September 30, 2011
Random Thoughts with Potato Soup
1. One of the fun things about moving to a new town is that you get to discover new shops - new grocery stores, new gifty stores, new eye-candy stores. And in those new stores, you might discover a new love. Like Noosa Yoghurt. My latest obsession. (I like it even though they say “yoghurt” instead of yogurt.) Wish it wasn’t so pricey. Do you have Noosa near you?
2. There is an elementary school about 4 blocks away, and we can hear the school bells. I should follow them and break for lunch and recess every day, don’t you think?
3. Our mail doesn’t come until 5 pm on weekdays. I’m not a fan of that. And I think the mail lady hates me because I get packages from Loopy and she has get out of her mail truck to walk them to the door.
4. The Aspens are absolutely beautiful right now. Can you pop in the car and come see them in person this weekend? Because you ought to. WH took this up near Breckenridge this week. If you click on it, it almost makes you dizzy. I was going to use it as my screensaver, but I think I’d feel like I was being sucked in. (As if I didn’t already feel like that with computers from time to time.) I’ll share a couple more of his fall photos next week.
5. I made this soup and it was a big hit. Perfect for a chilly fall evening. And it does not taste at all low fat, which I like. 
I should have photo-ed it in a colored bowl so it would show up better. Although I don’t have colored bowls. I might need to go shopping.
Creamy, Low Fat Potato Soup (from Monica at The Yummy Life)
4 baking potatoes (2.5 lbs.) OR 4 cups leftover mashed potatoes
2/3 cup flour
6 cups 2% milk
1 cup low-fat extra sharp cheddar cheese (divided)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 cup low-fat sour cream
3/4 cup chopped green onions (divided)
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
If you are using baking potatoes, bake them (400 degrees for 1 hour in the oven, or microwave them). Don’t forget to poke them with a fork before baking. Peel and mash. OR use leftover mashed potatoes.
Add flour to a large pot or Dutch oven. Whisk in the milk and stir until blended. Cook over medium heat until it starts to thicken (about 8-10 minutes).
Add in the mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup of cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until the cheese is completely melted. Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup green onions.
At this point, I used an immersion blender to thicken it up a bit. (Love that blender. Also good for smoothies.)
Serve in individual bowls and garnish with green onions, shredded cheese, and bacon.
You might want to serve this with Monica’s Cheesy Jalapeño Cornbread – also yummy.
6. I will be working on a Cladonia Shawl and the little Hexapuffs this weekend. Speaking of the little puffs, thanks to ALL of you who entered to win a free Mini Skein kit in last week’s blog contest! The random number generator picked Iris in NY for a free Lorna’s Laces Mini Kit. We’ll let you know as soon as the kits are in stock and ready for everyone.
So back to the mail-which-comes-too-late - what time does your mail come? And does your mail person hate you, too? I think I need to bake her some cookies and do some brown-nosing. Or stop ordering yarn. (Yeah. Like that’s going to happen.)
Sheri hopingyouallhaveawonderfulweekend.
Andthatyourmailcomesearly.
Stephanie said,
September 30, 2011 @ 10:01 am
I live in the greater Cleveland area and over the past several months, our mail gets delivered between 5:00 and 6:00 pm on approximately 5 out of 6 days. I guess they are short staffed. I rarely get packages though.
turtle said,
September 30, 2011 @ 10:01 am
It seems every place i have lived i am on the route that does not have a regular mail carrier. We have the person that finished their route first and gets punished into doing our area of town. So it’s weird, some days our mail comes at 11, somedays at 2, it has even arrived at 6! Not something you can count on timewise… which i find really difficult as my mom delivered our mail and the five surrounding towns growing up and was very punctual!
Melissa said,
September 30, 2011 @ 10:12 am
Hmmm. seems to me that your mail lady might not like to get out of her car, but she can’t hate you–you ordering packages is her job security!
karen w said,
September 30, 2011 @ 10:14 am
The potato soup sounds FABULOUS! Mmm…
My mail usually comes around one-ish. Sometimes it comes around 12 (never before) and sometimes it comes as late as 3 or 3:30. Depends if there was a holiday on Monday–then it’s late. It’s usually early on Tuesday–seems like Tuesday is a very low mail day. But generally it comes around one.
Joyce said,
September 30, 2011 @ 10:16 am
I found Noosa in my local grocery this past Spring (I live in Iowa). I absolutely LOVE it! I think it might be my favorite yogurt of all time.
Melissa Scott said,
September 30, 2011 @ 10:19 am
I had to laugh re your mail comments. Ours seems to arrive whenever the postie feels like coming. Sometimes, the parcel dood arrives on Sat am — this is weird because there is no delivery of mail on Sat in Australia. We often have our mail delivered to our house number, but the wrong street, so the neighbor now delivers our mail! You are so right – 5pm is, well, ridiculous. Sending good postie karma to you.
Mary said,
September 30, 2011 @ 10:30 am
My mailman likes me because I give him homemade whole wheat bread and homemade fudge with pecans and walnuts at Christmas and some homemade cookies once in a while throughout the year. He is always careful with my packages from Loopy and brings them to the door. He comes about noon most days.
