Moomin by Tove Jannsson

 Tove Jansson: kuvitusta kirjaan Taikatalvi
Tove Jansson's book Moominland Midwinter

Photo: Aimo Hyvarinen

postmarked in 2011 with a similar Moomin stamp from 1992

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The Moomins  are the central characters in a series of books and a comic strip by Swedish-Finn illustrator and writer Tove Jansson, originally published in Swedish in Finland. They are a family of trolls who are white and roundish, with large snouts that make them resemble hippopotamuses. The carefree and adventurous family live in their house in Moominvalley, in the forests of Finland, though in the past their temporary residences have included a lighthouse and a theatre. They have many adventures along with their various friends.

In all, nine books were released in the series, with five picture books and a comic strip being released between 1945 and 1993.  They have since been the basis for numerous television series, films and even a theme park called Moomin World in Naantali, Finland.

U.S. Dirigible (Zeppelin) during World War 1

U.S. Dirigible in Flight 

Series No. 12 222679

Passed by Censor, Washington, D.C. (Card is sent during World War I)

Photo by Underwood & Underwood

postmarked in 1918 with a 2 cents George Washington stamp

the sender writes:

Lincoln old boy, I am going to leave for across the pond on the 30th.  Will bid you goodby and goodluck to you and Newman.  Hoping this finds you will.

I remain your friend,

TJ Barrett (U.S.Navy) Florida

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During WWI Dirigibles were used in for air patrol operations to search for enemy submarines and also to escort convoys of ships. 

They proved to be inaccurate when used for weapons. Navigation, target selection and bomb-aiming proved to be difficult under the best of conditions. The darkness, high altitudes and clouds that were frequently encountered by Zeppelin missions reduced accuracy even further. The physical damage done by the Zeppelins over the course of World War 1 was trivial, and the deaths that they caused (though visible) amounted to a few hundred at most. 

The Beer Can House, Texas - La Quinta

Greetings From Route LQ (Hotel chain La Quinta)

This is what happens when ....
You Let A man Decorate

The Beer Can House
When John Milkovisch retired from his job as an upholsterer for Southern Pacific Railroad in 1968, he didn't just drink a few beers and lie around the house all day.  He drank 39,000 beers and used the empty cans to decorate his house.

222 Malone Street
Houston, Texas

Nearest la Quinta: 2 miles

With over 780 Locations, La Quinta Inns & Suites is everywhere you travel.

unused, from 2010

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Houstonian John Milkovisch worked through the late 1960s to transform his Houston home at 222 Malone Street into the Beer Can House.  It is a folk art monument to eccentricity and recycling. The Beer Can House is now one of Houston's most recognizable folk art icons.

Milkovisch started his project in 1968 inlaying thousands of marbles, rocks, brass figures and metal pieces in concrete blocks and redwood, all of which were used to make patios, fences, flower boxes, and an array of other items. The result was a yard with no grass, as the entire front and back yards were covered with cement. When asked why he did it, John simply answered, “I got sick of mowing the grass.”

Today, the Beer Can House is owned and operated by The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, a non-profit organization founded in 1980 to preserve and present works of extraordinary imagination and provide people the opportunity to express personal artistic vision.

Lieutenant at Dinglewood Pharmacy in Columbus, Georgia

Lieutenant at Dinglewood Pharmacy

Lieutenant is an icon at Dinglewood lunch counter located at 1939 Wynnton Road.  He has been serving his world famous scrambled dog dish for more that 58 years.  

Roseanne Marie, Artist.  

the sender writes:

Lieutenant is pretty famous here! (Columbus, Georgia) There's a story that an army couple loved his scrambled dogs so much that they ordered a crate to be delivered to their wedding reception after they were transferred to a German base!  He was also featured in Southern Living once.  He's a pretty great guy to boot.

postmarked in 2011 with a 28 cent stamp

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I found out what a scrambled dog was:

A hot dog that is sliced up and buried in chili then covered with cheese, onions, pickles and oyster crackers. Then you add some ketchup and mustard over the top if you wish.

