Day Dreaming

Image by John Althouse Cohen

Today marks the beginning of an incredibly strenuous two-week period for me. And, I'm guessing that, being a Monday, today is the beginning of at least a stressful 5-day period for many of you.

In times like these, I like to take off my headphones, sit back in my chair, and day dream with my eyes closed, about all the things I actually like doing. When I close my eyes today, I see myself writing and drinking tea at a cafe in Madrid. A gentle breeze blowing warm air across my face... puff pastry that sticks to the lips after a good bite... ahh, I could sit here and write all day...

What about you, where are your day dreams taking you today?

Everyday Correspondence is on Twitter!

Dear Readers,

After discovering that so many people in the online letter writing enthusiast community were on Twitter, I couldn't resist getting Everyday Correspondence in on the fun! It's still a lot to take in, but I should be up to speed in a few days.

Followers of the Everyday Correspondence Twitter feed will get: notice of more market watch items than are posted here on the blog, site updates (i.e. new links to the Vintage Letterhead Image Archive) that are not posted about on the blog, and more links to recommended reads than are posted here on the blog. I'm sure that there will be much more that's exclusive to the Twitter feed... but I'll have to add them when I think them up.

Thanks to Okami and Jackie for their warm tweets of welcome!

See you on the Twitter feed!

Yours in 140 characters,

James

Valedictions III: Historic Letter Closings

This is the third post in a three part guest series by PNT.

To close out the three part series on letter closings, I thought it would be fun to dig up some examples of historic letter closings. While most of these valedictions aren’t striking in their originality, it’s interesting to see how letter closings taken as a whole reflect the spirit of the letters.


Einstein to Roosevelt, 1939 – “Very truly yours”
The letter that launched the arms race, Einstein's first letter is a warning to President Roosevelt of the possibility of constructing "extremely powerful bombs of a new type" with hints that the German government might be doing just that. Writing in the gravest of times on the weightiest of matters, one wonders if the scientist’s closing is a mere formality or if it is intended to sincerely express his dedication to the cause during the dark times he foresaw soon ahead.

Click the above text image for the link to download Jane Austen font.

Jane Austen - "Very affectionately yours"
Pride and Prejudice may have begun life as an epistolary novel, and the book retains many full length letters. Outside the whirlwind of her novels, Miss Austen was a prolific letter writer in her own life. Writing mostly to family and friends she was effusively affectionate and what her letter closings lacked in originality they made up for in endearing candor.

Very affectionately yours,

Yours ever,

Yours,

Civil War Love Letters – “Your own loving and devoted”
In contrast to the above three categories, the Civil War love letters are striking in their variety. Soldiers highly educated and barely literate, writing to wives, girlfriends, even to “Miss Lonelyhearts” ads in a newspaper they picked up along the way. 


As ever your devoted and loving Husband,

Excusebad riting,

Yours affectionately,

yr own loving + devoted,

I am ever yours, Sincerely, [Like good tea and fine scotch, closings blend too. ~ed.]


Lewis Carrol - "A shade more friendly"

Concluding his short essay “Eight or Nine Wise Words about Letter Writing “, Mr. Dodgson advises “If doubtful whether to end with “yours faithfully”, or “yours truly”, or “your most truly”, (there are at least a dozen varieties, before you reach “yours affectionately”), refer to your correspondent’s last letter, and make your winding-up at least as friendly as his: in fact, even if a shade more friendly, it will do no harm!”



Emily Post – “Personal hyphen”

Impeccably reasoned, as always, Mrs. Post provides advice for both types of letters. “An intimate letter”, she says “has no end at all. When you leave the house of a member of your family, you don’t have to think up an especial sentence in order to say good-by. Leave-taking in a letter is the same.”



"The close of a less intimate letter, like taking leave of a visitor in your drawing-room, is necessarily more ceremonious. And the ‘ceremonious close’ presents to most people the greatest difficulty in letter-writing." While she doesn’t provide the sort of short-phrase examples that would fit here, she does explain that almost anything will do that provides the necessary “personal hyphen between the person writing and the person written to.”

Finally, rather than prattling to a summation, I it seems appropriate to leave you with one of my favorite valedictions. So, until next time, I remain

Your most humble and obedient servant,

PNT

PNT is a full time law student, part time gentleman adventurer, and inveterate logophile who currently hangs his hat in Washington, D.C.

