February 3, 2017 by fromsomewherewithlovex

With love from California (2017)

with-love-from-california-2017

Hi Hilary! It’s raining here for a week which gives me terrible. Christmas week was nice: did a lot of decorations and sat looking at the Christmas trees and listening to Christmas music. How was your Xmas? Happy New Year

Another original design created by crazyruthie in postcard format; it must have taken ages to colour all those little shapes!

The postmark is barely visible, you can just make out the number 7 on the right which, along with the text, indicates that this card was received early in 2017 (this year).

The stamp is that Global universal stamp which, it occurs to me, may soon include the head and shoulders of the president! (Anything is possible).

Another card from CBC who I have become postcard pals with since starting this blog 🙂

August 10, 2016 by fromsomewherewithlovex

with love from California (2016)

Here is a super special bonus card. it takes me hours to make something like this so i just want to let you know that you’re a great postcard pal! You’re so busy, always doing intresting places. You sent me cards when i wasn’t replying that really made me feel good. Love CBC “fish lips” 7/16

This is a beautiful original painting on a postcard, that I received the other day. CBC has called it ‘fish lips’ – see how all the fish have big lips 🙂 I was lucky to receive it, as the number was wrong on the address; a kind hearted person obviously took it back to the post office for a second chance.

The card is postmarked ‘OAKLAND CA PM 25 Jul 2016’ and carries an unusual circular stamp, featuring an image of the moon. This global stamp was issued earlier in 2016 and can be used to mail a one-ounce letter from the US to any country which has a First-Class international mail service.

CBC (aka Crazyruthie) follows this blog; about six months we began exchanging postcards via snail mail. We do the odd email too, but receiving the postcards is far more exciting! CBC always sends me an original painted one, or something hand drawn and coloured; they’re all different depending on what technique she’s experimenting with at the time. We have become postcard pals as a result of this blog, maybe one day we’ll meet in person 🙂

October 14, 2015 by fromsomewherewithlovex

with love from Palm Springs, California (1991)

14/5/91 Many thanks for your letter and John’s birthday card. Hope your problems are sorting themselves out now! Many congrats on your becoming parents for the 2nd time! We are having a great time here & after doing the tourist trip around LA, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Universal Studios & Disneyland, we hired a car this morning & went to Queen Mary and Spruce Goose, then drove here to Palm Springs went up in this cable car 9,000 feet for dinner & came down to fairyland it seemed. All lights & very warm. Love J P R & C

Phew! I’m exhausted just reading this one! Meticulous planning has ensured maximum use of the available holiday time 🙂

It’s ‘AIR MAIL’ postmarked ‘PM Palm Springs CA 15 May 1991’ and carries a 40 cent stamp featuring Lillian M. Gilbreth which is one of the Great Americans series of stamps.

The picture is of the Aerial Tramway, Palm Springs; the cars seem to have been updated since 1991; the spectacular views are much the same.

John, mentioned in the text, was my Dad’s childhood friend – their mothers were good friends – although he sadly died, suddenly, a few years after this card was written. The ‘problems’ mentioned refer to the UK recession of 1991 which caused many people, including us, to go into negative equity and lose their homes. Recessions/Banking Crises come round regular as clockwork it seems! The comment about being parents for the second time proved premature as we subsequently lost the baby early on in the pregnancy – it was a bad year. The friendship between the two families continues into the third generation and now spans over a hundred years!

April 15, 2015 by fromsomewherewithlovex

with love from Paris (1984)

OK, Hillary – made it to Paris ! Beauty, eh ? wish I had a chance to see you. Please call if you get to L.A. John O ******HUNTINGTON BEACH CA 92647 (714) *******

A classic shot of the Moulin Rouge – even for 1984 those cars look old! The view is still much the same, but the cars are more modern (and less colourful) and the building on the left has been painted. The Moulin Rouge was established in 1889

The post mark reads ‘Paris 01 R. du Louvre 18.00 8-9-1984’

The stamp is 3 francs – the currency of France prior to the introduction of the Euro in January 2002

Like the card from Denmark this card is contains a postal address so that we would be able to stay in touch.

The comment ‘wish I had a chance to see you’ reflects the often held American view that Europe is all one country; London and Paris are a stone’s throw from each other and virtually inter-changeable! Although London and Paris are very close physically, speak to a native of each and you will soon be clearly apprised of the distinct cultural and language differences between the cities! Not to mention the English Channel (or La Manche) which separates the two countries.

John O was the friend of Chris – they shared a place together just outside Los Angeles. I first met Chris in 1981 as I travelled to Norway on a ferry from the UK; during the journey Chris and I played cards, he was older than me, and took me under his wing; it was a 24 hour journey and my first time away from home; we exchanged addresses – this being well before the era of mobile phones and the internet. When, in 1982, I visited America with the Canadian boyfriend I contacted Chris and we stayed at his and John’s home in California for a week. John had plans to visit Europe some day – which he did in 1984. I have not seen Chris or John since that week in 1982 and have lost touch with both of them.