Happy New Year circa 1910

This is a sweet vintage postcard from more than a century ago. It is much cuter than my photos suggest, but hopefully, you can get the idea.

The postcard is addressed to Miss Nellie Knickerbocker, Lenoxville, Pa. And the postmark bears the date of January 4, 1910.

The message on the back intrigues me. Here's what it says:

Nellie, will you please be so kind and send that telescope (satchel) on the next stage and we will pay the charges.

Attend to it at once as we would like to use. Send it to Papa - to Clifford.

Lovingly, Kate.

So who are Kate and Nellie? Sisters, perhaps? And why is it postmarked Lenoxville if it was being mailed to Lenoxville? (If they lived in the same town, presumably nothing would need to be sent by stage.)

I guess we will never know...

The journey into another year begins

Welcome, 2012. I am ready for you. I am ready for all of the joys and surprises, the sorrows and challenges. I am ready for the new friends and the new projects. I am ready for the books I will read, the music I will hear, the photos I will take, and the places I will go. I am ready for all that life has to offer me. I am ready for 2012.

The road of life twists and turns

and no two directions are ever the same.

Yet our lessons come from the journey,

not the destination. ~ Don Williams, Jr.

 Focus on the journey, not the destination.

Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.

~ Greg Anderson

 Too often we are so preoccupied with the destination

that we forget the journey.

 Then we turned, and took our journey

into the wilderness... ~ The Bible

 ...We journey to the day,

And tell each other how we sang

To keep the dark away. ~ Emily Dickinson

 As travellers oft look back at eve

When eastward darkly going,

To gaze upon that light they leave

Still faint behind them glowing —

So, when the close of pleasure’s day

To gloom hath near consign’d us,

We turn to catch one fading ray

Of joy that’s left behind us. ~ T. Moore

  Ithaka

As you set out in search of Ithaka

Pray that your journey be long,

Full of adventures, full of awakenings.

Do not fear the monsters of old …

You will not meet them in your travels

If your thoughts are exalted and remain high,

If authentic passions stir your mind, body, and spirit.

You will not encounter fearful monsters

If you do not carry them within your soul,

If your soul does not set them up

in front of you. ~ Constantine Peter Cavafy

Welcome to 2012! I hope you will decide to take the journey with me. Happy New Year!

   

My tree of words for 2011 ~ January 8th

I had a little New Year’s Eve gathering at my house this year, and I did something different for a table decoration: I made a tree of words for 2011. To make it, I gathered branches in my yard and then attached paper leaves. Each leaf hides a word. Now every visitor to my house gets to choose a leaf so they can discover their word for 2011.




My word is ...



I was rather surprised to receive this word, since for quite some time, I have been on a bit of a hiatus from dating. Well, maybe 2011 is the year I will meet someone special. We will just have to wait and see. One of my friends got contemplation. Another one got optimism. I asked them if they were happy with their words, and they said they were. I would have let them choose again if they wanted to, but they declined. Do you have a word for the New Year? If not, I’d be happy to choose one for you from my little tree. Just let me know.

Holiday greetings to all

I don't know what's kept me so busy lately, but I have gotten way behind on my blogging. It has been about 6 weeks -- yikes! -- since I posted something here, so let me remedy that right now! Is it too late to post Christmas photos? No, right? 'Cause New Year's is not here yet. I hope everyone is enjoying a fabulous holiday, whatever it might be that you celebrate. Cheers, all!












And may we all enjoy peace, prosperity, love, & good health in the New Year!