Updated & current as of August 17, 2018

Our mail has gotten less and less reliable over this summer. Even with tracking numbers, mail is going missing. So, sadly, I need to take a break from snail mail swaps until it is sorted out. I will be hosting and joining email based swaps for now, but not to 'pad' my ratings, just so I can continue swapping without lost mail disappointing either end. :)

Items that are mailed usually have an inaccurate post mark. If you're a post mark reader, I'll always be late, even though I usually mail out the day partners are assigned.

If you're going to be late, just tell me. It's ok. I am more annoyed with a lack of communication than I am about being a few days late (or whatever) in sending a swap.

I get rather annoyed when people spell my name wrong. It's Cindi, NOT Cindy! Seriously, if you are addressing mail to me, it's right there in black and white, typed out. Take the second to spell my name correctly! Thanks!

Hosting:

For swaps I host, I will angel all swaps, but you need to contact me to let me know you were flaked on! I won't chase you down to angel the swap.

I'm a letter writer. I started pen palling in my teen years, in the late 1980's. I'm not really looking for new pals, but if you read my profile and think we'd be a good match, please PM me. You can't plan finding a good friend, can you? :)

What I love most about swap-bot is connecting with people around the world, finding common interests and experiences. No other site will really help you 'meet' people in that way. That is what always drew me to pen palling and swapping FB's & xslips, back in the day. I've gotten some very close and long term friends this way. So, this is my focus with swap-bot. Of course, no one likes to be flaked on or to receive poor quality - well - anything. But for me, the goal is to connect with others. To communicate. If that makes me a 'bad swapper' or a 'poor host' in your eyes, well, then just move on. This is a hobby for enjoyment, this is an opportunity to interact and understand others. For me, this is about sharing - thoughts, ideas, mail, information - not about the getting - OR the judging of quality of another's art work.

I'm more interested in the letter, what the writer is telling me, than the gifts and tuck ins, envelope art, etc. Pretty stationery is nice, but not a 'must'.

In 2017, I learned of the Write On Challenge for the National Letter Writers Month of April. How did I not know about this before?!

I'm a member of the Letter Writers Alliance! Love the idea of this club, and would LOVE to send a pigeon! If you know what I'm talking about, send me a PM. :)

So, about me & mine: I'm 42 years old, married 23 years now, a mom to 3 teens and really am a USAF wife. (USAF = United States Air Force) We are currently in Western Massachusetts. I'm not thrilled with the current presidency or their politics, but I am an American.

I'm not Christian, but do have my own beliefs. I have read a lot and participated in Wiccan celebrations, and enjoy reading about Buddhism. I sometimes miss the old traditions of the Lutheran services I used to attend, but that's not where my beliefs are. I don't 'hate' anyone for who they are or what they believe, or any race, religion or group of people. I am "LGBTQ friendly" even though I am a hetro-married woman.

I deal with anxiety, migraines and depression, and it sucks. I'm also an Adult Child of Alcoholics. My children have varying levels of "special needs", including anxiety, Autism spectrum, and TBI. I'm a 'caregiver' for those who need it, and it is exhausting most days. Swapping and mail should be - needs to be - happy. I have enough drama in my life as it is!

I do like to read, write letters, swap. I do some sewing, I knit a bit, I cook & take care of the house, the family. I do all the cooking and baking for the family, and while I can't say that I always 'love it' or 'enjoy it', it's part of who I am. I have a Traveler's Journal and am getting that system set up. But I don't decorate my pages - at least not so far!

We have used an online school for 8 years and counting now, first with k-12.com and currently with Connections Academy.

We have 3 pets, all rescues that have traveled the country with us. Ben is a Turkish Van cat, Jack is an orange tiger cat, and Falcon is a Husky mix dog. They don't lay on my desk or lap while I write or send mail, but they live here too, so the stray hair or dander may contaminate the mail. It's their house too.

I'm afraid of owls. If you could skip sending me owl images, stickers, washi tape and not decorate the envelope with owls I'd appreciate it. I'm also afraid of deep water and drowning, but I doubt you'll send me a pool, so that's probably ok. :)

I LOVE Garfield. I've loved Garfield all my life, and dearly enjoy getting anything related.

I would like

I like butterfly shapes, trees, and prefer stars and moons to heart shapes; I prefer silver to gold; My favorite color is blue (dark rather than pastel);
any Garfield item :)
items designed by Laurel Burch; pens - (especially like purple ink - or business / promotional pens, souvenir pens); items with sun/moon/stars; Egyptian Gods/Goddesses (esp. Bast); I love old, abandoned buildings. I don't do the exploring thing (anymore!), but love to see photography of the abandoned buildings, etc. Old churches are the saddest, closely followed by schools;

Animals I like: sloths, llamas, cats, giraffes. Not much into reptiles or fish, in general. Prefer real animal pictures to drawn/cartoon types.

