Grace from Georgia also responded to March’s Question of the Month: 

What are your hopes for the spring?  What would you like to see blossom in your life or in the world?  Where will you find your spring magic? (If it’s transitioning to a different season where you live in the world—tell me about that!)

Her response came in this sweet little card:

Dear Lovely Handwritten Notes,

I’ve just gotten into this sending-mail-to-random-people-scene, and so you are the first one I’ve written!

Anyway, what are my hopes for spring?  I’ve not really thought about that.  I guess just doing well in class. (Yes, I am that boring of a person.)  I’m a junior in college though, so my efforts are much needed.

What would I like to see blossom?  Well…I just started dating this awesome guy (on Valentine’s Day, cliche, I know).  I really like him and I hope that our mutual attraction will grow into love.  I’m well on the way and I hope he is too.

Finally, my spring magic.  My birthday is in the spring, right when the angle of the sunlight is changing from the blue of winter to the gold of summer.  That is where I find my magic.

Finally, have sketch of my favorite place to sit in the spring.

Have a lovely day,

Grace

First of all, wanting to do well in class does not make you a boring person!  Higher education is a beautiful and exciting endeavor.  Congrats on all of your work, and I hope you finish the semester with a bang!  :)

Second, spring love is the best!  Thanks for sharing; it made me all warm and fuzzy inside to think of blossoming love.

Finally, I must agree that the change from winter to spring to summer—from blue to gold—is magic.  I love watching the sun slowly stick around longer and longer.

Thanks so much for your response, and happy spring!

The Question of the Month for March was:

What are your hopes for the spring?  What would you like to see blossom in your life or in the world?  Where will you find your spring magic? (If it’s transitioning to a different season where you live in the world—tell me about that!)

And it is possibly my most favorite Question of the Month ever.  I’m getting antsy for spring, growing ever impatient with the cold.  Your responses to the question make it feel like the sun can break through this year’s slow blooming season.

Janet from Utah’s response came in a simple brown envelope with purposeful penmanship.

And it only got more exciting as I opened it.

The paper was painted, stained, and glittered in all the right places with a welcoming green title declaring, “Spring Will Come.”

Janet responded:

March 10, 2013

Spring Will Come

I hope it’s a long spring.  Last summer was unreasonably hot.  For now, the mountains are still covered with snow and we are in a 50 degree heat wave (seems so after single digit days this winter).

Things to look forward to are; the SUN!, leaves on trees (none yet), flowers and trips to plant nurseries, going outside without a coat, farmers’ markets, art festivals, plein air painting, dog walks, bare feet, just to name a few!

The first day of spring is March 20.

I love handwritten notes!

Take care,

Janet

It’s the simple things that Janet mentions, like going outside without a coat, that make my heart happy for the change from winter to spring.

Thanks so much, Janet, for the thoughtful response—and enjoy your spring! :)

It may have been snowing today in D.C., but spring is officially here—and with it so many lovely handwritten notes to my P.O. Box!  Do you see yours in this pile?

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be sharing these letters (and some remaining valentines—who says love ends after February?) on the blog, so stay tuned.  Also, a new Question of the Month coming your way soon!

This is a very fantastic project!  I encourage all of you to visit the website and get involved in spreading cheer.  :)

A friend of mine has an amazing postcard collection she shares on her website.  You should probably check it out.  This link will take you to a particularly fun post celebrating the official start of the USPS back in 1789!

I think it’s time for a new question.  I’ve been keeping rather busy and, it seems, trying to fit more hours into a day than there actually are.  Too much push and not enough sleep meant that this girl ended up having to take a sick day today.

With that in mind…

If you could have a few more hours in the day, what would you use them for?

Right now, I’m thinking sleep, but, knowing myself and all these big dreams I have, I don’t see that actually playing out. ;)

Please send your lovely handwritten responses to:

Lovely Handwritten Notes

P.O. Box 2674

Washington, DC 20013

United States of America

If you’re wondering what the Question of the Week is and how it works, start here.

Another question that is always up for grabs is:

What is something just really nice (a story, a joke, a quote, something you’d just like to say, a drawing, really, anything you can think of…) that you’d like to send my P.O. Box to bring it back into the sunshine so that I may then share all of the lovely mementos it receives from around the world on this here website so that not only I, but many more can benefit from their warmth?

I look forward to receiving and sharing your letters.

Sometimes my favorite things to receive in the mail are quick one-liners.  It can even be a postcard simply reading, “Hello!  Love, Me.”

How can something so quick leave such a big smile?

Thanks, Michelle. :)

It’s not Wednesday, but I think it’s time for a new question.  After all of my troubles with the post office these past couple of months, it has gotten me thinking a bit about one of the reasons I started this project — to help save the post office!  

