AN OLD-FASHIONED GRRRL

Those of  you  who have read J. Austen and some of the other 19th Century British novelists (Gaskell, Trollope, Eliot) will be familiar with the country-side denizens quaint habit of going to "town." The Bennet sisters visited Meryton to check up on the militia. Frequently, walks were taken for the dual purposes of mailing a letter and shopping.

I bring this up because, in this one regard, I am beginning to feel like an Austen heroine. I am and have always been a big fan of the US mail. The effort involved in getting a piece into the mail is a clear sign of "I've been thinking about you." I prefer postcards to email, particularly these days. And I am taking my daily constitutional by walking .5 mile to the post office and back. Whatever gets you through the day. Writing letters is writing. So far, recipients have been both appreciative, affectionate, and reciprocal.

I am taking various routes through the neighborhood. As more daily light and warmer weather approaches, the pleasure of a simple walk increases. I am learning my neighborhood all the more and expanding my mental neighborhood's boundaries. Little by little, day by day.

All in all, I feel a BIT more relaxed and hopeful. And perhaps some greater creativity will creep in as well.