New posts and old posts

In case you're out of hobbies and don't know what to do with your time (like me, ha ha!), try this one on for size :-)

As often happens (ok, it's not that often), I clean off my desk and purge my drawers in an effort to feel less clogged with meaningless junk. (It's amazing how much I can throw out when I get right down to it.) Over Christmas, I found the pack of postcards that I've been adding to and digging around in the last 10 years of my life.

Collecting postcards is a bit of a hobby for me. There are 3 kinds that I "collect." The first are the kind that people send me from other places. As I skimmed through the bundle of postcards from other people, I was touched at the number of people that have sent me postcards from various places over the years (particularly my lovely little sister, among others :-)). I was also thrilled to discover a good number from my handsome husband, which were so sweet!

The other 2 kinds of postcards I collect are postcards I buy. Whenever I go somewhere, I always buy 2 postcards. One to send to someone and one to keep. By getting one to send to someone, I am forced to write someone snail mail, but it can't be long and drawn out, because it's a postcard! So, it basically forces me to keep in touch :-) (However, as I went through my postcards, I found QUITE a few that had never been written on, so maybe my system doesn't work as well as I thought :-))

The postcards that I buy and keep are to have memories of the place that are far better photographs than I could ever take, and they are micro-diaries of my adventures in that place. For instance, the back for a postcard from our trip to Philadelphia this summer gave the date and read something about our good times trying to get Dad to try new foods (and keep his voice down), touring a ship, and playing Settlers of Catan in the hotel room. As I put these into a photo album yesterday, I was so happy that I had all these memories collected in one place. AND, I am super-excited to get even more postcards and adventures this summer as Ben and I and our friends Steve and Darla Shrock head to Europe for 2 weeks!

Hence, if you're in need of a new hobby, try collecting postcards from your adventures and briefly documenting the events of that time. Along with regular photographs, they are great ways of remembering eventful times in your life! :-)