NYE

 Well, it's New Year's Eve, and I'm ready to say farewell to 2024.

Thanks for stopping by the blog, and I'll see you in 2025 - I'll leave you with one of my favorite stamps from 2023 that just showed up in my mailbox

Tissue boxes in the tree

 Jean showed a Christmas mail-related Kleenex tissue box in this post, and I have the same box this season.

Meijer had some very festive designs as well.

Anyone else pick up holiday items like these?

Favorites

 The prompt for Sunday Stamps is a favorite. These are from the 2023 Decemberzegels designed by Norwegian designer Linde Faas. The colors and designs are magical - thanks to Heleen for sending them!

Update - I just noticed that the last one received a US postmark in addition to the PostNL Christmas tree - 'Secure your dog', with an image of a dog somewhat obscuring the cat and dog on the red stamp.

 To see more of people's favorite stamps explore the links at See it on a Postcard.

Hand delivered?

When stamps don't receive a postmark, it seems they are hand delivered, doesn't it?

Winter Whimsy (2024) from Columbus (possible)

Fairytales (2022) from France (maybe via teleporter)

Holiday Elf label (2022) from California (if Fabienne will loan her teleporter)

Although, to be fair, the barcode label doesn't need a cancel - if you try and send it through the mail again it should be rejected.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Thursday postcard hunt

 I'm a *very* infrequent participant in the weekly postcard hunt. Today's theme is Christmas, and I found a few from the last few years that I haven't posted. 

Two from Heleen

and one via postcrossing.

I haven't been very active in postcrossing this year, however I received a note from the site letting me know it was my 5 year anniversary yesterday.

For links to more Christmas postcards had over to See it on a Postcard.

Happy Boxing Day to those who celebrate! 

Merry Christmas

 If you celebrate, have a merry Christmas. If you don't, I hope you have a peaceful day.

Christmas Eve from France

 These lovely cards arrived yesterday from Fabienne in France - merci beaucoup!!

"But how do you know so much about me?"

Joyeux Noël to all!

Christmas Sunday Stamps

 Today's theme is Christmas.

In addition to last weeks Sunday Stamps, Eva sent me several more from Spain, new ones from 2024 and some past ones. (Apologies for the fuzzy. images, the lights on the tree and my phone would not cooperate. The 2024 stamps feature children's toys (A rate), and the wise men of the nativity (B rate).

And anything can be a Christmas stamp with the jolly snowman postmark! Here are more stamps that arrived on Christmas mail this year.

Flags and Freedom

Elephants (2022)

Kittens (2023. love stamp)

A geometric snowflake from this year's winter whimsy set

And three quarters of the holiday joy set (2024)

And finally, Westminster Cathedral in the snow, from Royal Mail (2024)

Leading up to Christmas I hope you get to spend some time with friends and family, and have some festive lights to enjoy.

Solstice

 It's the northern hemisphere winter solstice - we've reached another nadir! Tomorrow we can start celebrating the return of light.

Hope you managed to get some sunshine today. 

Midwinter's Eve

I learned last year that fans of Susan Cooper's fantasy series re-read The Dark Is Rising (the second and most famous book in the series) one chapter per day starting with today. 

The BBC also has an excellent radio series where you can choose to listen to an episode a day as well.

This Christmas card I received last year makes me think of this great series.

Throwback Thursday - "Guest" blogger

 Throwback to this day in 2023 when I was drinking in a bar in Pittsburgh and thought I was answering comments on my own blog, and it turns out I was really responding to those left on Mail Adventures!

😀

Postcard sent from that trip - thanks to Mail Adventures for the image.

Red

 Today's theme for Sunday Stamps is the color red.

Recently arrived are the poinsettia stamp in the holiday joy set (2024),

the red snow globe featuring a wintry scene with a deer (2023), sadly with a heavy postmark,

and the red A rate from Correos celebrating traditional Christmas treats (2023).

For more red on stamps, explore the links at See it on a Postcard.

Blast from the poultry past!

 I showed this for Sunday Stamps back in 2017 (!!) - it is a favorite stamp of mine, so here it is again. Chickens on a stained glass window at. the cathedral in Santo Domingo de la Calzada.

There's a fun blog here about someone's visit, and an explanation of the miracle of the chickens.

Thanks again to Eva for sending this excellent stamp. To see more stamps with the theme of glass, explore the links at See it on a Postcard.

First holiday postmark

 I received a holiday postmark yesterday, a jolly snowman

Christmas Magic

 It is pretty much a rule for letters and postcards traveling between me and Eva (in Spain) that if items are mailed on the same day, they will arrive separately, having undertaken different journeys at some point. Just another one of the unexplained mail adventures. 

Eva wrote: What are the odds that two pieces of mail sent together arrive together? If that happens the magic of Christmas is real!

Well, this pair of Christmas postcards did indeed travel the whole way together, and. are the first to arrive for the season.

Do you believe in the magic of Christmas?

Discontinued

 Why is USPS showing a stamp on their website that is no longer available, instead of one of the 2024 stamps?

November 31

 From USPS' Postal Bulletin:

Happy November 31 to all who celebrate!