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!

A year ago, when spring began its tender arrival, I would ride my bike along the trail through the forest near my house.  The trail ended at a lake, and there I would sit at the same picnic table each time, writing letters, beginning this project.  Bringing new dreams to fruition.  Sending bits of the love I knew to be important through handwritten notes, like this one below, while watching the lake come alive with people in rowboats and then transition to a meditative stillness as the sun blushed upon it.

That spring was one of magic in so many ways.  It was a true rebirth, a blossoming of heart and soul and mind.  

March 20, 2013 is the first day of spring this year.

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!)

Please send your lovely handwritten responses to:

Lovely Handwritten Notes

P.O. Box 2674

Washington, DC 20013

United States of America

If you’re new to the project and unsure what the Question of the Month is, start here.

Ok, so I got this package in the mail…

Which, I mean, look at it…it looks like a bundle of loving excitement! But, then I opened it to find this…

Which was even more exciting.  But, then, I opened that to find all of this…

And I was in postal heaven.  Louise in England, you are amazing!  Thanks so much!

The package also included a lovely response to a past Question of the Week: If you could have a few more hours in the day, what would you use them for?

• My craft room needs tidying up because there’s things all over the floor!
• Bleach the bathroom from ceiling to floor!
• Read some books on pregnancy — I’m 30 weeks pregnant!
• Clean & tidy the whole house ready for our little girl arriving in December =)
• Make some baby crafts
• Rest a little?!?!

Hehee xx

• Make some envelopes.  I’ve run out!

First of all, Louise, congratulations on your baby girl!!  I hope everything is going beautifully for you and your family.  Secondly, expect a little something in the mail soon, and more later!  Your package was truly lovely and put a big smile on my face.

Also, Louise has a fantastic blog, so definitely check it out!

This project is about promoting handwritten letters (which, in turn, promotes all sorts of other goodness, like kindness, connection, and cheer).  So, no matter how you choose to be involved—whether you’re responding to the questions of the week, requesting a handwritten note from me, or just sending a little “hello” yourself—you’re doing just what you need to do.

This little hello to the project came from Qatar.

Hello from afar,

Came across your blog via a retweet from another fan of letters.  I’m glad you take the time to do this for folks (and keep the USPS chugging along).  I travel a lot so am very happy to write a postcard though at times it’s difficult to determine who would want such an item!  Whenever I visit a city I seek out a post office and request 10 stamps to make it easy on the clerk, especially if we don’t speak the same language.  Acquiring these Qatari stamps the 1st time around was easy but accents were so strong I didn’t try to make conversation.  The stamps were of old world cup (soccer) posters — quite bland for a foreign country stamp.  Upon return to make mailings I purchased more and got these unique “creatures” of Qatar.  Much better, though I need to decide who will get a postcard with a stamp of an earwig.  Haha.  

Take care and hope this reaches you warmly…

This was such a fun and unique note to receive.  I can imagine this writer traveling the world at the same time that his or her handwritten notes also travel to and fro.  It makes me happy to think about the many ways the many places of this big world are brought together.

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! :)

After a long stretch of an empty p.o. box, letters now are sweeter than ever.

Especially when life is in one of those stages where it is dancing so fast it’s hard to keep up.  I’m moving this weekend, and for some reason sold my bed a week early.  Sleeping on the floor leads to groggy moments come late afternoon.  But then, you get a little something like this from Jerimi.

Dear LHN,

I love your goal of reviving the handwritten letter!  There’s something inherently kind about a written note.

So here is a smile, sent with a stamp, just for you. :)

Best Wishes,

Jerimi

I smiled all the way home.  Thanks for the kindness, Jerimi.  It totally helped me defunkifize.

Yesterday, I introduced Chloe as a letter pioneer, not letting the U.S. Postal Service stop her from getting me her letter.  Today, I’d like to share one of her responses to a past question of the week.  In her letter, she responded to every question that has been asked so far, and all of her responses were so thoughtful.  

I also really, really love her cursive.  It reminds me of friendship and shopping for antiques.

Question: Why are you interested in this project?  What is it that you like (or don’t like) about letter writing?

I have social anxiety, so don’t go out often and communicating through text is a lot easier for me than conversation.  Hand-written letters are the most charming and lovely way of textual communication, I think, because someone has taken the time to sit down and write it, and it’s often a lot more personal.  I’ve lost touch with many friends because we’ve added each other on Facebook, but never actually talk — whereas if I receive a post I’m always really excited and eager to reply.  I love the internet and it’s great for having quick conversations with people — but that’s the point; quick conversations.  Typing and sending is so instant, and people often reply straight away and one runs out of things to say.  With letters, however, it’s drawn out, so relationships have the ability to last much longer, with eagerness and anticipation over when the next letter will arrive.  I like your blog because it has given me a reason to write this long-winded letter to you (because you seem really lovely) and know that there’s less of a chance that I’m really annoying you! =p

I loved Chloe’s response to this question because I felt like I really got to know her personality, and I think it’s wonderful!  I love her sense of humor and her honesty.  I, too, find it easier to express myself in writing most times.

Thank you for sending in a lovely response to this question, Chloe!  And, you’ll have to be patient, but I’ll be sending you a letter back as well!

I often feel like my environment affects the subject matter and wording of my letters.  Some of my favorite places to write people letters are in the United States Botanic Garden, on the rooftop of my work’s building, in lovely, little, local coffee shops, and at the lake near my house.

Where are your favorite places to write letters?  What do you like about them?  Do you think your location affects how you write?

Please send your lovely handwritten response to:

Lovely Handwritten Notes

P.O. Box 2674

Washington, D.C. 20013

United States of America

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

http://roughoutlines.blogspot.com/2012/06/kindness-and-letters-letters-and.html

Rough Outlines is my more traditional blog where I hash out the bundles of thoughts that pass through my mind daily.  In this most recent post, I get into a little more detail about why and how I started Lovely Handwritten Notes and what the greater meaning of letter writing is to me.  I also display a few more of the postcards I picked up in an antique store in West Virginia!