smitzee

Updated 1/22/12

My original profile on swap-bot follows...(Feb 2011)...

Hello, I'm sorta new to swap bot. I've been postcrossing for about a year - love it! - and learned of this site from a user profile over there. You can check out my profile there at http://www.postcrossing.com/user/smitzee it shows all the postcards I've sent and received too.

I'm a registered nurse living in Minnesota. During the summer I try and get 'up north' to visit my shed on the lake on my days off. The cabin remains a dream, but I camp out at the shed and enjoy the peace and quiet.

I love the outdoors, national parks, postcards, writing letters on real paper, art museums, zoos, trains and roadtrips. Swaps with these themes are for me.

I'm learning how to sketch and watercolor. It's a slow process, but my journals are starting to be more visual and I love the ability to focus on my subject and tune out the rest of the day's problems.

I'm having fun with swap-bot and enjoy your feedback. If you don't receive your postcard, please let me know and I'll send another if needed. I know they can take awhile as I just received a postcrossing postcard that took 134 days to get here from Taiwan, and another from Lithuania that took 89 days. And yes, they were postmarked months ago. Makes you wonder what slowed them down...I'm imagining a long sea voyage filled with pirates and adventure. But, I realize that's not the norm and I would rather send a second than have you wait 4 months. ...(end original profile)...

I'm leaving this 2/22/11 update on here from shortly after I joined swapbot. A number of people sent me quite funny and and appreciative notes about it and the 'swap-blockers' out there...

2/21/2011... So, I got feedback that the above info is not sufficient for people to know me. I disagree. But for those who seem intent on nixing newbies from their postcard swaps... I'll try to spell it out a bit better...

I'm a nurse = I like people.

I like postcrossing = I like postcards from near and far.

I have a lake place = I'm an outdoorsy kinda gal.

The lake is a shed and a dream = I'm a dreamer who has worked hard enough to save up some money for the land and built a shed (2 actually) and an outhouse.

It's a shed = no TV, no radio, no cell service, closest movie theater open on my days at the lake is a 46 mile drive = peace and quite - which I enjoy.

I like to sketch, watercolor, and journal = I like to sketch, watercolor, and journal.

What's probably more obvious with this addendum, is that I don't like pigeonholes and the reason I didn't fill out 'my favs' is it seems like it closes more options than it opens. I'd rather people be open and share themselves with me, rather than change themselves into something they think I want them to be. Be yourselves people.

Though, since I have been kicked out for being a newbie I'll try fill in these favs for you nitpickers.

Fav Music... what's on the radio. I don't buy music; I skip between whatever the 10 strongest signals my car radio picks up.

Fav Book... It depends on my mood. Tech journal, spy thriller, travel guide, sappy love story, history, art, architecture, woodworking, newspapers, trashy magazines, kids books, anthologies, or whatever's on my brother's coffee table this week. I read voraciously, and on many, many topics.

Libraries are awesome places!

Let me know if you've read something recently that excites you - don't send me something just because I like it - I already know I like it, share something of yourself. I just revisited a Jane Austen novel that was delightful, and now I'm reading a local author's spy thriller - Vince Flynn - nice guy, lives just down the road, give it a try if you like.

Favorite Movies... again depends on my mood, but since I've seen only one movie in the past year, I don't think I'm a good one to ask here. I'm a nurse, I work evenings, nights, and weekends...movies don't fit into my work schedule.

Favorite TV... news, weather, not the reality crap, I support my local PBS station, I work weird hours so I'm up in the middle of the night and don't care for what's on...so if this were a least favorite column I'd say I despise infomercials and poker games.

Favorite Crafts...sketching and watercolour, but I said that before.

So, for those of you who were happy with the small amount of info...good on ya....for the rest that need it spelled out... this is as good as it will get...

Cheers, Ruth

Back to 1/22/12....Okay that said...I learned how to make book boxes a while back and set out to make a postcard atlas...I'd like to collect a map card from every state (countries too) so I can make a box for them and display them as a 'book'. I now have all 50 US States!!! Thank you to everyone who helped with this!!! Next step is to make the box. Yea! I trip to the art store for some davey board and browsing. :)

I would still love local map cards, subways, local hotspots, etc. I have some very cool local maps e.g., Florida Keys - guide to sunken treasure map, a map of the Alcan highway, and a map of a BC Valley hotspots, some metro/subway maps and love them! Maybe the next atlas will be for "public transit". I am also still working on my World atlas and a special thank you to international friends for all your wonderful cards, I know finding a map card is not the norm outside the US!

Cheers, Ruth