les trois graces

Old friend Louisa C in San Diego sent this card of Niki de Saint Phalle's exuberant rendering of the Three Graces. I hadn't thought about this artist in years and was glad to get the reminder. She had a fascinating career.

extreme takes

circus school

This super card was sent by a Finnish postcrosser who works at a circus school. A few years ago students from a local art school came to sketch and paint the circus students while they were training. This postcard is one of the works from that outing. The look of concentration says it all.

marketon park, derby

The English postcrosser who sent this card wrote that she often picnics or has a mug of tea at the place shown. Ah, English gardens. Bring on Sissinghurst and Hidcote!

cycling

A Taiwanese high schooler and postcrosser sent this cool postcard from a "Ride around Taiwan Island" campaign.

le gard

Who else would this lovely multiview be from but a postcrosser from France? Here's to Le Gard, though I pass on the bullfighting.

buildng 5

Building 5 at MASS MOCA, up in North Adams, Massachusetts, is longer than a football field and the largest gallery space in the United States. That's a challenge that should light up the eyes of some contemporary artists. Lynn B. sent this card.

eleanor of aquitane

PostMuse sent this card from The Dinner Party by Judy Chicago. This plate, both beautiful and slyly amusing, celebrates Eleanor of Aquitane. You can almost reach out and touch it.

tile panel

Here is a beautiful tile panel from a postcrosser in Istanbul. Wow!

by the water

This interesting view of the private port in Barcelona was sent by a Spanish postcrosser, who writes that the area shown was rejuvenated for the 1992 Olympics.

This pretty postcard came from a Russian postcrosser who lives near Lake Baikal. I can only guess that it shows the lake.

two cities

These clean, crisp views of two Euro cities came, respectively, from a Portuguese postcrosser from Lisbon who now lives in Switzerland, and from a German postcrosser who lives near Frankfurt. Alas, I've never been to Lisbon and know Frankfurt only through its airport.

cats from tokyo

These cool cards arrived from Tokyo within days of each other, both from old friends. The top one is from Motoko and the bottom from Keiko.

european treats

This is the first map card I received via postcrossing. How fitting that it is from Finland, which could easily be the 'spiritual' home of postcrossing. The woman who sent it is in Kokka, in the southeastern part of the country.

An Italian postcrosser sent this glorious view of one of the most famous peaks in the Dolomites. She has had fun introducing her mountains to others.

retro belarus

The Belarusian postcrosser who sent this card wrote, "This card might not be a very nice one, but it is interesting in another way." It is in fact as old as she is. It was printed 28 years ago in the Soviet Union in the days when her country was called the Belarusian Socialist Republic. Things change. Babies are born and grow up to be postcrossers.

big tree, little house

A Chinese postcrosser sent this sweet and simple card, with a translation of the text: "When I was a little sapling, my master watered me everyday. I grew to a monstrous height quickly. So, dear master, let me protect you."

sea smoke

Jozef B. sent this lovely view of sea smoke on Stonington Harbor in Maine. He was recently at Haystack to work on new projects. The clouds, too, are wonderful.

china green

The Chinese postcrosser who sent this card in fact prefers red to green. Red + green = my favorite color combination.

a sold-out season of memories

Last Sunday, the 26th, was Fan Appreciation Day at Citizens Bank Ballpark and the final home game of the regular season. It was also the 123rd consecutive sell-out at the park. Friends were at the game and shared some of the freebies they got, which included a super packet of postcards of this year's highlights. Handing out packets of postcards on Fan Appreciation Day seems to have become a Phillies' tradition. I love it! Thanks, Diane, thanks, Bruce.

thinking about cosmos

The card from Taiwan (below) reminded me of this postcard from Tono, where I used to live in a farmer's version of the house shown.

life is good

Old man, fox, fluffy clouds, and a field of cosmos make for a charming postcard. It's from a postcrosser in Taiwan who is also a children's book editor. She writes that she wants to "edit a lot of great books for children." Her favorite is Alice in Wonderland.