Great seed give away round 1

I'm just trying to figure out if it's just Arizona or me, but has anyone received seeds from the first (great seed give away) from Ursula. It seems that I'm not getting any of the seeds that have been sent outside of the country. Mitjo has sent me seeds but I haven't received them either. Has anyone else had this problem? Just trying to understand what is going on here. Thanks
Jan

This message was edited Oct 5, 2003 10:42 AM

Be patient; may just be slow mail service.
I remember a few years ago; we lived on the south side of town and mailed a letter that was to go to the north part of town, and it took 9 days to reach it's destination; so hang in there. Have you emailed these people personally to let them know that the seeds haven't been received. Maybe they can track them down for you.
By the way; how long ago have they been sent?

Jan, I just got a note from Ursula regarding number 2. She said Air Mail is moving slow and not to expect the seeds for about three weeks. Do you have any idea when yours were mailed?

Mine also were sent in the first batch sent out, but I just thought it was going to be around two weeks because of the security and all. I know that theyve been sent but no I havent seen them. I'd have to look back again at the post to see when she said she sent them exactly

Julieanne aka ABG

Thanks everyon, I just received a note from Ursula and she said she sent them out on the 22nd so I will be patient for awhile longer. Never did get seeds for Finland. I know it wasn't that they weren't sent I just think that maybe they were intercepted or something.
Jan

I cant remember in which way she said she would be sending them. Did she say regular mail? That would explain it and all this security right now for over a year going on. I never did from Finland either Jan. I'm just gonna hang in there and wait. I'll post if I get mine..You do the same.

Hello!

Round 1 was sent via regular airmail on Sept. 22nd.

Round 2 was sent via regular airmail on Sept. 29th.

My experience is that regular airmail takes some 10 to 14 days to reach destinees in the USA, but ...... sometimes it takes much more.

Example Nbr 1: early this year I swapped seeds with Weezingreens in Alaska. None of our packages arrived at the expected time, neither her end nor mine. After giving the respective postal services a reasonable additional time, we decided to send each other a second seed-package. Needless to say, we both ended up with two seed-packages from the other end!

Example Nbr 2: early this year I sent a regular airmail seed-package to Evert in Finland, "calculating" it would reach him for his 15th birthday, only to find out it reached him 2 months later!

On that occasion I complained at the Post Office for selling me Air Mail Stamps and sending the envelope via Surface Mail (I did not specificly state "air mail" on the envelope), and was informed that Chile does not use anymore surface mail systems. Everything that goes out here is via air. Choices are either regular airmail or priority, but my experience is that priority makes it only very expensive and is not faster at all.

I am VERY careful when it comes to seed-packaging. Before putting each kind of seeds in their individual identified baggy, I wrap them in aluminium foil to avoid any rattle or shuttle noise that could call for any authority's attention. I also make my own little baggies during the boring autumn/winter nights, to be sure they are just the size needed. This way I can send a greater diversity of seeds without additional mailing cost due to oversized baggies. Even the envelopes used to mail my seeds are "home made" from recycled non-tearable envelopes a friend collects for me at her office (she is a Receptionist and has to open all the company's mail). To protect the seeds from being crushed I use either padded envelopes I have received in trades or bubblewrap, cutting them to the same size of the envelope. When I use bubblewrap, I also stick the evenly distributed baggies to them with tape, so that they don't produce a final envelope with a "belly" that could make customs suspicious of the content. As you can see, I invest a lot of time to be sure you will get your seeds. I just love it!

Although I'm sure everybody will get his/her seeds, I do not want to have anybody to be disappointed. Therefore I'm offering everybody who participated in either Round 1 or Round 2 to count 3 weeks from the date seeds were mailed. If they have not arrived by then, I want you all to let me know and I'll make a list of the missing seeds. As soon as I have collected enough fresh seeds (I have no seeds left at this time since it's early spring here), I will send these people a second envelope with a minimum of 10 different types of seeds. Is this fair enough?

All I want is to make everybody happy with the seeds I promised. When I first started trading on 1998 or 99, I was very disappointed with trades (from THAT OTHER SITE) that probably never sent their part of the deal (it happened to me on my very first trade). I know what it is to expect seeds that never arrive. The only "measure" I have taken in this regard is that I NEVER trade with people that do not have either a published seed-list or a list they forward when asking me to trade. I do not trust people that ask "what do you want in exchange?" - I have the feeling they "tailor" a list according to my most wanted seeds that they have never even heard about before and that (of course) will never reach me.

Trust me, you will get your seeds!

