OT: Happy Mail

/ January 15, 2019

Are you all familiar with the term happy mail? I came across the term on Youtube, where you can actually find many, many videos that show the exploits of happy mail: Especially in the crafting community, happy mail is basically an unsolicited shipment of an odd assortment of material, gifts and surprises. Strictly speaking, happy mail is any mail that makes you happy, of course, but it occurred to me over the last couple of days, that I have been a regular receiver of happy mail here in this fandom. (In fact, I sometimes feel like Mr A himself – receiving so many kind gifts and cards from lovely people.) So, this week, I received 3 packages. All of them surprises. And all of them made me majorly happy. It’s just a terrific feeling when you receive a gift and you realise that the sender has really thought about you. Whether it is carefully chosen gifts or simply the thought of passing on items that they *know* I can use, I very much appreciate that there was a thought of little old me somewhere at the beginning of the parcel. 

And so I was absolutely thrilled with the mint tin full of little silver charms that Eugeal sent to me, together with a series of pictures of Mini Guy. Very funny stuff – you *must* have a look over here at Mini Nottingham!

A big thank you to you Eugeal – that little mobile phone charm is crying out to be combined with Lucas North, isn’t it???

Then there were two *massive* parcels from the United States. On Monday, I received a big box of goodies from LoLo. 

That was the first look when I opened the box. Yeah, but not looking good for much longer, with all those delicious peanut butter M&Ms!!! But anyway, that was just the beginning. The gifts were individually wrapped in gorgeous tissue paper. So beautiful that I took a picture pre-unwrapping. And only then I unwrapped.

Thank you so much, LoLo – such gorgeous things again, I love that Moleskine book, can’t wait to use it, and the tins and the bling, and most of all those Zox straps. I am wearing the burst of fire and orange right now. After wearing the “warrior” strap for most of December until now (‘battling’ the smoking withdrawal), I have now ‘graduated’ to the uplifting message by Tolkien.

And as if that wasn’t enough happy mail this week, another big parcel was dropped on my doorstep today.

Michele is spoiling me with a big fan survival kit, and I just love all that she has chosen. From Haribo gummi sweets via my favourite tea brand to kitty socks and pouches, as well as a fabulous diary and other useful items. Thank you Michele – this is so funny and accurate, particularly your card! And then there is the star present – that key to Erebor! Many moons ago I bought a key to Erebor to turn into a badge which I intended to wear to the Hobbit premiere in London. It turned out a bit flimsy. But not this fabulous, solid Erebor key. Oh, if only that dwarf was attached to the key…

Mind you, my bunch of keys is going to get bigger and bigger. Look who is already there:

That key ring came from Tiny Clanger in December…

Anyway, you can see that I have been majorly spoilt here with happy mail. So much so that I think it all may have permanently pushed me back into my happy zone, away from all my glum, regretful smoking-withdrawal moaning. With the help of some kind comments I have finally copped on that I had to give myself permission to feel shit about everything for a while. And *boom*, as if by magic, things are suddenly looking up again. Maybe it has helped that I have been the recipient not only of gifts, but also of good thoughts because other things are finally looking up, too.After weeks, months, possibly years of pain and worry, I had an appointment on Monday with a consultant who diagnosed me with moderate to severe varicose veins in my left leg. I had been worried that my smoking had damaged the blood circulation in my legs, so I was relieved that it is *only* varicose veins. A date has been set for a procedure to treat the offensive veins. It’s called sclerotherapy and thankfully it can be done under local anaesthetics. Keep your fingers crossed that my insurance will pay for this procedure, because I really want to get rid of this pain and leave all the moaning behind this year.

Lastly, no sooner had I announced on this blog that I have more time on my hands and therefore am blogging on a daily basis, and suddenly there are movements on the job front. I got in touch with a couple of companies, offering my expertise, and I feel very encouraged by the replies. No contracts have been signed yet, but the fact that two companies came back interested in what I have to offer, means a lot to me. My confidence really received a blow last year when I lost my London client, and I now feel more hopeful that I can find another client and continue to work on my own terms.

So, all good over here *knocks on wood*. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch, of course, but all of this – knowing what is wrong with my leg, feeling confident that I am yet a useful part of the workforce, and most of all your kind gifts and attention for me, have pushed me to the other side. The glass is half full again. Thank you!

