My Aunt Irene passed the 'Keeper of Family History' to me many years ago when she learned I was interested in our Family Geneology. Irene was my Daddy's oldest sister and I thought her quite eccentric. You see she lived in California and was a recycler before 'GoingGreen' had even hit the EcoMinds of today.
I remember my Daddy receiving her letters in large manilla envelopes with marked out magazine return addresses and Irene's California address written under them. If I was the one who went to the Post Office and one of her 'Novels' had come, I got to give the PostMistress the card and sign for the too big envelope to fit in our box. How Eccentric!!!!
The letter was a 'Time Capsule' with a page or two written one day, another paragraph or two a day later, and a month later....signed and mailed. Her letters were a combination of hand written and typed pages on the backs of homework notebook paper or junk mail. How Eccentric!!!!
I know, you are eyeing this photo and thinking, "Who 'Keeps' this stuff???". My Mother!!! She's a 'Keeper', too.
Yep, it's the envelopes from Irene with her collection of stamps. These from December 1980 when it cost 67 cents to send a Novela, and March 1985 when 'Domestic Mail' stamps were priceless. Even more priceless to me is the figuring my Dad did on his sisters envelope....he was a recycler, too! How Eccentric!!!
Wow! That's the perfect piece of snail mail!
ReplyDeleteYour aunt and my mum were women ahead of their time!
ReplyDeleteSounds to me like your family was SMART! I bet that big envelope seemed like Christmas every month!
ReplyDeleteLove seeing the old stamps. I'm such a lover of surprises and I bet this was always fun to read.
ReplyDeleteAs a genealogist, I love seeing these kinds of saves. What fun! How neat to receive these treasures from your Auntie. History is such a fantastic story to learn & share of the families.
ReplyDeleteHappy PS weekend ~
TTFN ~
Marydon
My grandmother wrote on anything she could find space to write on. I think it comes from living through the depression. I even find myself cutting up paper from envelopes to make scrap note pads. It must have rubbed off. Plus my mother saved every card, letter, newspaper and recipe clipping she liked. And all our report cards. ~Ames
ReplyDeleteI love this and wish we did more letter writing.... as in letters from camp!
ReplyDeleteI have saved lots of letters from my parents. They kept my letters to them from school!!!
Thanks!
What a great post--so cute!
ReplyDeleteYour Mother's picture is beautiful. I am saying prayers for her better health.
Hi Sue, my family are definitely keepers. I still have my prom dress. Your Aunt was just being thrifty and that was a good thing. Exccentric of the old days is amusing but people were 'smarter' about living 'green' ahead of their time. My Aunt was a millionaire and saved scraps of foil and everything that might possibly be used again. How exccentric in a very smart way when we consider the waste that goes on today. I loved your photos and stories of the days long ago. It makes us think about being more of a saver of things we just might use again. I never throw tissue paper away and I can tell you it has come in handy many times. I have a bit of my Aunt in me and I am grateful for her sweet keeper life. Smile.
ReplyDeleteWarm hugs, Jeanne
such a pleasantly amusing post; I am the crazy aunt in our family and always mailing little notes on the back of bits of paper, re-using envelopes and boxes. I have a friend who will send me something in the same box I just sent her; we've been doing so for years.
ReplyDeleteso glad you're a keeper...world needs more, I just posted something similar, tied in with people making choices to be so dang busy!
I love your stories! You spin a great tale here! Anne
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