Corbière Lighthouse, Jersey

Believe it or not, the cards I shall post here today have been in my draft section since last July... I mean, maybe I could have waited until it reached the one year anniversary after all, as one of my greatest blogging 'achievements'...

How I ended up in that situation I'm not quite sure... but well, as you can see, haven't been the most regular blogger in the first place, so it shouldn't come as a surprise.

But lets cut the rant, now that these cards have finally deserved to see the light of the day... and for today the subject of postcards is Lighthouses! One of my all time favourite topics... and the favourite topic of many people out there :)

First is the Corbière Lighthouse from Jersey, which I ended up receiving twice... once as a swap with Martin and once as a surprise from Janek :)
It is located at the extreme south-western point of Jersey in St. Brélade. The name means "a place where crows gather" even though seagulls have long since displaced the crows from their coastal nesting sites.

The rocks and extreme tidal variation around this stretch of Jersey's coast have been treacherous for navigation and La Corbière has been the scene of many shipwrecks, including that of the mail packet "Express" on 20 September 1859.

As I said, I have received this card twice, and both came with lovely stamps.
The stamp above on the right is from a set of four Christmas stamps issued in 1999 (never would have guessed this was a Christmas stamp unless written on it). The one of the left is from a set of 6 transport stamps issued in 1998, with this one showing the Morris Bus.

Regarding the other two stamps - the one on the left is from a set of 8 Wild Flowers stamps issued in 2005, showing the lesser knapweed (Centaurea nigra). The other one is from 2007 from another set of Wild Flowers stamps, showing the Shrubby St. John's Wort (Hypericum androsaemum).

Cape Byron Lighthouse, Australia

So, one more card for today, this one from down under, sent by Heather.

This is the Cape Byron Lighthouse veiled in some early morning mist. It is an active lighthouse located at Cape Byron in New South Wales and is Australia's most powerful lighthouse, with a light intensity of 2,200,000 cd. Cape Byron is the easternmost point of the mainland of Australia.

And more lovely stamps with this card as well!! Two adorable WWF stamps from a set of 4 issued in 2011. This set is an Australian Territories Joint issue (so one of the stamps is from the AAT).
The other two stamps are actually issued by the Cocos Island. They are from a set of 20  Marine Life stamps issued in 2011. So beautiful!

So guys, enjoy the weekend ahead! And thank you fro dropping by :)

Korkyra Lighthouse, Croatia

It took me a while to figure out which lighthouse this is since the card bears absolutely no information - and after some extensive googling, seems like I have nailed it! I didn't dare bother Agi during the festival for such a trivial question :D

This is the Korkyra lighthouse (a very cool and for me, unusual name for something located in Croatia) built in 1871 on the island Vela Sestrica in south part of Pelješac channel.
As you can see, from the card, there are rooms as well which indeed you can rent, for around 460 euros per person per night, and in return you should get some peace and quiet - yeah, tranquility does come at a certain price unfortunately...

the stamp is from a set of 4 featuring castles in Croatia - this one shows the Mailáth castle in Donji Miholjac, considered one of the most well preserved castles in Croatia.

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Hello guys! I hope the summer weather is treating you well. Here it is already getting scorching hot during the day and I am wondering how am I gonna get through yet another unbearably hot summer (well I always do but the struggle is real :D )

So kinda appropriately, lets start with a card from a country where it is simply hot throughout the year.

Sent by Glenn from one of his cruises in 2011, from Santo Domingo, the country's capital and one of its UNESCO whs.

The city is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas, and was the first seat of the Spanish colonial rule in the New World. Santo Domingo is the site of the first university, cathedral, castle, monastery, and fortress in the New World.

the stamp on the left may remind you of a slice of pizza at first glance... but it isn't :) It is a City Friendship stamp from a set of two, issued in 2009. The other one, is from 1999 from a set of two New Millennium stamps.

Thank you Glenn!

