Back On The Blog, Finally

Well I am finally back to the blog after some 20 days. Where have I been all this time, one may ask? Really nowhere. I had a new home built and have finally moved in. With all the packing, moving in and unpacking , the blog was a low priority. Also, not having the Internet for a week or so and mail redirection, the blog was pretty much on the back burner. My new address is just to the left side of this blog and for anyone who needs or wants to contact me , I also have a new email address as follows : gemsworldpostcards@shaw.ca .

In the time I was absent from the blog, I did receive 22 postcards from Germany, U.S.A, Poland, Finland, China PRC, Norway, Netherlands, Portugal, China ROC, Italy, Lithuania, Russia and Israel. I have selected 5 to show off in this update. My first card today is from Finland. I have to say , it could possibly be my most favorite card that I have yet received. I find it an outstanding card.
It was sent by Merja , a Postcrosser in Tuusula, Finland. Merja is the little girl in the middle on the card. This is a picture that her father took in 1953. Merja turned it into a most beautiful postcard. Then to top it off she went and had the same picture turned into a stamp at Finland Post. She said on her postcard that she wanted to send something unique, and she sure did send a unique item. Thanks Merja for this one in a lifetime item. It's going to be hard to top this .

My second card is from The Netherlands. It is from Ioni , another Postcrosser. Ioni's card shows a very stately church. I have no other info about this building but is it quite impressive . Ioni used 3 wonderful stamps from 2009. Two show helicopters and the third shows an impressive KLM Boeing 747. A great addition to my aircraft and airline name s on stamps collection. Thanks Ioni.

The next card , from The U.S. shows The American Philatelic Center in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. A former match factory, it is now the headquarters of the association. Martha from State College, PA. sent this wonderful card along. Martha used The Phil Silvers Show stamp , from a set of 20 issued in August and a James Michener , author stamp from 2008. Phil Silvers brings back a lot of memories , there was never a dull moment watching that show.

Now a card from China. It shows Tibetan villages at the Raóg Lake in Nyingchi area. I'm not going to get into any political talk about Tibet, other than to say that from this postcard it certainly seems like a peaceful place. One more note , His Holiness The Dalai Lama just finished a visit to the city of Calgary, where he was white hatted, a western tradition where prominent visitors to Calgary are presented with a white stetson cowboy hat. His Holiness looked quite dashing in his red robe wearing a white cowboy hat.

Today's final card is from Israel. It shows The Western Wall in Jerusalem. Rita , another Postcrosser sent the card and used a couple of quite nice stamps from 2009. The smaller one on the left is from a beautiful set of 3 set issued for astronomy. The larger stamp on the right commemorates The Dead sea. Thanks Rita for this card and those great stamps.

That's it for postcards this time around. Now I want to show a stamp that Canada issued on Oct. 19th. It is a stamp saluting Canada's war dead. It was issued in a booklet of 10 and also in a souvenir sheet of 2. The stamp has a signature V for Victory in the background. This stamp honours the courage of our soldiers and remembers all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. I intend to use this stamp almost exclusively as long as I can buy it.

Sorry to ramble on there , but I have been waiting for this stamp, all summer and fall.