Simply Ink.... (Part of Simple Pleasure Saturdays)

For me, one of the simplest pleasures is that of pen and ink. For my birthday last month, the kids presented me with a calligraphy set from Barnes and Noble. This set, which fit nicely within their budget, has been a source of joy to me in ways almost unspeakable.

The black and sepia inks flow from the steel nibs so beautifully, and the wooden handle fits my hand as if it were custom-made for me. As I pause from writing to refill my nib with rich ink, the next words and phrases from perfectly in my mind. Pen and ink slow me down enough to truly think about the words I commit to the page. Now I can see why people of centuries past wrote long letters to each other; with such congenial instruments, I could (and do) happily write the hours away.

And the simple pleasure inherent in good paper! Not the horrid "college rule" of school nor the thin, cheap, grey-tinged copy paper that passes for paper now, but joy is inherent in the thick cream paper of my journal (also purchased at B&N), with sepia lines to keep me on track -- how wonderful it is to allow the ink to flow on paper such as this!

Pen, ink, and paper are simple pleasures of a simpler time, perhaps, but ones in which I find great satisfaction.