USAFwife

Updated & current as of March 25, 2020

Not taking a full break from swap-bot, but going to step back a little bit. If you need me, please leave a PM and I will read it and respond as I'm able. I'm still hosting a few swaps and I will send out.

Please notice!!! I now live on a military installation again! The mail is slow! I mark swaps 'sent' when I drop them in the box, but have already heard that postmarks are 2-3 days later than they should be. And - my mail will get randomly opened! Just part of living in such an environment.

Please do not include tuck ins, unless specifically stated to do so in a swap, OR if you have a Garfield item you would like to send me. But random note papers, tea bags, stickers - please keep them! I cannot use them, and I end up throwing them away. (tuck ins are those items you TUCK IN-to an envelope with the letter or swap - stickers, book marks, post cards ... - as little extras.) I feel badly throwing things away, but I haven't been able to use 95% of tuck ins sent to me. So please keep them! Thank you!

As for rating, I rate as soon as I open the swap. If I can't rate right away, I hold off opening the mail until I can rate. I do believe in giving hearts, even for e-mail swaps. The amount of time you put in is what earns a heart, and am a believer that email swaps can earn hearts as well. All swaps are welcome for me.

Back to our regularly scheduled profile:

Hi there! I'd like to start off by saying that I've been a letter writer and a snail mailer for all of my life! I started swapping by snail mail in the late 1980's with Friendship Books and the like, but I wrote to family members before that. Snail mail it is one of the few constants in my life. I love that with a note or letter, I can learn about a new country, custom or life style, meet a new person. And, while I enjoy pretty stamps and mail art - it's all about the letter or note for me rather than the art. I'm actually perfectly ok with bland, basic stamps or the postage meter strips. I do not collect or use canceled stamps, so it's really ok to not send them to me. (I do collect them up, though, and send them to charities.)

But I'd like state that - swap-bot isn't my life. It adds to my life, but my world does not revolve around it. I have yet to host or sign up for a swap and not complete it, I've rated everything I've received - or haven't received. But I don't immediately reply to a PM or comment. I'd love to hear from you, feel free to send me a PM or comment on my profile. But give me a chance to reply - it might take a few days. Days when my husband is home (weekends, holidays) I'm not on the computer much, and I have 3 kiddos with special needs. Family comes first.

I learned about the Write On Challenge a few years ago, and I LOVE it. Can't wait for April! Also participate in the InCoWriMo 'vintage social media' challenge for the month of February. I founded a group here on swap-bot Reading & Writing for those who, like me, enjoy reading (or listening to) books, creative writing, and journal experiments.

After coming across the Unread shelf Project 2019, I started a group called TBR Bookshelf as well, to keep me on track with my TBR as well as find others in the same situation, and help them, too, tackle those long TBR lists. :)

Please don't feel you need to add tuck ins, if not specified in the swap I'd prefer no tuck ins unless it's Garfield!

I get rather annoyed when people spell my name wrong. It's Cindi, NOT Cindy!

MAILING

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 hate Face book. I do have an account, and I remember to check it about once a year. I'm fully anti-social media. Please don't ask me to be 'friends' or whatever on such sites, I don't use them. I recently heard a comedian say it's amazing how I can have 750 'friends' but no one to help me move the couch! That's how I feel.

So, about me & mine:

I'm 44 years old , married 25 years this year, a mom to 3 teens and really am a USAF wife. (USAF = United States Air Force) We are currently in Washington (state), originally from Michigan, and have lived in 13 states (and counting!) I'm not thrilled with the current presidency or their politics, but I am an American.

I love to hear from people in other countries or with other customs or beliefs than mine, other lifestyles. I'm LGBTQ friendly, and am one of the 'you're safe with me' people who still wears a safety pin.

I'm not Christian, but am 'Faithfully Religionless'. :) 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 have read about or attended many different types of religious celebrations and find it interesting - but please don't try to convert me. I'm good with where my beliefs are, thanks!

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. I"m not looking for drama, I have enough of it in my daily life, thanks.

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. I try to keep their hair/fur and dander out of my swaps, but it may happen, for which I apologize.

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. :)

Also, just realized that swearing and cursing are a bit of a 'trigger' for me. I occasionally use swear words - almost never in writing though - but reading or hearing a bunch kinda causes problems for me, so I'd rather not get stickers that say fck, sht and so on and the like. If you're one to curse in emails or letters, we probably won't be a pen pal match.

Cooking & recipes - I do all the cooking for my family, from very detailed meals to quick soups. I love my crock pot(s) & have very little room for other gadgets in my kitchen. :(
I collect recipes, but not cookbooks anymore. Just no room! Betty Crocker is my best friend - I turn to her whenever I'm bored. I also have traditional generations old Czech and Hungarian recipes for holidays and special occasions. We still eat meat, but cutting down on that. Hubby is really a fan of Asian foods recently, so been trying some of those, too. With picky eaters and food allergies, it gets to be tough to make a meal!

I LOVE Garfield. I've loved Garfield all my life, and dearly enjoy getting anything related. I also love Disney's Aladdin!, Disney's Haunted Mansion, Disney's Emperor's New Groove, Disney's Hercules and Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame movies.

We are now big fans of She Ra and the Princesses of Power show on Netflix! I think my husband looks forward to the new episodes more than the kids do! (He's also a fan of Frozen 2, in addition to the "old/real" Star Wars.) Other things we are into - Star Wars, My Hero Academia and my daughter loved "Voltron" on Netflix "until the last season ruined it all". My hubby watches football, but no particular team. He's more of a soccer fan. I grew up a Chicago Bears fan, and hubby first liked the Indy Colts, then we followed Payton Manning to the Denver Broncos. Seattle Seahawks are the new local team, and he follows that.

