Une Envie de Sel

I'm quite sure that wishes for a "prosperous New Year" are not the thing for this particular moment in time...certainly not the message I would choose for the start of 2009. But I found this in the found-photos pile, and as an illustrator, this style of card appeals to me. The little house also reminds me of our neighborhood, as we have a whole row of tiny Tudors nearby that look not unlike this in the snow, with old-growth trees towering in a stately row above their peaked roofs.
...then I turned the card over.
What do you suppose...a falling out among former friends? An estranged relative? Or just a woman or man of few words? I'm not sure I've ever seen such a chilly and concise holiday greeting.
I also love that there was a time, not so long ago, that you could just write a name and a town..no numbers, no codes, and be assured that your missive would find its intended. And of course, the "Postage NOW one cent" mark.
Has population really increased with such formidable speed? It seems difficult to fathom.
Since there is no stamp, was it never sent? Did the sender think better of conveying even these few words? Or did the recipient value the missive enough to carry it with them through the years and the moves, saving it in a box with other meaningful correspondence?
Just food for thought. I like to imagine other times and other lives, as we move into this future of ours.
Happy New Year, and may it be, if not prosperous, rather rich in those things of less material and more meaningful value.