Letter A Day v 2.0

Such a huge delay between updates! I have been busy with the start of my final semester, and of course being engrossed by the always fantastic The Walking Dead and now cult hit True Detective.  Sadly for me, the last units I have to complete for my degree are essay based. So many essays. Bah. It is almost the end of semester though, so soon I shall have all the time in the world.. to work full time. I am not sure which option is better. The units are all based on novels still, so I have had the opportunity to read and re-read some pretty amazing books. Handmaids Tale, The Hunger Games, Lolita, American Psycho are just a few.

Now for the actual purpose of this post. On January 1st I decided to try the letter a day challenge.
Annoyingly, I had some personal stuff come up and basically I have restarted the challenge.
I have been noting down who I sent the letters to, but forgot to take photos. Remembered last week  though and today. Yay for mail.

Swear I have a fish brain sometimes. Either way, I had been making brilliant progress, writing every day, not second guessing/self editing everything. Until last Tuesday.
Instead I had to have a few days rest after an idiot decided that the give way sign was entirely optional.
Thankfully I wasn't injured too badly, though the car is a mess.
Now I have the lengthy and frustrating wait to hear back from the insurance company.
There is damage to both sides and the front. So very frustrating. Today I managed to drive a fair distance without much trouble, and dropped kids off to daycare. Got a coffee before leaving to attend work meeting and idiot cab driver cut across double lines to stop at the taxi bay. Argh! I have always heard comments about Canberra drivers being some of the worse, but now I am hyper aware of what they are all doing, it is both frustrating and disappointing that people risk their lives and others just to get somewhere quickly.

I wasn't ready to drive over the long weekend, but I did do plenty of reading and binge watched Naked and Afraid. Camping made all the more unappealing once again.

Now I have a wonderfully fast printer, it is time to print all my form site replies and get cracking on letters for fellow LEP & IGGPPC members. Woo.

Last Week of Holidays

Uni is rapidly approaching and I may in fact be wasting the last days of freedom I have.
January is almost over, and I am almost done with replies. Good thing I am caught up as it is nearly A Month of Letters time. Just discovered this, and am amazed there are so many people out there looking for penpals.

1. Sign up here: Month of Letters
2. I am level 41 on Skyrim, so that is something. Not necessarily something useful. Oh well.
3. Fantastic movie. Made me want to cry. And eat southern food as well!
4. Missed it in the cinema. Ended up watching it twice at home. So good.
5. Uni text I have started reading & 'The Mandarins' by Simone De Beauvoir
6. Catching up on mail with the help of my fav cup of tea.

Mail Call #3

INCOMING

OUTGOING

1. Ballet Mail Art from the extremely talented Sarah

2. Letter from the lovely Nicole
3. Christmas letter from my darling Christine. The letter was lost for a while due to awesome postal system.
4. Owl love from Cheryl
5. Last but not least, letter from fellow Potterhead Rin

Lost Post!

Slowing catching up with my letters and I am getting pretty disheartened by the amount of lost post.

I put a lot of thought and time into my letters. Honestly it takes hours and to find out the replies just seemingly disappear into space is incredibly frustrating.

Have also not received 3 replies from overseas penpals. I am hoping they will eventually turn up, but that seems very unlikely. All the effort and time put in from both myself and others, only to have it just vanish.

So yes, still writing, but kind of disheartened by what has happened. Looking at scanning each letter before sending from now on.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

Continuing on my resolution to do more creative things, here is an update of the last few days. Nothing like making ice mocha at home with nespresso machine to help with cleaning and sorting.
Not sure what coffee it was, I just go by colour. Kept ice cold most of the day with help from the super awesome Starbucks mug.

On top of this major resolution I made a few extra ones while watching fireworks with husband.

2. Read more and not just uni books *

3. Write more *

4. Healthier lifestyle *

and finally 5. More time with my babies & husband *

* Currently re-reading Of Mice and Men. When a single unit at Uni comprised of 7 different books, there was very little interest in reading anything else. This time last year I finished the complete Hunger Games series in less than 3 days. Have downloaded a few reading apps on phone & of course found more books at the op shops to read (pictures to follow).

*When a writer isn't writing, she should be reading. I have been reading and writing less since I started my writing degree. If it wasn't for uni, I wasn't interested. Letter writing has helped get my hands used to writing, something I worry will be a lost skill for my children. My father & husband have beautiful writing, and I have nice writing if I focus, otherwise it is chicken scrawl of doom. Alarm goes off at 8pm each night to write, but usually I am doing something with or for the kids. Making a rule now to stop and go write at least one line. A lovely woman I am following on Instagram recently purchased a line a day journal. I bought one last year, but never followed through. Am starting this year with a new book (pictures to follow).

* Being trapped either in an office, or racing between classes means I don't eat that well. I often skip breakfast, and lunch, but always make a proper dinner. So I am slowly making changes to my diet. No point in saying no junk food. Seriously I last 3 days before I am going crazy for a coke and cheeseburger. So just little steps. Little steps away from Krispy Kreme.

* Working on planning my days out better so I can have more time with those who are important to me.  

So that is just about it. Hope everyone had a Happy New Year

I am still alive

Catching up on my letters and uni assignments.
Class went until 6:30 last night. No amount of my new columbian coffee could counteract that exhaustion.
Way too many c words :/

Been reading cataclysmic blog recently and love this post.

http://cateaclysmic.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/33-ways-to-stay-creative.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Cateaclysmic+(Cateaclysmic)

Mail Call #2

Oh my.
The postman delivered a stack of letters today and a package from amazon! Thankfully I have the weekend to start replies. The new 3 day reply rule is still being worked on. If interruptions could be limited to 3 an hour, I would be getting more work done. All while of course catching up on uni reading.

1. Packing box of stationary!
2. Lovely note & book from my darling Nicki Marie
3. Mail love
4. More mail love
5. Obsession via amazon. Legal pads galore.
6. Lots of coffee & more mail art

Samantha

Picture Post