When you live somewhere for a long time it's easy to forget some of the magical things that make the place special.
I was standing in line at the post office last week when I noticed a decorated box with an open slot at the top. Oh, yes: It's time for the annual Loveland, Colorado remailing program.
Here's how it works: you send in your cards in a larger envelope, which is then removed. Volunteers hand-stamp your enclosed, stamped and addressed cards with a special Loveland postmark and send them on their way to your recipients. If you're in Colorado, you can drop off your addressed and stamped cards at your local King Soopers or City Market stores (or at one of the specially decorated boxes at the post office).
I especially like the verse that will be stamped on this year's cards:
Valentine greetings
From a city with heart,
Loveland, Colorado
Home of fabulous art!
(It is pretty fabulous. If you're a crafter, you might recognize Loveland as the home of the publisher that publishes craft books and magazines, including Beadwork, Stringing, Cloth Paper Scissors, and Interweave Crochet.)
Outside the U.S., you need to get your cards in to Loveland by February 4th. In the U.S., the deadline is February 9th. Coloradoans have until the 11th.
This event began in 1946 and attracts more than 160,000 participants from around the world. You can read more about the program at the Loveland Chamber of Commerce.