Hi from Virginia

[Susan C]

I lurked for several weeks before joining Flourish Forum and have lurked for several more since. I guess it's time to say something.

I started with a broad edge pen in 4th grade a very long time ago. We were told it was called "Beacon" handwriting and when I was in high school a professional scribe told me I had a Chancery Cursive hand. Having never heard the term I had to look it up. I laugh now over the current controversy of whether children should learn cursive writing because I was never taught it. We either printed or used a calligraphy pen. We started with dip pens and were awarded an Osmiroid fountain pen after we had achieved a certain level of proficiency. Unfortunately, I pretty much stopped after high school and the Osmiroid is long gone. I'm not sure why but I suddenly have an overwhelming desire to write again. As you might imagine, I am *very* rusty but hope to get back into it. I'm not very good at staying motivated all by myself so I am looking to everyone here for inspiration.

[Marc]

Welcome aboard, Susan!

It's so uncanny what you said about being awarded an Osmiroid fountain pen.  I've been trying to reconstruct specifics from only fragments of memories that either 3rd or 4th grade (and we're talking later part of 1970's for me here!) we abruptly stopped learning cursive (Sidebar: I was definitely among the students who were gobsmacked over this -- I'd really worked hard on my cursive, and was proud that I could finally do it, only to be told: Okay, now stop that because you'll be doing this other thing!  Feh!), and learned something they were calling "loop free writing" (something loosely based upon italic I think) and those of us who demonstrated some level of proficiency it were awarded an Osmiroid!  I remember the day I got that pen, and how fascinated I was by the ink cartridge.

The thing is, I was raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, a long way from you in Virginia!  Spooky teacher synchronization there, or something!

Marc

[Susan C]

This was in the late 60's. I went to a small, private school in NJ, with a very European style curriculum that included things like French, Latin and classical history, while gym class was tennis and field hockey. Not really the typical American education, so it probably meshes more closely with yours in Canada. But it is still a long stretch across 10 years and a lot of miles to synchronize the Osmiroid awards! They didn't have ink cartridges back then, they had little levers that sucked the ink up into a bladder. It was all very exciting.

[AAAndrew]

Welcome, Susan! You'll quickly find yourself back into it. Even if you just begin by playing around with what you remember before finding what you want to focus on, if you ever do, that's perfectly all right 'round these parts.

And you can still get Osmiroid pens and nibs, including the old lever-fill ones you had back then. You need to go to the Great Online Auction Place, but they're there. And the nibs are quite nice for a fountain pen calligraphy nib.

Glad you're here and poking your head up at last. Pull up a chair and sit a spell.

[Blotbot]

Welcome from Northern Virginia!  I had to buy own fountain pen, a Sheaffer set.

[Susan C]

AAAndrew: Oh my, there they are, up for auction - my first fountain pen, the Osmiroid 65. No one was giving a bunch of 10 year olds gold nibs, however! I'm surprised the bladders on those pens would still be functioning. I know I am growing old because I can remember a pen from 40+ years ago, but not what I ate for lunch yesterday.

Blotbot: If you're in NOVA, you're not far from me. I'm in the Piedmont region. I did order a Rotring set, as well as some Speedball dip nibs so I could torture myself.

[handmadeletters]

Hi Susan, welcome to the FF! I really enjoyed your story.

I'm in DC, and Ellen, and a couple of other local Flourishers here have informally started doing calligrichats, penmeets -- whatever you want to call it  . Perhaps in the new year, you can join and show us your progress.

Keep at it!
Janice

[Susan C]

Thanks, Janice, I'd love to join you!