Long Time, No Post

My word, I have not realized how long it has been since I posted! I have been on a long journey, going within to heal, clear and move forward on my path. I also have learned an excellent form of energywork for myself, my family and friends to help them in various areas.

I have also been teaching myself bookbinding for making various booklets for drawing and watercolor painting. And… for journaling. Internally, the idea of journaling brings an image of me throwing a 2-year-old’s tantrum of flopping around on the floor. I detest it. I am still working on that one. I found a method called Sketch Noting that is more my style. A simple drawing, even an emoji-like image and a sentence is enough. Journaling is supposed to very good for you as a being in many ways, especially if you are working on yourself. The era I am from, you did not write anything down. We learned from our elders about their diary’s becoming extorsion rackets by siblings or a parent reading them and getting perturbed with the child. Plus, it was “evidence”. laughing…

Anyway… I needed a way to keep the various sizes of booklets together and made myself 4 sizes of travelers-style notebook keepers or whatever they are called. I got some leather and 2mm elastic and made them. You can find a zillion different tutorials on YouTube, if interested. I should of made the odd-number of holes version, but mine work just fine for my needs. I found I needed to keep my booklets thinner than I was making them and to use methods for them to open flat for easier use. No biggie to do.

I found some Japanese paper and paper from other Asian countries that work well with fountain pens. American paper is inferior to Asian papers. Oh yes, I got into fountain pens and the inks. It is pleasurable to write with fountain pens, and I am drawing with them too. Most are extra-fine nibs. I write smallish and I like that size for drawing. I also have an old glass dipping pen and recently found some cute one that are put onto a fountain pen body and has a cap to keep the nib safe. You cannot add an ink convertor or cartridge to these, it is to make them easier to handle. I am sure I will blather about that at some point.

The weather is to the rains period, meaning mud and slick ice. I already have my garden mapped out. The change to the arch placement I did last year worked well. It means no extra tasks or changes when it is time to prepare the beds. Our strawberry boxes did very well and we should get a good crop this year. I made a cake with the strawberries we got last year that was scrumptious. I will probably post it this late spring or early summer.

You all have a great end-of-winter. I know I am ready for the sun and to be outside! Hmmm… I think I may make a new banner for my site this spring too…