I am thoroughly enjoying my fountain pen with royal blue ink.  It makes writing letters and cards a little more special.

I am attempting to write a few letters, notes, and cards each week as a way to re-connect with a part of life that has gone “high-tech.”  Not that high-tech is bad, but it leaves a “sterile” feel- and life is certainly not impersonal or sterile!

When I was a child, my mother would occasionally let me and my second sister buy a stationery set with color-coordinated papers and envelopes and stickers in a box.  How I miss that and could use it now.

 

When I say “tweets,”  I am not referring to social media!  I’m talking about bird tweeting.  Today it was so insistent that it have me a headache.

I think the birds are rejoicing that our recent bitterly cold weather has given us a reprieve.  I hope they do not think it is Spring already and start laying their eggs.

I took Miss Maddie on a walk today and noticed that a neighbors’ Magnolia has budded out with large fuzzy olive shaped buds.

 

I believe I must have a case of Spring Fever along with my birds!

I am resolving to write more “old fashioned” letters- using paper, fountain pen, envelopes, stamps, etc.  I love it in movies and books when a person must read or write their letters.  They are always so excited when a letter comes by post or by special messenger (think Pride and Prejudice.)  There also seems to be such ceremony in writing letters in those days.   Pray do not disturb the Missus, she is attending to her correspondence.

I have a nostalgia for stationery and fountain pens, blotters and blotting papers and I would like to start actually using them. This morning I primed my fountain pen, rummaged around for real writing paper and envelopes and wrote a quick letter to my sister about how much I enjoyed the family party yesterday.  Of course, the mail doesn’t run on Sunday, and my postal service visits around three o’clock in the afternoon on weekdays.

I will have to exercise patience in this, as well as waiting for my ink to dry!

 

I think that Miss Marple would have liked my dog, Miss Maddie.  She is small and tidy and does not do destructive things when she is bored.  She pads along with me from room to room as I do the daily tidy, and when I sit down, she sits right down with me and curls up for a nap (she naps a lot).

As I am typing this now, she is curled up behind me (I am short, and don’t take up the whole chair) keeping the small of my back warm.  Surely you are tired of my complaining about the cold!

My Maddie was my mother’s dog before she passed away, and I love having her living with me and my family.  When it is a bit warmer, she will enjoy a walk with me and search diligently for signs of Spring.

Where I live in Ohio, we are in a deep freeze with lots of snow.  I feel so bad for birds and animals outside!

Recently, I purchased a birdbath water warmer.  It is an electric powered model, quite entry-level, but it really does work!  Each bitterly cold day, I peek through my window to see if the water has frozen, but it does its job and keeps the center clear of ice.

The next test was to see if my birds would really use it- and I am happy to say that I have happy birds!  I have seen several birds dipping their beaks into the melted center.  This weather has also done a number on my corn supply!  I must start buying a bigger bag- it would be great to grow my own.

How did Miss Marple cope with being snowed in occasionally?  She probably had better coping skills than most of us modern set.

She was an accomplished knitter and never had idle hands.  She wrote and received letters- something that was a bit of a ceremony- before BIC pens and e-mail.  Think fountain pens and scented paper in a box bound with ribbon.

She did have a telephone and possibly a radio-no texting, internet or TV.  She had books to read and birds to watch, photographs to remember by.

She was active in her village church, so perhaps she had projects she could do from home- my own mother in law presses the alter cloths for our Episcopal Church.

Today I find myself coming down with “cabin fever”- a little writing helps, a large number of hungry birds to watch, packing up Christmas, and perhaps a little drawing in the children’s book I am attempting to write and illustrate!

 

In Italian-American families, many celebrate Christmas Eve with the Feast of the Seven Fishes.  Their dinners would include fish in a variety of courses and recipes.  One could have antipasta, soup, salad, and main courses  consisting of multiple dishes containing fish.

I am not Italian, but I was reminded of this Christmas tradition when I served smoked salmon jerky  for lunch and remembered that I was frying fish for dinner tonight.  Fish with chips (french fried potatoes) with peas are a popular English meal.

 

I have always wondered what a “rasher” of bacon was.  I didn’t know if it was a single slice, a serving (2-3 slices) or a whole pan.  Bacon was never referred to in these terms in the time and place where I grew up, so when I heard the term in popular culture or in cooking references (I love to read cookbooks) I really didn’t know what it meant.

A rasher of bacon (orig. English) is either a single slice of bacon or a serving (2-3 slices).  Both definitions are commonly used in England and Ireland.  The word is thought to come from an old word “rash” meaning slice.  It makes sense to me!

So if I ever visit England or Ireland, I will probably not order a “rasher” of bacon- I’ll just say bring me lots!

 

It is not the same, waving a paper tissue as a bon voyage.  I am going to add to my Miss Marple lifestyle experiment and start carrying a proper fabric handkerchief.

I imagine one would need a fair supply of these dainties, in order to have one constantly clean and ready for use.  I draw the line at reusing germy ones.  Where do I put a used one until I get home to launder it?  You fold it so the used part is wadded into the middle!

I will definitely need to purchase more than the two hankies that I do own, I see.  I think I would buy white cotton ones that can be bleached.

 

I did receive the wool cloche that I ordered before Christmas.  I made several discoveries after wearing it for the first few times.   The first discovery was how important the size of the hat is.  In everyday America, I think I can safely say that the baseball cap is the “National Hat.”  It is usually size adjustable, washable, and easy to store.

Felted wool hats are usually not size adjustable, although my particular one is.  They must be ordered by head size, which require the use of a sizing chart.  Wool hats are not washable- they must be tidied with a dry brush and must be air dried thoroughly if gotten wet.  It is also designed to maintain a particular shape- not crumpled or stuffed into a coat pocket.   Yes- this hat is a lot of trouble !

What to do with the hat when not wearing it is another dilemma.  One choice is to wear it all the time- in the shops, at a restaurant, at a piano recital, etc.  But wool hats are hot when worn indoors.  If I take it off- where do I place it?  My only choice for said restaurant and recital was to keep it on my lap the whole time.  Most places no longer have coat/hat checks as in the past.

When arriving home, the hat must be stored somewhere where it will not get dusty (or covered with cat fur), not be crushed, and in a dry place.  So now I must decide on a hat box, a hat brush, acid free  tissue paper to help it dry and keep its shape, and possibly a hat pin or two!