Cindy said,
September 30, 2011 @ 10:40 am
My mail comes between 3 pm and 5 pm. I’m usually home at that time and if I see that my mail carrier doesn’t stop right at the mail box, I know that she has a package to carry up, so I go out to meet her. She doesn’t even have to get out of the truck. We chat and I know all about her and her family and she knows mine. She’s really top notch and I would hate to lose her. (I’ve lived places with horrid mail service/carriers. One even that kept returning our mail to sender saying we moved, when we hadn’t. They denied doing it until I started bringing in the envelopes with their yellow sticker on it. Ugh!)
Your mail carrier really shouldn’t hate the packages though. They are job security which seems to be seriously lacking these days!
CyndyC said,
September 30, 2011 @ 10:45 am
My mail also comes late. My mailman probably hates me because he has to get out of his truck for packages and my driveway is almost a vertical drop. He has left packages sitting on top of a snowbank up at the street.
BFF Liz said,
September 30, 2011 @ 10:49 am
You can never tell when the mail comes in my neighborhood. Some days it’s late–even as late at 6 pm–and some days it’s around lunch time. It’s never soon enough if I’m waiting for Loopyness to come!
Angela said,
September 30, 2011 @ 10:57 am
My mail comes as late as yours and I HATE it! Especially today – according to USPS tracking, my Loopy Ewe box is due to arrive. The soup looks great – gotta try that soon.
Jessica W, oh wait, R said,
September 30, 2011 @ 11:04 am
I love your blog and I can’t wait to try this recipe – Although, now I have to go back to Macy’s and buy the immersion blender I skipped out on yesterday thinking I wouldn’t need it. Apparently I do! All this talk about Colorado makes me want to come out and visit!
KathyD said,
September 30, 2011 @ 11:04 am
Hmmm, there is another local yogurt in your area of Colorado-Mountain High. It’s really good.
Unless a miracle happens I won;t be in Colorado this weekend, despite months of planning. Husband’s job is swamped busy and I don’t feel like 15 hours of driving on my own. I hate missing the aspens. Maybe November…
Our mail comes whenever-once our good carrier retired, it has been a mystery when it will come. The carrier changes so often these days they never stay long enough to be upset with the boxes that regularly arrive. The UPS man LOVES me, since I buy a lot online. He told me once “UPS survives on prompt home delivery”.
Oh, as for adding color to your dinnerware: here’s a suggestion. We had white/cream Pfalzgraff forever. When we wore it out and could not get more, I bought JUST small Fiestaware bowls in every color I liked. We used them and decided we enjoyed multicolor dishes. Not a huge money investment in the beginning. You can see if multicolor is ok and which colors you like and dislike. Red chili is pretty in green, lemongrass, and deep blue. Turquoise (the lighter one) makes almost every food look nicer.
Laura said,
September 30, 2011 @ 11:14 am
I am SO making that soup, maybe tonight? I think the bacon is in the freezer though…
Jennie said,
September 30, 2011 @ 11:15 am
Sheri, Offer to teach how to knit or crochet, then she won’t hate the Loopy packages so much!
Heather said,
September 30, 2011 @ 11:23 am
I think you should knit the mail carrier some socks so the “trek” to your door will be cosy.
As far as yogurt, we are hooked on Chobani here. And, thanks for the recipe!
Linda said,
September 30, 2011 @ 11:24 am
Maybe you just need to knit her a cowl or some fingerless mitts and then she will be happy to deliver Loopy boxes to you. Our mail usually comes in the morning and he parks the van (which I can see when I am at the computer or knitting in DH’s recliner) in front of our neighbor’s house. Sometimes I go out to meet him crossing the yards (so he doesn’t have to carry the box so far – lol) … stalking now … website tells me that the traveling scarf from spring fling is on the van & “out for delivery” …
MicheleinMaine said,
September 30, 2011 @ 11:26 am
I have a big mailbox at the end of my driveway and mail gets delivered to it about noontime. I would hate late afternoon deliveries! Sometimes when I need to go to the P.O. to send international packages they just hand my mail to me over the counter (esp. packages). It’s a tiny town (and P.O.)!
Love potato soup – may have to try this this weekend. Would love to visit you and see the aspens (and knit!).
Seanna Lea said,
September 30, 2011 @ 11:31 am
Our mail comes between 1 and 2 p.m. at least on the days I’ve been home to notice it. Because I don’t work from home, it doesn’t really matter if it comes at noon or 6 p.m.
I love potato soup, so I’ll have to try this one sans the bacon.
Martha in Dc said,
September 30, 2011 @ 11:32 am
Sheri, My mail comes betweem 6 and 8:30 PM. So I usually do’t get to the mailbox until the next day. Once I am in my house and changed out of work clothes, I don’t go to get the mail.
At this rate, I don’t see the postal service being able to stay in business long.
Have a great weekend.
Kathy said,
September 30, 2011 @ 11:34 am
I remember how lovely the aspen were when fall came to that area as I went to college for a couple of years in the Denver area, so golden.
Our mail comes around noon to 1 pm. We have a central mail box for the whole neighborhood but if the package, usually yarn, does not fit into the package boxes or our little sliver of a slot then she has to come over and hand deliver. I warned her that I do frequently get yarn in big boxes sometimes so she and I actually are on a first name basis now so it has sort of worked out well.
