Moving Back!

I’m moving back to wordpress.com starting today. I won’t be renewing my Godaddy-hosted WordPress site anymore. I’m still figuring out if I want to keep my domain or just upgrade my WordPress account. Ultimately it was too inconvenient to use Godaddy with WordPress since they can’t help when things get screwed up on their end. It’s easier to fix technical issues when the WordPress blog is hosted with…Wordpress! Anyway, putting all this in the backburner until after the holiday season.

Comfort Food

Yesterday’s food journal entry was about finding a new comfort food spot. My husband and I found this spot inside BF Homes the day we were coming home from getting our second COVID booster shot. Since my husband hates needles, eating is always a good way to comfort him after getting shots. These days, I’m relieved that things have gone back to almost normal. The economy will be in recovery mode for the years to come, yes, but people have started to go out again. If not for the masks that everyone still wears dutifully (and without drama, I must say), things seem pretty much back to normal now. I am thankful for this. I am thankful that somehow we got to the tail end of this pandemic and so far we’re doing okay. I’ve lost friends, and friends have lost friends and family members. There has been so much loss these past two years that just being able to eat outside without being afraid is incredibly precious.

Just Draw.

I recently ordered a sketchbook that uses kraft paper from The Unplanned Life. I promised myself that I will draw more, I will practice loose , direct sketching regularly so that my hand will obey my mind better. When writing in my journal, the flow is just continuous and natural. I haven’t been able to do that with my art. I can never seem to get out of my own way and just relax and enjoy the process. I promised myself that I will try it again this time and that I will not be too precious about my sketches. Just draw. 🙂

Happy Kitchen

Today’s food journal entry. I have completed a few pages on this food journal. I wish I thought of this earlier, it’s pretty awesome to have a compilation of entries that are just about one topic. I’m looking forward to finishing this journal and making a flip-through. In this entry, I wrote down my pasta sauce and meatballs recipe. I don’t measure my ingredients, I just cook the amount that I need and take my cue from how it smells and tastes throughout the cooking process. I made it this weekend and I added a lot of herbs from our garden. Far from making it taste too herb-y or vegetal it had layers of complex and complementing flavors. We used dried penne for it, though, because I wanted to bake it with cheese sauce. I must say that I really missed freshly made pasta and wished that I made some instead.

I count myself blessed to have a quiet and loving home during this pandemic. We’ve been hibernating, rarely going out. We’re enjoying the peace and quiet of our home. I understand how others can have a drastically different experience during this time. The least we can do is to reach out and check on our family and friends. It’s been a long year.

Sugar

My food journal entry from a few days ago. I recently learned to bake a basic banana bread. My husband loved it a lot so I baked it a few times these past few weeks. I realized that it uses so much sugar though, so I told my husband I wouldn’t be baking too often anymore. Maybe just once in a while, as a treat. We usually go through a bag of sugar in several months. The last 2-kilo bag that we bought was from waaaay back in March. We don’t use sugar a lot at home. It shocked me how quickly we used up the sugar when I started baking, and I realized that sugar is one of those things that you can consume so much of when it comes in the form of yummy baked goods. Out of sight, out of mind. When you bake stuff yourself, though, it becomes harder to ignore.

Open Crumb, Hooray!

This journal entry was written last week. It’s about the first time that I was able to achieve a sufficiently open crumb in my country style sourdough bread.

I was so excited when I sliced into it and found this. While I was reading Michael Pollan’s book “Cooked”, I was so fascinated about the chapter on fermentation. These little pockets of air contain a smell that the mouth translates for the brain into flavor. Retronasal olfaction is our ability to smell food that’s already in the mouth.

For this bake, I changed a few things. I increased the hydration of the dough to 76.6%, lengthened the autolyse to a little over 3 hours, and did my stretch and folds according to how the dough looks like instead of following a rigid s&f schedule. I also sprayed water into the dutch oven before popping it in.

It tasted marvelous. I can see what Michael Pollan meant when he wrote about how an open crumb is more flavorful. I really enjoyed this bake.

I bought a small oval banneton so that I can try a batard shape next time. I’m super busy this week so I’m going to schedule my next bake next week, during my Thanksgiving break. Can’t wait!