Final Battle of the Creek Indian War, Horseshoe Bend

Horseshoe Bend National Military Park
Final Battle of the Creek Indian War

March 27, 1814
12 miles north of Dadeville, Alabama, Hwy 49

Storming the Barricade the soldiers of the U.S. 39th Infantry followed by Tennessee militiamen pour over the log wall to attack the Creek Indians. The barricade was five to eight feet high. In the foreground, the man with an arrow in his leg is Sam Houston, later of Texas fame.

postmarked in 2010 with a 32 cent 'Remember the Maine' stamp

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Creek Indian War:

The Upper Creeks, siding with the English, sacked Fort Mims (Baldwin County, Alabama, north of Mobile) in the summer of 1813, massacring more than 500 men, women, and children. These same Indians, grown to a force of about 900 warriors, were decisively beaten at Horseshoe Bend (Tallapoosa County, Alabama) late in March 1814 by Andrew Jackson and his force of about 2,000 Regulars, militia, and volunteers, plus several hundred friendly Indians.


USA Stamp 1997
32 cents
Remember the Maine

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The USS Maine was the United States Navy's second commissioned pre-dreadnought battleship, although she was originally classified as an armored cruiser. She is best known for her catastrophic loss in Havana harbor. Maine had been sent to Havana, Cuba to protect U.S. interests during the Cuban revolt against Spain. On the evening of 15 February 1898, she suddenly exploded, and swiftly sank, killing nearly three quarters of her crew. Though then, as now, the cause and responsibility for her sinking were unclear; popular opinion in the U.S. blamed Spain, and the sinking (popularized in the phrase Remember the Maine) was one of the precipitating events of the Spanish–American War. Her sinking remains the subject of speculation, with various authors proposing that she sank due to the results of an undetected fire in one of her coal bunkers, that she was the victim of a naval mine, or that she was deliberately sunk for the purposes of driving the U.S. into a war with Spain. The cause of the explosion that sank the ship still remains a mystery.

Veitshochheim in Bavaria, Germany

Schones Veitshochheim (Beautiful Veitschochheim)

Deutschland ist schon - wir zeigen es! (Germany is beautiful - we show it!)

postmarked in 2011 with a Germany stamp

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Veitshöchheim is a municipality in the district of Würzburg, in Bavaria, Germany.

 In the town is Schloss Veitshöchheim; (photo in the center of the postcard) this summer palace of the Prince-Bishops of Würzburg was built in 1680-82, and was enlarged to its present appearance in 1753 by Balthasar Neumann. The gardens were redesigned for Prince-Bishop Adam Friedrich von Seinsheim (1755–1779), with lakes and waterworks, and filled with hundreds of sandstone sculptures.

Metropolis of Moldavia and Bukovina in Lasi, Romania

 Mitropolia Moldovei si Bucovinei, lasi
(Metropolis of Moldavia and Bukovina in Lasi, Romania)

postmarked in 2011 with a Romania Christmas stamp

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The Metropolitan Cathedral, Iaşi is the seat of the Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of Iaşi and is the largest Orthodox church in Romania. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments.

Two churches previously stood on the site: the White Church (15th century) and the Presentation Church (17th century). On 8 August 1826, prince Ioan Sturdza signed a decree ordering construction of the cathedral; Metropolitan Veniamin Costachi laid the cornerstone on 3 July 1833 and guided construction in its early years. Work began in 1833, and continued at a rapid pace until 1839. In 1840, after serious cracks had appeared on the large central arch, the brick ceiling was replaced with wood. On 23 May 1857, the central vault collapsed taking the interior columns with it, and the church remained unused for the next 25 years.

With some encouragement, the newly-independent Romanian state decided to resume work on the cathedral. A new cornerstone was laid on 15 April 1880. Alexandru Orăscu, rector of the University of Bucharest, designed new plans that added two rows of massive pilasters to the interior, creating a rectangular basilica shape. The four detached side spires were kept, but the large central dome was eliminated and replaced with a system of four semicircular sections, separated by arches.

The cathedral was completed in 1887 and consecrated on 23 April that year in the presence of King Carol I and Queen Elisabeth, who had donated large sums for the project. In 1889, the relics of Saint Paraschiva, patron saint of Moldavia, were brought from Trei Ierarhi Monastery. 

                                    

Romania stamp 2010

Craciun 2010 Natale

(Craciun is Christmas in Romanian and Natale is Christmas in Italian)

3.10

Elizabeth Taylor

Liz Taylor

This unused postcard was bought in 2010.

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Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, (February 27, 1932 - March 23, 2011), also known as Liz Taylor, is an English-American actress. She is known for her acting talent and beauty, as well as her Hollywood lifestyle, including many marriages. Taylor is considered one of the great actresses of Hollywood's golden age.

