06.2011_Sandbook Pen Pal Magazine issue 8

SANDBOOK June 2011 issue 8

PENPALS AND SWAPPERS

THE MAGAZINE

Ginko Papers

Welcome to Poland

FEATURES : • Write Around the World • Send A Drawing • Winter Has Come to HBO • Pen Pal Interviews

GUEST AUTHORS

EDITORIAL

Ginko Papers www.ginkopapers.com

Got that swing Blog

www.got-that-swing. blogspot.com

Letter Nerds www.letternerds.com

Dear Sandbookers, The sun is shining, the breeze is desired and the thoughts are occupied with summer plans! Yes, indeed, after a long wait the summer is here and we need to plan for the vacation time. Where do you plan to spend the summer holiday? Are you willing to be our eyes and ears this summer? If yes, pick up your camera and keep notes on the best moments/places you visit. We’d love to read about them and publish any photos that you would like to share. That way we will be able to travel to multiple locations without asking for additional days off work! How fantastic would that be!!!

Don’t forget the sun screen and hats; stay hydrated and enjoy this awesome summer!

Raia from the Sandbook.Net Team www.Sandbook.net

Send a Drawing www.sendadrawing. blogspot.com

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Felicia Ciaudelli Where I live

Cover: GAYA DESIGNS Editor: Raia Alexieva Graphic Designer: Aspeia Alexieva / GAYA DESIGNS IT administration: Jason Dimitrov Photography: Manuela Balocco Production Coordinator: Raia Alexieva Team Authors : Samantha Stroy / Raia Alexieva /Bea from PenPalling and Letters / Rae from Glass Completely Empty Productions / Paula Milburn / Gregory Lentz Information is correct at press time.

CONTACT US Make sure that you stay informed for the latest news: Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandbook Add us as a friend on Facebook: http://facebook.com/sandbooknet And join our Facebook Group: http://on.fb.me/SBNgroup And join our Facebook Page: http://on.fb.me/SBNpage Read our blog at: sandbooknet.blogspot.com Visit us on our website: www.SandBook.Net

photo by Manuela Balocco

June 2011

AUTHORS Write around the world

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CULTURE & LIFESTYLE: 100 WHERE I LIVE 102 SPECIAL EVENTS IN JUNE 106 WELCOME TO POLAND 114 WINTER HAS COME TO HBO 130 SAMANTHA’S THOUGHTS 132 WORLD TRAVELER: WORLD HERITAGE (UNESCO) 140 BIRTHDAY TWINS 142 NEXT ISSUE 143 SUBSCRIBE 144 CONTACT US

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Paula Milburn Exchange Slips Angeling Random Acts of Kindness World Travel: World Heritage part 3

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Gregory Lentz Winter Has Come to HBO

78 PEN PAL OF THE MONTH MAY 2011 80 LOST PEN PAL 82 PEN PAL ADS 98 PEN PAL CONNECTIONS

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Raia Alexieva Events in June

PEN PAL INTERVIEW PROJECT: 38 PEN PAL INTERVIEWS: CRYSTAL 44 PEN PAL INTERVIEWS: HEIDI 56 PEN PAL INTERVIEWS: JOSH 58 PEN PAL INTERVIEWS: MANUELA 72 PEN PAL INTERVIEWS: ANGELA

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Samantha’s Thoughts

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Samantha Stroy

WEBSITE PROMOTION: 20 GINKO PAPERS 28 LETTER NERDS 30 GOT THAT SWING BLOG 36 SEND A DRAWING

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Welcome to Poland

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Penpalling & Letters

CORRESPONDENCE: 6 WRITE AROUND THE WORLD 10 EXCHANGE SLIPS 12 ANGELING – A DIFFERENT KIND OF SWAPPING 16 RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

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Birthday Twins

2 EDITORIAL 4 CONTENTS

photo by Manuela Balocco

Rach Gee

IN THIS ISSUE

WRITE AROUND THE WORLD - June 2011 Update

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So I’m slowly but surely picking myself up. It might take a while but I’ll get back to my cheery self. In the meantime, I’ve been trying to busy myself with

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Well, we had that conversation which then made me go and dig out my DVD of the above quoted film (I know; if I were being a purist I should have had a 35mm cinema print of the film, or at least an original VHS release). It reminded me that, no matter what, if we love something, or someone, then we have to keep going. If it’s all we talk about, all we think about, all we breathe during the day, then

Then I watched High Fidelity and remembered that, not only do I really, really, really love music, but I also really, really, really love writing letters.

And that I really, really, really want this film to be made. Because it needs to be made really, really, really needs to be made.

We need to the cheer world up, we need to make them smile and think and, perhaps come and join us.

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But how does that fit into making a film?

we mustn’t give up.

I’ve had a couple of turbulent weeks with the film. Mostly it’s my own self doubt coming in to play, the little voices in the back of your mind which constantly tell you that, for whatever reason, you shouldn’t be doing something. They’re the ones which taunt you and bully you and tell you you’re useless. And, truth be told, I felt it. I wanted to give up and run away. I wanted to forget about it and move onto something else.

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“Now, the making of a good compilation tape is a very subtle art. Many do’s and don’ts. First of all you’re using someone else’s poetry to express how you feel.

This is a delicate thing.”

Rob Gordon (High Fidelity (2000))

My family and I were having the “Vinyl Conversation”. It’s the conversation where you commiserate the loss of record stores and being able to go into them and listen to music while carefully choosing your latest purchase.

It’s the conversation that’s essentially the eulogy for the independent record store.

WRITE AROUND THE WORLD - June 2011 Update

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Film email address rae@glasscompletelyempty. co.uk Write Around The World Website (separate from Facebook page) http://tinyurl.com/ writearoundtheworld Glass Completely Empty Productions NEW Facebook Page! ht t p : / / t i ny u r l. co m / G CE Productions2 Our “Office Manager”! http://tinyurl.com/GCE-officecat Rach http://on.fb.me/ WriteAroundTheWorld

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You can get in touch at: rae@glasscompletelyempty. co.uk

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Or, you could give us a typed interview. We’re going to use these in a number of different medias and you’ll be answering the same questions as the video interviews.

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There’s the video route (which we’d love at the moment!). You’ll need, at the least, a webcam and a microphone, although you can also use whatever else you have to shoot the interview. The only thing we’re saying no to us cell phone footage because it’s not high enough quality for you. We do help you every step of the way, so even if you think you can’t do it, you can! You can do anything you put your mind to!

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Also, because Facebook are changing their groups (why do they always “fix” things which already work perfectly well?!), Glass Completely Empty now has a new page. Just go over and hit the “Like” button. It looks a bit quiet now but it’ll get updated when there’s more happening! ht t p : / / t i ny u r l. co m / G CE Productions2 I’m really looking forward to hearing from you and, to everyone who’s involved, thank you so much! I really appreciate all your hard work, love and support.

I’d like to close with this quote and, until next time, take care and keep writing! As always, I remain your friendly, neighbourhood film-maker.

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Firstly, I was in Brighton for a week. Not only is Brighton beautiful, but it’s also home to lots of places which sell postcards. Thanks to some kind vendors, I was able to film around their stands of brightly coloured cards. Now that made me happy!

We’ve also been putting together other bits and pieces which will also be included in the film. I want to keep it all a secret so that it’ll be a nice surprise when we’re finished, so I apologise for being quite cagey about specific details! But, hopefully, it’ll be everything that you’ve wanted it to be!

If you’re reading this and you signed up to give an interview, great! Thank you so much! I’m not a pushy person and I hate chasing people for anything.

I’m about as laid back as they come but I just wanted to give everyone a gentle nudge and ask you to consider getting them back to us sooner rather than later. It’s sad when you have to report that, nearly 3 months after all the interview packs were sent out, only 1 interview has come back. Yes, one single interview. And it’s awfully lonely sitting on my hard drive all by itself! So, if you did receive one of the packs can you please have a think about it over the weekend,

please? I do appreciate that people have busy lives (heck, I work shifts and I feel for anyone who doesn’t know what hours they’ll be working from one week to the next) but I feel that it’s time to give that gentle nudge and urge you all along.

There’s still time for you to get involved! If you’d like to give an interview, great! There are 2 ways for you to give an interview:

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“I realised that success is not about the background you are from, it is about the confidence that you have and the effort you are willing to invest.”

Michelle Obama

bits and pieces for the film.

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EXCHANGE SLIPS

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By Paula Milburn joelspinklioness@ googlemail.com

books it could say send 2 sheets of stickers to #1, or a recipe, or postcards, or any other little thing that can be mailed.) Copy 10 times means you make 10 copies of the slip (very easy in this computer age!) and send them out to ten other people.

It would look something like this:

So how does it work?

X-slips are little slips of paper that have two or more snail mail addresses on them. At the top it says something like Make 5 fb s for #1, move #2 up to the first place, and put yourself as #2. Copy 10 times. Postcard X-Slip (Or instead of friendship Send 2 Mint postcards 10

crossed off, and put your name in the first available blank square.

Of course it’s your IMAGINATION that really is the key here. I have known x-slip games to go on for YEARS as they are pretty much perpetual. You have to Sometimes you’ll get pick something generally them more like a grid and that people are going to you just send whatever it want to swap all the time. says to send to person in Some examples are: the first square that isn’t Postcards to #1, Make 10 copies removing the name at #1, moving all names up and putting your name as #2 1.Paula Milburn (my address) 2.Dawn Raskiewicz (Dawn’s address)

Stationery Pens FBs and Decos (etc) Thimbles Fridge Magnets Make Up Crochet Afghan Squares The list is as endless as your imagination.All you have to do to start one is literally chose either yourself or a friend (helps if you’ve told the friend unless you want to do it as a RAOK) and

put that as person 1.

Personally I put a friend as #1 and myself as #2.

You can also do it on a group where everyone interested signs up and you start it with those people either by drawing partners and they are #1 and #2 OR do the grid method, drawing the names at random out of a hat to decide who goes in what position…. Then of course it’s up to the person in last position to

acceptable. You could turn this into an FB type NOTE: With the grid thing too by stating at the method as opposed to top that labels should be the x-slips the person that used and provide a small receives the sheet with corner of each square to the third to last square tick off if the address has filled in should make been used BUT leave the new grids up putting the address visible so that 2nd last name as the 1st when that sheet is full it name on the new sheet can be sent to the person and then them taking in 1st position like you the next position. Also would an FB. using rubber stamps So what are you waiting with your address on or for?? Go make some and address labels is perfectly get swapping!! keep it going.

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s? But g in h t ’ p li s ‘x rd of these a e h e ’v u imply o s y y r e So v t u P ! are they? k c e h e h t t ey are a h t , s wh g in h t p ay to swa w r e h t o n a the ‘slip’ s ’ it’s e r e h t o (s of paper s p li s le t t li t to send jus u o y k s a t), which u o d e t r o ort for s h s is bit ’ ‘x e h T . someone o t g in h t e ar that m le c so d ’ e w t h st thoug u J . e g n a h c eX one up too!!

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By Paula Milburn joelspinklioness@googlemail.com

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a different kind of swapping

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ANGELING

Just about everyone I know accepts the ODD item lost in the mail, but I’m now over the 15 years or so that I’ve been swapping, probably around the £1000 in flaked swaps owed to me. I send out, I get nothing back. I don’t mean all the time, but enough times for it to be noticeable.

That’s not mentioning the scammers who you send to, they say that they haven’t received and so you send out again, and again…. Trust me its worse when you are a group Mom and you are bound by your own rules! i.e. ‘if your swap is not received it is your responsibility to re-send the swap. Enter the angels of this world. I do a LOT of angeling, but it still seems to be me that’s left with swaps being owed to me! Ah well, my reward will be in heaven or whatever! But I do have a small growing army of angels willing to help me in this enterprise.

To become an angel all you have to do is basically fulfil someone’s swap for them… it’s as simple as that. Group Mom’s will ask if someone will ‘angel’ a swap and it basically means someone has flaked (not sent out in case anyone was wondering) on a swap and they want to clear up the swap. Sometimes, and I really HATE this, people will sign up for swaps, get their side of the swap and then leave the group owing large swaps like Secret Santa’s and stuff. Grrr!

I’ve recently made a group, Little Angels RAOKs which is there for any Group Mom and potential angels to come and join. Group Moms have the

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Do you really love sending and receiving things through the mail?? Yeah, most people do, but how heart breaking, frustrating and downright miserable is it to be the one that sends out all the time but never gets anything back??

ANGELING

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chance to get their group swaps angeled by my ‘Choir of Angels’, and there are reward schemes, a chance to advertise for RAOKs for family and friends, Wish lists for yourself and a Charity RAOK database (we call it ‘Little Tommy’s Charity RAOKs’… this is for “toys to take to the Children’s ward for Christmas” or “premature baby clothing” etc.).

It might sound one sided, but there’s an enormous amount of pleasure to be had from making someone’s day, putting a smile on someone’s face AND I’ve found a lot of people I’ve angeled for are now a) friends and b) insist on sending you at least a thank you card/postcard so you get something nice in the mail too!

If you would like to become an angel then please consider joining my group: http://uk.groups.yahoo. com/group/Little_Angels_RAOKs/ Are you one of those people more comfortable giving than receiving... someone that loves to put a smile on the face of anyone, even someone you don’t know, believing that somehow in the general scheme of things, the goodness you give out will come back to you... call it karma I guess.

If this sounds like you then we’d like you to join our little army of ‘angels’. The purpose of this group is two fold... we are here to help grant wishes for members to request RAOKs (that’s Random Acts of Kindness[es]) for family and friends or even, if you’ve seen that some random child in a local hospital has leukaemia and it would really brighten ‘Little Tommy’’s day to receive postcards or keyrings or whatever from around the world....

The second purpose of this group is for group owners to make ‘last ditch’ attempts at getting someone (anyone?!

LOL... yeah sometimes it IS “that” bad!! I know, I AM a group owner!) to fulfil left over swaps that have been flaked on.

Generally speaking for the first mission of the group, we would request that it is SMALL items only intended to brighten someone’s day like cards, postcards...certainly nothing more than an A4 (that’s copier paper size) envelope full of things.

We look forward to giving you your wings as you become angels!!

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

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what is that all about?!

A random act of kindness (RAOK or RAK) is something which some You may have noticed people do as a matter in some of my articles of course, myself for that I refer to RAOK example… in the non(sometimes RAKs)… so swapping everyday life 16

side of things it might be something simple like taking in a neighbours washing if it starts to rain and they are out shopping or at work, or shovelling snow from an elderly neighbours path

as they are too infirm to do it themselves.

Basically, things which make life easier, nicer, sweeter… whatever, for another person without being asked.

In the swapping world

of Parliament (MP).

Recently, we have had some difficulty getting the benefit money owed to us and Sheila has been intervening (read “having daily screaming matches” LOL) with the Department for Work and Pensions (they who issue the benefit cheques) to get them to pay. She has gone ‘above and beyond’ for us and has now gained not only 2 loyal friends but the gratitude of them (and 2 certain votes for her boss… but

that’s not why she was doing it!). Because of this, and because I don’t think even buying her a drink next time I’m in town, buying a bunch of flowers or box of chocolate, whatever… can thank her for what she’s done, I’ve asked on my groups for a RAOK for people to send cards, postcards or small gifts saying ‘Job Well Done’ or ‘Great Job’ or ‘Do you know how fantastic you are?!’ because she always says ‘I was just doing my job’!! I’m waiting daily for 17

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By Paula Milburn joelspinklioness@ googlemail.com

better and know that people are thinking about them. You might know that someone is starting a new job, graduating, having a baby… all these things might warrant a RAOK. Take some RAOKs I’m trying to promote on one of my groups (Little Angels if anyone is interested, should be listed in the group section)…. One is for a (now) friend of mine Sheila Stevenson. Sheila is actually the secretary of our local Member

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R ANDO M ACTS o f KINDNESS What they are, why to do them and how they work?

it’s pretty much the same but we have to enlist the help of the internet and/ or postal services around the world.

You might hear that a friend/group member (I’m hoping that most group members you’ll at least be friendly with!!) is sick or one of their family members is sick…. a RAOK would be for you to organise a mail flood (where their mailbox/letterbox is full) of get well/pick me up/ encouragement cards/ gifts to make them feel

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

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So, how about thinking of a few RAOKs – if you can’t then how about Angeling a few swaps?

That’s a random act of kindness! If you are on any groups, I’m sure the Group Mom would love it if there are flaked swaps you could angel. Sometimes groups have ‘Wish Day’ and it would be great if you could send some little things (normally Group Moms will limit what you ask for on wish day to nothing more than the value of $5 generally) to people.

Now, go forth and spread some kindness around the world!!

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So why should we do this?

What do WE get out of it other than less money in our banks?! Well, first there is the knowledge that you’ve done something nice. If that doesn’t settle it for you then you can either go with the religious (I say that loosely and apologise in advance if not all religious teachings follow this idea, I’m not a theologian just an ordinary ‘Jane Bloggs’) slant on things that you should ‘help your fellow man’ and that ‘your reward will be in Heaven’. Or you could take the more pagan view of, for want of a better way to describe it ‘karma’… or ‘what goes around comes around’. Try it – smile at the next 10 people, see how many smiles you get back.

Granted, you might have picked all the grumpy ‘having a bad day’ people in your neighbourhood, but normally you’ll get about 6 smiles back at least. Now go down the street for the next 5 mins scowling – not exactly AT anyone but don’t meet anyone’s eyes, notice how

people avoid you?!

If you send out things to people, apart from earning their undying gratitude, you will possibly start new friendships and people will be more likely to trust you as a swapper.

Also when YOU need a RAOK, let’s face it everyone has bad patches thru their lives – or maybe you’d like one for a GOOD event like the birth of a child or a wedding – people will be more inclined to send to you!

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roll insides etc is barely enough BUT it keeps them going.

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A third RAOK is totally different and that is for a friends Rainbow (think ‘baby’ girl guides). Where they are based they can’t pick and choose where they meet, as such they are subject to pay the rent on the building that they use as a meeting house. This is barely (last 2 terms the leaders have had to pay £20 out of their own pockets) covered by the subs the girls pay to Brown Owl (well it used to be Brown Owl in guides, I’m not sure what they call the leaders these days!). Consequently they don’t have any money for equipment, resources, days out, transport for trips for camping etc. While parents are generally ok about paying for camping trips and days out, they aren’t happy digging into their pockets to provide for equipment and resources.

To that end I regularly send them a large packet of craft things – paper, ribbon, card, stickers, buttons and beads, glue, glitter etc etc.

AND I put out a plea for people to do the same.

Even scraps and part used stuff is welcome. What gets sent along with the girls taking in empty cereal boxes, yoghurt pots, toilet

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a message on Facebook (I told you she was a friend now LOL) to say ‘What have you been up to? I got a postcard from Australia today!’ just the surprise makes it all worth while.

Another thing that I’m asking for is for 2 friends of mine who I’ve just found out, she’s pregnant! While I’m thrilled for them it’s not the best time financially since the pregnancy is playing havoc with poor Lauren so she can’t work and Tim is in a low-paid job. Yes, I know thousands of people are in the same situation, BUT I’m their friend and I want to help, so I’ve asked for 2nd hand (but in good condition) first size baby clothing (neutral colours – like Lauren says you can put blue on a girl but pink on a boy looks a bit strange!), first size diapers, baby wipes, cotton wool balls, barrier cream, talcum powder and the likes – you know all the stuff that you will need for the first few months. They aren’t scroungers at all, far from it. Very sensibly Lauren and Tim are putting things away even now (she’s only 16 weeks gone) but they know they will need a lot more.

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GINKO PAPERS

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Japanese Masking Tape., Classic Green

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Tell us more about Ginko Papers. How did the idea of opening an e-shop come to you? Tell us a little bit more about the people behind Ginko Papers.

My husband is a software engineer and web developer and I’m a Japanese stationery 20

addict. In 2008, he had an idea for building a retail website as a test and asked me if there was anything I’d like to do. I thought of Ginko Papers instantly. I always complained that I couldn’t find really unique stationery in the US. Ginko Papers is my way of bringing all that I love to a US customer base.

How long is Ginko Papers online and working? Share with us some of the history behind the brand name.

In June 2008, we had the spark to

Our website: http://www.ginkopapers.com Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/GinkoPapers

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Mini geta shoes

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Papers.

What products can we expect to find on your e-shop?

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create Ginko Papers - a few crazy conversations later, my husband and I had made a game plan to start the project. Finally, in Dec 1, 2008, we launched the website for Ginko

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GINKO PAPERS

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texture, and shape imaginable. The bags are meant to be used as pencil bags, but I use them for makeup and lipgloss. I have separate mini bags for different purses and different moods. One of my latest finds is a cute mini bag with a whimsical Red Riding Hood motif.What started my website and

my paper passion is Letter Sets. I never tire of the thrill of getting a beautiful letter set and looking at all the stylized details on the paper and envelopes. A great example is this is the Squirrel Collage Letter Set. It comes with a collage styled paper and glassine envelopes that show off the designs.

Too cute!

Another fantastic Letter Set is this Spring Basket set.

The paper folds to become a basket and the glassine envelope has a lace pattern giving a nice effect to the layers of paper.

I can’t get enough of Greeting Cards. Before I had Ginko Papers,

I’d go around various stationery stores and buy up ten cards at a time. You can see that I’m quite stocked up now. A darling group of animal pop-up cards has a warm spot in my collection. The bear, cat, and rabbit each pop-up in a bright floral setting to with you a Happy Birthday!

