Riddle Me Mail - April
[ A behind-the-scenes look and some things we discovered along the way. ]
Looking for the answer to the riddle? It's at the bottom of the Quizzical page.

Behind-the-scenes at Riddle Me Mail:

Journal Notes
After a meeting at Cia's coffee shop in South Portland, I decided to stay put, sip my tea, and brainstorm a bit on the compass panel.

Up to that point, I had been struggling with the design.

Earlier versions had the compass off to the bottom left corner. I tried a collage version, one with street maps, another with stamps, and still another with a patchwork of green fields. Nothing was working. It was only when I put the compass smack in the center of the panel did it all come together.

My intent was to use traditional map symbols on the horizontal lines, but decided on elements related to the month of April: poetry month (pen nibs at the center with lines that flow outward), an accordion fold map, and an envelope (because it's letter writing month).
Riddle Me Mail is an adventure for me . . . and you!

Each month my goal is for more people to get more mail. With each riddle and letter I try to tell a story—one that I hope you'll find interesting. The art panel, quizzical, and calendar are designed to pique your curiosity and encourage you to try, discover, or explore something new.

If you have any suggestions or comments about what's included (or not!), I'd love to know what you're thinking.

Please write or email me with your ideas and I'll get back to you.

If you write me a letter or send a card (address below), I'll send one back.
Yes, we did doubt the trail map and hiked 20 minutes in the wrong direction, but once we were back on course, the much-anticipated overlook offered stunning views: a snow-capped Mt. Washington to the west and a bird's eye view of Sebago Lake to the east.

Well worth every step.
If you're interested in creating a map, you can map all kinds of information. You can map the places you've lived, your path to success, a family tree, or your last vacation. Map Art by Jill K. Berry and Linden McNeilly is a great place to start.
A trip to Ireland vacation map.
Collage using cut-up maps and a cancelled stamp.

Thanks for being a part of Riddle Me Mail, it wouldn't be the same without you!

Are you looking for a unique Mother's Day gift?
Riddle Me Mail turns mailbox disappointment into delight and makes a great gift . . . for the mother who has everything . . . and the hard-to-buy for mother-in-law . . . because getting mail feels good.
Order today!

If you're interested in maps and history, consider reading The Map Thief  by Michael Blanding. It tells the real-life story of E. Forbes Smiley III, a respected map dealer gone bad—stealing millions of dollars worth of rare maps. This article in the Boston Globe is a great introduction to the story and here's a link to Blanding's site.

It's a fascinating story of Smiley's blind ambition and downfall, but it's also a story about the history and evolution of maps.

And, if you live in or near Maine, the Osher Map Library is well worth a visit. They also have an incredible collection of globes and an interactive online feature with 3D imaging.
An abstract map of an apple-picking Sunday drive.