Beautiful Posse ! Recently I was beset with tech drama. Tech DEMONS fried my hard drive and a whole buncho other drama happened and I … I just couldn’t, y’know? Luckily my workload was… nonexistent so I had time to get it all sorted and get it down to my beloved (and VERY patient) Geek Squad dynamo, Justin. And Floyd Bless that kid… his patience and skill and patience ( I really hate dealing with tech but recognize that it’s here to stay, blahblah… unless the grid goes down – at which point I/we’ll have WAY more tiresome and terrifying things to deal with)… he started untangling the foolishness that inept Musette created… but a lot of time spent and he had to keep my phone while he untangled it. and (gasp!) he had to keep me! I’d left my irl book in the car and I had to sit there while he worked so I could answer questions, etc… zzzzzzzz
Then I remembered that I needed to write today’s post! So I asked him for a piece of paper and a pen… and I wrote the post.. in cursive! That post will go up anon – this post is about the Experience! I still write out grocery lists or quick notes, etc, but it’s been forever since I wrote the equivalent of a paper in longhand. Like 40 years forever. It was an intriguing experience. I sat there in the relative quiet and forced myself to slow my breathing and allow my mind to focus on what I was writing (I’m a QWERTY typist so I can zip through a sentence pretty quickly). I really enjoyed the ‘different’ focus – when I’m writing I’m going much more slowly than if I’m typing . And I love getting written communication ( thank you, Lady P, for your lovely postcards!)
When I first started painting in earnest I was fortunate to connect with the painter R.B. Kitaj. He would send missives via postcard and each one was cause for much celebration (including shrieking and jumping around). I often would slide and postcard, unread, into my pocket to await a time when I could pour myself a cup of tea (or a cocktail) and savor the moment when I could really immerse myself in what he had to say. He and David Hockney were very good friends and both were hard of hearing. At one point Kitaj said that Hockney suggested they communicate via fax (then a very new technology). Kitaj’s reply “I would rather re-install gaslight” . Kitaj took his cursive seriously!
My first DH courted me, both before and during our marriage, with beautifully written notes and cards – and even during our separation we would leave little letters and notes to each other (alas, it wasn’t enough to keep us married, though the letters have kept us bound to each other for 30 years!) I can’t remember ever feeling that way upon receiving a text!
What is it about a handwritten note? And TO BE FAIR… it doesn’t have to be actual handwriting. Several of my friends have challenging handwriting, so they type out the letter … so … maybe it’s just getting something ‘written’ in the mail? Dunno. But it never fails to charm and delight me! A VGF (Very Good Friend, don’tchaknow) gave me a fountain pen… boy howdy! I absolutely LOVE writing little notes with that thing. And I set the stage for it, with a cup of tea and some quiet music on, desk cleaned… maybe it’s because it feels like an event, to write something, rather than dashing off a text? What are your thoughts on it? Am I having a Get Off My Lawn! moment? I promise I’m not going to use a quill and ink (mebbe…) but it really is a delight to stop (sometimes) and just… write.
… though I am happy to have my new laptop and keyboard connected. Not exactly sure how I would’ve managed, longterm, without it!
I am/was a leftie right around them not forcing you to switch hands, so my handwriting (cursive) is … charming but not great. I find it so much easier to type. We of course took “typing” in school which they changed to “keyboarding” but now they don’t teach it at all; they assume every kindergartener has used a keyboard. I exchange letters via mail with a friend or two. They handwrite theirs, but I type and print mine out 😀
I’m going to count that as ‘cursive’ – I’m not sure it’s the actual handwriting that counts – more the idea of sitting down and …writing?
though I’ve gotten cards and notes from you and your handwriting is just FOINE!
Receiving a hand written note is such a gift – I love re-reading them over the years. I try to do the same for friends, particulary if they are going through something challenging or are experiencing some wonderful event that should be recognized. Of course that has led me into a rabbit hole of pens – I love all kinds of pens….fountain, felt tip, roller ball. And stationary – there are so many beautiful cards out there and having personalized stationary, for me, feels like a luxury. I’ve been thinking I should take a calligraphy course to enhance my lettering.
I love stationery , too, and have tons of notecards which I …. forget to use! which makes me feel like an idiot (after I’ve scribbled a note on some ‘gimme’ pad of paper. sigh
a calligraphy course sounds like a lot of fun!
Arthritis has put a stop to actual writing but I can type fairly quickly. My mother (97 yrs) has exquisite cursive that is both beautiful and very distinctive. I keep all missives from her. My father had beautiful cursive handwriting, too. When I lived far away from home, their letters were precious, one from dad especially as he would draw little pictures in the margins, and usually included a $20.