Kolka, Latvia

A surprise card from dear Liza, showing the Kolka Lighthouse in Latvia.

The Kolka lighthouse is on an artificial island which was created between 1872 and 1875. The original lighthouse was made of wood, and its light was first lit in June 1875. As the island settled into the sea, the current tower was built. It began operations on July 1, 1884. It has been automated since 1979.
It is said that the Cape of Kolka on the Baltic Sea is the most dangerous place for navigation, near the Latvian coast.

And this card comes with a lighthouse stamp too, showing the Akmenrags Lighthouse, issued in 2008.

Hvala ti puno Liza!!

Cats

And for the end of today, I left these four super cool cat cards sent by Bryon, cos I don't know if you know, but for a while now, a new adorable cat has been part of our family... again. And life just makes more sense.. again.

Cos what else could you do when you see this little terrified kitten in your backyard, abandoned by its mother, yet, she protects and feeds the rest of the three kittens from the litter. It gets you both angry and overprotective, and that's how yet another story had started and the Little Bullet took a special place in my heart in an instant (She is not so little anymore. In fact, quite big and heavy for a cat that hasn't even celebrated its first birthday, but that's what makes her more adorable too)

several months later:

I think it is obvious she has been well fed :D

This cat story has an additional recent kitten story, but about that, in a future cat-post :)

Now back to the cards - all these are from a set of illustrations titled Kliban's Cats

B. ‘Hap’ Kliban was born on January 1, 1935, in Norwalk, Connecticut. He began painting and drawing while he was in elementary school. As a teenager, he joked about wanting to join the Air Force to strafe civilians, something that epitomized the bizarre sense of humor that later characterized his cartoons and drawings

Three stamps from the set of 20 issued in 2001, representing American Illustrators. Here featured are: Robert Fawcett. N.C. Wyeth, and Edwin Austin Abbey.

In 1962, Kliban became a Playboy cartoonist, contributing cartoons until his death. He is best known for the book Cat, a collection of cartoons about cats drawn in Kliban's distinctive style. The cat cartoons were discovered by Playboy editor Michelle Urry and the 1975 book Cat was born. This led to several other books of cartoons ending with Advanced Cartooning in 1993.

Along with the Navajo Jewelry. some dinasourish stamps too coming from The World of Dinasours sheetlet issued in 1997. Shown here are Edmontonia, Camptosaurus and Corythosaurus.

Judith Kamman Kliban trained in fine arts where her main interests were landscape painting and photography.  In 1975, she moved west to San Francisco where she radically changed her lifestyle, and continued to pursue her ambitions as an artist and designer. Living in San Francisco she worked as an advertising agency art director and as a freelance designer. She also continued her painting and photography.
During the crazy mid 1970's, Judith met artist and cartoonist B. Kliban and began a deep and lasting friendship. They later married and enjoyed a wonderful creative and spiritual alliance. While Hap continued to create and publish other humor books and Playboy Cartoons, Judith ran the business and became the Art Director/ Designer and facilitator of all B. Kliban®Cats Licensing and Design.

The very well-known Tiffany Lamp and George Washington stamp, side by side with two Christmas stamps from 2004.

The husband and wife team ran the business as a "cottage industry," preferring to keep things simple, under control, and small.
Since B. Kliban's untimely death in 1990, Judith has continued to expand and strengthen B. Kliban®Cats. The positive changes have promoted growth and added more polish to the classic license, Cat. Judith works on creation of new Kliban concepts and calls upon the huge residual of work from B. Kliban's prolific artistic life. As a designer, Judith's wide experience in design and with Cat enables her, in a way, to continue even today her collaboration with her husband.

and more prehistoric animals on stamps here, these coming from 1989, featuring the Tyrannosaurus, the Pteranodon, the Stegosaurus, and the Brontosaurus - Correct name is Apatosaurus.

Big thank you to Bryon for these beauties, and to all of you as well for dropping by.