Here is the Cat PoopUp Card. Finally, a great category to browse through is More Finds.

This is where all my special purchases from Japan find a home on our website. I pick up one-of-a-kind items form our travels - such as these mini geta shoes or I buy up something so unique that I couldn’t

Code: keep to myself - such Discount as these Cellophane SANDBOOK Matryoshka Doll bags.

What kind of paying system Are there any sales/ do you use? promotions Paypal or bank going on right transfers or any other forms of now?

Please use the following payment? special discount Al payments must be information: 10% off done by credit card from 6/11/11- 6/17/11 on our secure online 25

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One of my favorites and a best seller on our site is the Japanese Masking Tape. The most popular set is also one which was part of the original line that was launched in 2009.

I love Mini Bags. In Japan, you can find tons of small zipper pouches in every size,

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in love with paper as I am, I end up spending hours in the stationary section of the department stores. Everything is so wonderful and different, it’s hard to pick. Luckily, my husband is patient!

Finally, when I return home to Los Angeles,

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shopping cart. We do five. We became fast not accept other forms friends and spent of payment. many hours playing house at the top of How are the the emergency exit shipping costs staircase. calculated?

Here is a link from As dinner time our website to all approached and we our domestic and went back to our internationals shipping apartments, I’d go changes: http://www. back to my bedroom ginkopapers.com/info/ to write her a note.

I’d make a card and Do you ship write as best as I worldwide? could in big block Yes! letters. I’d finish it off with stickers, step Have you ever been out into the evening into Penpalling hallway, and leave yourself? If so, it on her doormat. share some of S o m e t i m e s your experience she’d write back, with us: how sometimes she’d did you start thank me, but more Penpalling; share than her reactions, a tip or two about I’d always feel the decorating a thrill of making letter or just those notes and making the letter dropping them off. more intriguing; etc.

Thirty years later, not I grew up on the top floor a bit of that thrill has worn of a five story apartment off. I’m always searching building in Boston. Our for that special card or family lived across the beautiful paper to write hall from another young on. I’m always excited couple who had a three about sending people year old daughter. cards and I love writing Although I felt much letters. When we travel to older than her, I was only Japan, a country as much

with a suitcase full of new goodies, I’m ready for another season of writing.

Any tip or advice you want to give to our readers?

Stay in touch! It makes everyone happy!

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LETTER NERDS

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I’ve never had a traditional pen pal. I was a big letter-writer in high school and college. I’d write to girls I liked or friends I’d made, from other small Alaska towns or villages I’d visited playing basketball.

That definitely taught me the power of a hand-written letter, and how important it can be to you when

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Are you a pen pal yourself? If so, share some of your Penpalling experience – how did you start Penpalling? Do you still keep in touch with your very first pen pal? Do you search for new Penpals? Have you met a pen pal of yours? If yes – let us know how the meeting went by.

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The idea to write to your daughter (Alice) letters and keep a journal of the first years of her life is truly amazing! How did you come up with it? How long have you been writing letters to her?

I bought a journal before she was born, with the idea that I’d write her notes telling her about her early years. I planned -- and still plan -- to give it to her when she’s older.

But I found that I kept forgetting to write in the journal, and felt kind of terrible about it. So one reason I finally got around to starting Letter Nerds was to remind myself to write to Alice at least twice a month.

I’ve already mailed and received several of the letters, and am keeping them in a shoebox for when she gets older.

I just tell her about what we did together

that week. What she’s been talking about, what books we’re reading to her, what she did at the park.

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for future generations.

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How do we sign up for a meeting of Letter Nerds?

Is it free or is there any fee?

It’s definitely free. If you’re in Anchorage, you just check the website (www. letternerds.com) for the date of the next meeting and show up with some stationery.

We talk a little, drink some coffee, and mostly spend a couple hours getting a few letters written.

If you’re outside the city or outside the state, you just “like” the Letter Nerds Facebook page (www.facebook. com/theletternerds) and try to set aside an hour or two on Letter Where are you Nerds weekends to based? Where do write. I ask that people you hold your e-mail me at kyle_ meetings? h o p k i n s @ h o t m a i l.

We’re based in com and tell me how Anchorage, Alaska. many letters they Anchorage is Alaska’s wrote that weekend, largest city, but that’s so we can add it to the not saying much, growing total. given how few people Our goal is to write live in our state. In case 10,000 letters. At that you’re wondering, point, we’ll consider Palin lives about a the hand-written 45-minute drive away. word official “saved”

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Tell us more about Letter Nerds – how was the idea about it came to be?

I’ve been meaning to start a letterwriting club for at least two years. It’s always something I think about when I’m vacation and have time to read and generally start feeling guilty about having lost touch with so many of my old friends. But as a newspaper reporter, I tend to get swamped during the rest of the year and never actually started the meetings until earlier this year.

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www.letternerds.com www.facebook.com/theletternerds

LETTER NERDS

it finally comes in the mail.

Through Letter Nerds, I’ve heard from a couple people that I’ll try writing to as a penpal. I’m looking forward to it.

Any tips or advices about Penpalling and correspondence that you would like to give to our readers?

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For me, the important thing is just being diligent about getting my letters finished. I try not to stress out too much about writing the perfect prose, if it’s going to keep me from finishing my note. I’d rather send something heartfelt, that reads a little clunky, then never finish my letter.

Anything else you would like

to ad?

Long live letters! We’re talking about starting other Letter Nerds clubs in other cities. If you’re interested, send me an e-mail.

me if they want to be penpals, and need my mailing address.

The website is www. letternerds.com.

The facebook page is www.facebook.com/ theletternerds.

Don’t forget I guess you can to give us all appreciate how it’s ironic to have a letterthe contact writing group exist information: I can be reached online, but you can’t at kyle_hopkins@ beat Facebook for hotmail.com quickly getting a People can e-mail message to a group.

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GOT THAT SWING BLOG

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www.got-that-swing.blogspot.com

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Tell us more about yourself.

Hi, my name is Agnieszka. I’m 25 and I come from Poland.

I live near our capital, Warsaw. It’s not hard to guess (as I appear here in Sandbook magazine) that one of my greatest hobbies is penpalling! I’ve always 32

loved travelling (my other passion). I’ve always enjoyed learning languages and been fascinated with other countries, cultures and people. I guess that’s why I found myself happy in the penpalling world. Moreover, I like reading books, cinema (especially European and Latin American), meeting friends... You know, the casual things everyone enjoys.

How did you decide to make your blog Got That Swing? How did the idea come up?

To tell the truth I have never read blogs much before I had my own.

I thought it’s a waste of time. But one of my penpals had a blog.

So I followed it, then I started browsing other blogs and actually

discovered that many issues of which people write in their blogs or photos they post are pretty interesting and inspiring. I thought I’d love to have my own blog too. And that’s how Got That Swing (got-that-swing. blogspot.com) came to be. I thought first about making in strictly about penpalling but there are quite a lot of blogs, groups and forums

about this subjectmatter where the general discussions can take place and I thought I’d be just repeating the same issues so I made it a bit more personal and I throw in my ideas on different topics. Still, snail mail is a big part of it. There’s a section where I present 100 reasons to snail mail. It’s an idea that also appeared in my head thanks to the same penpal I started

writing a blog, after she mentioned her relative forbidding a child to find penpals and write letters as punishment for bad behaviour. It made me think how many people see it just as fun and waste of time or in best case some eccentric way to occupy free time while it’s a really valuable and educative hobby.

Of course what matters most is friendship but we gain even more than

that by writing letters. I also present postcards I get, envelopes I make, sometimes I write about books I’ve read and some random thoughts that probably not always make much sense. I have just started a new section Mixed CD’s project in which I intend to swap thematically mixed CD’s and post the two or three songs not much known or the best from a CD I’ll receive in

my blog. Since I love discovering new artists from around the world.

So if anyone would be interested in swapping a CD with me, they can contact me in my blog or on gotthatswing[at] op[dot]pl I am open to propositions of themes for the CD. Moreover, I made my first giveway some time ago and was surprised with the interest it got so I might be making some more 33

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Interview with Agnieszka from Got that Swing

Penpallling finally has its own soundtrack!

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Get in touch on powerofthesun89@hotmail.com and on the FB page of the show!

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on air since March 20, 2011

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penpals Music Show

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Georgia’s

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your letters unique, personal and cute?

I am generally not very trustful person and I need some time to open up but if I get along with my new penpal, I share myself wholly in my letters and I think that’s what makes them personal.

I like writing long: about everything and anything. About serious and silly suff! I also try to create something myself every now and then. I’ve already sent handmade cards, dream catchers... I send a lot of photos to my penpals.

I’m old-fashioned in that matter too and I still like to develop photos, not just keep them on a computer. And I paint the envelopes.

You can see some of them in my blog.

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issue. As long as you two respect each other’s views and not force your own, it might “spice up” a letter a little bit and I think even in case of different opinions, strengthen the friendship. It’s also important not to be scared to open up.

Give advices to As for the “outward” our readers how aspect of making a letter interesting, I think to make their correspondence it’s always nice to make more interesting something by yourself. or just share For example, make anything your own envelope, from your draw something, make personal penpal some little handmade experience. gift that’d match the To make letters more envelope. These aren’t interesting I think it’s expensive and add important to bring up a personal accent to deeper conversations, a letter that can be not only about special to a recipient. daily life... even if it I don’t think it needs might occur that you any great talent. two have different opinions about some How do you make

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I understand that you are a penpal yourself.

How did you start penpalling?

I started penpalling when I was around 14 years old. I have been always going to the same place in summer as well as another girl.

She lived in different city so during a school year to keep in touch we started writing letters.

Around the same time I have also found my first foreign penpals during a summer English course in England.

I used to write with two Italian and one Spanish girl. But with the introduction of Internet, we all decided

to switch to email and I had a long break from Penpalling; although, I missed it greatly. Some three years ago I found a penpalling site and met new penpals and re-started my adventure with snail mail. I hope this time for ever.

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giveaways in the future. Nothing big, but I hope enough to make someone smile.

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On her Penpals music show experiment, Georgia will be blasting music up to 11 from as diverse genres as the world we live in! Send in your comments, requests, questions for the show!! As Georgia sums it up: “You are the music, your wish is my command!”.

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htt p://sendadrawing.blogspot.com

My personal blog: http://creative-marie. blogspot.com

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I am planning on making her a scrapbook album with all the drawings she receives and when she grows older she can look trough them and show them to the family and friends. i would like you to participate on this project.

You don’t need to know how to draw to participate.

ANYONE, ANY AGE IS WELCOME TO DRAW! Make it interesting, decorate, doodle, draw, give some color or do anything you feel like. do whatever you want to make it FUN! :D If you feel like including

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her time she is sitting on her wheel chair and drawing, plating with notebooks and small toys that she loves.

She also loves Dora, small books, Little Ponies, stickers, notebooks and crayons.

She loves doodling on notebooks very much. One of her favorite things to do is to see my drawings and her step sister's drawings oh and she tries to teach my little girl to draw also, so this is the main reason I decided to make this project, so she can see the imagination worldwide. I am sure this will make her very happy.

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Send a drawing is a project i decided to start for me and my little girls ages 2 and 5.

Mia Marie, is my older girl that has 5 years old. She is a child with special needs but mentally she doesn't have any problems. she was born premature and the day she was born she had an Hemorrhage Grade 3 in her head that caused her all her physical disabilities.

Now she is diagnosed with Hydrocephalus and Spastic Tetra paresis. She has severe motor problems that makes her unable to walk, sit or crawl on her own so most of

something inside the envelope, feel free to send postcards, key chains, stickers, candy, notebooks, crayons, chocolate or beverages or anything that can represent your country It will be appreciate it. It is not necessary though.

Thank you so much for those who participate.

I will be posting to the project’s blog all the pictures of the drawings I receive so stay tune for yours if you decide to participate. I will also be updating with pictures of the progress of the scrapbook album. Feel free to talk to your friends and penpals about my project also. You can also find in the blog a Printable flyer to include on your mail.

If you feel like drawing please contact me at rodmariee@ gmail.com or send your drawing to: Marie Rodriguez (Project) Calle Acacia RG 56 Rosaleda 2 Levittown Toa Baja, Puerto Rico 00949

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SEND A DRAWING PROJECT

PEN PAL INTERVIEW:CRYSTAL

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Tell us something about your town, city or country.

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If you have to describe yourself in only 5 words what would they be?

Caring.Trustworthy.

Responsible. Fun. Funny.

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Hello there! How are you doing?

Tell us more about yourself, your hobbies, personal life, interests.

Hi, I’m Crystal. I live in Minnesota with my boyfriend and our two mischievous cats. I’ve always been into crafts and trying to be creative. I love to keep busy in my spare time making jewellery, sewing, writing to pen pals, I crochet a little now and then, scrapbook, Art Journals (collaborations with pen pals), I love taking photos, being outside, playing online (Swap-Bot, WordPress, Facebook, Interpals, etc.)

I live in Lakeland. It’s a small town along the St. Croix River. It’s very beautiful and peaceful.

It’s a nice neighbourhood with a lot of wildlife.

I see foxes, deer, rabbits, eagles, the occasional coyote, possums, etc. I can walk to the beach from my house and go swim in the river in the 39

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I have 8 active pen pals that I correspond with cRYSTAL BALSIMO regularly. I just started CRYSTALBALSIMO@YAHOO.COM writing to a couple new people so hopefully it works out and we stay summer to cool down. What do you like the cool things (maps, in touch. / dislike about postcards, fabric, How did you Penpalling/ trinkets, jewellery, Are you start penpalling? orrespondence? books, photos, art searching for When was that?

I like when I get the journals, etc.) that my new Penpals? If And why did you mail and there’s a pen friends send me, yes, please give decide to start decorated letter with they think it’s pretty us some contact Penpalling? some goodies inside. cool. information that I started to pen I like to learn about we can publish in pal when I was in other places around Do you still stay the magazine so elementary school. I the globe. I dislike in touch with that people can was in a community when someone stops your first penpal? write to you back online called International writing or asks me to Tell us about I’m always open to new Pen Pals Club. I loved it. write them the first your first penpal pen pals, but I am being There was a newsletter letter, so I do, and even if you have more selective because and I would sometimes then they never reply. lost touch with I only want to write submit a random Postage is expensive. them. We might be with people I think I’ll knowledge question And I don’t like to get able to help you make a connection and whoever answered a note card with one locate him/her: with. right, I’d send a prize sentence, I prefer long My first pen pal to (stickers, stationary, letters. was Kirsten. I was in What are you etc). I loved “meeting” elementary school and looking for in a people from all over the How do your on vacation with my penpal? world. I still love it when friends react family. I met Kirsten and A friendly person, who I find a pen pal that’s a when they her sister at the beach. writes long letters, perfect friend match. discover you are We played together swaps fb’s, decos, There’s not always a into Penpalling? the whole week and and other interesting connection. It’s so cool Are they also exchanged addresses. things (like music cd’s) to find someone with into it or they We stayed in touch for things in common give you the maybe 2 years.

Where do you with you and a similar “strange” faces? find new Penpals personality living At first they say, How many from? Do you their life somewhere “What?” and give Penpals do have? rely on FBs or completely different. me a weird look. But Where are they Facebook or when I show them from? other websites/

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PEN PAL INTERVIEW:CRYSTAL

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PEN PAL INTERVIEW:CRYSTAL keep all of the letters I receive in.

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What do you usually like writing/reading about in the letters?

Events happening in Where do you buy their area, what they your stationery and their family are supplies from? up to, dreams, hopes, Do you prefer fears, new music or traditional shops movies they find, old or e-shops? If so, school favourites they give us some links. have, something funny, I buy my supplies from a recipe, anything Target, Wal Mart, interesting.

Michaels, JoAnns, and The Dollar Store.

When it comes I really don’t order to making cute craft stuff online that and personal much. Sometimes I get letters, everyone stamps from EBay.. has his/her own

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How do you keep

track of your mail? Share your tip on how to organize ourselves.

I just keep a cute decorative box to hold

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through pen palling.

I’ve received some mix cd’s that I fell in love with and listen to on my ITunes all the time.

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Tell us a funny/ interesting

story from your Penpalling experience?

Well, as sort of an interesting story, I can say that I’ve learned a lot of new music

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blogs: Swap-Bot.com Interpals.com and Friendship Books

Have you met a penpal?

If so, let us know how the meeting went.

Yes, I had a pen pal when I was in middle school.

She was from Minnesota too, but my incoming mail from pen pals. I have about 8 hours away by a separate one that car. After writing for a holds incoming bills. while, she mentioned After I reply, I put the she was staying with a letter in a large box I friend in a town closer to me and we decided

style. Tell us your trick how to make a letter/ envelope unique?

Do you decorate it? If yes, how.

Give us some tips on how to make the letters more interesting Sometimes I make envelopes from magazine pages. If I use store bought ones, I like to decorate them with stickers and stamps and maybe cute tape.

I reuse envelopes too, I just tape paper over the addresses. I decorate my letters with drawings and doodles, song lyrics, stamps, stickers, photos, etc. I like to use markers and cool stationary.

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Do you swap things? Do you like sending gifts to friends? If yes, what is the funniest gift you have ever sent/received?

I swap Friendship Books, Decos, Music CD’s, Art Journals, Journal Pages, Photos, Stickers, Postcards, Maps, and other things I pick up. I do like to send gifts to my pen pals for their birthdays and on holidays.

to meet at a mall. I brought a friend with and she had her friend with. It was a great time. We had fun that day. After that, once we could drive, she came and stayed with me a few times. We’d go to concerts or just hang out all weekend.

And then after we graduated she moved down to the cities (St. Paul) and now we see each other more regularly and don’t pen pal anymore with each other.

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PEN PAL INTERVIEW: HEIDI

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I love photography, writing, pen palling, poetry, hand making cards and also with the help of my gran we make stationary together. I’m single and have been for a while unfortunately as I have some medical issues such

as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromylgia the list goes on but I make the best of my life :) and try to stay positive and smiling. One of my interests is history. I love to learn about different countries and cultures, I also

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city in South Wales, I live with my amazing mum and I’m an only child which can be lonely but I value my TLC time with my mum, as for hobbies I have a lot. I love to read romance novels such as Christine Feehan.

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Hello there! How are you doing?

Tell us more about yourself, your hobbies, personal life, interests.

Hello all I’m Heidi Rundle. I’m 23 and I live in Cardiff, a beautiful and magical

Tell us something about your town, city or country.

Combining history with modernity, Cardiff has become one of the UK's top tourist destinations, so now is the time to visit and discover the capital of Wales: The Romans settled in Cardiff in 55AD and built a military fort on the site of Cardiff Castle

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amibothrd @hotmail.co.uk facebook user is heidi rundle

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If you have to describe yourself in only 5 words what would they be?

If I had to describe myself in 5 words would be: kind, loyal, warmhearted , quiet , shy.

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love Australia and am fascinated with uluru otherwise known as Ayres Rock, I’m also doing a photo journal on Cardiff for all my pen pals to see, I also love sending and receiving postcards and swapping and collecting many items, I love Disney such as Tinkerbelle and Hello Kitty am a child at heart my mum says.

Cardiff became a city in 1905 and was crowned the capital of Wales in 1955 Today, Cardiff has a population of 328,000 and attracts more than 12 million visitors a year 45

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St. Fagans national history museum A walk around Wales – from Celtic times to the present day.

St. Fagan’s is one of Europe's leading open–air museums and Wales's most popular heritage attraction. Open to the public since 1 November 1948, the museum stands in the grounds of the magnificent St Fagans Castle and gardens, a late 16th-century manor house donated to the people of

Wales by the Earl of Plymouth.

During the last fifty years over forty original buildings from different historical periods have been re-erected in the 100acre parkland, among them houses, a farm, a school, a chapel and a splendid Workmen's Institute.

Traditional crafts and activities bring St Fagans alive, in workshops where craftsmen still demonstrate their traditional skills. Their produce is usually on sale. Read more stories about our collections on our Rhagor website.

Native breeds of livestock can be seen in the fields and farmyards, and demonstrations of

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What are your favorite places to visit in Cardiff?

market, and is the oldest remaining medieval building in the city after Cardiff Castle, dating from the 12th century.

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Cardiff has been designated as the world's first Fair Trade Capital encouraging ethical trading and fair prices for producers in third world countries.

There are many beautiful places to visit in Cardiff but my three most favorite ones are: St. John’s Church, St. Fagan’s national history museum and the Cardiff castle.

St. John’s Church St John the Baptist Church is the city parish church in the centre of Cardiff, Wales.

It is the oldest church in the city centre.

The bell tower has a crown of openwork b a t t l e m e n t s reminiscent of churches in the West Country of England, and is dated c. 1490, when the similar Jasper Tower of Llandaff Cathedral was also built. The church is next to the city centre's covered

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C a r d i f f ' s

status as a top 10 UK retail destination is bolstered by a new £675 million St David's 2 shopping development in the city centre, which is home to the largest John Lewis Store outside of London as well as dozens of new stores and a Mediterranean style plaza.

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Cardiff claimed the Men's Health magazine award of 'Best UK city 2004', with the conclusion that the Welsh capital is a "young, friendly town jam-packed with a cosmopolitan crowd, all of whom have a spring in their step that seems to indicate they're going somewhere fun."

Cardiff has been transformed into a sporting capital since the completion of the Millennium Stadium, hosting events such as the Six Nations, the FA Cup and the Wales Rally GB. Worldwide attention on Cardiff is set to increase further however, with the development of a £700 million sports village, featuring a snow dome and Olympic size pool, and events such as the Ryder Cup in 2010.

