If you are looking for a way to stay in touch with somebody far away, a way to lift the spirits of said far-away person, a way to journal and let it fly off into the blue, consider the snail blog.  My friend Ellen has been writing me a card a day since 2009 and the other day a milestone was reached…the 2000th card was written, sent and arrived.

I’ve written about the snail blog before here and here and here…but this is truly a milestone.  So you step to the mailbox daily and if you are lucky…voila!

Some days, depending on her life, travels, availability to a post office…no card comes and then days later maybe 4 cards come…or maybe we’re gone and have the mail held only to return home and find 10 CARDS!  The cards delight, inform, amuse, sadden, and we look forward to the mailman each day in hopes…

Wisely (or not maybe, depending on your POV) Ellen is sending these cards to an archivist (sorry Mary, not a professional one of course…) and we have kept them all.

Ellen does not want them back to reread her life.  But this is an amazing archive all the same.  Of course she doesn’t always retell the WORST days, but sometimes she does.  Singing, family, baking, annoying and much loved people in her life…we know them by name.  Vermont life is clear and interesting as seen from here, the far west.

here’s number one…

and number 2 gave the “rules”…

We have come to believe that as long as she has a stack of cards to write, and I am reading them, we will stay alive…and I’m pretty sure this is true…