She has been married eight times to seven husbands:

Conrad "Nicky" Hilton (6 May 1950 – 29 January 1951) (divorced)
Michael Wilding (21 February 1952 – 26 January 1957) (divorced)
Michael Todd (2 February 1957 – 22 March 1958) (widowed)
Eddie Fisher (12 May 1959 – 6 March 1964) (divorced)
Richard Burton (15 March 1964 – 26 June 1974) (divorced)
Richard Burton (again) (10 October 1975 – 29 July 1976) (divorced)
John Warner (4 December 1976 – 7 November 1982) (divorced)
Larry Fortensky (6 October 1991 – 31 October 1996) (divorced)

Lousy Trip Postcards - Phooey

I had a Lousy trip - Haven't you got one that just says PHOOEY?

Say it with Post Cards
A lady with Poison Ivy, Mosquito Bites Sun Burn, and her arm in a sling - it looks like she might have a cold too with that red nose. (He must be sick too ;-)
My question is this, where do you buy a hat like that?  I want one!  :D

unused

Pakyon Falls in North Korea

Pakyon Falls
North Korea (DPRK)
East Asia

MAMM 2011

This postcard is unused.

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DPRK = Democratic People's Republic of Korea

This beautiful waterfall is located just north of Kaesong. 

3-D, Raised Image Postcards from China, Italy and India

Great Wall of China

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Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy

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Taj Mahal, India

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This is three cards from a set of eight postcards titled: 3D, Raised Images on Postcards

you can buy more sets like this in my 'postcard store' if you click on the link on the right

(once in the store, click on the 3-D tag)

Greetings from Gibraltar

Greetings from Gibraltar

Gibraltar from Spanish Coast

Entrance to Town

Hackney Carriage

Main Street

The Fountain

Frontier Gates

postmarked in 1960 with a Gibraltar 'Coaling Wharf' stamp

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Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located at the entrance of the Mediterranean. The territory itself is a peninsula of 6.843 square kilometres (2.642 sq mi) that is connected to the north of Spain with a narrow strip of land. 

It has a Subtropical-Mediterranean climate with mild winters and warm summers. Rain occurs mainly in winter, with summer being generally dry. Its average annual temperature is 18 °C (64 °F): about 21 °C (70 °F) during the day and 15 °C (59 °F) at night. In the coldest month - January, the temperature ranges from 11–18 °C (52–64 °F) during the day and 9–14 °C (48–57 °F) at night.

Iowa Corn Exaggeration Postcard

The State of Iowa has long been famous for growing the World's tallest stalks of corn.  Now, with some "specialized treatment", we are also able to produce these giant sized ears.

postmarked in 1963 with a 4 cent Lincoln stamp

What a great exaggeration postcard!  You have to love the toy train set - very clever

Jumbo Lids -Exaggeration Postcard, Ladies Hat

Her hat may not, indeed, adorn her,

But it helps her keep man in a corner.

Jumbo Lids 1909

postmarked in 1915 with a one cent stamp

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

True Irish Hearts

Erin Go Bragh

The Shamrock Forever

postmarked on March 15, 1912 with a one cent Benjamin Franklin stamp

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Erin go Braugh is a Gaelic phrase, and is used to express allegiance to Ireland. It is most often translated as "Ireland Forever"

Vegetable Market, Bridgetown, Barbados

Vegetable Market, Bridgetown, Barbados, B.W.I.

Photograph by Charles Allmon

This is postmarked in 1958 with two Barbados Harbour Police 5 cents stamps.

King Kong on the Empire State Building in New York

New York

The Empire State Building

Feeling like a King in New York City.

This is a metallic postcard

unused, bought in 2011

New York

Empire State Building

(with one oversized King Kong!)

postmarked in 2011 with a USA 98 cent airmail stamp 

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King Kong is a fictional monster resembling a gorilla that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films. 

The character has become one of the world's most famous movie icons and, as such, has transcended the movies, appearing in other works outside of films, such as a cartoon series, books, comics, various merchandise, video games and theme park rides. 

The rights to the character are currently held by Universal Studios, with limited rights held by the estate of Merian C. Cooper. 

The Church In The Wildwood, Iowa Sheet Music Postcard

The Church in the Wildwood by William S. Pitts

There's a church in the valley by the wildwood
No lovelier place in the dale
No place is so dear to my childhood
As the little brown church in the dale.  - Chorus

There, close by the side of that loved one
'Neath the trees where the wild flowers bloom
When the farewell hymns shall be chanted
I shall rest by her side in the tomb.  - Chorus

How sweet, on a clear Sabbath morning
To listen to the clear ringing bells
Its tones, so sweetly, are calling
Oh, come to the church in the vale.  - Chorus

There, close by the church in the valley
Lies one that I loved so well
She sleeps, sweetly sleeps, 'neath the willow
Disturb not her rest in the vale.