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The£1.8 billion Bay development of Cardiff - Europe's largest waterfront regeneration project, and the £102m development of the new Wales Millennium Centre, have helped launch Cardiff into the top five most favoured travel and business destinations in the UK.

the title of European Capital of Culture 2008, Cardiff has been designated as a 'Centre of Culture'.

A status enhanced by the opening of the Wales Millennium Centre and the hosting of events such as the international Artes Mundi Prize at the National Museum Cardiff.

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Cardiff is one of the flattest cities in Britain and has more hours of sunlight than Milan

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galleries now include the exciting and innovative Oriel 1 space, with changing exhibitions exploring life and identity in today’s Wales.

Throughout the year, St Fagans comes to life — literally — as traditional festivals, music and dance events are celebrated.

St Fagans explores all aspects of how people in Wales have lived, worked and spent their leisure

capital city, occupying a large and historic site which has been enjoyed by visitors for many years. The Castle’s history dates back nearly 2000 years from the arrival of the Romans in the first century AD. They realised the strategic importance of the site and used it as a naval base and trading post. Today, Cardiff castle Cardiff Castle is situated reconstructed Roman in the heart of Wales’ walls form the boundary time. Like generations of visitors, you will be inspired by its celebration of Welsh traditions and lifestyles.

The Museum is one of the UK’s top ten free attractions as voted by users of TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel review site

of the Castle structure, although a large section of the original wall is still on display to the public.

After the Romans left in the 4th Century AD, very little is known about the site until the arrival of the Normans in the 11th Century AD. The Roman defences were still in place and theNormans used them as the foundations of their own fortress.

About 1090, Robert

Fitzhamon built a motte (mound) with a wooden stockade within the site, and during the following century this was replaced by the stone shell Keep visible today.

The 12th Century was one of great activity for the Castle. Robert of Normandy was held captive in the Keep from 1126 to 1134, after his capture by his brother, Henry I. In 1158 a Welsh

chieftain, Ifor Bach of Senghenydd, kidnapped Earl William of Gloucester and his family from the Castle at night, lowering them bound and gagged from the windows; they were only released when Ifor’s demands had been met.

Over the centuries, the Castle has been owned by a number of noble families; it passed by marriage from the De

Clares to the Despenser family in 1399, and again by marriage to Richard Neville, “The Kingmaker.”

After he was killed in 1471, it passed through his daughters, Isabel - who was married to the Duke of Clarence, and Anne wife of Richard III, to the Crown. By 1550 it was owned by the Herbert family and by 1776, again through marriage, the Castle, and its large estate 49

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farming tasks take place daily. Visitors gain an insight into the rich heritage and culture of Wales, and the Welsh language can be heard in daily use amongst craftsmen and interpreters.

There are also galleries with exhibitions of costume, daily life and farming implements.

Special exhibitions are also held regularly. The

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Are there any famous people that come from Wales?

Certainly we have lots of famous people from wales such people as actors (Richard Burton (1925–1984), Timothy Dalton (born 1946), Josie D'Arby (born 1973) (also presenter), Gareth David-Lloyd (born 1981), Anthony Hopkins (born 1937), Tom Price (born 1980), Catherine Zeta-Jones (born 1969)), Designers (David Emanuel (born

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was occasionally open to the public, but it was not until the 1950s that tourism was actively encouraged.

Today, visitors can wander freely around the Castle grounds, Norman Keep and Roman Wall plus the military museum of the Royal Regiment of Wales, which is also housed on the Castle site.

Access to the lodgings is by guided tour, and

because people felt that their national identity was under threat and the wearing of a national costume was one way to promote that identity. A further influence was the work of artists producing prints for the rising tourist trade, which had the effect of popularising the idea of a typical Welsh costume, and later the work of photographers who produced thousands of postcards.

This contributed to the stereotyping of one style of costume, as opposed to the various styles which were worn earlier in the century.

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In 1947, the 5th Marquess of Bute gave the Castle to the City of Cardiff and the local council has managed the site on behalf of the people ever since. From 1949 to 1974, the building was home to the Welsh College of Music and Drama, who later moved to their current home on North Road.

Even when the Castle was a private home, it

on clothing worn by Welsh countrywomen during the early 19th century, which was a striped flannel petticoat, worn under a flannel open-fronted bedgown, with an apron, shawl and kerchief or cap. Style of bedgown varied, with loose coat-like gowns, gowns with a fitted bodice and long skirts and also the short gown, which was very similar to a riding habit style. The hats generally worn were the same as hats worn by men at the period. The tall 'chimney' hat did not appear Does Wales have until the late 1840s and a traditional seems to be based on an costume? amalgamation of men's Yes we do have a top hats and a form of traditional costume high hat worn during which is worn on special the 1790-1820 period in occasions hears the country areas. history of it. The popular Lady Llanover, the wife of image of Welsh 'national' an ironmaster in Gwent, dress, of a woman in a was very influential in red cloak and tall black encouraging the wearing hat, is one which largely of a 'national' dress, both developed during the in her own home and nineteenth century. It at eisteddfodau. She was part of a conscious considered it important revival of Welsh culture to encourage the use during a period when of the Welsh language traditional values were and the wearing of under threat.

The an identifiable Welsh costume regarded as costume. She succeeded national dress is based in her aim mainly

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15th century, into the spectacular cluster of towers we see today. The 3rd Marquess employed the eccentric but brilliant architect William Burges (1827-81) to recreate a noble castle of the middle ages, and the resulting architectural and decorative scheme makes Cardiff Castle one of the most important examples of the Gothic Revival.

the Castle and extensive conservation work will be carried out on the fabric of the building which aims to be completed by 2008. This project will secure the future of the Castle throughout the new millennium and help to ensure that the Castle will be available for future generations of both local people and visitors to enjoy.

I love all these places as they are the history of Wales. They are magnificent places that you should visit if you make a trio to Cardiff.

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came into the possession of the Bute family.

During the nineteenth century, the 2nd and 3rd Marquises of Bute developed Cardiff into a major port, exporting vast quantities of coal from their mineral-rich property. It was the enormously rich 3rd Marquess of Bute (18471900) who transformed the lodgings, which partly date from the mid

includes some of Burges’ most imaginative and magnificent interiors.

These blend the exotic, the historic and the mystical. The Arab Room and the three fantastic rooms of the Clock Tower celebrate such themes as astrology, astronomy and Greek mythology in a blaze of decorated tiles, gilding, marquetry and painting.

The superb Banqueting Hall recreates a uniquely Victorian vision of the medieval and is a popular venue for weddings, dinners and other private functions.

The core part of the Castle’s business today is generated by tourist admissions to the grounds and guided tours, although revenue is also earned from private functions, Welsh banquets in the 15th century vaulted Undercroft and outdoor events held in the grounds.

In 1997, Cardiff Council made a successful application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for further development and conservation of the site. New visitor facilities will be introduced at

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for a year or 2 and then suddenly after I moved we lost contact! But I started pen palling again 2 years ago now a friend of mine Carrie knew I was going through a real tough patch in my life How did you start and said to me “Heidi you penpalling? When like writing?”, I answered “Yes, I love it.”. “Why don’t was that? And why did you decide to you start pen palling?” so from there I did! Carrie start Penpalling?

I started pen palling when was my first pal and I still I was a youngster. I meet write to her, the decision a lovely girl called Tovah to start pen palling was an Blumenthal, we wrote easy one because of the Ian Watkins (born 1976), pop singer from Steps, Terry Williams ( born 1948), drummer with Dire Straits, Nicky Wire (born 1969), lyricist and bassist (Manic Street Preachers)

tough patch I was going through and also am so shy was a great way to make friends for me and its helped me tremendously, What do you like / dislike about Penpalling/ rrespondence?

My love for penpalling is that I get to make new friends; learn about them, their lives, family, their children; to bond with them and create a special

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1952), Timothy Everest (born 1961), Julien Macdonald (born 1971)), musicians (James Dean Bradfield (born 1969), guitarist and lead singer (Manic Street Preachers), Stuart Cable (1970–2010), drummer (formerly with Stereophonics), Roger Glover (born 1945), musician (Deep Purple), Kelly Jones (born 1974), lead singer and guitarist (Stereophonics), Ian Watkins (born 1977), lead singer for Lostprophets,

friendship. I also love it when your pals send you special gifts just because they thought of you. I dislike it when pals drop you for silly reasons or when you find out that they have lied to you about themselves, etc. I don’t like dishonest people.

Do you still stay in touch with your first penpal? Tell us about your first penpal even if you have lost touch with them. We might be able to help you locate him/her.

I don’t write to Tovah anymore.

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What are you looking for in a penpal?

Well, we have to click have a spark so to speak!

I like friendly kind pals, ones who can relate to you and know what you go through and can be there for you through the good times and the bad.

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Are you searching Penpals do you have? Where are for new Penpals? they from?

If yes, please give I have around 40ish us some contact pen pals they come from information that all around the world - we can publish in New Zealand, Malta, the magazine so Australia, the Netherlands, that people can Germany, Lithuania, write to you back.

Canada, USA, Scotland, I’m always looking for Ireland, England, Italy, more Penpals! You Austria and more :) can contact me via facebook!

unique? Do you decorate it? If yes, how? Give us some tips on how to make the letters more interesting.

I love to make my letters personal with pretty paper decorating to my pals likes (Disney, etc). I like to put stickers on my letters make it What do you colorful and generally usually like very pretty so when a writing/reading pal opens there letter about in the hopefully there will be letters?

In my letters, I write a smile on their faces. about my life what I’ve My tips would be if you been up to, my ups can make your letter and my downs. Also, I pretty by what your pals write about where I live, like whether it’s Disney if my pal wants more or Hello Kitty, you can information; my family, personalize your letters well or have a theme to too.

I just love to read about each letter. what my pals have been up to how their families Where do you buy are, if there doing your stationery anything interesting or supplies from? going to events, etc. I’m Do you prefer a happy pal, I just love to traditional shops or e-shops? If so, hear from you. give us some links.

I buy my stationary When it comes to from various places making cute and personal letters, such as Home Bargains, Clintons, the works , everyone has his/ WH Smith’s, past times her own style. and the Disney store are Tell us your trick all places I love to get how to make a stationery from. letter/envelope pen pal? If so, let us know how the meeting went.

I’ve never meet a pen pal yet but I am hoping to meet some of my pals from Germany as I’m saving for a passport and I hope to achieve my goal soon!

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twins! One was called Max! I still have a letter of hers and a photo in my memories box.

Yes I write to my first penpal that I got 2 years ago Carrie - we write monthly to each other!

Carrie is an excellent pal full of life and laughter and very caring,

your tip on how Where do you to organize ourselves. find new Penpals I keep track of my mail from? Do you through a marker system. rely on FBs or When they come in, I date Facebook or the front of the envelope other websites/ in pink then I put them blogs.

I find my pen pals to the side of my sofa in through penpals for life! a box as I can take a few It’s an amazing group letters out a time which run by a very great friend are all in date order of mine Yanelis, who is as they have come in. helped by Lisa, too! I’ve When I have finished the been honored that a few pal’s letter, I put a tick on days ago Yanelis asked it in green to know it’s me to help with PPFL, I been sent and put the am now the proud page original letter in another box. I keep all my pals’ assistant of PPFL. mail they send to me!

Silly way but it works for Tell us a funny/ me. interesting story from Do you swap your Penpalling things? Do you experience?

I had one person, who like sending gifts I was going to be pals to friends? If with, threaten to sell yes, what is the my address on to other funniest gift you people! She did this have ever sent/ with a lot of people! received?

Thankfully, I was told Oh, certainly I swap before anything things and I send gifts! A happened, so it taught nice and funny gift that I me not to give your sent to my pal for Easter address out to just was a super cute key ring of a chick which also anyone! made sounds when you pressed its tummy!

How do you keep track of your Have you met a mail? Share

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PEN PAL INTERVIEW: JOSH

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What do you usually like writing/reading about in the letters?

I normally try to write about my activities and would like to read about the same thing.

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Are you searching for new Penpals?

If yes, please give Do you still stay in us some contact information that touch with your we can publish in first penpal? Tell the magazine so us about your that people can first penpal even write to you back. if you have lost Yes I am always touch with them. searching for new We might be able to help you locate penpals. I am currently looking for female him/her.

I have lost contact with penpals who can make my very first penpal me smile and laugh, named Melissa Streu. but I will also write to

How do you keep track of your mail? Share your tip on how to organize ourselves.

I make a Microsoft Access database to organize my penpals and when I receive and send a letter.

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How do your friends react when they discover you are

How many Penpals do you have?

Where are they from?

I have lots of penpals and they are from all over the world

males. My email address is jcowan1023@gmail. com and my snail mail address is: Josh Cowan, 816 Orth Way, Sedro Woolley WA 98284, USA.

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If you have to describe yourself in only 5 words what would they be?

Tell us something about your town, city or country.

Sedro-Woolley is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States.

Officially incorporated on December 19, 1898, Sedro-Woolley was formed from neighboring rival towns known as Sedro

What do you like / dislike about Penpalling/ orrespondence?

There aren’t many things dislike about penpaling/ correspondence but when I receive letters from prison inmates and people from Africa who ask for money.

She really loved stickers and always sent me some funky stickers.

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green and my favorite food is seafood. I love to drink all kinds of pop but one of my favorite types of soda pop is root beer. I love humor and love to laugh so that means my favorite singer is Wierd Al Yankovic.

and Woolley in Skagit County, northwestern Washington, 25 miles (40 km) inland from the Puget Sound, 40 miles (64 km) south of the border with Canada and 65 miles (105 km) north of Seattle.

How did you start penpalling?

When was that?

And why did you decide to start Penpalling?

I graduated high

into Penpalling?

Are they also into it or they give you the “strange” faces?

My friends think it is really awesome. I even was able to get one of my ex girlfriends who still is a really good friends of mine into penpaling, We even share some of the same penpals.

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Hello there! How are you doing?

Tell us more about yourself, your hobbies, personal life, interests.

Hello my name is Josh Cowan, my friends call me frogman because my favorite animal is the frog. I am a 31 year old male. I was born in New York State on 01-03-1980.

My favorite color is

The 5 words I would describe myself in are nice, funny, friendly, creative, and fun

school in 2000 and college in 2003 and started penpaling around 2004/2005. I was surfing the web one day and came across a website on penpalingandafterreading I became interested and found my first penpal through an online penpal site.

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minutes away (or less) by car from where I live.

But since I live in a valley, I also have to face the though Winters fulfilled with snow, but I must admit, I love it!

I am a student at my 3rd and (hopefully) last year at university and I am studying “Languages and Tourism Science” in Torino, a big town in Piemonte region, famous for the FIAT car company group

and the football team Juventus (which I loooooooove!). Torino is 2 hours away by train from where I live. I was used to live in Torino for one year but then I decided to go back to my parents’ house and so I am a so-called in Italian “pendolare” which is someone who travels daily (or almost daily) to and from the work or study place.

I loved living on my

own with four of my friends, but it was all too expensive and I wasn’t able to handle all, so I decided to come back and travel. I don’t like travelling on the train very much, there are always weird people in it, but I have to do it, because I couldn’t drive on the crowded city of Torino! Actually I am on the train right now, with my little laptop I decided to start writing

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Hello there!

How are you doing? Tell us more about yourself, your hobbies, personal life, interests.

Hello everyone, my name is Manuela and I am a 22 years old student from Italy. I come from a little town in North West part of Italy, in Liguria’s region which is famous for some traditional dishes like that green sausage made of basil called “Pesto” and for that kind of pizza, but without sausage called “Focaccia”. Liguria is also famous fro the beautiful beaches it has and also for Genoa (the main town) and its “aquarium”, one of the biggest in Europe. So, I live in a little town which is in a valley and it’s exactly in between the Alps and the beach. I can easily go to the beach on summer, it’s only 30

my interview and so I have the feeling that the time goes by faster!

So, I live with my parents and my cat in a flat and I love my place. I am only child and I missed having a brother or a sister during childhood, but right now I am ok like that. I have two beautiful little cousins that I love till death and I am proud of them, and I consider them as two little sisters.

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paper thins and taking photos, but I’ve already said it! My favourite colours are light blue, lilac and violet and I love fairies, elves, gnomes and all the woodland characters, butterflies, ladybugs, rainbows, cherries, strawberries and so on, believe me, I’d fill many pages only telling what are my favourites! I only have an “enemy”: cheese!

Yes, cheese, I only eat cheese on the pizza, that’s all. I hate it. The smell, the shape…call me mad, I probably am, but that’s it!

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Then, least but not last, my greatest hobby is penpalling though I don’t consider it an hobby at all (I’ll explain you later), photography, scrapbooking, card and envelopes making, carving rubber stamps, collecting many things such as postcards, stamps, stationary, scrapbooking stuff, deco tapes, bookmarks and sooooooooo on!

In my spare time I like to go to the gym or swimming, going to the cinema and spend time with my boyfriend, reading (romances!) and so on. I like to create

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snowy day in Winter!!) because I love getting tanned and being at the beach, I just love the colour of my skin getting darker and thank God I have a skin that gets dark quite easily! Then, PENPAL, it’s not an hobby, as said before, for me it’s a way of being. I surely couldn’t be the Manuela I am today without being a penpaller. This helped me a lot and I am endlessly thankful. What else? Uhm, CHOCOLATE,

it’s partly connected with the “sunburnt” world, as I love having a chocolate skin in summer, and also, I love chocolate so much, and I definitely eat too much. Any kind but not dark chocolate is fine for me. CAKE, I love baking cakes, biscuits and sometimes other things. I am trying to cook something every week, just to entertain myself, and I love seeing my beloved ones that eat my things and smile. It

makes me so happy and proud of myself. Then the last world would be a quite general and difficult one: LOVE. I try to love and be loved in many ways, I mean, I try to find love in everything, I try to smile and have a positive feeling about all the things in life, though it’s not always so easy, but I keep strong!

Tell us something about your town, city or country.

This is another hard question. Italy is a big country and it’s fulfilled with events, dates, monuments, places which are worth be mentioned all by one.

So I think I’ll skip this part and be fair toward ALL Italy, and just describe a bit the place where I live. As said before, I live in a valley called VALLE BORMIDA (Bormida is the river that crosses the entire area), in the North West (N-W) part

of Italy. The own where I live has 15.000 people living there and it’s the perfect number I think.

Not too small but not too big either. There are many facilities (a hospital also) and I like the place where I live, despite the polluted air caused by the factories.

We also have many woods all around and it helps the ecosystem to balance the pollution percentage. Both my parents work in factories

and even my boyfriend, so I must say (sadly) that it’s thanks to these that I can simply….live.

I can easily go to the beach in less than 30 minutes and I always go there in summer. I can also go quite easily in France (though I don’t go there often), because I live only less than two hours away from the borderline! I am totally unable to ski so I never go to the mountains, but for the ski lovers it’s

also easy to go to the mountains, in less that one hour you can be there on the Alps. Living in a valley also means having very hard Winters fulfilled with snow. It’s a big mess when the roads ice; and the air is so cold, but I must say that I love snow, especially during Christmas time. We also have fog and I really have it, but it’s not that bad as in more northern parts of Italy. I just like this living“in between”.

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If you have to describe yourself in only 5 words what would they be?

I have never thought of me in just 5 words, I am too fat to stay in 5 words only, and it changes depending on my mood, by the way, I could be define with these following 5 words: SUNBURNT (I am saying that because we are in summertime, I’d never say that during a cold and

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That’s maybe the best feeling, being chosen instead of choosing.

Besides, I also re-tried with Italian penpals and I had a great luck that time. I replied to an “FB” address of a girl that lives less that 2 hours away from me, and we met many times already since 2006, and another one that lives a bit far but she writes deep

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weather and nothing more. This was pointless, obviously. Both of them suddenly stopped writing to me giving the reason that they were too busy for penpalling and after that I wasn’t sure about going on.

The big “kick” was given to me by my second cousin Stefania who is 9 years older than me and is into penpalling for more than 18 years now.

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reply, and I exchanged letters with only 2 girls.

Soon after, I realized that I didn’t have many things to say to them, I had the feeling that they were too “similar” to me, I mean, they didn’t have anything to tell about their culture, way of living, lifestyle and traditions, because they were Italians, like me, so we always ended up talking about the

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group-holiday in Wien and Prague in summer 2005 and in that group I met a girl and after the holiday we kept in touch via snail mail letters but it only lasted 3-4 months and then we lost contact. Then I started buying those “girlish” magazines and I found some addresses on there. I start writing to some Italian girls but most of then didn’t even

photo by Manuela Balocco

photo by Manuela Balocco

How did you start penpalling? When was that? And why did you decide to start Penpalling?

Well, I can’t tell a precise date or year about when I started penpalling because all happened so slowly and in different ways. Let’s say that I started when I was 15 year old, in the years between 2004 and 2005. I went on a

She showed me her “world” fulfilled with tons and piles of letters, postcards and so on, and she suggested me to try and start writing to foreign people. She suggested me some penpalling websites such as “studentsoftheworld. info” and “penpalsnow. com”, and there I “met” the one I consider my real first penpal, a girl from Finland. We wrote each other for more than 1 year and then we lost contact but it gave me the “go” to continue penpalling, and while I was penpalling with her, I found many other penpals which I wrote with for several months.

