Dear Joanne,
thank you oh so much for the two lovely kitchen towels that you sent me!
It was a complicated journey for them from the USA to Berlin in Germany:
1. you sent me an email and asked for my address (you had it once, when I ordered a beautiful red scarf from you - but it was lost).
2. You told me about your plans - WOW! - sending those wonderful kitchen-towels to all those bloggers you communicated with - a bit like Tibetian peace flags.
And the towels were a gift!
(First I did not understand this - and wanted to pay, and order some more -- than you explained)
3. Two days ago I got a very strange letter from the German Customs Authority.
They had, they told me, a letter waiting for me, mysterious and uncleared.
I was puzzled: a letter from the USA?
And than I had the idea: it must be from you, Joanne!
Thus I walked to the Zollamt - it was a beautiful, sunny day - and I found the street, not that far from my home. BUT - the street ended suddenly, far from the house number they had given me.
I asked a lady who said: "You have to walk through the Rudolph-Wilde-Volkskpark, it's on the other side".
Although I have been often in that park, I never had crossed it before.
Stunning!
I saw the old RIAS-Deutschlandfunk- Radio-Station.
And the the Zollpostamt.
Discussed with the officer-Lady inside, who gave me a waiting number, waited, and came then to a very friendly good-looking young guy.
"We are doing random tests", he said.
"Aha", I said. "And?"
"We are not sure what it is in the envelope."
"Aha - but I think I do. Is it from Mrs. Joanne Noragon?"
"Yes!"
"Then I know what is inside!"
"What?"
"A kitchen towel, emerald green."
They had thought it was a purchase - I told them about Joannes's project, and he was enchanted.
"You can open it!" I said.
"No, you have to - I might damage something."
So I opened it.
"Wow", he said, "that's really beautiful! But there a two!"
"Wow!", I said, "how wonderful!"
And I went home, so happy, and so grateful to you, Joanne!
THANK YOU - they are really beautiful! Yours, Britta
PS: I took some photographs - but till now Google hasn't transported them. But I will no longer wait to send you my thank-you-notes - and the pictures will come later.
Thank you Britta. And to think I put a big X next to "Gift". Ah, well. It is good you like them and they passed all the tests.
ReplyDeleteI thank you, Joanne - they are so lovely!
DeleteI think they could not believe it was a gift (though they didn't know what was inside). But: ends well - so we are all happy!
You will love the towels. Joanne has a heart as large and as active as her mind.
ReplyDeleteYes, Emma - I do love them! They feel so soft, and I love the colour!
DeleteOh, what a lovely story! How strange to have such an old-fashioned and hands-on encounter with the Postal Service. It's like a story from another time.
ReplyDeleteDear Pipistrello, yes: very old-fashioned - but you might see in Rachels comment that England behaved the same way...
DeleteIt was not the normal Postal Service (that has changed very, very much) - it was the very suspicious German Custom Authority, thinking that we all tried to betray them.
Tibetian Peace Flags to them!
They're good towels, aren't they Britta?
ReplyDeleteThey are wonderful, Tom! Which colour did you get? They are almost too good to use them as kitchen towels...
DeleteI persuaded my friend the postman to bring me the towels out to me. A packet from the US was difficult he said, it had to be "identified". I identified it for him by explaining the story and he brought them out to me one week later when he was able to release them without the Postmaster looking. Thank you for sharing as now I know it was not just England, Britta, and thank you Joanne.
ReplyDeleteI am glad too, Rachel, that Germany is not the only "official" behaving country... It was interesting, though, to walk that different way (and I saw a fine hawk when I went back).
DeleteIt is lovely to see you back again Britta and hope that Google will allow you put your photo up eventually. Were you on Google+ and was that the problem? I know it finished on the 2nd April.
ReplyDeleteYour little adventure with the postal facilities made the gift even more special.
Thank you, Rosemary - you see: I still am "on and off", sorry.
DeleteThe Google-disappearance of the photo etc I cannot understand - and yes: I was on google+.
At the moment university demand a lot of time . but I'll be back, promised.
Dear Britta... I enjoyed your tale of the dish towels, but where is your Joy of Living and no photo of your lovely self? I fear I have been remiss in my blog reading... believing my friend from Germany would remain the same. Alas.. that isn't life, is it? I hope you are well and content. Life here revolves around our lovely little bit of 2 year old baby love. She brings light, love, and joy into our world and we visit as often as possible!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your pretty towels... all these years I've read Joanne's comments not knowing she is an artist and American, too! I should be more observant. Sending you smiles across the miles... have a lovely weekend!
Der Susan, thank you for your long command! As I told Rosemary: I don't know why my photo vanished...
ReplyDeleteI am well, yes, but a lot has changed - will try to email you.
I would like to hear more about your grandchild!
I send you my best wishes, and will write soon.
I too received towels woven by Joanne Noragon, and they are the best and softest I have ever had.
ReplyDeleteDear Geo, I am glad to find your response on my blog - and sorry for the very, very long delay in answering! I will try to change that.
DeleteWhat a truly delightful story and experience for those of you lucky enough to receive Joanne's handwoven towels!
ReplyDelete