Every Week Is "Thinking of You Week"

Collage on an envelope sent by Laura (the UK). The postmark made it even more interesting.

Send A Card
Deliver A Smile for
Thinking Of You Week
21-27 September 2026

Year of the Fire Horse [VIII]

Horses at Dusk, from an original painting by Leah Mendenhall. Sent by Phillip (USA) with matching stamps. Perfect for the Year of the Horse!

By the way... It suffered a small accident in way. Or maybe it was attacked by mail monsters...

Sunday Stamps | Celebrating Radio

A 2025 sheet from France celebrating the 50 anniversary of Radio France. 

Below, two se-tenant Canadian stamps from 2020 celebrating the history of radio. As a plus, a Canadian stamp commemorating the centenary of the discovery of insulin. 

Today's theme in Sunday Stamps is Celebrating Inventions. 

Celebrating 250 Years (2)

2026 has been a year of celebrations for the United States of America because of its semiquincentennial. I received this postcard from Bryon in July.

They issued different commemorative stamps, like the series of American Icons curated by fashion designer Ralph Lauren (and no exempt of controversy):

Treasures of the Revolutionary Era, a booklet of 20 stamps showcasing significant artifacts from this pivotal time has been less controversial:

(Notice the postmark!)

Women on Postcards | L Is for Loren

One of the most Agnès Varda's iconic images is Sofia Loren in Portugal, taken in 1956 in Póvoa de Varzim, (Portugal). It shows Maria do Alívio ("woman who does laundry for others"), walking, dressed in black and barefoot, down a street, Rua das Lavadeiras, in contrast to the smiling, torn poster showing Sophia Loren and the sign "For Sale". Despite the title, no doubt who is the main character here.

The postcard was sent by Pedro (Portugal). As a bonus, a stamp of the photographer issued in 2024 that I received on a letter sent by Fabienne (France):

[Women on Postcards - 2026]

[Women on Stamps]

Thursday Postcard Hunt | Fietsbrug't Sasje

Fietsbrug't Sasje is a movable cycle and pedestrian bridge over the Eem in Amersfoort (the Netherlands), which was initially conceived as a fixed bridge at first. I have read that a source of inspiration was pictures of the Eemhaven in older times, which show atmospheric images of the harbour filled with ships and masts.

Postcard sent by Heleen (the Netherlands).

-----------------------------------------------

Thursday Postcard Hunt
September theme: BRIDGES

• Week 1 - Over land
• Week 2 - Over water
• Week 3 - Railway
• Week 4 - Moveable

Everyone is welcome to share their postcards!

Ciclo Carta

This letter sent by Pedro (Portugal) was posted on 11 September and reached me a week later, on 18 September. Not bad, considering it travels by bike!

For some reason, letters and postcards to Portugal travel faster than from Portugal. Also, I have noticed that the first CicloCarta took 9 days to arrive; the second, 8 days... What does this means?

I Smell Like Chocolate

Micu (Hungary) sent a lovely letter with interesting contents and stamps. The most surprising was the following one that states "I smell like chocolate":

And it really does! Which seems incredible, because it was issued in 2023, to commemorate the centenary of the Szerencs Chocolate Factory.

I like that Hungary issues so many stamps dedicated to children books' and characters, like these ones:

TV Maci

Manócska (Mazsola és Tádé)

300th anniversary of
Gulliver's Travels 

Summer Mail XVI | End of Summer

Sent by Laura (UK).

Sunday Stamps | Celebrating 250 Years (1)

A postcard sent by Bryon, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States. On the back, a sheet issued by the United Nations to commemorate the Sesquicentennial. The stamp features a photograph of the Declaration of Independence on the stamps, with Independence Hall in Philadelphia shown in the background.

Today's theme on Sunday Stamps is Celebrating historical events.

Dove of Peace

In September 2025, the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) in conjunction with the Universal Postal Union (UPU) and 10 other postal organizations will jointly issue Dove of Peace embroidered stamps to celebrate the International Day of Peace and promote the value of peace to people all around the world. (More information about this issue.)

Bryon (UN) sent me the stamps from the three UN postal administrations, on the back of the same matching postcard:

Women on Postcards | C Is for Chinese Colourful Couple

Postcard sent by Lynn (China), through the Postcrossing site.

[Women on Postcards - 2026]

Thursday Postcard Hunt | Vorokhta

Vorokhta, Ukraine. Postcard sent by Irina.

-----------------------------------------------

Thursday Postcard Hunt
September theme: BRIDGES

• Week 1 - Over land
• Week 2 - Over water
• Week 3 - Railway
• Week 4 - Moveable

Everyone is welcome to share their postcards!

Lowriders

Envelope with a First Day postmark sent by Phillip (the USA), and two more stamps from the same series.

Women on Postcards & Stamps | Little Women

Envelope made by Bryon (the USA), with the selvage of the Barbie stamps. It included the firefighter and the paleontologist Barbie (you can be anything). And, suitably, a Little Women stamp (where they are reading a letter!!):

And yet, weeks later... a postcard with the same theme! A postcard with a quotation of Louisa May Alcott:

With a matching stamp, and two more little women on the back: the surgeon and the astronaut Barbie.

And still another related postcard, sent by Marina (the USA)!

When Barbie was introduced in 1959, women were expected to be full-time mothers and homemakers, and toys reflected this. The market consisted mostly in baby dolls. Portraying everything from astronauts to surgeons to reporters and rappers, Barbie has enabled girls to aspire to other careers through role-play.