Thursday, February 25, 2010

pen to paper


Due to very special, positive vibrations in the universe, a couple Dollinks-O-Mine and I are on the same wavelength this week.
DollinkDaughterLLS blogged about IT on February 23rd.
DollinkFriendD sent me an e-mail about IT today.

What is IT?
IT, my friends, is -- Letter Writing.

Letter writing.
Where you take an actual pen to an actual piece of paper
to write greetings of hello and thoughts of the day and sharing newsy chitchat...
...with family.
...with friends.
Letters that you address to an individual, and mail off to that person's place of residence or post office box.

Not e-mails.
Not FB messages.
Not IM.
Not Twitters.


Remember back a bit - if you were so lucky - to when you would receive the occasional friendly and heartfelt letter. How finding one in your snail mailbox always seemed like such a gift. How your heart might get to racing in anticipation of its content. How delightful to hold a letter in your hands and read it - over and over again. The tactile experience of handling the paper. Pondering over the individuality of the handwriting. Perhaps even trying to visualize where your friend was when writing these words to YOU.

Pen-to-paper letter writing has become something of a Lost Art. Wow - that might be a bit of an understatement. Handwritten letters are fast becoming an outdated and antiquated form of communication. Face it, sending letters through the mail is downright slow. Who regularly hand writes letters anymore? Come to think of it, who gives stationery as a gift anymore? Ironic, isn't it - that both are less common acts than ever before and yet - to get a hand written letter is a 'simple something' that is still so prized.

Once upon a time, I wrote many a letter of the pen-to-paper variety.
I miss the act of writing and the ritual of prepping a letter to mail.
I miss the sense of accomplishment I feel when sending a letter.
Moreover, I miss receiving replies from those I exchange letters with.
Any heartfelt letter, more so, a hand written letter - is a gift of one's time. Precious commodity, time.

It must be said that I embrace the instantaneous communication of e-notes. I have professed to being the Queen of E-Mail. However, let it be known that I do miss the old-fashioned version of correspondence.

Just last weekend, I began a pen-to-paper letter (on lightweight 'overseas stationery', yet) to a friend in Japan. At one time, DollinkFriendItoSan and I exchanged written missives very regularly. Lengthy letters. That is, until we were both caught up with the electronic word as a speedier means. Somehow, though - between the two of us, the e-word has never been as satisfying a way to stay connected as snail mail letters. I suppose ItoSan and I are decidedly old school.

Last year, as he does every year, DollinkFriendItoSan sent a chatty hand-written note with his annual Christmas card. Typically, to reciprocate the holiday greeting, I write and mail to him a brief Happy New Year note. This year I decided to pen him a real LETTER, several pages in length, which will be (very ceremoniously) folded and sealed into an (airmail) envelope, affixed with the appropriate postage and sent out in a day or two.

Boyohboy, will DollinkFriendItoSan be surprised. And pleased.

Hope upon hope, he will write back to me.

Many many years ago, (has it really been over two decades?!?)  I sent away (yes, by snail mail) to The International Paper Company for printed copies of Garrison Keillor's article - 'How to write a personal letter'. I still have those two copies, kept in plastic page protectors to keep from getting creased and /or bent. These I keep in my desk of writing implements: blank cards, stationery, special pens and - get this - sealing wax and wax seals! Every once in a great while, I take out the article and read it through to remind myself of the importance of the hand-written word in personal correspondence. Modern technology makes it possible to share my romanticized, sentimental view of hand-written letters with you on this blog. 'Google' makes it possible for me to link you to  Garrison Keillor's article as well. Enjoy.





























Monday, February 22, 2010

In praise of Dim Sum


It's high time for dim sum.

I'll be going with a friend later this week for a dim sum lunch - to celebrate the Lunar New Year 4708: Year of the Tiger. Both of us can hardly wait.

The proper approach to enjoying a meal of dim sum includes taking the time to pay attention to your fellow diner(s) by engaging in conversation.
No, not just the mmmmmmm and ahhhhhhhh whilst downing each tasty bite, but
participating in lively and leisurely chitchat.
A wee bit of witty repartee goes a long way to making the most of the special occasion of sharing a dim sum meal. DollinkFriendL and I will most certainly do just that.

My fam-of-origin referred to eating dim sum in a restaurant as 'yum cha'. The expression 'yum cha' means to 'drink tea'. Those two words alone evoke a meal taken in a deliberately slow manner. Sipping cup after cup (traditional Chinese tea cups are small) of tea while nibbling on bite-sized morsels of tasty fare is the right way to go about 'yum cha'. Pausing. Considering. Savoring.

I have fond memories of special times with just me and my Dad in the mid 1970's - when we'd frequently head into San Francisco Chinatown to a dim sum eatery for lunch. Our favorite places were the little hole-in-the-wall dim sum dives. Once settled at a table and ready to tuck into the first of many dim sum dishes, Dad would be sure to say 'Mon mon sik'. Translation: 'Eat slowly'.
His other meanings --- 'No rush. Take your time. Drink the tea. Relax. Talk a bit. Eat a bit.'

Dad and I would proceed to sit for a good long time, beckoning at the waitperson to bring over one or two dishes at a time of both savory and sweet tidbits. We poured tea for each other. Sipped slowly. Chatted. Laughed.
This was definitely quality Dad N' Daughter time.

Taking tea, partaking of dim sum and making sure there was plenty of convivial conversation to enrich the dining experience.

Dim sum etiquette?
You bet'cha.

Now let's go eat.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

新年快乐

4708 
新年快乐

Friday, February 12, 2010

amigur-who?


Amigurumi.

Decided at the onset that I was NOT getting into this cutesy yarn play.
I've got quite enough in the way of ongoing fiber projects on knit/crochet needles not to bother, thank you very much.

Then, at the eleventh hour of the last holiday season, I found myself in the deep end of the arigurumi pool - by taking on the crocheting of not one, not two, but THREE 'Crobots' from this book. Amigurumi are made in pieces, which are SEWN together with yarn. One of the Crobots I made had about 14 separate crochet pieces, which needed to be individually stuffed with polyfil before being sewn together. After assembly of the pieces, Crobots need to be embellished. Big time.

Sorry, no pix to post, as I was playing the 11th hour 59th minute game - by putting finishing touches (sewing tiny beads, sequins, washers, screws, and affixing bendable wires) on the Crobots whilst a passenger in a car speeding towards San Francisco to a Christmas Eve party - which is where I gifted the three DollinkCrobots (they really did turn out to be very cute) to my DollinkSistahK.
Rumour has it that DSK enjoys them - thoroughly.

I chalked the experience as a 'been there, crochet'd that' bit of temporary insanity on my part. I mean, little crochet'd robotic thingys.
Now, really.

It's 2010 - a brand new year and a purposeful return to other creative pursuits.
Cleansing breath....

Then today, this little cutie stopped me in my tracks.

Once bitten, the amigurumi bug might be harder to shake off than I thought...
... time to get out the bug spray?
... or the crochet hooks?

ROARIN' good FUN


Check out the 'detachable counter' that accompanies Lion Brand online knitting patterns.
PDC (Pretty Darn Cute)

Just don't try to drag it off the computer screen...

Sunday, February 07, 2010

twice in five months time...

.. and yes - it was wonderful.