Two weeks ago I went into Boston in the afternoon to meet my daughter for a concert that night. I left work at my regular time and went right to the train. When I got off the train I still had over an hour until my daughter was out of work so I shopped. I went in and out of our regular places, Marshalls, TJMaxx etc. and then I was at the other side of the street than I usually end at, and turned down a sidestreet to get to where I needed to be. There was was the sign above, Bromfield Pens
Being the stationary geek and pen snob that I am, I just needed to see what this store sold, well pens of course, but not your everyday Papermate (which as far as office supply pens is one of my favorite brands since childhood), but shiny, sleek, expensive pens. They had rollerballs and fountain tips. I was interested but my memory of expensive pens were high class attorneys and dark black shiny barrels. Very utilitarian and masculine looking. Fountain pen, why would I want to write with a fountain pen? So in the back they had some sketchbooks and Microns (my choice for Zentangles) and I don't like leaving an indie store without buying anything so a little sketchbook and 2 Microns and I left to meet my daughter at the concert in the Park. I could now Zentangle while waiting for her.
After my discovery of this "Really Cool" pen shop in Boston I decided to read the threads on Ravelry in the For the Love of Letters forum and the Planner Porn forum (Yes I discovered there is more to Ravelry than knitting) about fountain pens and decided I need to have them. I followed some links posted and realized they are not all expensive and they come in pretty colors. I also learned, so does the ink! I can use one pen, clean the tips, change the cartridge and there you go, a new ink color. I really now need to check out these fountain pens everyone is talking about. I know I won't like them because I am a pen snob and a pen must glide perfectly across paper, like writing on air, for me to love it. I thought with those pointy metal tips they will sound and feel scratchy and I'll have chills every time I use it. I'll hate it!
Fast-forward to this past Thursday. I left work at regular time and got into Boston at just before 5:00pm. It is a few minutes to walk to the penshop from the train station and by the time I walk in the door and slowly look around and get the clerk's attention it is now 5:15 and they close at 5:30. The clerk pulls out a few pens and tells me he will not sell me one on the spot because you need time to make a decision like this and to really try them out and they close in 15 minutes. Great customer service! What he was able to determine was, I love the color purple, I never used a fountain pen before, and I really should test out what it feels like to write with one, and he let me to the disposable Pilot Varsity Pens with a fountain top nib in the purple ink. $3.47 - SOLD! along with a graph paper tablet of French paper. I was able to write and journal the rest of the night with my new fountain pen. I plan on heading back there to get my real one by September.
There is more to this story as to why I want one by September but I think I will make you coming back for more next week! Stay posted.
As for my works in progress this week....I am still working on the shawl and the socks. I am hoping to have the shawl finished to show you all next week. I am really enjoying this pattern and loving the way it is working out. I'm so happy with my color choices.
The sock is a sock. Almost up to the afterthought heel rip cord on the second sock and then into the homestretch. That will probably not be finished until September. It is my on the run project so it gets worked at while waiting to pick up my daughter wherever she is at the time.
Honestly - there have been so many other things I have been wanting to try and do that knitting became a Knit Night activity so I can do the other stuff while I am home. Once some of the other projects are under control, knitting will go back to center stage, as there is just so much of it I want to make, and so much stash in my house to make it with.
I did not Zentangle this much either but for those interested I am hosting some weekly Zentangle Challenges on the Zentangle Fiber Fans Ravelry Group. I post a challenge each Saturday. Go take a look.
So, what led me to Boston this week, as I noticed it has become a weekly occurrence?
Thursday night was supposed to be a meeting for new volunteers for the new Boston Public Market Test Kitchen. It sounded like a fun opportunity and something else to add to my agenda of activities. Only I guess I did not read the e-mail completely and went to the wrong place, but that was okay, since my kids were in town for a free concert I got to crash on their fun, oh, and buy them dinner! I'm such a good mom. So this was where I was Thursday night after the Pen Shop :Quote of the Week (#1): When everything seems to wash away. I walk here with just two feet on the ground. - by Matt and Kim
Yes, I was at the free Matt and Kim concert at Copley Square. Good music but not really my type. It was free though and I got a chance to experience things my kids like which when it comes to music is always an eye opening experience. These kids have very little shock value in their lives. I'm still taken aback just by some language that is used in public, call me old fashioned. I challenge you all to walk in the shoes of your teen to adult aged children's shoes. I have to remind myself they are adults and accept their likes and dislikes. Nobody invited me to this concert, I invited myself so I had no right to state my opinion. Instead I have a blog like this for venting.
My second trip to Boston was on Friday afternoon to meet my daughter, as she only works half a day on Fridays. Have you ever been on one end of a street for one reason, and seen the other end from another angle and never put the two parts together? Yup, that was me on Thursday. I took the train to a stop I don't usually get off at, Charles MGH. We decided to walk Charles Street on Friday. A friend at work told me about a new bakery that opened there and the area was highlighted on Chronicle (a local news magazine television show). It sounded intriguing so we went. We have been to Charles Street before because when we are in the neighborhood we go down 1 block to JP Licks, only the best ice cream in Boston, then we walk back to the train station. Friday we walked to the other end of Charles Street only to realize, we were back at the Boston Commons/ Boston Gardens. I never knew the connection. Which leads me to quote number two this week.
So now I will leave you with my final Quote of the Week:
Still round the corner there may wait, A new road or a secret gate.
J.R.R. Tolkien
Travel on my friends until NEXT WEEK
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