as your 100 postcards for you birthday; such a cool thing to do!  Might think about doing this for my birthday.

HGG's to Cheer Me Up

I've had the absolute worst weekend.  My little pet bird passed away and I'm working hard on making her memory good here.  I haven't had the best time getting over her, but I'm getting there.
Today, though, I walked to the post office in the cool breezes - taking my time - and found I had two HGG's waiting for me in the little black space I've rented for my mail.  Anyway, I grabbed them and the mail for my folks (as they're on holidays and their mail is coming to my address and not theirs) and I came home.
On opening the first one, I found a wonderful snowman card with a cool pressed penny inside it!  I love these things.  This came from nmugirl.  Thank you so much for cheering up my week; I honestly needed this.  And Rudolph looks great on the penny; there was a label inside it too.   And, yes, I took the penny out and put it back... that's why it looks like it's torn.
Then, there was another card from another bookcrosser too.  On opening this one, I found postcard and a Christmas card from JmsMom.  The postcard was of Geronimo's grave site.  Very cool!  I love the Great Spirit and North American Indian Laws... and this just made my day.  

Thank you both for cheering me up.  I have enjoyed receiving your cards greatly.      

A HGG From Calgary

Today, it's been very hot and muggy.  So, I was up nice and early to get in and do some housework before it became too hot to do anything but hang out on the computer.  I was also at the post office at around 9am as well to pick up the mail.  And there was some mail for Mum and Dad there and also a HGG from Herchelle in Canada.  She sent me a Christmas Card with Polar Bears on it.  Inside it is two tea bags in a zip-lock bag - of 'Yorkshire Tea' - and a postcard of the Olympic Flame from the Calgary Olympics.  Very cool!  I love it!  Thank you so much Herchelle.

Beautiful sites from Lithuania

Today, I wasn't feeling the best - in fact I'm feeling horrible.  So, I thought to collect the mail and take it easy at home for the day.  I opened the PO Box and found a parcel inside it and two envelopes.  One was a bank statement the other was from Lithuania; and I opened the latter to find out what was inside it.
To my joy, one of my Bookcrossing friends, xfarimax (I think that's how your name is spelled on the fold-out postcard) sent me a lovely set of postcards of where she's studying.  How pretty are they?  Thank you so much!

Steeling Kisses of a Different Kind!

Wow! This week has been one of parcels arriving, book rings showing up and other great things just popping up in my PO Box!  I've only had one day where there was nothing in the little PO box but the next day I found something else - which ended up being a bill, but it was something! 
Today, I was out in the beautiful sunshine of Logan City and when I checked my mail, there was yet another parcel waiting for me at the post office.  This one was a prize I had won on the Romance Bandits site - YAY! - and this looks great!  I just love the cover of this book... doesn't it look fantastic?  Just the title - 'Kiss of Steel' by Bec McMaster - makes you want to jump right into it and read it!  I have always loved steampunk movies, however I've never read steampunk books before; so this will be a first for me.  Thank you so much Bec McMaster for choosing me as the winner of this one!  It arrived today and I'm looking forward to reading it soon!

Golden Writings from Sweden

I've had a horrible week; truly, I have.  With my computer broken being lent this laptop by my Mum and having only limited internet, I'm not having all that much fun on the net as I normally do.  I can't look up the amount of sites I usually do and I feel as though I'm missing out on a great many things.

However, I felt very much in the loop the other day when I checked the PO Box and found a parcel pick-up card.  I thought a prize from America had arrived (as I had won a book on another site).  But it was a surprise from Sweden of a much-sought-after book I had been hunting down for years.  I must thank Deepswamp for sending this wonderful book to me in memory of Oppem, a wonderful Bookcrosser who recently passed away suddenly.  This book had been on her Wish List - as well as mine - and he sent this book for the 'Oppem RABCK'.  I didn't know this was on, otherwise I would have taken part.  I hope it's not too late by the time I get another computer.  Until then, thank you again, Deepswamp for 'The Golden Notebook' by Doris Lessing.  I do look forward to reading this great masterpiece by a brilliant writer.

From New Zealand

My parents are overseas at the moment on a holiday; traveling around the North and South Islands of New Zealand.

Years ago, I went to the South Island on a Contiki Tour, but hardly remember it - only through the photos and a diary I kept on the road do I have any memories.  But I know it was a lot of fun!

Today, I received my first postcard from them.  It was of their first destination of The Bay of Islands.  Isn't a lovely-looking place?  I think so.

A Romance With the Devil

Yesterday, I didn't check the mail; but today, I did.  I found only on item in my PO Box and that was a blue pick-up card.  So, I grabbed it, closed the door and went inside.  I was given a small parcel from the UK and wondered who it was from; as I'm expecting a parcel, however I'm not really sure which part of the world it was coming from.  

On opening it there at the post office, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had received a gorgeous romance novel 'The Devil and Miss Jones' by Kate Walker, a bookmark, postcard and a pen from Kate Walker.  What a wonderful prize pack!  Thank you so much!  I've put the book with the others on my Mt TBR and do look forward to getting my nose into it soon!  Thank again Kate!