Then I discovered “Interpals.net” and my life changed. There I met wonderful friends and I am proud of having them in my “crew”! I also had some bad experiences, but it is history, I am just happy with the ones that remained (not a lot) and the ones that wanted me as a penpal.

people are slow in replying. Well, I don’t want to mean that I am too picky and can’t What do you like/ stand it, I just don’t like dislike about when people disappear Penpalling/ for 2-3-4-5…. Months orrespondence? and then they send Well, it’s a question that a LONG letter telling need time to think. I everything as we’ve think in general I don’t never stopped writing. I like dishonesty. I try to don’t like that. I can wait be a regular penpal for a letter, I can even ans I don’t like when wait one year, ONLY letters worth to be read.

I am so happy like that I couldn’t ask for more.

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Are you searching for new Penpals?

If yes, please give us some contact information that we can publish in the magazine so that people can write to you back.

At the moment I am happy and ok with How many the ones I already Penpals do you have. Anyway we can have? Where are be facebook or email they from?

I think I can count my penpals so you can write penpals in 20 beautiful me at manumaui@ girls, but I surely have hotmail.it or add me on more. Some doesn’t Facebook. write regularly, some Do you still stay got lost and some only What are you in touch with your first penpal? do swaps with me, but looking for in a we keep in touch via penpal?

Tell us about Facebook so I consider Well, as I said before, I am your first penpal them a kind of penpal not a picky person, so I even if you have as well. And then some can’t make a list of things lost touch with them. We might be only send a greeting I want, or don’t want. Of card for Christmas. course I don’t want my able to help you Anyway I have penpals pals to be racist, greedy locate him/her.

As many of the mostly in Europe, and dishonest. And all penpallers, I don’t keep especially after the Post my pals are so nice and in touch with my first Reformation of January sweet and I can say I am penpal anymore. As said 2011 which made the very lucky! I am looking before, my very first pal cost of Stamps raise for spontaneity and I was from Italy and I“met” up and it became too want to create a real sending conversation with them. her on a magazine. We expensive

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outside Europe, even if it’s only a letter or even a postcard! The costs doubled and I was so fed up and sad about it.

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wrote for some time but then the letters became a list of things and not a real conversation, so we slowly ended up until she said she was busy with her job. I even searched her on facebook but I can’t find her and honestly, looking back to her letters, we didn’t have much in common, so it’s ok. I have good memories though.

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about me while writing it. Believe me there’s a difference, a big difference. Letters can be so long but superficial, and also so short but deep.

And another thing I don’t like is when people are greedy and always ask and ask for things, but I am referring to a bad episode, indeed.

on. My friends all knows about it and guess what, 3 of them started penpalling thanks to me! One ended this “experience” soon after, because she didn’t find the ones perfect for her I think. Another one has her 2-3 regular penpals and she’s ok with this tiny number, and the other one started, then stopped (she also had some bad experiences) and some weeks ago she re-started! They both want to keep a good English-speaking and this way they also meet beautiful people!

They are so thankful to me for that.

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photo by Manuela Balocco

IF in the meanwhile, I keep in touch with my penpal through Facebook, Interpals, E-mails. I always inform my pals when I send and I receive a letter, so that it helps to not have bad episodes of lost letters. The main thing I like is when I get a long letter and from that I understand that my pal really thought

How do your friends react when they discover you are into Penpalling?

Are they also into it or they give you the “strange” faces?

Uhm, not all the people I know knows about my passion, I don’t go around saying “I DO PENPALLING!”, I mean, I don’t talk about it with everyone of it’s not important in the speech I am doing. But I have no problems telling I do it.

My parents (mostly my mum) is enthusiastic and she loves this. When she goes on holiday with my dad, she always buys something Extra for “Manu’s penpals”.

And when I have to do swaps, she always encourages me and helps finding the items I need. Money is the only problem I think.

My boyfriend seems to like this, too. I admit at first when we met, I wasn’t sure about his reaction to this, but it was 101% positive. He’s also a bit like my mum: he helps me finding new things for my pals and so

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and nothing more.

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Do you swap things? Do you like sending gifts to friends? If yes, what is the most funny gift you have ever sent/ received?

Besides being a penpaller I am also a

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photo by Manuela Balocco back, I would like to be informed as said before through Facebook, or think Facebook isn’t the best place to find pals, Interpals. or well, I have never had Where do you find good luck with Facebook new Penpals from? groups. There are people Do you rely on FBs that collect friends. I have put announcements on or Facebook or these groups’ walls and I other websites/ saw that there are people blogs?

All penpals I have I that send the same copyfound on Interpals. pasted message as a net and some on the comment! How can they have clear ideas. I think Postcrossing Forum. I do that? I mean, when I some people do only search a penpal, I try to want to collect penpals,

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They also have to be open-minded because the topics in my letters can be many and about different topics. And I am also looking for regularity. We all have our main things to do (work, householding, school, kids….), but I always try to find some time for my letters, it must be a pleasure and not an obligation. And when they can’t reply

swapper though I had to cut down in swapping because of the actual cost of Italian stamps.

And I like to send gifts to my penpals of course! I prefer spoiling them, I mean sending unexpected things when they don’t expect it!! ;-) I try to send a little something for Birthday and Christmas though it’s not always easy due to lack of money!

Being a student is hard sometimes!!! Hehehe I think the most funny item I sent was a pack of female menstrual pads, just to show how were those in Italy!! And the most funny gift I have ever get (but so useful!!) is a banana-container I think.

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How do you keep track of your mail? Share your tip on how to organize ourselves.

Yes of course otherwise I’d go crazy! I do have a book and inside I keep 4 separated sections: one I about my penpals, they are alphabetically ordered and everyone has it’s own place. I

write name, surname, address, birthday, email, where and when we “met” and I also put a photo. Then there’s the “how much” section, where every penpal has her own table of numbers and every letter I get from a pal has a number in order to not get lost with all mail and create a “story” of letters.

Then I have a section made by plastic folders, where every pal has her own one and inside those I put things I have to send in the following letter. The fourth part is miscellaneous, I keep the things I send to every penpal (to avoid sending the same items to the same pal) and also some papers I send to pals and they send me back, in which they write their favourites.

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Tell us a funny/ interesting story from your Penpalling experience?

I think the most funny thing I’ve done was sending a letter cut into puzzles pieces! I sent it to some pals and they all got surprised about that. I think I am a creative person (sometimes!) and so I like to put a smile on

something funny and unique.

Have you met a penpal? If so, let us know how the meeting went.

Yes, I’ve meet one of my two Italian penpal some years ago. She came in my town by train and we spent the whole day together. It was so nice and funny day and I show her my place.

Then I also met a foreign penpal as well (though 69

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Where do you buy your stationery supplies from?

Do you prefer traditional shops or e-shops? If so,

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When it comes to making cute and personal letters, every one has his/ her own style. Tell us your trick how to make a letter/ envelope unique?

Do you decorate

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What do you usually like

writing/reading about in the letters?

I don’t have favourites, my pals can tell me whatever they want, I read and write everything really. The only think I like is when the letter seems like a real conversation and you have the feeling that the person really put an effort writing it down.

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we aren’t penpals anymore due to our studies, we kept touch on Facebook though).

We met in Bruxelles. I won a Contest in 2007 at high school. I wrote an essay about European Union and won 5 days to Bruxelles with 29 other students from my region. And there I meet my Belgian penpal. It was a beautiful meeting though it lasted for just 1 hour because it was late evening. She as with her parents and we talked a lot. It was beautiful and I have sweet memories of that evening.

give us some links.

Luckily, I have some great pen pals and swappers that help me every now and then to make my paper collection bigger.

In Italy, and where I live, it’s hard to find letter paper. Diddl is rare here and when I found it, it was soooo expensive.

Kawaii or Hello Kitty stationary doesn’t exist at all. So, I started to collect stationary thanks to swaps I’ve made actually.

And I only bought paper 2 times from the web. I bought Diddl paper on papiton.de and some kawaii from penpal junkie. Anyway it was from the Netherlands and loved all the things.

I have always had bad luck with e-bay. When I go to new paces I always ask for letter paper at bookshops and/or paper shops but in general I don’t always have great luck. Some old paper shop, still have very old letter paper, and I buy it if they discount it to me. Unluckily, here penpalling is considered old-fashioned and not many people keep letter paper anymore.

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photo by Manuela Balocco

it? If yes, how?!

Give us some tips on how to make the letters more interesting.

Decorating a letter (and the envelop mostly) is one of my favourite hobby so I try to make every envelope personal and made for “that” person. I spend whole evenings (especially in Winter) decorating and creating new envelopes.

Other things I made with letters was writing the letter, then cut it into puzzles shapes and send it. It’s so funny to get it and make a puzzle before being able to read it! I also decorated letters with interesting places from my place a short explanation below, or I decorated it with a precise topic, such as fashion, make up, or nature and tea. I save magazines cuttings and gift paper to create unique envies.

photo by Manuela Balocco

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How many Penpals do you have? Where are

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penpal even if you have lost touch with them. We might be able to help you locate him/her.

Unfortunately I have lost touch with my first penpal Bärbel Wohlgefahrt from Gelsenkirchen in Germany.

As I mentioned at 4. I started penpalling with her when I was ten years old and that lasted until I was 16 years old. At a certain moment letters stopped coming from Germany and over the years I have tried to find her back through the internet but until now that did not work out.

they from?

Right now I have approximately 20 penpals and they come from: The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, England, Portugal, USA, Guyana, Hong Kong and Australia.

Are you searching for new Penpals? If yes, please give us some contact information that we can publish in the magazine so that people can write to you back.

I would be interested in having some new female penpals from countries outside of Europe from the age of 30 and up. The main key for me is that they are not short letter writing people.

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your first

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How do your friends react when they discover you are into Penpalling? Are they also into it or they give you the “strange” faces?

Not everybody says it, but the reactions I hear are “Oh how odd” or “That’s funny”. I guess that for people who are not into penpalling, it might be strange to hear that you are befriended with people that you have actually never met and that you only know as “paper friends”.

They also wonder what subjects you write about and some find it hard to believe that you can get close and confidential with somebody you don’t know person-to-person.

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Angela Knuchel angelaknuchel@hotmail.com, http://www.facebook.com/angela.knuchel

What do you like / dislike about Penpalling/ correspondence?

There is actually nothing that I dislike about penpalling.

However, I don’t like it if penpals never get back to your questions or remarks and only write about themselves. The things I like about penpalling is getting in touch with people from all over the world and get to know their customs.

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Hello there! How are you doing? Tell us more about yourself, your hobbies, personal life, interests.

Hi, my name is Angela Knuchel, I am 43 years old and live in The

Tell us something about your town, city or country.

I live in Amsterdam which is the capital of The Netherlands. I was born in Switzerland which makes me mixture of Gouda and Emmenthaler cheese.

somebody from abroad.

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If you have to describe yourself in only 5 words what would they be?

Social, caring and busy person.

How did you start penpalling? When was that? And why did you decide to start Penpalling?

I started penpalling when I was ten years old with a girl in Germany with whom I got linked through an advertisement in a teen magazine. At that age I knew how to speak German because I lived in Switzerland until I was six years old, but I never learned how to write it. So there I sat in the living room writing letters in German with the help on my mum and an ancient DutchGerman dictionary. The reason why I started penpalling was because I thought that if I was able to speak German, I would also be able to write it and next to that I wanted to get in touch with

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Netherlands. I work as a full time senior secretary at a large and worldwide tax/accountancy company. My hobbies include (of course) penpalling, travelling, reading all kind of books and being together with my friends.

What are you looking for in a penpal?

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through Amsterdam and after she was negative about the experience

write down when my letter was sent and whether I had sent something along with the letter (that might be FBs, photos, birthday cards and what so ever).

Do you swap things? Do you like sending gifts to friends? If yes, what is the funniest gift you have ever sent/ received?

I do not swap and to

a caftan and slippers from a male penpal in Morocco.

When I was 18 years old I had an ad in a penpalling magazine stating that I was looking for penpals and not for a future husband to be. I was quite sceptic about this Moroccan male penpal, and when I received these gifts I thought that it was extremely nice. Until

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(again) I took her to the train station and said that I had other things to do. Needless to say that this weekend was also the end of our correspondence!

How do you keep track of your mail? Share your tip on how to organize ourselves.

I use an incoming and outgoing correspondence book in which I write down the date of receipt of a letter, the date it was written and whether something has be sent along with letter. Upon

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I told a Muslim friend about it and she told me that it was a kind of a proposal...

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some penpals I send birthday gifts. The funniest gifts I have ever received were

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answering the letter I

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Tell us a funny/ interesting story from your Penpalling experience?

Through the years I have

went to Amsterdam and everything that I showed her didn’t make any impression on her at all.

At night she wanted to stay at home and watch TV. Well, there was a movie on TV and before the first five minutes of the movie were over, she already told the entire story. So, no use of watching the movie and we decided to play a game ofYatzee; the thing is that she couldn’t stand losing, so that was no fun either. The next day I took her on a canal

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Where do you find new Penpals from?

Do you rely on FBs or Facebook or other websites/ blogs.

In general I find new penpals through FBs

met several penpals, but one meeting was terrible. When I was 18 years old I wrote with a girl from Rotterdam who had never been in Amsterdam, so I invited her over for the weekend.

Well, the meeting started bad: I told her to wait at a certain point at the train station, but since it was raining she decided to stay dry and have a cup of coffee. I waited for 30 minutes on the spot we were supposed to meet and this was pre-cell phone era... After this we

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build up a friendship and I think that is the same with penpals.

so, let us know how the meeting went.

I have met several of my penpals and in general meeting them was great, unless you think of meeting nr.

12! In February 1988 I went to Trinidad to meet my penpal Rachel and although we were 75

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Come check us out!

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http://www.etsy.com/shop/PuchiMo

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already close friends through our letters, meeting her in person was even better. I had such a great time with Rachel and her family and fell in love with the island and its people (and with Rachel’s brother). So in 1990 I went back to Trinidad and stayed there for six months.

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Tell us your trick letters?

I usually write about how to make a day to day things and letter/envelope with some penpals unique? Do you with whom I am very decorate it? If yes, close I write about how. Give us some personal stuff that you tips on how to would discuss with a make the letters regular close friend. more interesting.

These things I also I am not really into like to read from my decorating stationery, penpals. but I always try to get some cute writing paper. Due to problems When it comes to making cute and with my hand I have a personal letters, lot of trouble writing everyone has his/ with a pen, so my letters are always typed her own style.

and until I switched computers I had my own handwriting on the computer.

Where do you buy your stationery supplies from?

Do you prefer traditional shops or e-shops?

If so, give us some links.

In general I buy my stationery in traditional shops. I sometimes scan postcards and use the pdf in my letters.

We are PuchiMo. Cute shop for snail-mail lovers !

You can find cute original stationery here.

Enjoy your penpal life with cute PuchiMo stationery. PuchiMo have letterhead, writing-paper , stickers , memo-pad for $2.50~

PENPAL OF THE MONTH CONTEST Our PenPals of the Month MAy 2011 l i k e c h e c k

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Anja Koch from Germany & Aubrey Dettmer from USA

And one day.... You are a Winner!

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h a v e you read them

all? free download at www.sandbook.net

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Aubrey Dettmer, USA

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Aubrey Dettmer from USA

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“Anja is super sweet and thoughtful. She always gives me good advice and feels like a sister to me. It’s amazing that we found over time how much we are alike....scary alike. My dad read a post I wrote about her on my blog (it was a like a likes/dislikes interview), and he was also astounded at our similarities! We’re so close that sometimes if I just want to talk with someone, I feel like I should be able to pick up the phone and call her, as if she lived nearby. I hope to Anja Koch, Germany someday meet her, when one of us has more money! :-)”

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It all starts with filling out an application that’s available on our website and your nomination is done in no time.

LOST PENPAL Then this is the section for you. Place your story about your Lost penpal and we will try to help you

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Tammy Albertson Dupont, USA (via Facebook) I have been looking fofr a friend of mine who I lost contact with along time ago and I really miss her. Her name is Kim Bear and she lived in Texas. I would love to get back in touch with her. Her maiden name was Heiliman.

Jules Muni (via Facebook) My penpal of 15 years Jacqueline Mcinnus who last known lived in Kingston, Jamaica.I hope that I will be able to get back in touch with her.

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Katarina Långdahl, Sweden gulliolli@yahoo.com I'm looking for two lost pen friends.

Mauy Burr who used to live on Taylor Avenue in East Brunswick, NJ. She's born 1973.I'm also looking for Ellen Blaze who used to live on Kane Street in Lackawanna, NY.

Marlene Miller, Ohio, USA, marlene159@ zoominternet.net Hello, my name is Marlene Miller, 55 and I am in Ohio in United States, have a favor to ask, am looking for friend I wrote to about 8 yr s or so ago, we lost touch, when she divorced. Her name was Jennie Smith. She lived in Australia, has son and daughter ,grown now, We wrote and taped letters on regular bases. We were doing email then lost my computer( blewup) and lost contact as well as her addy as never had it when she moved. Anyone able to help, please email me at marlene159@zoominternet.net and put in message about her,thanks for any help you can give.

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Sarah Trewhitt, UK therose1972@hotmail.co.uk Hiya , This is not really for any one in particular .. but i used to pn pal about 5-6 year ago and had to give up for many many reasons .. i have started pen palling again over the past year and if there are any of my old pen pals out there that would like to get in touch then please do so.

Tina Jacobs (Nieman) ,USA tina70mercer@yahoo.com I had a pen pal from Greece who I wrote up to 5 years ago and we just lost touch. Her name is Helene Anastasopoulou. I have wrote her old address a few times and no response. I have searched her on the internet and still no success.

She is 39 and lived in Patras as her last address I had. I’m hoping we can reconnect.

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michelle [voyles] lowe, usa lwmcll@yahoo.com Christina Santos - she was living in Chicago, IL, if I remeber right. I miss her letters and would love to find her!

Beverly Kuttler Rampero, USA (via Facebook) I’m trying to find a good friend of mine. Her name is Aimee Plunkett. We have been writing for about 17 years. She use to live in Tracy, California but then moved away to another state and I lost her new address. I havent heard from her since.

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Trisha Stevens, USA TStevens918@friendshipxpress.net Not looking for anyone in particular, just wanted to let all my lost pen-pals know that I have not forgotten them. I have recently moved. Please contact me by email or at www.FriendshipXpress. net to get back in contact again. Thank you!

Nanda S. Gaikwad (born 24-02-1973) 26-A-Sarnath Anushaktinagar IND-Bombay (now Mumbai) 400094 India (address valid until 1993) Additional information: her father worked at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Bombay (Mumbai).

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Maria Nieves (or Maria Neus) Estébanez Gutiérrez (born 29-03-1974) Carrer Briquets 1, entlo primero E-Barcelona 08033 Spain (address valid until 1991)

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Sonia Hardoin (born 08-08-1973) 461 Rue de la Trapinière F-50000 Saint-Lô France (address valid until 1993)

Samia Oumohand, France samgunsjovirow@yahoo.com Hi all! I’m looking for my former penpal Jerry Lynn Daniels. She was a huge fan of French supermodel Laetitia Casta and is from the USA (from Tennessee, if I’m not wrong). If you know her, please let me know at: samgunsjovirow@yahoo.com

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Reconnect!

Theda, Germany info.tiehsvd@forum-artium. net

Katharina Nöhring (was: Melter), Germany KathaNoehring@aol.com Actually I am looking for a couple of former pals: Nike van Heeswijk from the Netherlands, Josephine (Joyce) Camilleri from Malta (Gozo island), Vivienne Hunter from England, Zenildo Rosa Jr. from Brasil. We lost contact a LONG time ago, and I would love to get back in touch. Does anyone know about them? Any help is appreciated!

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HAVE YOU LOST A PENPAL? YES?

Tom Todd, England lustywinos@yahoo.com Kara from Wichita Ks. We wrote for about 10yrs in the eighties.

Queen fan.

PenPal & Swappers Ads How to place an ad in the magazine?

Go to www.sandbook.net and click the Magazine section. Then simply select “Place an Ad” and you will have to fill out the form that loads on your computer screen.

Ads placed on pages/groups/walls on Facebook will not be printed. Please note that the ads on our website are ads for the website itself. Unless you fill out the form under Magazine --> Place an Ad, you won’t see your ad here.

Our Ad Policy: 1) We are not a dating site/community - write appropriate ads to have them published.

2) No inmates - we have kid members in our community!

3) No money requests - such ad will result in your permanent ban from our community.

4) Snail mail addresses - if you want you can leave your snail mail addresses but please note that the SandbookNet Team is not responsible for any spam (junk) mail that that may generate. We urge you to submit only digital contact information to protect your privacy!

5) Religious, racial or discriminative materials would not be tolerated.

6) Any form of abusive or rude language is forbidden and will result in your ban from our community.

7) Ads are printed as they are submitted. We are not going to correct your messages, so please note to write them in “clean” way.

What is the policy on Commersial Ads? If you would like to place a commercial ad for products or services, you will need to get in touch with us (email us at magazine@ sandbook.net ). These Ads are going to be reviewed and negotiated with the respective companies.

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name : Angela Benton nkotbfan@live.com age : 29 country : United States Ad : I am 29 years old. Married and have 3 kids. I love nkotb.

Facebook. Making new friends.

Hot summer days, swimming, and birds chirping. I have 2 cats. I enjoy taking pictures.

I enjoy concerts. I love music videos. name : Bev Email : BlondieBear75@ hotmail.com age : 35 country : Australia Ad : Hi All.....I am a stay at home mom of 4 from sunny Qld who would love to write to other Aussie’s. I have a

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name : Katarina kat.sweden@gmail.com age : 41 country : Sweden Ad : I’m looking for pen pals aged 25-55, esp. from USA, New Zealand or the Latin American countries.

