Our 2012 year resolutions

...should all include a greater level of communication, whether it be in volume, in quality, in print, or otherwise.

For us, it looks like we are compromising our mailout-Sundays in order to be a little less ambitious and a little more successful.  We still want to write more letters, and we still want to enjoy this on Sundays.  But this year we are going to focus on family birthday cards and see how it goes from there.

I refuse to believe the days are gone when people share cards and send letters.  I've been incredibly encouraged by members of our family who have increased written correspondence this past year.  The winner, because there has to be one, I suppose, is my father-in-law, who has been writing to our boys like crazy.  Thanks for all the mail!

If you have an encouraging story to share about the importance and existence of letters in your life, please do share.

no post, no post

Oh, the month of July was not a big month for blog posts, or for writing letters. Back on track with our letter Sundays for August!

prize ideas!

I love prizes. I just realized how slick it is to give away prizes in the form of handwritten letters. Snail mail. Yeah! Fill up the mailboxes with not just the bills!

So on your facebook status, on your twitter account, or in your blog, set forth a challenge to your readers and give away a prize, if you want, of a unique handwritten letter, complete with your signature for the sake of prosperity or otherwise.

For example, see here. Is that awesome, or what?

Dear Dragon, a visual

dear dragon powerpoint

View more presentations from troydanielbecker.

You will probably need to view full screen in order to read it. And also because I couldn't figure out how to add hoverover text descriptions. So you will need this information when the time is right:

Slide #12:

The Duchess invited you to a very grand ball masque* where you drank too much pink lemonade and in a fashion not at all becoming to a gentleman. You tripped the Duchess, pulled the Princess's hair, and knocked down the cake. As a matter of fact, you really rather put your foot in it.

Whereupon you pick up your pen, and this is what you write:

*ball masque - a masquerade ball

birthdays, and changing font face

Bonnie has been so impressive lately with her blog we talk dinosaur. It is rather inspirational! Meanwhile, we've been writing loved ones. And it's this time of year we get extra mail in the mailbox because it's something like "birthday season" at the Becker house.

Isaac is about to turn the big 3, followed by Orry turning the big 5. They like opening their birthday mail, and I suppose it's a good a time as any to mention birthday greetings.

What I find awkward is messaging somebody on facebook when the last correspondence we shared was my birthday greeting from the year prior! Well, there's nothing like a note in the mail to solve that problem. And sometimes you don't really feel like a birthday card is in order, but how easy it is to write into a quick update later "I hope you have/had a happy birthday this year!"

To wit:

Dear Ben, <--I am using my cousin here because I'm thinking about him.

We've been settling into our new Texas life here over the past year. I am teaching English as a second language at a new college. The job is much better than the pay.

Our brood kind of reminds me of your family when you were young. But in Houston, Texas instead of Buhl, Idaho.

I hope you had a great birthday recently. I wonder about your life in New York. I hope all is well.

Take care!

Whew, it took a while for me to figure out how to change font face! I hope it was worth it.

It's not that April didn't happen

Dear reader,

It's not that April didn't happen, but we let our blogging slide last month. About writing letters, we didn't do horribly. But we have gotten pretty bad about writing letters and getting them ready, but not sending them right away, or even not sending them at all. Part of the reason is that we like to include photos, but we don't always have spare photos to send. But excuses are for bad students. Let us instead rise to the challenge of getting our needed photos each week or two or three, and sending out our letters each Monday as is in the plans.

Sincerely,
the Beckers

memories in letters

Keeping you up-to-date on our mailing regimen, I would have to say we're doing okay with our letter writing and mailing. It's not as routine yet as we would like, but we are definitely keeping to the spirit of the resolution.

One great thing to share in a letter is an old memory or story from years gone by. Write a letter today!