Chorus:
Oh, come, come, come, come
Come to the church in the wildwood
Oh, come to the church in the dale
No spot is so dear to my childhood
As the little brown church in the vale.

The Little Brown church in the Vale, Nashua, Iowa, organized 1855, built 1860 - 64.  Here William S. Pitts, M.D., sang "The Church in the Wildwood" for the first time in 1864.  This American shrine is visited by thousands annually, and many make memorable pilgrimages for their sacred wedding ceremony.

Rev. Glenn L. Utterback, B.D., is the Minister

unused

Here is a youtube video of Dolly Parton singing this song - The first time I heard it I though, nice, but very old.  But now it is going through my head and I am liking it more and more.

World's Largest Pinball Machine, Franklin Institute Science Museum

The Franklin Institue Science Museum

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

"The World's Largest Pinball Machine"
The world's largest pinball machine invites visitors to start a billiard ball on a roller coaster course.  The ball sets other parts of the machine into motion, demonstrating many transformations of mechanical energy and a delightful chain of physical events.

unused - from 1978

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The Franklin Institute (named after the noted American scientist and statesman Benjamin Franklin) is a museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the oldest centers of science education and development in the United States, dating to 1824.

The Cathedral, Christchurch, New Zealand

The Cathedral, Christchurch, New Zealand

on the left is horse and carriages and there are a lot of bicycles throughout the postcard
Kiwi Series -  where the stamp goes it reads, 'Penny Stamp for All Places'

unused

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The Anglican cathedral of ChristChurch in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, was built in the second half of the 19th century. It is located in the centre of the city, surrounded by Cathedral Square.

The Canterbury Region has experienced many earthquakes over the years, and like many buildings in Christchurch, the cathedral has suffered varying degrees of earthquake damage.

1881
A stone was dislodged from the finial cap, immediately below the terminal cross, by an earthquake in late 1881, within a month of the cathedral's consecration.

1888
Approximately 8 metres of stonework fell as a result of the 1 September 1888 North Canterbury earthquake. The stone spire was replaced.

1901
The top of the spire fell again as a result of the 16 November 1901 Cheviot earthquake. This time, the stone construction was replaced with a more resilient structure of Australian hardwood sheathed with weathered copper sheeting, with an internal mass damper.

2010
The 4 September 2010 Canterbury earthquake caused some superficial damage, and the cathedral was closed for engineering inspections until 22 September 2010, when it was deemed safe to re-open. Some further damage was sustained in the "Boxing Day Aftershock" on the 26th of December.

2011
The 6.3-magnitude 2011 Christchurch earthquake on 22 February 2011 left the cathedral damaged and several surrounding buildings in ruins. The spire that had withstood damage in the September 2010 quake was completely destroyed, leaving only the lower half of the tower standing. While the walls and roof of the cathedral itself remained mostly intact, the gable of the west front sustained damage, and the roof over the western section of the north aisle, nearest the tower, collapsed.

Floddertje and Her Dog Grease Knees

This is 'Floddertje' (messy) and her dog Grease Knees.  It is a book about a girl and her dog that can't stay clean for more than half an hour.  It is written by Annie MG Schmidt and illustrated by Fiep Westendorp. The book was made into a children's musical and is performed around the Netherlands.

the back reads:
Kinderpostzegels

Met de opbrengst uit de verkoop van kaarten en kinderpostzegels steunt Stichting Kinderpostzegels Nederland projecten voor kwetsbare kinderen.

loose translation:
With the proceeds from the sale of cards and stamps, child support Foundation for Children's Welfare Stamps Netherlands projects for vulnerable children.

art by Fiep Westendorp

postmarked in 2011 with a Netherlands 2010 stamp

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Fiep Westendorp (1916 - 2004) was a Dutch illustrator who became especially popular due to her long-term collaboration with writer Annie M.G. Schmidt.  The drawings she made for Jip en Janneke, a series of stories which ran in Dutch newspaper Het Parool from 1953 to 1957, now adorn a variety of items sold by a Dutch department store. Since 2007, the University of Amsterdam have an endowed chair for illustration in Westendorp's honor.

Embroidered Postcards - Dancers in Spain

The ladies dress is hand embroidered, then there is fabric and lace sewed on for the bottom of the dress.  Has a typical postcard backing.

This card was given to me in 1988 from my Father and Mother in law from their trip to Spain!