I love cats, writing letters and swapping. I enjoy to go shopping, watch TV, search for ancestors, read books & cartoon magazines and just have a nice time.

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name : Gina powerofthesun89@ hotmail.com age : 21 (close to 22) country : Greece Ad : Hi! My name’s Gina, I’m 21, Greek, rather humorous and a senior-year student of Ancient Greek & Latin Literature. I’m looking for fellow female penpals from any countries that speak English or French.

Apart from penpalling, I love heavy metal, collecting postcards and vinyls, reading

international literature, writing poetry and crime novels!

Looking forward to hearing from you!

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Name: Radhia Age :43 Country: Tunisia akrimi.0208@live.fr A warm hello to you all! Is there anyone who is interested in snail mail penpalling?

I am a Tunisian woman, happily married, have only one daughter; I am stay at home mom, looking for FEMALE snail

Name: Kimi Age: 19 Country: Australia E-mail: kimberley. jensen91@gmail.com Hello, potential future penpals!

I’m Kim from Australia. I’ve been pen palling since I was 9-years-old, and I’m looking for serious pen pals of any age, sex, race, religion and species (I welcome you, extra-terrestrial friends!). Ones who won’t stop writing but who aren’t overly demanding, either - life does get in the way of things, sometimes. Intelligence and/ or open-mindedness is always a plus in my pen pal searches, too! ^__^.

Here’s a little bit about me. I am a female (I had to specify because I once had a penpal when I was younger, and her mother said we couldn’t write anymore because she thought I was a male due to my unisex name) and I’m 19-yearsold. I major in Linguistics and

the Indonesian language at university. I love languages.

Biiiig fan.

My hobbies and interests are: crafting, sewing, listening to music (indie rock, indie pop, alternative, classic rock, etc.), watching films, thrifting, kawaii, going to alternative music festivals, politics, designing my own clothing, cooking, vintage, anime, culture, travel, languages, history, science, religion (I’m an atheist, however), philosophy, kitsch and geeky things like dinosaurs, sci-fi, hacking (Though I don’t know how, argh!

I just think it’s great.), studying voluntarily and video/computer games.

If you’re interested in my attempt at an appealing pen pal ad, don’t be afraid to send me an e-mail!

Though, I will get a tad grumpy if I receive requests for romance or money. I have a boyfriend, and I’m a poor university student. :D

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name : Natalie natkenfloppy@hotmail.com age : 37 country : Canada Ad : Hi my name is Natalie and I’ve been paling for about 25 years (started when I was in grade 6) I like snail letters (I do still swap Fbs from time to time) and emails so either way is perfect for me. I love hearing from new people. I am married and have a 3.5 year old daughter who is the apple of my eye.

Please email me at natkenfloppy@hotmail.com and we will go from there. Hope to hear from you soon. Please no prisoners.

mail pals from all over the world. I like movies, reading; crocheting, cooking, listening to music, postcards, stickers, Kawaii things, writing letters and swapping; I like sending and receiving little surprises in the letters. There’s nothing more joyful than getting a letter from a friend ;Enough of bills in my mailbox! So! Let’s start penpalling!.

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name : Martina Martina_J_@gmx.at age : 25 country : Austria Ad : Hello! I love it to find nice and long letters in my mailbox... you too? Then we should become penpals.

My name is Martina and I am from Austria. I am looking for penpals around my age from anywhere in the world (female penpals only!). My hobbies/ interests include: writing/ reading letters (of course), shopping, surfing the internet, traveling (I LOVE it), reading, movies, PS3, Wii, Nintendo name : Cécile DS, spending time with my ciloune@gmail.com boyfriend, going out and lots age : 27 of other things... Interested? country : France Please contact me at Ad : Hello everybody, I’m Martina_J_@gmx.at looking for new penpals from all I am looking forward to hear over the world, no matter where from you! you come from :) I can write in french, english, spanish or name : Jolene romanian so feel free to contact Whiterose232006@yahoo. me in your own language if com it’s one of above. I love writing age : 28 and receiving long letters. I country : USA love swapping things (stamps, Ad: Hello Everyone, I’m looking stickers, magnets, stationery), for new pals & swappers. I swap

anything from FBs to Stickers. I’m not accepting any new penpals from overseas at this time but I take any amount of pals & swappers. I’m always taking new pals from Canada & USA. So feel free to drop me a line & I’ll get back to as soon as I can.

My email is: Whiterose232006@ yahoo.com Thanks, Jolene

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sending small gifts from time to time ... I’m a school teacher, mum to be (in january) and I’d love to know you, you who are reading this ad :) Just contact me by mail at : ciloune@gmail. com and I’ll send you my snail mail address.

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Gregory Lentz gj.lentz76@gmail.com Your age : 34 Your country : USA Ad : Hello! I’d be interested in trying out some E-Pal correspondences with folks from all over the world and all walks of life! I like to learn about other cultures, a little bit of a history buff, foodie, self taught artist and aspiring writer of many genres. I like to swap postcards, nothing in particular as long as they are stamped and written, as I relish the personal connections as much as the beauty of the cards. I enjoy all kinds of movies, tv shows I keep up with are: any Law & Order, CSI, Fringe, The Event, House, Lie To Me, Castle...I’m a huge Bon Jovi fan, I like to read Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and I’m hooked on George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones.

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name : Meli manzalone@hotmail.de age : 28 country : Germany Ad : Hey everyone, I’m name : Colleen looking for pen pals from contact me at: New York, Las Vegas and the Colleen Penpal on Bay Area - California. I love Facebook. Add me! long handwritten letters, age : 45 swapping, horses, traveling, country : USA stationary, crafts and the USA. Ad : Hello Friends... Colleen Feel free to email me. from the USA saying hi to everyone!! Love this name : John Ferguson magazine!! I am 45 and am jferguson92200@yahoo. from Wisconsin in the USA. com I have been penpalling

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name : Louise louisexmarie@gmail.com age : 21 country : UK Ad : Hello! Hobbies; reading, writing, penpalling, letters, music, films, walking, socializing, drawing. I am looking for email or snail mail.

I’m looking for a penpal that will write for a long time as i’m hoping to form a long-lasting friendship. I’ve never swapped or collected anything but if you want to send me something then feel free. Anyways, email me and we can chat some more :) Everything isn’t going to fit in here. Louise x

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age : 26 country : USA Ad : I like snail pen pal only in the USA, & e-mail pen pal from all over. My hobbies are collecting postcards, collecting wrestling cards, & many more. Especially writing to people.

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name : Victoria G nekrobows@yahoo.com age : 18 country: USA Ad : Hello im from socal! I love all kinds of music im looking for all postcards and basically to start swapping picture clippings stickers surprise donated books anything really for my penpal swapper scrapbook to remember my youth when i age. Here’s my main interest: Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus Punk bands John Waters! Courtney Love Kurt Cobain & Nirvana Seria Killer(anything works) Bette Davis Ariel(the little mermaid) anything 1950s

name : Yvonne inkytrailers@yahoo.com age : 37 country : Netherlands Ad : Hiya! Thought I would give this a try as I am looking for a few new pals :). I am specifically looking for long letter and somewhat regular pals from Italy, Portugal, the Middle East (Iran in particular) and Asia, Japan in particular but all countries are fine :) as long as have something in common. My only request being you can express yourself in English or Dutch well enough to have a decent conversation. I don’t want to get stuck in sole conversations about the weather.As for the meaning of regular, I don’t expect you to write every month but I do like to receive (at least) 3 to 4 letters a year so I guess I’d like you to write and I will do the same :) - once every two to three months. If you are more regular, then so am I :). Also I like you to ask and answer questions and I can tell you upfront I tend to ask many questions - you’d better be prepared *LOL*.

A quick word about me, I am in my late 30s, married without kids and work fulltime. When I am not working I have

plenty to keep myself busy with *laugh*. I love books and would not be able to live without them. They are great way to relax as well as to learn from! I enjoy watching movies though I find that at this stage of life, I need to see them in the cinema as I am not having peace of mind watching them at home :(. Also I love cooking and like to experiment with different ingredients, I love walking, taking photos, travelling, keeping up to date with (and form an opinion about!) what is happening in this world, I enjoy going to the theater, like to listen to music, socializing with family and friends. Quite a normal person I would think *grin*. If it did get you interested, I would love to hear from you! Have a great day!

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name : Petra Schmied p.schmied02@gmx.at age : 40 country : Austria Ad : Hi, I am a 40-year-old Austrian with an 8-year-old daughter. I love snail mailing and have various interests including travelling, reading, dancing, languages (German, English, French and some Spanish), sports etc. Please send me an email if you are interested and I will send you my address.

anything is welcome and appreciated email me: nekrobows@yahoo.com

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and won’t have troubles expressing your thoughts and feelings. So, this was my introduction and now I’m waiting for a letter from you

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name : Anastasia aja23@yandex.ru age : 29 country : Russia Ad : Hello people! I’m an active penpaller for many years already and used to have many penpals but recently most of them stopped writing me or writing too seldom because they are too busy and I understood that I have only a few left. Thought these ones are very important for me, I still want to find some new friends About me: My name is Anastasia, I’m 29y.o. and I come from Saint-Petersburg, Russia but I’d love to move to Europe at least for some time soon. For sure, I like my country but it would be exciting to live in other places of the world to see how people live there. At the moment I’m working as a secretary. I have lots of hobbies, just a few to mention: watch movies, tv, read books, write letters, meet my friends or chat with them online, paranormal things,

etc. I’m quite open-minded and chatty girl, so I can talk about almost anything. Just give me a subject^).

I’m not very much into clubbing and prefer an evening with a good book or movie but sometimes it’s a real fun to go out I’m looking for: I am looking for female penpals at any age from everywhere, with absolutely different hobbies, who write long letters (e.g 2 pages of A4 papers or 2-4 pages of B5 papers, well it depends on how your life is) at least once in 2 months and I won’t stop writing after a few letters. The way of a letter may be quite long but there’s nothing we can do With my future penpal I’d love to discuss not only life events, but also share our ideas, thoughts, dreams, feelings and everything. With whom we’d share our attitude to events, happening in the world around us.

There are no forbidden topics for me and I love ask and answer tons of different questions. I love letters in a form of a conversation. I don’t mind typed letters, if they stay sincere and personal. I can play stamps back, if you ask me. If you like, we can exchange postcards, photos, fbs and other small things.

I would prefer, if you speak fluent English or German

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wide range of interests and hobbies including reading, scrap booking, card making, pen palling, spending time with my hubby and children and heaps more. I am willing to write to both men and women. Look forward to hearing from you.

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Name : Stefanie stef.langenberg@web.de Age : 45 Country : Germany Ad : I am looking for poeople

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Name : Stephanie Fatta aveggiemom@yahoo.com Age : 30 Country : USA Ad: Hi everyone! I am a married mom of one son. I love pen palling and looking for new pen pals from the USA only please. I am looking for long term/sincere pals around my Name : Henry age. I enjoy reading, travel, hbaker@rochester.rr.com pen palling, working out, Name : Mandee Age : 57 healthy, beauty, blogging, southernfaith@live.com Country : USA houseplants, and so much Age : 27 Ad: I am disable gentleman more! Email me for my address Country : usa looking for e-pals in USA only, if you are interested!

Ad: I’m Seeking To Make I like WWE wrestling, and law New E-Pal Friends And New books and action movies and Name : alison hepworth Facebook Pal’s Aswell. Send country music malin@malin.karoo.co.uk Me Msg If Your Seeking The Age : 44 Same Or Like To Be Pal’s..xoxo Name : Rosita Druijf Country : england roos.chimene@upcmail.nl Ad: hi there i am alison 44 Name : John Ferguson Age : 38 mum to 4 23 to 16 live in jferguson92200@yahoo.

Country : Netherlands town called hull uk hobbies com Ad: hello penpalfriends , im are palling travelling reading Age : 26

Name : Karen leahrosesmom@cox.net Age : 48 Country : Georgia, USA Ad: Hello, my name is Karen. I am a 48 year old single mom of a 7 year old daughter and a 23 year old son, living in Middle Georgia USA. I am new to penpalling and hope to share this hobby with my 7 year old daughter. I love reading books (and reading long letters), classic rock music, arts & crafts (making jewelry, crochet & cross stitch), and blogging. I write poetry and I love to take digital photographs. I hope to eventually swap FBs, and postcards. I am looking for a female penpal, preferably around my age, in the US, a mom and a Christian is a plus. I can write short, long or medium letters. I can be reached at leahrosesmom@ cox.net. Thanks!

Country : USA Ad : Hi my name is Melissa and I’m 35 yrs old. I’m looking for new pen pals in the USA only for right now. I enjoy collecting recipes,cookbooks, postcards,recipe postcards, stationary, Hello Kitty items, and so much more. I have Name : Fabi been penpalling since 2006. writing-fabi@web.de My hobbies are making new Age : 23 friends, facebook, watching Country : Germany tv/movies, listen to music, Ad : Hello everyone out there, penpalling, and hanging out my name is Fabienne, but with family and friends. Please everyone says Fabi. I am 23 email me if you want to pen years old and a female. I am pal with me. Sorry no prisoners searching for LONG LETTER or men plz. pen pals. No matter where you are from. My hobbies are Name : barbara glisczinski writing, photographing and yumyum1948@yahoo.com a lot more. I don’t mind your Age : 62 age or your gender. Just write Country : united states me an email which makes me Ad : Hello from Wisconsin.I am want responding right away.

62 a Type 2 Diabetic also am And mention Sandbook in disabled.Looking for women your email (best would be: from 35 to 80 to write to by snail “Sandbook - pen pal” as your mail.My interests are counted email subject). I would love to cross stitch, needlepoint, get to know you before writing plastic canvas, knitting, latch letters to you. I am not sure if I hook, reading, gardening, can answer all messages, but I cooking, crossword puzzles will sure try to. Write me a long ,jigsaw puzzles and collecting email and your chances are postcards. Want worldwide getting better. I hope I will find penpals. some nice friends.

Name : Tonya Cassell Name : Melissa G Holland tazzymania2001@gmail. melissagholland@ com hotmail.com Age : 36 Age : 35 Country : United States from around the world to swap postcards with. Besides in swapping postcards I am interested in reading, travelling, photography, genealogy and history. I prefer my postcards written and stamped, not in an envelope.

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Name : Samantha Stroy itsapenpalworld@gmail. com Age : 27 Country : USA Ad: Hello everyone, Im looking for some long letter penpals who enjoys a little bit of numerology,astrology,tarot, and twilight and vampire novels. SOmeone who likes to swap various things that fit in an envelope. I am a married stay at home mom of 3. I promise to write back. Long letter pals only please.. I love reading,writing,shopping,divi nation,hello kitty, and so much more.. Hope to hear from you all soon.

Country : USA Ad: collecting postcards, collecting wrestling cards, listen to music, reading, coloring, play my ps2, collecting wrestling magazines, & much more.

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music tv computer family i am after pals to wrtie from asia all europe usa canada australia new zealand, worldwide females for now.

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Name : Phyllis Estep phyllisestep@live.com Age : 60 Country : usa Ad: Hello I am a 60 year old wife, mother and grandma. I would like pen pals any ages. I will answer all. I will also swap fb, slams, post cards, recipes and many other things. write me if you want a faithful pal. phyllis Estep P.O. Box 6311 christiansburg, va. 24068

looking for long letter penpals who write regular about anything , love to hear your story`s . im almost 38 years old (12 february) , but feel more like 30 hahaha . my hobby`s and likes are : writting letters swapping, walk with my dogs, photography, facebook, kawaii, diddl, disney and manny more, i will tell that in my letter . if you want to write with me, give me a message. happy writting everybody. greetings Rosita

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on and off since 1989. It’s an awesome hobby. I love reading, 70s and 80s rock music, crafts, scrapbooking, journals, history, thrift stores, travelling, the paranormal, penpalling, and swapping fb’s/ stickers/stationary. I also swap postcards. Short or long letter pals welcome. Hope we can meet....

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Name : Briony mercianphoenix@gmail.com Age : 28 Country : United Name: Josh Cowan Kingdom jcowan1023@gmail.com Hi ! I’m 28, a mum of 2. I live in Age: 31 a small village in the middle Country: USA of England and I’m due to Ad : My favorite color is green. marry my partner of 10 years My favorite food is seafood in September. I’m slightly and sushi. My favorite drink is crazy, but all the best people root beer. My favorite sport is are and I don’t follow the basketball and I play basketball crowd. I have a good sense through Special Olympics. I of humour, but you need to love music and my favorite appreciate sarcasm. I’m not singer is Weird Al Yankovic fussed about the length and and my favorite music group regularity of letters as long as is Blink182. My favorite actor you write, we all have a life and is Jim Carey and my favorite sometimes things get in the actress is Olivia Newton-John. way. I love getting home from My favorite movies are Ace work and finding letters from Ventura, Despicable Me, and my pals, it makes such a nice Karate Kid. My favorite TV change from the usual junk shows are the Price is Right, mail and bills. Likes/LovesName: Michele Cimons Minute to Win It, American --Thunderstorms, Animals, micgci126@yahoo.com Idol, America’s Funniest home Climbing trees, Watching the Age: 51 videos, America’s got talent, sunset, Looking at old photos, Country: USA Dancing with the stars, and Tattoos Long showers, Nag Ad : My name is Michele. I’m 51 So you think you can dance. champa, curling up with a years old. I live in New York in My favorite animal is the frog. book, New shoe smell, Walking the USA. My interests are cats, My favorite cartoon characters barefoot, Mountains, Cuddles, animals, listening to music, are Spongebob Sqaurepants, Purple, Kisses, Pre-Raphaelites, watching tv, reading, movies, Scooby Doo, The Flintstones, Autumn, Museums, Summer Disney, soap operas, crafts, Yogi Bear, and Family Guy. rain, Stone Circles, Crystals, Name: Sandra penpals4me@live.se Age: 21 Country: Sweden Ad : Hello everybody! My name is Sandra, I’m 21 years old and live in Sweden. I’m searching for penpals from all over the world, in around my own age!

But especially from: Denmark, New Zealand and Germany.

And UK London and in West Chester and Forks. But of course anyone can contact me if they’re interested :) I love to read and write. When it comes to books I almost only read fantasy, and right know I’m stuck on vampires. I love the music groups: HIM, 3oh!3 and The Rasmus. Write me a mail if your interested =)

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My Favorite Super Hero is Batman. I have Cerebral Palsy and participate in Special Olympics. My favorite special Olympics events are bowling, basketball, and cycling.

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internet, Facebook, penpalling, fill in puzzles, word search puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, nature, flowers, walking, postcards, stickers, Hello Kitty, and much more. If anyone is interested in being penpals. Please email me at: micgci126@yahoo.com.

Thanks I hope to hear from someone soon. Michele

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Name: Lisa lisaluvsfbs@aol.com Age: 45 Country: usa My name is Lisa and i am 45 years old USA mother to two (ages 12 & 18) lisaluvsfbs@ aol.com. I am Native American/ German/Irish lady. I love making friends with ladies all over the world. I enjoy photography, swapping fbs, phone calls, music, family, God, learning about other cultures. I am especially looking Name : Sandra Walker for Middle Eastern ladies to southernrosebelle@ correspond with, I traveled to the yahoo.com Middle East in 2007 and loved Age : 59 Country : USA the people I met there. I am Ad : hobbies: collects postcards not looking to push religion, and foreign coins. Loves to just make friendships.Would read. Likes to cook. Married, 2 love to hear from other moms sons (grown-NO grandchildren anywhere. or daughters-in-law.Wants pen pals who like to write more Name: Danette than a paragraph. NO religious D.Danette.L@gmail.com stuff please (I have my own Age: 51 Country: USA religion). I have 3 dogs. Much Ad: Hello, I am 51 years old, 4 more but will tell when you children & 5 grandchildren. I write. have more furry children than I can count, I rescue, spay/ Name : Katka Louzilova neuter and find good-loving katerina174@post.cz homes for strays and homeless Age : 34 animals. Many decide to Country : Czech Republic stay with me :) I am an artist Ad: Hi, my name is Katka, I who loves to read, sew, knit,

crochet, paint, sculpt. I love the outdoors. I enjoy movies, music, the supernatural, the sea, swimming, walking and more. I love letter writing, though sometimes there may not be tons to say.

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am 34, have 2 children, living in Prague. I love to write and recive letters , I would love to find penpals from all over the world. My hobbies include reading, cooking, travelling.

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Name : Nelda Dunlap rosepetunia69@gmail.com Age : 42 Country : USA Ad : Hello all my new friends.

Are you looking for a devoted snail mail penpal? One who will not stop writing after a couple of letters or who only writes twice year? A penpal to talk with about everything from the sublime to the ridiculous?

