Happy New Year, everyone!!;) I hope 2010 brings you all that you wish for: good health, happiness, luck, success and wonderful new adventures,…;)

As most of you know, I have been having problems with my hands/wrists since September now. I have something called
“De Quervain syndrome” (you can read about it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Quervain_syndrome), as well as problems with the carpal tunnel syndrome.

I do have quite good days, but on some others (like today), I have quite a lot pain. And, I’m really not sure what is causing it…:(
The orthopedic surgeon thinks the cause might be psychosomatic and would like me to see a psychologist…
I really can’t imagine that stress and problems can cause this sort of things… but who know?

I have started doing more sport (without using my hands), as I need to loose some weight (10-15 kgs). I have joined a fitness studio and try to go there 3 times/week. It helps feel better but it’s obviously time consuming too…
And I have many hobbies (mainly snailmail, reading, sewing, learning Spanish, swapping fbs & postcards,…) and I enjoy meeting my friends (new & old).

I’ve been considering going back to school to study and get a batchelor’s degree (possibly even a master’s degree) in early childhood eductation next September too. And, if I do my free time will be even more limited.

So, I have come to realise that I need to make some choices,
(choices, I have been putting off for quite some time now.)
because of my health, but also because of the commitments, I have.

My family & friends (incl. my penpals) are the most important thing for me and I will always give those the priority.
I’m not sure exactly which of my other hobbies, I will give up yet.
But, for now, I’ll stop creating new fbs. I may still create some privately from time to time (if my hands) are well enough, but I will stop doing so in any groups for now. That way I won’t put myself under any pressure and won’t have any deadlines to worry about.
And, I will concentrate on swappping established fbs in groups for now.

I may stop swapping in groups altogether later this year too and only swap privately with my friends & private swappers, as I really need to reduce my postage costs more significantly.
But, I haven’t decided on that yet and, one way or the other, I hope we will be able to keep in touch.

Hugs,
Anne

and having to resend swaps once or more.

Swapping is becoming a very costly hobby and it is annoying to have to resend things time and again, especially if the person you are sending to is more or less calling you a lier, like this postcrossing user:




and is adamant that the problem is here & I’m responsible for everything, because:
“No, 2 years ago I got a problem with 1 postal worker stealing the stamps off my mails and postcards, so my friend then on as the manager posted a Memorandum of having my mails on watch not only regionally but nationwide. I don’t have problems with mails from then on and that worker kicked off.
If I have damaged mails, my friend would call me or write me a personal letter.”

- http://www.thelocal.de/money/20090818-21317.html
- http://www.thelocal.de/money/20090816-21277.html
I guess the service will be getting even worse in the next few months.
Mail deliveries have been slow lately and we haven’t been receiving mails at all on Mondays & Saturdays these last few weeks…:( And, even the deliveries within Germany are not very good… A local newspaper did a test with 99 letters sent on 3 different days from 4 different locations. Only 61% of the letters arrived at their destination on the next working day (which is what the Post Office advertises with.) and 1 letter was still missing after 5 days!:
( http://www.n-tv.de/wirtschaft/Post-faellt-durch-article482175.html -in German only!)