Whoopsie

A bit of an error in yesterday's "My Word," in which I advised:

A terrific idea from reader Marie Spoto: If you're going on a far-away honeymoon, pack stamps and stationery. Air travel presents plenty of waiting time that can usefully employed by writing the wedding thank you notes. You can mail the notes when you reach your destination to give them the extra glamour of an exotic postmark.

Many readers, including a former postal worker, wrote in to point out my error, and here's a representative e-mail:

Re the idea is in today's column (March 23) to pack stamps and stationary when going on a honeymoon to a distant location, how do you propose getting stamps for, for example, France if your destination is Paris in advance of departure? Cards and letters with French (or other postmarks) are great fun, but I somehow I doubt an American stamp will get them very far.

Yes, of course this is correct. You need to buy the stamps at the locale, and I need to proofread My Words more carefully! Thanks, everyone.

Someone also shared this thought:

I disagree with your "my word" on honeymooners packing stationary /stamps for wedding thank you's. The happy couple should be spending time looking at one another, touching one another lovingly and re-capping their wedding day or future together. There aren't many times in life you get to be totally immersed in one another, why would you want to spend that time thanking Aunt Bettie for a hideous teapot? Write a diary about your honeymoon, not a thank-you note.

To which I reply:

1. Aunt Bettie deserves a thank-you regardless of her taste in teapots,

2. Shared chores are fun chores (and of course the writing of the notes ought to be split 50-50), and

3. No one wants to watch you touching your new spouse lovingly in the boarding area of your airport. They will, however, enjoy watching you share your labors and giggle over the reminiscences of your wedding and showers that thank-you-note writing will inevitably provoke.