surprises

What fun getting packages through the mail. It is always a pleasant surprise to get and open and find treasures we can't get here. We really appreciate all that goes into putting together a box and sending it around the world. The flavored green tea, walnuts/pecans, flavored creamer for coffee, chips/crackers, t-shirts, used books/magazines and old western movies on DVD are all treats to treasure. Your thoughtfulness is a blessing.

Another surprise is how long it takes. We have gotten things in 10 days and then we just got one that was mailed on July 5th but just got to us this week. So where was it, who knows. The trail that mail takes from the states to here is a mysterious one that can include short or long stops at various destinations. Don't send anything that could spoil, cause it might while trying to get to us.

We are also surprised to see what the post office will think once the package gets here, before it gets picked up. You see it can also get hung up in customs. First they look at the slip listing the value and if it is over $20 they get suspicious that it is something for resale. Then they may look in it and if things are in their original box and/or with tags they again think resale and charge us duty to get it. So used, out of the box, tags off, even washed and/or worn things work best (not used tea bags please). And label it with the value of used items, listing for personal use/not for resale.

Another surprise is how much I miss the good old U. S. Post Office!