It Is Cold Out There

"Sky-scrappers" at St Martin Quarter
Cuenca, Spain

"When it rains, it's a whole different scene. Or when there's a blizzard, it's the best time, told the filmmakers of Bill Cunningham New York, the 2011 documentary."

 

Postcards sent by Bryon (USA & Canada), and Bruno (Spain).

December Stamps

December usually means December stamps from the Netherlands. These are some of the 2024 designs, created by illustrator Marieke Ruts from Hellevoetsluis. They include ten festive scenes, each one with a robin, the bird that always inspires hope. You can see here all the illustrations.

They always look wonderful on envelopes, like these sent by Heleen:

Sunday Stamps | R is for Randoin

Lucie Randoin (1888 – 1960) was a French biologist, nutritionist, and hygienist. She was made a commander of the Legion of Honour in 1958 and is known for her research on vitamins. Se was the second woman to teach at the Faculty of Sciences in Paris (Sorbonne) and the first female biologist at the Academy of Medicine after Marie Curie.

This is my R-stamp for the A-Z Sunday Stamps dedicated to women on stamps.

Randomness Is What Keeps Letter Writers Alive

(2025 postal project.)

Autumn Girl

Letters sent by Laura (the UK).

Thursday Postcard Hunt | Lisbon Trams

Postcard sent by Pedro (Portugal).

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Thursday Postcard Hunt
November theme: SCENERY/LANDSCAPES

• Week 1 - With animals
• Week 2 - With people
• Week 3 - With buildings
• Week 4 - Multiviews

Everyone is welcome to share their postcards!

Any Part

Actually, I do not understand any part... But these made me smile. Postcards sent by Bryon (Canada).

Critters

These three letters full of critters arrived together on 10 November:

Sent by Fabienne (France), Phillip (the USA) and Laura (the UK).

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

Sunday Stamps | Q Is for Quimby

Harriet Quimby (1875 – 1912) was an American pioneering aviator, journalist, and film screenwriter. In 1911, she became the first woman in the United States to receive a pilot's license and in 1912 the first woman to fly solo across the English Channel. 

The stamp was issued in 1991.

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This is the Q post for the A-Z Sunday Stamps.

Postbox Saturday | Two Lonely Post Boxes

L'Escala

Sant Martí d'Empúries

250 Years of US Postal Service (7, 8)

In 2025, the United States celebrates a milestone: 250 years of postal service. This collection of postcards have been released one a month. All 12 align to form a timeline spanning from 1775 to 2025.

7.

The Inverted Jenny is one of the most famous and valuable postage stamps in the world. Issued in 1918 to commemorate the launch of the first regular airmail service, the stamp features a Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" biplane. Due to a printing error, the airplane appears upside down on the stamps.

This postcard arrived with a "1775-2025" postmark on the back!

8.

The first regularly scheduled airmail service route connected New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. The 218-mile route was flown regularly, rain or shine. Banks were among the first major customers, using airmail to send checks and financial papers more quickly.

Postcards sent from Bryon (the USA).

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[1-2, 3, 4, 5-6...]

Thursday Postcard Hunt | Ham House

Bacchus among the domed lavender and topiary cones of the
Cherry Garden

Originally built in 1610, Ham House is a rare and atmospheric survival of 17th century architecture, art and furniture. In 1626, it was given by King Charles I to William and Catherine Murray. During the English Civil Wars, Catherine and their elder daughter, Elizabeth, managed to keep Ham safe with the support of Elizabeth's first husband Sir Lionel Tollemache. After the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660 Elizabeth and her second husband, the Duke of Lauderdale, extended the house and collected spectacular art and furniture. The house remained in the Tollemache family until 1948, when it was given to the National Trust.

The Library built in 11672-4
(But these are not the original books)

Postcards sent by Laura (the UK).

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Thursday Postcard Hunt
November theme: SCENERY/LANDSCAPES

• Week 1 - With animals
• Week 2 - With people
• Week 3 - With buildings
• Week 4 - Multiviews

Everyone is welcome to share their postcards!

250 Years of US Postal Service (3)

In 2025, the United States celebrates a milestone: 250 years of postal service. This collection of postcards have been released one a month. All 12 align to form a timeline spanning from 1775 to 2025.

This postcard highlights the establishment of the Railway Post Office (RPO) in 1864.

At the time, mail was transported by various methods, including horseback, stagecoaches, steamboats, and trains.

For mail transported by train, the mail remained in sacks, unopened from one post office to the next. This system was inefficient and lead to delays.

The Railway Post Office introduced the innovation of sorting mail en route, significantly improving delivery speed and efficiency, and operated for over 113 years, from 1864 to 1977.

By 1951, the RPO network employed 30,000 clerks, utilized 3,200 cars, covered 165,000 miles, and handled 93% of all non-local mail.

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The 3rd postcard sent by Bryon (the USA) never made it. So, he kindly sent a replacement.
[1-2, 3, 4, 5-6...]

Books!

Library of Strahov Abbey, Czechia

Postcard from a Poscrossing meeting that took place in a bookstore. On the envelope, matching stamps featuring four Duthc writers: Abdelkader Benali, Bregje Hofstede, Kader Abdolah and Jessica Durlacher. Only one of these names was familiar to me.

Sent by Věra (Czechia) and Heleen (the Netherlands).