I must have made a donation to some non-profit organization. That’s the only explanation I had when I received a package of return address labels with a set of matching blank cards featuring fuzzy, gentle pictures of children and a charming still life of blue willow dishes.
A few days later I received another plea from a non-profit with return address labels featuring berries that perfectly matched snail mail stamps. I bought more berry stamps to match every label with a coordinating sticker … except there were no black raspberry return address labels. I gave away all the black raspberry stamps. My stamps had to match my return address labels. … until another non-profit sent me return address labels with roses in yellow, white or red.
The Post Office sells stamps with pink roses that make addressing envelopes an excursion to a well groomed rose garden. My patriotism took a surge when I received the package of tiny American flags beside our name on yet another package of return address labels. I bought a roll of 100 stamps with flags to match the number of labels and the design.
My credit card payments are motif coordinated and neatly labeled. But then horrors, I received return address labels with my name misspelled. I could not believe those getting my donation had cared so little about me as to carelessly record my name, or worse yet, sell my address to another non-profit! A couple months ago we even received address labels for my son who didn’t even live with us – until we got those return address labels.
Shortly afterward he moved in lock, stock and barrel. I welcomed him with his very own return address labels. When those are gone, he will still have accurately printed return address labels: his initials are the same as my husband’s. I still hadn’t used up all those cute little blank cards when the mailman delivered yet another set of return address labels with matching blank cards. This time they were decorated for Christmas. If I hadn’t already purchased this year’s cards at last year’s after Christmas sale, I would have welcomed them.
That package was quickly followed by not one, but four sets of shiny, metallic return-address labels that match absolutely nothing except a Christmas card motif. Each package of labels included self-adhesive, coordinating Christmas package tags. As soon as the post office issues this year’s Christmas stamps, I will be at the window, looking for the stamps that coordinate best with the motif on the return address labels for Christmas. I just hope I don’t have so many that I have to go out and buy more Christmas cards to use them up. I really don’t want to add any names to our Christmas card list.
My cupboard overflows with return address labels, cute cards and envelopes including a set of labels with fall red apples and another with wistful, Victorian garden scenes that coordinate with February’s lacy Valentine stamps.
However, if a couple years from now, the supply has dwindled out, I will know what to do: donate a couple dollars to a non-profit and soon I will have a tax-deduction and more labels than I can use for a long time to come.