As a young girl, I was encouraged to write to my Grandparents every week. I know now, how much they must have looked forward to getting the little letter I had written to them.
Now in the days of the Internet when we can email each other so easily, the art of letter writing is not so popular.
I recall back in English classes many years ago learning how to set out our letter, the heading, salutation, body, complimentary close and finishing off with the signature.
It is great to be able to nurture old friendships and make new ones.
I encourage you to make opportunities to keep in touch with family and friends with a handwritten letter.
What is great, you will have the excitement of going to the letterbox and finding a letter addressed to you.
Many thanks for taking the time in your busy life to visit me and the kind notes you leave.Have a week full of beauty and inspiration, my dear friends
Hugs
Carolyn
I used to write my Aunt Nena letters all the time. I still have many of the letters she wrote me.
ReplyDeleteA very lovely post, Carolyn.
xxoo
Marsha
I so agree with you, Carolyn! Nothing beats a handwritten letter. It means so much and they're so special to look back at. xoxo
ReplyDeleteI just got a sweet letter in the mail today...pure delight!
ReplyDeleteHugs to you my dear. xoxoxo
Dearest Carolyn,
ReplyDeleteAha, we're kindred spirits! This is one of my classes: http://www.mariettesbacktobasics.com/?main_page=learn
As a young girl my parents made me write to my great-uncle 'Heeroom' who was an advisor to several Bishops and lived on Kupang, Timor (Indonesia). He got his PhD in literature and taught the Seminary before he went to Rome to the Vatican and than was sent to Indonesia. I did study his letters and the stamps with a magnifier... dreaming of Indonesia with its beatiful flora and fauna. Little did I know I would end up living and working there for 3 years +. Speaking the language he spoke. Guess that genetically speaking I was a great-niece of his own heart. He loved the written word and I did. To my mother-in-law I wrote weekly letters when we immigrated. Also to my parents and Mom kept them in shoe-boxes. All my adventures written down each Sunday evening from one week. Sadly my younger sister did trash ALL of my cherished letters! She cleaned up; Mom is still alive... She never bothered to ask me. I felt like someone had murdered me mentally as I will not be able to reproduce all those stories penned down over so many years. I've been asked so often to write a book... but guess that is no longer feasable.
So you found someone who loves fountain pens, cotton stationery et all...
Lots of love,
Mariette
Hi Carolyn sweet,
ReplyDeleteYou are so right about this lost art. For most of my adult life my mother has lived quite a distance from me and while visiting here last year she showed me a box of all the letters I had written to her over the years. I was so surprised that she had kept them all. We sat and read many of them together and had such a good time going over the memories they brought back. I just must do better!
Thank you for the well wishes. I am going to be such a good girl this time.
hugs from here...
Dear Carolyn
ReplyDeleteI love also the handwritten letters. I love it, to go to the letterbox and find a handwritten letter.
A very nice post!
Have a happy week and all the best from Switzerland. Hugs Yvonne
The lost art of letter writing seems to be going the way of Spencerian Penmanship, it is a shame. However, I do try to keep it alive, using lovely stationary or beautiful cards. E-mail just doesn't compare to the hand written letter. My mother always encouraged the same in us, in writing to Grandpa or Aunt Eunice.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your visit to the Hollow, I think you have simply lovely bears!
Dear Carolyn
ReplyDeleteIt is so good to hear that there are still those who enjoy writing letters.. Yes, I am afraid emails have taken over.. I still love to write and receive..Beautiful reminder
Lovely post.
fondly,
Penny
Oh, you are so right, my dear Carolyn! There is nothing better than a handwritten letter! I did it much more years agao, but I always try still to send handwritten letters from time to time :O))
ReplyDeleteHave a beautiful day and a great week my friend!
♥ Love and hugs Claudia ♥
Hi Carolyn, When I was a teenager I had a couple of pen pals I wrote to regularly. Every day I was excited to find out if any of them had written me back. I still have most of those letters.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely week!
Hugs to you,
Julia
You are so right!
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely week, my friend ♥
Hugs ,Riitta
There's nothing like a pretty letter in the mail!
ReplyDeleteYes handwrite letters......o my.....that is along time ago.....will you send me one???....hahahahah!! love love Ria...xx...
ReplyDeleteCiao cara amica!
ReplyDeleteE' vero!
Adesso non è più di moda scrivere lettere, anche se io trovo che questa sia una cosa affascinanate, mirabile...bellissima...
Purtroppo la tecnologia ha sostituito questa possibilità di scambio ed interazione...come vedi anche ora...sono qui a farlo!
Ti abbraccio di cuore e con il cuore! BACI ;o) NI
I still write letters to my parents and to a few friends. Much though i love email there's nothing like a handwritten letter. i decorate my own stationery too.
