Swap-bot Time: June 6, 2023 4:07 pm
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MamaMangrove

MamaMangrove
Date Joined: May 7, 2012
Last Online: June 5, 2023
Birthday: January 1
Country: United States
My Flickr Photos
My Postcrossing Favorites

About Me

UPDATE: DEC 11, 2022

I am now living with friends in Tallahassee, Florida who have graciously offerred me the space and time I need to figure out what I want to do next. It's a peaceful place surrounded by forest with lots of nearby trails for hiking. I see deer and other woodland animals every day.

I'm pleased to say I have just joined a few swaps - the first ones I've participated in since before Hurricane Ian blew into my life! Although I lost all my art supplies and the bulk of my postcard collection to the storm surge, I have gathered enough to do some exchanges. Yay!! Happy to be back to swapping. See you in the mail, y'all (I'm practicing my Tallahassee speak) !

UPDATE: OCT 1, 2022

I lost my home in Fort Myers to Hurricane Ian. Fortunately I had evacuated to a friend’s house on higher ground so I am fine, just rather overwhelmed by being a refugee and having to start all over.

Thank you to all the kind swappers who have sent their good wishes and for sending or offering to send me postcards. But, please, I am still overwhelmed by the stuff we are salvaging and I cannot handle any more material goods, not even a few postcards! We expect to be done with phase one of the salvage operation in 2 weeks and I will be moving to another city. I don’t know when I will get back to swapping. Putting a new life together is my priority. Xo to all my Swap-bot friends.


I'm a former wandering gypsy, now living in Florida where the primeval beauty of the Big Cypress swamp and the longest coastline of any state except Alaska satisfy certain of my inner needs. It's also a great jumping off point for the Bahamas, the Caribbean & Latin America. I lived in India for several years working with a snake catcher; traveled with Ringling Brothers Circus (living on the train); lived on a sailboat in the Bahamas & Caribbean for 5 years. My numerous occupations have included newspaper staff writer, assembly-line worker in a cockroach trap factory, librarian, charter-boat cook, dog walker in NYC, proprietor of a shop selling beach paraphernalia in the Virgin Islands and, most consistently, free-lance travel writer. Travel, adventure & being easily distracted are all prime motivators in my life!

Writing & photography were always my creative outlets, but lately I'm exploring mixed media collage. I originally joined Swap-Bot for non-touristy postcard exchanges as I'm always on the lookout for quirky or whimsical imagery. But I'm a long-time fan of (and participant in) mail art, so I've become more involved in collage & handmade postcard & mail art swaps. I appreciate things created with wit, originality, a sense of humor - or just because they're beautiful or intriguing. I like clever, off-beat, esoteric stuff. Girlie cutesy doesn't cut it for me. (Maybe I'm still rebelling against a mother who tried too hard to make me pink and frilly.) But I do enjoy whimsy. I love getting postcards & envelopes decorated with art work, collage, etc. And lots & lots of cool stamps!

Though I caved to peer pressure & created a Flickr account, I'm REALLY bad about keeping it updated with images of mail art I've sent! Social media in general eludes me. There are never enough hours in the day for all the other things I find far more interesting to do.

Favorite Music

My musical taste is pretty eclectic, but I particularly like acoustic guitar, Reggae, Latin jazz, World Music in general. A few of my favorite musicians are Mose Allison, Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell & Paco de Lucia.

Favorite Books

My passport is my favorite book. I read a lot of nonfiction. When I get interested in a subject I read about it voraciously. I enjoy poetry & have been trying my hand at haiku and tanka. Theodore Roethke, ee cummings, & Shel Silverstein are often on my bedstand. Nick Bantock always inspires. Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Kurt Vonnegut, Mark Twain, Ursula Le Guin & Kipling are among my long time favorites.

Favorite Movies

My top 5 favorite films are La Strada, L'Atalante, The Gods Must be Crazy, Walkabout, The Triplets of Belleville. My choices seem to reflect my penchant for living on boats; circuses; exotic locales & eccentric characters. I watch a lot of foreign & indie films because I find them to be generally more subtle and thoughtful than mainstream Hollywood.

Favorite Crafts

Mixed media collage, (mainly postcards) & occasional zines. Because I've always been a writer and photographer I often incorporate words and photos into my crafts.

Postcard Preferences

My preference is for Non-Touristy postcards.I much PREFER RECEIVING POSTCARDS SENT BLANK, IN AN ENVIE, even if the swap calls for them to be sent naked. I understand if you can't do that, but that's my preference & I'll never rate you down for sending that way.

POSTCARDS I'D ESPECIALLY LIKE TO RECEIVE

  • Ken Brown's cards

  • Cards featuring HANDS or EYES

  • Black & white photography (anything from Fotofolio & Nouvelles Images for example.) I especially like the photographs of Robert Doisneau.

