Ottawa from various angles

I've chosen Canadian postcards and stamps for this week as my theme because in a day or so I will be there visiting family in its broadest sense.  In-laws of in-laws in some cases.  Ottawa is where I'll be based, though with a few side trips I believe.

The first set of stamps illustrates games of Canadian invention.  I'm familiar with basketball and lacrosse, but ringette is a new one on me.  There was a fourth stamp in the series issued in 2009, illustrating five pin bowling.

The second set is a series showing beneficial insects, issued by Canada Post in 2007.

This is a post for Sunday Stamps, run by Viridian. To join in just click on the button and visit her blog.

College of Arms Quincentenary

These PHQ (Postal headquarters) stamp cards were part of an issue of stamps in 1984 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the founding of the College of Arms.

The top card shows the Arms of Richard III, the founder of the College of Arms, and whose remains have recently (2012) been found under a car park in Leicester, in what was the Church of the Grey Friars not far from the cathedral.  It wasn't until this year in February that the remains were finally confirmed as definitely being those of Richard III.

The second card shows the arms of The Earl Marshal, a ceremonial position and one of the Great Officers of State.

This is a post for Sunday Stamps, run by Viridian. To join in just click on the button and visit her blog.

Sauna in Finland

I had to go back quite a long way to find stamps from Finland.  Once upon a time I could depend on receiving cards from Finland almost every week but now they are something of a rarity.  But I am delighted to be able to show this themed card and stamp from 2009.

According to the sender, the card and stamp rove that Finnish people are maniacs as far as saunas are concerned.  There is a sauna in every home and they are used at least once a week.  As she was writing her own sauna was heating, ready to welcome her family.

A post about stamps from Finland wouldn't be complete without some Moomin stamps.  I have more than I realised.

This is a post for Sunday Stamps, run by Viridian. To join in just click on the button and visit her blog.

Youth organisations

From 1982, a set of stamps as shown on PHQ (Postal HeadQuarters) stamp cards, depicting youth organisations.  The upper ones are the Girls' Brigade and Boys' Brigade, the lower ones Guides/Brownies and Scouts/Cubs.  I believe all these organisations have changed fairly radically since 1982 in an effort to remain relevant with the changing times.

This is a post for Sunday Stamps, run by Viridian. To join in just click on the button and visit her blog.

Map and stamps from China

I've been trying to look through all my map cards - I have a LOT of them - but can't find any others of China.  I'm almost certain this is the first one I have been sent that is a map of a part of China, sent from China.  It is the Shichai district of Beijing, popular with tourists because of the three lakes and an abundance of temples and residences.

It came with equally wonderful stamps.  The problem I have with Chinese stamps is that I frequently can't tell what they represent though they are almost always very beautiful.  This time, though, I do recognise the Wulingyuan scenery, second from the left.

This is a post for Sunday Stamps, run by Viridian. To join in just click on the button and visit her blog.

Bring forth May flowers

I was looking for flowery postcards for this Postcard Friendship Friday entry and discovered quite a number of them and the majority, like this one, from the Netherlands.  I don't list flowers among my preferences but in this case at least it probably comes under the art banner.

It's once of Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairies, the Lilac Fairy.  It was a good choice by the sender because I've always loved lilac.  I had a constant battle with my father during May because he believed having lilac indoors would bring bad luck but as soon as I had my own garden with a lilac tree I could have that wonderful scent around my home as much as I liked. He was not alone in that belief though some people restrict the ban to white lilac.

If you'd like to see more Flower Fairies, do visit Kathy Matthews at Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy.  She completed the A-Z Challenge last month using all Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairies, though her letter L was lily of the valley.

I'll leave you with a couple of verses of Albert Noyes' poem "The Barrel Organ".  There are a good many more verses but I remember these from having to learn them at school when I was very young.  I don't know which came into my life first, the poem or the lilac tree.

Go down to Kew in lilac-time, in lilac-time, in lilac-time;
Go down to Kew in lilac-time (it isn't far from London!)
And you shall wander hand in hand with love in summer's wonderland;
Go down to Kew in lilac-time (it isn't far from London!)

The cherry-trees are seas of bloom and soft perfume and sweet perfume,
The cherry-trees are seas of bloom (and oh, so near to London!)
And there they say, when dawn is high and all the world's a blaze of sky
The cuckoo, though he's very shy, will sing a song for London.

This is a post for Postcard Friendship Friday hosted on Beth Niquette's blog, The Best Hearts are Crunchy.  Just click on the button to visit and join in.

Early steps

This lovely picture of a little girl negotiating a curving staircase has long been in my list of favourites, and fortunately for me, someone noticed and sent it to me from Lithuania.

It is yet another from the Photo Fabrique postcard publishers, from their series "Genres", titled "Up the stairs".  It could of course be down the stairs. :)

This is a post for Postcard Friendship Friday hosted on Beth Niquette's blog, The Best Hearts are Crunchy.  Just click on the button to visit and join in.