With that in mind…

What is your idea for helping save the post office?  It can be silly, bizarre, serious, quantitative, qualitative, or all of the above! 

Please send your lovely handwritten response to:

Lovely Handwritten Notes

P.O. Box 2674

Washington, DC 20013

United States of America

If you’re wondering what the Question of the Week is and how it works, start here.

Another question still up for grabs is:

What is something just really nice (a story, a joke, a quote, something you’d just like to say, a drawing, really, anything you can think of…) that you’d like to send my P.O. Box to bring it back into the sunshine so that I may then share all of the lovely mementos it receives from around the world on this here website so that not only I, but many more can benefit from their warmth?

I can’t wait to receive and share all of your fantastic letters!  Have a fantastic weekend! :)

So, I’m still a bit skeptical that my post office box is actually working. Theoretically, it should be, so if you send a letter just let me know so I can expect it and make sure things are functioning properly.

I’m also in the middle of a move (very excited!), so life is currently in haphazard piles and cardboard boxes of variable sizes.  One of these boxes has all of your letters in it, along with my letter writing supplies (I got a little eager to move into the new place).  So, I really appreciate everyone’s patience with the slowness of the project right now.  In the interim, however, I’d still like to share some little tidbits of letter love. Here’s the first one.

Back in late June, I received a request for a lovely note from Sharmaine in Virginia, and her request came with a rather lovely little story.  I asked her if I could share it with all of you, and she happily agreed.  Here is what she wrote:

My Dearest, Lovely Handwritten Notes,

Already God is ushering blessings my way because I found so many wonderful “letter writing” companions tonight as a result of a google alert I set up on Friday!

I found your blog by way of 365Letters (or days of letters), along with many others.  I set up the alert to do more research on letter writers, letter writing because I’m three years late on embarking upon my own project ~ 300 Letters.

In 2009, my life seemed to be turning upside down because of the economy and because I was finding the courage to leave my comfort zone and follow my heart to write and do women’s ministry.  Money all but dried up and it seemed for a while that my prayers for help went unanswered.  I prayed for a  miracle and what I found was 100 stamps!  Somehow I felt that was a part of the answer to  my prayer.  Like you, I love to write and to write letters.  (I used to send an inspirational letter to my real estate clients every month for the past 10 years).

So I came upon the idea that I would write 100 letters to see if I could change my life.  But along the way, I got an email asking me to send a Christmas card to Veterans in the VA Hospital.  That idea mushroomed from one card, to a box of cards, to finding out how many veterans were at the VA Hospital in DC.  I ended up getting 250 cards and wrote a personal message in each one of them.  I used the 100 stamps for them and counted it as a good deed.

However, what I received was one of those “informational emails” where the information is incorrect.  I later found out that any cards sent directly to the VA Hospital would be returned.  They were to have been sent to a volunteer agency for dissemination instead.  All of them came back in my mailbox and I was so disheartened.  I’d poured my whole heart into it, but somehow felt that the good intention would not go unrewarded.

Soon after that (a couple of months later), I found yet another 100 stamps.  These were stamps that were randomly stored in boxes from my real estate office that I moved home.  Once again I got the idea that I would write 100 letters as an experiment to see if I could change my life.  I ended up using them to send out a round of inspirational letters to my clients.  So, the project never got underway.

Unbelieveably, I found yet another 100 stamps and knew it was a clear sign that I should write the letters, do the experiment, and see what happens.  So three years have passed and finally in 2012, I am undertaking the project called 300 letters because I found 300 stamps.  I’ve written 48 letters so far.  There are another 15 or so that I wrote while my life was transitioning so I’ll count them in as well.  But I’m excited about “sending” my heart, my thoughts, my words, my thanks, my requests, and my questions out into the world to see what comes back.

Just wanted to share that we are letter writing companions and I’m so happy that you crossed my path.  Last year, a woman who makes handmade cards also crossed my path and sends me beautiful cards throughout the year.  It’s love in the mailbox!  I’m joining the letter writer’s alliance also.  And for over a year, I’ve been sending inspirational letters to the troops in Afghanistan.  It’s a way to use my words to lift, encourage, and give thanks ~ a way to put them into the world where they are needed and will be appreciated.

Sharmaine L. Hobbs (or Writing Angel)

P. O. Box 4566

Midlothian, VA  23112

United States of America

I’m still behind in my posts.  BUT…I did respond to eighteen requests for lovely handwritten notes this evening!

I look forward to flooding the postal system with art in the morning.  :)

Also, I know I skipped the Question of the Week on Wednesday…I’m sorry.  I vote we start fresh next week!