• fountain pens,  journal,  musings,  writing/reading

    A Shift in the Universe

    I finished reading this book about a week ago. It took me several weeks to read it as I needed to verify a lot of the information they presented, which really turned out to be a good exercise. The authors describe themselves as urban mobility advocates, and they live such a life. What was provided was helpful in my understanding of how our country is so automobile centered in both how we live life and how we build our cities. This couple moved from Canada to the lowlands of South Holland, a country that has been in transition from automobile dependency to mass transit, bicycle and walking infrastructure since the 1970s. What they and Holland propose would require changes many in the US would resist. I’m not sure how I discovered their book, this is their second book, nor why I bought it. Maybe a major shift in the universe. Maybe it’s because I watch 75-100 cars pass while I wait at the bus-stop, each with one person in them, and this is during a 5 minute wait. I’ll write more about this later as I have a few thoughts that need formed and writing is a way for me to work them out. Hope you had a good weekend!

  • coffee life,  coffee shops,  fall season,  fountain pens,  journal,  journaling,  musings,  Photography,  quotes,  seasons,  writing/reading

    A Reason to Journal

    “With words at your disposal, you can see more clearly. Finding the words is another step in learning to see.”

    Robin Kimmerer

    I believe that each pen, or any writing instrument, is a tool filled with words and that it is the task of the writer to find them. And, I define a writer as everyone! We just don’t know it yet. Just pick up the pen and put it to paper. I also believe words are found in blank journals and it is the writer’s task to find them. If you don’t believe me then get a journal and pen and begin to write daily. The words may be just for you but they are there.

    This morning we had a light frost with the temperature around 30 degrees. By mid-morning the sun and bright blue sky had melted it away. It has been a quiet day for me. This afternoon I sat in my chair in the sunshine and let the sun warm me, inside and out. I watched the wind blow leaves across the yard, making that rustling sound as they danced in front of me. Now it is overcast and cooling down. My journals are my attempts to find words that describe such moments. and they also help me see such moments. It is a practice where progress not perfection is the task. I love what I see in this world so I use photography and my journals as ways to describe them. That’s my reason to journal and why I love my photography.

  • coffee life,  coffee shops,  fountain pens,  journaling,  writing/reading

    Huskee Cup Review

    This past summer I received an unexpected package from Amazon. It had my name on the package but I did not order anything and thus it was unexpected. It turned out to be a Huskee Cup from the coffee gods. I did find out later who the specific coffee god was. They had seen my post about these cups. So, after a bit time using it this is my Huskee Cup review.

    First, I will say I like the cup. It is appealing to me in its looks. I also like how it feels in my hand. It is light as a feather. But, I am not in agreement with their claims on their website. They chose polypropylene for at least half of the cup material for reasons they specify on their website. Their reasons are the following: It produces a durable product that can withstand the rigours of the café environment. It produces a cup whose materiality complement and highlight the innovative design features. It creates a material that can be recycled, reused and re-purposed at the end of its life in an environmentally friendly and efficient way.

    They claim the cups materiality increases the cup’s thermal retention properties, while it’s fins protect your hands from the heat of the drink by minimising the surface area your hands come into contact with! In my experience so far I have found that with no insulation properties in the polypropylene it is not capable of keeping my drink hotter longer nor keeping my hands from getting hot, as their websites states. Their claims do not seem valid from my experience. I have since read other reviews with the same claim.

    Having said that, I like the cup and use it. It’s kinda Kool. The coffee shop Lima Coffee Roasters serves their coffees in them and the customers all seem to like them. It is also a conversation starter when I take it to other coffee shops. I offer a thank you to the coffee gods for the gift.

  • Camera Equipment,  fountain pens,  Humor,  journal,  quotes,  writing/reading

    Take off the cap…

    Generally speaking, I’m not one to advocate photographic rules, but I do think it helps to take off the lens cap.

    Catherine Jo Morgan

    The above image says a lot about my life/lifestyle. I use both a camera and a journal to record what I see and what I experience around me. I have carried both for many years on a daily basis. I enjoy the feel of both when they are in my hands. Both are an art form and require some skill in using them. We only get better when we practice them regularly. I thought the above quote was comical and is true for both the camera and the fountain pen. 😂

  • coffee life,  coffee shops

    Change of Seasons

    Leaves have begun changing colors and are making their end of life journey to blanket the ground with their colors. Canada Geese are loudly flying in formation as they return for the fall and winter months. Mornings are becoming cooler and the heavy dew will be turning to frost soon. The sun has begun to rise farther south on the horizon, and later, signifying the season of shorter days. Jackets will come out of the closets to help us face those brisk mornings. Homes will begin to fill with the aroma of steaming pots of chilli soup to enjoy on cold evenings. All signs that the change of seasons is upon us.

  • coffee life,  coffee shops,  poetic journal,  writing/reading

    A Good Book

    I don’t promote many books here but this is one that has impressed me; Braided Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Nor is this a book review. I must say I’m impressed with how she brings across her message of our need to connect with all of creation. We have lost that. She reminds us where our place is within creation, that we are part of creation and not superior to all of creation.

  • coffee life,  coffee shops,  fountain pens,  journal,  lifestyles,  musings,  poetry,  still life,  writing/reading

    … with you

    It was an overcast morning and cool. There was no need for a coat, my fleece would do fine. I slept well and felt refreshed. On most mornings I usually start my day by asking and relying on my intuition. Do I want to head to a natural area and all that it has to offer or do I head to a coffee shop and all it has to offer. This is a gift of retirement. After quiet time my intuition lead me to a local coffee shop. I was not disappointed as my barista, Devan, brightened my day with her latte art. Of course a photo needed to be taken followed by my feeble attempts to write about it.

    crafted with frothed milk
    a work of art now created
    no longer just a latte

    the sense of taste awakens
    as the visual sense is transformed
    when lips touch the cups rim

    now sharing this experience
    as a written memory in the journal
    … and with you

    ms