Via Airmail

Vile Bodies by Evelyn Wagh

I love these Penguin Books postcards.  This is the second one I've received.  It joins Virginia Woolf's A Common Reader, which is a Pelican Books imprint.  Penguin covers are very distinct and I know they are color coded depending on genre.  My library has a book on their cover design over the years and I really need to check it out again and see how the designs have changed through the years.  I've not read Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh, but I have read another of his books (Scoop).

I know people who collect these Penguin paperbacks and I would love to collect them myself, but they are hard to come by where I live.  I have a couple in my own book collection, so I will just content myself with collecting the postcards instead. 

The postcard was sent from another Postcrosser here in the US who managed to use stamps that are unfamiliar to me.  The 19¢ Hot Air Balloon stamp is from 1991 and the 13¢ Folk Art USA: Quilts stamp is from 1978!  You can see more stamps from that series here.  How's that for a blast from the past.  I wonder how people get their hands on stamps so old?

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Postcrossing card #65

Cezanne in Provence

I've read that French painter Paul Cézanne is the bridge between late 19th century Impressionism and Cubism of the early 20th century.  "The Gardener Valltier" painted in 1905-06 feels far more modern than Impressionistic to me.  I'd not seen this painting before and am always happy to get a new art card to add to my collection. 

The stamps include another from their Beneficial Insect series and a White Tailed Deer that is paired with the Atlantic Walrus from their Wildlife series.

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Postcrossing card #64

Mount Kinabala, Malaysia

Mount Kinabalu is not only one of the most botanically rich places in the world, but it is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List.  Mt. Kinabalu is located on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia in the country of Malaysia. 

"Mount Kinabalu includes the Kinabalu montane alpine meadows ecoregion in the montane grasslasnds and shrublands biome. The mountain and its surroundings are among the most important biological sites in the world, with over 4500 species of plant, 326 species of birds, and 100 mammalian species identified. Among this rich collection of wildlife are famous species such as the gigantic Rafflesia plants and the orangutan."

The stamp shows the Hydrangea macrophylla, Bunga Tiga Bulan.  You can see the rest of the stamps in the series here.

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Postcrossing card #63

One of the Finest (or, tall tales)

I'm afraid I don't fish or know much about fishing, but I think this is one tall tale!  A fish as big as a horse (not that there aren't big fish, but a trout)?!  Every fisherman's drea, right? 

"Bringing out a big rainbow trout.  This is one of hte finest ever caught in these parts." 

The card came from Nevada by the way.

I just used the last of my own Pixar: Mail a Smile stamps, so I was happy to see I get one on a postcard as well (a  nice change from the Aloha shirts62).

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Postcrossing card #62

One Very Serious Bear!

This is one very serious-looking bear, don't you think?  He is a native (or fauna I should say correctly) of Belarus.  I think I wouldn't like to meet him in a walk in the woods!  Still, he is one very impressive looking animal.

I love these little animal stamps--the postcard is coordinated with a nice animal theme.  I've gotten a few of the stamps in this series.  You can see the whole series of them here. 

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Postcrossing card #61

Traditional Dutch Costumes

This charming postcard came from a Dutch Postcrosser who tells me these are typical, old fashion clothes worn in her country.  It's a sweet little image and the first postcard of this sort that I've received so far.

I like the stamps, which are both new to me.   The stamp on the left celebrates Dutch country houses and is part of the Amstenrade Country House sheet.

"Some 600 of these Dutch country houses are still standing today, a mere 10% of the more than 6,000 that used to exist. Issuing Beautiful Netherlands stamp sheetlets on the theme of country houses is an initiative of PostNL in close collaboration with the Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency and the Country House Theme Year 2012 Foundation. The Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency aims to protect and preserve heritage, archaeological and cultural landscape sites of national or international significance."

I believe the stamp on the right is one of a series on Dutch pop music, in particular a band called Golden Earring.  The stamp can be read with a smartphone where you can actually listen to a song from the album.  This album is “Groeten uit Grollo” (Somebody will know someday).  Very cool.

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Postcrossing card #60

Sunday Stamps: Food and Drink

I couldn't pass this week's Sunday Stamps up, since I have a few appropriate (and tasty-looking) images.  I think I shared this one before, but it's cute enough to share again.  The Sverige Brev stamp, "Ice Cream", was issued last summer, as apparently letter writing and card sending increases during the warm months.  It is one of a series of five different stamps to help keep the heat of summer at bay.  See the other designs here.

Or how about this delicious Aussie cupcake?

If you prefer something sweet yet a little more healthy, how about this Turkish peach?

How about some famous Russian Blini?  You can see a recipe postcard for the same here.   I think these are the equivalent to French crepes?

I think I like food stamps--the only problem with them--they're making me hungry!

You can see more stamps with this theme at Viridian's Postcard Blog.  Just click the box below and follow the list of links!

Letter Writing Chinese Style

Although I can't claim motherhood, I thought this a very pretty card regardless.  I love anything that hints at letter writing.  I wonder what the Chinese calligraphic script says? 

I love the variety of stamps on the back of the card, especially the blue and white vase.

I seem to have much better luck receiving postcards from China than sending them there.  I've currntly got one expired card (and had another one previously lost but I sent a second one with better luck) that was meant to be delivered in China.

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Postcrossing card #59

Polska: Wroclaw

I'm beginning to form a small collection of postcards from Poland.  This is the second I've received from Wroclaw as a matter of fact.  It's kind of fun to be able to form a picture of a place through the images that you see on postcards, and I think I'd like to see Poland very much.  

The postcrosser who sent me the card mentioned that the European Football Championships began June 8 and some of the games are taking place in Wroclaw hence the soccer balls on the postcard along with the views of the city!

More stamps from the Manor House series, and the bottom two are new to me.

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Postcrossing card #58

Flowers from Holland

This is the first time I've received a folded card in an envelope from a Postcrosser.  It's very pretty, however, so I wanted to share it still.  The lady who sent it is a new mom and lives in Holland.  The envelope had the same "think green for a green world" stamp as one of my previous cards.  I love flowers, and I think this is the first time I've received a flower card of any sort.  I wonder if it is very usual to get folded cards rather than postcards?

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Postcrossing card #57