C gave me some helpful tips for linking various blogs, etc. which I will try this weekend. Having said that Saturday is usually wife duty and Sunday is my church and family day. However, since he (the husband) gets sleepy way before me perhaps I can sneek in some computer time.
I am working for a half day today so am sneeking in two minutes before the phone rings. I am feeling guilty for skipping yesterday after the commitment to blog but business comes first.
OOPS, two minutes gone and I am beginnng to feel like a thief ............. stealing minutes from my job.
Toodles ...............
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Fountain Pens
When creating a name for my blog, my friend C encouraged me to use something in line with what I like or enjoy, something that says it is me. We talked about my preferred beverage which is a cup of hot tea (preferably Sadaf), my drinking water without ice (I detest cold beverages) and ultimately my affection for fountain pens. In fact what I said was that I preferred either a fountain pen or pencil, and nothing in between.
I really do have an appreciation of fine writing instruments which in my opinion do not include ballpoint pens, rollerballs, gel pens, and the like. However, I do like a pencil, even a mechanical one, especially a Pentel.
There is just something about the balance of a fountain pen in your hand as you write and the way the ink flows through the beautifully detailed nib and it just seems to gift itself to the paper.
I own over 100 fountain pens, some as old as 1874, and actually have two vintage fountain pen desk sets in my office. They are both from the 1960's when most professionals used them and at the time probably meant "I have arrived. See the matching pens on my desk?"
You do not need to spend a lot of money to have a good to great pen. It would be hard to beat a Schaefer for dependability, reliability and smooth writing. I own several. Another excellent choice would be Waterman or Pelikan.
My favorite is the Visconti that I received for my 20th anniversary from my employer who has a "Sterling" reputation. The Italians make some of the best pens even though as a young woman years ago recognized them only for making a fine pair of shoes.
I even have fountain pens to match my suits along with a great pair of shoes of course. In fact today I had a choice of pens to match my silver and mother of pearl earrings: Dani Trio and Pelikan.
I prefer my Dupont over my Mont Blanc, both are quality and pricey but people tend to name drop both brands or in a meeting angle the pen to show the logo.
The Dupont writes beautifully but I did not have to buy it. The person to whom it was given really did not prefer fountain pens and knowing that I did, passed it along to me. I will always appreciate his thoughfulness and do not care that it has another banks name on it.
You may recall that I am a banker and if my bank with the sterling reputation had fountain pens available with their logo, I would proudly angle it while writing to make sure "everyone" could read the name of "MY" bank of choice.
I really do have an appreciation of fine writing instruments which in my opinion do not include ballpoint pens, rollerballs, gel pens, and the like. However, I do like a pencil, even a mechanical one, especially a Pentel.
There is just something about the balance of a fountain pen in your hand as you write and the way the ink flows through the beautifully detailed nib and it just seems to gift itself to the paper.
I own over 100 fountain pens, some as old as 1874, and actually have two vintage fountain pen desk sets in my office. They are both from the 1960's when most professionals used them and at the time probably meant "I have arrived. See the matching pens on my desk?"
You do not need to spend a lot of money to have a good to great pen. It would be hard to beat a Schaefer for dependability, reliability and smooth writing. I own several. Another excellent choice would be Waterman or Pelikan.
My favorite is the Visconti that I received for my 20th anniversary from my employer who has a "Sterling" reputation. The Italians make some of the best pens even though as a young woman years ago recognized them only for making a fine pair of shoes.
I even have fountain pens to match my suits along with a great pair of shoes of course. In fact today I had a choice of pens to match my silver and mother of pearl earrings: Dani Trio and Pelikan.
I prefer my Dupont over my Mont Blanc, both are quality and pricey but people tend to name drop both brands or in a meeting angle the pen to show the logo.
The Dupont writes beautifully but I did not have to buy it. The person to whom it was given really did not prefer fountain pens and knowing that I did, passed it along to me. I will always appreciate his thoughfulness and do not care that it has another banks name on it.
