I don't belong to the postcard exchange, so don't really understand how it works. But--- could you do a goodwill gerontology project within your activities?

Most of you by now know who Connie Small is: wife of a lighthouse keeper; now age 100 plus; responsible for getting the Coast Guard to donate/sell non-wanted Maine lighthouses to non-profit groups to preserve, so we can enjoy them today. HL just made the Portsmouth, NH, lighthouse this year in her honor, as she and her husband Elson were the last keepers there, and presented it to her at her 100th birthday celebration in June.

Yes, she is still sharp as can be and can talk for hours about her lighthouse experiences. But there is that loneliness there in not having any family to visit her; not having her contemporaries alive to come chat with her; not having fellow retirement home residents on her alert intellectual level and able to converse on interesting topics. This we discovered within our chatting with her during our visit yesterday.

She loves to read; she loves to know about lighthouses from all over though she was not able to have traveled to many; and she loves to hear from other people who love lighthouses, too.

Is there any way you can work her into each of your postcard exchanges, so that she would receive lighthouse postcards from you from all over the U.S.? And would receive them throughout the year? You could just write a note on the card itself, as she would not "collect" them as seriously as you do, and would not mind them being written on. But neither would she be able to afford to send out cards to you. It would be a one-way mailing from you to her. But one that would mean a lot to her, believe me. She told me yesterday of how surprised and thrilled she was to receive birthday cards this spring from strangers (you all) in far away states and even one foreign country -- after I had posted about her 100th birthday.

Her address is: Connie Small, c/o The Mark Wentworth Home, 346 Pleasant Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801

Please see my Christmas post on the Personal Forum; and how to get her book for your Christmas stocking on the General Forum.

Thanks loads for being so generous and kind to her.

Barb Hupp


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ladylightkeeper

She's going on my list! From what I've read about Mrs. Small, she is quite a lady.



[This message has been edited by Larry (edited 11-25-2001).]

A Hudson-Athens Lighthouse postcard is on the way.

I'll send one form one of the ones i visited last week.

Dennis

What a wonderful idea Barb! I'm getting ready to mail out my postcards in envelope #6 cards (hopefully by the end of the week). I will add her name and send her a set.

I will be happy to include her on my Postcard Exchange list and will get one off in the mail sometime this next week.

I sure will! Get them started tomorrow. What a wonderful suggestion.

Sheryl

Great idea I will send an Email to pharolgst to that effect and maybe he can get some sent to Connie Small.Bill O'Brien

Barbara,

Connie will be a recipient on PC 8 the in-envelope exchange now being set up.

Dave

Thank you so much for your enthusiastic response to my suggestion. I am sure Connie has received some of your postcards by now and is thoroughly delighted. I will be sending her a Christmas card tomorrow and will include a note describing your postcard group, so she will understand why she is receiving these cards. I will be including in her envelope a card I bought while up in York, Maine, which shows Nubble Light (Cape Neddick Light) outlined in Christmas lights. It is quite an impressive sight, in case you have a chance sometime to visit New England from Thanksgiving weekend (Sunday) through the Christmas holidays.

Merry Holiday greetings to you all.

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ladylightkeeper