Ljubljana Castle in Slovenia

 Ljubljana, Slovenija

Pogled na Ljublianski grad
A view of the Ljubljana Castle

Foto: Marko Pintaric

postmarked in 2011 with a Slovenia Christmas stamp

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According to archeological surveys, the area of the present castle has been settled continuously since 1200 BC, when the first settlements and later fortifications were built.

The oldest mention of the Ljubljana Castle is inscribed on a parchment sheet Nomina defunctorum (names of the dead), which is kept by the Udine Cathedral Archive. It dates from 1112 till 1125.

In 1335, it became property of the House of Habsburg. In 15th century, it was almost completely demolished and rebuilt with a complete wall and towers at the entrance, where a drawbridge was placed. A chapel was also built at that time. In the 16th and 17th centuries, other objects were gradually built.

Because it was not a home of a ruler or another important noble person and because a fortification in the area was no longer required, the castle started to lose its importance. The maintenance costs were too high so the castle began to crumble. In the 19th century, the castle was redesigned partially as a prison and partially as a military stronghold, making it less popular among the citizens.

In 1905, the castle was bought by the Ljubljana Municipality, on the explicit wish of the mayor Ivan Hribar, who planned to establish a City Museum in it. The plan was however not carried out. Instead, the city decided to settle poor families into it. The residents stayed there until the mid-1960s, when preparations for renovation of the castle began.

At the end of the 1960s, the long and extensive renovation works started. The whole renovation took more than 35 years. In the 1990s, the use of the castle as a place for weddings and cultural events began.

Roosters and Postcards

Over the last 5 or 6 years I have found all these items in different stores around Florida.  Each has roosters with postcards in the background. 

 

File Folders with Matching Labels (this is 2 sets)

Cutting Board

Two Different Sets of Drink Coasters

Decorative Plate

Jindrichuv Hradec, Czech Republic

Jindrichuv Hradec

postmarked in 2011 with three Czech Republic stamps 

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Jindřichův Hradec is a town in the Czech Republic. It has approximately 22,700 inhabitants.

The first written mention of the town is in 1220. Before that, it was probably a Slavic settlement. At the end of the 12th century more people arrived. At the beginning of the 13th century a Gothic castle was built.  Then in the 16th century, it was gradually rebuilt into a Renaissance chateau. (That is the building you see in most of the pictures on this postcard)

Jacob's Well in Nablus, Israel

Jacob's Well
Puit De Jacob
Jakosbrunnen
Pozzo De Giacobbe

postmarked in 1937 with two stamps from Syria

The sender wrote Damascus Syria on the top but Jacob's Well is in Nablus, Israel.  They wrote that they started in Cairo and saw Jerusalem, Haifa, Italy, and some place else that I can't make out.

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Jacob's Well is a deep well hewn of solid rock that has been associated in religious tradition with Jacob.

The well lies within the complex of an Eastern Orthodox monastery of the same name, in the Palestinian city of Nablus in the West Bank.

Jewish, Samaritan, Christian, and Muslim traditions all associate the well with Jacob. The well is not specifically mentioned in the Old Testament; the Book of Genesis (33:18f) states that when Jacob returned to Shechem from Paddan-aram, he camped "before" the city and bought the land on which he pitched his tent. Biblical scholars contend that plot of land is the same one upon which Jacob's Well was constructed.

Jacob's Well does appear by name in the New Testament's Book of John (4:5f), where it is recorded that Jesus "came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the field which Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there."  The Book of John goes on to describe a conversation between Jesus and a Samaritan woman, that took place while Jesus was resting at the well.

 


Syria (Syrie) Stamps 1936
Industrial Expo
2 Piastres and 4 Piastres

The Dalai Lama

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, New York, 1987
Photograph by Herb Ritts

unused, bought in 2010

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Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso (born Lhamo Döndrub; on 6 July 1935) is the 14th Dalai Lama, a spiritual leader revered among the people of Tibet. Tibetans traditionally believe him to be the reincarnation of his predecessors.

He was proclaimed the tulku or rebirth of the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of two. Then on November 17, 1950, he was enthroned formally as Dalai Lama: at the age of fifteen, and he became the region's most important spiritual leader and political ruler.

A noted public speaker worldwide, the Dalai Lama is often described as charismatic. He is the first Dalai Lama to travel to the West, where he seeks to spread Buddhist teachings. In 1989 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

On 17 December 2008, after months of speculation, he announced his semi-retirement. The then 73-year-old Nobel laureate, who had recently undergone surgery, told reporters, "I have grown old.... It is better if I retire completely and get out of the way of the Tibetan movement."