Saturday, August 3, 2019

Some more Postcrossing comings and goings


Here is the front of Postcrossing postcard (mentioned Sunday) I received from 11-year-old Vera in Novosibirsk, Russia. Vera also drew an incredible picture of a chicken holding a flower, shown at right. That propels this firmly into my Postcrossing Arrivals Hall of Fame.

Vera's note, in careful printing, stated:
Hello Chris!
I'm from Russia. I'm 11 years old. I study at school. But it's the holidays now. This is the first postcard wich I send. I'm happy to send it to you. On it is drawn a fary tale "Three bears." I hope you like it! Happy Postcrossing!!!

Here are some of the other cool messages I've received on recent arrivals to my mailbox:

From Germany: "Dear Chris, my name is Sandra, I'm 50 years old & I live with my son (17) in small village close to the city of Munich in Bavaria. I love to be in the open nature by biking & walking. I like music, cinema, theater, knitting, books, yoga. I wish you a wonderful summer season. Many greetings. GOD BLESS YOU, LOVE, LIGHT & PEACE"


From Australia (postcard shown above): "Hi Chris ... I'm 48 years old and live in a small country town named Daylesford in Victoria, Australia. I have 7 children with the youngest 4 still at home. I work as a school crossing supervisor and also as a checkout chick. Fairy Park is located around 50 mins drive from my house. My youngest princess loves it."

From China: "Hello! I am a high school student from China. I like collecting all kinds of papers, too. I always send a postcard to home at whichever mailbox I meet. Have a nice day!"

* * *

Thanks from abroad

And here's another batch of emailed thank-you messages from fellow Postcrossing enthusiasts across the globe.

MagicalMermaid from India wrote: "Thank you for the cute postcard and sweet message. Oh ... i guess your first postcard is lost then ... Take care and have a wonderful day. May you have a peaceful, magical and star-filled year too."

Anastasia from Russia wrote: "Thank you for such a cute card and for your words. I totally agree with you. And I think Postcrossing is a little step forward our understanding that people from all parts of our planet are equal. Best wishes to you and your family. Good luck to Ashar with the play!"

Chien from Taiwan wrote: "Hello! What an adorable card I received from you today ... just when I needed a smile. Also, the stamps are amazing. Thanks for taking time to read my profile and send this great card. I hope you get cards today, too."

Natalia from Switzerland wrote: "I received a postcard from you today, very-very pleasant surprise! My daughters like it, thank you very much for your beautiful card, legible handwriting and for such a warm message! I love reading, I also have a lot of books (it seems to me, I'm so old-fashioned. Best wishes and good luck to you and your son!"

Meike from Germany wrote: "I think you write very important words in Postcrossing. We only have one world and this time we should use. All the best from the north of Germany. I live in a nice village called Aukrug."

Book cover: "Boonastiel"


  • Title: Boonastiel
  • Cover subtitle: "Pennsylvania German"
  • Title page subtitle: "Pennsylvania Dutch"
  • Author: Thomas Hess "T.H." Harter (1854–1933)
  • Publisher: Schneider Printing Company (Palmyra, Pennsylvania)
  • Publication year: 1928
  • Original price: None listed
  • Pages: 240
  • Format: Hardcover
  • Dimensions: 4⅝ inches by 7¼ inches
  • First sentences: Liever Kernel Harder: Kensht du mich? Ich bin der Boonastiel!
  • Last sentence: Duch wos du doosht, do's we's gadoo si set ⁠— Kitzel mich net!
  • Random sentence from the middle: Der Billy is uff de Betz g'folla un hut sich net wæ gadoo, awver de Betz hut era tzoong tswisha era folshe tzæ greeked un hut about en tzoll-un-a-holva derfun ob ga-bissa.
  • From the preface:
    "Recognizing the need for some definite and decisive action for the preservation of Pennsylvania German literature, the Public presents this volume as a first step toward gathering some of the well loved gems of this language into a form that will be available to all admirers of Pennsylvania German.

