Greeting Cards

Saturday last was the second day of the calligraphy workshop I taught at the Worcester Public Library. The students have been learning  Uncial or Celtic hand which was used across Europe from the 4th to the 9th centuries (CE) across Europe. The writing has been associated mostly with Ireland.

The first week, using calligraphy markers, students learned the basics of this calligraphic hand. On Saturday, they put their new found skill to work to create greeting cards. The library provided the supplies. I brought in bits and pieces of decorative papers for the students to use. (No, not generous. Helps clean out the stash.)

Learning to rule up plain paper

Following the exemplar

Practice

More practice

Decorating the front of the card

Inside

Front of card

Front of card

One thing I enjoy is seeing the different variations on the same theme. I think the students did a great job and had a wonderful time. I know I did.

A Prezzie

My friend, Frauee, is a German teacher from Mason City, Iowa. (Home of  Meredith Wilson famous for The Music Man) Frauee's German 4 students designed a tee shirt for a fundraiser. (I think it was for a fundraiser) The students used the Bavarian coat of arms and the blue fusils (diamonds) mostly associated with Bavaria. Bavaria is where Frauee's heart lies. The students did a great job with their design.

I had tried to order a shirt but heard about the fundraiser too late to get my order in on time. Frauee told me if a second printing was done, she'd let me know. Of course, she didn't let me know, but sent me the shirt anyway. Yeah, she's very generous that way.

If the front is spectacular the back is even better. You got to have a name printed on the back of the shirt. What could be more perfect for a Little Princess? Danke sehr, Frauee. Das Hemd ist ausgezeichnet! Ich mag es sehr gern.

So Big

Monday, May 8, Morning Glories (left) Moonflowers (right)

In one week's time, the morning glories and moonflowers have gotten so big. If the weather warms up and it stops raining, I'll be able to transplant the seedlings outside.

Saturday, May 13, Moonflowers (left) and Morning Glories (right)

The Friday Five Good Things

Photo taken from a bird site on the Internet

Five good things that happened this week.

1. Spotted two new birds at the feeder. Red-breasted Grossbeak

2. Found a quarter while walking through a parking lot

3. Went out to breakfast with Himself.

4. Binge watched Emerald City

5. Got a flash of inspiration for layout for one of the homework assignments.

How was your week?

Throwback Thursday - The Notebooks

To clear up some confusion, the Notebook passages posted on Throwback Thursday were written by my father and found by me after he passed away. They were his attempt to tell the family history. He was in his late 80s or early 90s when he wrote them. Today's chapter:

My brother, Mario, and I got into little escapades and caused our parents problems. We were ruffians in the neighborhood. [ed: Dad and Uncle Mario were 18 months apart in age]

As we grew up, we got into bigger escapades. We went down to the railroad and threw rocks at the crew who threw soft coal at us. And we would scoop the coal, go to a friend's cellar and light a fire. Of course, the coal let out gas and it would rise up into the apartments and the tenants would come after us and we would run out onto the street.

We played at a place called the Rockies which was at the end of our street. On one side there was an open center, about 100 feet and about 80 feet to a factory. In the center were rough stones that were intended for front stairs and other uses and were left behind by the developer of Frankfort St. On the same street across from the Rockies was the Daniel Webster School. The schoolyard fence which went up Frankfort St turned right and right onto Lubec Street. Facing us on the Rockies was the General Electric Company which went all the way to Cottage Street.

At that time Zia Angelina lived on Cottage St. and I played with my cousins, at least the younger ones, Joe and Alfred.

Later her children moved her to upper Chelsea St. and much later to Saratoga St. [ed: after her husband passed away] and finally to Revere. With each move, her children who were not living with her would also move close to her house.

In fact, Revere was her last move. She lived here a good while and at 92 she fell down the stairs and that did her in. She died shortly after her fall. [ed: According to her death certificate, Zia Angelina died in 1969 at the age of 87.]

This was a close family and what my cousins did when they decided that Revere and surrounding towns was their last move, they chipped in and bought a whole section of cemetery lots so that they would all be buried together.

Another thing we did at the Rockies was to have rallies. We would gather stones in bushels and go up to Orleans St at the front of the factory and down hill and throw rocks at the kids across the railroad tracks. Of course, they had to come over to us.And in some cases, someone would get it on the head and spill blood.

We also would play on the cobblestone streets.

Wordless Wednesday

T Stands For Gifts For The Person Who Has Everything

One of my students brought in the Fountain Pen Hospital catalog. He knew I would go wild over the scrimshaw and silver Wild West fountain pen. Hey, Kid, if you're in need for a gift idea for Mother's Day, my birthday, our anniversary, I just checked the website and this beauty is on sale. Marked down from $2,750.00 to $1,895.00. Just a thought. 😸

I was on a tea break and used the dregs of my tea to hold down the pages of the catalog to take pictures. I liked the Starry Night pen based on the painting by Vincent van Gogh. It's one of my favorite paintings. Compared to the price of the Wild West pen, it's reasonably priced at $289.00. The rollerball and ballpoint pen were even less expensive.

Just love me the blue pens from the Michelangelo collection.

There were so many pens. So many colors and styles and prices. I really liked the pens based on Frank Lloyd Wright's designs: Playhouse Black, also in white, and April Showers, too.

For a whimsical writing instrument, you could choose a rollerball pen as a fun crayon or a good old number 2 pencil. Very reasonably priced at $39.00

Of course, a beautiful pen needs a pen rest.  My dad was an attorney, and he would have liked the Scales of Justice. The hand, skull, and Write No Evil were fun, but I like my Ink pen rest the best.

A pen collection also needs a safe and sturdy house to live in. The small blue chest holds 20 pens and the larger, blue chest hold 60. You don't want to know the price of the chests.

The catalog has lots of pens from lots of manufacturer's. Waterman, Visconti, Mont Blanc. I was surprised to see this spread from Parker. I received a Parker fountain pen when I graduated college Dad gave me his Parker fountain pen, too. I also was gifted with two silver pen and mechanical pencil sets by Cross. Do people still give graduates fine writing instruments? Doesn't seem to be much of a need for a pen to sign a document anymore. We recently completed a loan application and had to make a digital signature. No paper. No pen.  

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.