Make new friends but keep the old

[caption id="attachment_3092" align="aligncenter" width="300"] My letter from Lana[/caption]Have you made any new friends lately?  I have.  My newest friend is Lana.  She is from Arizona.  I think it's pretty nifty that a girl from Ohio (me) can meet and make friends with a girl from Arizona (Lana) without even leaving my house.  That's The Art of Letter Writing for you.  I met Lana through the organization known as The Letter Exchange.  What a lovely letter she recently sent me in response to one of my search letters to her.  (In case you don't know or remember what my search letters are let me explain.  A search is a first letter I write a person in answer to their ad  found in The Letter Exchange magazine)

Lana's  paper, her hand writing, and the words she shared in her first letter to me were all a delight.  The first paragraph of Lana's letter read like this:  "How wonderful to discover your letter in my mailbox. Thank you for putting a smile on my face.  Such unexpected surprises add zest to one's day and are surely some of life's simple pleasures."

Well, right back at you Lana.  Getting Lana's letter sure put a smile on my face too, and I agree wholeheartedly that such unexpected pleasures add zest to life.

I must've mentioned a love for afternoon tea in my letter to Lana because this tea bag turned up in her letter to me.  How thoughtful of her!  I could have opened the tea bag and brewed a cup of tea to enjoy while reading her letter.  Well, I'll surely do that as I write my next letter to her.

But the tea bag wasn't the only  present Lana sent me.  She also sent me a friendship book.  It seems Lana was reading my blog and came upon the post I wrote about friendship books.  This is what she had to say on the subject:

"I was taken with your post about Friendship Books.  I am unfamiliar with them but excited to learn.  Included you will see my first attempt.  This was a small gift enclosure card.  May I ask you to send me a "real" FB?  And would you please pass along mine?"

[caption id="attachment_3096" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Lana's very first friendship book, but I'm sure not the last one she makes.[/caption]

I'll surely tell Lana what a very sweet friendship book she made AND that her friendship book is as REAL as friendship books get.  She signed it, added her address and  noted a few of her favorite things - letters, animals and travel.  Now it's for me to sign the little book and of course I'll be sending it on in my next letter.

[caption id="attachment_3097" align="aligncenter" width="225"] The last page of Lana's friendship book[/caption]

One day Lana's friendship book will return to her because on the last page of her little book she added her name, address and this colorful message:  Please return to.  The friendship book will return to her with the names and addresses of people anxious to become her newest  letter friends. This friendship book will really get around as it travels from pen friend to pen friend.  If you are one of my pen friends it just may turn up in your mailbox!   Now wouldn't that be fun?   But if you don't get Lana's  friendship book make a few of your own and get them going, spreading friendship around the globe.   You'll then have the opportunity to make  wonderful new pen friends as I have with Lana and other lovely people.

But no matter how many new friends we're  lucky enough to make it's great to stay true to old friends too.  You've heard the saying -

Make new friends, but keep the old.  Some are silver, some are gold.

There's a lot of wisdom to this saying.

[caption id="attachment_3102" align="aligncenter" width="225"] One of Joy' s lovely letters to me[/caption]

I'm guessing Lana is silver and Joy is gold. Joy is one of my favorite pen friends.  I've been writing to Joy for quite some time now.  She is a breath of fresh air.  Joy had been living in Switzerland 'till recently. Now she lives in South Carolina. The lady gets around!

[caption id="attachment_3099" align="aligncenter" width="300"] One of Joy's very pretty letters to me.[/caption]

Yes, Joy gets around and she stays pretty busy too.  Lately she has started a new enterprise.  Joy has gone into the post card business.  For a long time she's enjoyed photographing things of beauty, turning pictures into postcards in order to delight her pen friends.  Well, lately she has decided to spread the joy beyond her circle of friends ... to people like YOU!

[caption id="attachment_3104" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Joy's business card[/caption]

The other day I received two of her new business card in a letter.  I checked out her website which had sample pictures of the cards she has for sale, and I was quite impressed.  I think Joy's cards would be delightful presents for anyone who enjoys correspondence.  You might like to investigate Joy's website for yourself:

www.instilloimages.com

When you view Joy's photography you will probably agree with me - that she has a real eye for beauty. Whether her subjects come from her former European surroundings or from nature or from wherever,  Joy's postcards are lovely to behold and they would be a pleasure to receive.  I keep telling  Joy she was given exactly the right name for she really is joy personified.  That joy could possibly come from all the beauty she focuses on in her life.   I have heard it said that if we look at enough beauty the beauty becomes us.   And beauty and joy go hand in hand.

[caption id="attachment_3107" align="aligncenter" width="300"] My letter to Joy[/caption]

Today it's my turn to write Joy.  I don't know what's more fun, writing her or finding one of her charming letters in my mailbox.  That's how The Art of Letter Writing is, isn't it?  Old friends, new friends, giving, receiving - sharing joy.  WONDERFUL FUN!

I can not imagine how dull life would be without letter friends.  I hope you have a hand full of your own, and I hope you are always open to adding more friendship to your life.  That's because...

"A friend is a person who knows the music of your heart and reminds you of it when you forget."

 Albert Einstein