Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Getting Ready


The October mailing is coming up soon! Before we gear up again, I'd like to go over a few things with you. Read on for more ...

1. We're putting the finishing touches on our shiny new app that will randomly select and email addresses for the monthly mailings (huge thanks again to my amazing bro Greg for designing and building this)! We'll be testing it this week.

2. Some members are still waiting for their September postcards. If you're one of them, please bear in mind that many are being mailed from quite a distance, and give the postcards until this Friday (September 25) to arrive in your mailbox. If you haven't received yours by then, let me know and I'll follow up as best as I can. Which brings me to:

3. I cannot stress strongly enough how important it is to mail out your postcards on the first of the month. As some of you are discovering, mailing to another country can take weeks, since the postcards are being sent by regular mail, for great distances, through several postal systems. Please don't disappoint another member (and I've been getting some very forlorn emails indeed about this lately) and make them wait any longer than necessary. The whole point of this project, after all, is to make someone happy! If something serious comes up and you can't make it to the mailbox on time that's fine — life happens. Just let me know so I can let the recipient know there'll be a delay. Which brings me to:

4. A membership amnesty. If you've recently realized that you'll be unable to commit to the monthly mailing schedule required for the BPS, please let me know right away. Whether you're on the road a lot traveling or just trying to deal with your own hectic schedule — no matter what the reason, rest assured that no one will get mad or be disappointed if you decide to gracefully bow out. It is a commitment to participate in this, and being able to both recognize that and be honest about your ability to adhere to it is really appreciated. You'll still be welcome to hang out here!

5. The next mailing is just over a week away ...

Please feel free to comment on the above (or to email me privately if you prefer), and thanks so much again to each and every one of you for making this such a great project — it's so fun to watch it grow!

:-)


(lovely Polaroid photo by Marta V. on Flickr, via carrots and peas)

15 comments:

Polly Rowan said...

Thanks Lori, I am so excited to send my next postcard (and receive one!)
Thanks for adding me in the gallery too :)
xxx

Teri said...

If someone decides not to post their picture of the postcard, how can we find out if they've received the ones we've sent? Just so we know that they have arrived safely...

Lori said...

Hi Teri,

Leave a comment for them in the BPS Café post for that month (the one for September is below this post). If there's no response after a few days, let me know and I'll follow up by email.

I encourage everyone to check (and to use) the BPS Café for this reason, since (as Teri notes) it would be lovely to know if the postcards are reaching their destinations.

:-)

Lina said...

this is the first i'm hearing about posting a picture of the postcard we've received. where and how do we do that?

Lori said...

Lina, please scroll down a bit and read my post called "The Well Traveled Postcard" for more info. Thanks!

DAWN said...

Hi Lori and all members of the BPS.

I DID receive a postcard last week and was immediatly overly excited.....as I turned it over to read the text ,I realised [and I tried very hard not to be dissapointed] that it was from my sister who had spent two weeks in Turkey 2 MONTHS AGO!!!!!
So having not yet received a Sept BPS postcard,I am assuming that my position in the world makes things even more difficult and also that the PC I sent out, will likewise,be taking a LONG time to reach its recipient.
I`m in the middle of the African Kalahari!
Lori... I find these "timeline" issues very interesting, and maybe an unexpected element of the project.
Can just visualise the woven patterns of the P/C`s paths across the world, moving through many differnt timelines,continents and circumstances...GREAT!

Leila said...

Thank you again, Lori, for organizing this! It sounds even more complicated that it did initially.

The "rules" sound perfectly fair and reasonable to me. And I do appreciate their posting. I've not yet received my postcard and this post to the group made me feel fine with that. It probably means it's coming from far far away and that's WORTH the wait!

Paper Pastries said...

This is such a great project. If someone realizes that they can no longer be a part of it I'd be happy to fill their place.

Anneke (Mudhooks) said...

Can't wait!

Hane said...

Lori,
here in Brasil we are in the middle of a mail's strike.
I wish somehow I could know if my postcard got there...

Sarah said...

There are postal strikes in some areas of London too, this article has more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8273214.stm

I'm not sure if it's affecting postcards leaving London, but I'm still waiting for my September postcard to arrive...

Unknown said...

Hi Lori, No post card yet and I think it was that lovely one from Make Do and Send! (How many Marianne's can there be in Hyannis?) Maybe it will still come... I'm all set to send the next one. oxoxo, Marianne

Lori said...

Hi Marianne,

Just so you know — there's a postal strike on where your postcard is coming from, so that may have slowed things down (aside from the fact that it's also making an ocean voyage)! Can you sit tight a few more days? If it still hasn't shown up by mid next week let me know and I'll follow up with the sender.

Have a great weekend!
Lori
:-)

Unknown said...

I think it was so pretty someone snatched it!!!!! I'll let you know next week sometime whether or not it appears. All the best, MM-K

szaza said...

Hi Lori!

I have not received my postcard yet, but mail in Turkey is notoriously inconsistent. I've been checking the mail everyday like a little girl :)

I do wish I knew if the one I sent arrived safely...