Be sure to drop by soon for another fairy-day post. Who is it gonna be this time? Well, you have to wait and see :)

Now I am off into some big shadow... like the basement maybe.

Nutmeg, Grenada

So if something may be concluded here is that I am incapable of even making a post a month... and beats me why. Believe it or not, these cards have been hibernating in the draft section since the end of April...what happened between the 'I will do an update today' and 'The update is being done' I cannot tell... only that time simply flew too fast... as usual. If I could have at least squeezed this in last night, I would have counted one for May, but no, just when you are compelled to do it, something or someone has to interfere with your plans, and there you go, welcoming June, which already feels too hot and makes me dreadfully anticipate July and August, temperature-wise.


Anyways, less chitchatting and more productivity ain't hurt, no? So let's see what do we have for today...
And today would be what may be called, Glenn's day, since all the cards featured today have been sent from Glenn throughout the years (being that he had just returned from another super cool cruise, I really need to catch up with his cards here :)))

The first card comes from Grenada, showing a nutmeg or Grenada's Black Gold, considered one of the main export spices used to make preservatives, medicine, seasonings, jams and drinks.
I have to say I rarely use nutmeg when cooking (said the one who rarely cooks in the first place), but it does have this kind of specific taste and smell so I  just never feel confident enough to experiment with it, even though I do like experimenting with food, during those rare times you may find me in the kitchen :D)

A while ago I watched this video about cashew processing (talking about manual labour here), and boy is that one tough job to do! I absolutely love love love cashews, but it never would have occurred to me that the process may be so tedious. So i just was curious to see if there is something similar about nutmegs- well, they don't come even close to the cashew, but here we go:

so as you can see, this card was sent... long ago. Shows just how much up-to-date I am with posting my cards, but as they say, better late than never.
The stamp is from a set of 8 butterfly stamps issued in 2006, with this one showing the Cream-spotted Tigerwing (Tithorea tarricina pinthias)

León Cathedral, Nicaragua

Hello Hello! Time for another post...which should've happened earlier but you know me and my laziness sometimes....and how this heat affects me in becoming the most-unproductive human being.
Well, after so much hoping for rain and drop of temperatures, we finally had some last night...but you know what they say, be careful what you wish for, since last night's thunderstorm was like one of the scariest I have ever witnessed...not cos of its strength,  but its length...it just went on and on and on....it felt like being part of some horror movie, something so surreal, that it is hard to explain (at least here we are not used to storms of that kind with 20 dead, a number of people missing, and injured, and the amount of material damage is out of the line). Well, I just hope that the storms forecast for the upcoming days won't be as the one last night....here is just a small glimpse of the actual situation last night...

So anyways, lets get down to some cards... I'm sure you are here for that, not for my whining and complaining :)

And the first one for today comes from Sissel and her trip to Nicaragua back in 2011...

The card shows the León Cathedral, also known as the "Real and Renowned Basilica Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (ok, is there a point in giving such complex names??!), which was awarded World Heritage Site status with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The site's nomination is Nicaragua's third cultural landmark, following the ruins of León Viejo and El Güegüense .

The Cathedral's construction lasted between 1747 and 1814 and was consecrated by Pope Pius IX in 1860. Cathedral has maintained the status of being the largest cathedral in Central America and one of the best known in the Americas due to its distinct architecture and special cultural importance.

And a set of lovely butterflies' stamps, which actually have been cancelled, but that cancellation somewhat got smudged.
In the year of 2000, Nicaragua had issued a few sets of butterfly stamps and these come from one of those (the set has six in total, and I have the mini sheet in mint condition, thanks again to Sissel of course :D)

These three here show the, from left to right, Actinote thalia anteas, the Doxocopa laurentia cherubina, and the Napeopgenes tolosa mombachoensis - well, names meaningful to people like lepidopterists for example :)

Thank you Sissel for the great card and lovely stamps!!