Cartoonish characters I like include: Garfield, Scooby Doo, Pooh Bear (especially Eeyore), Tiny Toons & Animaniacs, some Sanrio characters - not Hello Kitty as much, but she's ok. Also Ziggy and Simon's Cat! :)

please do not send:

Items that smell like cigarette smoke (I have to throw those away, outside, as they will give me very bad headaches), also please no scented candles, air fresheners, etc. for the same reason.

Items with my name spelled incorrectly(seriously, if you are going to 'surprise' me with address labels, please make sure my name is spelled correctly!)

Owl paper, stickers, washi, etc .... I'm afraid of them, so it's actually traumatic.

Patriotic & 'God Bless America' type items - we are a military family, but do not care for those type of items.

I try some paper crafts, I've made some Dotee Dolls, and do somejournal swaps. I make some envelopes, usually from book pages or calendar pages. I like to re-use items when possible.

I am open to private swaps! I don't mind doing International or newbie swaps. So, please send me a PM if you would like to do a private swap. :)

I would love to try Round Robin journal swaps, as well, with the right group of people.

I love to read. Prefer used books to new books. Also love audio books

Books I like

It is, of course, difficult to narrow down just a few favorites, but I do love folk stories and fairy tales (like the real ones, by the Grimm Brothers, more than the Disney or Mother Goose versions.)

I love haunted house and ghost stories, always have. I love Egyptian mythology (Goddess Bast watches over me on my desk). Enjoy mythology of any sort, customs and traditions.

I enjoy memoirs and biographies. "Chaplin" by Charlie Chaplin was wonderful. "Born a Crime" by Trevor Noah was great, and "Not My Father's Son" by Alan Cumming was great too.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson is an all time favorite.

Agatha Christie mysteries (Especially the Poirot series)

'Buddhist Boot Camp' and 'Faithfully Religionless' by Timber Hawkeye,

I'm a fan of Stephen King ( LOVE The Dark Tower books). Love the way he weaves places & characters through out his books. Also a fan of his son, Joe Hill.

I read or listened to all of the Harry Potter books (& saw the movies), but preferred the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan more than HP. I think it was the mythology. :)

Book recommendations for my kids are welcomed too. Oldest son likes books like "Hunger Games"

Youngest son is very serious with his reading - favorite recent books were "The Complete Autobiography of Frederick Douglass", "John Adams" and "Truman" by David McCullough, and "Uncle Tom's Cabin".

Daughter recently read and liked "Carry On", loves the Riordan series - all of them - and A Court of Thorns series, among others.

TV & Movies Some of my favorite actors are: Robert Downey Jr, Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, David Tennant TV shows I watch & like: Are You Being Served? (Old BBC show), Supernatural, Sherlock, Dr Who

Favorite Movies: The Mummy, The Haunting, Brother's Grimm, 10 Things I Hate About You, Clue;
Disney's Hercules, Disney's Emperor's New Groove

Favorite Music The Monkees, Imagine Dragons, John Mayer, Katy Perry, Joan Baez, Soul Asylum, Enigma, Billy Joel, Daft Punk, Dar Williams, Bjork, Edwyn Collins, Ricky Martin (yes, really. I was a fan of Menudo when he joined, so that lingers),

I still love stickers! :) I"m a child of the '80's, and had albums full of stickers as a kid, but they are sadly long gone. Now I use what I 'collect' for mail, letters. If you're going to send me any stickers, hopefully this helps:

Stickers I would enjoy:

Lisa Frank, Garfield (any, they are the only ones I actually collect & don't use), Scooby Doo, rainbows, books, coffee, flowers, stars/moon/sun, fall/autumn, trees, unicorns are ok, realistic animals like dogs, cats, llamas, giraffes, sloths. No owls though! And none of those big-eyed distorted designs. Those are creepy!

Cartoon types I'd enjoy: Garifled, Scooby Doo, Looney Tunes/Tiny Toons/Animaniacs, Muppets, Adventure Time, Regular Show.

I'd rather not receive: holidays, teachers rewards, little kid themes (Dora the Explorer, Disney Princesses, other small child shows I'm not familiar with any longer...), big- eyed animals, OWLS!!!, hearts. Please do not send American flags or 'God bless America' or the like items.

I also enjoy washi tape, again to use to decorate letters and snail mail, but I don't collect it. If you're going to send me washi samples, maybe this will help:

Washi Tape

I don't use it in my planner or journal, so the worded tapes I have little use for. Please no Bible themed types - I can't use it. I don't care for emoji, especially the 'poop' emoji. I just don't understand that fascination. I also have no use for holiday themed.

I would enjoy tapes with coffee, books, cats, sloths, giraffes, unicorns, rainbows, llamas, stars, moon, trees, butterflies, snowflakes are ok, and I like snowmen. I prefer silver to gold. I don't mind glitter washi tape, as long as it won't "shed" on the paper or in the envelope. Any tape with bats on it will be passed on to a pen pal, who has a daughter who loves bats.