Do you still write any letters?

[Tradd]

I just sat down and wrote a letter to a friend, as well as two thank you notes for Christmas-related goodies and for the folks who had me over on Christmas.

I love good paper, so I have Crane letter paper and note cards. I really enjoyed the process.

Does anyone else still do handwritten letters or notes?

[Tussiemussies]

I do sent hand written thank you cards. I love handwritten items and once tried to teach myself cursive from the long ago past which was a beautiful art form.

Love good paper too...

[fidgiegirl]

Mainly to Grandma, but occasionally to some overseas friends that I don't see often. I do drop handwritten thank you cards as often as I can think of it. I used to loooooove the feeling of writing by hand but as my typing proficiency has improved the ease and joy of handwriting seems to have proportionally diminished . . .

[SteveinMN]

I do write thank-you notes by hand. I write an aunt of mine who is absolutely not connected to anything resembling a computer (she might have a dumbphone; not sure of that, either). That's about it, though....

[Blackdog Lin]

I still do handwritten thank-you notes, when an actual thank-you note seems needed, which is rarely.

And I send a seriously ridiculously long typewritten actual letter to my stepmom twice a year or so - no way it could be handwritten, I "think" much better on the "typewriter". I always say I hate loathe and detest writing letters, but it seems I'm good at it as Mom always mentions how much she loves getting my letters. I always procrastinate for weeks (need to thank her for "birthday money" or "Christmas money", which gives me the reason for writing her), then I start out stilted and stupid: "How are you? We are fine.", but it seems that once I get started I go great. I can spend a page and a half just on the season's gardening news, the chickens are always good for a long paragraph, if we went to the casino for an overnight I can drag the story out about what losers we are but oh by the way had the most marvelous meal at ___ , and when I was still working the latest USPS scheduling antics would be good for at least 2 long paragraphs. And then oh by the way you remember J&B, you know, J&V's youngest boy, well you wouldn't believe what they've been dealing with, with their no-good druggie daughter and her 5 illegitimate kids.....my letters end up flowing for 4 or more pages, and she says she loves them.

I accept that I'm pretty good at letters, and I still do it irregularly.....but boy I hate getting started on one.

[iris lily]

Yes to notes, all the time. It is common in my neighborhood to write thank you notes for being a guest at a dinner party, for acknowledging a special volunteer effort, etc.

I don't write letters because all of my friends are here. But if I DID write letters to out of state relatives I'd just be writing the same thing each year. After 23 years we still live in the same house, we are still renovating it, we still have multiple bulldogs, we still have big gardens, we are still involved in neighborhood events and issues, etc etc. It would never change. When you don't have children there isn't much change.

Besides I write a lot here, don't need to write more, haha.

[razz]

I am rediscovering letter writing and also started writing to my young DGS to help him understand the importance of letters. He has replied once so far but loves getting the letters.

[Lainey]

I'm a lot like you, Blackdog Lin.

I also write letters, not as often, but have gotten thanks from many people who received them. They're typically one-page typed and full of just everyday stuff, and maybe include a newspaper clipping or cartoon or something else I think they'd enjoy.
I sent one letter a week for five years to an incarcerated relative. I sent a one-page newsy letter to a retired boss and his wife about 4x/year for about 8 years - he's recently deceased, and since then I've sent a few to his widow who sent me a wonderful Xmas card saying how she particularly likes them, so I'll continue.
I even sent letters to a friend's son who was in boot camp - she'd asked 12 of us to drop him a note so he'd have the fun of getting something from 'home.' She later told me that only 2 of us actually wrote him, and I was the only one who wrote him twice.
It's something especially nicer for older people, and I also think it's just fun to go the mailbox and get a letter among the bills and circulars. But I also think there's too many people who just can't compose their thoughts beyond an e-mail or tweet.
It's becoming a lost art, for sure.

[Mrs-M]

I used to. An old friend (neighbour) and I, wrote each other (after she moved) for years, but as with so many things in life, busy, full schedules, along with other interests, took control, and the letters became less and less frequent until such a time the letters fizzled out completely.

Re: what, Lainey, mentioned, old-fashioned letter writing truly is a lost art. Nonetheless, I still enjoy visiting high-end and unique stationary outlets to peruse their selection of interesting paper, envelopes, and specialties.

[Float On]

I do. I'm always ordering notecards from Vistaprint with my images on them. My mom and MIL both love a handwritten note. I have friends across the country that I enjoy sending letters to (even if they only email back).

[pcooley]

I write about four or five letters a month, to friends and family. I would like to write more, but it's hard to make the time. I'm also a card carrying member of the Letter Writer's Alliance (http://16sparrows.typepad.com/letterwritersalliance/). It's a fun group. They have a penpal service, but I don't feel quite up to starting a correspondence with someone I don't know, though I imagine it would be rewarding.

[martha]

I do handwritten cards for special occasions or thank-you's. I too love beautiful paper, but everyone I know uses email and phone exclusively. All of my older relatives with whom I used to exchange real letters are gone now. I still have some nice stationery, but no one to write to. Should probably look into a way to find seniors in nursing homes who would appreciate getting letters.