Go Green, USA

This last card for today is something I should have actually planted but never really had the heart to ruin it along with the stamps, so it has remained as a nice souvenir :)

This card is part of the Go Green campaign by the USPS, and it says: Small steps can make a big difference for our environment. Be a part of the change. Go green.

Don't throw this note away. Plant and watch it grow! (well I never had the intention of throwing it away, but as you can see, I didn't listen to that other part of the advice either).

 Step 1: Prepare a pot of soil or small patch of garden.
 Step 2: Place card on top and cover with a 1/4" fine layer of soil.
 Step 3: Water daily and allow sunlight.

The card came with three of the Go Green stamps (there were totally 16 in the set), where each one gives you some recommendation of how to Go Green.
Do you practice any Go Green  activities in your every day life? I hope so! :)

I hope Bryon will forgive me I never planted nor smoked this one :D

Hope summer is treating you well guys! Until next time...

Devils Tower National Monument, USA

Next we are moving onto a card where again I feel as if an apostrophe is missing in the name....hahaha, I don't know, maybe this heat has really started messing with my reasoning :D

This one comes from the Bryon fairy and it shows the Devils Tower, which is one of the most unique formations in the world. It is an laccolithic butte composed of igneous rock in the Bear Lodge Mountains
It rises dramatically 1,267 feet (386 m) above the Belle Fourche River, standing 867 feet from summit to base. Devils Tower was the first declared United States National Monument, established on September 24, 1906, by President Theodore Roosevelt. The Monument's boundary encloses an area of 545 ha.

and as you have realized so far, Bryon never fails on stamps and for this particular occasion he has even found a perfectly matching one! yep, that's right! That violetish stamp on the very left shows the Devils Tower National Monument and it was issued in 1956. Then we have a sort of a matching stamp  - it may not be showing the Tower but it shows a Wyoming scenery, the Teton Mountains in particular, and it was issued in 1990 for the 100th anniversary of the Wyoming statehood. The remaining block of 4 stamps comes from a Wildlife Booklet Issue which consists of 10 stamps and was issued in 1981 - here you can see, in order of appearance, the Zalophus californianus or The California sea lion, the Bison bison or The American bison, the Ursus arctos or The brown bear and the Ursus maritimus or The polar bear.


Thank you Bryon! :))))

Kiruna, Sweden

Next we will pay a short visit to the northernmost town in Sweden and that is Kiruna.

I guess that due to the lack of snow, the picture here was taken sometime during the summer period.
Due to its position north of the Arctic Circle the city experiences both midnight sun and polar night throughout the year as well as a very cold climate by Scandinavian standards.

I wish there was something by Scandinavian standards regarding OUR weather right now...

two nice stamps - the long one on the right was issued in 2010 - it comes fro a set of 5 stamps representing Swedish castles and if my shortsightedness hasn't deceived me, then here you can see the Vadstena castle. The windmill stamp was issued in 2011, representing renewable energy.

Thanks a bunch to my Sissel fairy for this one :)

Singapore

One more for today - yeah, sorry, I feel a bit rusty when it comes to this :)

As today's post has started with a card from Jean Pierre, let's end it that way - though this one was sent back in 2011 :)))
It shows some colourful houses and buildings in Singapore, in particular the Chinatown, the Arab Street, and the Trishaw Riders. Hm, everything gets down to China somehow, don't you think?

some nice colourful stamps here - first is a flower stamp from a set of two, issued in 2010 (it shows the Dillenia suffruticosa or the Simpoh Ayer). The middle stamp is from a set of 4 issued in 2008, showing Cash Crops of Early Singapore. The last one was issued in 2011 in a set of 5 stamps showing the spices of Singapore - this one shows the Tamarindus indica or also known as Tamarind.

So that would be all for today folks!

