Posts by Jackie
A Preview of New US Postage Stamps in 2020
Here’s a sneak peak at the new first-class stamps coming out in the first half of 2020. As a reminder, effective January 26, 2020, the price to mail a postcard or 1 oz letter internationally will increase from $1.15 to $1.20. Some package mailings will see slight price increases too. All other prices for first-class…
Read MoreHello, 2020!
Hello, 2020! What a joy and a privilege to welcome a New Year! It’s easy to dismiss, bemoan, and complain of another year passing, but there is nothing we can do and so many never get the opportunity to welcome a new year. It is better to take the attitude to embrace it to the…
Read MoreBook Review: The Line Tender
5 out of 5 The Line Tender is a middle grade novel about Lucy Everhart, 12, whose mother, a shark expert, had died five years previously. Water and sharks play a mercurial role in the story as Lucy comes to term with another devastating loss. What drew me to this book? The cover with its…
Read MoreSend Some Cheer
There is always someone who could benefit from a letter. Thankfully there are many of us in the world who enjoy writing and sending them. Sometimes we have plenty of people to write to and at other times there doesn’t seem to be enough. That’s where websites and organizations like The World Needs More Love…
Read More2020 Planners
I have decided on two types of planners for 2020. One is the Erin Condren and the other is Hobonichi Techo which were both used in 2018. You can go here to see what I used in 2019. I tend to do Erin Condren for future planning and day-to-day appointments and the Hobonichi for tracking…
Read MoreMy Mother’s Journals 1993-1999
My mother was 50 years old when she began keeping a daily journal.journal She doesn’t mention in her journal why she began documenting her life in small town North Dakota, nor did she ever share or talk about this private ritual with me or my sister. It was after she died in 1999 that we…
Read MoreBook Review: Virgil Wander
5 Stars (out of 5) I started reading Virgil Wander on loan from the library and before I had completed the first page, I knew that I was going to purchase my own copy. I was already in love with Virgil based on his name, Virgil Wander, and the beautiful star-filled cover evoking small-town America…
Read MoreA Visit to the Twin Cities Book Festival
Earlier this month, I attended the Twin Cities Annual Book Festival which I had talked about in this blog post as a prelude to the event. We had other plans going on that Saturday so I was only there for about an hour and didn’t get a chance to see any authors who were speaking…
Read MoreTwin Cities Book Festival
The 19th Annual Twin Cities Book Festival is this Saturday, October 12. Held at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, this annual event is the largest single-day book event in the area. There are hundreds of exhibitors including authors, illustrators, and publishers. Some of the bigger names this year: Faith Sullivan (Cape Ann, Ruby & Roland) Leif…
Read MoreWrite Back Soon: Adventures in Letter Writing
For an interactive, colorful, and engaging book on letter writing, consider picking up a copy of Karen Benke’s Write Back Soon! Adventures in Letter Writing (2015). Benke offers a plethora of ways to send mail including: Remember when (reliving a memory shared with a friend) A list of fun things to include with your letter…
Read More