Stamps Not Usually Seen

One of my favorite things about receiving packages from individuals, rather than from mail order companies, is that I get to see stamps that often don't make their way onto envelopes and into my mailbox. For example, the above picture shows two $1 "Wisdom" stamps. I don't know their story, but I think they're magnificent.


And in this picture, there is a cartoon collection that would be difficult to find on an envelope, given their denominations.

Ephemera like this makes me happy. I love being able to find joy in the details.

Friday Night Favorite Reads

Idea Journal at Letters & Journals

Ecosystem Environmentally Friendly Journals at OfficeSupplyGeek

Laff Letters at The Missive Maven

Egregious Post Card at The Art of the Postcard

PocketMod, or, When You Need a Journal, NOW

I recently came across PocketMod in my zine research. PocketMod is a method of creating an 8 page journal out of a single piece of paper, the perfect size for a pocket notepad. The folding (and one cutting) instructions are in the above image. The PocketMod website, however, contains much more than just the folding instructions. It has an online journal customizer, to add page titles and games, like Sudoku, should you so desire.

This obviously isn't going to be the layout design for the new zine, but I did think it was handy.

I have zero affiliation with PocketMod or its creators.

Australia Post Ad

I love this ad from Australia Post. I thought that you might, too.

Happy Thanksgiving!

To all of you that celebrate, Happy Thanksgiving!

I've had lots to be thankful for this year, and I hope that you have to. Now, enjoy yourself a delicious meal.

Market Watch: Bubbledog Holiday Card Giveaway

Aidan at Bubbledog is hosting a giveaway for a set of six holiday cards (pictured above)! The only requirement for entry is to leave a comment on the giveaway post.

Check it out! The deadline for entries is midnight on November 28.

blotter paper: Invitation for Submissions!

The theme for the inaugural issue of blotter paper is, “Correspondence as...” Submissions should focus on a unique angle of correspondence. Examples would be: correspondence as art, correspondence as communication, correspondence as documentation, correspondence as technological rebellion, whatever you as the creator of your submission want it to be!

Please contact me via this form to request a submission packet. Submissions are due January 9, 2010.

I can't wait to see what you all come up with!

EDIT: New deadline is January 21, 2010!

Zine: Title Announcement

blotter paper

That's it. That's the title of the new Everyday Correspondence community zine. And with your help, it's going to be spectacular.

This title came to me in the middle of the night, and after a moment of reflection, I decided that it was perfect. Just as blotter paper absorbs ink from a recently penned page, leaving an imprint of the written work, I see this zine acting like an imprint of the community's creativity.

"Sincerely," Stamp

I feel it only appropriate to publish this post fresh off the second part of PNT's series on valedictions.

A few weeks ago, I found myself trapped inside of a Michaels during a power outage. While waiting for the power to come back on so that I could pay for my items, I filled my time by looking around the store's dollar section. And wouldn't you know it, as is almost always the case with dollar sections, I found some fantastic little goodies! Among them, this "Sincerely," rubber stamp. Being as I purchased it at Michaels, I'm sure that it was intended for scrap-booking, but I, of course, bought it with the intention of using it in the context of letter writing.

Since acquiring the stamp, I've discovered that I have mixed feelings about it. Is it too impersonal to literally rubber stamp a valediction? For weeks, I couldn't decide, so I erred on not using it. But, then I wrote a black and white letter to a pen pal, and I decided that this pal would surely understand that I was using it as a creative flourish rather than as a brush off. I think it worked.

What about you? How do you feel about stamping a letter closing?

Market Watch: Empty Ink Bottles at Pear Tree Pens

After scouring the internet this summer for the a desktop inkwell, I concluded that there were no more economical, and few more attractive, alternatives to the empty ink bottle, sans paper label. At that time, I had to search all around for an almost empty container of my bottle of choice, the Iroshizuku.

I only wish, at that time, that Pear Tree Pens had been having it's empty bottle sale! Priced from $3-$6, there are ten different bottle styles to choose from. The bottle in the above picture is a Caran d'Ache. There is a limited supply, so if you're interested in a class-tacular inkwell, I recommend hurrying over to check out the sale.

Everyday Correspondence has no affiliation with Pear Tree Pens or any of the products that the online retailer sells.

