It's been a while, I still get mail though!

I have been neglecting this blog, shame on me! 

Now lets update

The first card you see comes from Besançon, France

left:

portrait of Victor Hugo

middle:

La porte noire : a Gallo-Roman triumphal arch 

it is a "monument historique"

The place of birth from Victor Hugo and the brothers Lumière

right:

Astronomical clock

The French Indian joint issue celebrates 50 years of spatial cooperation between both countries. Each country released two identical stamps devoted to space exploration. (2015)

Another chunk o' cardboard

from South Africa! The scanner doesn't 

do the glitter justice, it looks really good! 

left:

Seventh Definitive set

of 27, 2000

right:

Tsonga neckpiece

2010

Lucky me! A new language swap from Spain! 

Two languages this time, as the sender also included 

some Catalan 

Europa 2015

"Old fashioned Toys"

a Scot Pine scented self adhesive stamp featuring a wooden toy train.

Stamps sent from Indonesia

The tea was an extra, I gave it to my mom to try.

Made my very first pocket letter!

My very first pocket letter! 

I also recycled several old Christmas cards to make it.

What do you think? 

This is the back, still have to fill it of course

Collecting Christmas stamps

My fiancé did it again!

This is the very first Christmas stamp ever issued! 

Canada

1898!

For almost sixty years no one in the world thought to issue a Christmas stamp until December 7, 1898, when Canada issued what is known by philatelists (stamp collectors) as the"Map Stamp". Designed by William Mulock, the Postmaster General of Canada, the stamp shows the earth as if it were flat. The countries that were dependencies of Great Britain were printed in red. 20,000,000 stamps were issued; half with blue oceans and the other half with a green ocean look. Why, is not known. Along the bottom of the stamp was the slogan,"WE HOLD A VASTER EMPIRE THAN HAS BEEN". At that time Britain held the largest empire on earth.

The only clue that this is a Christmas stamp is the word XMAS1898 near the bottom centre of the stamp. No Santa, reindeer, or wreathes.