Will Loopy be carrying the yarn for the new KAL for Skacel? Waiting anxiously for my Wollmeise from Camp Loopy, had to warn the mail lady I was getting several yarn packages in the next couple of weeks….
Janet said,
September 30, 2011 @ 11:35 am
My mailman comes around 1:00 when I’m at work. I’m sure he wonders what in the world one person could possibly be doing with all that yarn! Maybe I should make him some socks and leave them in the box? I’m so glad you got to move to Colorado, Sheri. I lived in Denver for a year and was so very, very sad when we had to move to Spokane. Now I’m in Billings, not so terribly far from Colorado. We are 100 miles from Yellowstone, so that’s nice.
Mary said,
September 30, 2011 @ 11:48 am
Teach the mail carrier to knit and give her a yarn gift certificate for Christmas
Frances said,
September 30, 2011 @ 11:53 am
My mail does not come until late afternoon. I have had some mail deliveries after 7 pm! My UPS man also does not come until between 7 and 8 pm, but he never knocks on the door, so if I don’t track my packages, they sometimes stay on the porch overnight. And yes, my mailman hates me. I live on a walking route anyway and I don’t think he likes delivering all those packages. I used to have a great mailman who would neatly put the packages inside my storm door. the new mailman just throws them on the porch.
Jeannie said,
September 30, 2011 @ 12:30 pm
Very pretty picture of the Aspen trees. Our mail comes anywhere between 11:30am-1:30pm. I’m not sure if our mail lady likes us, but I don’t think she does. They used to come up our driveway to deliver packages that don’t fit into the mail box. Now, she just leaves a note and doesn’t even try. My husband isn’t happy when he has to pick up the packages for me. Luckily, Loopy packages fit into our new, bigger mail box.
Ana (wizgirl) said,
September 30, 2011 @ 12:32 pm
Ours comes at anytime. I don’t think we have a regular carrier any more. Usually the mail has arrived when I get home from work so it’s not a big deal. Except for the weekends when 9 times out of 10 when my Loopy packages come. I must do a lot of ordering on Wednesdays or Thursdays.
Cyndy Harkins said,
September 30, 2011 @ 12:41 pm
Mail at home is usually there by 3:00. We had a carrier for a while that would put packages in a grocery sack and hand them on the flag! I nearly had a heart attack. A visit to the postal sub-station fixed that.
Our mail at work used to be here by Noon most days and now doesn’t show up until mid to late afternoon. I don’t like the new schedule at all.
Orli said,
September 30, 2011 @ 12:44 pm
Most days my mail is here around 3-4 pm and I pick it up around 6 on my way to work. Other times–I haven’t figured out a pattern yet–it gets here at 8am and yet others I get zero mail at all, not even junk mail, which I’ve never experienced anywhere else.
Sheryl said,
September 30, 2011 @ 12:51 pm
I love Noosa!! And speaking of little local shops, have you checked out White Balcony in Old Town yet? Oh, baby, it’s a sweet little place! And our mail comes late, too. Around 4:00pm.
TMTTYRR said,
September 30, 2011 @ 1:47 pm
I brown nose the mail folk all the time. (We have a regular, and a couple of regular alternates.) Salty Dog hates them. (He thinks they are EBIL!!!) We give them all kinds of treats and stuff. It usually works, and they are all kinds of creative about where to leave the mail so it’s clear of the weather and they don’t have to stick their hand through the mail slot into the jaws of Da Great Protector Dog.
I get packages from Loopy, and I order tea on line, and then there’s the delivery of 4 bags of cat litter every other month….. Yea. They could hate me if I didn’t work it right. As for when it comes, usually around noon, though it could be as early as 9:30 or as late as 6 or 7, depending.
Amy said,
September 30, 2011 @ 2:21 pm
After 2pm each day, can be as late at 4pm.
I think we are on good terms. May knit some unisex knucks… Maybe USPS on the knuckles? Or just MAIL.
Joyce said,
September 30, 2011 @ 2:34 pm
My mail comes early afternoon, not that I’m there for it to matter, though. I think all mail persons are a bit grumpy these days considering the overall state of the postal service. I think they’re all a bit worried about their jobs. My mail person is good about leaving packages for me by the door in the carport. It’s protected and out of the public eye…
nancy said,
September 30, 2011 @ 2:48 pm
Our mail comes between 11 AM and 2 PM. Depends on day, I guess. My mail carrier loves it when I get packages. She says she really enjoys the names of the places I get parcels from. especially TLE. They come right to my door and she always has a big smile. We are lucky when it comes to mail carriers. One we used to have was a good friend. She knew how to get into the house, even when we weren’t home. She would use our house as a pit stop and would grab a diet coke for the rest of the route on the way out. When she did this, our mail was always on the kitchen table when we got home. It is good to live in a small town.