  • Inge Look's old ladies

  • Magazine Covers, especially New Yorker

  • Brest Brest Brest cards from The Curious Feast PC Box

  • The graphic art of Corita Kent

  • Famous People

  • Mythology, mythological beings

  • Astrological symbols & animals, etc.

  • Blimps, dirigibles, Zeppelins

  • Bromeliads -my favorite plants!

  • Orchids

  • Palm Trees

  • The Little Prince

  • Kliban's comic art

  • Mexican Loteria cards

  • Dia de los Muertos

  • Lantern Press cards

  • Birds

  • Closups of nature, like the patterns on a beetle, the eye of a fish, etc.

  • The Everglades

  • Art cards, particularly collage art, graffiti art, street art, "outsider" art, & found object creations.

  • Paintings by the Florida Highwaymen.

  • Some favorite artists: Magritte, Robert Rauschenberg, Charlie Harper, Joan Miro, Keith Haring, Dali, Georgia O'Keefe, Joseph Cornell, Mayumi Oda, Frida Kahlo, Saul Steinberg.

  • Winslow Homer's paintings of Florida and the Bahamas.

  • Seminole or Miccosoukee people

  • Snake Charmers

  • Magic, magicians,

  • Weird Science

  • Cyanotypes (blueprints or sun prints)

  • Edward Gorey's illustrations

  • Great graphic Design

  • Humor, particularly off-beat, droll, or dry, like the postcards of Glen Baxter.

  • Signs, especially odd or humorous ones

  • Rock & Roll & 1960's musicians

  • Che Guevera

  • Cuba

  • Snoopy (from the Peanuts cartoons)

  • Kaj Stenvall cards

  • Charlie Chaplin

  • Popeye the Sailor Man

  • Troubled Birds (a series of postcards that crack me up!) or anything from the Mincing Mockingbird folks.

  • Lenticular (3-D) cards (but not those "Magic Eye" cards. I have monocular vision & can never see the hidden images.)

  • Postcards that squeak!

  • Postcards with googly eyes!

  • Squeaky postcards WITH googly eyes! (I have only one - a circa 1950s alligator - and he'd so love to be the start of a collection :)

  • Surprise me!

  • My Postcrossing favorites (link above) may give you an idea of the kinds of cards I like.

  • Good quality unused Florida postcards are welcomed since Hurricane Ian washed all mine away. I prefer ones that are not city-specific.

Extras/ Other Likes

  • I can always use uncancelled US stamps. Any denomination

  • Faux postage (artistamps)

Please NO

PLEASE DON'T SEND

  • NO tourist cards please, unless the swap specifically calls for them. Even then I'd prefer something non-touristy.

  • NO more 3x5 vintage cards, please. I have way too many of them!

  • NO Christian themes or Bible verses.

  • NO super cute, overly sweet or girlie

  • PLEASE DO NOT SEND Those cheap sepia 32-pcs faux Vintage-Travel-Sights-Landscape-famous people-Retro Postcards from AliExpress (smaller cards without description on the back. The back is a sepia tone with just boxes on the top left.) I hate them! {Thanks to Highlander 18 for her description}

