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Letter Fairy�s work is write away Pennell photo Christina Lindquist is a letter "fairy" with a home business that will send Halloween � or Christmas � greetings to the recipient of your choice. By Jonel Aleccia This time of year, Christina Lindquist is a real witch. That�s not a personality flaw, it�s a job description. As a freelance writer of children�s letters, Lindquist tailors her messages to suit the season. In October, she signs off as "The Halloween Witch" or "Polly Pumpkin." But in a few weeks, her kids� notes will bear the signature of "Sammy Snowman" and even the big guy himself � "Santa Claus." It�s all part of the part-time job Lindquist, 34, dreamed up more than a year ago. The Ashland mother was looking for a way to make a little money while she stayed home with her young daughters. The answer, she found, was as close as her mailbox. "I�d go out to get the mail and my girls would always say, �Is there anything for me?� So I wrote them a letter from the Letter Fairy." Her daughters, says Lindquist, were delighted. For young children, getting mail is a tangible bit of fantasy, made even more magical with a few stickers and some confetti. "It�s really real for them," she says. So Lindquist became the Letter Fairy, complete with a Web site, www.letterfairy.com . She pens personal notes that include details the child will recognize: his or her name, age, school, even a best friend. Some notes feature special messages from parents, grandparents or friends. "One grandma wrote to say how much she enjoys yard sales and baking with her granddaughter," Lindquist says. For a while, Lindquist was writing 20 letters a month to children ranging from toddlers to college students. Requests came from as far as Saudi Arabia and Japan, via the Web site. But maintaining an Internet presence proved too expensive for a fairy who charges $5 a letter, including stickers and postage. Lindquist decided the Letter Fairy should be local. She got a few calls after posting supermarket fliers advertising the Letter Fairy�s autumn services. About 10 people ordered Halloween letters for their kids. They�ll all arrive by today, neatly typed on paper festooned with pumpkins and candy corns and sporting a shot of seasonal confetti. But Lindquist is hoping that the coming holiday season boosts the Letter Fairy�s business. She�ll write letters from Sammy Snowman and Santa Claus and they�ll even arrive with a postmark from Christmas Valley (a tiny community in central Oregon.) A dollar from every Christmas letter will be donated to Dunn House, Jackson County�s only shelter for battered women and their children. That pleases Lynn Green, marketing director for Community Works, the agency that oversees Dunn House. "Everybody loved it," she says. "Her letters and the way she does things, everything is so cute! It just makes you want to do it." Reach Lindquist and the Letter Fairy at 488-5005; for information about Dunn House, call 779-2393. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.