The Mail Adventures of the Smelling Roses

On 14 May, Correos issued this stamp dedicated to the 70th anniversary of a Rose Garden in the Parque del Oeste (='West Park') in Madrid.

I bought a 7-stamps set like this one, the surprise was that it smelled like roses! So, I used the sheet to add some sweet scent to letters to Portugal, the UK and the USA:

And now, for the odd mail adventures: two of them were posted on 14 July, but got postmarks on 22 July. The third one was posted on 16 July in the same mailbox and postmarked the following day, 17 July. How do you explain that?

And still an extra mail adventure for the one I sent to the UK: it arrived open (meh!) but luckily nothing was lost in way. And it got two postmarks, from Correos (22 July) and Royal Mail (25 July).

Self-Affirmation

Creo en mí = I believe in myself
I make the day brighter
My perspective is unique and important
Soy feliz = I am happy

Bryon (the USA) turned these self-affirmation Cheerios cards into a postcard. Maybe the best use for them?

It Is All about Books (and Paper Bags)

Front and bag of an envelope sent to Fabienne (France). Made out of a paper bag.

Magic returns to bookstores

Envelope sent to Lilli (Canada), also made out of a paper bag.

The Whole Journey

Westerhevesand , built in 1908, must be the best-know lighthouses in northern Germany. This postcard was sent by David via Postcrossing. 

The sender was king enough to add a couple of stamps of lighthouses (and two more of the nice series World of Letters).

Usually, when I receive a postcard from Postcrossing, I upload the image to my wall. Sometimes I find that the sender had already uploaded it before sending it. I like the idea of ​​the sender of this postcard: it's like we can know about its previous life, and see the whole journey.

And the same with other Postcrossing postcards from the USA and Belarus:

Dinosaurs

Sent to Marina (the USA). Made out of a magazine cover. She got it!

Printed Collage

Front and back of an envelope made by Lilli (Canada). She makes the collages, and then prints copies for envelopes or writing paper. A great idea!

Wise Words (VIII): Carry the Letter in Your Hand

«Sec. 3. How to end a Letter
[...]

When you take your letters to the Post, carry them in your hand. If you put them in your pocket you will take a long country-walk (I speak from experience), passing the Post-Office twice, going and returning, and, when you get home, will find them still in your pocket.»

Lewis Carrol, Eight or Nine Wise Words about Letter-Writing

Wise Words (VII): Postscript

«Sec. 3. How to end a Letter

[...]

A Postscript is a very useful invention: but it is not meant (as so many ladies suppose) to contain the real gist of the letter»

Lewis Carrol, Eight or Nine Wise Words about Letter-Writing

Wise Words (VI): Friendliness Will Do No Harm

«Sec. 3. How to end a Letter

[...]
If doubtful whether to end with 'yours faithfully', or 'yours truly', or 'yours most truly', &c. (there are at least a dozen varieties, before you reach 'yours affectionately'), refer to your correspondent's last letter, and make your winding-up at least as friendly as his; in fact, even if a shade more friendly, it will do no harm!»

Lewis Carrol, Eight or Nine Wise Words about Letter-Writing

Wise Words (V): Enclose It

«Sec. 3. How to go on with a Letter
[...]

My eighth Rule. When you say, in your letter, "I enclose cheque for L5", or "I enclose John's letter for you to see", leave off writing for a moment—go and get the document referred to—and put it into the envelope. Otherwise, you are pretty certain to find it lying about, after the Post has gone!»

Lewis Carrol, Eight or Nine Wise Words about Letter-Writing

Wise Words (IV): On Controversial Correspondence

«Sec. 3. How to go on with a Letter

[...]

A few more Rules may fitly be given here, for correspondence that has unfortunately become controversial.

One is, don't repeat yourself. When once you have said your say, fully and clearly, on a certain point, and have failed to convince your friend, drop that subject [...]

