This morning, while tidying up a bookshelf, I found this package of postcards.
It’s been sitting there for years – well actually, it’s been sitting somewhere for years, moving from house to house, room to room with me because I just love it.
I purchased this package at the Art Gallery of Ontario (the AGO) one of my happy places in Toronto.
I love everything about the AGO – the exhibits, the architecture, the openness of the space, the restaurant, Walker Court, the gift shop.
We make annual visits, visits I have been missing because of the pandemic and, while I see they are now back open to the public, it is difficult to reconcile the possibility of transporting a vile virus passenger with us. So, thus far, we’ve decided to stay at home.
I am grateful for our spontaneous trip there in January. It has served as a touchstone to the before time, in the words of one of my blogging school classmates, as “something that has been bottled, and must now last a long time.” (thanks Miranda)
I love postal workers. In fact, my first action on moving to this house was to announce that.
In a previous role, I served as legislative assistant to the amazing Irene Mathyssen, then New Democratic Party critic for Canada Post. It was, among many other wonderful and harrowing experiences, an opportunity to get to know workers organized under the CPAA (95% of whom identify as women) and CUPW. These humans work tirelessly to represent their members and deliver vital essential services to Canadians in urban, remote and rural areas.
Together with partners, the CPAA and CUPW have been instrumental in developing a plan for addressing climate change, transitioning to a 100% clean economy by 2050, delivering essential public services including financial services (do you know about Postal Banking? Find more here) in a sustainable, accessible and entirely affordable manner.
It’s called Delivering Community Power and I invite you to check out and support the plan here.
But this is not just a public service announcement. (Once a political aide, always a political aide)
I now return you to the purpose of this post:
Postcards are meant to be shared, sent out into the world, the message public and open to anyone whose eyes fall upon them in their travels. Postcards are a way to spread the love.
I thought it would be fun to share two of my loves with you by sending you a postcard, and in the process support our postal service workers.
There are 21 cards in the pack (well, there are actually 22 but I’ve decided to mail one to myself to fulfill the purpose of the postcard and still manage to keep one)
If you love postcards or Frida Kahlo or snail mail or posties or just receiving a little love by mail, I’d love to send you one.
Drop me your mailing address using this form or send me an email at becomingjanine@gmail.com and I’ll get it off to you.
I’ll keep your address confidential, use it only for the purpose of sending the card, and delete it when I’m done.
With love.
August 22 update: there are still some postcards left. Hit me up if you’d like one!