With the anticipated rotten wet weather here in Ohio this weekend, I will be giiving this recipe a try. Potato soup is one of our favorites, along with red or white chili. Have a great weekend of knitting.
dawn said,
September 30, 2011 @ 3:00 pm
It seems like our letter carriers last about a year and then move on. Most of them have been wonderful. I do, ummm, a *certain amount* of online shopping, so there are packages on a weekly basis. The current letter carrier was a bit grumpy at first, but after a couple of weeks of getting a smile and cheerful greeting from me, he has warmed up. Now I get a smile and a joke from him whenever he has a package to bring to the door. Maybe your mail lady can be cheered up too?
Sherry said,
September 30, 2011 @ 3:11 pm
We have those banks of mailboxes in our neighborhood, where you put outgoing mail into a slot and then can’t change your mind. Last Christmas when my mom was visiting, she “helpfully” picked up envelopes from my kitchen table, walked down the street to the mailboxes, and put them in. Problem was, ONE was mail to go out, and the other was a substantial, endorsed check in an ATM deposit envelope.
We called the post office and begged our carrier to retrieve the ATM envelope and put it in my box the next day, so I wouldn’t have to get the check re-issued. And she did it, which is a level of service we don’t usually get with mailboxes of our type. I made sure to leave her a Starbucks gift card in thanks.
Rita said,
September 30, 2011 @ 3:17 pm
My mail carrier hates me and the feeling is mutual. It was actually a Loopy package that started the “war”. Packages were always left on our doorstep (single family home on a cul-de-sac, covered porch…no threat of theft unless a deer or squirrel nabs a box), then one day, I didn’t get my much-anticipated TLE package and got a dreaded orange slip instead. TLE does not require signatures, so I left an inquiry online with the USPS, wondering about the practice and if the carrier was just being lazy, thinking we’d go to the post office to pick up the box instead. That was over a year ago. Since then every package is NOT delivered and we automatically get that darn orange slip. Every time, I go online and request re-delivery. (That’s the war part–leave a slip and I will request redelivery just to get the lazy carrier out of his truck, even if I can pick up the package. I drive past the post office to get home from work.)
There have been times when I’ve been home and see the mail truck drive off without even attempting to deliver. When called out on it, the woman (not a lady, just a female human) defended the carrier saying “the carrier knows his clients and knows nobody is home.” Except that I was home. “Well, most people aren’t home during the day, so he assumed you weren’t.”
I support the USPS by still buying stamps and mailing my bills rather than paying online. But I was kind of hoping our post office was on the list of possible closures.
Mary said,
September 30, 2011 @ 3:19 pm
I have no idea when the mail person comes as I am at work during the day. As for anything that does not fit in the mail box (living in an appartment) I just get a nice note that they can not deliver it and I need to go pick it up myself at the local postal outlet. That means most of my yarn shipments I have to go pick up as the mail box is very very small.
Dorothy said,
September 30, 2011 @ 3:21 pm
My mail now comes late in the day too, which is a depature from previously. Have to asy though, I loooooove the post office and my mail people. Did you know they are now required by Congress to fund 75 years into the future of retiree health funds in just 10 years and are being threatened with extinction as we now know the post office??? If you love and use the post office, show them some love now and make it known we want mail no matter where we live and we get it for a bargain. I’m just thinking how morose we’d be if anything happened to them.
KateinIowa said,
September 30, 2011 @ 4:01 pm
In addition to my (almost weekly) packages from TLE, I order a lot of other things online (clothes, cosmetics, detergent). My mailman also dislikes me, but does not get his (lazy) self out of his truck. Instead, if they do not fit in the box, he balances them on top of the box. Thus, we frequently find Loopy boxes on the ground.
His sub, brings all of the mail AND the packages to the door with a big smile. I want the sub to be permanent!
I agree, 5:00 pm is too late for mail. Glad you’re enjoying your new home, Sheri!
Lacey said,
September 30, 2011 @ 4:04 pm
Who doesn’t love potato soup on a chilly autumn day? Your recipe sounds scrumptious! My mail USED to come around 9-10 AM. Not bad right? Then for some weird reason, things changed about 2 months ago and now it doesn’t come in until 4PM at the earliest! I’m not a fan. I hope your mail person learns to enjoy her little walks to your door, because I don’t anticipate you changing your yarny habits just for her!
Reni said,
September 30, 2011 @ 4:29 pm
You should ask if your mail lady knows how to knit, and if she doesn’t you could offer to teach her! haha I bet if she knew all the yarnie goodness that comes packed in those boxes she might be more inclined to be friendlier to you! She may even start to look forward to delivering to your door, or at least one could hope!
Potato soup is my favorite, so thank you for the recipe…it looks delicious!
valerie said,
September 30, 2011 @ 5:15 pm
our mail comes between noon and three. also, despite the credo, our mailman (it IS a man) doesn’t deliver in inclement weather, despite being in a usps vehicle.
i live in maine, so i bet our foliage is at least as nice as the aspens in colorado…..
Robby said,
September 30, 2011 @ 5:19 pm
My postal lady is wonderful! She always has a great attitude, and always puts my TLE packages between the door and storm door to protect ‘em. She used to come every day between 11:45 and 12:15. I could tell if it was her day off by when the mail came. She told me a few months ago that the PO is shuffling routes and consolidating to save money and her route is now significantly bigger. She actually apologized that she won’t be quite so ‘clock-like’. I still love her.
