Letter Writing Set + Letter Writing Club this Thursday

In celebration of spring and our upcoming monthly Letter Writing Club evening (this Thursday, April 13), I thought I would share a bit about our Letter Writing Set, a kit with stationery, a fountain pen & ink, and postage, everything you need to write a few letters. It's a great set to start yourself off with letter writing, but also a good gift for someone who might enjoy beginning correspondence, someone who's about to go away for a while to college or a work term, or someone who used to write letters and maybe would enjoy it again. If you don't know where to start, this is a great place. It includes

• one A5 Verge de France Ivory pad (50 sheets) (Check out the blog for a review on this paper)
• one A5 Verge de France Ivory envelopes (25 envelopes)
• one Black Pilot 78G with a medium nib
• one pack of 5 black cartridges
• 2 Wonder Pens postcards
• 1 Gotamago Card suitable for any occasion
• Postage for 5 domestic letters (within Canada)
• Wonder Mail stickers + Air Mail stickers from Canada Post

It's enough supplies (paper, postcards, a greeting card) to give the writer stationery for a quick note or a long letter or a happy birthday wish, and everything you need to get it into the mailbox: a complete set. We're hoping by providing everything in one kit like this, someone who might just need a little push will find just what they need to get started - a wide enough selection of supplies and the tools needed. The fountain pen we chose is terrific, and one I'm sad to see discontinued, although we still have some stock of it for now: a Pilot 78G and cartridges. This pen is super for someone who has never used a fountain pen before, or a great all around pen for your bag or your pen case if you're already set. The box of cartridges will give you enough ink for quite a few letters, and the pen itself is a reliable workhorse. I remember when we first opened up the shop on the west end, and I had a customer who came by and picked up two fountain pens, one for him and one for his girlfriend, who was going away for a year. He would stop by regularly after that and pick up pads of paper, white for his girlfriend and ivory for himself, and update me on her travels. How romantic! And, to make this gift event better, you can also include with it an open invitation to our monthly Letter Writing Club, if you're in the area.

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In any case, I hope a few of you might make it out to our Letter Writing Club this Thursday. It's from 7-9pm, and you can drop by anytime. We'll have treats and tea and coffee, along with all the letter writing supplies you'll need - just bring a friend or a few addresses. Letter writing is one of those things where you get as much as you put into it - to get a letter, you need to write a letter. I'm guilty of sometimes taking much longer than etiquette would suggest in writing back, which is part of why I enjoy our monthly letter writing evenings so much; it's dedicated time to sit and sip some tea and write with other folks around to stop me from getting distracted with laundry or emails or checking on inventory that's still going to be there in the morning. I wish I could say this monthly time helps keep me in check from taking too long to respond, but my pile is unfortunately rather high these days. Nonetheless, I've reached a very comfortable stage where not only do I really enjoy receiving letters from some of my long time pen pals, I consider some of my pen pals true friends, which is something that's sort of hard to come by these days. I occasionally come across stories about pen pals who have been writing for forty years finally meet, and it's like a long lost sister, and I can only imagine and hope my friendships and correspondences growing over time in the most wonderful way. I can also say that sometimes I feel a bit more human when I take the time to write a note out by hand, almost especially when I'm not anticipating a response - a quick thank you on a flat notecard for a visit and a cup of tea or a dinner invitation, or a note in the mail with a pertinent clipping or recipe. I say more human because it feels a bit like a deeper connection with someone, something physical and with my own personal handwriting. In this age where we seem more spread apart, and our villages and communities can be across countries or the globe, it's nice to send a little something that might have previously been dropped off with a loaf of bread on the back porch. Something that doesn't necessitate asking the other person for a "response," a letter or an email back where they might feel guilty about how long it takes, but just something tangible in the mail that you know will be a moment in their day.   Also remember, we'll be closed on Good Friday (April 14), but open again on Saturday (April 15), and then closed again for our usual weekend Sunday/Monday.