I do attempt handwriting thank you cards.
Oh the memories! My father (and I think most of his generation) had gorgeous handwriting. And my dad drew little pictures and cartoons as well.
My mother had Catholic school handwriting. My father’s was wild and flamboyant, just like him!
I do know and relate to the pleasure of a letter (or a postcard)! I was given a little book called “Gift of a Letter” by Alexandra Stoddard by a lady who felt the same. Twice, in my youth, I had boyfriends whom I wrote back and forth long letters that required extra postage. Both my grandmothers and my mom wrote to me when I was in college, and I kept all their letters. I still write letters once in a while. But it’s becoming a lost art in our text message world.
I remember when my high school crush ( a few years ahead of me) went away to college, getting a letter from him was DIVINE! I would walk around with it in my pocket all day, until I had finished all my work and could relax and read.
I miss those days.
I love getting personal mail (ie, letters etc, not bills addressed to me). I’ve kept letters etc, including love letters, from the past 50 years. They are in a big box in the shed and I’m actually afraid to look at the love letters.
Anyway, my handwriting is awful but I do know how to touch type (doing so as we speak 🙂 ): asdf jkl;
However, I must say I also love my tech, especially the Apple stuff which is so well designed and tactile.
Oh, I love my tech, too – I just wish I didn’t HAVE to love my tech (I wonder what my customers would make of quotes and invoices in cursive?)
I recently re-read some beautiful love letter from first DH and was surprised by how lovely I thought they were – but (and here’s the surprising part) how dispassionately I was able to view them!
I like to write out notes and letters, although I will admit that my handwriting has suffered a bit from not writing as much. I also love pens, especially fountain pens, and good paper. I don’t love that Smythson seems to have discontinued my favorite Park Avenue pink in plain stationery.
I just re-read King’s “The Dead Zone” and there’s a pen plot point- the hero of the piece awakens from a car accident and realizes that he must have been out for longer that he thought when he notices his doctor using a strange, futuristic (to him) pen. A Flair.
OMG! That’s a blast from the past!
And I remember the heartbreak of Crane’s closing their boutiques – I used to love their grey stationery with the white border… le sigh.
Hey there Musette,
I’m glad you love the postcards we send you.
Yes, giving and receiving cards is a joy for me too.
Every couple of years I do Xmas cards as well. It takes a fortnight of all available spare time and feels very luxurious. The cost alone makes it a real luxury.
Glad you’re back in the 21st century. Terrifying to lose it all.
Portia xx
My next purchase is an External Hard Drive. You betcha!
And You DEFINITELY BETCHA I love the postcards – they are a joy! I sent you one (ages ago) from this charming little Swiss town in Wisconsin – but I don’t think it ever got to you.
I love handwriting notes. I even taught my kindergarteners how to write Thank You notes and letters. I cherish my fountain pens and to have an opportunity to write I now write postcards with organizations (Postcards to Voters, Postcards to Swing States, and Activate America) to encourage people to vote! Write On!
LOL! Write On, indeed! That’s fabulous!
I use fountain pens every day. Modern ones. Precious 100 year old vintage ones. A beaten up one I had at school 40+ years ago. All sorts. I type pretty fast, but I think differently when I write rather than type, and I absolutely remember things far better. Work notes, journal, and all get written in ink, or pencil. I can’t abide a biro. All that pressing! Too much effort. Fountain pens glide. And ooooh, all those ink colours…
And a proper letter in the post? Always a treat.
My dad loved and used fountain pens. I remember 20+ years ago I bought him some of those disposable ones that don’t need refilling? He LOVED those. He got new ones from me (along with books) for Christmas and his June birthday. <3
I think that’s what I (clumsily) was getting at – there’s something ‘different’ about writing, how it calms my brain. If I let it.
I should use my fountain pens more often..
I once bought DH a quill pen (with a nib) & ink when we were in Stratford Upon Avon. He’s never used it but keeps it with his special bits & pieces in a small case in his wardrobe. It’s an interesting case.
It makes me sound old but at Junior School (ages 4-11) we had penmanship classes! I can still write in copperplate & italic. I quite fancy doing calligraphy sometimes. Only sometimes
I also remember penmanship classes! 😉
I really enjoyed them
I did, too!
I’d love to try a quill pen! But it would probably end in heartbreak. and a lot of cleanup.
I’ve realised now that this Posse isn’t just bonded through fragrance but the obscure, nerdy & sometimes just plain weird stuff.
Whodathought quill pens?
I hand addressed my wedding invitations many years ago with a dip style calligraphy pen and India ink. It took a while but looked cool!
DAYum! That must’ve been an incredible feat!