Tuesday, January 4, 2011

A Twelve Month Commitment - Will You Join Me???

New Button for this Challenge - It will be on my sidebar!!

A twelve month commitment to anything is really tough for most of us. But there has been an idea in my mind for a while, and it has sat on the back burner simmering for too long.
I can think of several people right now who would so appreciate a heart felt hand written card or letter send in the mail to their mailbox. Not a phone call, not a text, not an email, but a tangible letter they can hold in their hands and know that someone cared enough to take the time to send them a greeting.

So out of this idea, I am going to commit to sending at least one card or letter to someone once a month, most of the times it will be more than one. I am going to report once a month and will call the post:

FIRST, FIFTH, FOREVER That translates to The FIRST of the month, the FIFTH day, and a FOREVER stamp being used, or changing someone's life in an instant or forever, just by a little time and a card.

Letter writing is a dying thing, in our busy worlds we live in, we don't take the time for such things anymore. Is there someone who you have never told how much they meant to you? What about someone who goes out of their way to make you smile, is there a lonely relative who would love to receive a special greeting? I am sure you could think of a few to send.

I heard so many people this year say they were not sending Christmas cards due to the prices of things this year. I am sorry to say, I had to agree, but came up with an idea of buying a book of Forever stamps every other month and set them aside for the holidays. That way, once it is time to send Christmas greetings, I already have the stamps and it is nothing out of my pocket at the time. I think that is a great idea and very doable for most.

If there is enough interest in my First, Fifth, Forever post coming once a month and you'd like to join in, let me know in the comment section.  I will put up a link and we can all share in this project, inspire each other and read how we are changing someone's life a little each month.

Since I just brainstormed this idea, the first post will not be until Friday, I have got to give my self a little time to get my letter out and decide who to send it to. 

And if anyone knows how to make a button for this project, I'd be so grateful if you could pass on the how to, I'd love to have one, but am clueless on how to do it!!!

30 comments:

  1. I think this is a wonderful idea. I'm not completely sure how this will work but I'm in. Just let me know how you are going to set it up.
    I'm at: scdogfarm3@gmail.com
    I love the stamp idea.

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  2. Great Idea, I thought the same thing and noticed I didn't get as many cards as I always did and my daughter and I would fight over who is going to open the cards we got. She loves mail like I did as I kid. I admit I cut my list in half when I thought about sending out so many and I used to write handwritten notes in every card. and now I just get pre-printed pictures cards.
    I wrote my grandparents back before e-mail or text once a week for many many years and I was great at sending cards but now I must admit I given into text, email and FB. My grandparent and friends were thrilled to get my mail.... So all this being said I will join you, not all sure who I will write but I started this last year myself but I said once a week, should have know that was a hard goal. Great Idea Suzy!

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  3. Don't have a blog, but I'll join in and comment if that works!

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  4. I've always wanted to do something like this, as I love snail mail, but once I start writing a letter, I realize that 1.) I have nothing interesting to say and 2.) that my handwriting is imperfect and I keep re-writing until I've wasted so much paper and energy that I just give up. Hahaha. But maybe your project will inspire me... ;]

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  5. Count me in. I love to get a note, letter, card or anything that isn't a bill in the mail.

    I have been meaning to send some letters and notes out so this is perfect!

    Thanks for coming up with this.

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  6. The forever stamps make me sad, by driving a lot of the pretty denominated commemoratives out of circulation. I do like the evergreens, but I really love the Nature of America series, and I find them a lot more fun to use.

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  7. I sent you an email with a button for your consideration. Here is my website:
    http://gardenwondersetc.blogspot.com/

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  8. I'm in. Great idea. This past Christmas I sent out about 40 cards and I got maybe 5 back. Very disappointing.

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  9. Suzanne, this is an excellent idea. You know, I have a penpal in Arizona that I've been writing to for about 20 years. We met at Country Decorating Ideas magazine, way back then. We've written about our children and their growing up, getting married. You name it. We both have email addresses, but choose to write letters on pretty stationery instead. This is fine with me. I'm a Postmaster of a small town, and I love to see the people sending letters and cards. They are so personal. It is a dying art. Thank you for trying to preserve the art of letter writing. I'd be happy to join you!

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  10. I would like to join in. I have always enjoyed writing letters and cards. I also like to receive something in my mailbox. I've had penpals before and it's a wonderful way to get to know someone. It is very sad that letter writing is a dying art, with email and texting taking over in communication. I don't know how to make a button, but I do know that you can take a picture (say of a stamp) and add it to your gadgets. Then I would be able to save it, and add it to my blog the same way, and link it to your blog. Does that make sense?? ha, ha, I am sure you will figure something out.

