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Gia-Gina Across the Pond

So I've decided to follow my husband to his native Italy. Follow our adventures as we eat, drink, travel, adapt to and explore this remarkable country. Part food blog, part photo blog but mostly my rants and raves. After our two years in Italy, we relocated across the Atlantic "pond" and are back in the States.

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Write a Letter Why Don't You?

First a bit of history: Since the day I landed in Italy I have been writing letters to my 5 sisters, mom and dad, families I used to work for and friends, about 5-8 a week. Yet I have only received about one a month since I arrived. When went to the cartoleria in my neighborhood, a place that sells pens, envelopes and stationary, I had a hard time buying a boxes set of paper and envelopes. The proprietor simply told me not many people write letters anymore. So…after receiving a letter from my 2nd sister Gia, I decided to post this directive on my family’s website.

It reads as follows:
Okay, I am commanding you all to write letters to one another.
I just received a letter yesterday from Gia, she thanks me for her B-day card that arrived the day of, I am good aren't I? I sent one to Sara but never received a response; I have received letters from Anna, Gia, Tia but no one else. The forum is great, the blogs are great but whatever happened to writing letters?

Here's the challenge
: Write a letter a month to a sister, I will assign here (why me b/c I am the oldest and the bossiest) and the list will rotate with time. Letters should be postmarked by the month assigned. Write about anything and everything your heart desires with varying degrees of depth depending on how close you are to the sister. Also letters to mom and dad are optional but should be considered.

This month October: (we'll start with a clean slate) I know that three sisters live in the same place, but it will still work. Stamps to Italy are 80 cents. You can go to USPS.com and get them delivered to your home if you are too lazy to go out and buy them. Think about this I spend 8 Euros a week on stamps, all my letters are ,80 Euros. I should be complaining but I am not. Someone tell Tia about this and help here with stamps okay? I will send a check to whoever I need to reimburse. (Tia is 9 years old.)

Tia to Kentra
Sara to Tia
Kentra to Anna
Anna to Gia
Gia to Sara
Gina to Gia

Next month November:

Tia to Sara
Sara to Gia
Kentra to Gina
Anna to Kentra
Gia to Gina
Gina to Anna

P.S. I will publish this campaign on my blog, in the hopes that someone will write to a member in their family.

P.S.S. Gia has gorgeous handwriting, I don't. Kentra said he was bored and needed something to do, Anna is busy but I hope she will find time. Sara might end up typing hers out as I do but she may do it since she is a computer whiz. Tia is the cutest letter writer in the world with her pink stationary. Look forward to hearing from you all. Pass it on!

P.S.S.S. Gia has stated that the letters should not be typed and I agree with her.

10 Comments:

At 6:24 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great idea! I used to get a lot of letters when I was younger but you're right, no one writes letters anymore. I went to Hallmark one day looking for letter paper as a gift to a friend who loves to write letters and they didn't have much of a variety. I can't wait to hear how your letter writing with your family goes!

 
At 7:34 AM, Blogger sarainitaly said...

You should read the book "The true and outstanding adventures of the Hunt Sisters". It is based on a true story about this woman, and a collection of all the letters she wrote to her family and friends. It is a very touching story about her, and her sister. Very funny, and sad too.

My MIL has a large collection of postcards she wrote to her parents starting on her honeymoon (when she was 19). Her mom always saved them, and when she passed away my MIL found them. They are such a great record of her life - her wedding, honeymoon, when her kids started arriving, their travels. I wish I would have done that...

 
At 7:55 AM, Blogger Gia-Gina said...

Hi American Girl and Island Girl,
I have tons of letter from since I was 16 onward. Most of them came when I left for college and from my sisters none the less. I also have many from friends, one who has passed away also. I am very thankful I have those...I cry a ton when I read them but I am in touch with her sister and mom so it's nice to still have a connection with her. I keep all letters from my immediate family and print out e-mails too and file them away. They are all irreplaceable.

 
At 10:12 AM, Blogger melusina said...

Wow, it is really great that you write letters like that. My poor mother is always saying to me "phone calls are nice, but when are you going to write me a letter?"

My husband and I exchanged hundreds of letters before we finally were living in the same place, but other than that, I am a truly abysmal letter writer. Maybe I should give it a try.

 
At 8:35 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I totally know what you mean about people not writing letters any more. The only person I write letters to is my grandmother in Kansas. But I am the only one I know that is good about sending cards through the post. It definitely is a lost art.

Good luck with your campaign!

 
At 12:07 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wonderful idea! I like to get e-mails but love getting real letters, the good ole' fashion way, via snail mail, even more. I still like to write the traditional letters and send nice stationary.

It's good that you're rallying everyone to get into the spirit of letter writing! Soon, you're sisters won't be alble to stop. ;-)

Best,
Paz

 
At 12:30 AM, Blogger Judith in Umbria said...

Don't make so many rules! When I occasionally write my mother I embed photos in the letter, since she has Alzheimers and can't always remember who I am. It makes it more pleasant for her. I send them via email and my sister prints them out and takes them to the home. She has never thrown one away.

 
At 4:50 AM, Blogger Gia-Gina said...

This is open season on letter writers, if you want to participate, email me @ giaparsons@hotmail.com

I will send you my address and then we'll go from there.

 
At 4:51 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Since email came out, it feels so un-natural to write and mail letters! Stone Age! lol. I dont think I've handwritten a letter since the late 90's!

 
At 9:11 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I hope it works. Email is great, but nothing can beat getting handwritten letters or cards in the mail.

 

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