Valedictions II: Five Ways to Leave Your Letter

This is the second post in a three part guest series by PNT.
Last Sunday, I ruminated on the beauty of a well-chosen valediction. Sure, email obviates the need for a signature, and many workaday emails don't benefit from cleverness. But when writing goes beyond mere communication and becomes correspondence, a little more flourish is appropriate. The challenge is to take a few extra moments, play with ideas, and see if you can't surprise yourself and you reader with something clever. Here are five ideas to get you started:

image via

The Formal Closing

When doing the professional thing, I find that “Sincerely,” is workable, but, if read literally, could be too touchy feely, particularly when you’re cold calling. “Cordially” is a another accepted standby. While its denotation feels a bit cold, it’s become as standard as a black suit and just as safe. Sometimes “Thank you” can feel like a way out of a closing, but to me that can feel informal, even presumptuous. What you really want is something that conveys an unambiguously positive and acceptable sentiment. How about respect? I find that “Respectfully” is very appropriate, and helps get out of the rut.

The pledge:
It’s not often that we get the opportunity to be dramatic, so we should seize it when it comes. The pledge asserts common bonds, background, or endeavor between reader and writer. PostMuse saw this one coming last week.
In fraternity,
In solidarity,
Yours in struggle, (Title of a book on the feminist perspective on racism and anti-Semitism)
Yours in Christ, (Common priest's valediction)
Yours in service, (Order of the Arrow, Boy Scouts of America traditional valediction)
Yours in friendship,

~ (“The Squiggle”)
The squiggle is a useful non-answer with a tendency to be abused. Found just before the perpetrator’s name, it’s a denotation-free anchor to keep the signature from floating around in the blank space at the bottom of the page. The squiggle is the equivalent of telling reporters "no comment." While suboptimal, it can get you out of a jam.

The unfinished sentence:
For a touch of drama, construct the last sentence so that your signature ends the letter. I appreciate the approach used by Miss Margaret Hukill Taylor in her letter to her Goucher college former classmates in 1921:

“...We like a certain class of tramps, so you will find a warm welcome from

Margaret Hukill Taylor”

image via

The verbal flourish:
Rapidly becoming my favorite, another way to close is with a clever or inspiring quasi-non-sequitor that relates to the context. Discussing paintball plans with my brother ended with "Lock and load," and an email submitting a manuscript at 4:15 am ended with "Daylight come and me wanna go home,". It needn't really be related in topic, only in tone. To me, done right, the reader of the verbal flourish will hear the writers voice in their head. Letterclosings.com actually has a whole mess of letter closings (really?!), and many of them under "With a Twist" (informal but SFW) and "On the Edgy Side" (would make nuns blush) fall into this category. My letter submitting this to Everyday Correspondence--after long delay--ended "Not dead yet, feels happy, and doesn't want to go onto the cart,". Some ideas:
Alive and kicking,
Asking that you treat me no differently than the Queen,
Exit stage right,
May the wombat of happiness snuffle through your underbrush, (Ancient Aboriginal blessing)
May you live in interesting times, (Chinese curse)
Never surrender,
Strength and honor, (From Gladiator; respond with "Courage and Wisdom,")
Straight, no chaser,

Next week, Part III: Historic Valedictions; Letter closings from those who know best and those who should know better.

PNT is a full time law student, part time gentleman adventurer, and inveterate logophile who currently hangs his hat in Washington, D.C.

Friday Night Favorite Reads

3rd Batch of Stationery at All-My-Hues

Bat Punch Fun at The Missive Maven

Notebook Review: The Habana from Quo Vadis at Rants of the Archer

Contrary at Goodnight Little Spoon

Have Art Supplies-Will Send Mail at Make Every Day a Good Mail Day

Ink Swatch: Sailor Red Brown

Mmmmm... I love red-browns and red-blacks. I find myself really attracted to dark inks with colored accents, like Montblanc Racing Green, a green-black, and this Sailor Red Brown.

What's your favorite base color/accent color combo?

A Very Bubbledog Thank You

To express my appreciation to Karen at Exaclair, for the nifty gifties she send me last week, I sent her a thank you note written one of the fantastic Bubbledog cards I won I while back.

I think that all the pieces for the card went together really well. Obviously, the card is a powder blue with a polar bear on it. But then, I wrote my message and addressed the envelope in J. Herbin Diabolo Menthe, a frosty blue-green.


