red message

Juni, a 13-year-old postcrosser from Finland, made this cool little card, "something simple," she said. She also translated a bit of the message, about not stepping on bugs along the way because everyone has a right to live. Live and let live: a simple message for our time. Thanks a lot, Juni, for taking the time. A wonderful autumn to you, too!

more ukiyoe stamps

These lovely ukiyoe stamps were on the message from Sachiko.

nakamatachi

Old friend Sachiko K. of Kyoto sent this card announcing a show called Nakamatachi held this September at the Kyoto Culture Museum. Sachiko organized the show, which had about 1300 entries from around the world.

katwijk aan zee

Dutch postcrosser John sent fab fun groeten from the old fishing town of Katwijk Aan Zee, just 30 miles south of Amsterdam. The bonus postcard hanging from the postbox shows a "tower" made of wooden barrels used for storing fish. I love this card!

danube express

Would love to be on board!

suomi sunset

Finnish postcrosser Irene sent this blazing sunset from the small town of Aanekoski, in central Finland. She says it's a nice place to live, with pure and beautiful nature and lots of waterways.

phillies clinch the east

I'm sending this postcard to Mrs. October. I took the photo at Saturday's game seconds after Jimmy Rollins had started a spectacular double play to get out of a bases-loaded jam, end the game, and give the Phillies the NL East title for the second year in a row. It was a great, great night at the ballpark. Next up: October baseball!

liberty

Here's the latest card from Mrs. October. What's wrong with this picture?

two from the southwest

Mrpotani sent these two stunners from the Southwest. No reason to add anything.

green sky

Postcrosser Veronika M., an architect in Germany, painted this lovely watercolor card of a lake in the mountains. She wrote on the back: "I know that in open ocean somewhere far from land is possible to see the green sky." Thank you, Veronika!

german stamps

These nifty stamps were on the card above. I love the autumn forest but thanks to the other one I learned about German poet Annette von Droste-Huhlshoff.

tailgate party

That time of year, though the baseball season is, alas, all but over. Another card from Mrs. October.

firing pottery

Mrpotani, still on a roadtrip, also sent this striking card of an Edward Curtis photograph taken in 1905 at the Santa Clara Pueblo. It's called Firing Pottery.

the harvey girls

Mrpotani sent this postcard of the Winslow Harvey Girls, a volunteer group in Winslow, Arizona, who work to keep the spirit of hospitality embodied by the original Harvey Girls alive. Can you hear that whistle blow? Think Acheson, Topeka, and Santa Fe.

the himalayas via taiwan

Taiwanese postcrosser Mia sent this card of azaleas in Taroko National Park. As I recall, azaleas are originally from the Himalayas. I'm not sure if that's why Mia used a stamp of a Himalayan cat on the card but it reminded me of some restaurant friends in Tono who have a couple of big old cuddly Himalayans.

the enamel experience

Contemporary Craft of Pittsburgh is hosting The Enamel Experience, an exhibition of badges created by 23 US and international artists. The show is on from October 3, 2008 to January 10, 2009. For more information: www.contemporarycraft.org.

noise

Noise is the name of the show of new works by New York artist Marilyn Henrion, on from 30 September to 25 October at the Noho Gallery at 530 West 25th Street. I'll be reviewing the show and was excited to get this little preview. For more information, see www.marilynhenrion.com.

mennonite mitts

I noticed this homespun baseball display at a Mennonite farm I frequent this time of year, took a photo, and made it into a postcard for my baseball friends. One of the young daughters of the farm had hung up the bat, gloves, and balls she and her siblings use. The farm, which is near Dryville, has good jams and jellies. My faves: sour cherry, elderberry, apricot, and Queen Anne's lace.

m'r/ge

Patricia Malarcher, a wonderful editor of mine, and her husband WILLY sent another reason to enjoy autumn in New York. They call their October show there M'R/GE. I like the look of Patricia's Prayer Flags and hope to see them in person. The show is on at the Phoenix Gallery Project Room. For details: www.phoenixgallery.com.

we've got tulips

Lots and lots of tulips came from Dutch postcrosser Elene. What a treat!

schlob corvey

Nadine, a German postcrosser, sent this multiview card of her old town.

cheers and jeers

Take your pick: two more cards from Jessie F., the indefatigable 93-year-old.

water cube

Chinese postcrosser Xiaozhi sent this amusing 'poster' dedicated to Michael Phelps. She said in her note that Phelps is 'good and magic'. Xiaozhi's a high school student and loves, as we can see, comics and manga. It took a month for this cute take on the Olympics to reach Pennsylvania so it's a little late but nonetheless much appreciated. Thanks, Xiaozhi!

save the apples

Mrpotani sent this plea to save the Sebastopol Gravenstein apple and to back biodiversity.

good news

Mrs. October sent this bit of good news.

the night cafe

What timing! This card, of Van Gogh's The Night Cafe, arrived with the one below. Lynn B., a curator friend in Arkansas, sent it.

ljubljana by night

A Slovenian postcrosser sent this romantic view of Ljubljana by night.

safe!

I took this picture one lovely evening early this season at the Lakewood BlueClaws park and recently made it into a postcard for Mrs. October.

red

The color speaks for itself in the latest card by Mrs. October.

happy memories

Yesterday's mail brought this three-bagger from Mrs. October. She's retitled the Norman Rockwell Happy Memories. That fits all three because, as she often says, baseball has given her many happy memories.

moonlight graham

Moonlight Graham, a real if fringe ball player, became famous thanks to Field of Dreams, the sappiest baseball movie ever. The quotation is from A League of Their Own, one of the best and funniest. No beating Bull Durham, though. I made the card from bits and pieces. I picked up the Hello, Kitty stickers several years ago at a station kiosk in Hiroshima.

the poetics of cloth

From September 16 to December 6 Grey Gallery at New York University hosts a show of African textiles called The Poetics of Cloth. A parallel show, The Essential Art of African Textiles, is on at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Ah, autumn in New York.

international railway traveler

The International Railway Society sent this invitation to travel.

red, white, and blue

Mrs. October goes red, white, and blue in her latest card.

porto by night

Portuguese postcrosser Vanessa sent this very pretty night view of Porto.

rise and shine

This card from Jessie F. arrived on the heels of even more dire news about the US economy. Commentary? Or coincidence?

terra de poetas

A Brazilan postcrosser sent this card of a lovely park in the middle of her city of Capivari, nicknamed terra de poetas for two famous poets born there.

retro paris

Mrpotani sent this cool retro card from Paris. I don't know what it's made of but it feels like laminated tin.

recent stamps

Leading off: an excellent stamp from Portugal, paying tribute to nos bombeiros (our volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel). Hats off always to the men and women who continue to fill their ranks around the world. Next is another in the quirky Hector Consani series from Brazil, showing people at work. The postmark from the Louvre is just cool and the woolly mammoth stamp ties in with recent reading on cave art. Last, the trio of stamps from Canada features subjects which for one reason or another are all 'in my kitchen'. I particularly like the hyalophora cecropia.

your favorite team

Thanks, Mrs. October, for another card. I do wonder though why that LAA Angel, in the person of Mark Texeira, was put in the 'picture'.

unesco globe

Mrpotani sent this card from Paris. It shows Erik Reitzel's Globe. A globe within a globe, it sits in front of the UNESCO headquarters.