Another Rule is, when you have written a letter that you feel may possibly irritate your friend, however necessary you may have felt it to so express yourself, put it aside till the next day. Then read it over again, and fancy it addressed to yourself. [...]

My fifth Rule is, if your friend makes a severe remark, either leave it unnoticed, or make your reply distinctly less severe: and if he makes a friendly remark, tending towards 'making up' the little difference that has arisen between you, let your reply be distinctly more friendly. [...]

My sixth Rule (and my last remark about controversial correspondence) is, don't try to have the last word!»

Lewis Carrol, Eight or Nine Wise Words about Letter-Writing

The Evil Garden

All the information, rules, faq and last year's winners: here.

Wise Words (III): Answer the Letter

«Sec. 3. How to go on with a Letter
[...]

My second Rule is, don't fill more than a page and a half with apologies for not having written sooner!

The best subject, to begin with, is your friend's last letter. Write with the letter open before you. Answer his questions, and make any remarks his letter suggests. Then go on to what you want to say yourself.»

Lewis Carrol, Eight or Nine Wise Words about Letter-Writing

Wise Words (II): Write Legibly

«Sec. 3. How to go on with a Letter

[...]

Here is a golden Rule to begin with. Write legibly.»

Lewis Carrol, Eight or Nine Wise Words about Letter-Writing

What If You Do Not Have Any Tape or Envelopes...

... but you desperately need to send a letter from a small island?

Wise Words (I): That Way Madness Lies

«Sec. 2. How to begin a Letter.

If the Letter is to be in answer to another, begin by getting out that other letter and reading it through, in order to refresh your memory [...]

Next, Address and Stamp the Envelope. "What! Before writing the Letter?" Most certainly. And I'll tell you what will happen if you don't. You will go on writing till the last moment, and just in the middle of the last sentence, you will become aware that 'time's up!' Then comes the hurried wind-up — the wildly-scrawled signature — the hastily-fastened envelope, which comes open in the post — the address, a mere hieroglyphic — the horrible discovery that you've forgotten to replenish your Stamp-Case — the frantic appeal, to every one in the house, to lend you a Stamp — the headlong rush to the Post Office, arriving, hot and gasping, just after the box has closed — and finally, a week afterwards, the return of the Letter, from the Dead-Letter Office, marked "address illegible"!

Next, put the date in full. It is another aggravating thing, when you wish, years afterwards, to arrange a series of letters, to find them dated "Feb. 17", "Aug. 2", without any year to guide you as to which comes first. And never, never, dear Madam (N.B. this remark is addressed to ladies only: no man would ever do such a thing), put "Wednesday", simply, as the date!

"That way madness lies."»


Lewis Carrol, Eight or Nine Wise Words about Letter-Writing

Creating Light

Postcard made by Fabienne (France), out of a reused piece of packaging.

Envelope made by Heleen (the Netherlands), out of a page of a magazine.

Postcard made by Bryon (the USA), from reused packaging. It was sent after a big blackout in the area I live in.

The Wonderland Postage-Stamp Case

Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, was a bit of a mail fan. In 1889 he invented "The Wonderland Postage-Stamp Case," a little case with twelve separate pockets in which people could keep stamps of different denominations. The stamp case was sold with a little booklet called Eight or Nine Wise Words about Letter Writing.

It seems you can still find one of these online for an exorbitant price.

The postcard was sent by Bryon (the USA).

(Pictures taken from this post.)

Tusello

Tusello is a service that allow you to turn your images into Correos stamps. There are some restrictions regarding images of people, but most illustrations are permitted. So, if you are willing to pay the extra fee, you can design your own stamps and even appear on them.

I got this stamp from a pen pal who works as a postal deliverer. She received the stamps as a gift for her 50 birthday. How cool is that?

Virginias

 

This is a (sort of) postcard made out of chocolates packaging. It was sent to Bryon (the USA) as a reply to yesterday's and this postcard.