Oregon

I asked for this one.  This is from the Bicycle Institute of Ashland Oregon.  I at the moment am dreaming about going to this school to learn about bike mechanics and frame building!

I asked them to send information so I could blog about them!

In a time where the economy is going to shit and being green is a must...I see this as an amazing combination of career and being green!  Plus I just really love bikes!

Olympia

Funny story time!  So there is this guy Mike.  Mike lived in Colorado and worked at this place.  He moved to Seattle.  I moved to Colorado and lived in the town he lived in and worked at the place he had worked at.  Then I moved to Seattle and worked at the same place as Mike...we worked together and lived in the same city at the same time.  

THEN we both moved to Olympia.  One day I was visiting the ONE person I knew in Olympia...Tahnee.  I went to the door and Mike was there.  We looked at one another and asked each other why the other was there.  I said that I only knew one person in Olympia...Mike said the same thing.  Now Tahnee lived with Edmond.  Edmond was the one person Mike knew.  

HOW SMALL IS THE WORLD!

Edmond and I recently became friends on facebook.  When I was asking people to send me things in the mail he offered to find me some random stuff!  AND so he did!  This is an amazing variety of randomness that I believe sums up Edmond.

OLYMPIA

Oh this was exciting!  So I met Grace in the basement of college here.  Not through a Craigslist ad I must warn you!  Then we became friends on Facebook!  Grace said she would be willing to send me something....and I had no idea how awesome it would be!

She sent me photobooth pictures of herself!  Ok now thats one of the coolest things.  One...photobooth pics ...you can't make copies of...so I got the original!  Two we took 2 classes together a print class and a photo class..these fit those classes to a T!

To top it all off they came in this crazy envelope!

I must admit that I was very excited to receive this!

Epic journey from Finland

So one of my newest online friends is someone who has been to Olympia and lived in Seattle and Rhode Island! Why is this so exciting to me....well it's because those are all places I have also lived!  This amazing young woman is someone I met on Myspace through one of my random person hunts!

I must admit I am very excited to have received this postcard!  Not often do I receive postcards from this far away!  AND from people I haven't had the pleasure of meeting in person.  My hope is to meet my new friend Leigh some day...and maybe go for a bike ride and sew together!

In this postcard she talks about putting her feet in the Arctic Sea and seeing the Northern Lights 3 times...yes thats 3 times!

So I am questioning where this is for sure...it says Olympia...and if so I'm going to laugh.  The guy who sent this is someone I met on Youtube.com.  If he lives in the Oly area I'm going to have a fit as to how we met.  This is how I roll!  So often do I meet some of the people who are to be my closest friends...on the internet.  Not to say that this is the case here...but it could be.  I truly enjoy my random interactions with strangers online.  

So this is a consent form for my artist interview/questionnaire!

If anyone out there would like to do one let me know!

Hand delivered to the door! from seattle

This was an invite to one of the BIGGEST parties in Olympia!  It was a benefit for a transman to have his chest surgery.  I am happy to say that I went to the party...was the only person to order a mocktail and was probably the only person NOT to make out with anyone there.  There was a make out booth, a mocktail and cocktail bar, cupcakes, a huge dance party!, and a make out space downstairs!  I had never ever seen so many unfamiliar faces!  There were people there from Portland, Seattle as well as Olympia!  Good people...good cause...great party!

Oregon

OH yeah!  

My meds!  Well I had to include my well needed medication.  It's quite funny that I got so many extra syringes and then the extra needles are the wrong size!  This should last a few months!

Olympia

Ahh this one is from my friend Ellen.  I didn't get to take a pic of what she made me that was sweet before I ate it all...but I'll describe it to you!  

I had been talking with her about green building practices...and she lent me some books about the subject that she had.  

Then i received a very special gift!  An amazing hand made gift!  Ellen made me a toffee and chocolate HOUSE!  She made the toffee herself and then built into a delicious house!  This was probably one of the raddest things anyone had made fore me!  Ahh and I still have to return the container and book!

Thanks Ellen!

Plus this is one of the coolest notes to have on your door!

Kansas City

This was a birthday card from my mom....she loves to send well wishes...and I admire how much love she puts out into the world.