Shakespeare's Birthday

About a week or so ago, Shakespeare celebrated his birthday... a big one.  People are still celebrating his birthday and his works in many way. And on Bookcrossing, one of our BCers offered up postcards as a ways to celebrate his works and life.  So, I put my hand up for one.  And today, mine arrived.

I didn't know what it was going to look like or what was going to be on it; and that was the fun part of this venture.  

And so, here it is... a simple black, red and white postcard with a quote from 'The Tempest' on the front.  I love it!  Don't you?  I must thank Anne-Elliot for sending this to me from across the miles; I appreciate it very much as it brings back memories of being in the UK all that time ago.

A Prize Pack Arrives!

I'm frequenter on The Romance Bandits blog and while there, I comment on quite a few of their posts.  Well!  Not long ago, I commented on one of their guest blog posts and won a prize pack!

At first, I didn't know until somebody told me about it!  How very cool, and fun.  So, not knowing where this author was in the world, I e-mailed them my PO Box and wondered quietly what was to arrive in the mail.  Today, the prize pack arrived!  And isn't it great!  I've always love receiving things in the mail, no matter what they are.  Thank you Kylie Griffin for choosing me - along with Fedora and Helen - as your winners!

Two HGG's From Across the Miles!

Today has been cold and wet; and so when I went and checked the mail, I was pleasantly surprised to find not only mail for Mum and Dad had arrived, but also mail for me for Christmas.  

There was a gorgeous scenic postcard of the Sleeping Bear Dunes at Frankfort, Michigin where it's snowing and cold and mnugirl made a snowman in her front yard the other day; and she's making sugar cookies from her Grandma's recipe soon too.  I'd love to have a white Christmas some day; it'd be so much fun!

The other item which showed up in the mail was a European Christmas card.  These are usually a single card front with gorgeously painted fronts and you write on the back; like postcards.  Anuluni1975, from Finland,sent one to me with two Robins flying and feeding off some flowering wheat.  Enclosed in the envelope were two teabags - in envelopes - of Rooibos and Vanilla tea.  Just lovely for cool days like today.  Thank you both for your lovely HGG's.  I'll display them around the house this year. 

From Romania!

Today, there was only one item in the PO Box of a blue pick-up card.  And the parcel came from Romania.  I opened it in the Post Office and found a lovely little book titled 'The Passport' by Herta Muller with two gorgeous postcards and a bookmark inside it!  This was from Oedde.

Thank you so much for sending me these lovely things from your country.  I love them!  I'll get into reading this lovely little book over the Christmas/NYE break and I'll write a review on it on My Reading List.  

Gorgeous Knitted Coin Purse Arrival.

A few weeks ago, I received a Private Message from a Bookcrosser who asked me if I was still collecting coin purses.  I answered her and said I do; but haven't found any that were interesting enough to purchase of late (yep, I've hit a dry patch in the charity stores).  Today, I was out at the Post Office to check the mail; when I opened the little black door with my number on it to find the whole thing was chock-a-block with mail!  there was junk mail, two parcels and a blue parcel pick-up card!  Wow!  That's a lot of deliveries!

Inside a yellow envelope was this gorgeous little knitted coin purse.  Inside the coin purse was the Flamingo magnetic bookmark from Florida and the postcard is of Niagara Falls.  I love how this purse has been made; with such care; and it's been used too.  I will get into using it at some point soon as well.  Thank you so much pumpkinpussycat for sending this one to me, it's just gorgeously cute!

Romance Prize from Across the Miles

I'm on a blog called 'The Romance Bandits' and there's about 16 managers who are all writers who write romance novels.  Now, that's a lot of managers for one blog!  And they are lovely people who have a brilliant sense of humour!  I found this blog during one of my many searches to make my other blogs fun and interesting; and to do this, I search my followers' blogs.  I know this sounds menial, but it works.  You never know what you may find.  Anyway, I commented a few times on some of the topics they talked about and the next thing I knew, I had won a book from one of them!  I was thrilled and contacted her to redeem my prize.  This was a few weeks back; and I only today received the prize.  When I pulled it out of the envelope here at home, I read the cover of the romance novel and found little sticker on the front:  'Signed by Author'.  Now, this was a little detail I had missed when I first had a quick look at it at the post office in my excitement of it arriving!  How very cool is that?  I have a signed edition of this lovely romance novel!  Now, I don't read romance very often - and usually have to be in the right mood for it - and so, now I have a book to read when that mood strikes.  When that will be?  I'm not sure, but this book will be here waiting for me when it does.  Thank you, Donna MacMeans for this book I will get to reading it whenever my romantic mood kicks in. 

Parcel Influx

After such a long time without receiving a parcel for me - and the only parcels arriving were for Loey - I received three parcels today in the mail and one envelope.  This crowded my little PO Box; so there was a blue parcel pick-up card there amongst one parcel and the envelope.

