And think of the Summers of the Past

When I was younger the passing of the year, was marked by the seaons and what was expected of each one.

Autumn came around with the crisp mornings, going out with a woolie jumper on, but no coat. Halloween, marked the slow march into Winter, and the arrival of the Advent Calendar told me Christmas was almost upon us.

The Ercol sideboard, would be laiden with Christmas Cards, family ones arranged on the top shelf, centre, with all the rest around. Then cards would expand to the strings on the walls.

Spring was marked by the arrival of the snow drops at the front door. One year, I stepped out to go to school just as they made that final push through the soil and I could see the little green shoots pushing through. Snowdrops turned into Daffodil and then Bluebells and then it was Easter and all the chocolate that means!

Summer, was marked by the arrival of Postcards. Again the side board, at least the top two shelves, would be full of them. Places as far flung as Bristol, Southport, Filey, maybe even Isle of Man.

I knew it was summer then, postcards arriving from far away places. It also meant the arrival of the obligatory stick of rock. Then in the long Autumn evenings, once the cards had come down, and the days were chillier, one of my sticks of rock, from the cabinet at the bottom of the sideboard would come out and be broken up. Not all of it at once, just a piece, every now and again. That rock could last til Christmas.

I had been thinking a while ago that no one sends postcards any more.

There is no visible sign of Summer, other than the neighbours running in to open and shut blinds that aren't theirs. Lights coming on at 7.45 each evening, and popping off, all over the house at 11.40 pm. The further the world we travel, the less we record. Mobile Phones and Internet mean that there is no need to record the trip with pen and paper.

I mentioned the loss of joy in the getting of the Postcards on Facebook, and low and behold, my virtual friends did not let me down. These are some of the cards I have received, and only one, from someone I've actually met for the briefest of visits!

How lovely it is actually, this internet business, you make a wish, and it comes true. I have no sideboard, but I have frames, and albums, and all my postcoards will be going in there to join my collection from days gone by.

Remember the joy of the written note and the plop of something on the door mat other than bills. Write something down and post it to someone, and make them smile the way all these, possibly some of the nicest people in the world, made me!