The Mightly Little Hummingbird and #mailart, #snailmail

We visited with Chris, Amelia, and Bryce Eleanor Tuesday night before Chris left for Georgia.  A hummingbird had flown into the window and was stunned and unmoving; hours later, it was alive, but still not moving.  That night, B.E. and Amelia tried feeding it, and finally did get it to eat a little sugar water, but it couldn't, or wouldn't, fly.  Wednesday afternoon,  B.E.  sent a text message that the tiny creature had successfully overcome the trauma and flown away!

Mail:  Finally, I'm beginning to catch up on the mail I owe!

Incoming

 

Outgoing

To Teresa & Ricky

To Hester

I still have a few letters to answer, and it is time to start thinking Halloween mail!  

The next postcards and envelopes will have some orange and black and spooky stuff.

Interesting:

Mysterious Postcards Sent to Chefs   (using old album covers)

Books/Reading: 

I'm not keeping up with reviews too well over at A Garden Carried in the Pocket, but I read and read during September.  In spite of the beginning of cooler weather, September was a month of "apathy attitude" in my world.  There are several reasons for this--it is a month that reminds me of lost loved ones, allergies make me unusually tired, the news is almost always distressing, and it all becomes a mash up of procrastination and mood swings and general torpor.  I've been coming out of it lately, but that means a lot of books still need to be reviewed.

I did review this one, and today I saw an article that made me think about it again:  Britney Spears Conservatorship Alludes to an Older Story of Controlling Women Artists.   

The article focuses on Claudine Claudel and her commitment to an asylum by her family.  It is a sad account of a woman whose rights were commandeered and who was locked away for 30 years.                                                                                                                                                                    Claudine's story  here.  

While Spears may have needed help, what she got was something entirely different, and probably entirely based on her financial benefit, not on her mental health.

The Mad Women's Ball reviewed here.  

Crafty:  little Halloween monsters

Almost Halloween!

Stinker finds the little quiltlet comfortable.

I made Drop Dead Fred several years ago.

I didn't make a single Halloween creature this year.  Spooky.

Last year, I made quite a few things, including the frame and black cat, but this year...nada.

This year, I only pulled out a few decorations.

Much less to put away.

__________

Books/Reading:  An Extravagant Death by Charles Finch.  "Another great entry in the Charles Lenox historical mystery series.  In addition to the mystery plot, I learned the origin of the word "shrapnel" and the phrase "heard it through the grapevine."  Lt. Henry Shrapnel invented an artillery shell that fragmented in 1803 and the Grapevine Tavern in N.Y. was a place where Union officers and Confederate spies mingled during the Civil War.  Thus, the source of news, information, gossip, and rumors was through the Grapevine." (from my review, scheduled for closer to publication on my other blog)

An interesting article:  My Aunt's favorite penpal--Ruth Bader Ginsberg by Beth Seidel. 

 Incoming Mail

from Iliana

Her handmade card inside :)

from Hester,

an oversized postcard with the 

most delicious bats! 

Outgoing

to B.E. who is in quarantine

Oct. 29, National Cat Day

 I thought the Monarchs were gone, that they had made their way to South Texas or all the way to Mexico.  Then every day for the last few days, more passed through. :)

The skeleton doesn't always find a convenient place, but this year he did.  

They spend most of their time sleeping.

I love letters written by old friends, blog friends,  and family.  I also enjoy historical letters and epistolary novels.  I especially love young people who write letters.  When I saw this article, my admiration for these young girls 

and their correspondence provided an extra zest to my day.  

What creativity and commitment.  :) 

source

Incoming Mail 

here at Bayou Poste

from Hester  

 World Postcard Day and Halloween postcard:)

from Melody

Outgoing 

to Max

to Mila

to Bryce Eleanor

to Zoe

to Carla

to Carol Ann

to Hannah

letter to Patty

-------------

 

September 19

We will miss this remarkable woman.

First Spider Lily

Mother was born on Sept. 19, 1925 

Jo Eleanor Sledge McDowell

9.19.25 - 12.16.2005

I miss her and rarely does a day go by that I don't think of her.

I wish I'd asked her more questions about when she was young

and even about when my brothers and I were young.

Incoming Mail

from Jacque

                                                                      from Annie (Scribbling Glue)

Outgoing Mail

Scanned this one before I wrote Iliana's name and address.

 

 Postcards

New addresses for Erin, Mila, and Max

in Centennial, CO

They stopped by Wednesday--on their way to their new home.

I'm excited for them on their new adventure, 

but they are SO far away now.

to Mila 

to Max