Pens. Specifically, fountain pens. Preferably with fine nibs and a solid ‘feel’ in my hand.
Over the years I’ve collected quite a few from various manufacturers but some are uniquely special.
Yesterday we had a visit from some cousins. Skip’s talented – both artistically and musically. He has a small lathe and makes the most lovely pen barrels and cases. The one I got from him yesterday is a genuine work of art. He turned the unique Zebra wood into the barrel and cap, adding a Celtic knot symbol for me so I could honour that part of my heritage.
It has a lovely fine nib and provides a solid ‘feel’ when holding it for writing.
Skip’s wife, Lynda, made a pretty, soft blue envelope for me to use when storing the pen to keep it from being scratched.
A few years ago, when I was visiting my son and his family in Vancouver, he and I visited a specialty stationery shop at Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver that offered a wide variety of fountain pens. David said that, since he hadn’t given me a birthday or Mother’s Day gift in eons, he would buy a pen for me to make up for that oversight. We chose a solid Monteverde model. It’s bigger and heavier than Skip’s pen, but it also provides a solid feel when writing.
Since it was a very special gift from David, it remains one of my favourite pens and is well-used.
Although most of my writing these days is done on a computer using a keyboard, I still find that my most creative endeavours are done with a fountain pen in hand. I have several notebooks filled with musings, some of which may make it into my book – if I ever get it finished. If not? Future generations can try and decipher the hieroglyphics of my generation – cursive writing. They’ll never know the joy of choosing a pen for the day, picking up a pretty notebook, and sitting quietly – anywhere – and jotting down their thoughts for the day.
A few years prior to the Monteverde acquisition, I visited a specialty shop in Granville Island. Like the one in N. Vancouver, it offered charming stationery and a nice selection of fountain pens. There I found a small pen that was great for travel – taking up virtually no space in my carry-on bag.
With a beautiful pen to stimulate one’s thoughts and a special notebook for capturing them, it’s easy to find a spot to sit and ruminate discretely, jotting down those ‘pearls of wisdom’ (or whatever they are)for posterity.
“If you don’t have the time to read, you don’t have the time or the tools to write.” Stephen King
Images by Ceci 