Greetings from Chile in wonderful Spring,

Ursula

Weird that you haven't got the seeds from Finland. I doubt the problem would be in our postal system, which is very fast and reliable. When did Mitjo send your seeds?
Also remember to give your address in the right format, and please, use the zip+4 code. :)

Letters to the US take from 4 to 8 days, sometimes even 9 or 10 but it's rare.
I just sent some seeds to a DG member valleruata, from Oregon. She got them in four days.

Surface mail to the US takes 15 to 35 days. I rarely use it, and only for bigger items.

Sounds good to me Ursula, I appreciate what youre doing and think it's a wonderful idea. I am patient & I will wait. Thank you Ursula and have a wonderful Spring!!!! Lucky YOUUUUUU lolol...Wish we could just skip Winter lol
Julieanne aka Annabellegabby

I have been completly misunderstood and I wish to clear the air. I am so sorry that feelings were hurt here and I have no idea how it came to this. I was only wondering if anyone had received their seeds as I had not and I was unaware how long it takes to get things from outside of the country. I have received a letter from Ursula and I am soooooo sorry that I hurt her feelings. That was definately not my intentions. I, being new, was not aware of how long it took to get items from out of the country. I never meant to insinuate that the items were not sent or that there was anything unworthy of either Mitjo or Ursula. I just didn't know. Please forgive my ignorance and please accept my applogy to all that I have offended. I never never meant to hurt anyones feelings. I am so upset that I have done so and I want everyone here at Dave's Garden to know that I am so so sorry. I just didn't know what to expect as far as shipping goes. Ursula, Mitjo,and to anyone else I am so so so sorry.
Please forgive me and my lack of knowledge in overseas shipping.

Jan.
Please feel free to email me with any and all coments

Don't worry about it Jan, we are all here to learn.

I too didn't realize how long it took to mail outta the USA
I am not new at trading but I haven't really traded with too many out of the states.

Chin up girlfriend!

Yeah Jan hon, I surely didnt take offense. You're like the rest of us who've never traded out of states and wanted merely to ask how long it takes. Period. :-) Stop being so hard on yourself, there is nothing to forgive you for, you asked a question that probably pondered everyones mind anyway. Hey, lol I didnt even know how long it took...I just figured because of the security issues around the world right now, it would be a while. But I had no idea how long like you. I trust Ursula as I know you do too...especially because of her good heart in doing this for all those who can not renew memberships due to hardships..Great cause :-) Luff ya Jan, and don't fret my friend...all is well.

God Bless

Julieanne aka ABG

Jan, please don't worry about it! You were only asking. And you are quite right about seeds going astray, it does happen, and one wonders if it is only them...

Jan, I'm sure they took is as it was meant. Since meeting you in person I know what a nice, caring person you are!! OK...Let's sit here and sip a Dr. Pepper and nibble on a Moon Pie while we wait. You are just to anxious to play in that Birthday dirt!!! LOL Jo
*I sure hope she has all her planting done before I get home so I don't have to help her!*

Don't take it that hard Jan, I just wanted to clear things out. Hope you get the seeds Mitjo is sending again. :)

Great info of addressing can be found from:

http://www.upu.int/post_code/en/addressing_formats_guide.shtml
http://www.upu.int/post_code/en/international_addressing.shtml

And the USPS zip-code lookup: http://www.usps.com/zip4/

Evert is such a handy young man!! Jo

Thank you everyone. I felt bad that I had offended anyone and I just want to clear the air.
Thanks Evert I appreciate the info.
Have you ever received plants from the United States. I wanted to send some to Mitjo but not sure how to go about it. Do I need to declair what is in the box or what do I do.
Any info on this would be helpful.

Thank you all
Jan

Oh yea, Jo I could sure use some back labor if you happen to have any to spare. lAUGHING HEHEHEH. Dr. Pepper sounds good but a margarita sounds better. Hehehe

:)

Yes I have received plants from the USA and some other countries as well. They have arrived, but the long and rough trip isn't good for them. Rhizomes, bulbs and such make it the best, also cactis and other hardy plants. I still have a nice furry cactus I got from a sweet student lady living in Virginia. Too bad I don't remember her name anymore.

Jan, if you send anything to Evert....be sure to include some packets of KOOL-AID!! He loves it. hehehe Jo

Oh! That's good news Evert.I am sending Mitjo some baby century plants and they are very hardy. Kool-aid Huh! Who would of thought that kool-aid would be on a high priority list. HEhehehe. Any particular favorite flavors?

Okay Jo, thanks for the imput. I'll remember that.

Do I declair what is in the package. I don't want to get into any trouble. It seems to find me, even when I'm not looking for it.LOL

Jan...my neice, Dufus1, brought her dog to RU...Named TROUBLE. They stopped overnight with me and my family in TN....Well, wouldn't you know...living up to his name he tangled with a skunk the night before leaving and had to have a Vanilla bath before leaving for RU the next morning!! Po Trouble. Jo

Oh No! I always heard that tomatoe juice was the best thing to bath in after skunk attacks. It's suppose to cut the smell some how. That must have been miserable. How's your little one doing? What did you decide to name him?

