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| A Random US Post Office... I picked up this snapshot at a thrift shop yesterday and it got me wondering... Who took this photo? Why? In my experience, only mail artists run around taking photos of post offices and mail boxes. I am curious about the story behind this shot but I guess I'll never know. I can make something up! |
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| Hand Canceling With Dave One of my happiest postal memories is an afternoon I spent at the Valley Ford, CA Post Office with Postmaster Dave Bordessa. He let me cancel all my own letters and a few others too... I was in heaven. |
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| Canceling in Action Dave is keeping a strict eye on me as you can see. This was in the 80's and you will have to excuse the bad perm.. |
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| Dave's daughter EB One of my best pals was -- and is -- Dave's daughter Elvera. Here she gets to cancel a few stamps too but you can just tell she wasn't as over-excited as I was. She has put up with a lot from me over the years... (Happy Birthday today EB!) |
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| Hum....do you think Dave is counting his stamps and making sure I didn't sneak off with any? Dave was a lovely man and well liked by everyone in the small town of Valley Ford. His wife Edith was a fabulous cook who would make great Italian feasts and host wonderful dinners, including a number for the artist CHRISTO and his wife while they were in the area working on the Running Fence. I was invited to some of the feasts too. Sadly the tiny Valley Ford Post office is just exactly the type of the USPS is trying to close today. A wonderful part of US history that is changing and in my opinion, not for the better. |
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| POSTMASTER RETIRES and Valley Ford just won't be the same. Dave and Edith are gone now but I know their memories live on in many people who knew them and enjoyed their warmth and hospitality. |
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| Irish-American Pen Pals Meet Oh yes...something else from my postal past....I have had many pen pals over the years and this one, Louise Maxwell came over from Ireland to spend a summer with me and my family. We had a blast. I visited her years later in Ireland too. Another pen pal I had (who knew Louise) was Sue Brent. She casually wrote "My father George Brent is an actor" and I was not in the least impressed...if she knew the Rolling Stones yes... I mentioned this to my mom who who was VERY impressed. I guess George Brent was well known to her generation. And yes, my hair was blond back in the day. The perm...the blond...The less said the better. I have always -- always -- loved mail. I don't really know why but my mom also loved to write and receive letters so maybe it runs in the family? And my mom...now there is another postal story waiting to be told... What are your stories? Send Good Mail -- Get Good Mail |