And, to top it all off, I remembered reading on the Quo Vadis blog that Karen has some connection to Alaska... the commemorative stamp for which recently arrive in my mailbox and goes perfectly with this card-ink-envelope combination!

I was really quite pleased with the whole thing. Don't you love it when things just happen to fall into place?

Everyday Correspondence Community Project Proposal

Dear Readers,

These last few days, I've been giving serious thought to producing a zine for and from the Everyday Correspondence community. For those of you unfamiliar with the medium, think of mainstream magazines like Newsweek and People as the big studio movies of the periodicals industry. A zine would be like a student art film, shot on a camera phone and edited on her parents' computer.

The idea is to put out a call for submissions around a TBD central issue theme. And then for me to put them together, add whatever necessary elements for the zine to be cohesive, and then publish it at my local FedEx Kinkos. Distribution would be by mail.

Why? Because while the internet is well and good, sometimes it's nice to have something to read on a road trip, to place on your coffee table, to write on with a pen, to cut out an amazing picture, and to hold in your hands as you to say, "I helped make this."

So, before I get too far with this idea, is anyone interested in participating?

Itching for collaboration,

James

Handmade Stationery

I recently received a letter from a pen pal who, in the spirit of the season, hand painted/drew her own stationery. As you can see, it's amazing, and my photographs don't even do it full justice.

This pal always knows how to add special touches that make her letters an absolute joy to read!

Ink Swatch: Montblanc Blue

Yup, this is what it looks like. It seems a little on the powdery side for me. Has anyone else had any other experiences with Montblanc Blue? Fountain pen inks often differ depending on how long they have been sitting, or whether they have been shaken before use or not. So, I'm wondering if this sample that came to me from a pen pal is truly representative of the color, or if it's an outlier.

USPS Considering Cut in Service

image via

Story via CNN, U.S. Postal Service Posts $3.8 Billion Loss

It's been speculated for a while that the U.S. Postal Service would eliminate a day of mail service in order to save money, and this news story does nothing but bolster the idea.

How affected or frustrated would you be with the elimination of Saturday mail service? Or, would you prefer that the postal service raise the cost of stamps, by perhaps $.10 each?

Sigwalt Chicago No. 10

While I have largely kept my latest hobby out of my posts on Everyday Correspondence, I have actually gotten quite into printmaking. I began with cut linoleum stamps, and moved on to letterpress style printing on a repurposed cylinder press to make cards and invitations for friends. That entire time, I had my eye on purchasing a tabletop platen press. And a couple of weeks ago, I finally purchased one.


This little baby is a Sigwalt Chicago No. 10 printing press. It has a printable area of 3" x 5", small, but what I could afford. It's in relatively good shape, all the parts move properly, and it came with a roller in decent condition (not pictured). I plan on doing mild restoration to the piece, as there is some rust and peeled/worn paint.

Notice the still vibrant hand painted details on the sides of the press and the gold piping that adorns the contours of the cast iron pieces.

I have a can of WD-40 and a 3M scrubby at the ready, and boy, am I ready to get to work!

Valedictions

This is the first post in a three part guest series by PNT.

Letter closings are a not inconsequential part of writing a letter, but there’s a temptation to get stuck in a rut. Particularly in the workaday world of email, when one tends to fire off emails in salvos, a meaningful closing can be a distraction. The body of the letter is short and declarative; sudden poetry right at the end can cause the reader to hiccup right as he’s mentally preparing for takeoff. Thus, writers have a tendency to find something serviceable and unassuming and stick with it. For me, it’s “Cheers”. It’s pleasant, slightly Anglic and faintly cavalier. I like it, and for most things I write, it does just fine. One-size-fits-all closings can miss an opportunity, though.

The closing -- commonly called the "valediction," as the counterpart to the salutation -- tells the reader in what spirit the missive was written. Particularly in letters, where the handwriting and the signature have distinct personality, the last word should, too. One wouldn’t write “Yours Truly,” at the end of a credit card offer, any more than a distant love would be content with sending his “Cordial regards,”. A good closing will echo and reinforce the theme of the letter, stated or not. It can add a bit of drama or a last punchline. My challenge to myself, and to you, if you wish to play along, is to not miss the opportunity. Take a moment, play around with words, and see if you can't surprise your reader with something pleasant, clever, and unexpected.

Next Sunday, Part II: 5 Types of Valedictions to Expand Your Repertories.