Carolyn said,
September 30, 2011 @ 5:38 pm
Yummy looking soup
I’ll have to try that one!
My usual mail carrier is awesome, he leaves packages under the covered area of the back porch, out of the wind, and puts a note on the door and in the mailbox letting me know there’s a package waiting for me. Usually our mail is here between noon and 1:00 pm, unless there’s a sub on the route, and then it comes whenever.
danielle said,
September 30, 2011 @ 6:30 pm
First of all – isnt t a given that we are programmed to respond to school bells? So OF COURSE you should break for recess (at the very least) and lunch…..I have always sworn that we are on a training route for mail delivery. It is rare to have a long term person. And so many times, I swear the person delivery mail could not read. But the one we have now is awesome – very aware of what is going on in the neighborhood which I think is pretty good. Our mail comes mid afternoon except during school time and days cause there is no place for him to park…..when we have subs, it can come up to 9 or 10 Pm at night!
I think you should knit here a scarf or mittens or something as a thank you for delivering all those packages – especailly once winter sets in!
southparknitter said,
September 30, 2011 @ 6:33 pm
depends on which carrier brings it…some days 2 and some 4. Since I usually stalk my packages, I’m at the box waiting so they don’t have to get out of truck. When I’m not here, they’re on their own. I really meet them because Debit D Dog doesn’t like strange folks at her door and she barks at the UPS or FedEx truck if it stops within 2 blocks. I’m having a pajama day tomorrow and Sunday will be going to Rising Meadow Farm for Farm Fest. It’s a small fiber fest at my friends’ sheep farm. I’ll be demonstrating rigid heddle weaving,
Linda M Hebb said,
September 30, 2011 @ 6:39 pm
My mailman has taken to calling me by my first name. He brings the packages to the house if a signature is required or if unfortunately I have to pay Canadian taxes and duty on them. The mail itself goes to a group box and is filled about 10:30 am Mon – Fri (no Sat delivery here)
Susanna said,
September 30, 2011 @ 6:53 pm
I live in Huntsville (the rocket city) and we get noosa. Love the strawberry/rhubarb. This hails from my home state and where you live now. Rhubarb is hard to come by in our area and I miss that and the sour cherries from my grandfathers garden that he brought with him at Christmas time. As far as mail, we have 3 who share our house as we fall on different routes depending on the day. So mail either comes around 10, 2 or 4:30 depending on which route we are on. I know this only because I have every other Friday off otherwise I don’t get home before 6 so it doesn’t matter. We live on a steep hill but they always say hi and wave when they see me out walking. the UPS guy is also friendly with us and I give him more challenging packages then our USPS mailmen.
pattie said,
September 30, 2011 @ 6:56 pm
my mail used to get here by 10:30, now sometimes it is 4 or later. UPS is late afternoon, FedEx comes early.
Potato Soup: wow. When I made it the first time as a young married, my dad wouldn’t eat any. “You eat Potato Soup when you are poor.” I convinced him finally to try it and try to enjoy it b/c it tasted so good, and I won him over. The Depression must have been really hard to go through! Thanks for a nice Dad Memory.
Diane said,
September 30, 2011 @ 7:14 pm
We live in a semi-rural area. Our mail is usually delivered in the early afternoon, and we have the best mail lady ever. She has become a friend, and I think she enjoys coming to the door with packages because it gives her a chance to chat for a few minutes. She knows all of the folks on her route by name (of course, she looks at our names often enough!), and always waves if we pass her on the road. We share plants and produce from the garden with her.
Lindey said,
September 30, 2011 @ 7:52 pm
Something wrong with my mailman, he seems to alter his route daily, sometimes arriving at noon, once not until 6pm. I didn’t even know mailmen worked past five.
Also, Noosa is my Kryptonite. Their rhubarb flavor may kill me someday. Mostly because I’m allergic to milk. *sigh*
patricia said,
September 30, 2011 @ 8:21 pm
Ours is late afternoon, too- between 5 and 6 pm. earlier on Saturdays- by 2 pm.
Our condo development is under the mailbox cluster system and there are large boxes for packages.
Alice said,
September 30, 2011 @ 8:39 pm
Mmmmm…I love this time of year when I can start making soup every other night if I want!
My mail comes usually between 10:00-11:00 each morning. I so would not like my mail coming that late.
Angie said,
September 30, 2011 @ 9:56 pm
My mail come any where from 11am to6:30 pm which SUCKS. depends on if it is our normal person of some one else that has taken on the route
Cheryl said,
September 30, 2011 @ 10:08 pm
Mail varies according to who delivers, but what does bother me is one carrier will bring the things right to the porch while the other balances the boxes on top of the mailbox. it is across the street and I keep wondering when a box will fall and be run over or tossed down the street…
I would be quite disappoibnted if it were a LE box..
Abby said,
September 30, 2011 @ 10:57 pm
Mail comes at a normal time? I don’t believe you. Mine will arrive anytime between noon and 4pm. I have only met my mail carrier twine – and it wasn’t the same person…
Now I’m all suspicious of the USPS.
