“Journal writing!” said a friend once upon a time long ago now. “What do you find to write?”. Well. This below would be a typical journal entry I’d show him nowadays. Angst has long left the building re: content. Stress gone from workload. A lighter heart I suppose. It’s not a journal entry really. I’d write in a more personal and familiar way. But gives the inclusions ideal.
Journal entry: Thursday 20 April 2023.
Oh hum type thoughts about recent days in post DIY land and awaiting visitors for the weekend.
Now, having finished virtually all the house rooms over the last year and a half, a sense of relief in welcoming people back into the home is exciting. Huge chunks of time within that time period were also devoted elsewhere. Gardening (huge time spent!), Angie’s (my wife) new shop (ditto) and a few weeks on holidays. But it is the centralised house situation that makes one’s inner self relax more than anything. Strange that it’s only been a few short term family visits which have been happening over this year plus time period. Less than five all told. Only our daughter and grandchildren (names) and Angie’s sister and her husband (names) have seen the new premises of her shop too. Weird that I expected more visits after Covid relaxing of the rules. But it has been a full on situation with my wife Angie working longer hours and weekends having been the norm too. Lots going on. No windows of opportunity both ways.
Meandering also about the purchases over the week this morning whilst painting an old fashioned pelmet dark green. Above photo. And drums are encroaching upon the space reserved for a sofa bed. Visitors can’t sleep on drums! Don’t worry about it! Move ‘em.
What’s my current pen status? And the simplicity of a single ink line versus a big cotton bud single dip splash of the Diamine Winter miracle. A joyous back memory of the Cub Scout neckerchief of purple and green.
Please tap on all photographs below to enlarge.
There has been some nice eBay acquisitions lately. Five bottles of Diamine inks (Winter miracle, onyx black, dark forest, sherwood green and silver fox). Also a bottle of Pelikan violet and two Encre de Chine squeeze bottles of black drawing ink. A Platignum fountain pen with a nice nib but a poor body. Nothing cost much at all. Talking of cost?
Please tap on all photographs below to enlarge.
Nibs are something I now need to stop buying. You tend to find you absolutely adore about a dozen makes/designs and are disappointed with the other fair few dozens. They don’t give longevity on dipping. One dip, one word sometimes. The scratch on paper is too grating to feel flow freedom. Iridium tipping was a blessing in disguise when nibs evolved.
Quite pleased at the Scrooge like nature in my hunting for good value over the week. But! Then I go to the other side of the coin and blew the careful with pension money philosophy. Looked on one of those lovely favourite pen selling sites (Cult Pens) that I don’t usually buy expensive from and then it happened. Went and said out loud… ‘Yes…it’s measles (a rash decision) and bought the Kaweco Bronze Sport Limited Edition. Fine nib by choice. Liking more and more a finer line to write in these journals and diary. Yeh! It’s been a pleasure writing with the finer nib tips lately. So, once received I can have more to say about the newly acquired ‘Yes, it’s measles’ pen for a blog. Because the Kaweco Brass Sports is one that goes everywhere in the French Musette man bag, I can take the two now in tandem.
Extra information outside of journal inclusions below:
I wondered why the tubes of Pelikan Encre de Chine had the words ‘pour heliographies’ written as I believed that to be an old early 1800s photography plate process. But knew this to be the art ink for drawing. Maybe there are more uses for it. Will check it out. Could work for monotype printing which is something I’ve started to collect the gear needed.
Please tap on all photographs below to enlarge.
Here in the photographs are two Rotring Graphos and two Pelikan Graphos pens. A previous blog on these has more information about them. See below.
I do use the Rotring inks in both makes. This Pelikan ink is definitely a darker result. It’s a shame they are squeeze designed. Perfect for the four pens mentioned here. But not so much for dip nibs.
Gray Summers 
I love that the drums have just moved in. 😍
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Drums are special. They’re good for therapy. 😊 Visitors arrived yesterday afternoon and like the house changes. They feel relaxed. So all good for the weekend chill. Cheers Brenda.
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That sounds great Gray. Have a good weekend. I need to do some work but I’m booked for a fancy afternoon tea tomorrow, so hopefully that’ll make the blog next week
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Have a great weekend too. Afternoon tea in one of those new popular places, think it is a woman’s name, was when I once saw that they queued to get in. Someone told me that was the norm for that chain of tea shops. Sounds like it is becoming very ‘in vogue’ again. Afternoon tea is a very nice and gentle experience. Look forward to your description of it all. All the best.
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This is a renovation of one of the first tea shops to open in Glasgow, designed by Charles Rennie MacKintosh. But yes, we do have reservations
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That will make great blog subject material. I knew you’d book seats. Your blogs show that you are very organised. My two middle names are ‘wing and prayer’. 😊 Cheers Brenda.
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