LollipopandPearls Theme Song

"Lollipop and Pearls" - Jared Kraft

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

“S-N-A-I-L Mail! Do you remember it?"

It's Wednesday, so join us for "Wednesday's Walk down Memory Lane" by clicking on the link on the right sidebar! It's loads of fun!








Every once in a while I get in the mood to purge! You know, open a drawer and it gets stuck because it’s so full and something is stuck under the drawer track?! Or you go to find a specific piece of mail that you KNOW you put in a certain place, and you cannot find it, because you also decided to put hundreds of other “important” pieces of mail in that same location! Then, when you least expect it and most DON’T need to take the time to cure this problem, you yank the drawer open and decide you have “the urge to purge!” However, in order to do said task, you must read each and every piece of paper in there. I mean, who knows! Stuck in the middle of all that mess might just be some hidden money ~ you know, put away for a “rainy day”…or a little love note written on a napkin…or notification that you have some “oceanfront property in Arizona” waiting for you to claim it! So, what was going to be a quick check in a specific drawer turns out to be an all day affair!

Last time I went to that certain drawer to find a specific letter, the drawer got stuck without hardly even opening! I was in a hurry; I was frustrated and saying a few colorful words (my Mama taught me not to say anything “off color”, so I used the colorful ones…you know, like “fudge!” and “dadgumit!” and “sugarfoot!”) Oh, c’mon, you know you say them, too! OK, so I yanked and I yanked, broke a few nails, and finally yanked so hard I got the *!)@(#_! drawer open, as I fell backwards on my derriere! I’m so grateful to the Lord that no one else was there but me! See, I have this spouse and these 3 children with a very warped sense of humor, who absolutely love to see people fall! Twisted, isn’t it! I’m tellin’ ya’! Ya’ know somethin’! God is good, all the time…He was especially good that morning protecting me from the humiliation I would have experienced had any or all of them been home!

OK, yes, I really am going somewhere with this novel! So, I find that I have saved every single card and letter ever written to me by anyone in my life I have ever been acquainted with, dated, been friends with, am related to, am not related to, don’t ever WANT to be related to, and then some! Some of those stinkin’ things went back some 25 years! Can you believe it? What kind of sick person would do that? A sentimental one like me, thank-you very much, that’s who! Don’t you even lie! I’ll bet you do the same thing! Fess up! Remember, Jesus is watching and listening!

As I began to purge those cards, I had myself some good laughs…and a few tears…I’m not even sure who some of the people are who wrote them! Isn’t that sad? Scary, really! Then I had a thought: why throw these away. Why not “go green” and recycle them! See, I can tear them apart, write the verse from the right hand inside of the card on the back of the left side part I just tore off (are you able to follow this?), then add my own little personal note, address it right there on the back of the front (oh my goodness, who is this crazy lady writing this! I’m even confused!), stick a postcard stamp on it and send that sucker to someone else! Whatcha think?! So, I’m working on goin’ green! Hey, I have a question! What does it mean to “go” green? Do you have to leave home to do it? Does it mean you get a vacation to “go green”? Where does the “go” come in? Just askin’…..

Also, while cleaning my mother’s basement (which, FYI, has not been cleaned in some 15 years or more) I found a Rubbermaid container with about a hundred letters written by my Dad to his mother, stepfather and stepsister while he was in the Air Force! Can you just smell the aroma in that box? They dated back to 1949! It was in a time when one could actually READ my father’s handwriting, which is a miracle in itself! For me, it has been a fun glimpse into my Dad’s life pre-my Mom! He was a hunk, I’ll tell ya’! WOW! No matter where he went, he was BMOC (that’s “Big Man On Campus” for those of you way younger than me, which, I dare say, is most of you!)

Daddy & our eldest, now almost 27







Mom and Dad in Panama City Beach, FL.





I’m actually an antique, did you know that? Yep! I’m more than 50 years old, so I’m classified as an “antique”.

So, you may ask, what in the world does this have to do with snail mail?

One of may letters Dad wrote home to his Mom Well, had it not been for snail mail, I would not have gotten this glimpse into my Dad as a serviceman! I would not have all these glorious cards that I can recycle, and save money, all at the same time. Don’t get me wrong! I love the convenience of email! What I DON’T love about email is that, often, emotions and intents can be easily misinterpreted in an email. And…it’s just not nearly as personal as a “letter” is! Who doesn’t like receiving mail, right?! Well, all except all the catalogs, junk mail and piles of bills! (Hey, here’s a little tip: If you have a business to promote…or if you want to just encourage someone and make their day…send them a note or your business card back in the “Postage paid” envelope included with the bill! Do you know how cool it would be to be at work, open what you think is a bill payment, and find a little note in there that says, “Have a blessed day! Jesus loves you, this I know…for the Bible tells me so! Thank-you for serving the public!” Now, that’s Jesus with skin on!

Email vs. snail mail! They both are good; they both have down sides! People need both! I like snails, personally, so if they deliver my mail, and it gets to me s-l-o-w-l-y but surely, that’s just fine!





Another photo with our eldest

Blessings on your day today and in the days ahead.

Lolli (aka Lisa)

I’m grateful that God had a sense of humor when He created the world! I mean, seriously! What was up with Him creating a tick? Someone puleaz tell me! And the rhinoceros! Have you ever watched a rhino or hippo try to walk on those short, stubby, fat legs? And how would you like to have the big ole ugly horn sticking out the front of your face? Another thing…can anyone please give me a good reason for God to have created those blood-sucking, noisy, nuisances called “mosquitoes”? Oh, yeah, I know…food for frogs! Well, they can eat leaves, or ants, or worms, or something! If you ever smack one of those little “skeeters” and mush him flat, you’ll see little spots of blood on you! GAG! Sometimes I just don’t understand God’s thoughts, you know! I mean, a tick?!?!?!?!?! Course, then there’s some of us He created, and, well….just sayin’!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love snail mail! I love to write letters, I find it really relaxing. It is great to be able to keep up with people by email, but a letter is so much more personal. I love that you had all those letters from your family to look at, how special they are. What great glimpses you got into their lives before you!

Kathryn @ Expectant Hearts said...

Oh, I have boxes of misc. letters too.. I love "snail mail"..