Ratings

JanHardt rated for AMA: Sender's Choice Mail Art - 05 on Jun 5, 2023
5
rating
Comment: Linda, This journal page is beautiful. I love the bird, the background, and the texture you created. I’m happy to hear you have a new home. Best of luck with your move. And, thank you for an excellent swap.
young46356 rated for PH: Scavenger Hunt for PCs #222 on Jun 2, 2023
5
rating
Comment: Hello Linda, great cards for this swap. Also i want to thank you extra for the Algerian province map card. I didn't have any North African map cards like this. Best wishes, Rich
Singske rated for CO Surreal Collage #5 on Jun 1, 2023
5
rating
Comment: Thank you so much for the collage you made me, the camel looks surreal enough to me! What a story about Hurricane Ian… when I hear something about hurricanes on the news I always think about all the American swappers I’ve met here on swapbot and hope they are all okay. If you want I can send you some ephemera to start a new collection when you are settled again. By the way love the vintage stamps on the envelope and the blue lady in her swimsuit. It’s always nice to swap with you. Take care ❤️
5
rating
Comment: Great cards! Hope you got the cottage!!
Response: Glad you liked them Thanks for your rating and 💗. Got the cottage -lease starts June 1, but it may take me a while to get moved in as I don't even have a bed yet! Taking a break from swapping while I focus on the move. Stay tuned for new address!
5
rating
Comment: Hi Linda! I was thrilled that you were my sending partner. Not only are all the cards fabulous, but I love that you wrote a special note to me. Yes . . . to be young again! Age never bothered me 'til I hit 60; now every year seems to rush by and I'm marking the years with new ailments! haha I'll write back soon. Thank you so much, my friend.
simcoe54 rated for Non-Touristy Postcards #48 on May 21, 2023
5
rating
Comment: Another great bunch of cards. Thanks so much!
simcoe54 rated for PH: Person/Place/Thing #7 on May 21, 2023
5
rating
Comment: Thanks for the great postcard choices and extra playing card.
marclively rated for NYUP: People Postcards #2 on May 18, 2023
5
rating
Comment: Thanks, Marc
5
rating
Comment: Thank you for a fun swap!
5
rating
Comment: Thanks for the great bunch of cards and extra unmarked stamps.
sherba31 rated for MAIL ART - People or Person on May 16, 2023
5
rating
Comment: Thanks for the neato people mail art. I totally hear you on weather since I'm just about 3 hours east of you. Sorry about your loss in the hurricane (Michael?) It's about time to prep for the next season. Let's hope for a bypass this year. Thanks for all the extras too.
squince rated for NYUP: 3 B/W Postcards #4 on May 13, 2023
5
rating
Comment: Great cards and can't wait to put down the wildflower seeds and see what happens!!
fishsteak rated for IFM: Handmade Postcard on May 11, 2023
5
rating
Comment: Thank you for the lovely postcard! The butterfly makes me so happy because it makes me think of spring. I always like hearing what found materials others make their cards with.
5
rating
Comment: Thanks for the postcards! Great choices!
Poeprincess rated for CO: A Theme - bird on May 10, 2023
5
rating
Comment: What a beautiful envelope! I loved the Canada goose profile & elements. I opened it up (very carefully) to find the surreal bird lady, equally spectacular on a neat background. Just loved the whole package! Thanks a million.
5
rating
Comment: Thank you so very much for all the wonderful postcards ❤️❤️❤️ Also thank you so much for the flower disk, I never seen this before, but I think it's an amazing idea❤️❤️❤️
spacefoxsupreme rated for AMA: Mail art based on poem on May 9, 2023
5
rating
Comment: Thanks for your rain mail art! We are getting a lot of rain this week, so it fits!
user6937 rated for CO Surreal Collage #4 on May 3, 2023
5
rating
Comment: So great to receive from you - I love your spring cleaning art! Thanks for your note (your writing is beautiful, even with the pain of RA - so easy to read); thanks also for the CDN stamps!
5
rating
Comment: ❤️❤️ Great choices - Historic - favorite! Thank you very much and will see if he seeds grow - very cool!!
Ebbie78 rated for PH: Scavenger Hunt for PCs #219 on May 1, 2023
5
rating
Comment: Hi Linda, Thank you so much for the amazing variety of postcards! I especially liked the extra card you included from Frankenmuth Michigan... I've actually visited this location many, many times over the years. It's a small world! :)

Rating Overview

Overall Hearts Stars Hosted
4.9984 2360 0 0
Completed Fives Threes Ones
2175 2481 0 1
Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Uncategorized
1 1486 688 0
View all

Currently In

  • the user is not currently in any swaps :(

Currently Hosting

  • the user is not hosting any current swaps

Comments

simcoe54 on Jan 1, 2023:

Happy Birthday and Happy New Year! Hope you have a great day!

simcoe54 on Dec 25, 2022:

Merry Christmas! And best wishes for 2023!

susieq11 on Dec 9, 2022:

Hi Linda! Just saying HI and hope you are doing well! xoxo

shirleyinCA on Oct 10, 2022:

Heartbroken to hear of the loss of your home but very glad you are safe. Take care dear Linda!

user6937 on Sep 29, 2022:

Linda, I've pm'd you but you probably don't have any internet during this trouble in Florida. Hope you're okay, my friend - please let me know when you can.

LadyJo on Sep 29, 2022:

I have been thinking about you, since this hurricane has hit your area! The photos I am seeing it is very bad! I do hope you are safe! It sure must have been, still is a very difficult situation with so much damage and lives lost! Thinking of You!

user6937 on Jul 20, 2022:

You're an awesome swapper - everyone who knows you will ignore that rotten rating!

susieq11 on Jun 30, 2022:

Hope you are doing well! Just wanted to say Hello!

shirleyinCA on May 6, 2022:

P.S. Thank you for the cute Minnie Mouse notecard, too!

shirleyinCA on May 6, 2022:

Hope you see this! Thank you so much for the wonderful packet of all those darling little Little Golden Books! And the 2 little Sendak books are utterly delightful! I have a full size Potter's Mrs Tiggle Wiggle but now I have the tiny version and love it! And I have not seen The Tale of Pigling Bland so that is a real treat! To top off your surprise for me, it did arrive before my birthday - so that brought me extra smiles. Many, many thanks. Writing to you soon - take care.

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