AprilShowers

Hello!

I was very active in Swap-bot a few years ago and had lots of fun. Then I lost my internet connection due to computer issues and some swaps went out late. I tried very hard to make good on every swap I signed up for. If you feel I owe you a swap, please let me know and I'll do my best to make things right. It was not -and never will be - my intention to flake on a swap.

I miss the pleasant surprises the mail used to bring so I'd like to give swapping another try. I'm a sincere believer in random acts of kindness and I send out lots of "happy mail" to chronically ill individuals and folks in the military. I'm 53 years old, happily married, have 2 grown daughters and a dog. We live out in the country in a log cabin we built ourselves. I work in the Children's Room of our local library.

I love to read! Contemporary literature, mysteries, young adult novels, creative nonfiction, historical fiction, if it’s interesting, I’ll read it! Some recent favorites include Cork Boat by John Pollack,Help the Poor Struggler by Martha Grimes, and Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. I like books that are memorable or make me think.

Magazines! I love magazines. I'm still searching for one that encompasses all my interests. Until I find it, I read articles from a wide assortment of publications: Writer's Digest, Outside, More, Discover, AARP the Magazine, Hobby Farm Home, Men's Journal,Smithsonian.... I tend not to like women's mags as they focus too much on fashion, hair, makeup, and dieting. Tell me something I don't know. Expand my horizons.

I've done some geocaching. It's fun but I like letterboxing more. Unfortunately there aren't very many letterboxes in my area. I enjoy writing and journaling, doodling and other forms of self-expression. I like doing Sudoku puzzles but I stink at crosswords. I love nature and living out in the country! I also enjoy walking, gardening, cooking, baking, and birdwatching. I'd love to take ballroom dancing lessons. I like to think and daydream but I also like to spend time with friends.

I used to have many penpals but then life got busy and I had to give it up. I miss those letters! Life is still busy but I've compromised by joining a Yahoo group that exchanges postcards. I've discovered that the focus for many of my postcard pals is the view on the card. They are collecting views. My focus is on connecting with people. Yes, the view can be interesting, but I'm more concerned with what you have to say. How do you express yourself? An extension of this is homemade postcards. The sender uses both words and images to give the recipient a peek into who they are. I think homemade postcards are very interesting and would love to find some in my mailbox.

Hmmm.... What do I say here? I used to be a Girl Scout leader and working in the Children's Room I have done many crafts over the years. I'm working on a memory book (sort of like a scrapbook) for my youngest daughter. I have boxes and bins FULL of craft supplies but I really don't do any crafts on my own. I LOVE all the specialty papers that are out there and compulsively buy them. Likewise with markers and gel pens. Recently I bought strings of beads that were on sale; maybe I'll get together with a friend and eventually make earrings with her. Colors & textures are definitely my weakness! I don't knit or crochet so I avoid the yarn aisles!