Ruth Ann said,
September 30, 2011 @ 11:20 pm
Well, DH has gone and done it now! This picture may replace the one on the laptop of the snowcapped mountains in the background with the yellow clump of wildflowers in the lower right corner. I have to know, did he lay on his back to get this shot? Now if there could be the sound of the wind through the leaves. He should have a show.
Traci Lyn said,
September 30, 2011 @ 11:22 pm
Sarah, our mail carrier is amazing but she and I have a problem with our delivery time now about 4 months ago they added to her route and instead of letting her decide the most productive way to deliver all her routes the powers that be decided what order she would deliver and so when my mail used to come by about 12 we are lucky to see her by about 3 and she says this winter when her loads get heavier we will be lucky to see her by 4:30 or 5pm. This makes me very unhappy but under the circumstances I cannot be at her but I am unhappy with our local postmaster and in my quest to help her I call our local postmaster about 1 a week to tell them they should let her decide the most efficient delivery route for her. (After all she knows her areas the best). I have been supplying her with goodies over the years and currently plan on a new scarf for her for this winter to help keep her dry. She is the best carrier around I have never see her without a smile for anyone
carol said,
September 30, 2011 @ 11:35 pm
Our mail comes as late as 7 pm sometimes. Just depends on which carrier we get.
In the summer you know how hot it can get, well when it is one of those 100 degree days, I put a bottle of water in a plastic bag with ice and put it on the mail box.
Wanda said,
September 30, 2011 @ 11:55 pm
My mail doesn’t come to my house. We live in a small town and have to go the post office to pick up our mail! Boo Hiss! It used to be sorted by 9 am but I just noticed a new sign that says mail will be sorted by 1130. I hate having to go to post office to pick it up!
Pam said,
October 1, 2011 @ 12:22 am
OMG Noosa! I absolutely love it. It has spoiled me for all other yogurt. I get a 16 oz tub delivered with my milk every Monday!
Lynn Z said,
October 1, 2011 @ 1:13 am
My neighborhood has a common mail area, so I never see my mailman (who delivers my mail after 5 too. Hate that!). This summer, I happened to stop to get my mail as the mailman was just finishing up. He saw me open my mailbox and and said excitedly, “oh, you’re Zimmerman! You must do a lot of knitting.” I don’t know where he got that impression.
Rachelle said,
October 1, 2011 @ 2:10 am
My mailperson is not reliable on time, can be there by 10am or not till 3pm. Makes it very difficult to plan when to check the mailbox.
Kathy in Alaska said,
October 1, 2011 @ 2:23 am
As a “mail person” (actually, a Post Office-person, since we don’t have home delivery of mail here), I can say with certainty that any and all brown-nosing is very much appreciated! We get our mail “up” each day by 11, and often earlier. We do our best to get it all done quickly, but know that the PRIORITY (Priority Mail or otherwise) for most people is the PACKAGES! (And it’s a running joke in my little Post Office how many yarn packages come addressed to me!) It is heartening to hear how many of you are happy with your mail carriers, and saddening to hear how many of you are not. Some of you have observed that we postal workers are members of an endangered species of late. Not to justify any bad behavior on anyone’s part, but we are all very much afraid for our jobs these days, and while that may not bother some of our customers, it will be a sad day for this country if / when the US Postal Service as we know it is no longer.
Laurie said,
October 1, 2011 @ 9:02 am
Our mail comes around noon these days, but our former mailman always ran much later…and he NEVER came to the door. He would just pull down the driveway, sit in his truck and honk the horn until one of us came out to get whatever he had that wouldn’t fit in the mailbox! If we didn’t go get it, he would just leave and try to deliver it the next day so I would always run out there because I knew more than likely it was a Loopy package! I will have to look for Noosa when I am near a store that carries it – My new love is Oikos Greek yogurt – Yummy for breakfast on the run!
Mary Beth said,
October 1, 2011 @ 9:15 am
Mine arrives at 5pm or later if a substitute is working. Fed Ex comes at 8pm or later!
Cyndi said,
October 1, 2011 @ 10:46 am
My mail delivery is random – seems they are always changing the carrier & route.
None of them are fond of me, though. 10 years ago they made a push to move from house mounted boxes to street boxes (they even provided a free post & box if you switched!). It was not mandatory, so I did not switch. I am now the only house left in the neighborhood that they have to walk to the door to deliver my mail. I am sure that some day they will force me to change but until then I don’t have to walk through the rain to get my mail!
Sherry said,
October 1, 2011 @ 11:59 am
My mail usually seems to come around 2. It is hard for me to tell cause the box is not close to my house. And we have boxes right there for the packages so the mail person doesn’t have to bring them to our house.
Denise said,
October 1, 2011 @ 1:22 pm
We used to live near the end of a rural mail route and I often thought that when it got too near five o’clock the carrier/drive would abandon the rest of the route and head back to town. There were far too many days that we got no mail followed by tons of mail the next.
This place has way better service. Mail is here by 10am, 11 at the latest. Never realized how nice that is.
Kelly said,
October 1, 2011 @ 6:03 pm
Glad to hear you’re enjoying CO so far. I lived in CO for years in both Summit County and Basalt. The blue sky and gold aspens are spectacular (CO is one of the prettiest places to live IMHO
)
The mailbox is at the bottom of the road where we live now, and it’s usually here between 10 and 11 am.
