"Saga of the Misplaced Package" or "Lesley Riley as Patron Saint of Good Karma"

I have to admit that as much as I use the United States Postal Service I rarely have problems. BUT when I do have an issue it never seems to be simple.

I mailed a package of my hand dyed fabrics from California to my sister in Ohio. These fabric pieces are for her to create a “sample” book for me of ways the fabrics can be used with different techniques. It was important that she get these quickly so she can work on this project that has (had?) a deadline.

Package mailed on June 15th Priority USPS mail with a confirmation number. Package doesn’t arrive on June 17th, or the 18th or the 19th so……….. on the 20th I use the confirmation number online to track the package. Message says the addressee is unknown and the package is being returned to sender. Huh? I don’t get the package back. 22nd, 23rd, 24th. No package. I have been calling the Post Office and they can’t tell me what happened to the package. Finally yesterday, June 27th the package showed up at my local post office. We realize I had the wrong house number on it 170 instead of 17. But why it took so long to return to me is a mystery to everyone and no one is talking if they know something. The closest answer we got was from my sister’s mail carrier who might have been a little leery of stopping when seeing my sister stalking the mailbox in wait of her showing up.

I retrieved the package yesterday afternoon in a beat up, mangled box that was new when it was shipped. I was so glad to get it back though! Upon returning home I checked my email and noticed Lesley Riley had responded to the message I had sent her earlier about this predicament. And there in that message she said “ Did the box show up? Sending good karma”. I am attributing the return of my package to her sending out the good karma wishes!! Thank you Lesley (and the nice person at my local P.O who helped me more than any of the other employees of that org.)!




Sample of some of the dyed fabrics