Friday, January 29, 2010

Gifts in the mail

I love getting the mail.

It doesn't matter if it's a box full of bills, junk mail, or those checks I talked about yesterday -  I just love getting mail!

Every so often something completely and totally unexpected comes in the mail and I let out a little squeal of delight.


"I got ya something from Cali :)   Hillary"

This card came in the mail today - well, this was the inside of the card.   (The card itself was a design from Fabulous Stationery) which I totally love, but that's beside the point at this moment.

The point is that I opened the mailbox and grabbed all of the items and went back to my car and I saw a corner of an envelope hiding in the pile that had a familiar handwriting on it.

I could hardly wait to get into my condo.

On the way up in the elevator I was trying to figure out what my sister might want to tell me in a note.   It wasn't a wedding or a baby shower or birthday and it was too soon for Valentines. 


By the time I got into my condo and sat down to open the card I was truly stumped.  I had no idea.  Then when I opened the card I saw this!  I smiled from ear to ear.  It was a smashed penny that she got for me on her trip to California over New Years.  How exciting!  I love it!

Smashed pennies (or elongated pennies) are one of my many collections.  I have a book and a half of them so far and this is one collection that I don't mind having others help me fill.  Hillary has given me a penny from London, this one from Monterey, CA and another one that I can't quite recall at the moment.   Click Here to read about the last time I chatted about my penny collection.  More pictures of my pennies are included, too.

Have you ever had a collection that got out of control because everyone started buying you one of whatever it was you started collecting?  Those are the types of collections that I resist like the plague, but this penny collection is small, inexpensive and contained in a small book.   The penny smashing machines are sometimes a real challenge to locate, so it's a bit of a hunting game at times and a thrill when a penny machine is found unexpectedly.  The pennies are easy to carry and as you can see, they are very easy to mail.   This is one of my favorite collections, that's for sure.

Thanks Hillary!  I love it!

Kristin

7 comments:

Debby@Just Breathe said...

That is so sweet. My daughter too has a book and collects them. She is 28.

Claudya Martinez said...

So thoughtful and fun.

Keetha Broyles said...

I think those little machines that do this to pennies are so fascinating! The last time I was in NYC, I "made" one for myself - - - - now if I could just remember where I PUT it, all would be well!

Mrs4444 said...

I'm very careful to say that I like anything, because I am not a collector, really, of anything. Not sure why; I guess I just don't like to be "labelled" in some way, as in, "She likes country stuff" or "She's into angels." Call me crazy...I have no idea why.

Ruth Ann said...

I didn't know you collect them! I have a Penn State one somewhere! If I come across it, I'll send it to you! Now that the boys are getting bigger and we're going to start going on family vacations, I should start collecting them for them! It'll take up a lot less space than coffee mugs, t-shirts, and truck driver hats! lol
-Ruth Ann

Anonymous said...

I'm not a collector of anything but I love this penny idea. I remember your post not too long ago about your collection of fortunes from the cookies. I don't thing i'll ever NOT think of you when I open a cookie for the rest of my life since I have at least a 1/2 dozen cookies since that post. LOL. You are so memorable.

Smellyann said...

Very cool. We collect smashed pennies here, too!