Blogging and snail mail!

Great excitement yesterday when I received three Christmas cards from blogger friends

Imagine my delight when Grant walked in at lunchtime yesterday and placed three envelopes on my desk. Christmas cards from blogger friends.

Every year I send out cards via snail mail: to friends and my elderly neighbor in South Africa (and no, not one of them know about or read my blog) and to blogging friends from all over the world. For Christmas 2011, my cards were dispatched from Nairobi and arrived at their destinations within ten days!

This Christmas past, I bought my postage stamps in Shinyanaga (photo at bottom on post) and on the way to the airport in Dar Es Salaam, I asked our company driver, Mohamed if he'd post the cards in the city. He promised he would and while I was on leave in South Africa, two friends mailed me and said they'd received their cards. Yippeee! Thanks Mohamed! 

 Each card was unique and reprented its sender perfectly

The first card I opened today was from fellow-blogger, fellow cat-lover and friend, Gattina, of Writer Cramps. I felt touched to receive a card from her, as I believe she prefers to send e-cards to friends instead of using the old-fashioned postal method. Her card was made personally with a collage of her, her husband, their grandson and their four cats. Grant and I had a very special meeting with Gattina and a friend, in London in June last year. 
 
The second card was from a very dear friend, Pat from Pat and Jerry blog. Pat and I "met" through blogging early in 2009, when she and I visited the same blog set in Niger, West Africa. I clicked on Pat's name, arrived at her blog and have followed it since. (Note* I have got to know many bloggers by clicking on their link while we both visited a third blog. Try it sometime!) Pat and I share a love for the Lord Jesus, we've shared testimonies with each other; and she has prayed for me on many occasions when I asked her, and I have lifted her up in mine when she's needed spiritual support. Pat and I are both doting grandmothers as many of you out there and already "know" each others' grandchildren through our blogs! Pat's card has a embossed golden dove and included a beautifully typed newsletter and photos of her, her husband and their family in 2012. 

The third card was from dear blogger friend, and an inspiration to me with my writing: Becky Povitch. Her card was absolutely unique in that it 's a narrow cut-out and resembles two long book shelves lined with Christmas classics like Once upon a Christmastime (George R Sims); Nancy's Country Christmas (Eleanor Hoy) and more. Becky is a published author with a second novel appearing this year.

So that's why I love blogging and blog-hopping / visiting. The more you visit and comment (else how will that blogger know you visited?) the more people return the compliment of visiting your blog and commenting. You also get to know people on a more personal level through e-mails and sometimes through the snail mail!

Shinyanga Post Office, where I bought my postage stamps for Christmas Cards last November. I didn't enter the glass doors. The window on the left slid open and a friendly young woman served me through it! The cards I received were sent to our company HO in Dar Es Salaam and forwarded to me with a spares truck

I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend, wherever you are!