ReplyDeleteamano letters are an art of the heart so honoring the person who receives them, are lost but not constumbres should be a simple habit if it is not coming from the heart I have not lost my heart leave embodied in a written letter of my handwriting lie there forever kisses gull in flight
ReplyDeleteOh dearest Carolyn, I crave sitting down to write a beautiful letter. One of my student's parents just emailed me to tell me he was very moved to write a letter to me to tell me how much he enjoyed his fourth grade year. His parents encouraged him to send me a real letter in the mail as opposed to emailing me. I think that is a great idea, for something almost sacred happens on the page when one applies their thoughts with the ink. Bless you precious friend, Anita
ReplyDeleteIt's always lovely to receive a handwritten letter in the post. Always cheers your day along reading someones latest news, or a thankyou for something you've done for them. We were always made to write thankyou letters for gifts received as children and it has remained with me to still do the same now. Hugs Robyn.
ReplyDeleteI remember getting stationery for Christmas every year and I loved it. In fact, my teenage friend and I went through a spell where we collected stationery, buying it with our babysitting money and then always giving each other a paper and envelope for their collection.
ReplyDeleteI took such great delight in using them to write to family and friends but she saved hers - a few years ago while I was visiting her she got it all out and we spent hours looking through it all and remembering which ones we each bought and where - happy memories.
I am trying to write more letters - perhaps I just need to go get some inspiring stationery to help me along...
LOvely post!
we all must be on the same page, I just purchased some cavalinni papers for letter writing. lovely post... you bring back sweet memories of lovely correspondence...
ReplyDeleteI lost many handwritten letters from my childhood. I had a friend in Munich , I had often written letters!
ReplyDeleteHugs
Yvonne
Hello Carolyn!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cursive writing in the note you have shared.
May letters and cards never be a thing of the past.
I always enjoy hearing from you from blogland!
We live so many miles away that it is awesome that in a few seconds we can communicate through the internet.
God bless and may you have a wonderful day,
d
What a nice post Carolyn.
ReplyDeleteI used to write a friend a handwritten letter is so nice to send and receive.
I was always fond of calligraphy, which we used to be taught at school.
I have something with letters, I received many letters and cards kept by my grandparents and my sister who worked as an au pair in France, Monaco and England and wrote me a lot.
Have a wonderful week.
Warm wishes, Mea
I used to love getting letters in the mail, from pen pals, friends and cousins. An email just isn't quite the same!
ReplyDeleteMy Grandmother Collins used to write me all the time. She was my maternal grandmother who was in the North while we lived in the South. My cousin, Gwen and I always corresponded by letters -- we didn't see each other for about 15 years but those letters kept us close. Now we are blogging buddies! (She's the one who made me start a blog. :) I sure hope kids are still encouraged to have pen pals. The internet is a wonderful thing but it is so nice to still receive something you can hold in your hands. Have a wonderful Wednesday Carolyn! xxx Tammy
ReplyDeleteI agree with you too! There is something really special about letter writing. I'm going to be away for about 2 1/2 months and I am considering sending out some letters while I am away...
ReplyDeletehttp://ladyonaroof.blogspot.com/
Carolyn what a great post. It is so true how emails have taken over our letter writing.
ReplyDeleteI remember how I loved writing my grandparents and getting letters in return.
Thanks for inspiring me to write more letters
Hope your having a great week
Love ya
Maggie
Carolyn,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you wholeheartedly! I still have all the letters my hubby wrote to me when he was off fighting the war(multiple times). There is something magical and special about receiving hand written letters. XX
Hello beautiful Carolyn! :)
ReplyDeleteFunny, this is something I've been discussing with friends, lately!
The thing is, for people who have families overseas, letter-writing can become very costly, and the letters can take months to arrive, or not even arrive at all! Whilst email is instantaneous.
I do remember the thrill of receiving a letter in the mail, and the thrill of my own grandparents receiving their letters from me, but I think that those days are dwindling away... my grandmother has already passed away...and letters are just so hard to send where I am! It's easier in other countries where you have mailboxes. Here, we have to go to the post office and get ripped off of our money and in the end, the letter might not even arrive to the destination! And so we have DHL. SO expensive! Then we look at our email accounts: much easier, and it's free!
Yes, I do miss letters too, they are so romantic and lovely, but are becoming so rare....
Hi Carolyn,
ReplyDeleteOh, you are so right. I've always loved getting a hand addressed letter but technology has taken over. But I still find joy when I can send a hand addressed note or letter, knowing my recipient will be surprised. I never enjoyed it though until I finally learned calligraphy because my normal handwriting is terrible. Now I can send pretty envelopes too.
Sharon :-)
I love handwriting...
ReplyDeleteHave a sweet day dear Carolyn...
Regards,
Pierre
I love letters and I love getting mail. I save all of them.