She is very open and loving to all beings and people and I hope to emulate that characteristic she owns!

Much love MA!

Olympia

This was another amazing collaboration between mother Ellen and son Felix!  This was what I received in return of sending a post card to Felix!

I love tigers!  I love hand made things...and these people again are some of my favorite Olympians!

Olympia

Ahh a unique gift.  My friend Christine gave this to me.  Her boyfriend Scott made it.  This is the yarn ball that can go on top of a knit hat or could be used to be a tumor on one of my hand sewn toys that I make with Christine.

This was a gift for my birthday...and Scott let me have the largest yarn ball he had made and spent a lot of time on.  These are the amazing and random things I love getting!  It also makes for a cute story in the book of my life!

Kansas

This exchange I can't talk too much about because it involves a very private person.

I can talk about my reaction to this exchange.  I waited four days to receive this package.  It made it from Kansas City to Olympia-two pretty wet places without a drop of water on it...and as soon as I received it....it got wet!  I only remember being this nervous about receiving notice if I had been accepted into schools.  This was a very informative exchange that has changed the way I limited in my head the exchange people can have my postal mail.  

Email, myspace, facebook, texting, cell phones,  and other technological ways to communicate we thought would make things easier...but in fact I believe in many situations have just complicated life.

I am happy to have received this parcel but was not prepared for the emotional and spiritual impact it would have on my life.

Olympia

This was a birthday card collaboration between a mother and son!  I work for the food cooperative and meet many amazing people from the community!  These two of my favorite locals!  Ellen and her son Felix!  The first shot was drawn by Ellen and the second by Felix.  I think my birthday them was a vacation!  Ellen's drawing looks a little like the SC flag...the state of my birth.  Felix's has a piece of rubber hosing taped to it..."it's sap" he told me!  I was super stoked about receiving such an amazing gift!  Thanks Ellen and Felix!

Missouri

I am sorry that these images are so blurry.  This is a family tradition!  A late holiday...we exchanged cards about a month after xmas.  This card if from my mom and accompanied my gifts of very needed boxer shorts, chocolates, and dog treats along with a check to help purchase new tires for my car.

My family is a very important part of my life.  Even though we don't live in the same area we talk often and I am always receiving cards from all of them!

South Carolina

This was a great card and story that came with it.  My grandmother who lives outside of Charleston SC sent me this card.  She never forgets a holiday or birthday.  She swore she had sent me this card until she found it in a pile of news papers!  She called me to let me know it would be late!  I forgot to include in the picture the $100.00 check she was most awesome enough to send!  Thanks Grammy!

New York

This is a thank you and happy new years from friend and artist Janine Gordon!
I was very surprised and happy when I received this card!  She is a very busy woman between her photography and music career...and I appreciate the time she took to do this!

Olympia

Ahh thank goodness my birthday was the beginning of this project!  My great friends Abby and Ash made me this card for my birthday and came to my pizza party.

Hand made cards are very appreciated in my life!

Portland to Olympia!

My sister has lived in Portland for a little over a year and this was her second visit to see me in Washington!  I was very excited that she and my friend Miles could spend my birthday with me.  I have very little blood family and haven't gotten to spend any time with them for a few years....this was great!

I had a small party at my favorite pizza place in Olympia called Vic's!  This is the card she gave me...lol..with money in it for pizza too!

What is postal karma?

Postal Karma is the accumulation of personal communication I have with other people.  This year I have decided to partake in a project that others have inspired.  Through web based meetings and happenings I wanted to make for more interpersonal relations with them.  How better to do that than to exchange things through the postal service!  Some interactions have even been IN PERSON!  

In a time where its more accepted to look for casual encounters on craig'slist than to say hello to your neighbor-I have become determined to poke friends of mine into action!  This project is the easiest to participate in....send me something in the mail and I'll send you something back!  OR I'll send you something in hopes of getting something back!  Besides people I know in person I want to involve those folks I haven't had the pleasure of meeting in person!

As a random variable I will also involve my community!  I will make fliers and place them in around town in areas I visit often...encouraging people to reach out to their fellow human!  Maybe even send my fliers out to be posted in other cities around the country or world!