    "The articles contained in this volume are from the pen of T.H. Harter, 'The Dean of Pennsylvania German Writers' and appeared from time to time in the Middleburg (Pa.) Post, which has been edited by Mr. Harter for many years.

    "Writing at first for personal amusement, the public demanded more BOONASTIEL letters and Mr. Harter was forced to write these letters every week.

    "From these letters addressed to himself a 'Liever Kernal Harder' and signed 'Gootlieb Boonastiel' and published under the head of 'Brief Fum Hawsa Barrick', Mr. Harter has created the best loved character in Pennsylvania German literature. Gottlieb Boonastiel is known and quoted wherever Pennsylvania German is spoken."
  • About Pennsylvania German language (from Wikipedia):
    "Pennsylvania German ... (often called Pennsylvania Dutch) is a variety of West Central German spoken by the Old Order Amish, Old Order Mennonites and other descendants of German immigrants in the United States and Canada, closely related to the Palatine dialects. There are possibly more than 300,000 native speakers in the United States and Canada. In Pennsylvania 29.9% of the population currently claim to have German ancestry.

    "It has traditionally been the dialect of the Pennsylvania Dutch, descendants of late 17th- and early to late 18th-century immigrants to Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina from southern Germany, eastern France (Alsace and Lorraine), and Switzerland. Although for many, the term 'Pennsylvania Dutch' is often taken to refer to the Amish and related Old Order groups exclusively, the term should not imply a connection to any particular religious group."
  • Modern observation: In a 2018 article in the The Daily Item of Sunbury, Pennsylvania, Lee Knepp, a Snyder County commissioner and secretary of the Snyder County Historical Society, states: "Probably without question, Thomas Harter’s letters are Snyder County’s main contribution to Pennsylvania German literature. They were humorous. A kind of rule of thumb is, it’s funny in translation but not nearly as funny if you understand Pennsylvania Dutch. They were very, very popular.”

Related posts
(not a complete list)

Sunday, July 28, 2019

18 Papergreat posts I might have written recently if I had time

It's the Swamped Days of Summer™, and I have been doing a terrible job of posting on a regular basis. I've been too stinkin' busy elsewhere to have the time to post cool ephemeral things such as the heartwarming Postcrossing postcard I received from 11-year-old Vera in Novosibirsk, Russia, who likes Roald Dahl books and cats. She is also amazing at drawing chickens.

I don't have time, but I have ideas. Boy, do I have ideas. New ones swirling through my brain every day in the shower, during my commute, or at other inconvenient times.

In addition to Vera's dandy postcard, here are some other topics that I lament being unable to post in a timely fashion...

2. An NPR affiliate in California used a Papergreat postcard in a news story.

3. Lost Corners of the Internet thoughts on BBC's Shipping Forecast.

4. The 1978-79 edition of Steven H. Scheuer's Movies on TV (as a jumping-off point for discussing movie guides in general).

5. Peter Max and his U.S. postage stamp.

6. Johnny Depp ephemera arriving in my mailbox.

7. Memories of CBS' In the News with Christopher Glenn.

8. Illustrations from inside 1928's The Story of the Gypsies by Konrad Bercovici.

9. Book cover: Boonastiel.

10. The final two pieces of ephemera from that May yard sale!

11. Matchbook cover for Hartwig's Gobbler Supper Club and Motel in Wisconsin.

12. Photographs from atop the Empire State Building.

13. Thoughts on UFOs. (This was percolating even before the latest Area 51 hullabaloo.)

14. The origins of Goofus and Gallant (lightly tied in with Highlights for Children's recent criticism of the Trump administration).

15. An amazing recent story in The Philadelphia Inquirer about birthday cards.

16. Climate change and Masterpiece Theater (if I can find the right ephemeral hook).

17. The (amazing) Sketchbook Project.

18. Lost corners thoughts on the "kai guang amulet."

(And, yes, I'm aware that I might have written one of the above shorter posts in the time it took me to whine about not having time to post. But I'm partially afraid all of these ideas are going to flit out of my head.)

I'm hoping that all of these topics become actual posts before Labor Day!