PNT is a full time law student, part time gentleman adventurer, and inveterate logophile who currently hangs his hat in Washington, D.C.

Tiki Stationery

A pen pal recently wrote to me on some very chic tiki themed stationery. Above you can see the fun bamboo print on the envelope of the letter as well as the funky sticker used to keep down the flap.


The party continued inside, where I was greeted by this image in the upper left corner of the first page. I think it's a hilarious scene, because it begs so many questions. For example, why is the bartender upset, because he received small remuneration? And why is that shriner at the bar so dismayed... did he run out of cash, was he rejected by the woman at the end of the bar? I want to know! But alas, I doubt that I'll ever find out.

What's your take on the situation?

Ink Swatch: Stipula Musk Green

Oooooh, I really like this Stipula Musk Green. It seems like the sort of ink one would use to write a letter from a camping trip, or to write a letter from the top of a mountain. It is very earthy and has nice shading. Four stars.

Deep Thought

Fountain pen on cheap, feathering paper or ball point on lush, expensive paper?

Please, discuss.

Old Newspaper Font Download

My apologies for being so selfish. Old Newspaper, the font that won my recent poll for the new Everyday Correspondence header, is available for free download. If you care to use it yourself, you may download Old Newspaper via Fontspace.com.

Enjoy!

J. Herbin Diabolo Menthe Review on Clairefontaine Paper

image via

J. Herbin Diabolo Menthe is named after the popular French beverage that bears the same name, made from green mint syrup and either lemonade or 7-Up (I found differing recipes). In either case, the model for the ink is a very diluted green color, with bubbles.


The J. Herbin take on the diabolo menthe has many similar characteristics as the drink. The ink is very faintly green and I described it as "frosty" even before I found out that the drink it is modeled after is carbonated. Where the model and the product differ, however, is that I would describe the ink as a teal, with more blue than green. But, then again, I did find both to be refreshing.


The above image is my full page review of the ink, taken with a flash. Click for full view.


This above image is the same review, taken without a flash. Click for full view.


While writing on the wonderfully smooth 90 g Clairefontaine paper in my new Quo Vadis Habana journal, I experienced no feathering, no bleedthrough and no nib creep.

Overall, I found Diabolo Menthe to be a nice, cool, teal with a very wintery feel to it. While I don't think I will be using Diabolo Menthe as an everyday ink, and I don't have any current plans for it... I will think of something. After all, winter is right around the corner, and this is just the color ink to get me into the spirit of the season.

NOTE: Winter is my favorite season of them all, and I can't can't can't wait for it to get here.

Penmanship and Politics

via Letter Writers Alliance

Those of you dear readers that live in the United Kingdom are likely already privy to this story, but it was sure news to me here, stateside.

It seems that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has found himself in an extremely embarrassing situation. Attempting to do a good deed by writing a hand written letter to the family of a soldier killed in the the Middle East, Mr. Brown instead insulted the soldier's mother with his poor handwriting and a series of material spelling errors.

The situation has gone beyond one family's beef with Mr. Brown and turned into political fodder, readily used by Mr. Brown's opponents in Parliament. From the Daily Mail article:

Tory MP Adam Holloway praised Mr Brown's 'extremely good intentions' in sending letters to bereaved families of soldiers but added: 'It's sort of an allegory for the whole thing - very good intentions but the problem has been in the execution.'

'We can't write a letter correctly, we can't get the right equipment and as far as I'm concerned, we don't have the right strategy.'

The lesson: If you're going to write a letter, write it well.

Quo Vadis Habana Notebook Review

The crown jewel of last week's package from Karen at Exaclair was this new Quo Vadis Habana notebook. It's got a nice semi-flexible cover made with supple faux leather, as opposed to the smooth, stiff fake leather cover of a Moleskine.


To demonstrate the flexibility of the cover, and the size of the Habana's inside pocket, I placed my trusty little Moleskine inside.


Voila! It still closes... albeit with a little bulge.


Made from 80 sheets (160 pages when both sides are counted) of 90 g Clairefontaine paper, the Habana is also almost as thick as a 192 page Moleskine notebook.


And, the Habana also has a Moleskine style woven tassel, which I much prefer to the Piccadilly style ribbon tassel.