Mandy said,
October 1, 2011 @ 6:54 pm
My mail comes at around 3-4 pm and is delivered by the radiant Anna. Anna makes me smile just thinking about her. She always seems to be in good spirits and is just a pleasure.
Margie said,
October 1, 2011 @ 8:12 pm
I am so lucky – my mail comes at noon and my mail carrier is a really sweetie. He puts my packages (I get a lot of them) in a Tote on my back porch. I think that is really going over and above his job description!! He is definately getting something special for the holidays!!!
Ann said,
October 1, 2011 @ 10:08 pm
Since I moved house last year my mail doesn’t come until after 3:30 everyday it’s delivered. A few weeks ago we got a new girl and she didn’t get to my house till after 5. Believe it or not she got chewed out right in front of my house by an a person in a mail truck, ( I live in NJ where things like that are normal). Since then were back to 3:30.
It stinks when I’m expecting sock club shipments, and I know it’s on a truck, and I just have to wait.
nnce henderson said,
October 2, 2011 @ 12:31 am
I drove past Copper Mountain & Vail last weekend. Good thing
I was the passenger and got over 400 photos of the aspens, pines and birches. Awesome..literally. I’d move there in a New York minute, given the chance!
Jennifer said,
October 2, 2011 @ 1:44 am
Living overseas, at least you are getting mail. Ours only comes Monday/Wednesday/Friday if there has not been any natural disasters or wars blocking mail from coming or getting reprioritized to being taken off the boat/airplane.
Otherwise, the guys working the mailroom are the best. I love getting emails from the them saying I’ve a package. Bonus- they love looking at all the new yarns that I’ve ordered. They are pretty excited when the Loopy packages come because they don’t have tootsie rolls over here so I share them with them. Win/win. They get candy, I get yarnie goodness. I think they deserve a handknit as a thank you. Off to look for more goodies.
Keep up the great work!!!
Laura Marusa said,
October 2, 2011 @ 10:06 am
Sheri, this is also a great time to hear the elk bugling…Rocky Mountain National Park (just above Estes) is a great place for that!!!
Lucy Portland said,
October 2, 2011 @ 3:30 pm
My mail comes at varying times but never earlier than 12:30. Sometimes it comes as late as 5 o’ clock. Has the shop moved to Ft. Collins? If so, where is it located? If not, when will the move occur?
Cathy Z said,
October 2, 2011 @ 4:17 pm
Our mail comes around 5; and, my mail carrier is not happy with me either. My daughter recently got married and all gifts were mailed here and had to be hand delievered to my door. The wedding was last weekend and I do believe the mail carrier is a bit happier.
Vickie said,
October 2, 2011 @ 5:08 pm
Don’t get me started on the mail. Since you asked… there isn’t a usual time. As early as noon & sometimes well after 5PM (what’s up with that?). Then there’s the whole already been opened issue, the not my mail issue, & the “we got your mail last week & are bringing it by now” issue. Two years in a row I have been unable to get my contacts delivered to my house because my address appears as undeliverable somewhere, even though I have lived here in the burbs of St. Louis at the same address for over 20 years. grrrr
Kate Lathrop said,
October 2, 2011 @ 5:25 pm
(waving hi from down south of you!) Our mail used to be delivered mid afternoon; the last few months it’s been delivered around 5 PM. Our mail carrier is pretty cool and makes sure the mail doesn’t get stuffed into our standard size metal mailbox.
(makes note to self to order from TLE soon to see if she freaks out at boxes)
Jan said,
October 2, 2011 @ 9:53 pm
We’re pretty lucky in that our mail carrier delivers between noon and 2 p.m. He’s a great guy and doesn’t seem to mind walking a package or two up to the door when they don’t fit in the over-sized mailbox. He does, however, joke with me about “yet another yarn delivery, huh?” so I guess he’s gotten used to reading the labels, or I’m a little too easy with ordering online. LOL! When he has his days off or takes his vacations, he is very missed, but we have some really great substitute carriers, so there aren’t any complaints here, even if the mail does show up at 5:00 p.m. from time to time.
Our postal carriers treat us well, so we feel we have to return the favor throughout the year and especially during the holidays, knowing it isn’t an especially easy job.
Beautiful Aspens! The trees are barely turning here yet. I can’t wait!
Linda said,
October 3, 2011 @ 3:05 am
I was so interested to read about Noosa yoghurt. My Grandma lived right on the beach at Noosa and we had all our childhood holidays there, including Christmas.
Virginia said,
October 3, 2011 @ 5:47 am
Hi Sheri, our mail comes between 4 and 5 too, but our mailman seems a happy guy. Your mail carrier is probably just tired – they’re making so many changes at the P.O these days (I hear from a knitting friend who has a hubby in the P.O.). She’d probably appreciate a treat just to know she’s cared about.
Maybe do it quick before ordering more yarn. Good luck.
Sandy H. said,
October 3, 2011 @ 7:38 am
My mail is here by 9:30 every morning and I have the best mailman in the world. He brings treats for my dogs, gives me bulbs for my garden, and provides my daily eye candy too!!