Thank you Jean-Pierre! (take 2)

And thank you everyone for (hopefully) still dropping by! Enjoy your summer days, hopefully not as unbearably hot as here :)

Abu Dhabi, UAE

A surprise card from Jean Pierre

The card shows the Roundabout Monument in Abu Dhabi but I have no idea what's the whole deal about it and what's its actual significance (reminds me a lot of Skopje when it comes to useless and insignificant sculptures and monuments...)

the two stamps are from a stamp sheet issued in 2011 consisting of 6 stamps in total and commemorating the 31st Session of the GDD Supreme Council.

Thank you Jean-Pierre!!

San Marino

Here comes another *hello*! Yeah, I know this one may seem like too soon after the previous post, but this blog as you know serves as a great way to keep my mind off things and well I don't really have much else to do anyway...plus if you remember the China-talk, it would be nice to post more cards while I still can cos if that China thing does get realized in reality, I highly doubt I will have much time for posting cards...if any....

I'll start today with two cards from San Marino...I don't really have many cards from there but it seems to me that more or less most of them share the same views...at least these two...

The one above was sent by Rita from her visit there in 2012, where on the big picture you can see the Fortress of Guaita as part of the three peaks which overlook the city of San Marino.

what amazes me about these two cards today are the stamps....I don't think Ive seen so beautiful San Marino stamps on a card before.
First we have a whole set of 3 stamps issued in 1967, for the 300th Anniversary of the Death of Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (an Italian Baroque painter and draftsman).
Next to it is a fantastic, absolutely fantastic stamp from a set of 2 stamps issued in 1983 for the San Marino Grand Prix. The last stamp is from a set of four stamps issued in 1988, commemorating the 900th Anniversary of the University of Bolognia.

On this second card you can also see the Towers...well, all three of them, Guaita, Cesta and Montale.
This second card came as a surprise from Tolya from Russia

the stamps on the second card are from 1997 from an issue named 'cities', where they supposedly show how some cities have changed over the years. These two stamps show how Hong Kong has changed from 1897 to 1997.

It is funny how all of these are rather older stamps actually...

Wat Saket, Thailand

This card arrived as an official few years ago

TH-82554

The card shows the Golden Mountain (or Phu Khao Thong), one of the Buddhist temples in Bangkok. 

The Wat Saket is a low hill crowned with a gleaming gold chedi. Within, the 58-metre chedi houses a Buddha relic and welcomes worshippers all year round. The temple also hosts an annual temple fair in November, which lasts a week during Loy Krathong.
The temple is now a popular Bangkok tourist attraction and has become one of the symbols of the city.

the stamp is a definitive from 2007, showing Hat Pattaya.

Doha, Qatar

Hello fellow bloggers, readers and those who have accidentally stumbled upon here. Time for a new update :)

And today's update starts with this card that Jean Pierre sent me some years ago from Qatar's capital.
On this card you can see the dallah monument on the Corniche in Doha.
A Dallah is a traditional Arabic coffee pot used for centuries to brew and serve Qawha (gahwa), an Arabic coffee or Gulf coffee made through a multi-step ritual, and Khaleeji, a spicy, bitter coffee traditionally served during feasts like Eid ul-Fitr.
The Dallah has a distinctive form, featuring a bulbous body that tapers to a "waistline" in the middle and flares out at the top, covered by a spire-shaped lid topped with a tall finial and held by a sinuous handle. The most distinctive feature is a long spout with a crescent-shaped beak. This beak may be covered with a metal flap to keep the coffee warmer, but traditionally it is open to view the coffee as it is poured out.
A Dallah can be made of brass, steel, silver and even 24K gold for special occasions or used by royalty.
The origins of the dallah are unclear. Among the earliest references to a dallah as a coffee boiler in the modern shape date to the mid-17th century.The dallah plays such an important role in the identity of Persian Gulf countries that it is featured in public artworks and on monetary coins (as is the case here).

Jean Pierre used two lovely stamps on the card. The one on the right was issued in 2010 in a set of 4 stamps representing Doha as the capital of the Arab culture, while the other stamp was issued in 1996 in a set of 6 stamps featuring Gazelles and Beira Antelope, where this stamp shows the Gazella dorcas pelzelni.

btw, seeing that Hallmark sign on a card from Qatar is not something I would really expect :)


Thank you very much Jean Pierre!!

