a peek inside the fishbowl

16 Mar, 2015

Have you ever had a pen pal? (a guest post)

Posted by andrea tomkins in: Fishbowl patrons|Guest postings

Hello Fishies! I’m doing something new at the Fishbowl this week. I’ve asked my amazing Fishbowl patrons to write a post on a topic that is important to the parenting community. This one is by Molly van der Schee, owner of The Village Quire.

We live in an age of email, texting, voice mails and Skype. We’ve been going this way for a while now and I fully admit to being a super-texter. My kids are very impressed with my super speedy fingers.

But taking the time to put pen to paper and write a quick note and then popping it in the mail… this is something I love to do. I keep some stamps in my wallet and all it takes is a quick 10 minutes to write a note. If you need a reason to write, consider a thank you note. Did a friend take you for dinner? Did a neighbour shovel your driveway? A thank you note is the perfect way to get the ball rolling. Finish your note with a question. Did that person take a recent trip? Ask how it went. You might find a card in your mailbox in the next few weeks.

One tip I would offer, is keep the note short. Don’t set yourself up to write a three page, 1500 word essay. You are just getting started and if writing doesn’t come easily, you don’t want to make it harder than it already is. Plus, you want a note back! If you write a three pager, you might scare off your potential pen pal.

I’ve always got a card at the ready. If you like shopping for individual cards for individual people, then you can certainly do that. But you can easily pick up a box of blank notecards. You can choose a theme – dog or cat, doughnuts or macaroons, or maybe just a simple art scene. Be sure to consider the size of card. It costs more to send an oversized card. You can always look up the size on the Canada Post website or you can ask your friendly card-seller! ;-)

Thanks Molly!

p.s. You can read other guest posts right here!


1 Response to "Have you ever had a pen pal? (a guest post)"

1 | MovieStarPlanet game

November 23rd, 2016 at 10:31 am

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A minim?m of, not in t?? kind we ?ave actu?lly se?n.

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My name is Andrea and I live in the Westboro area of Ottawa with my husband Mark and our dog Piper who is kind of a big deal on Instagram. We also have two human offspring: Emma (23) and Sarah (21). During the day I work as a writer at The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre. I am a longtime Ottawa blogger and I've occupied this little corner of the WWW since 1999. The Fishbowl is my whiteboard, water cooler, and journal, all rolled into one. I'm passionate about healthy living, arts and culture, travel, great gear, good food, and sharing the best of Ottawa. I also love vegetables, photography, gadgets, and great design.

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