You may recall that I am a banker and if my bank with the sterling reputation had fountain pens available with their logo, I would proudly angle it while writing to make sure "everyone" could read the name of "MY" bank of choice.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Well I am off to a running start, sort of. I moved onward to open a Twitter account to attach to my Linkedin.com account. I officially have an account but now must contact C again. She is the wonderful and most gracious trainer to which I referred yesterday who from now on I will affectionately refer to as C in my blog. C says that a blog is a web log which really makes sense as do most things after the fact. I figured out the log part but the "b" was bologna until yesterday.
On the way to work this morning, I saw a most beautiful sight worthy to include on a site design or atleast on a calendar somewhere. I saw two full grown deer standing beneath a small tree and near an even smaller bush. You might know that traffic was flowing nicely for a change and I could not take a picture with my camera. You may say how does this relate to blogging or twitter. Well, this sight was in the middle of a large gravel parking area with piles of gravel and stone along the parameters. I was immediately reminded of all things natural vs technology and the manufacturing facility a few yards from these beautiful creatures.
Technology and I have become friends over the years but this picture seemed almost of contradiction of terms for my eyes. Here it is eleven hours later and still lingers.
Maybe I should bank the manufacturing facilty and feed the deer. I know what they eat because they used my newly landscaped yard as a buffet a few years ago. :))
On the way to work this morning, I saw a most beautiful sight worthy to include on a site design or atleast on a calendar somewhere. I saw two full grown deer standing beneath a small tree and near an even smaller bush. You might know that traffic was flowing nicely for a change and I could not take a picture with my camera. You may say how does this relate to blogging or twitter. Well, this sight was in the middle of a large gravel parking area with piles of gravel and stone along the parameters. I was immediately reminded of all things natural vs technology and the manufacturing facility a few yards from these beautiful creatures.
Technology and I have become friends over the years but this picture seemed almost of contradiction of terms for my eyes. Here it is eleven hours later and still lingers.
Maybe I should bank the manufacturing facilty and feed the deer. I know what they eat because they used my newly landscaped yard as a buffet a few years ago. :))
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Blogging
Blogging is a new venture for me but once started will require commitment and considerable discipline. This is actually my first one and wouldn't you know, I could not figure out how to edit the one started at work so it is now deleted and started here again. My instructor from the office who volunteered to help could not have been more kind or patient with me. I now freely admit to being "old school" when it comes to technology. However, since I am on this side of dirt as Roger Bennett so wonderfully sang with the Legacy 5, I have decided to tag along.
I was so excited and anxious when she volunteered to help me last week when we were at the Junior League attending the quarterly Sterling Bank WBI luncheon (more about this in a future blog). We had a speaker last year with the topic being social media and I could feel myself being reeled into to the 21st century. Having been a teenager in the '60s my first thought when hearing the term "social media" was date night and telephone calls(probably won't see anything about this in a future blog :)). Anyway back to business, the speaker was engaging to say the least and since being a typical banker to boot, this required me to think it to death before reaching the point that it became a 2011 New Years resolution. Please note that this is the only resolution that I made personally or professionally.
With regards to the blogging, my mind had created this concept of a remake of War and Peace for banking or slings and arrows in my direction because I am still a banker or some weirdo personal question from computer la-la land. However, my friend told me that it is really just a conversation. Imagine that....so stay tuned for whatever might chase itself between my two ears to the point that it must find it's way to print HERE.
I was so excited and anxious when she volunteered to help me last week when we were at the Junior League attending the quarterly Sterling Bank WBI luncheon (more about this in a future blog). We had a speaker last year with the topic being social media and I could feel myself being reeled into to the 21st century. Having been a teenager in the '60s my first thought when hearing the term "social media" was date night and telephone calls(probably won't see anything about this in a future blog :)). Anyway back to business, the speaker was engaging to say the least and since being a typical banker to boot, this required me to think it to death before reaching the point that it became a 2011 New Years resolution. Please note that this is the only resolution that I made personally or professionally.
With regards to the blogging, my mind had created this concept of a remake of War and Peace for banking or slings and arrows in my direction because I am still a banker or some weirdo personal question from computer la-la land. However, my friend told me that it is really just a conversation. Imagine that....so stay tuned for whatever might chase itself between my two ears to the point that it must find it's way to print HERE.
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