Once I received my larger parcels, I couldn't wait to get home, and opened the two parcels inside the post office.  And I found one book titled 'The Bee-Loud Glade' by Steve Himmer; which is a book I volunteered to read for a book discussion on Goodreads.  I began reading this one on the way home and read up to page two.  It's beautifully written.

The other two parcels were from Bookcrossers.  One was a RABCK (a generous giveaway from a Bookcrosser who had a book up for grabs) titled 'Jumping the Queue' by Mary Wesley and the other parcel was a birthday gift from Sfogs containing two books titled: 'Shadowlight' by Mike Jefferies and the other?  Well, I'm not supposed to tell... it's a secret on Bookcrossing and so I better keep it that way until the bookring is finished.  But I have to read that one too.  So, I have a lot of reading ahead of me.  

Thank you all for sending these books through the mail to me.  I really do appreciate it.  It's great they made it before my birthday; as it's made my day all the more special.

Celebrating 50 Years of Janet Frame's Work

Today, I went to the post office and found two pick-up cards.  One was from Nivea (this was something I was expecting) and the other was something I wasn't.  I picked up the book and opened it to find a beautiful new book slid out of the envelope and into my hands.  It was wrapped in a green paper bag and still had the price on it (I didn't really notice how much it was; and automatically took it off).  It was a book which had been on my Wish List on Bookcrossing since 2009; 'Owls Do Cry' by Janet Frame, a writer from New Zealand whose only work I have is her biography - 'Wrestling With the Angel' by Michael King - and what a tome of a book that is!  It's so densely written, I've found it hard to read. 

However, this book was also a part of Mission Bookcrossing - a game I'm playing on Bookcrossing -and I'm happy to say that I'm still active in the game; seeing I got the answer to my clue right!  

Thank you Izzy5000 for sending me a brilliant book to read... I can't wait to read to get into it this Winter.

Labels of Moi from Afar!

Today, it's been very overcast and dull - not to mention quite chilly - and so I hurried over to the post office earlier than usual to collect the mail.  I was surprised to find a few things in my PO Box that normally aren't there.  The first one was a postcard from the Cook Islands from Loey and Dad of their holiday.  They said they had a ball were driving a red convertible... very nice little car!  I love the postcard and what Mum wrote on it.  I'm sure they'll be going back over the years to have more down-time.

My next lot of mail that arrived today from across the miles was a collection of labels from Misscyn on Bookcrossing.  She's is famous for her labels.  This time, she put my self-portrait onto these labels; however it was the unfinished portrait and not the completed one.  Oh well, maybe next time.  Nonetheless, they look fabulous!  I'll most definitely use these on parcels and letters and cards very soon; along with the BCID labels she included too.  Thank you to both BCers for thinking of me and sending me these lovely things

NB:  Blogger is maintaining a few things and so I'm unable to upload a any photos currently.  I'll see if I can in the next couple of days.

Retro Postcard

I've been so busy in the last few days, I completely forgot to post this arrival until now.  Last Friday, this postcard arrived in the mail inside a lovely envelope from Julespaige.  And I'd like to thank her very much for thinking of me when she saw it.

I didn't mean to leave this for so long; as I had to take my bird to the vet, and she didn't do so well there, coming home in worse condition than when she arrived there.  So, please accept my apologies for not posting this sooner.  And she's doing better; Little Miss Stevie's foot is healing well as she had begun to climb around the cage and is flying again too.

Belated Christmas Cards

In the last week, I've been very busy with family commitments; and so when I received two cards in this week, I completely forgot to put them up here and thank the wonderful people who have gone to the trouble of sending them; no matter how late they arrived.

The first that arrived was last Wednesday from Shemchin and her family of a family photo on a postcard and a newsletter about what's been going on in 2010.  How lovely and wonderful it felt to receive this in the mail after all that's been happening around Brisbane; to finally hear about other people's fortune and happiness.

Then, just today, I just received a gorgeous Christmas card from AsianWaterfall.  I love the simplicity of this card and how it looks like it's snowing on it; with glitter on it.  Just lovely.  Thank you both for sending these lovely, thoughtful cards; no matter how late they arrived.  Our mail has been put off a little because of the floods around Brisbane and Queensland anyway; so don't feel bad about how long it takes to get things here for now.  We're still getting back on our feet.  Thank you again for these lovely cards.

HGG from Wandering-B!

Today, it started out being a dull and overcast one; but not as hot as yesterday.  At the PO Box, today, I found a little bundle of mail for Mum and Dad and a parcel pick-up card for me.  So, I went and collected it immediately.  

What I found inside the parcel was a lovely little key-ring, a bookcorner, a cute paperclip magnet with a star on it and a sealed envelope of tea; but I'm not sure which kind of tea as it's all in Chinese.  Oh well, I love surprises! :D  Thank you so much Wandering-B!  I love this little surprise I found in my PO Box... it's just lovely.