Happy Friday! November is the month we pause to be grateful, and I have a lot to be thankful for.
On the health front, I got the stitches removed yesterday, and the doctor says I can start walking short distances, like from the living room to the bedroom. I’m still in the protective walking shoe for two more weeks. But all is good. The doctor was very pleased with the progress and the results. The toe appears to be in the right place, so I call it a success.
I went out Halloween night to see the grandkids in their costumes, and while I didn’t stay long, it was my first venture at driving and getting out of the apartment. They had so much fun. There was a group of ten or more that all gathered at my daughter’s house to trick-or-treat together. L-R: my oldest granddaughter is roller skating Barbie, my youngest granddaughter is the Black Widow, my youngest grandson is Albert Einstein, and my middle grandson is Chewbacca.
They love Halloween!
I will be posting my October reviews soon. I read some really great books while I’ve been recuperating.
While going through some old family photos, I found a fountain pen my mom had put in an envelope and wrote on the outside. This pen obviously meant something special to her, and I have no idea how I wound up with it, but I did.
It got me thinking and remembering the fountain pens we used to have to use for school. How many of you remember the ink bottle and how messy it could get, and God forbid you should spill it.
Then I remember the ones that came later with plastic refills that fit into the pen, and you didn’t have to mess with the ink anymore. That was a huge upgrade. But not every cartridge fit every pen, so that was an issue sometimes.
Now, it’s unimaginable that we carried those to school. And I also did not have anything that resembled a backpack. I honestly can’t remember having anything to carry my books besides my arms. Times have changed! My grandchildren cannot relate at all.
Anyway, it was a cool little jaunt down memory lane. I’d love to hear your fountain pen stories. 🙂 I ruined more than one dress with the ink.
Don’t forget to order your Harbor Pointe Series books! The next one up is The Seas of Time by D. Wallace Peach!
I hope you have a fabulous weekend ahead. I’m still in a “taking it easy mode” for a while longer.
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The costumes pics were great – so was the pen! Glad to hear your foot is healing along nicely 🙂 x
Thank you, Debby!
🙂
I’m so glad to hear your foot is healing and that Halloween was wonderful. I love visiting efriends’ blogs with all the Halloween excitement.
It has been fun to visit friends’ blogs and soak up the Halloween excitement. Thank you for stopping by here!
Hi Jan, the costumes are amazing. Such good fun. I had a fountain pen with cartridges but it was through choice. We used pencil to write in lower grades and ball point pens later. How nice that you found your mom’s pen.
I started first grade in 1957, and we used only pencils. Can you imagine first graders with ink wells? 🙂 But once I hit middle school, we had to use fountain pens. We’ve come a long way. Glad you enjoyed the kiddos’ costumes!
That was a bit earlier than me ?
Congratulations on your recovery going well. Those are all great costumes ?
Thanks, Thomas!
What a fun post, Jan. The grandkids look ready to hit the houses. The fountain pen really took me back. 4th grade, our teacher required that we use a fountain pen for cursive writing – oh my what a mess. She also required black or blue black ink. I think the only washable ink was blue. My mother took her aside at a PTA meeting and threatened to send her the bill for my replacement clothes. I used a fountain pen, off and on, throughout my career.
Ha! What a great story, Dan. I can certainly sympathize with your mother’s frustration. 🙂 Calligraphy writers still use fountain pens and inkwells, but I am grateful to be past them. Thank you for adding to the fun!
Glad to hear you are on the mend, Jan. Seeing any kind of progress offers encouragement. The fountain pens were a little ahead of my time, though I certainly remember that when a classmate came in with a pen that could write in four different colors, it was the envy of the entire class.
Oh, I remember those, Pete. They were certainly impressive. If I remember right, they were red, blue, green and black. I had one but I was probably in high school by then. Thanks for stopping by and sharing!
I’m happy to hear your recovery is going well, Jan. That’s great news! Your grandkids look great! I love their costumes. Thanks for sharing. Enjoy your weekend!
Thank you, Jill. So glad you enjoyed the kiddos’ costumes. 🙂 It was fun. Have a great weekend!
It is so good to hear that your foot is healing so well! Thanks for letting us know!
Thank God, I did not have to use ink bottles anymore. In first grade, I already wrote with an ink pen. The small one on the right of your picture must have been the one we were using.
Thank you, Erika. Glad you never had to use the ink bottles. They were most certainly messy. Have a great weekend!
I could imagine that it would have been a big struggle for me with my clumsiness. Thank you and you have a great one too, Jan!
Your oldest grandaughter looks so much like you. My pen story is I had a Mont Blanc fountain pen. I was riding in a potential employer’s jet, and I had laid the pen on a wooden tray. For whatever reason, the altitude caused the pen to leak all over the tray. The permanent black ink does not come out of rosewood. I guess they will remember me forever. (Yes, I did get the job)
Ha! Ha! I remember the Mont Blanc pens. They were high-end. But what a story. I would imagine black ink would not come out of rosewood at all. Glad you got the job anyway.
Quite embarrassing.
I have never thought Sydney looked like me or my daughter. She has her father’s dark hair and skin, but maybe in the shape of her face or smile.
I think the smile for sure.
Great halloween pics, Jan! My two younger grandkids were a fox and vampire. The older ones don’t dress up anymore. Glad your healing is moving along so well. We just carried our books too. I remember the ink leaking and the mess it caused. I hung on to a pen that you can change the ink out, and it can write from any angle. That was high-tech for me. Have a great weekend xo
The pen that writes from any angle sounds like what they used to sell as space pens. 🙂 I have a feeling my two oldest grandsons won’t dress up much anymore. But the younger ones still love it. Thanks for joining in today!
What great costumes. I used to love making costumes for my kids. Once I made KISS the band costumes for my son and his three friends. Glad your foot is getting better. Fountain pens were messy but I loved using them.
Oh, how awesome, Darlene. I’d love to see the KISS costumes. 🙂 What fun. Yes, even though fountain pens were messy, I loved writing with them, too. I think calligraphy writers still use them. Nothing matches that fine tip point. Thanks for visiting!
Yay on healing quickly.
Thank you, Christena!
Finding that pen is a treasure. I have a pencil (only about 2 inches long) that belonged to an uncle who passed away before I was born. It was in a cedar chest my aunt gave me, and it remains there.
I remember my brother having a fountain pen, but by the time I was in school, we used ballpoint pens. I do recall him having the ink and that it was messy. Funny thing about the backpacks. Just the other day, my husband and I were talking about not having backpacks. I can’t remember carrying books back and forth. If I had to bring one home it was just a notebook and maybe one or two textbooks. All the rest stayed in my desk or locker. Times have changed.
I love the story about the pencil, Joan. It’s funny the things that become important. I also don’t remember carrying a lot of books home every day. Mostly the ones I had homework in or a book from the library. Most definitely things have changed. My granddaughter’s backpack is so heavy I worry that it will ruin her back. Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have a great weekend.
I’m glad you could get out. The kids’ costumes are fabulous! And that’s so cool that your mom saved that pen and now you have it. 🙂
I loved seeing the kids in their costumes and excited to gather candy. 🙂 I love that I found the pen and now I can pass it on down to my girls. Thank you for visiting!
I love the Einstein costume! Glad your toe is healing up!
Thank you, Vera. He had the mustache, but he said it bothered him too much. 🙂
Sounds like you’re healing. Don’t rush things and it will help. We never had backpacks either. Just a huge armload of stuff to lug home on foot.
It was kinda interesting to reflect back on the differences between what the kids do now and what I did. Of course, I didn’t have a computer to lug around either. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend.