Amish in Ohio

Just looking at this picture makes me smile. I love the idea of at least a short term visit to the Amish way of life. Talk about a great way to de-stress!

The Alamo

The Alamo is an 18th century mission church located in San Antonio, Texas. The church was built by Spanish Franciscan friars in order to convert the local Indians to Christianity. 

The Alamo was the site of a pivotal battle for Texas independence from Mexico.  In 1836, Col. William B. Travis, James Bowie, Davy Crockett, and almost 200 other Texan volunteers occupied the Alamo. After unsuccessfully defending the Alamo for 13 days against an army of thousands of Mexican soldiers led by General Antonio López de Santa Anna, the Texans died on March 6, 1836. 

 The Alamo was severely damaged in the Battle of the Alamo in 1836. The ruins were rebuilt by the U.S. Army in 1850. The building was bought by the state of Texas in 1905. The Alamo was later given to the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, who maintain the Alamo as a public monument and a shrine to the heroes of the Battle of the Alamo.

North Dakota - International Peace Gardens

International Peace Gardens

Devoted to World Peace, along the world’s longest unfortified border, lies a 2,339 acre Botanical Garden.

Dedication of the International Peace Garden took place on July 14, 1932, with some 50,000 persons present.  A cairn, build of stones gathered from North Dakota and Manitoba was the only boundary maker inscribed on the cairn are these words

TO GOD IN HIS GLORY,
we two nations
dedicate this garden
and pledge ourselves
that as long as men
shall live, we will
not take up arms
against one another.

On either side of the cairn two flag poles, flutter with the Stars and Stripes and the Union Jack. In 1945, the Union Jack was replaced by the Red Ensign. Twenty years later, on February 15, 1965, the present Maple Leaf flag was adopted, and has flown from the flagstaff since that date.

Postage Stamp Post Card

Postcard based on a postage stamp. Issued 1-30-1986.  This design was the fifth in the series of stamps with a Love theme.

South Carolina Map Cards

South Carolina was named in honor of Charles I of England. The nickname of South Carolina is the Palmetto State. South Carolina hold a fond place in my heart. I went to Fort Jackson for my Basic Training. It is such a beautiful state. One of the memories that stand out for me was the abundance of pine trees.

Toldeo, Ohio

Located in a public square in downtown Toledo, Ohio. Looks like a great place to go and spend your lunch break.

Virginia

Lovely multiview card featuring photos of the Waterfront, Old Town and The George Washington Masonic National Memorial.

Yale Law School

Yale Law School was established in 1824.  Yale Law School enrolls about 200 new students a year, one of the smallest numbers among U.S. law schools. Its small class size and prestige combine to make its admissions process one of the most competitive in the United States.

Japan

Our first postcard from Japan.  It's a fashion card that lists where all the pieces of the outfit were purchased. The picture was taken in Tokyo. In the background is a Karaoke building and a Lipton Tea Truck.

Gorgeous postage stamps!

Finland

I have not had any luck researching what and exactly where the location on the postcard is. If any knows please leave a comment.

London Olympics

We were beyond excited to find this in our mailbox. An official  London Olympics postcard.

Adorable sketch of a kitty :) And another favorite of mine...postage stamps. I love that they are generally an inexpensive thing to collect and that there are so many different ones available.

Official Olympic Hologram on the back of the card!

Texas Map Card

I absolutely love getting map cards. Not sure what it is about them but I love them. It's a great way to get an overview of the state or country. With major cities, tourist and historical sites, state flowers and birds all pictured.

Pennsylvania

I have to admit that I have always been fascinated by the Amish. There is a lot to be said for the simple way they live their lives. They focus on God and Family. Not a bad combination at all.

Their children attend Amish schools. They go to the 8th grade and then they leave school to work.

San Francisco

Beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Makes me want to take another trip to San Francisco. Pictures just do not do the bridge justice. It's breathtaking at sunrise and sunset.

North Dakota

Wild horses of North Dakota. Their blood lines go back to the horses of Crazy Horse.

My son adores this card! He has named each and every horse in the picture.

New York City

Beautiful view of the New York skyline at night. The Chrysler Building is in the center. I've always loved the Art Deco design.  One of these days I'd like to visit NYC. Just visit. Don't think I could live there. Way too crowded for this country girl.

Florida Alligator

Another beautiful shaped postcard. I sure wouldn't want to run into this guy anywhere.

Florida

We traded with another postcard fanatic in the forums at Postcrossing    I let my son look through their albums of available cards to see what caught his eye. When it came in the mail he ran around waving it and showing everyone!

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

A view looking north along the Fort Lauderdale Beach. One of our first shaped postcards. I really love the flowers in the upper corner. They add a nice splash of color.

Leuven, Belgium

Leuven (Louvain in French) is the chief town of the province of Vlaams-Brabant. It’s an ancient capital – the home of the Dukes of Brabant since 1200 – and in medieval times an important cloth trading centre. Today it boasts one of Belgium’s most ornate town halls and is Flanders’ oldest university town.

Rochester, New York

Rochester is known as both the Flour City and the Flower City. The city is home to Jell-O, Xerox, Kodak and French's Mustard.

Santa Cruz, California

I don't surf, too much of a chicken, but it would be fun to watch.

Brussels, Belgium

Starting place of the Brussels Marathon

Belgium Olympic Postage Stamp

Belgium Map Card

Burundi Stamp Released 5-21-2012

Croatia

The Pula Arena is the only remaining Roman amphitheater to have four side towers and all three Roman architectural orders entirely preserved. It was constructed in 27 BC.

It was first constructed of timber during the reign of Augustus. It was completed under the rule of Emperor Titus.

It was the sight of gladiator fights. In the Middle Ages it was used for tournament by the Knights Of Malta and medieval fairs.

Nowadays it  is a venue for many concerts. Pavarotti, Norah Jones, Elton John and Sting are just a few of the artists that have performed there.

Czech Republic

Basilica of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mariánska hora a hill above Levoca, Slovakia, with spectacular views over the town and countryside, is the location of the Basilica of theVisitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Slovak - Bazilika navštívenia Panny Márie), built between 1906 and 1922. The church contains an ancient statue of the Virgin which is the objective of pilgrimages.
A chapel has existed in this location since at least the 13th century. It is thought that the location was used as a refuge by townsfolk of Levoča during the Tatar invasions of the time; it may also have been attached to a hospital for sufferers from leprosy. The chapel was enlarged and rebuilt many times, including a Baroque church in 1766. However the increasing number of pilgrims visiting the site necessitated a larger structure. Pope John Paul II, at the request of the local bishop, upgraded the church to a Basilica Minor in 1984, and visited the site himself on July 3, 1995, when about 650,000 pilgrims gathered for the occasion. The annual pilgrimage, on or around 2 July (the Feast of the Visitation), still draws a very large number of participants.

Jersey Shore

Great Smoky Mountains

Standing 6, 643 feet Clingmans Dome is the highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  As the second highest peak east of the Mississippi, it is a very popular park destination.  Located along the borders of North Carolina and Tennessee, the peak is accessible via Clingmans Dome Road and 1/2 mile walking trail. The observation tower rises 54 feet to allow spectacular views of up to 100 miles on a clear day.