[Tradd]

I've been writing more letters and really enjoying it. I just found out an old friend's husband died within the past six months, and so I wrote her a letter. We had lost touch, simply by not living close enough (now that I've lived in the suburbs for some years). I wrote her a letter about her husband, remembering some very funny videos he'd put together chronicling the antics of their children, as well as a poster he professionally framed for me (the only wall art in my apartment). I remember him daily through it.

Another friend, from church, hasn't been attending for several weeks (her children often get very ill in the winter), so instead of just shooting off an email, I wrote her a newsy letter.

We'll just have to see if anyone writes me back, of all the letters I've written recently.

[ctg492]

Thank you cards only now. Last 2 letters I wrote were 4 years ago to a long lost friend in which I had no email address and the second letter was to a friend's counselor who asked the friend to have friend send a letter explaining how life has been knowing that person.

[IshbelRobertson]

Thank you cards and letters only nowadays.

I tend to type longer, newsy family letters - and I even email those to some. Only the older members get hard copies.

[ctg492]

Hard copies, this is something I find ammusing. My In law and My Mom, print off emails, so they can sit and read them like letters. I used to babble to my inlaws just to give them something to read. Then one day I saw the stack of emails from people on the table, kinda like a coffee table book. Felt strange to think that my ramblings about nothing but the weather were for whoever sat down. I told my mom no need to print them, no reason to. My inlaws live in a retirement area now. Too funny at a certain time on Monday's they go to the community center and open the email, like back when the mailman would deliver. My mom will say 'the man who delivers the email, took a long time today', she has dial up, too funny.

[Tradd]

ctg, it could be they have a difficult time reading on the computer screen. I know some older folks who have that issue.

Your mom's comment is funny!

[treehugger]

The only person I still write letters to is my step-grandmother (the only living grandparent-like person in my life). She gets a letter three times a year and they are long, rambling (boring!) things that I know she appreciates (she doesn't use email). I have horrible handwriting, though, so I type the letter (sometimes inserting pictures onto the page), print it, sign it, and mail it.

I also regularly send handwritten thank you notes throughout the year to whomever has done me a kindness (I have tendinitis, so I can manage a legible missive if it is short). Have one to mail today to friends who dog sat for us recently.

Kara

[Tradd]

Letter writing update:

I've got two friends with whom a very regular correspondence has sprung up. They're both a bit older than I am, and also remember the days when people wrote much more than they do now. By all accounts, they're enjoying it a great deal.

I got some pretty blank note cards from Crane on sale. I now use those instead of birthday cards, etc.

[Tussiemussies]

I used to. An old friend (neighbour) and I, wrote each other (after she moved) for years, but as with so many things in life, busy, full schedules, along with other interests, took control, and the letters became less and less frequent until such a time the letters fizzled out completely.

Re: what, Lainey, mentioned, old-fashioned letter writing truly is a lost art. Nonetheless, I still enjoy visiting high-end and unique stationary outlets to peruse their selection of interesting paper, envelopes, and specialties.


Hi mrs. M. Very, very glad to see you posting. My husband recently had to go to an art expo in NYC for his work. His boss also went to a stationary expo at the same time. I so wanted to go to see all the stationary, I could just imagine all the beautiful papers and gift wraps, which I just love looking at too....

I used to make homemade cards and two people I knew had saved them. Once receiving one, I realized how special it feels to be the recipient.

[Tradd]

Tussie, Mrs. M's post is from January...

[iris lily]

My SIL makes handmade cards for birthdays, they are great! I've been saving the last few ones. There is one she made for my birthday in recent years that was so beautiful, I kick myself for not keeping it a while.

I am usually tired of birthday cards by the end of the birthday and I sweep them all out. But that handmade one, I should have kept.

[Tussiemussies]

Tussie, Mrs. M's post is from January...

Oh, I didn't look at the date, just the point that she posted as guest. Thanks...

[reader99]

Oh, I didn't look at the date, just the point that she posted as guest. Thanks...
When a person stops being a member all their pre-existing posts are labelled guest.


I used to write to my aunt because she had no email. She died this year so now all my letter-type communication is by email.

At my current level of frugality I have to have no other choice before I'll use one of my stock of postage stamps.

[oldhat]

Only the occasional thank-you note these days, alas...I kind of miss letter writing. I used to have a big 1940s vintage Remington typewriter that I wrote letters with (and typed ditto masters--remember those?). I loved the physicality of that thing; when you wrote on it you really felt like you were writing. I'd like to find an old typewriter like that again. (They seem to be making a comeback (http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/tapping-old-tech-typewriters-make-comeback-1C9992099).)

On the other hand, I just purchased voice recognition software so I won't have to type my emails any longer. So I'm obviously ambivalent on the issue.

[reader99]

OTOH, I often write long things in my journal that would make excellent chatty letters, and sometimes I email those if I think they might interest someone.

[Florence]

I no longer write letters. There really isn't anyone left to write to. We are now the oldest generation on both sides of our family. Like iris lillies, we could send the same letter out every year because we are still doing the same things except I retired from work 2 years ago and DH will retire next year. Also, my neuromuscular problem makes penmanship exceedingly tedious.
OTOH, I have all our old love letters and those from DH while he was in the Army in Vietnam. I wish that I had kept letters from my mother and father.

[clara24]

I still wrote letter in a romantic way.Like in mother's day and father day's i wrote letter for my mom and dad and it was really amazing on saying personal and in letter.