Every year here in the US the postal service goes deeper into debt and every year we read about fixes that include increases in stamp rates or cancelling Saturday delivery. We send fewer letters, cards, bills. The little branch in our neighborhood where I go once to thrice a week is a wonderful little branch and I worry so that they'll decide to shut it. They refused to consider automating the damn door years ago, though they did lower a counter. Yay.
But I still value postage stamps and the wonderful folks at my post office, where I send out packages (books I've sold or traded mostly). Even though stamps were three and four cents when I was a kid with a stamp album and they're now 44, I still get excited at a new stamp release. And I watch for he new commemoratives every year, because every year at lest one stamp makes me so happy. There was the year of the Muppet stamps. The set of civil rights pioneers. The old baseball parks. The set of kitties and puppies - which i bought and sent to my sister and mother because i didn't think they' have a chance to see them.
This year, all the commemorative - that is the "decorative" stamps are "forever stamps" that means you buy them now at 44 cents and if/when the rates go up, the stamps are still good. They began this a few years ago, so if you bought "forevers" at 42 cents, look at the money you saved!
Last week at the post office I noticed that they'd finally received and posted the poster showing the 2011 releases. And I almost cried. Because this is a year for some of my heroes and I bet yours too. There's a 2-set designed by someone who's won Hugo Awards as Best Professional Artist - is that, for my s.f. friends, not cool One of us, sort of! I won't list them all but here's what got me sniffly.

It's a good year

Because this is the year for a stamp honoring Mark Twain.

Because this is the year for a set of stamps honoring the artist Romare Bearden

Because this is the year that the "Hollywood legends" series offers Gregory Peck. Yes, as Atticus Finch. In his white suit.

Because Barbara Jordan gets a stamp this year. Representative Barbara Jordan who should have been sitting on the US Supreme Court. Because Barbara Jordan is the best this country had to offer and because, dammit, she died way too soon at the age of 59. Because she was the best of us. She loved this country and served it. She faced racism, sexism and disability. She was the best.