Carbon Paper

You never know what will come in handy someday. That is what pretty much every serious hoarder tells themselves and causes their homes to fill up with useless junk.

 

“Useless” is the term that normal people use when referring to the accumulated “handy” stuff that fills the garage, shed, closets and basements in homes pretty much everywhere. I personally don’t have a hoarding problem but I guess that is just what most hoarders will say about their treasures. I don’t have a problem because I really can’t afford to bring home everything that I really, really, really need. God help me if I ever win a lottery!

 

I do crafty things from time to time and need to make copies of pictures or sketches from books and magazines. I make these copies so that I can use spray to glue them to a board and cut out the pattern on the scroll saw or whatever implement that I need to use for the particular craft I am making. Mostly I just find the image that I need on the internet, scan it into the computer and then manipulate the image in PhotoShop and then print it on the computer. Life couldn’t be easier.

 

In the old days it was more of a challenge. I have a light table so that I can take a picture from a magazine or book and trace an outline onto a blank sheet of paper which I could then use carbon paper retracing the sketch thus transferring it to the piece of wood. I don’t use much carbon paper any longer, but I have several hundred sheets of it in my workroom.

 

When I worked as a letter carrier we had to write up the registered letters, COD’s, Express post and priority posts that we got every day to deliver. The Post office needed three copies and yes, you guessed it the copies were made using carbon paper. Most of the normal carriers just tossed the used carbon paper out but I saw a potential need and saved mine. Now I have enough carbon paper to last at least my lifetime and perhaps the lifetimes of my grandchildren. Tornado shows promise of being a mini hoarder, but his parents are trying to “civilize” him.

 

The thing about carbon paper is that it retains a perfect copy of whatever was written on the paper so I have documentation of all the parcels (most of the parcels) that I delivered during a large part of my career and Canada Post. Technically I am on pretty shaky legal ground because I suspect that there is some inferred right of privacy when you use the Postal Service.

 

If you wouldn’t mind, don’t mention the carbon paper to anyone. Unless you have need of a few sheets of course. I can hook you up.