Mail Call

September 29, 2007 at 7:04 pm (Uncategorized)

 

I have always loved the mail. When I was about ten, I received one of my first stationery sets, from my Aunt Rozanne, for Christmas. It was also one of the first years that my grandparents spent the winter in Arizona. I spent a lot of that winter writing notes to my grandma, and also mailing letters to my cousin Kelly who lived just across the harbour in Halifax. One of the reasons that I loved writing letters was that I got letters back. I would wait anxiously for the mailman and see what had come. It didn’t have to be letters, I also enjoyed magazines and surveys, but letters really were the best.

When I was twelve we moved to a new house that didn’t have house delivery. I got the mail from the box every day. The mail key was mine, and I was very possessive! When I lived in France, before the advent of e-mail, I wrote more letters than I remember. In France I also discovered the beauty of Saturday delivery. I mean, I love Canada, but what’s with only M-F delivery?! I still have a lot of the letters I received when I was in France, and they’re part of a great set of memories. One time my Nan sent a whole huge box of her home made cookies. I had to hide them from the little girls in my house!

Mail delivery was very important when I was living at Walt Disney World. This was my first stint in the USA, and I was finally able to send away for all of those free offers that weren’t available in Canada! I also took possession of the mail key here. It wasn’t so helpful the day I threw it into the dumpster along with our trash!

My first apartment all by myself also came with a mail key. That was the first time I received any bills in my name. It was all very grown up! I loved getting the phone bill; it meant I had my own phone and my own number.

Now, here I am many years later, and I still love the mail. I went through some serious USPS withdrawal when we first moved into our house, and we had to wait three weeks for the post office to issue us mail box keys. Doug drove up to the post office once a week for the mail. It killed me. Once a week! Plus, that meant that Doug went through the mail first! I have a mail system, and he was always messing it up! Not only that, he would actually go through my magazines before me! Now, I don’t care if he wants to read the Ensign first, but there is no need for him to open up Saveur and tell me what looks good!

One of the great things about moving and having a new baby all at the same time is the treasure chest of packages that have been arriving at our house. I already mentioned the flowers from Doug’s work and the Unicef bag from my sister, but just last week three other packages came to my house. It was such a great surprise. I received two separate packages from my cousins. Liz sent some fun books, and an adorable monogrammed towel (it pays to steal names!), plus some candy that barely made it out of the box! My cousin Anne sent a package just for me with a bracelet and a bag. I would be so unstylish if it wasn’t for Anne! Yesterday, a package came from my sister-in-law, Ingrid. The greatest part of that package was that the contents were surrounded by packing peanuts, which are now all over my living room!

Now I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea. This is in no way a plea for packages! After the castle post, I had an urgent call from my father telling me that we should let Grandma and Grandpa purchase the castle. It was tough, but I resisted (we’re still trying to teach a lesson, cruel, I know!). In fact, it’s not just the receiving, but also the mailing. I have three packages downstairs ready to mail.  I love the mail!