Fall, then winter, are my favorite times of the year, and Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It's a quiet day at home, and the house usually just smells so good!

I re-use or re-purpose as much as I can, prefer used books, and LOVE any paper that's not made from trees. Love the Leaning Tree line of cards and products. Bamboo paper is the best!

Cartoonish characters I like include: Garfield, Scooby Doo, (ORIGINAL Scooby is the REAL Scooby!) Tiny Toons & Animaniacs, Sanrio's Gudetama, Adventure Time. Regular Show. Also Ziggy and Simon's Cat!

I drink coffee and hot cocoa, and some of the family drinks tea, but would rather not receive coffee or hot cocoa as extras. If it's required for the swap, please send factory sealed tea bags instead. We like Herbal tea. Coffee themed stationery, stickers, etc are appreciated. :)

Please, NO OWLS of any kind - not the winter owls, not the Owl from Pooh Bear, not the 'cute' little stickers - they just creep me out too much. Anything with oversized eyes just freak me out.

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

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'd rather not receive food or edible items, make up items, lip balm.

My 'mail art' is usually limited to washi tape and/or stickers - or printed paper, as I make some envelopes, usually from book pages or calendar pages. I like to re-use items when possible.

Planners I'm not a planner person, but have a Passion Planner as well as a traveler's notebook. Recently started a Bullet Journal I have no need for washi or stickers that are planner themed.

I love to read. Prefer used books to new books. Prefer mysteries, but I read all types of books. (Think "Murder She Wrote" and Agatha Christie - that's most often my style.) Not a fan of vampire novels, but some other paranormal are ok. If I do read romance or erotica, it is usually lesbian themed.

I also LOVE audio books. I probably listen to more books than I read, but also enjoy listening to favorites multiple times.

I'm not a 'collector' of books - I like to practice 'catch and release' - I read it and then trade or donate it. I prefer to use the library, but there are some authors I will still buy. I do like book marks and collect far too many.

Some of my favorite authors are:
Agatha Christie, Stephen King , Shirley Jackson, Timber Hawkeye, Sarah Rayne, Sylvain Neuvel, The Grimm Brothers :) Rick Riordan (LOVE the Percy Jackson series and off shoots) And of course - Washington Irving. Edgar Allen Poe isn't too bad either. :) A newer interest is Molly Harper, also like the Dresden files series by Jim Butcher (because James Marsters is an amazing narrator!) and Aaron Mahnke, the podcaster who started Lore and a few others.

Enjoy books about: Haunted houses, ghosts, and fairy tales, mysteries, cozy mysteries, historical fiction or mysteries. I read some biographies and memoirs, but don't care much for self help style books. And don't read many sci-fi or fantasy. And really not a fan of Harry Potter. I LOVE the original Grimm Brother's type fairy tales and folk tales. I would always welcome local traditions and folk lore that you would like to share.

Podcasts I listen to a few podcasts, and my favorites are Lore, Cabinet of Curiosities and Unobscured by Aaron Mahnke, Buddhist Boot Camp by Timber Hawkeye, History Goes Bump by Diane Student. Usually listen to Serial from This American Life.

TV & Movies

Some of my favorite actors are: Robert Downey Jr, Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, David Tennant, Anne Hathaway, Scarlett Johansson

TV shows I watch & like: Are You Being Served? (Old BBC show), Supernatural, Sherlock, Dr Who, Northern Exposure, Broadchurch, Golden Girls, Murder She Wrote, Lore on Amazon Prime, Inspector Lynley Mysteries, Midsomer Murders, and Keeping Up Appearances, MASH, Travel channel shows hosted by Josh Gates, and a few ghost hunter type shows.

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, Disney's Aladdin, Disney's Hercules, Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame, Disney's Haunted Mansion. Also enjoy the Marvel movies - though the family are DC comics fans - and documentaries.

Favorite Music The Monkees,Imagine Dragons,John Mayer, Joan Baez, Soul Asylum, Enigma, Billy Joel, Daft Punk, Bjork, Edwyn Collins, Ricky Martin (yes, really. I was a fan of Menudo when he joined, so that lingers). Also 1980's & 1990's music

Also like to listen to the PG Comedy channel on Pandora. Some favorites are Jim Gaffigan, Kathleen Madigan, John Mulaney, Mike Birbiglia, Brian Regan.

I still love stickers! :) 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. I have been a fan of Sloths, Llamas, and Giraffes for many years, and am happy with the images that are gaining popularity now. :)

No owls

Cartoon types I'd enjoy: Garfield, Scooby Doo, Looney Tunes/Tiny Toons/Animaniacs, Muppets, Adventure Time, Regular Show, Muppets, Snoopy/Peanuts, Ziggy, Sesame Street (esp Big Bird and Cookie Monster)

I'd rather NOT receive: holidays, teachers rewards, little kid themes, big- eyed animals, OWLS!!!, hearts. Please do not send American flags or 'God bless America' or the like items. Also, anything relating to drinking wine (I don't drink) or any of the motivational phrases with that brush lettering style of writing. Also, not a fan of cursing or profanity in stickers and the like.

Washi Tape I would enjoy tapes with coffee, books, cats, sloths, giraffes, unicorns, rainbows, llamas, stars, moon, trees, butterflies, snowflakes are ok, and I like snowmen. Blue, purple or silver colored. I prefer silver to gold.