Mail

I love mail! I'm sort of like a 5 year old when it comes to mail. I like to send it, I like to read other peoples, but mostly I love to get it.

Back in the fall I decided that aside from a few bills (which I don't love) I was not getting the amount of mail that I needed. I pondered my predicament for a few days before figuring out the secret to getting mail. Are you ready, here it is...To get mail you have to send mail. Then I realized something, I hadn't been sending any mail, so the few friends and family members who occasionally dropped me a line were just being nice. I didn't really deserve to get anything but the bills.

I am starting to think that I have solved my problem. I send at least 10 letters a week unless I am on vacation. More for holidays or if people seem to need a letter. Sunday afternoons are like a regular letter factory. Don't even get me started on the amount of glue and paper flying around the living room when I decide to make cards.

Anyway, this blog entry is a thank you to all of the friends and family who have responded to my efforts. I got 7 valentines since Friday (1 was at work and not in the mail box.) I get letters at least a couple times a week. You make my day every time I get one, not to mention when I get 2 at once. Oh, and post cards, wahoo!!! I have filled multiple pages of a photo album with those. It's becoming quite the collection.

So, thanks again and I will keep up the work on my end.

The Waterfall

As a kid I went to Nojoqui falls on a trip with my parents. I remember it being a fun hike and have always wanted to go back. Well, Saturday I went with a friend. The "hike" was more of a nature walk, but it is in a pretty canyon and the waterfall was flowing which I guess it doesn't do in the summer.

It made for a fun day, and to my friend...Thanks for coming!!!

The Lighthouse

There was a time when I really, really, really wanted to go inside a lighthouse. I thought they were the greatest thing ever. There was just one problem, I was living in the desert. Then I moved to a landlocked state. I occasionally saw one from the outside if I went to the right beach and up at the great lakes. I finally got to go inside of one. It was a fun day.

Here is the view from my trolley car ride to get there.



Here is the front of the lighthouse.


Here is the light. It is no longer used and is not even inside of the lighthouse tower anymore. Good thing, because there were 7 of us in there and the light would have made that impossible.


They are still working on some restorations. The lighthouse was built in 1890 so most of the rooms were restored to that time.





The lightkeeper's daughter was still alive when renovations started so her room was made as she remembered it including electricity.


Anyway, it was a pretty fun day.

The Donut Brigade

Every morning, at donut stores across America, little groups of old men gather. They eat donuts; drink coffee or milk; and ramble about their past, present, and grandkid's future to anyone that will listen. I first found out about these guys as a kid when my Grandpa joined them. As an older kid I figured out that just about every donut store has a group. The one by my work is full of guys with antique cars.



I buy donuts about once a week. Enough that the lady behind the counter knows to get me chocolate milk while I decide between plain cake donuts and an apple fritter. While I wait in line I listen in as the local group talks about their past, their cars, their wives, and my favorite topic their grandkids. I can't help but smile as I am reminded of my Grandpa and the stories that he shared with his own group of donut buddies.