You might remember that I wrote January off for 2009 and have begun my New Year in February. February has had lots of difficult times too, but I think my attitude has been better for dealing with all of it and I'm choosing to be hopeful throughout it all. So to celebrate that New Year and the new attitude, I'm posting one of my favorite postcards in my collection. I used it as a bookmark in January. Not a good thing to do if I were a serious collector but I collect for my pleasure so it works for me.

You might not be able to read the message so let me try to transcribe it for you.

This card was mailed on January 8, 1923 at 10 am from Albany NY to Mr. B.F Whaling, 900 Harrison Street, Davenport, Iowa. The message reads: Friend Byron - Hope you and your family spent a Merry Xmas & will have a very Happy New Year. The booklet rec'd & think a beautiful city. Hope all is well. As ever, Pearl Smith.

I love these old postcards and especially the messages. I have some that are part of a series, every week someone would write home on a postcard and the card was saved by the family. It's sad that the US Postal Service is not being used much anymore. I don't think anyone will be posting the emails we write one another 80 years from now but who knows. But they sure don't have the same appeal that these postcards do for me.

I have collected postcards for over 30 years, spent hours at flea markets going through boxes of them back when they were affordable. Now I can't afford the prices people want for them so I'm glad I collected when I did. My grandmother got me started by giving me some she had saved and it took off from there.

And with this posting I again send every good wish for a very Happy New Year. Enjoy every minute.