A penpal who enjoys stuffing letters, decorating envies and getting something in the mail besides bills? Then look no further! For the low price of postage, you can have all this in the form of a long letter life long snail mail pal who loves - loves, I say! - who loves the written word in all its guts and glory. I’m 41 with two grown children in college and an ornery old hubby I’ve had for 21 years. We have 1 black cat who’s 13 years old and a loveable crab apple. I enjoy so many things I can’t begin to list them but here a few of the highlights: Kawaii, penpalling, family, animals, ancient history, Regency romances, Dr. Who, AGT, sticker, Facebook, sci-fi,

writing... I collect Kawaii, Hello Kitty, stickers, s/p shakers, pens, postcards, FBs, LBs, SBs. I swap postcards, FBs, LBS, SBs and take all excess. I’m looking for ladies only 30-50 from anywhere, especially UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Japan, Scotland. As always, no men(happily married) ,cons, Africa/Ghana(I’m no fool and I don’t have money to spare so forget it). Please put penpals and this site name in the subject line so I don’t think you’re spam and delete you. I look forward to hearing from all my new friends. Nelda Dunlap 316 W. Tyler Av Charleston, Illinois 61920 USA

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Ad: I love photography, pen paling, and collecting celebrity autographs. I collect celebrity autographs, Christmas village pieces, china dolls, stuffed animals, and crystal figurines

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Name: Irene Age: 24 years old Country: Italy irycoggi96@libero.it My name’s Irene, 24 y o I live in Milano and I study veterinary medicine there. I love animals and i have two rabbits a turtle and a dog. My interests are running (marathons and mountain running races) traveling, of course penpalling, language learning, decoupage, internet surfing, mountain hiking and climbing, reading and practicing belly dance.

I speak Italian English, Dutch (hope to improve it), a bit of French German and Spanish and would love to learn Chinese Russian and Japanese.

My address is: Irene Coggi via chiarelli 8 20151 Milano Italy

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Name : Tatjana tatjana_203tp@hotmail.com Age : 28 Country : Germany Ad : Hello, my name is Tatjana and I’m 28 years old. I’m looking for new penpals around my age (only female) from all over the world. I like reading, music, Name : missy traveling, of course writing Name : Jose Antonio shortymiss_17512@yahoo. letters and many more. I am Zamarco com interested in learning about zamarco65@yahoo.it Age : 36 different countries and cultures, Age : 46 Country : usa because I think it is very exciting Country : Brazil Ad : i have a pen pal newsletter to learn how different things Ad : Hello! My name is Jose called dfu,its been around can be in other countries. Feel Antonio and I’m a 46 years old since 96 & comes out every free to write me, I’m looking

Name : Faisal Cheema faisalcheema44@gmail.com Age : 33 Country : Pakistan Ad: I collect stamps, postcards, FDCs, phonecards and coins.

I am working on a project to collect POSTCARDS of UNESCO World Heritage Sites from all countries. You can see my collection at http://unescopostcards.blogspot.com I can swap postcards and other stuff from PAKISTAN. Best Regards!

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Name : Barb ks.sunflower1956@gmail. com Age : 55 Country : USA Ad : Hi Everyone - I am 55, married, disabled, stepmom to one and gma to 4. We live on 4 acres and have 2 horses and 3 dogs - these are my babies!! I would like penpals of any age, LADIES ONLY. Letter size does not matter, long or short, either way. Some of my interests/ hobbies are - reading, cross stitch, facebook, tv, movies, old cemeteries, old castles, movies about Camelot and that era, cooking and more. I will answer all.

forward to your message. You old son. I am divorced, as well can write in German, English or as newly single after my last French. serious relationship, and am definitely not looking to see Name : Alessandro anyone for a long time. Eugh, alohatucano@katamail.com men *sigh*...but I’ll write to Age : 32 both males and females, just no Country : Italy prisoners please! I have many, Ad : I’m a 32 years old italian many interests but I especially guy looking for snail mail love reading and writing. I penpals world wide. I’m not currently work from home looking for romance or sex: and I have just purchased a I’m gay and engaged with my house so I’ll be settled at my boyfriend, but i prefer female current address for years to penpals cause they are most come (meaning you won’t talkative regular writers (males have to worry about me up are also welcome, of course). I and moving). I’m looking for look only for penpals around long-term penpals who will my age. I would find someone write regularly and send more who thinks that a penpal is not lengthly snailmail letters. If only a letter writer but a real you’re a swapper, I’ll swap friend. anything. I haven’t done much Send me a short email before but I suppose it would introduction but I will not be fun! :) reply to telegraphic letters: i If you would like to be penpals, love to get long and chatty please send me a message and letters! I can speak english and let me know if you would like french. I could sound terribly me to write the first letter or if offensive, but please, only you’ll do so. good handwritten or typed letters: i’m done to take an Name : Nicole effort everytime i read a letter... nml2@aol.com sorry!!

Age : 41 Looking forward to hear from Country : USA you soon!

Ad : Hi I am Nicole I am looking for pen-pals that will keep Name : Alysia writing. My hobbies are pen weealydee@hotmail.com palling, swapping, collecting. I Age : 23 swap stickers,goodiebags and I Country : Canada like to swap themed packages.

Ad : I’m 23 years old, from Please no prisoners. USA only Canada, and I have a 5 year please.

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Name : naaser veer_786_n@yahoo.com Age : 34 Country : bangladesh Ad : HELLO ! I am looking for foreign friends . Will you be friends with me ? Can we start writing letters to each other ? I am looking forward to your letter . See you later. my hobbies r music, movie, traveling, shopping, friendship & etc etc

3 months,it has a lot to read,samples are $3 or $6 yr email me if intersted.

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Name : André Mota andrevf@live.com Age : 17 Country : Brazil Hi there! My name is André, I’m a 17 years old boy from Brazil. I’m looking for openminded people around my age to talk about everyday life, movies, hobbies, culture, travels... Anything, really! If you’d like to be penpals with me, don’t hesitate to contact me. Snailmail only, and I’m not looking for relationships or anything, just friendship :D Thanks!

man from Brazil. I’m looking for some new penpals mainly from North America, Europe and Japan aged from 30 to 50 years old. I’ll answer to both men and women, sex or race really doesn’t matter to me. My interests are mainly reading, swimming, biking, travelling, music and movies. I work in the health area and I’m a true and positive person. I look to meet people to build a long lasting friendship through writting letters. If you would like to write with me then please send me an email telling something about you and I’ll send you my postal address. Bye

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Stickes, Cute penpal paper , Hello Kitty, Kuromi, Tinkerbell, Faeries, Dragons, Unicorns, Mermaids, Fantasy art, Chocolate, Vodka, Playing my music LOUD, spending time with my friends, days out as a family, Facebook, Netmums, Shiney things, Music, reading, Ebay, Charity shops and more!

I’m looking for fellow eccentrics, chocoholics and bookworms Any age, anywhere but Ladies only please :) Uk ladies only for snail mail, all other countries e pals Thank you for reading xx

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also love to find activities to do with my kids, ages 8, 7, and 4.

I would really like to find other mommies who have children Name: S.P. around those ages to write Country: Philippines to. My son, who is 8 and my Age: 28 (29 soon). eldest daughter who is 7 get pinkspaces@gmail.com excited when I get letters and Ad: Hello! I am SP, 28 years old packages in the mail from my turning 29. I am looking for pen pen-pals. They always ask if one pals all over the world. I like day, they will be able to have music, makeup, accessories, their own pen-pals. My sister glitters, colors, cute things, nail and I also have a web-page Name : Cindy polish, photos, scrapbooks, that we have put together Country : Belgium stationery, stamps, stickers, and are trying to build up for Age : 27 key chain and postcards. I love pen-pals. If you have anything Date of Birth : to collect and exchange/swap you would like to add to it October 10th, 1983 also. I hope to find friends or have any ideas, we would bellega@gmail.com here that will not stop writing be most happy to consider I’m a 27 year old female from after a few letters. I like to anything you put forward.

Belgium. I’m looking for some have friends who is 28 to 30 www.FriendshipXpress.net sincere snail mail penpals years old, male or female that Thank you for your time and (preferably from outside will write letter in his/her own look forward to hearing from Europe!) aged 22-35 (females handwriting. Thank you. you. NPW~NSW~W/W Excess only). I can write in English or in Twitter: Welcome I Pre-Make FB’s.

French. I don’t care about your http://twitter.com/pinkspaces religion or the color of your skin, Blog: Name : Melike Gül but I have no love or money http://intopinkspaces.blogspot. turkspice@gmail.com to offer, I am only looking for com/ Age : 30 long-term friendship! I really Country : TURKEY prefer neat, handwritten letters Name : Trisha B. Ad : hello everyone, I have been though.

Email : TStevens918@ penpalling since my 13 and My interests include penpalling, friendshipXpress.net nowadays mainly swapping shopping, painting, languages, Age : 31 and writing to LLPs. I live in movies, Asia, books, fashion, Country : USA Istanbul and look for sincere kawaii, animals, videogames, Ad : Hello everyone. My name is Long Letter Pals and swappers flowers, Africa, photography, Trish and I am 31 year old mom internationally.I swap any kind cooking, Italy, internet, travelling, to 3. My interests are writing to of bags and HQ fbs, nice&neat fantasy & sci-fi, Starbucks, my pen-pals, making friend- fbs or regular fbs.I love postcards, nature, chocolate, books and anything else that collecting anything on hello islands, Snoopy, Paris, world has to do with pen-palling. I kitty and diddl. I like sketching

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heritage, history, music (various styles) and much more! Please mail me if interested. Thank you!

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Name: Jessica Obando Age: 35 Country: Peru jessica_obandoe@yahoo. com Message: I am Peruvian female looking for penpals and swappers from all over the world, no men, no prisoners.

I enjoy reading, swimming, dancing, fashion, cooking,

decoration, travelling, going to nice restaurants, writing and receiving letters, facebook, surfing on internet, I collect sanrio, diddl, kawaii, strawberry shortcake, carebears, snoopy, disney, postcards, souvenirs, etc. I love to watch: CSI, CSI:Miami, CSI:New York, NCIS, Bones, Castle, Criminal Minds, Law&Order:SVU. I hope to hear from you all.

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traditions, mythologies, and religions of my ancestors, the sense of adventure while travelling with friends, the pleasure of waking from a peaceful sleep and then rolling over back into it once again, with an understanding that the morning is mine to do with as I please, sight-seeing, concerts, festivals – all that embraces life – You are more than welcome to write.

I need a good friend, and I would like to share the ups and downs and twists and turns of life with you, so when you decide that you would like to know more of the behind-the-scenes details of my life, I will be here waiting to greet you, hopeful that we can grow as friends, getting to know each other, and sharing the companionship and joy of it all – Until then, have a wonderful time – may all you touch shine as brightly as the sun – Best wishes, Always, Rob

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the day before. I like to believe that I have a down-to-earth sense of humor, knowing that sometimes the realities of life ask that we take things seriously. I am honest, caring, and loyal to my friends – faithful to the end – genuinely supportive and considerate to their needs, understanding, trustworthy, and protective, with a sincere ear and a soft shoulder. As a person, I am true to my morals and convictions. I am righteous, passionate and respectful – I attempt to be easy-going, laid-back, and patient, though life isn’t always that simple. I am I try to maintain a positive and hopeful outlook on life always looking for the bright side of things. I believe in many things, but none so much as love, karma, and the power of a smile that is warm and genuine.

Some of my interests include music, movies, photography, and writing, laughing and enjoying life, spending time with family and friend. I enjoy the rush of adrenaline from sudden, unexpected yet exciting, events, the warmth of the sun and the feeling of love, belonging, and togetherness involved in the gathering of family and friends, the spiritual connection made while learning of the cultures,

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Name Robert Age: 35 Country: USA exemplartemplar@gmail. com Hi! I hope this letter finds you well and that your life is blessed with lots of family, friends, love and laughter. I’m looking for someone who’s willing to take the time to get to know me for who I truly am, someone with an understanding ear, someone who is kind and thoughtful, who can understand that life can be unbearably sad yet extraordinarily fantastic, someone who can laugh at the silly, absurd complexities of life, and someone who is honest, loyal, and kind – willing to share their stories, interests, thoughts, opinions and ideas.

I’m 6’2”, 190 lbs, with brown hair and blue eyes.– I’m healthy and fit, always doing what I can to stay in shape.

I’m well educated, though I haven’t allowed any of it to go to my head! I have three college degrees, with areas of study ranging from Accounting to Computer Applications. I have a desire to succeed in life, in everything I do, and I have the motivation to chase my dreams. Every day, I strive to find within myself a better man than I was

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Name : Naoko daichki@yahoo.com Age : 37 Country : Japan

Name : MarieAntoinette Pelser apelser@wol.co.za Age : 35 Country: South Africa Ad : I enjoy getting letters in my postbox. So if you also enjoy writing letters, why not write to me. I’m 35 and live in South Africa. My hobbies include: scrap booking, beading, reading, writing (poetry, stories and letters),

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Name : Ashwin Ramesh ashwinramesh007@ rocketmail.com Age : 19 Country : INDIA Ad : I am an animal lover,

Name : Danyvonne Rutherford little-miss-dany@ hotmail.com Age : 20 Country : Australia Ad : ANY EXCESS please pass on to me =]

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Name : Felicia M. Ciaudelli mrschopchop@verizon. net Age : 47 Country : USA Ad : I love reading, music, fashion, crafts, opera, doing word search puzzles, watching

Name : susanna star_susanna@hotmail. com Age : 36 Country : italy Ad : Hello :-) I am Susanna, 36 years old, married and with a daughter(21 mounth old), I am a teacher too. I like nature, walking in mountain, biking, books, doing photos, postcards, shopping with friends...I am missing some good friends(only women).

I speak Italian, English and French. Write me soon! :-)

Name : Sanny sandra.ohnhold@web.de Age : 23 Country : Germany Ad : Hi everybody, my name is Sanny (or Sandra) and I am looking for long letter pals(I don’t mind your age, your gender or where you’re Name : Brenda Cooley from). I love my pets, letters Bcooley1981@yahoo.com and postcards, reading, my Age : 30 Country : USA friends and so much more.

Ad : Hi everyone. I am from If you are interested please the USA. I am looking for life write me a mail and I will long friends and long lettered answer you asap. I’m waiting ones at that. I love to write for you. currently working on writing a novel. I love science fiction Name: Jessica and anything to do with King Age: 27 Arthur. I am disabled and a waite.jessica3@gmail.com home maker. I love all kinds Country: South Africa of music, TV, and films. Was a Ad: Hi my name is jessica and major film buff in college. My im 27 years old.i have light hobbies are jewelry making, brown hair and blue eyes.i scrap booking, journaling, like to bake,play pc and crochet, and macrame. watch tv.u can write to Those are. Orally my winter me at miss j.waite suite activities as I am trying to lose 84,private bag x27,kempton the last fifty pounds. Already park,1620,south africa. successfully lost 115 pounds yays. In summer I enjoy walking my two pugs. Biking, Name-Kevin hiking, swimming, chatting Age-18 with people in my iPad, Country-India cycling, fishing, and more kevindesai777@yahoo.co.in you will find I am a most open Ad: Hello friends... I am Kevin person. I also enjoy swapping from India and i love to make anything that will fit in an new friends.. I also love envie and will do larger swaps collecting stamps, coins and when requested. Happy pen banknotes.. So feel free to palling. contact me.. crocheting, knitting, baking, cooking, listening to music, playing PC games (hidden object of mystery games) and lots more. E-mail me and I will send you my address. Just remeber: I’m looking for snail mail pals, NO ROMANCE.

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Name : premraj kumar kubuprem@gmail.com Age : 39 Country : india Ad : i like to get new penpals from all over the world..my hobbies travelling, reading, writing, books, yoga, ayurveda...

Ad : Hello from Tokyo! I am female and am looking for someone who just cares for a few penpals but not many penpals. I do not have many penpals and just would like to cherish close friendship through the letters, including emails sometimes. :) My hobbies and interests are music, movies, dogs, FB swapping, foreign language, Korean TV dramas and music, South Korea, Spain and good books. I only wish to write with someone who have something in common with me. Hablo espanol tambien.

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Name : paulino damiano paulinomugendi@yahoo. com Age : 33 Country : kenya Ad : place your ad, include hobbies and interests My name is Paul Damiano from Kenya and i am very much interested in meeting penpals from all over the world and learn more about their culture, languages and way of life. i love nature and here in Kenya i promote tree planting activities with school children, farmers and community at large.

My hobbies include: nature, photography, traveling, social work, music, languages, camping and cycling. please write to me and i will answer all letters.

Painter, Photographer (product, fashion, nature &wildlife), Philatelist cum Numismatist..... Bird-watching, Wildlife conservation, Herpetology, Ornithology, Ichthyology, Photography, cartooning, Gymnastics are some of the things I am obsessed with. I do have special interest in Modern arts as-well as impression art, animals & wild-life, Clay modelling, Sufi music(with néy), Archaeology, Music n Movies, cooking, Snailmailing, and sports like Boxing, cricket, soccer, pool, chess, Black jack etc....n yeah ,I live my life for the people who love me......n I hang around with them...24X7.... I love to have penpals who are real, open, Caring and Transparent(just like me). I am here for a longlasting friendship. Penpals who quit after 2 or 3 mails are not welcome. I love to have healthy talks on almost all subjects. I befriend people of all age, Sex, country, Religion etc. In fact I am someone with a secular heart. Everybody up there I am the perfect dude you’ve been looking for. I promise that I’ll not make you regret your experience with me ;-).

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old movies, collecting Nancy Drew, Dana Girls, Trixie Belden, Cherry Ames and Vicki Barr books - some of my favorite tv shows are NCIS, Prison Break, Hell’s Kitchen, Breakout Kings, Law & Order: SVU, History Detectives, Cold Case, MASH, Alias, ANTM and lots more!!!

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designs, cooking, travelling, facebook and novels. I’d love to receive letters from mainly from Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, and other Europeans especially. Pls kindly specify your desire in your letter.

Happy to answer all swappers and penpals gladly.

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PenPal & Swappers Ads

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PenPalling Connections:

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PenPal Directory and Newsletter Hi! I am Tracy. I sell stationery address and stickers. I also have a penpal Directory and a newsletter. Take a look at my links if interestered. My new thing is making a catalog of all my designs: http://tracyscreationsstationary.shutterfly.com/ http://addresslabels4sale.shutterfly.com/ For more information contact: Tracy Sanders, tracylynnsanders38@yahoo.com

THE CAULDRON BUBBLES http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Cauldron_Bubbles/ Pagan, Witchcraft, Wicca and mysticism with aromatherapy, herbology and a few other things thrown into the um… cauldron for good measure!!

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WWFBDO (or Worldwide Friendship Booklets and Decos Only) http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/WWFBDO Friendship books, Decos, Label bags, and that genre of swapping

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LITTLE ANGEL RAOKs http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/Little_Angels_ RAOKs/ We fulfil flaked swaps, wishes and Random Acts of Kindness.

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RECYCLING IS FUN http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Recycling_is_Fun/

LONG LETTER EPISTLERS http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/Long_ Letter_Epistelers/ Penpal group for LONG letters and occasional swaps.

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PGMT (or Postcard Pals Groups Management Training) http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/PGMT Learn to be a moderator or manager of yahoo groups.

UK_PandS_Official Group (UK Penpallers and Swappers) http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/UK_PandS_ Official_Group/ This group is for UK based penpallers and swappers to swap within the UK only!

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MULTICULTURAL SWAP SHOP http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/ MultiCultural_SwapShop Swap or get rid of stuff you don’t want. Sell handmade stuff.

PURE POSTCARD PALS http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Pure_ Postcard_Pals/ Swaps of Postcards only.

R-E-C-I-P-E-S (or Recipes Eating Cooking Ingredients People and Extraordinary Sites) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/R-E-C-I-P-E-S Like CRAFTS above but for recipes, organised by occasions, type of ingredient etc.

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LIVE FOR LIFE http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/Live_for_Life Info on health issues, links to articles and recipes for diet specific illnesses and weightloss.

POSTCARD PALS http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/PostcardPals Despite the name we swap “anything which can legally be sent thru the mail”!

Pen Pal Book C/O Kimberly Garigin 3726 Green Pond Rd Gray Court, SC 29645 One issue is $12 black or $18 color.

Subscription for 4 issues is $20 black or $25 color. Its like buying two and getting two FREE. Comes out Jan. Apr. Jul. & Oct. I take Cash, checks & Money orders in my name. It is non-profit!! Pen Pal ads to be put in is FREE starting with Jan 2011. Business ads r 5 cents per word/symbols & count your name & address. Add $2 more for Canada or $4 more for Over seas. I use quick print to see the darker print its $4 per issue or $16 for 4 issues. No Inmates!!!

For more information contact: Kimberly at vandine69@yahoo.com

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L-I-N-K-S (or Links In No Kind (of) System) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/L-I-N-K-S As for CRAFTS above but non-specific links (i.e. not recipes or crafts), organised by type.

Hints and tips on throwing out less and reusing things.

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C-R-A-F-T-S (or Crafts R A Fantastic Time Stealer) http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/C-R-A-F-T-S A craft link ‘bucket’ with links organised by craft and sub-categories of Holidays or item.

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WHERE I LIVE

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to Cornwells, and still later, about 1912, a development of homes was called Cornwells.

That name was used for the entire township until March 19, 1979, when the post office changed to “Bensalem”, which it

remains today.

Andalusia, when my parents moved there in the mid-50s, was very much a country town - although it has gotten somewhat overdeveloped these days, I still love living there!

Do you run a business? Would you like to generate more interest and income for your business? If so, Glass Completely Empty Productions is looking for you! Once the pen-palling film is finished we're going to take it on the road for a global tour. We're looking for pen-pals who run businesses to join us by running stalls at the exhibition. It doesn't matter if your business isn't letter writing related, we want to invite everyone to take part!

If you'd like to take part, please email Rae with the nature of your business and she'll put you on the list: rae@glasscompletelyempty.co.uk

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Hello everyone! My name is Felicia Ciaudelli.