    Jocelyn
    http://justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com/

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  11. great idea. I also think letter writing is a lost art and must be saved so count me in!

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  12. Oh my gosh, I'm in! A few years ago my New Years Resoulution was to send everyone a Birthday card through out the year.It's been my resoulutions ever since, and I have kept it. I buy B-cards by the month(thank goodness for Hallmark). This year I wanted to start to write thank you cards, I stink at writing(not like the rest of my family), But I want to try. I know it means a lot to my older relatives, which will give me this challenge.
    Thank you for the help,
    Sonja
    sonjamawson(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  13. Suzanne you have a wonderful idea and I would love very much to join in.

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  14. I'd like to join in, or to the best of my ability anyway. My back issues leave me with very wobbly handwriting right now and I'll likely be spending some time in the hospital this year after orthopedic tests. That being noted, I'd like to do my part of the project as selectng a personal "just because" card with a line or two with the signature since I really can't handwrite a full letter right now. I can choose some cards and send them from the hospital/recovery facility if I do end up in for surgery.

    I think this is a great idea! We still send out about 70 Christmas cards, but don't do the Valentine and Halloween cards, much smaller number, we used to do. I LOVE getting cards and I love sending them too. It really is the tangible something the other person touched that makes th difference.

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  15. I love to write letters and it has been way too long since I have done that. I will join in.

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  16. When my father died last year my sister and I were going through things and found a box of cards that he had saved for many years. They were get well, birthday, etc. cards that people had thoughtfully sent him. There were hundreds! It must have meant the world to him for him to keep them all. I've made it a point to send out cards to loved ones and friends since then.

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  17. I love this idea and am going to join in. It will give me a good excuse to use some vintage graphics from the Graphics Fairy. I think I can manage to make one homemade card and mail it to someone dear 12 times a year (oops made an unintentional rhyme).

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  18. Suzanne
    this is a first for me. i love to read blogs, but have never posted a comment. i love the idea of a letter each month. i am in. i used to have lots of penpals,but have lost touch with most of them. there are some blogs dedicated totally to letter writing. one lady wrote a letter a day for a year!! thanks for getting me back to writing

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  19. I too am confused about how it would work. Are you saying that we write a letter on the 1st of the month, send it on the 5th? And we commit for the year? I'm in Canada, so would that mess things up?

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  20. You know how I am when it comes to cards. I own half of the Hallmark stores. They just do not know it. I send someone a card every week. In fact, just mailing one today.

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  21. oh what a lovely idea! I am so in, I still send Christmas cards, birthday cards and various other holidays...there is nothing quite as sweet as getting mail that isn't a bill or junk mail. I for one love getting something tangible to hold and save, so I love to send mail out to others.

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  22. I followed link after link.. and yes, would love to join in!

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  23. Suzanne, you are so right! I still send thank you notes and letters...but I LOVE it when I get something like that in the mail..I can not wait to rip it open!

    I know so much about my ancestors by the letters they wrote, and things about everyday life. I will try to do this!

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  24. Suzanne this is a wonderful idea. I can already think of people I want to write! Thanks for challenging us! Blessings

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  25. Love the new button! (:
    I have bee a fan of Graphics Fairy also and have wanted to make/send the homemade cards using her graphics.It will be fun. Bloggers may want to start off using a card at first and then writing letters..just a thot.

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  26. I was checking to see if VTT was still going and found this great idea. I painted all of my 20 Christmas cards and love it. I paint all family birthday cards and just found out my only surviving aunt, still in good mental health, just moved to a nursing home. Yes we can just copy your button and add it to a gadget and put in the link. Count me in.
    QMM

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  27. I am in, I love sending mail, talking up the postoffice man, complaining about the cost of mail.

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  28. I am all about mail. It really makes me over-the-moon happy even on the crappiest of days. I'd love to see what other bloggers are mailing and getting in the mail! It always inspires me to sit down and send of something pretty.

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  29. I'm just catching up... man, girl. have I mentioned lately how much I love your heart? what an amazing idea.

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  30. What a lovely idea! I do sent Christmas cards to all my family and friends, every year, without fail. Each one has a small handwritten message. It's important to me. So I truly understand the love and caring behind this letter writing project you have embarked on.

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Sometimes someone says something really small, and it's like it fits into this empty space in your heart!

Thank you for stopping by and leaving your thoughts here, they really mean a lot to me!

Suzanne

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