Google search revealed that Tomato Juice...none on hand...Vanilla...or vinegar...will work on the skunk smell...and it did,

My SHE...is named Countessa...but friends may call her Tessa. MY DD got stuck with a 7 week old puppy when I left and said I had to do her dishes for the rest of my life for her training the sweet thing!! Well worth it too. Jo

:D Heheh... Not just kool-aid, I also like the other "bag-juices", especially tamarind and hibiscus flavours, they are the best. Meat jurkies are great, too bad we can't buy them here. :(

lol Evert, all ya gotta do is grab some Bottom round roast (beef) at the grocery store and have them cut it as thin as you like and they also have a marinade sause you can soak it in for about 3-4 days...(soy sauce, hot sauce(optional), brown sugar, worchestershire etc.) and then place out on a tray in the oven if you dont have a dehydrater and let it cook as long as you like...crispy or not so crispy. Ive found I like my own meat Jerky better than the store bought kind. :-)

My specialty LOL my kids love this stuff, makin' me want some now **sigh** Good luck! You could probably sell it lol...my friend took some in baggies to the railroad guys and they all were buying it from him for $4.00 a bag/6 peices lol

Does that make them like the jurkies bought from store? I should dry that.. Do you have a recipe for the marinade sauce?

Here ya go Evert, pick one or several: http://www.greatjerky.com/recipes/38.html

Evert I usually just do it to my taste...depending on how much meat you have too. I pour like a bottle of worchestershire sauce in a bowl, then add some dried red peppers, add some soy sauce....add a spoon of brown sugar...and a tiny bit of Liquid Smoke (this comes in a small bottle and gives it the smoked taste) taste as you go. Thats what I do lol...

Gonna check out the link Badseed just gave...hmmm may have to try one of those one day :-)

I dont know if they sell the dehydrator's there. My guess is they do. If so, they have the mix already with it and also they have mixes/marinades in the grocery marts also. I've bought them there too.

Good Luck and God Bless

Julieanne aka ABG

I'll ask my dad if I could try these someday. This weekend I'm cooking Indian food - cumin-scented chicken :)

Liquid Smoke? Sounds interesting. We don't have it here :(

I don't know about the dehydrators either..

Evert, you would probably find liquid smoke with the sauces, spices or possibly gravy stuff if those are sellers there?? LOL YOu can make jerky in a regular oven, but be prepared to wait for it. :)

Oh lol yeah I forgot to mention when I write my books each time I post LOL...the oven is another option instead of the dehydrator lol...sorry guys..I dont get out much, youre all I gots lol hehehe lucky you's

What a great thread, I learned how long it takes to send/receive stuff from another country and how to make jerky. Seems like making jerky is a great way to wait for the mail. LOL

I LOVE BEEF JERKYYYYYYYYYY , YUMMY!!!

Yes, Isn't it funny how we went from one topic to completely somthing different. It reminds me of the old game called post office where one person whispers something to another person and by the time it gets around the circle it's a completely different story. Hehehe I guess it all relates then huh. By the way has anyone ever had Carabou Jerky? It's the best jerky I've ever tasted. Yummy!

LOL Jan!!! No havent had any but would love this recipe..got it??? lol

I'm known to be a great thread hi-jacker ;)

Jan, that game is known as "rikkinäinen puhelin" here, it means "broken telephone". :)

Jan...we called it "gossip" Post Office was a game VERY popular with the teens...it was a kissing game.You had numbers (odd for the boys...even for the girls), and someone would call a number and the door keeper would say "there is a ltter for #??...they would go into the other room (or a closet) and kiss....There was also Pony Express...just like Postoffice but more "horsing around" (just kidding) LOL Jo

Hmmmmmmmm lol I think I remember that game but it was with the actual bottle lol....hehehe and I think back in the day I may have played that game you speak of roadrunner. **sigh** those WERE the dayz eh?

Had to brush the dust off my brain but I remember it now
:-P

Julieanne aka ABG

Gee Jo, you seem to know quite alot about those kissing games? LOL

No I don't have the recipe, I wish I did. Afriend brought me some from Alaska but I haven't been able to get any since then. I was hopeing to get my cousin in Anchorage to send me some but that hasn't happened either. Oh well, if it's meant to be I will get some.

Yes Evert, you were very good about turning this thread around. I bet your teachers loved you in school when you have to discuss one topic and end up talking about something else entirely.Hehehe :~)

You mean they love me in school ;) Still going the 9th grade. Actually I am not the most talkative person in school, I prefer writing. But not by hand. :D