What to do when you are stuck in a Blizzard with no power? Hand write cards??

So it's the Blizzard of 2013 and there is a state of emergency, a ban on driving and power is starting to go out.  My thought was, "OH NO what will I do without the Internet, facebook, twitter, linked in or texting?" if the power goes out and I can't even charge my cell phone to stay connected to my on-line life? Then what?

Well, what I did before I typed this blog, (my first) on my laptop was decided that I missed what my handwriting looked like and I would WRITE.. Yes, hand write some cards to actually put in the, "SNAILmail" to people. 

WHAT? No backspace bar? No cut, copy or paste? Certainly INSANITY. Really?

The Wikipedia definition of penmanship is this:

Penmanship is the technique of writing with the hand using a writing instrument. The various generic and formal historical styles of writing are called hands, whilst an individual personal style of penmanship is referred to as handwriting.

I thought about how arduous the years of trying to pass my Palmer Method penmanship classes were and how I battled with the nuns that the Q was actually a 2 and how finally, I had been somewhat satisfied with the personalized whimpsical flair of my fonts and heart dotted, "I"s were.  So I decided to put the ink to the paper and handwrite a few cards.

  Sadly, I have learned that penmanship is not even taught at most schools any more.  I know of children that can't read cards from me or the Declaration of Independence because they never learned how to write or read handwriting!  They just type.  Everyone;s fonts look identical. (Usually Times New Roman).  Maybe some fonts have a little extra flair to them, or boldness to them, but typed fonts can't express an individual's personality.

Being a makeup artist I notice tiny details. I appreciate how pretty and fluid some people's printing or handwriting is. I have a few friends, one particual cousin and my own mother that have the most beautiful, perfectly coiffed penmanship and I admire it. 

Since I was halfway to my, "Emily Post-ish" goal of the recipients receiving my gloriously, personally handwritten cards I now needed to get them into the hands of the USPS.

There is something truly joyous about getting a surprise in the mail besides those stacks of weekly fliers that get tossed 92% of the time and bills. And even more when it comes outside of the Christmas card season. It means someone thought of me. Someone sat down and used a pen and paper and they didn't speak into the phone and let the amazing technology we have to convert it to text. They didn't rush a text or email and type "IDK" (for I don't know).  And they actually know my MAILING address and not my EMAIL address.  WOW, they like me, they really like me!

:)

I also thought of how proud our own Benjamin Franklin would have been of me since he was appointed the first Post Master General in 1775, and about how sometimes it is nice to go to the post office to say, "hello" and "thank you" in person while helping keep these employees employed.   It can mean face to face contact, humanness and not a little envelope icon on my smart phone. It means putting a smile on the recipient's face and that is what I did during the Blizzard of 2013.  What did you do?

And now to find the mailbox buried under 15+ inches of snow.  Anyone have a stamp? :)