May the Force be with You

I won this Star Wars postcard from a lottery hosted by Kristin at the Postcrossing Forum.  I'm a big fan of the movie series so you can just imagine my reaction when I found out that I won.

It took quite a while before the postcard reached my mailbox.  I was afraid it has gotten lost.  Fortunately, it was worth the wait!


The postcard features Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, played by Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher.  In the background are Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, played by Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman in the latter films.  It's a family picture, after all.  If you are a Star Wars fan, you'd know that Luke and Leia are twins separated at birth.  They are the children of Anakin, who later assumed the identity of Darth Vader, and Queen Amidala, who died right after giving birth to the twins.

May the force be with you...

Wishing you happy journeys...

Times Square

Here's another postcard sent by my good friends Margaux and Filmore during their USA trip.

 "Formerly named Longacre Square, Times Square was renamed in April 1904 after The New York Times moved its headquarters to the newly erected Times Building, which is now called One Times Square and is the site of the annual ball drop on New Year's Eve. Times Square, nicknamed "The Crossroads of the World" and "The Great White Way," has achieved the status of an iconic world landmark and is a symbol of New York City and the United States."

I like how the photo brings me right smack in the middle of New York City's Times Square.  It shows a glimpse of the hustle and bustle of the iconic district of the city that never sleeps.


This colorful stamp featuring the Grand Teton National Park was pasted on the back of the card:

Thanks, M & F!  You are right, I should come to NY someday! 


Wishing you happy journeys...

Head on to The Best Hearts Are Crunchy 

to see more interesting postcards.

Thomas Jefferson Memorial

This postcard is special not just because of its unique shape, but because it's one of the cards sent by my good friends Margaux and Filmore (and their future baby*) during their recent trip to the USA.

The description at the back of the cards says:

Rudolp Evans' statue of Thomas Jefferson stands within this graceful Roman-style marble pantheon designed by John Russell Pope. Four panels on the interior walls are inscribed with excerpts of Jefferson's writings about independence, liberty, religion, and government.

I certainly love the play of light and shadow in this postcard. The sun had cast lovely, soft hues on the imposing structure.

*Margaux is pregnant.

Wishing you happy journeys...

Letchworth State Park

As I've mentioned in my previous post, I do have an intense interest in bridges.  Now I must also confess that I am also filled with so much wonder and delight at the sight of trains, railroads, and waterfalls.  That is why I'd only be too happy to pay a visit to the Letchworth State Park in Castille, New York where I can marvel at a grand railroad trestle bridge overlooking a scenic waterfall.  I thank Josh for transporting me to that magnificent place through this postcard.  

"Letchworth State Park in Castille, New York covers 14,350 acres of land along the Genesee River.   The park is named after William Pryor Letchworth, who bequeathed the 1,000-acre estate that forms the heart of the park to New York State in 1906.

Standing high above the Genesee River just upstream of the Upper Falls is the Potage Bridge. The present trestle replaced an earlier wooden structure which when built in 1852 was the World’s tallest wooden structure."  (Source:Wikipedia Article)

It would have been a treat to see a train crossing the Postage bridge, but I believe that the same was ordered closed in 2009 due to structural damage.  You may read more about the Postage Bridge and Letchworth Park's interesting history here.

The card came with three stamps, but I shall feature only the third.   The other two stamps, I believe, warrant a separate blog entry because they are much too interesting.  

                                 
The American Clock stamp was issued in 2003 as part of the American Design series.  It was reissued in 2006. The stamp features an artistic rendering of the dial of a clock designed by Simon Willard in 1805.  The clock was also commonly referred to as the banjo clock because of its shape and is considered as one of the most famous designs in American clock making.


Stay tuned for the post that will feature the rest of the stamps. 


Wishing you happy journeys...

This is my share for the Wednesday Postcard Meme

hosted by Willa Stock of  

Morris Island Lighthouse

"Quintessential symbols of the romance of the sea, solitary guardians of our coasts, towers standing firm against salt-bearing winds -- lighthouses have always captured our imagination. Whether depicted in popular art or in written accounts of tragic shipwrecks and heroic battles against cruel seas, lighthouses are objects of curiosity and fascination." A line from the video Safe Passage: Aids to Navigation on the St. Lawrence.

I am fascinated by lighthouses. I am intrigued by them. There is something about these solitary guardians of the seas that stirs my emotion.

For me these beacons perfectly illustrate what is meant by sacrifice and selflessness. Isolated. Exposed to extreme weather conditions. Often neglected and forgotten. In the midst of darkness, their lights shine, guiding seafarers safely past dangers and treacherous waters.

Cheaha State Park in Winter

Jamie sent me this postcard of a park near her home. It features the snow-covered
Bald Rock Trail of Cheaha State Park in Alabama.

The card came with these three Liberty Bell forever stamps. The stamps can be used to mail First-Class Mail letter at any time in the future without additional postage, regardless of when the stamps are purchased or used and no matter how prices may change.

Thanks so much, Jamie!

Wishing you happy journeys...