The Path to Better Bread

Today’s journal entry is about the process of learning about baking country-style bread and how understanding each step is better than following a recipe closely.

The more I understand about the process, the more I could edit it and get better results. You can’t really follow every recipe down to the scheduling because different kinds of flour will have different characteristics. There are so many variables involved aside from that; like the temperature, and the strength of your sourdough starter among others. The best recipes I’ve tried are those that encourage you to get your cues from the smell, appearance, and texture of the starter and your dough. There’s so much more to learn and I’m enjoying the baby steps that I’m taking.

I think that more than eating the bread that I make, I enjoy the learning part of it more. I consider myself a lifelong learner, which is what I enjoy most about reading. If anything piques my interest enough, I would probably attempt to learn it by myself. Michael Pollan’s books have been very influential for me because he has a way of translating his  intellectual curiosity into a set of organized ideas which he tests on his own and shares with others in a very accessible language. I was encouraged by the fact that he was also the kind of person who struggles with following a recipe, but understanding the process every step of the way helped so much more than any recipe could.

While the pandemic is raging outside, I guess it brings me comfort that I can focus my energy and attention on something useful and beautiful.

Pain Perdu

I’m trying to revive my all-food journal again. I keep trying to compile food journal entries in one place but my mind keeps wandering and I keep writing about different things. I’ve been reading Michael Pollan’s book “Cooked”, and I finished reading his other book “In Defense of Food” a few weeks back. His books inspire me to be more circumspect about food and to enjoy the process of cooking, especially now that we’re always home. Hopefully I can write more about it.

Parker Duofold Junior

My husband’s early anniversary gift to me arrived today. It’s over a month early, but I don’t mind. 🙂 It’s a Parker Duofold Junior in jade green. It’s the first Duofold in my collection. I believe this double-ringed model is a streamlined version, which was released sometime in 1928. Aside from the design clues, I can’t pinpoint exactly when this was made because the markings on the barrel have already rubbed off. You can see how the barrel has become discolored due to its age. The material looks very similar to my Sheaffer Lifetime Jade. It’s really almost the same. The discoloration is also the same color.

I like how small it is. It’s just a bit longer than a Sailor Progear Mini, it fits comfortably in the palm of my hand. The girth is that of a full-sized Duofold, though. It also has a nice heft to it. I like the section, it’s short but comfortable, and it flares a bit at the end.

The pen uses a button filler. It’s my first time to use one so I had to search on Youtube how to actually use it. It wasn’t complicated at all. I also liked that it was easy to fill and clean. The nib was a bit stiff and writes somewhere between fine and medium.

The nib has the  double line along the tine that I like, although the point is a bit shorter and wider than full-sized vacs.

The clip still uses that little ball at the end instead of the iconic Parker quiver of the later models.

It’s impressive that this pen is about 90 years old and is still usable. I’m grateful that we have people like JP (who helped my husband source this pen) who repair these marvelous vintage pens so that we can continue to enjoy them until now. I’m really happy with it. It’s awfully cute!

I have a small collection of pocket pens that I’m currently trying to grow. I have Kaweco Liliput, KawecoSport, Sailor Progear Mini, and Parker Vacumatic Debutantes. I didn’t even know that there were Duofolds this small! When I did my little research earlier to find out more about this pen, I found out that there are even smaller ones than the Duofold Junior called Vest Pockets. Oh my goodness, they’re adorable. I’m going to put that in my wishlist.

Overall, I’m really happy with my anniversary pen. I will enjoy using this daily. 🙂

Women Leaders

Today’s journal entry is about women leaders and the quality of leadership that they brought to their countries during the time of pandemic. I think one thing that this pandemic did was to shine a very bright spotlight on how poorly certain leaders are doing during these times. Leaders cannot bully, bribe, or brag their way around a pandemic. One also cannot fake empathy for the people. At least  not for long. It’s interesting how a handful of women leaders brought a markedly different approach to the pandemic. They harnessed data, encouraged research, reacted quickly, and brought an undeniable warmth and steadiness whenever they addressed the people. Meanwhile in the Philippines, our president can hardly get through a single press briefing without using foul language, which his supporters passes off as sincerity, lol. Anyway, I thought it would be great to make a journal entry about these remarkable women and their response to the pandemic because it will definitely be part of history.

