6. The First Flat Stanley Comes Home!

My mother (Alexa's grandma Ruth) returned home from her week-long stay in Vermont today. She brought back Flat Stanley (whose pictures can be viewed in the previous entry) along with his completed paperwork, which said:

Dear Alexa,

Your FLAT STANLEY came all the way to Bennington, Vermont.

While he was here, these are some of the exciting things he saw and did:

He visited the home of Robert Frost, the poet. He visited the beautiful home and gardens of President Lincoln's son Robert Todd Lincoln. He went to Moosefest to see how many artists decorated statues of moose. He went to the town dump to a special shed where people leave books, toys and other things that anyone can take home with them. He bought maple syrup from Vermont for you. He visited Southern Vermont College. He stayed with an orange cat named Henry and a big black Newfoundland dog named Lady Jane.

The distance between your town, Port Carbon, PA and my location, Bennington, Vermont, is approximately 296 miles.

If FLAT STANLEY should come back to visit, he should wear shorts in the summer, a warm coat in winter, because the climate here is like Pennsylvania, but more snow in winter.

Some other interesting facts about my location include:

The beautiful mountains called The Green Mountains, lots of farms with horses, cows, sheep. Big forests with deer, moose, black bears. President Calvin Coolidge was from Vermont. People love to come to Vermont to ski. Many maple trees so there is a lot of sap to make maple syrup. Vermont cheese is famous. We ate delicious Vermont cheddar cheese. The name Vermont comes from the French language and means Green Mountain. Originally it was pronounced Vert Mont. This whole state has mountains, forests, rivers and creeks and beautiful old towns and villages. Lots of farms- especially with cows for milk to be made into cheese and ice cream. Ben and Jerry's ice cream is made here- another popular treat is maple sugar candy.

P.S. Here is a description (if applicable) of the enclosed photo/s, postcard/s or souvenir/s:

Honey from a local farm that has beehives. Photos with the moose statues. Pictures of the Robert Frost and Robert Lincoln homes. Maple syrup from Vermont. A map of the trip from Pennsylvania to Vermont. A very special picture of Flat Stanley with one of President Lincoln's hats! A newspaper special section that shows and tells all about the moose.

Grandma Ruth


My mom showed Alexa all of the things she had brought back. Alexa very much enjoyed the maple sugar candy (I didn't like it myself!) and seeing Flat Stanley dressed up. We are looking forward to sampling the maple syrup and the honey!


In addition to that, I received an email today from Flat Stanley, who is visiting Sylvia in London, which said:

"I arrived in Chester today after my flight across the Atlantic.
I am already visiting the West of London, but have been told that I would be
very welcome to post myself to the East End"

and it included an east London address to which I could send another Flat Stanley. So he will be sent out on Monday :)


One of my mom's friends who hosted Flat Stanley in Washington wrote to her, and she forwarded it to me. It said, in part:

"Flat Stanley and I have been having a wonderful time, especially today. I will be sending him home by Wed. The problem is, I can't find the address for your Granddaughter. Would you mind sending me all her mailing info?

We are going to get our picture taken at a couple more sites and then I will be e-mailing them to you for her. Right now have 3 pictures from our stops today.

I have enjoyed Flat Stanley's visit so much. What a joy it has been for me this week."


We are looking forward to seeing the pictures and will post them here when they are received.