Penpals

I don't remember if I've ever posted about my penpals or not!  Years ago, when I was in my early teens, I had penpals.  I loved to get those letters from all over the country!  I loved writing letters just as much.  I don't remember where all of my pals lived but they were all in the USA because sending letters to other countries was too expensive for my parent's budget.  That part hasn't gotten any better but I would love to send ,and receive, international letters now that I have my own budget!  So anyways... One thing lead to another, life and technology got in the way, and I lost my pals and the desire.  As much as I love snail mail and the art of letter writing, it was easier to get online and shoot an email to someone and receive an almost instant reply.  By the way...I hate email!  So cold and impersonal, unless you find someone who is full of life and it shows even over the world wide web.

Recently, I found a couple of penpal groups, on Facebook, and once again I have started writing long letters to people I have never met.  I am ticked there are still people who do this!  I've even found that younger folks are picking up a pen and writing a good letter!  Of course, those young'uns also want to be friends on FB and every other social media out there, but at least they are writing letters!  I mean handwritten letters that require an envelope, stamp, and a trip to the post office!  

Now, I tend to be a purist when it comes to penpals.  I only want to be letter-writing buddies!  I don't want to get an email or be friends with my pals, on social media, although I do have some of those.  We all met on social media about 18 years ago and have been "friends" ever since -- more like kindred spirits, really.  We do still write letters and send cards to one another, as well.  There are some who get offended because I won't friend them on FB but that would ruin the whole experience, wouldn't it?  It would for me!  I want to sit down with a good letter in one hand and a cup of tea in the other, and get to know that person.  I don't want a snippet here and there!  I want life long penpals!  

Well, I'm sure y'all are bored with me but I just wanted to share.  Do you have penpals?  Did you when you were growing up?  I'd love to hear about it.  Maybe you and I can become pen friends!

Grace & Peace,
Pam

April...can you believe it?

I don't know how so much time passes as quickly as it seems to these days!  One minute it is the middle of March and the very next second it is going on the second weekend in April!  Whew!  Tires me out!  

I hope y'all had a blessed Easter!  We decided to have the Grand's egg hunt on Saturday because Sunday was going to be rainy and cold.  Yes, you read that right!  COLD!  And boy was it!  We went to Easter service, not in our fancy new Easter clothes, but in winter woolens and rain boots!  I know this is probably the norm for some parts of the country but not in ours!  It was miserable but the service was good and afterwards we went out to lunch with our daughter and her sweet little family.  Then we came home and I crawled into my bed and took a long nap!  I am so glad we had the egg hunt the day before.  I think we will do that from now on.  We were able to focus on the Resurrection rather than the eggs and Easter bunny.  

In an earlier post, I mentioned the journaling I've been doing.  I have gone crazy with it!  Now I am making my own blank journals rather than purchasing them!  Honestly, I think I like making them more than filling them!  Here is the one I am working on now.

Outside cover

Inside front cover has a pocket for pens and highlighters.  Inside back cover has another pocket for a small ruler.  I have made three small notebook inserts.  There can be removed and replaced when full.

This insert is filled with grid paper for taking notes.

Another has plain sketch paper for doodling.  There is an insert with calendar pages, as well.

I'm probably going to use this journal for sermon notes, prayer requests, and church events.  I think I am going to like being able to add and remove the notebook inserts, depending on what I need to keep in there.  I'm looking for other inserts to hold small bits and pieces but so far I haven't found any in this particular size.  I may end up trying to make something, myself.

I've also been working on the journal that I will pass down to my grandbabies.  Here are a couple of pages out of that one.

This one is so much fun to work on.  It is all about me.  Things that I hope my grandchildren will want to know, one day, about their crazy granny!  I love it.  

So, that is just about all I have been doing lately.  I've been too busy keeping my grands, what with Spring Break and now, as you may or may not have heard, through the teacher walk out here in Oklahoma.  I'll not go into that because my blood pressure gets up when I do and I would lose readers ( I don't have that many, as it is!) if I shared my opinion.  Anyways, I have enjoyed the time with the kids, though!

We are attending a new church.  I don't remember if I posted about the crap that went on, where I felt as if I was pretty much being told to leave the old one, but I've moved on and am so happy about that!  God always knows best and, while I won't share the events, my entire family is ecstatic about no longer being at that church!  My Mister actually wants to go to church now and he hasn't fallen asleep once!  LoL  Anyhow...I am trying to get used to the new one.  I'm old school when it comes to church and this new one is anything but!  It is LOUD but the spirit is there in force!  The preaching is awesome!  Some of the best I've heard in a long time but the main thing is Jesus is there and my Mister likes it!  Yay!

Well, it is about time for the babies to get here.  I still need to get some stuff done, before they do.  

Grace & Peace,
Pam