Parker Vacumatic Debutante Emerald Green

Here’s the newest addition to my pen family. What a beauty it is. It’s a Parker Vacumatic Debutante in Emerald Green and it’s in near mint condition. I have to admit I’ve slowed down significantly in buying pens recently, focusing more on using and caring for those that I already have. I’ve shaved down my wishlist to just a handful of pens that I still want to buy at some point, but I already decided that I wouldn’t be acquiring any more pens that aren’t in my wishlist. This specific pen is in my very short wish list, so I picked it up when a friend told me about it.

There’s not a lot of discoloration on the barrel, you can still see through it. The celluloid rings are clear and pearlescent. It has a blue diamond on the clip and a striped jewel of the same celluloid material on the cap. It also has a chevron and diamond cap band. It’s amazing that something this pristine-looking was made in 1939, just a year before my maternal grandmother was born. This pen has a speedline filler, which was discontinued in 1942 because the metal was used for the war effort.

It says a lot about how vintage pens are made. They can still be enjoyed decades after not just as relics from the past but as writing implements. Here are a few more photos of the pen’s details:

Additive Pen – Double Helix

I’ve been so curious about this pen since I first saw it online, so when Everything Calligraphy offered to let me try it out, I immediately said yes. The pen came in this nondescript cardboard box and I admit that I forgot to take unboxing photos because I was so excited to try it. I inked it right away and took the photos below after the pen had been cleaned.

The pen came in this plastic tube, which I think is secure enough for transporting the pen. There’s a syringe with a blunt needle and a little container of silicon grease. I was surprised that the pen was so long. Here’s a comparison with other pens that I have. It’s 6.69 in long when capped and 5.9 in long uncapped. I’m not too crazy about the fact that the cap isn’t the same size as the barrel, it kind of sticks out when the pen is capped. It is quite easy to forget about the cap when you’ve inked the pen, it just looks so interesting.

The double helix is not your usual demonstrator. This pen is an eyedropper, with two reservoirs that form the double-helix. It’s certainly a looker. I also really liked the section on this pen, it’s long, smooth and comfortable to hold. It’s also not too heavy, so it’s great to use for long writing sessions.

The finial has the double-helix design stamped on it. I think that looked pretty cool.

The nib (Jowo) has no logo on it, just the simple filigree on the sides and the nib size.

This pen is 3D-printed, and the inside of the barrel looks textured. A bit like frosted glass. It smells strongly of nail polish. I inked this pen three times, with three different colors, just to see how it will hold up. I used Vinta Maskara, Sailor Ink Studio 123, and Parker Blue Black.

The nib is a #6 Jowo steel nib. It’s smooth with a hint of feedback and it’s a moderately wet writer. It’s not soft but it is a smooth enough writer to make the writing experience pretty enjoyable. Here’s a video of the writing sample:

It was a bit difficult to get the ink flowing in the double-helix. I read the instructions and it did indicate that you might need to add a surfactant to make the ink flow easier. It’s pretty easy to do this, I learned this little trick from Mona (of FPNPh) a few weeks ago and it really helped my dry-flowing inks to flow better. Anyway, all you need to do is to dip the tip of a toothpick in dishwashing liquid, then dip that in the ink that’s inside the pen. That’s all it takes. Don’t mix in a drop of the dishwashing liquid into the barrel. Just dip the tip, screw in the nib unit and shake it a bit. Et viola, it flows! I’ve had to do this little trick to two out of three inks that I tried. The Parker ink didn’t need the surfactant to flow, but it’s noticeably less flow-y than the other inks that had surfactants added in.