Three Cliffs Bay, Wales

One more card for today, this one from dear Anu, sent of course, ages ago :)

I really don't know why I am neglecting Wales on this blog, and I swear it is not on purpose!! This is just like my second Welsh card ever on this blog, and I have quite a number received from there, so I really don't know why do I not let them see the light of the day.

This gorgeous view shows the Three Cliffs Bay, a bay on the south coast of the Gower Peninsula in the City and County of Swansea, Wales. The bay takes its name from the three sea cliffs that jut out into the bay (well, of course).
The sea cliffs are limestone, about 20 m high, and are a popular destination for rock climbers - the largest of the Three Cliffs is easily climbed if approached from the grassy base.

always a fantastic choice of stamps by Anu!! From left to right: a Christmas stamp from a set of 3 issued in 1971, with this one representing the Adoration of the Kings. Next to it is a butterfly stamp from a set of 4 issued in 1981, where on this one you can see the Small Tortoiseshell. The third stamp was issued in 1974 in a set of 4 Winston Churchill stamps, while the last one is from that UK from A to Z set - this one was issued in 2001 and shows the Glastonbury Tor.

Anu, thank you for another lovely card with lovely stamps!

And everyone, thanks for reading :)

Florida Keys, USA

A great card from Florida that Jean-Pierre sent me from his travels in 2011.

On the card you can see the Seven Mile Bridge coming south from Marathon to Key West and was one of the longest bridges at the time it was built. (1982).
It is located in the Florida Keys, a coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost portion of the continental United States.

Whenever I look at this card, it looks like a bunch of light-bulbs had been lined up, lurking from the water.

Three nice stamps here - the George Washington one from 2010, next to whom is Mother Theresa, issued in 2010, commemorating the 100th Anniversary of her Birth, while the third stamp is from 2011, simply titled Jazz.

Thank you very much Jean Pierre!!

Cats, cats, cats....and a Poem

As for my last post today comes one of my longish, annoying ones, with a bunch of cards, and today's subject is Cats.

Now, I know that time ago I said no more cat cards and I didn't really plan on posting some, until recently I received this card which kinda changed my mind and inspired me to do a cat-post.
The card itself is not a cat card at all, but had a reference to a poem which is the main 'offender' of why this post was born. And here it is...

Stray Cat

by Francis Witham

“Oh, what unhappy twist of fate Has brought you homeless to my gate? The gate where once another stood To beg for shelter, warmth, and food For from that day I ceased to be The master of my destiny. While he, with purr and velvet paw Became within my house the law. He scratched the furniture and shed And claimed the middle of my bed. He ruled in arrogance and pride And broke my heart the day he died. So if you really think, oh Cat, I’d willingly relive all that Because you come forlorn and thin Well…don’t just stand there…Come on in!”

It is both so heartwarming and heartbreaking and I'm sure that anyone who has ever kept a cat would be kinda touched by it and find it all so true.

So for the love of all adorable cats out there, here come a few on cards (I tried to make a variety of the countries where these came from so at least in case you are not into cat-cards, you may enjoy the stamps =)


I have no idea now who sent me this first one, but I'm glad to have it cos it is adorable beyond words.

If this cute little fella came to your door, how can you not bring it in?? Look at that adorable face and eyes!! Gosh, I'm such a sucker when it comes to cats. If I could I'd rescue all the stray cats out there (and unfortunately there are way too many here =/)


Next comes a great Nouvelles Images card sent by Bryon, showing different breeds of felines.

I have to admit that in general I prefer stray cats to the famous breeds' ones, and I'd never really go for a cat (or dog) for which I'd have to pay money - I'd always rescue some poor little fella from the streets and I really encourage other people to do so, since those little creatures are the ones that truly NEED your help.
Among else, this card reminded me that it's been really a while since I've posted something from the NI series here...