ReplyDeleteHope your week is fun girlfriend!
xx, shell
Nothing, absolutely nothing nothing beats a handwritten letter, sweet Carolyn! A postcard will do too.
ReplyDeleteHave a happy Thursday my friend o xx o xx o
handwritten letters have a special charm, so sweet and kind old fashioned!
ReplyDeletexoxo
S
http://s-fashion-avenue.blogspot.com
I love love love letters....I have a box of love letter from my Husband I read every once and a while and he still writes me some sweet notes ...you can't beat anything handwritten.....
ReplyDeleteI love that bee note paper....
Hugs
Diana
Hi! lovely letter!
ReplyDeleteSadly I have no friends to write letters (everyone is so near we meet often). So I started to post-cross (http://www.postcrossing.com/) and I'm so happy to get cards now and then :) It's fun!
But the handwriting is very important way to keep in touch with my friends too(the Christmas cards for example )
Oooh, if I had penmanship like that, I'd write more letters than email any day! I wouldn't even mind writing a check or two!
ReplyDeleteHave a great day!
Yes, I truly miss the art of letter writing. When I was a young girl, pen-pals were all the rage. Having an international pen-pal was super exciting. I miss those days!
ReplyDeleteMaureen
Godmorning
ReplyDelete(in Sweden it´s early morning)
When you say it, there are probably several years ago i received a handwritten letter. Unfortunately something that disappeared.
Love from
AnnaMaria
Apologies haven't left a comment recently - been soooo busy you wouldn't believe!Don't even have time to do more than one post a week!
ReplyDeleteHave alovely weekend, dear Carolyn,
Hugs
XOXO Lola & Nora:)
PS Us again! Do let us know what you think of the book if you do decide to download it to yr ipad! We'd love to know!
ReplyDeleteXOXO Lola & Nora:)
If I received a hand written, REAL letter in my mailbox, I would faint away. It's a lost art. It's either phone, email or text these days. My mother was THE best letter writer ever. I should have saved them. :(
ReplyDeleteYou are right Carolyn! And it is strange to think that we no longer will have the hand written words to look back on and learn from. Your words remind me of how much we review about ourselves through our hand writing mixed with choice of words.
ReplyDeleteViva the hand written letter!
xox
Constance
My Mom left England with me, to come to Canada, when I was a year old. She then had 3 other kids.. with a husband who wouldn't let her go home.. whole other story. So, none of us ever met our grandparents. I used to write to my Nanan too. .. and she sent me papers, pictures and little booklets with her letters. I always wanted to go to England and swore I would take my Mom back there as soon as I could afford it.
ReplyDeleteSadly.. it was not before both grandparents had died.
I love getting letters. Mom and I used to also write weekly after I left home. She had a huge box of mine that we found in her belongings at the end. Still have them.... My one sister and I write to each other every so often just to say hi and to give each a snail mail card to enjoy...
It is quickly becoming a lost art. What a shame.
And..this week...Canada Post has locked out its employees after contract negotiations have broken down. No mail delivery for the foreseeable future. One of those groups I have no pity for. They get paid plenty and have 7 weeks paid holiday per year. They have many sick days...and every type of perk imaginable....plus they retire with a big pension. And they still complain even though the use of regular mail has dropped a huge percentage over the past few years. They are lucky to have a job at all in these strange economic times..but, still they want more, more more...
Oh, well.. those of us who still like to write occasional letters...and especially send little parcels...will still use them, ...when they get back to work.
Dear Carolyn
ReplyDeleteI think letters are very sepecial things...It´s sad seeing how now people dón´t write letters
I keep lots of them and I love reading them and Its smell...
I remmember a part of my life
Hugs
Ciao Carolyn! E' sempre un piacere passare a trovarti sulle pagine del tuo blog!
ReplyDeleteTi lascio un saluto e un abbraccio... A presto, Elena.
Dearest Carolyn,
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely weekend and Father's Day; provided it's celebrated on the same day at your end of the world...
Lots of love,
Mariette
Carolyn, I too have a passion for the written word. In a way I think this is why I blog. I know it is more instant but I love to read peoples thoughts and hear of their lives.
ReplyDeleteI am addicted to stationery shops and find it hard to pass by.
Hope you get many surprises in the post.
Much love - Suzi
Dear Carolyn,
ReplyDeleteReceiving handwritten letters from the people you love is always a pleasure, I guess we are all so busy we don´t have time to write anymore..What a pity!!
Enchanting and so lovely post!!
Have a wonderful weekend my dear friend!!!
Hugs&Kisses!!
Do you still have those letters you wrote?
ReplyDeleteThat's one of the nice things about letter-writing - you have something tangible, something physical that you can hold onto. They're so nice to hold and look at.
I so agree! there is nothing sweeter than recieving a hand written letter in the post, I hope the art or is it a habit for some? never dies.
ReplyDeleteSue