My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, coffee life, spirituality and the mystery of it all.
Winds have been gusting up to 25-30 mph since early this morning and we may see that continue into mid-afternoon. Because of the winds I wisely chose not to ride the bicycle to coffee and conversation. After returning home I made a piece of sourdough toast with a generous spreading of chunky peanut butter. I then sat in my bedroom chair with the warm sunshine spreading across my journal to write. But before I could get started writing the light and shadows on the pages urged me to put the pen down, set up the camera and tripod and use this image as a starting place for today’s post. As I post this I realize it reflects the life I live today full of prayer and meditation, coffee life, photography, journaling, blogging, and peanut butter. And if the wind wasn’t blowing, bicycling.
Something whispered something that was not even a word. It was more like silence that was understandable.
Mary Oliver
I’ve been struggling with health issues for the past 4 days. Primarily deep back pain that penetrates my chest. I’ve had about every test possible checking for blood clots, strokes, seizures, and any heart issues. I have many symptoms of pleurisy, but all the testing came back negative. So, I am taking six Tylenol a day and resting. I haven’t been to the natural areas, bicycling, or photography as much. However, I made it to Mugs for an Old Town mocha and gathered around friends this morning. Seems hanging around friends is good medicine. I’ve kept up with my journaling and been reading some new poetry. I hope all is well with you. And, thanks for listening to me whine.
Life isn’t something you leave home to do. It’s what you accomplish within the walls of your haven. That’s what allows you to greet the world with an open heart and reach out and embrace living in all its richness, variety, and staggering wonder.
Richard Wagamese, Embers
One way for me to greet the world with an open heart, then reach out and embrace living in all its richness, is setting aside time to put pen to paper in my journals. I find it a great way to begin the new day, as well as end the day, while staying in this present moment. Hope you had a good day and I hope you stagger in wonder tomorrow!!
Dark Chocolate Petit Beurre Biscuits and chocolate milk
“As the pen rises from the page between words, so the walker’s feet rise and fall between paces, and as the deer continues to run as it bounds from the earth and the dolphin continues to swim even as it leaps again and again from the sea, so writing and wayfaring are continuous activities, a running stitch, a persistence of the same seam or stream.”
Robert Macfarlane, The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot
Nothing like a couple of Dark Chocolate Petit Beurre Biscuits and a small glass of chocolate milk to add to my journaling experience. My journaling has been a continuous practice in my life, a journey, a path I enjoy walking, one word, one step at a time.
A chai latte, blank pages and fountain pen full of ink
The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.
Albert Einstein
I like the Arboretum coffee shop because it is quiet. Its ambiance seems to be more directed towards students who study and reminds me of the Lory Student Center on campus. They do play music, but it’s very low in volume and easy listening music. It is also an enjoyable two mile bicycle ride for me along Spring Creek Trail. Even though I am not a college student, I still consider myself to be a student of life. Hopefully, I will always have curiosity, inviting me to keep asking the questions.
Someone asked me today what my two favorite fountain pens were. After several years of using fountain pens I am still unable to answer this question. The best answer is that favorite cannot be singular or limited to two. I will share with you some of the pens I enjoy writing with and my experiences with fountain pens .
The three pens I’m carrying today
I began using Pilot Metropolitan fountain pens. They are reasonably priced and have a good selection of colors and nib sizes to select from. Then for many years, I journaled with Pelikan M200 and M205 series pens. Not sure how I discovered these but I found they are a perfect size for my hands. I have 8 of them. However, the past two years I’ve been using 14 carat gold nibbed pens made by Pilot. I would not recommend any of these as first pens for beginners because of their cost. The pens I primarily use now, and ones I consider favorites, are a brown marbled Pelikan M200, a blue marbled Pelikan M205, three Pilot Custom Heritage 92, two Pilot Custom 74 and two of Pilot Custom 823. Again, these pens are rather expensive, especially for beginners. It’s also important to find a nib size and style that works for you. There are several nib sizes and styles, calligraphy for instance, depending on the manufacturer. So, the fountain pen’s style, its shape, nib, and ink filling systems are all about personal taste. The world of fountain pens is a world of its own, it’s a science and can (has) easily become an obsession. If you’re a photographer you’ll relate. We also need to make sure we have the right type of paper for fountain pens because fountain pen ink flows through capillary action. And the multitude of ink colors is just mind boggling. Enough from me. May you have a wonderful day!