Oh, and to go back to where I started – happy mail – well, I think that happiness needs to be shared. Flat Richie is basically a happy mail project, too. But it has occurred to me that I never put on a ’12 days of Christmas’ series in December, even though I had prepared for it. Instead, I think I’ll do some happy mail to tide us over gloomy January and February. Not quite sure yet whether I’ll just mailbomb some unsuspecting fellow fans or whether I’ll do a few raffles, but hopefully I’ll also have some (filled) tins to throw into the mix. So stay tuned.

Oh, and Hannibal 3×10 will follow another time. Tomorrow? Possibly 🙂

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40 thoughts on “OT: Happy Mail”

  1. Aw, this is good news all round, Guylty! I’m glad surprises, job prospects and health solutions are lifitng your spirits. Will they be able to do the veins procedure soon? I hope so. And by the looks of it, more shrines should be made and revealed in the near future, yes? No pressure… 😉

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  3. I remember the first package I ever sent to you and your wonderful thank you letter. It made me so happy to gather the stuff to put inside. As happy as you were to receive it. Little did I know it would become a “thing”. If you received wonderful packages every week, it would not be enough. You are such a treasure to the fandom and beyond. Sounds super corny, but really, you are.

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    • Ich kann mich hier nur anschließen. Es gibt niemanden, der es mehr verdient, mit Happy Mail bombardiert zu werden für all die Freude, die du hier unter uns verbreitest.
      Aber Erdnussbutter M&Ms, echt jetzt, ich wußte gar nicht, dass es das gibt?! Kann mir irgendwie nicht vorstellen, dass sowas schmeckt. Und Grüner Tee, ha! Du bist ertappt. So streng nimmst du es also doch nicht mit der Teetyrannei 😂😉.

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      • 🙂
        Hey, gerade DICH als Erdnussflips-Fan hätte ich da als Erdnussbutter-affin eingeschätzt ;-)… Jou, ich liebe diese Teile. Ist aber auch gut, dass es die hier nicht zu kaufen gibt. Genau wie die Flips. Sonst würde ich mich ausschließlich davon ernähren…
        Und grüner Tee… *hüstel* geschenkter Gaul usw., nech?! 😉

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        • Erdnussbutter gehört tatsächlich nicht zu meinem Speiseplan. Da gibts viel leckerere ungesunde Alternativen. Aber falls mir diese M&Ms jemals irgendwo über den Weg laufen, werd ich sie trotzdem probieren, jetzt wo ich weiß, dass es die gibt.
          Ich weiß, was du meinst. Ich bring mir aus dem Urlaub auch immer kiloweise Süßigkeiten mit, die man hier nicht bekommt. Gut, dass ich bei den Klamotten so sparsam bin und immer noch Luft bei den Freigepäckgrenzen habe 😂.

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  5. I’m so glad that the package arrived safely! I couldn’t recall whether you’d said you liked lined or unlined Moleskine so stood there dithering in the bookstore for something approximating the length of all three Hobbit movies. I finally went with the one with the red cover, lines or not be damned.

    Such excellent news about the potential employers; fingers crossed, as well as the paws of the little old lady cats. And I sure hope that the varicose veins procedure does the trick. You know where to come for any pain-relieving tips, lol. Be sure to ask if your doc recommends ice or heat afterward and then please do it. It will help a lot.

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    • Ha, I haven’t even checked whether the notebook is lined or unlined – I just love Moleskine paper, no matter what! And red is my favourite colour!
      Was really relieved just now when I rang my insurance company – both private consultant as well as procedure are approved, so I can go ahead and get it done without worrying about the costs. Have you had it done, too? The doc explained the whole thing to me on Monday, and it sounded as if I will have to wear compression socks for a couple of weeks after the procedure.

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  10. Yay! The power of spontaneous expressions of love and support can lift the spirits like no other. It’s so great to hear your happiness cup is being refilled by good thoughts, new job prospects and health improvements. I hope everything falls into place. You deserve it and so much more. ❤️

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    • Varicose veins are a routine thing nowadays. They don’t even do general anaesthetics for the procedure. But I hasten to add that I have only decided to do something about them because I have been in daily pain over the last year and a half. If your mum is not in pain, then the varicose veins are only a cosmetic thing. Not sure whether I’d opt for surgery then.

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