There are no photos today. And... before you ask, I'll explain. I haven't taken any. It's not that I haven't written to anyone, and I've gotten some really fun mail, including a letter from Dawid, some awesome entries for the Mini Mondrian, and more, I just haven't taken photos. But that's not the point.
When I check my PO Box, it's usually in the evenings after work. Weekends are pretty much a "whenever I feel like it" thing. The service window at my Post Office is only open until 4:30pm on weekdays, and noon on Saturday. I almost always miss it, so I am greeted by the steel bars covering the displays. On the occasion that I do make it to the post office before they close, the Postmaster, Katrina, is always there, as she has been since the early 80s.
The mail that I receive is eagerly opened on the day I get it, and is logged in my book. I delight in reading the letters/cards, and have taken to sharing the experience with friends who are curious. "What's that?!" has been asked many times when I have an unusual envelope. My response is always the same - another gift from a pen friend.
And then... the letters get kept in my messenger bag. I keep all sorts of things in that bag - envelopes, stamps, rulers, markers, glue, tape, chap stick, fountain pens, ink, blank paper of all sorts and sizes, and a clipboard. I will pull out a random letter and re-read it. And then I will start my response.
Sometimes, it takes me a couple of days to write a response. Sometimes, it flows like melted butter on a hot pan. I always date the letters for the day that I start writing them, but I often wonder if I should date them for the day they were finished. They will then get placed into an envelope... and that's where I fail. I don't always put them into the post right away. I seem to gather them until I have 5 or 6 envelopes to mail out before I send them.
So, my question to you is - how to you write your letters?