And what makes a cat card perfect?? Well, cat-stamps of course! :D These are from the amazing 2010 Adopt a Shelter Pet - series (just what I was saying above).

Thank you soooo much Bryon!!



Next is a card I received from Larisa in 2012...

....showing this photographer-wanna-be. However I think that (s)he is easily distracted so I wouldn't expect some booming career here :P

On the back we have one of the 2008 definitives, the Moscow Kremlin from the Kremlins' set of 2009, and one from the set of 4 stamps issued in 2010, showing Head Dresses of the Republic of Tatarstan.



Another one from the NI series received as an official in 2013.

NL-2151691

The expression on both the girl's and the cat's face are just priceless, for different reasons. The little girl is so delighted and there is something evil in her smile, while the cat has this 'oh my God, here comes my torturer, the fun days are over' kinda look.

The card came with a number of stamps, which I rarely get to see on the official ones from the Netherlands :)
First is a 5c definitive issued in 2003, then we have the blue 10c stamp which is from a set of 5 Numeral stamps issued in 1976. The top-right corner stamp was issued in 1992 commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Dutch Pediatrist Union. The one below featuring Wilem Jansz Blaeu is a Charity stamp issued in 1983, while the very last one is from 1991 from a set of 3 Summer stamps.

Thanks a bunch to Anne for this one!!


This one with the surreal green eyes came as an official from Great Britain and is actually a resent card since the first one went, who knows where..

GB - 404612

This one reminds me a lot of Kimi...even though his eyes weren't green as this, but that face and that look are just the same...and cannot believe that it's been almost a year without him =/

The stamp is a Christmas stamp from a mini-sheet of 7 stamps issued in 2012.



So besides a photographer wanna-be, today we also have a reader wanna-be.

The looks on this one's face is just heart-melting...and look at those lovely paws!! I don't know why but there is just something particularly adorable about little kittens' paws ❤

A number of nice stamps on the backside of this one. At the very bottom is a stamp from the Polish Farmhouses set issued in 2001. The top row starts with a stamp issued in 2004, showing Sandomierz, from the Polish Towns series. In the middle is a stamp issued in 2006 as part of the Polish Alphabet issue (so one stamp for each letter - so 26 in total. The last stamp was issued in 2009, from the Tytus, Romek and Atomek set (a Polish comic-book series).

Thanks a lot to Patycja for this one!




This double-cuteness arrived in 2009, for the Winner of the Month lottery at the PC forum.

Being a WOTM is a really great experience! Unfortunately I don't take much part in the forum activities now, and this also includes the lottery in question. However, I still have a number of cards received as part of it, that haven't been shown yet (and I was a winner twice actually during my PC career :)))

This card arrived from Steffi who attached two stamps - a lighthouse one from the set of 2 issued in 2009 and one definitive from the flowers' set issued in 2005.



Looks like a pretty vain cat this next one with a killers' look! :)

It arrived as a surprise from dear Essie in 2010 - yeah, another one of those 'shame on me it took me so long to post it'. But better late than never, no?

a very very cute stamp issued in 2009, representing Multi-cultural Finland.

Essi dear, kiitos!!!



I decided to close this post  with another card from Bryon cos this one is like one of the most unique cards I have received!

The card is an Edward Gorey's illustration that is part of the Cats & Dogs boxed postcard set.
And I think it makes a perfect postcard here when it comes to address, space for writing and additional stuff - therefore had to scan both sides, but deleted (most of) the text, cos otherwise one just cannot get the idea about the coolness of the card :)

It came with three different stamps, starting with the Polar Bear one issued in 2009. Next is a great tiger stamp issued in 2011, trying to raise awareness about the endangered species, while the last one showing two Love Birds was issued in 2006.

Big thank you again to Bryon! :)

Well, I guess you have had more than enough of your daily cat dose :)

Thank you for dropping by! Till next time...