I have been a live-long resident of the Andalusia section of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, which is just outside Northeast Philadelphia. Andalusia was a part of the Nicholas Biddle estate, named for Andalusia, Spain. Andalusia - and all of Bensalem - is full of history - in 1992, Bensalem celebrated it’s Tricentennial.

Bristol Pike, which runs parallel with the Delaware

River in the southern part of the Township, was also known as “The Kings Highway”, was the first road cut through Bucks County by order of the Provincial Council and a number of the milestones are still standing. After exiting Philadelphia on the Pike, you enter Andalusia and traveling further comes what was previously named “Cornwells Heights”, which for a number of years, had it’s own post office named Maud and its Pennsylvania Railroad named Cornwells. Later, the name of the post office was changed

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By Felicia Ciaudelli mrschopchop@verizon. net

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Biddle Estate, National Register of Historic sites.

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Special EVENTS IN JUNE

By Raia Alexieva

June 23rd – Typewriter is Patented in 1868.

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June 21st - First Day of Summer Yeah! The summer officially begins on June 21! Have you made your summer plans?

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June19thisalsoGarfield’s Birthday, who debuted in 1978. Who doesn’t love the big orange cat with awesome jokes and humor?! Garfield has become the “pet” of a whole“generation”.

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June 19th is Father’s Day. It is a holiday always celebrated on the third Sunday of June. Father’s Day is less than a month from Mother’s Day and is recognized in many countries worldwide. It. Honor your father, spend time with him and simply give your gratitude to the family bonds!

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June 9th, 1934 is Donald Duck’s Birthday! He is turning 77 this year!

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June 3rd, 1965 is the day of the first US Spacewalk by EdWhite!

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June 2nd – Historically, the Radio was patented on June 2, 1896, which makes the day a very important event to remember.

The Radio invention has led to the technological advances that we are so accustomed to nowadays.

Remember that radio waves are in the basic of the understanding of microwaves and cell phone voice transition.

And who can live

without microwaves and cell phones?!

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celebrations, lots of children’s show on TV, governmental events such as pedestrian education for kids, lowered speed limits for the day.

June 1st is also the Donut Day! Yes, those new-school celebrations and holidays can really make anyone smile and laugh. But what’s the harm of celebrating both of the occasions?

Simply take the kids to eat some donuts at Dunk & Donuts, where special playing grounds will be installed for the day! And if you are a bit “elder” kid yourself – go get yourself a donut while drinking your coffee or invite friends over for a movie marathon accompanied with food (popcorns or donuts – it’s your own choice).

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June 1st – June 1 is the International Children’s

Day, a holiday that is loved and appreciated all over the world from kids of all ages! There are a lot of activities planned for this day – kinder garden and primary school festivals a n d

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Can you believe that after 143 years we have “jumped” from typewriters to electronic forms of communication? The technology is updating really fast but it doesn’t mean that we have to forget where everything started. l i k e

June 24th - U.F.O. Day - First documented UFO sighting on this day. If you are into paranormal or supernatural stuff, this day is a MUST celebrate for you! There are a lot of conventions of UFO fans worldwide, so Google and participate in those near you!

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June 26th - Bicycle Patented in 1819. Also in 1498 the first toothbrush is invented!

You can always use these anniversaries as ideas on how to spend your day – take a bike ride with your family or significant other, or visit a Bicycle museum – old or modern bicycles, models for women or men – I am sure that you will have fun looking through such exhibits. Don’t forget that oral health is important for your general health. Call your dentist and schedule a dental check-up or celebrate the day a bit more untraditional – make a collage with smiles from magazines, or try painting with a toothbrush. The options are countless – just remember to enjoy your day!

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June 27th – The melody for Happy Birthday Song was written in 1859. The song is the most popular song worldwide, sang in different countries from young and old. There is simply no birthday without the happy birthday song!

June 30th - Meteor Day or Superman’s Birthday – pick your celebration and have fun!

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Hello from Polska! As you can guess, we are in Europe, in the east of this continent, in a country we already travelled to some months ago. Its coastline, in the north, is bathed by the Baltic Sea and, at the south, the Tatra Mountains are the natural border with some of its neighbouring countries.

Have you already guessed where we are located today in this new travel around the world?

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welcome to poland!

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There is also a section with interesting links that you can follow and learn more about the wonderful hobby of penpalling!

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PenPalling and Letters is a blog dedicated to correspondence.

You can find many interesting articles there together with polls, so feel free to voice out your opinion.

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Find PenPalling & Letters on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/penpallingandletters

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Penpalling & Letters: www.penpallingandletters.blogspot.com

Hello from Poland!!!

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Hello everybody! As you already know my name is Agnieszka and I come from Warsaw, the capital of Poland, which is situated in the central area of my country and it is the biggest city, too.

I have been penpalling since I

was fourteen. I met my first penpals during vacation. My Polish penpal and I have neighbouring summer houses by the lake, where we were spending each vacation and wanted to keep in touch during the year through letters.

We are friends till today; she lives in Warsaw so we see each other sometimes and still go for vacation to our place. My first foreign penpals I met during summer language courses in England. I was corresponding with two Italian and one 109

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Hello Agnieszka and welcome to Penpalling & Letters!

What a pleasure to have you here today, in Travelling around the World sharing Cultural Heritage, Folklore and Background section!

Would you like to share your penpalling experiences with us?

Hello from Poland!!!

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As you already know, I come from Warsaw, the capital of Poland.

Warsaw has over 1,700,000 inhabitants nowadays. Its symbol is the Mermaid. She is in the city’s coat of arms: “Warsaw’s Coat of Arms” and there are two monuments of the

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Spanish girls but, unfortunatelly, it did not last long. I had a break from penpalling since the Internet interrupted in it. I had never written to anyone who I haven’t met personally until two years ago, when I found the “Interpals” website and met new wonderful penpals there! Even if I am not into “Postcrossing”, I

envelopes myself! I am not sure if I can say I collect stationery or stickers, because it is all to be used and I don’t buy anything with the intention to keep it for myself. At the moment I am not looking for new penpals, but you can find me at my Blog:

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love getting postcards from my friends and I always send some, too, whenever I go somewhere or from my homecity, indeed.

I guess that like everyone in “our small penpalling world” I like colourful stationery.

Sometimes I paint the

Mermaid in Warsaw, as well.

According to the legend, a Mermaid swimming in the sea stopped on the riverbank near to the Old Town to rest. She found the place so admirable that she decided to stay. Local fishermen living nearby noticed that something was creating waves, tangling nets, and releasing their fish.

Although their original intention was to trap the offender, they fell in love with the Mermaid upon hearing her singing.

Later, a rich merchant trapped the Mermaid and imprisoned her in a wooden hut. A young fisherman heard the Mermaid’s cry and with the help of his mates released her, whereupon she declared her readiness to offer fishermen her help whenever it would be needed.

Ever since, the Mermaid, armed with sword and shield, has been ready to help as well as protect the city and its residents.

I could write pages

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Hello from Poland!!!

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the borders of Warsaw, with some historical monuments inside.

One of them is the Palace on the Island, where the last King of Poland, Stanisław August Poniatowski, an art lover, used to organize Thursday Dinners to which he invited poets, painters and famous erudites. There is also a monument of Chopin, where during summer weekends free concerts take place. Not to make this post dry with facts, let me mention that in the park live, unafraid of humans, squirrels, which, if you give them

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Sigmunt’s Column. On the top of it stands the King who moved the capital from Cracow to Warsaw. Walking through a narrow street you arrive to another square where one of the monuments of the Mermaid is.

There are many cafes, “pierogarnias” (restaurants which specialize in making “pierogi”– our traditional and delicious meal) and a well-known confectionery. Rumours say it has the best icecream in the city. At least there is always a queue in front of it! Łazienki Park is a 76 hectares park within

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about Warsaw because it is a big city, which means that there are many things to see and it has a rich history, too.

Therefore, I decided to choose a couple of most important things to show you this time!

The Old Town is the historic centre of the city, and it is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List. It was reconstructed after World War II, when it was totally destroyed. In the Old Town you can expect to see the Royal Castle, with a museum inside.

In the middle of the square, in front of the Castle, there is

peanuts, will eat from your hand!

The Palace of Culture and Science is the highest building in Poland (230 m), located in the very centre of Warsaw. It was built in the 50s as a “gift of the Soviet people to the Polish nation” by Stalin’s initiative. On the 30th floor there is a terrace from where you can view the panorama of Warsaw. In the Palace there is the Congress Hall, a place where artists from all over the world perform, there is a lovely small cinema where you can watch films from different corners of the world, and also, all kinds of cultural events: fairs, exhibitions, conferences... are organized in this space.

Each winter, next to the palace, a skatingring opens. Regarding the architecture of the building, the opinions are divided, but whether it is positive or negative, the Palace is one of the city symbols, together with the Mermaid and Sigmunt’s Column.

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sandbook and gaya designs present

Paula Milburn booklet coming out 25 JUNE 2011

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Each of the Houses have a long history, and

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The world of Westeros, in the books and the HBO series, centers greatly around four main Houses, or families and lands, who are the movers and shakers of their world. We have the Targaryens who came as conquerors, but their rule was ended with a rebellion, then we have the Starks in the far Northern lands, where they had long been Kings of the North, and then we have the Lannisters in the west, powerful and rich, and we the fourth, the Baratheons, Lords of the Stormlands, and it’s Lord Robert who led the rebellion against the Mad King and took the Iron Throne for himself.

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The Targaryens were known to have wed brother and sister, the generations seemed to get a little crazier, a little more mad and tyrannical. Their dragons died out, and with that started their decent of ultimate rule...

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So...The Targaryens have ruled over the Seven Kingdoms for hundreds of years. They came from a far off land and empire known as Valyria, but it had succumbed to some long forgotten tragedy, and apparently these white haired rulers and masters of dragons were among the last of the noble families to have survived. Westeros, for its glory could not stand against the might of Dragons...man were slaughtered, there swords were combined, twisted and melted into the Iron Throne. To those who “bent the knee” in fealty to a new king, they were spared and granted great powers and honor of remaining a Warden, a protector and governor of their lands that they had long been the king of. To those who denied the conquerors came

death by Blood and Fire.

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Imp, of course!), elves, wizards, unicorns, and such...What it does have is rich culture, history, lore, character and plots, and court intrigue galore.

It appears that there may yet be Dragons, though they have been extinct for generations.

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when you transition from the media of camera and novel, and Author George R.R. only time will time how Martin introduced the story unfolds from the world to A Song HBO scripture and the of Ice and Fire in the world GRRM wrote for 20th Century. Now in us. the 21st Century HBO has brought George’s So what exactly fantasy realm to life as a is A Game of live action series based Thrones? What on the first novel: A is all this about Game of Thrones. Just Winter is Coming, after the first episode Houses, Iron HBO announced the Thrones, a Wall of official signing for a 2nd ice, and Dragons season, amidst a time say you?? Welcome when many shows are to Westeros... seeing the cut.

In his fantasy world, Many people have not George centers his read the novels, but tale upon the land of they are now. People Westeros and it’s “Seven are tuning in like mad to Kingdoms”. Hundreds follow the story-lines of of years ago the lands multiple characters and were ruled by numerous twisting plots on Sunday kings, but the Targaryens evenings with HBO’s came from across the Game of Thrones. So far Narrow Sea with mighty the series has followed dragons to conquer the book fairly closely, so the lands and bring the for those who have read Seven Kingdoms under the books it is a pleasure one rule. The tale of A to see how the characters Game of Thrones is rife and events play out “in with rich history, lore, and real life”compared to the a magical/paranormal imagination as depicted element, but it doesn’t through the masterful not include much at all authoring of GRRM. of the common fantasy Inevitably there will be elements of dwarves changes and deviations (excepting Tyrion the

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The world of Westeros sees a different changing of the seasons than we know of. Here Summers can last for years, not months, but winter... winter can last an entire

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and sometimes ery harsh lands of the North from their citadel Winterfell.

but the Crown Prince, Raeghar took her and maliciously raped and murdered her (reasons I am not sure of), though he had a wife from House Dorn...Ned took up arms alongside Robert to bring

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In the north the Stark family is headed by

Eddard, or Ned Stark. His father and older brother had been burned alive by the Mad King, Aerys Targaryen. Ned’s sister was to have been wed to Lord Robert Baratheon, a childhood friend of Ned’s,

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Winter is Coming...for both the season and as a motto for hard and dangerous times to come.

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HOUSE STARK: WINTER IS COMING The House Stark were once Kings of the North, their sigil is a Direwolf (a giant wolf beast from our own history), and their words are: Winter is Coming. Since the time of the Targaryen and after Roberts Rebellion, the Starks have guarded and governed the vast

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were at one time one of the original Seven Kingdoms, before the Targaryens came to conquer and rule. They each have numerous Lesser Houses under their domain, known as Bannermen, sworn nobles to the land and lord.

George drew much from the medieval histories of Europe, particularly like that of England’s War of the Roses. For a fantasy realm it is heavy with medievalism: the weapons, speech, customs...like the Dark Ages it can be a very dark and precarious world.

Each of the Houses has a banner, a sigil and words, or a slogan that identifies them:

lifetime. The northern regions see and feel the cold and harsh bite of winter first, and the hardest. Life can be hard in such a world, but so much more harder in the north when years and years of dark and cold winter are upon them.

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nowhere to go, nowhere to belong to, and all too often are recruited in the dungeons of Houses across the Seven Kingdoms...The Wall and it’s Watch plays prominently throughout the story...it is even featured in the first 15 minutes of the first episode.

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thousands of years ago to protect the Seven Kingdoms from the Wild Men and other creatures and evils of legend. It was once a great honor to serve...but in recent The Wall is an area in the North ages it has fallen out of respect lands, and the Watch has long as the dangers it once guarded been supported by the Starks, the kingdom from have been all and there has always been a Stark but forgotten by time ad wars to serve in the Watch. The Wall between kings. Now the Watch is is a giant wall of solid ice, built greatly served by those who have

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Ned is married to Catelyn Stark, played by Michelle Fairley (an Irish actress who has been in a plethora of British television shows, and had taken over the role of Granger in the Harry Potter Deathly

Hollows movies). Catelyn, made marriage difficult a son, a bastard born child or Cat, was to have been for Catelyn though, was from infidelity, from when married to Ned’s older when Nd brought home he was off waging war. brother Brandon, but he had been burned alive with his father in the Mad King’s throne room.

Her father, Lord Tully of House Tully and Riverrun, married her to Ned Stark. It wasn’t a marriage of love, but an arrangement as often made in this world and in the past of our own. However, the two had grown to love each other and depend on one another, raising a family and keeping the North safe. The one thing that

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justice to the lands and for their Houses honor. Ned is played by actor Sean Bean, who has played opposite Nicolas Cage in the movie National Treasure, and known as Baromir, a Lord from Gondor who accompanied Frodo and Gandalf in the Fellowship of the Ring.

Jon Snow, played by Kit Harrington, is the illegitimate son of Ned, and scourge to Catelyn, as he is a constant reminder of Ned’s infideltiy. He has grown up with the rest of the Stark children: Robb (heir to Winterfell as the first born legitimate son, played by Richard Madden), Bran (played by Isaac Hempstead-Wright), little Rickon (unknown), and two daughters: Sansa who is promised to Robert’s son, Prince Jofferey (she is played

by Sophie Turner), and tomboy Arya (played by Maisie Williams).

Jon seems to have a pretty good upbringing, though Ned has had to be careful as to how he shows affection for a bastard born among his other kids and while in view of Catelyn. He also seems to have had a pretty good relationship with his siblings, a testament to the values of the Starks. Though born to a life of greater privilege than most other bastards, Jon has never felt where he will belong in the greater scheme of nobility, as he cannot have rightful claim to title and lands. He has decided to join the Night’s Watch and to go serve on the Wall with his uncle Benjen, Ned’s younger brother.

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respected man, but years of being haunted by the Robert (played by Mark death of his beloved, Addy) is the middle son, of war, and of the court he has an older brother intrigues of ruling Seven Stannis (who has yet to Kingdoms has made him make an appearance grow weary, indifferent, in the series, but plays fat, and a drunk. throughout the novels) who though is the rightful To help solidify he new heir of House Baratheon kingdom and maintain and Storm End, was peace, Robert took for his given title and lands of wife and Queen, Cersei Dragonstone, the home Lannister (played by of the Targaryen’s after Lena Heady: known from their defeat. Robert’s her role as Sara Connor younger brother Renly in Fox’s Terminator: the (Gethin Anthony) was Sara Connor Chronicles), made Lord of Storm’s daughter of Tywin End, and has also sat Lannister who is the on the King’s Council, patriarch of House helping to advice and Lannister, and had served govern his brother’s several Targaryen Kings. kingdom. Robert was Oddly enough, Cersei once a dashing and was to have been wed to Kingdoms for himself.

a Targaryen as her father had been the Hand, like a Prime Minister, to several Targaryen Kings. Their marriage was never very trustful or fulfilling, they lost their first child, but had three more; Robert had long been burdened with the loss of his true love and the hardships of keeping a kingdom at peace after years of war.

from the capital city far south from Winterfell for a month to ask Ned to be his new Hand of the King, even offering to marry his son, Prince Joffrey (played

by Jack Gleeson) to Ned’s eldest daughter Sansa, uniting their Houses.

We learn to that Catelyn Stark’s sister Lysa (played

by Kate Dickie), who had been married to Jon In the first few episodes Arryn, has sent a rave we learn that King with a note, warning the Roberts right hand man, Starks that she believes Jon Arryn has died, a Jon was murdered by man that he and Ned the Lannisters! Just in the had loved like a father. first two episodes there Robert realizes that is great mystery and without a real friend, intrigue unfolding... someone of power and character, he might loose HOUSE LANNISTER: the kingdom. He travels HEAR ME ROAR 121

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Lord of the era had even married a Targaryen Princess. Their sigil is a bucking Stag on yellow, or two powerful looking antlers. Their words: Our’s is the Fury, for they have long been noble rulers and defenders of their great lands about the region of Storm’s End. Now the House is the Royal House of all of Westeros, as Robert had led a rebellion against the Mad King Aerys Targaryen. Robert in shining armor, adorned with a helmet of buck antlers, and a mighty war hammer slew the Prince Raeghar who had killed his beloved, and had taken the Iron Throne and Crown of the Seven

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their dragon! Like others of the great Houses, the Baratheons were spared as they had given up their crown and kingdom to Aegon the Conqeuror. The

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House, but they were well respected and had long held their lands against all invaders and attempted conquerors, until the Targaryens came with

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House Baratheon has long ruled in the lands of Storm’s End on the eastern Coast of Westeros. They were never a very powerful or rich

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commonly known for House Lannister is one of their golden hair and air the most oldest, richest, of royalty. Their sigil is a feared, and powerful of golden lion on red (very families in all of Westeros. much like the royal sigil Their noble lineage is of Richard III and what

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you would think of for a royal standard and colors) and their words: Hear Me Roar. Common sayings throughout the Seven Kingdoms are, “Rich as a Lannister” (or not as...), and “a Lannister always pays their debt”. They are known for their power and riches...and treachery.

Prominent in the series thus far is that of the twin Jamie and Cersei. Cersei is the Queen, and Jaime is a skilled swordsman who 122

serves in the King’s Guard, an elite troop of knightly guards who serve and protect the King wherever he goes, and for whatever he needs. Jaime (played

by Nicolaj Waldau-Coster, from the cancelled Fox TV series New Amsterdam) is well known throughout the kingdoms for his dashing good looks, and is skill with a sword, having been the youngest ever to serve with the King’s Guard. As a King’s Guard

he has honor, respect, glory...as a Lannister he has wealth and power...but he also has a nickname...a bane: The Kingslayer.

Jaime served under the Mad King, but knowing that Robert and Ned had defeated Raeghar and were closing in on King’s Landing, he made a move to slay the Mad King as he got word that his father, who also served the King as his Hand, opened the

gates to Robert and Ned. Though he aided in the rebellion, a just cause to many, but not all, he also broke his vows and oaths to serve and protect the King at all cost. Because of his actions he is distrusted and cursed by some, even the new King and his own brother-in-law.

While the King is inWinterfell with his entourage we learn a dark and distasteful secret...

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empire of the past, Valyria, they came to Westeros the last of their kind to conquer a new HOUSE TARGARYEN: empire. They brought FIRE & BLOOD with them Valyrian Steel, more sharp and House Targaryen durable than any steel came from across the in the world. They left a Narrow Sea with mighty history of madness and Dragons to conquer dragons, and they left the Seven Kingdoms. two survivors to their For Hundreds of years legacy, the young Prince they ruled, some with and Princess: Viserys great admiration of their (played by Harry Lloyd) people, yet some of and Daenerys (played their Kings and Queens, by Emilia Clarke). They like the Mad King Aerys, were whisked away to were despots. They lost safety back across the their dragons, and they Narrow Sea to lands as eventually lost their great as, but not under kingdom and lives... the realm and domain Their sigil is a red three- of the Seven Kingdoms. headed dragon, and There Prince Viserys their words: Fire and grew up entitled and Blood. longing to raise an army to take back his father’s Heirs to a powerful throne. Little Daenerys

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of great intimidation.

Tywin is played by actor: Charles Dance.

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Lord Tywin was finally featured in the latest episode #8: You Win or You Die. He is a powerful man, a frightening man

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The twins have another sibling, Tyrion the Imp (played by Peter Dinklage: among other roles he was one of those bearded and horned got-like people in Narnia: Prince Caspian!). Tyrion was born a dwarf, and he not well loved by his father or his sister. His mother died giving birth to him, for which neither have ever forgiven him (as if it was really his fault).

