Thank You Notes

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/06/fashion/the-found-art-of-thank-you-notes.html?action=click&contentCollection=Health&module=MostEmailed&version=Full&region=Marginalia&src=me&pgtype=article&_r=0

I can’t begin to express how happy this article in the New York Times today made me. Not only do I love this segment of Jimmy Fallon’s show but I also love a good thank you note. Honestly, I love any personal note in the mail, which is why I still keep up with correspondence. 

I am thrilled to see that there is still some value in sending ‘Thank You’ notes to people. And I’m even more excited to know that an article has been written about this to propel people to do it more often. 

I’m not sure when I became such a proponent of the gratitude note. I’ve always loved writing instruments – pens, paper, etc. I was encouraged to send notes when people gave me gifts or attended events in my honor. Instead of cringing at the chore, I remember sitting at my desk for a few hours perfecting each individual letter to make it even more personal. 

As much as I want people to take up this practice, it’s nice that only a handful of people still do it. It is a very nice detail. It  makes them stand out in a sea of technology and unfeeling communication.

Coffee and Tea

Two weekends ago my sister and I graced the halls of the Lexington Armory for an enjoyable experience made for lovers of caffeinated beverages. There were non-caffeinated options too but sometimes that won’t get anyone out of bed on a chilly Sunday morning.

I had heard of the Coffee and Tea festival over the years and always wanted to attend. This year I bought a Groupon as an excuse to get there. I invited my sister to come along because she’s equally obsessed with and appreciative of trying new teas and coffee. 

When we got there the line went around the corner. Quite frankly I was scared that we would not get into the event. Even though I had the coupon, I was worried it would not be accepted. As we walked past all those people, I worried that the cheap ticket was too good to be true. I turned to my sister and said that if the line went around the block, we could skip the event and go home.

Luckily, we got into the line just before it wrapped around another corner. We chatted for a bit and finally the line started to move. After entering, we went to the admissions table and I told them I had a groupon. And there I was on the list. YES!! I was so happy that it worked out well. We got our directory and walking the immense space. As we crossed the threshold, the scent of roast coffee wafted into our nostrils. My sister and I both inhaled deeply and went ‘ahhhhh’. This made some people around us laugh. We were psyched and ready to go.

We planned out a course of action and started trying samples. We had some lovely teas and sipped some strong coffees, which I really needed as I had slept poorly the night before the event. The space became increasingly crowded so that it was hard to try everything. When it became too difficult to get through the mob without spilling a drink on oneself, we opted to leave. 

It was a lot of fun. We purchased some unique coffees and teas. We got a BIG bag of free samples! That alone made up for all the people!!  I would definitely go back next year. 

My only complaint was that the vendors didn’t have special areas cordoned off so people tasting could enjoy their samples. If I had that time to make an informed decision, I might have purchased more. Come to think of it, maybe it is better that it didn’t turn out that way. Less is more, right?