For years, I have collected vintage postcards of all sorts but until today, I did not know that this hobby has a name: deltiology, the collection and study of postcards, usually as a hobby. Postcard collecting was a popular way of connecting with friends and family in the early 1900s, the time period that most of my postcards are dated. While tweeting is popular as a way to keep in touch with colleagues and friends, a handwritten or digitally composed postcard delivered by mail is a welcome surprise.
This year, the postcards I received brightened the entry of a new decade. Sweet winter gifts arrived at the beginning of the month and right after I wrote about those a new grouping arrived in the mail. I thank Jone MacCulloch for starting the New Year Poetry Postcard exchange and the poetry community for bringing good cheer to my home at the beginning of the new year.
Welcome to this week's Mini-gallery of Poetry Postcards 2020
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Jone MacCulloch Kay McGriff 
 Thank you Matt Forrest Essenwine for introducing me to a new fun and challenging poetic format called the Scupham stanza that poet, David Harrison, is working on. Scupham stanzas are made up of a sextet (6-lines) utilizing a rhyme pattern of a-b-c-c-b-a, in which each line contains the same number of syllables. Thank you to my poetry friends for brightening my days with your poetic gifts. Each of the above poetry postcards, plus the ones from Kimberly Hutmacher and Linda Mitchell, are showcased in my home decor of winter ornamentation along with the newest photo of my two-week-old granddaughter, Aurora (who is now up to 6 lbs. and 6 oz.).  When I received Michelle's poetry postcard, I immediately thought of my angelic little grandbaby. 💗 |
Many thanks to our Poetry Friday host, Kat Apel, a wonderful Aussie poet and children's book author, whom I met face-to-face at NCTE19 after a long time of corresponding via poetry. She is commenting on everything down under to update us on the Aussie fires and the wonderful fundraising efforts by the Australian kidlit community who raised more thank #500,00 in the twitter-based #AuthorForFireys action.
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Some Poetry Friday friends at the NCTE 19 dinner to meet Kat Apel  |
Oh, that sweet baby. She's tiny and perfect...with such a beautiful, beautiful name. I'm so glad she's growing. I didn't know about the name for postcard collecting! That's pretty cool. I too am delighted with finding these treasures in my mailbox. They are so nice in between the junk mail and the bills! Indeed, they are heightened hopes for happiness.
ReplyDeleteThanks for admiring my Little Aurora, Linda. I am coming back to VA on Feb. 1st. I get the opportunity to spend time with my girls. As for poetry postcards, I am thrilled with the collection I have, including your beautiful paper collage work. I do love your thought about our mailing be sandwiched in between junk mail and bills. We need poetry goodness to brighten our lives.
DeleteThank you for sharing the beautiful postcards and poems. Your grandbaby is adorable!
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by with good cheer, Linda. May your week be filled with blessings.
DeleteIt is a joy to receive those postcards, I agree, Carol. I've collected a few these past years, but passed some on to my brother to sell at his antique store. I've sent a postcard every week to Carter since they moved to Texas in 2010, nearly ten years! It helped to keep the connection, & now I'm sending them to him at college. Getting slow mail is the best! And Aurora is a beautiful baby. Congratulations again to you & all the family!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful tradition, Linda! I'm sure Carter has treasured those postcards and looks forward to them arriving each week. Does he ever send one back?
DeleteYour postcards are each so unique and delightful. Such joy! And that beautiful blush of baby girl…💕 So thrilled for sweet Sierra to have a little sister - and another gorgeous girl for you all to delight in. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteKat, I am glad that you were able to finally get your comment up. I am not sure why you had a difficult time the first attempts. Thank you for joining me here. My little one does have a beautiful blush. She was so pink upon entering the world. I see the little girls next week and I am brining the poem you wrote about Amber to share with Sierra when we reread your story, This is the Mud!
DeleteOh Aurora is just divine. And thank you for sharing the postcards. id didn't do the exchange this year so have loved seeing everyone else's.
