Thank You Notes

I was brought up to write thank you notes. As a child, I would dutifully write them to grandparents and my mother's friends under her watchful eye. I didn't love writing them then, but I did it, and they didn't seem to induce as much guilt in me then as they do now in my adult life.

These days I find it incredibly difficult to write thank you notes now that I don't have my mother always bringing me pen, paper, and stamp. I've read the suggestions in the living magazines (always have cute stationary on hand in order to inspire, set up a writing station at one's desk with all needed supplies, etc.), and I've tried them, but in the end, they still don't work for me.

I know I need to write them, but even with all the pieces in place, somehow I still get stuck. It's hard to be a grown up, and when I have to write the thank you note on my own without the help of a parent, it seems I can't do it.

I fret, toss and turn at night, and beat myself up over and over again, but I still find it hard to put pen to paper and thank someone for their thoughtful gift or kind words. There's too much to think about...Is it wrong to start a thank you note with the words "thank you?" My mother always told me so. Is my handwriting too childish looking? I think so. Where are those stamps? Certainly not here where I want them to be.

It's not that I don't appreciate the gifts and thoughts that people bestow on me. Quite the contrary, I am extremely grateful. But somehow, when it comes to thanking people for them, my inner grown up refuses to come out and help me. Let's hope she comes out of hiding soon. I'm sure my great aunt does.

Done

As of 12:30 p.m. today, middle school is now only an increasingly distant memory. Thank the good lord above.

In search of the photobooth

My sister recently got married in San Francisco. It was a lovely wedding for multiple reasons, but by far the most fun part of the wedding involved a photobooth and some well chosen props. Not surprisingly, as the night went on and the alcohol continued to flow, the photobooth became more and more popular. Some boas, oversized sunglasses, and fake teeth made the picture complete as they say, and a very fun time was had by all.

This photobooth success got me thinking about where and how I might recreate the photobooth experience here in Boston. When I lived in San Francisco, I was able to find a few bars that housed photobooths for public use. Some were true old fashioned original black and white photobooths, and some were more modern polaroid photobooths, but they all were fun and cool. And even though they were different, the commonality was that they were available for use!

I've done some searching here, and I've yet to be able to find a bar or restaurant with a photobooth. There used to be one at Diesel cafe, but I think it got lost in their semi-recent expansion. I've seen a few sticker booths at local malls, but somehow that doesn't quite seem the same to me. A photo is solemn, fun, poignant, and romantic all at once. There's something about a picture (especially a black and white one), that perfectly captures a mood, a place--more so than a sticker is ever able to do.

So Bostonians, can you find me a photobooth here?