Jamie however, has loved his “little” brother.

Tyrion is a wile and sharp-tongued fellow, a character you love to hate and hate to love.

He is always scheming and his character keeps you guessing episode to episode.

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and sister, are also lovers.

They are caught doing the deed by Ned’s young son Bran, and Jaime flings the poor boy to his death from high atop an open tower window!

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George R.R. Martin, is told by a rather unique method.

Each chapter is told by the character point-ofview, rather than a purely chronological and narrated A Song of Ice and order. His characters and Fire: From Novel to multiple and twisted plots, HBO are rich and REAL. Few are ever of really a truly good (insert image westeros.gif or evil disposition, rather here)The story of A Game they all have elements of of Thrones (Book I of the each, some leaning from series: A Song of Ice and time to time, to one or the Fire), as told by author other...as a whole, Westeros Robert and his council fears the return of a Targaryen with a Dothraki horde, man attempts on her life has been made.

is plagued by those who are laying a dangerous game of power plays and alliances. Queen Cersei says, “When you play the game of thrones, you when or you die,”. From book to book, and from episode to episode, you are introduced to new characters, new lands, and an ever expanding and intriguing world of court politics, the valor and concerns of knights and lords, and just

when you think something should come to an end or a resolution, the plots thicken and twist and new issues arise.

If you have read the books you are viewing a truly masterful literary work cometolife.Ihavenodoubts that one day the novels of George R.R. Martin will be taught alongside Homer, Shakespeare, Tolkien, Twain, and Hemingway. If 127

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her brothers thumb, abused and a pawn in his scheming to raise support and an army for his desire to take back the Iron Thrown from the

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Viserys is every bit his

father’s son, calling himself the Last Dragon, he thinks highly of himself, calls himself a King, but he has nothing.

Daenerys grew up under

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was just a baby and never knew her home, but has long desired to return.

Usurper Robert. Viserys marries his sister off to the chief of the most powerful Dothrakki Horde: Khal Drogo. The Dothrakki are like the Mongols, like Ghengis Kan and his Horde. They roam the lands and conquer and make war, but never stay in one place too long. They take offerings from cities and kingdoms to be spared the plundering and rape of their people by the Horse Lords. It was Visery’s ope that by marrying Daenerys to Khal that he would thousands of thousands of horse-warriors to reclaim his kingdom.

However, Khal had finally had enough of Viserys bickering and abuse towards his new queen, or Kaleesi to the Dothrakki. Viserys always whined about getting his crown, so Khal smelted some gold jewelry and poured it upon his head in the episode: A Golden Crow! When married, Daenerys was scared and uncertain...but she has grown to love and be accepted by her new people. However, she is under constant threat from beyond, as King

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to kill the time before the second season!

The entire first seaso is based on the events of the first book: A Game of Thrones, ad it is said that subsequent series

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and exciting. I would definitely recommend reading the 2nd book: A Storm of Swords, before the new season, you would be amazed, and it’s not a bad way

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directors, and actors there ever was. They have done a damn good job of bringing Martin’s world to life, closely following the book, but too in ways new

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you are venturing into the world of Westeros for the first time via HBO, you are drawn into a fantastic world by some of the most talented producers, writers

Eight episodes have aired as of my writing this...eight fantastic shows that for me, have brought my favorite book to life. Ned has gone to King’s Landing to serve Robert as his Hand after the death of Jon Arryn. It is learned that Cersei and Jamie killed Jon, for he had gotten too close to the truth: that Jamie and Cersei were not just lovers, but the King’s children were not even his, they were bastards born of incest.

Ned is an honorable man, but he is in a world of great dishonor. He learns the truth and threatens the Queen with it, but before being able to divulge the truth to Robert, Robert is fatally wounded by a boar while on a hunt, and wil follow the same lines, dies. Ned is named the though books 2 and 3 (A Protector of the Realm, Storm of Swords and A but Cersei makes a play Clash of Kings) are so hefty for power, placing her son and involved, HBO has Joffrey on the Throne and hinted that they may break proclaiming King, son and these novels into multiple Heir of Robert.

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The Story So Far:

kingdoms and his family.

In the North Bran awakes He has taken his vows, from his fall, but has no which means the loyalties memory of seeing the of family and politics are to Queen and her brother. He be forgotten, as he is about is broken, he cannot walk. to discover ancient and far Robb has taken charge as greater threats beyond the Lord of Winterfell, as he is Wall, than that of the court the first born son, while politics and threats of wars his mother, Catelyn has between Houses. gone off to warn Ned and to find some justice for the Across the Narrow Sea atrocities committed by Daenerys has been given the Lannisters. When Ned 3 petrified Dragon eggs ad left an assassin tried to that seem to “call” to her, kill Bran and Catelyn, it is as her brother meets his assumed this was by Cersei demise, as she comes into and Jamie, the dagger her own as a queen of the used is divulged to have horse lords. Her husband, been owned by Tyrion, so the powerful chief Khal Cat apprehends him and Drogo, vows to take is takes him to the Eryie of horde to Westeros to crush the Vale, her sisters lands, the Seven Kingdoms and to stand trial. The Wiley take the Iron Throne for his and Cunning Imp thwarts son and wife, as Daenerys death and the charges, but is pregnant, the very thing his having been captured Robert and his Council sends ripples across the have long feared...

Kingdoms.

In the next issues I will Jamie had confronted be covering the previous Ned about the capturing months’episodes, as well as of his brother, in the fight other Houses, characters, Ned was seriously injured and story elements like the and his men killed. The Greyjoys, the Tullys, and the attack on his father and Arryns, and other groups House honor leaves young like the Night’s Watch and Robb wanting justice as the Maesters! And in July the Lord of Winterfell, comes the long awaited while the young Snow is and anticipated 5th novel, on the Wall and oblivious continuing the series with: to the goings on of the A Dance With Dragons!

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episodes, and some events and characters may be cut and/or merged into a singular to make room and for the continuity of the series storyline, versus that of the novels as a whole.

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Hi Everyone,

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I'm looking for some suggestions to what to write about for the July issue and future issues.

What do you want to see, know about, want to read? My 7th wedding anniversary is July 4th which is Independence day here. I will talk more about that in the July issue. But, I am open to any and all suggestions.

Please comment on my blog and let me know.

Looks like I will end here. I hope you enjoyed this issue and I look forward to any feedback on my blog.

If you are looking for a long letter penpaller or someone who likes to swap kawaii then message me on facebook.

Until next time, Love Always, Samantha Stroy www.facebook.com/ angelbaby916 w w w. t w i t t e r. c o m / xoxoxowithlove i t s a p e n p a l wo r l d @ gmail.com http://itsapenpalworld. blogspot.com http://beeskneesreviews. blogspot.com

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kawaii style with a friend of mine (Hi, Cecelia), and I am excited about it. We are going to add day by day entries and quotes, kawaii stickers and artwork and stuff like that.

Recently, I have gotten into book reviews. In fact I share a blog with Stephanie (http:// b e a u t y b r i t e b l o g. blogspot.com) called Bee's Knee's Review's (http:// beeskneesreviews. blogspot.com).

We receive free books from authors that are looking for exposure and recognition. I am excited to be a part of something so interesting.

Lately, my inspiration

writing is likable by others. I guess I criticize myself too much. So, please let me know by leaving a comment.

When I started penpalling at age 15, everyone seemed so much older then me!

Now, I feel I'm the older one. lol. If anyone wants some excess fb's, label bags, deco's, sticker bags, etc I have plenty and have no problem sending them to whomever. Just drop me an email. All my info is at the bottom of this column. What is the most thing you look for when searching for a penpal? How do you let someone know you can't be penpals with them because after a few letters it doesn't work out?

Recently, my oldest daughter was in her school talent show and her and 7 other girls danced to Hannah Montana's "HoeDown Throwdown" it was cute and she received an award for it. My middle child turned 5 years old and starts kindergarten this August. She's excited.

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Welcome to the June issue of Samantha's Thought's.

Today is a honorable holiday in the USA called Memorial Day (May 30th).

I chose to pick this day to write my column because I feel like I need to honor and respect those in my family that have fought in the military and honored my family.

My grandfather on my dad's side was a respectful marine. He passed away when I was 2 years old but I do remember how he smelled. Like peppermint and cigars. At times I smell out of the blue. My Uncle Tommy was in the Navy and was drafted when he was 18. My mom was 8 at the time but he wrote her letters that she still has.

Also, my nanna has letters from all three of her sons that fought in the military as well. It's amazing to be able to read those letters from before I was born.

More than half of my family has been in the military and I am proud they fought for my and other's freedom today.

I am doing another journal letter project

has been a big negative b u t that's all about to change.

D o e s that ever happen to you?

W h a t time of day or night is best for you to write?

Me, I’m better writing at night when the house is quiet, listening to music, a few candles lit and fresh air. Although, if it is a nice day I will be on my back porch writing or reading when it's nice and sunny.

I need a favor from all my viewers, can you please visit my blog and follow it or leave a comment about my column. If you like it, or not or if anything needs to be worked on more. ( http://itsapenpalworld. blogspot.com ) I would appreciate it. I just want to know who reads and likes my column or who doesn't. It is important to me to see if my

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WORLD TRAVEL: WORLD HERITAGE

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In this series I intend to (briefly) visit each area of the UK working from North to South. If popular I World Heritage (UNESCO) sites play an will continue with other countries and work our important part in not only historical and way around the world. Even if you don’t collect postcards, to travel the countries from the geographical senses, but also for postcard comfort of your own home without the need for traders it’s a ‘niche’ which a lot of us try to get passports or the high cost of travel tickets will at least one postcard from each place. be interesting I’m sure....

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And so, part 3 of the UNESCO series continues Durham Cathedral and Castle, World Heritage Site Durham Cathedral and

Durham Castle were inscribed by UNESCO as one of the first of the British World Heritage Sites in 1986. Durham Cathedral was built in the late 11th and early 12th centuries to house the

relics of St Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede. It is the finest example of Norman architecture in England. Behind the cathedral stands the castle, an ancient Norman fortress which

was the residence of the prince-bishops of Durham.

The boundary of the World Heritage Site at Durham surrounds the Castle, the Cathedral, The 133

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By Paula Milburn

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Fountains Abbey, North Yorkshire The Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden in North Yorkshire, England, are now a World Heritage Site and a Grade I listed building, owned by the NationalTrust.

Fountains Abbey was a Cistercian monastery, founded in A.D. 1132.The abbey ceased to function after the Dissolution of the Monasteries Studley Royal & in 1539. After the

continued to develop the castle and after it ceased to be a fortress in the 17th century more lavish accommodation was provided, and the redundant fortifications transformed into gardens and terraced walks. In the 1830s the bishops left the castle which then became home of the newly established University of Durham.

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the great religious men.

St Cuthbert, one of the early missionary saints, and the Venerable Bede, eminent scholar and first real historian of the English people.

Durham Castle was built by the Normans to replace the motte and bailey fortifications that guarded peninsula.

Originally intended as a border fortress, it developed into the palace of the Bishops of Durham.

The medieval bishops

of the Earl de Grey and the first Marquis of Ripon. In 1966 the estate was sold to the County Council and in 1983 the ownership of the estate passed in perpetuity to the National Trust.

English Heritage carry out conservation work on the Abbey and Monastic Mill.

John Aislabie inherited the Studley estate in 1693. A politically ambitious man, he first became the Tory Member of Parliament for Ripon in 1695 and in 1718 became Chancellor of the Exchequer. In 1720 Aislabie was a principal sponsor of the South Sea Company scheme, the bill in Parliament was promoted by him personally. After this collapsed (the South Sea Bubble), he was expelled from Parliament and disqualified for life from public office.

Aislabie returned to Yorkshire and created the gardens.

After his death in 1742, his son William extended his scheme by purchasing the

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College and Prebends Bridge.

Durham Cathedral and Castle stand together on a plateau surrounded on three sides by the River Wear. They represent Norman power plus the spiritual powers of the Prince Bishops, who for centuries were amongst the most powerful men of northern England.

Durham Cathedral was built between 1093 and 1133 It was the first major English Church to be entirely stone vaulted and to use ribbed vaulting. The cathedral is the burial place of two of North’s

Dissolution, there was a hope that the Abbey might become the cathedral for a new Dales bishopric. This did not happen, and by 1540 glass and lead from the dismantling of Fountains had found their way to Ripon and York. The Abbey buildings and 500 acres of land were sold on October 1, 1540bytheCrownto Sir Richard Gresham, a London merchant.

The property passed through several generations of Sir Richard’s family, before being sold to Stephen Proctor who built Fountains Hall probably between 1598 and 1604 Then the abbey passed through several hands until it came into the possession of the Messengerfamily.In1767 it was sold for £18,000 to William Aislabie, who landscaped the abbey ruinsasapicturesquefolly to be viewed from the Water Garden. Further excavations took place under the ownerships

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Colen Campbell. His gardener William Fisher an estate employee, and the garden works were carried out by local labour under the direction of local man John Simpson, who was later

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Fountains Abbey A Cistercian foundation built in 1132. a small group of monks broke away from the Benedictine abbey of St Mary’s in York to follow a stricter rule. After three years of difficulties, the small monastic community at Fountains were helped by

architectural feature of Fountains Abbey is the additional transept built at the eastern end of the presbytery, called the Chapel of Nine Altars, is found with only one other in England, Durham Cathedral.

A vaulted cellarium over 300 ft long along the west side survives almost completely.

Water Garden TheWater Garden, with its formal, geometric design and its wonderful vistas, was inspired by the work of French landscape gardeners.

However the only professional advice John Aislabie received was from the Palladian architect,

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remains of the Abbey.

Between them, the two created what is arguably England’s most important 18th century Water Garden.

the arrival of Hugh, the exDean of York (Hugh), who provided the money to build the large abbey.

The original construction, would have been austere and fairly simple. A continual re-building programme over the next 400yearsaddedelaborate architecture to the basic monastic complex. The monastery was dissolved in 1539.

Happily on account of its remote location in the valley of the River Skell, the ruins have survived.

Fountains Abbey church survives to almost full height, including the 170 foot tower built c.1500, above the north transept. An unusual

Fountains Hall Fountains Hall was built by Stephen Proctor between 1598 and 1604, partly with stone from the Abbey ruins, and has been attributed to the influence of the Elizabethan architect Robert Smythson. Once sold to William Aislabie (who then owned the neighbouring Studley Royal Estate) 150 years later, the Hall became redundant since the entire estate of Fountains and Studley was administered from Studley Royal House i n

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succeeded in 1728 by the master mason Robert Doe from London.

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The Deer Park The Park is the oldest feature of the Studley estate and was already well established when John Aislabie came into his inheritance. The 360 acre park is still grazed today by 500 Red, Sika and Fallow deer. Studley Royal Deer Park has had many uses since

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Temple of Piety The Temple of Piety,

St Mary’s Church The Anglican church was by the architect William Burges. It was built for the first Marquis of Ripon, and has a highly decorated interior characteristic of the Victorian period.

The Marquis, who had succeeded to the estate in 1859, was a successful politician and Viceroy of India in 1880-1884.

A deeply religious man, Temple of Fame Further along is the he disliked Renaissance TempleofFame,arotunda architecture. St Mary’s built around 1770. At Church is owned by the end of the High Ride English Heritage and is Anne Boleyn’s Seat managed by The where there was a statue National Trust.

medieval times. There are traces of Middle Age settlements and the remains of the icehouses that were built for Studley Royal House.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Marquess of Ripon created a golf-course which the Harry Vardon played on when he lived on the edge of the estate. The park was also used during the Second World War - the grassland was turned over to food production and the main avenue was a major assembly point for troops on their way south for the Normandy landings in 1944.

Now a National Trust property, Fountains Abbey is maintained

by English Heritage, while being owned by the National Trust. The Abbey is immediately adjacent to another National Trust property, Studley Royal Water Garden, with which it is jointly marketed.

The Trust also owns Fountains Hall, to which there is partial public access.

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During the SecondWorld on the Hall since then.

War, the Hall and other Fountains Hall is a Grade buildings on the estate I listed building. were used to house evacuees, including pupils of Queen Ethelburga’s School near York. After the war, the Hall again fell into a state of dilapidation.

The National Trust acquired the Fountains Estate from North Yorkshire County Council in 1983 and has been undertaking restoration work

The Moon Pond, The Moon Pond with its crescent basins, houses three lead statues Bacchus, Galen and Neptune. Other features of the Garden include the Serpentine Tunnel, the Rustic Bridge, Grotto, Half Moon Pond, cascades, canal, Fishing Tabernacles, Drum Fall and the Seven Bridges Valley in the Deer Park.

Studley Royal House The Deer Park once enclosed Studley Royal House, but Studley Royal House was largely destroyed by fire in December 1716 and had to be almost entirely rebuilt. This replacement building, was, in turn, extensively damaged by fire in 1946 and was demolished soon afterwards. Only the large stable block, built between 17281732, has survived, and is now a private house.

The Studley Royal Estate was a separate estate from Fountains Abbey until 1767. William Aislabie purchased the Abbey ruins in 1767 and landscaped the Seven Bridges Valley and Abbey grounds.

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the Deer Park (this was burnt to the ground in 1946). Fountains Hall was leased to various tenants and at one time parts of it were used for farm storage.

It was not until 192831 that the Hall was repaired. The Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth) often stayed there as guests of the Vyner family, who then owned Studley Royal.

Octagon Tower The High Ride on the east side of the valley gives magnificent views of the Water Garden. The Octagon Tower was built in 1738. Nearby are the reconstructed remains of Aislabie’s Kitchen, a romantic spot thought to be where food and drink was prepared for consumption by guests at the OctagonTower.

of Henry VIII’s queen. The statue still exists, although not currently on display to the public.

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probably started in 1729-30 as a dedication to Hercules, is a perfect example of neoClassicism and was later re-designed as a symbol of filial piety by William Aislabie soon after his father’s death in 1742.

The Banqueting House A deliberately rustic building probably designed by Colen Campbell, was originally envisaged as an orangery, but later embellished and fitted out for the purposes its name suggests.

CELEBERTY BIRTHDAY TWINS: developer) 15th June 1921 – Erroll Garner (Jazz pianist) 16th June 1987 – Diana DeGarmo (Singer) May is a month filled with amazing people. Take 17th June 1898 – M.C. Escher (Artist) a look at the list below to see who shares your 18th June 1942 – Paul McCartney (Beatles birthday. If you’d like to see who else shares your singer/bassist) 19th June 1947 – Salman Rushdie (Author) birthday, go to: www.famousbirthdays.com 20th June 1967 – Nicole Kidman (Actress) Have a very Happy May Birthday!

21st June 1982 – Prince William (Heir to the British throne) 1st June 1937 – Morgan Freeman (Actor) 22nd June 1964 – Dan Brown (Author) 2nd June 1955 – Dana Carvey (Comedian) 23rd June 1400 – Johannes Gutenberg 3rd June 1986 – Rafael Nadal (Tennis player) (Invented the first moveable type printing 4th June 1975 – Angelina Jolie (Actress) press) 5th June 1979 – Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy bassist) 24th June 1947 – Mick Fleetwood (Founder of 6th June 1875 – Thomas Mann (Author) Fleetwood Mac) 7th June 1958 – Prince (Musician) 25th June 1987 – Scott Terra (Actor) 8th June 1867 – Frank Lloyd Wight (Architect) 26th June 1974 – Derek Jeter (New York Yankees 9th June 1915 – Les Paul (Guitarist) short stop) 10th June 2001 – Sasha Obama (Youngest 27th June 1880 – Helen Keller (Deaf-blind girl daughter of Barack Obama) saved by Annie Sullivan) 11th June 1959 – Hugh Laurie (Actor) 12th June 1929 – Anne Frank (Jewish teen behind 28th June 1966 – John Cussack (Actor) 29th June 1947 – Richard Lewis (Stand up Anne Frank’s Diaries) comedian) 13th June 1865 – William Butler Yeats (Irish poet) 30th June 1985 – Michael Phelps (Swimmer) 14th June 1946 – Donald Trump (Real estate

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JUNE BIRTHDAY TWINS

By Rach Gee

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Birthday Twins

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Birthday Twins! What’s more cool than finding someone who shares the same birthday date with you? No matter how far away you live from one another an instant connection is made. On one and the same day, you party together to celebrate Your own Special Day! The Team of Sandbook.Net would like to say a very Happy Birthday to: 2nd June, 1988, Kylie from Finland 2nd June 1973, Jennifer Sheremetta from USA 140 140

4th June, Jassz Storms from AK USA 5th June,1968 Diana from USA 9th June 1975, Andrea Hogeweij from Germany 10th June, 1988, Lindsay Wilson from UK 10th June 1982, Ingrid Uanschou from Austria 14th June 1988, Silvia from Germany 16th June 1976, Cristy from Niagara Falls, NY, USA 20th June 1986, Marjolein Paping-Stoelinga, The Netherlands 20th June 1987, Nopi Vasileiadou from Greece 21th June 1990, Ugne from Lithuania

22nd June 1941, Sally Harris from Canada 24th June 1980, Toyah Coolican from UK 30th June 1990, Vendula from Czech Republic, May you all have a wonderful day!

To join our birthday twin section, send us your birthday, name, country and email to our email: fun@sandbook.net To contact any of our Birthday Twins, log onto our website and look at the Birthday Twin Section.

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Samantha’s thoughts July 4th Penpals & Swappers Ads World Heritage UNESCO - part 4

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