ReplyDeleteSally, exchanging postcards has been so much fun. I received 3 new ones this week. It is a great feeling in winter to receive such a bountiful gift in the mail.
DeleteBeautiful postcards and beautiful baby! We grandparents are so lucky to have such little ones. It is a blessing beyond measure. Enjoy it all, and thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteGrandparent joy is not to be compared. I can see now why my mother was so happy to be with my children.
DeleteWhat a joyful post from the postcards (they have been such a delight to receive) to your poem (a new form!) and that darling granddaughter.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing my joy, Kay. I am thankful for living today as I go off to a funeral for a friend who died suddenly.
DeleteThis post is so full of goodness. Congratulations on the new grandbaby, Carol. I am still collecting and using postcards 9 years after my first February Poetry Project. Never knew there was a word for it!
ReplyDeleteLaura, nine years of poetry postcard goodness. How fabulous! I just got three more this week and am excited to share them at PF this week.
DeleteOh, Aurora is just darling! And thank you for sharing all of this poetry postcard beauty, Carol:)
ReplyDeleteLaura, I am excited to return to VA on Saturday to help my daughter with her new little one.
DeleteThe postcard poems are lovely...but baby Aurora is just glorious. Lucky, lucky grandma!
ReplyDeleteI am blessed, Tara, and am looking forward to another trip to Virginia to see my little girls.
DeleteIsn't discovering a new word the best!? My favorite new word is "coddywomple"--to travel in a purposeful manner toward an unknown destination.I'm still trying to figure out how to work it into a conversation! lol The poetry postcards are a welcome arrival in these dark January days. (Mine to you went out only last weekend and should arrive soon!) Thanks for sharing them and the photo of that beautiful granddaughter of yours. I'm also glad you reminded me about the Scuphum stanza. I'd like to give that a try!
ReplyDeleteMolly, I was delighted to receive your beautiful postcard and will be sharing it with others at PF this week. Coddywomple is an amazing word that has me imagining how I too can use it. Off to be creative now.
DeleteThe postcard exchange has been so much fun! And your grand baby is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteBecky, I really liked the postcard you sent out to those on your list. It was a good combination of words and image and different from others.
DeleteCongrats on your beautiful new granddaughter. Love the name Aurora -- the dawn; how appropriate for sweet beginnings. Thanks for sharing all your wonderful poetry postcards -- indeed, snail mail in any form is a rare treasure these days. Love that you collect vintage postcards; didn't know there was a name for that. Cool!
ReplyDeleteAurora and Sierra are names from nature. You are right, Jama. Thank you for the comment about sweet beginnings. You just reminded me to take out my Victorian valentine postcards. I have some really special ones in my collection.
DeleteHow lovely! Thank you for sharing all the poetry postcards, and your beautiful granddaughter!
ReplyDeleteRuth, thank you for joining me today. I think of you and your situation in Haiti all the time. I'm off to see my granddaughters on Feb. 1st and can't wait.
DeleteA different kind of gallery today! Nice to see them all together. Glad you liked my reviews--I'm not very practiced at them so I appreciate having the feedback.
ReplyDeleteHeidi, it looks like you spent a good deal of time on the reviews. I did like them.
DeleteFirst, I must comment on beautiful Aurora! She's perfect! And thanks for introducing me to Scupham stanzas -- something new to play with. Loving your poetic postcard collection. I have a daughter who has always collected postcards and now I can tell her that her hankering for them has a name. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Karen. I am impressed by the number of people who collect postcards. I have always loved the touch of old cards, some embossed on beautiful paper. The sentiments on the cards are charming. People spoke of friendship, daily lives, and good cheer. I don't have any in my collection that talk of negativity. If you create a Scupham stanza, tag me in to read it. I am traveling down to Virginia to help my daughter in a few days and I cannot wait to see how much my little one has grown. Last I heard she is up to 6 pounds.
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