Well... that was quick. I figure that you can tell more about the Habana from looking at up close pictures that you can by me trying my hardest to describe it. But wait, you're probably asking, tell us more about the paper, that's what we really want to know about! Well, friends, for that you'll have to check back tomorrow, when I will post my J. Herbin Diabolo Menthe Review, as written on Quo Vadis Habana notebook paper.

See you then!

EDIT: Link to ink review now active.

Poe in the Post

While in Baltimore this weekend, I paid a visit to the Baltimore Museum of Art, which is currently hosting an Edgar Allan Poe exhibit. It was amazing! There were works on display from Gauguin, Manet and Matisse, among others. Because it was a special exhibit, I was unfortunately not allowed to take pictures of the works of art.


I was, however, able to pick up this fabulous postcard at the museum store! I do love buying correspondence materials at museum shops, I feel like it's a way for me to share a part of the experience with friends who don't have the opportunity to see the exhibits in person.

The JHU News-Letter

Yesterday morning I gave a friend a ride up to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore for an exam. While he was filling in ScanTron bubbles, I made the most of my free time and toured the University campus. And, boy, was I pleased with myself when I stumbled upon this gem of a building.


I wasn't sure, but I speculated that this was once a campus post office. I was so excited to post about this building that I took half a dozen pictures of it. I felt hoodwinked when I discovered that this Italianate structure was in fact the office for the Johns Hopkins student paper, the News-Letter, founded at the end of the 19th century. That was kind of a downer.

But after thinking about it, I remembered a little nugget that I picked up on a visit to the National Postal Museum here in Washington, D.C. Back in "the day," newspapers were more often than not named after way in which they were delivered to their readers. The Washington Post, for example, was delivered with the mail. So, I speculate that the News-Letter was named as such because that's how it was delivered across campus. A stretch? Maybe. Either way, soak in the pictures of the pretty little building.

If that's not enough for you, I found these splendid cards at the JHU Barnes & Noble. They struck a chord with me because I, in fact, ride a green scooter.


Unfortunately, like most items that bear a Vera Wang label, at $27, this pack of cards was out of my price range.

And there you have my weekend. How about you? How did you enjoy these past couple of days?

Routine: The Beverage

Like many people, I have a letter writing routine. For example, I enjoy sipping a cup of tea while reading and writing my letters. Knowing this, a pen pal recently sent me a packet of one of her favorite teas, Twinings Pure Peppermint. I typically drink a good mate or chai.

What about you, dear readers? Coffee, wine, soda?

GREAT Mail Day

Wednesdays are my days that never home, and I rarely get to open my mailbox till 10 o'clock at night. And yesterday, I really needed an evening pick me up. As luck would have it, it was a great mail day. Along with a package of new stamps, a letter from a pen pal, came a thick envelope from Karen Doherty of Exaclair, the U.S. distributor of all my favorite ink and paper products.


About a week ago, I responded to a post on the Quo Vadis Blog to receive a free Quo Vadis Habana notebook, for the purpose of reviewing it on Everyday Correspondence. Sure enough, that was in the package I received last night... along with a hefty Clairefontaine notebook, a pad of my favorite G. Lalo paper and two bottles of J. Herbin ink, Diabolo Menthe and Vert Reseda. When I opened the package, I ran my hands across all the goodies, as though my fingers were taste buds and the papers were prime rib covered in a delicious au jus.

Once I had taken it all in, I observed that all of the freshly arrived items were green, in one way or another. Then, I remembered reading on the Quo Vadis blog that Clairefontaine had recently changed the ink it uses to rule the paper to a more eco-friendly water-based formula that uses vegetable based pigments. This, to add to Clairefontaine's existing PEFC certification.


In simple terms, to receive PEFC certification, the forest from which the paper pulp was obtained must meet certain standards of sustainability. Oooooh, paper I can feel good about.


Although I look forward to reviewing the Habana notebook, my favorite of Karen's gifts are the pad of G. Lalo Verge de France paper and the J. Herbin inks. Frequent visitors may remember my adoration for the Verge de France line of papers, as I have it in both ivory and pink. But, I had no idea that it came in green! I'm so excited about it that I think I'm going to make a green themed letter in response to the pen pal letter I received yesterday.

Thank you, Karen, for helping to make a good mail day a great mail day.

Everyday Correspondence has no affiliation with Exaclair and the products it distributes. The free Quo Vadis planner featured in this post was given only in exchange for my agreement to review it on this site. All other freebies in this post were given freely and without strings.