When I broke my leg this summer and was gimping about, he rang the doorbell each day to see how I was doing. Also he asks what I am working on because he sees the boxes of yarn and cross-stitch bliss.
Last winter I made him a nice new warm hat, scarf, and fingerless mitts just because he is so terrific.
im just lori said,
October 3, 2011 @ 7:43 am
Our mail shows up around noon–later on Saturdays and Mondays. He gets a kick out of the glee I get from some of the packages–like the ones I order from The Loopy Ewe.
Patsy (Rav :MissBabie) said,
October 3, 2011 @ 9:03 am
I live in a very small town, and all the post office ladies know me and my yarn addiction. As soon as they see me walking in front of the window, they get my parcel ready.
The other day, the little paper that tells me I have a parcel was tucked into another paper, so I walked out of the post office (the counter is in a separate area), and one of the ladies came running out “Hey! You forgot your parcel!” I was confused since I hadn’t seen the paper… I was so happy she did that! 
Oh, and I can usually pick up my mail around 11 am. But since I’m in Canada, it takes like 2+ weeks for anything to get here from the U.S. 
Boooo!
Kathy said,
October 3, 2011 @ 10:07 am
my friend Kay in Michigan calls her mail carrier the Funny Farm mailman, as he reminds her of a character in that film. He flings the mail, or squashes pkgs, or drops it, or leaves it anywhere but the mailbox, and peels rubber as he grinds the mail truck brakes and squeals out of their driveway. She says they never know what time of day he’ll come. Do we wonder why the PO is in such financial trouble (or could it be all those zillions spent advertising the PO’s wonderfulness)
julie said,
October 3, 2011 @ 11:14 am
My mail is normally delivered around 4-5 pm which is okay with me, as I don’t get home from work until 4:30pm. We have a great mailman, always greats you with happy smiling face!
dana said,
October 3, 2011 @ 1:19 pm
Most of our mail is delivered to our PO Box in Moccasinm where my husband works. we lived there (it is a company town, owned by San Francisco) for two and a half years, about 17 years ago, and now live about 18 miles away. the mail that goes to the PO Box is brought home by husband, Mondays through Fridays. He gets home from work before i do, so the mail is waiting for me. It usually takes an extra day or two for mail to get to Moccasin as opposed to Sonora, and i have no idea why that is.
Gwen said,
October 3, 2011 @ 1:44 pm
Hey! I’ve always spelled it with an “h” – yoghurt. Lately, I’ve been a little self-conscious because I see “yogurt” everywhere, but I’m sticking to my guns! yogHurt! yogHurt! yogHurt!
I see that Sprouts carries it, so I’ll have to check it out! I’m always game for trying a new yogHurt. But what is it about Noosa that you like so much?
Maureen said,
October 3, 2011 @ 4:53 pm
My Mail delivery person is a crafts person too and loves to see what I get from TLE so we pet the yarn in the front yard together and Oh! and Awh! together. Neither one of us has the guts to sniff yarn in the front yard so I do that after I shut the door. I might also pet the yarn again a couple of times before it gets laid down so I can fix dinner. Yeup, my mail comes about 4-5pm each day just in time for dinner…almost.
Ruth said,
October 3, 2011 @ 5:21 pm
We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Noosa Yoghurt. Best ever.
We are the last house on our mailman’s route and sometimes, he used to skip coming by if he didn’t have any mail for us. That meant our Netflix returns just sat in the mailbox.
Now, I give my mailman gifts. Little bags of candy, a Christmas present every year, whatever treats I can think of. We get exceptional mail service.
Rachael said,
October 4, 2011 @ 11:56 am
My mail comes while I am at work, so I don’t know what time! Maybe between noon and one. My mail lady really hates us though – we have called to complain at least twice so we are not her favorite customers!
Once she left a package containing a fragile clay ornament balancing on the open mailbox door instead of bringing it to the house and I found the package in the street when I got home!
The other time was an expensive necklace for my SIL’s birthday gift that she delivered to the house across the street and then sent back to the sender when they said I didn’t live there. I was tracking the package so I called that day when I saw it was attempted delivery. She was insistent that she brought it to the right house, but said a short Asian man (many of which live across the street from us) answered the door. My husband is 6′, blond-haired, and blue-eyed. The postmaster actually said he was concerned that there was someone we didn’t know in our house!! So now we joke about the short Asian man that lives in our coat closet and only turns away packages.
Lisa in Los Angeles said,
October 4, 2011 @ 3:04 pm
3:30 p.m. on the dot. And we live in a condo with 24 hour security, so there’s never a worry about our packages – we just claim them from the security gaurd….
….all of whom know exactly what is in all the boxes and packages I get! YARN!!! I have to tell them a lot of it is sock yarn for my husband!
Davida said,
October 5, 2011 @ 8:38 am
I am a mail carrier. I am always keeping my eye out for a kindred soul who receives knitting magazines or yarn packages. Alas, not many do! If I had a yarn-loving customer I would be sooo happy to deliver those packages, knowing the joy I would be bringing! I’m sorry to hear about bad experiences with the Postal Service. These are very hard times for us right now, with lots of changes. Quite a few of us do take pride in our job and try to provide the best customer service possible. It’s too bad that there are stinkers out there who give us a bad rep!