I admit that I was nervous about cleaning the pen. When it comes to demonstrators, you kind of have to be ready for the fact that you can’t keep it pristine for long. The double helix design of the pen made me wonder if the barrel would stain too terribly. I followed the cleaning instructions on the slip of paper that came with the box and it worked like a charm. All I had to do was rinse out the barrel (that was easy enough, the ink just flowed out without issues) and then fill it with isopropyl alcohol. The instructions called for 99% isopropyl but I used just 70% isopropyl, it worked just fine. I didn’t even need to soak it too long. According to the instructions, don’t leave it for longer than 4 hours. I just left it in the barrel for less than 30 minutes. Gave it a vigorous shake while covering the opening with my thumb, then emptied the barrel.

I repeated this two more times and left the barrel to dry. There were no stains left by the end of the third rinse. I’m not sure I would be brave enough to use Baystate Blue on this, though. I’m pretty happy that the stain washed out relatively easily.

Overall, I think it’s a pretty interesting design, which comes with its own pros and cons. It does write well and holds a lot of ink. It’s fun to watch the ink sloshing around, I found myself flipping over and over just to watch it doing that, lol. I think it’s a pretty cool concept and design. It’s certainly an interesting way to challenge our perception of what a fountain pen should look like.

Additive Pens are available in Everything Calligraphy.

A Timeless Gem

My journal entry today is about Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, which I’m rereading for a book club I joined. I’ve read this book several times when I was younger but the last time I read it was many years ago. I decided to refresh my memory and read it again, and instantly I was swept away to a different time and place. It’s so wonderful. I remember again why I loved this novel when I was young, it’s so pure and wholesome, and everything about it warms my heart. This sketch in particular is about one of my favorite parts of the book, when they were just beginning to make friends with Laurie. Jo went to visit him while he was sick and brought some blancmange that Meg made, and of course Beth sent the most sensible gift of all, her kittens.

I am halfway through the book and I’m reading slower so I can savor it longer. Of course I’ll need to reread Little Men and Jo’s Boys after this. Reading about Marmee made me miss my mom, though. She’s the same beacon of warmth and light, and her presence is sorely missed. I’m glad she instilled in me the love for books, and especially picked out Louisa May Alcott’s works to introduce me to the wonderful world of the March sisters.

The Most Intimate Form of Abuse

Today’s journal entry is about how infidelity is also abuse. How many times have I encountered women who say that their husbands have cheated on them repeatedly but “at least he never abused me”. I feel punched in the gut every time because I see the family unraveling before my eyes. Men and women who cheat on their spouses inflict a very intimate form of violence on their family. It takes a very calloused heart to be able to look at the people one supposedly loves and not be moved by the hurt he/she has inflicted on them.

“Do not look for healing
At the feet of those
Who broke you.”
Rupi Kaur

Fun with the FPR Himalaya

Lettering is not my cup of tea, but I really enjoy looking at people’s outputs especially on Instagram. It’s not so easy as it looks, apparently. I’ve resolved to try and push myself out of my comfort zone in my art journal and include practicing lettering. The quote in the photo of this entry was written with an ultraflex FPR Himalaya (ebonite). It doesn’t make very thin hairlines, but the flex if very pleasant to play with. If you’ve bought one of these before, you probably already know that it can be a little temperamental, and you might need to heat set the nib and make sure the nib and feed are properly positioned so that you get consistent ink flow, but once you get it going, it’s a lot of fun to use. I’m looking forward to more lettering experiments in the future.

Manila Pen Show 2019

It’s so exciting that the pen community in the Philippines has grown so much in the past years. I joined Fountain Pen Network Philippines in 2014 and at that time, I can already see the beginnings of a bustling community and the influx of vendors that support the hobby. Today, we even have locally-made pens and inks! How awesome is that?

This year’s pen show will be on November 16 and 17, at the Holiday Inn Makati. Local vendors who will take part in the pen show include: Calibre, Cross, Everything Calligraphy, Faber-Castell, Gav ‘n Sav, Guia’s Vintage Pens, Inks by Vinta, Kasama Pens, Lamy, Noteworthy, Pengrafik, Peter Bangayan, Scribe, Shibui, and Troublemaker Inks. There are also nibmeisters onsite to help members with pen tuning and repair needs–JP’s Pen Spa and John Lim. There will also be vendors from other countries like Aesthetic Bay (Singapore, ooh I wonder if they’ll bring Nakaya pens with them), Atelier Musubi (Singapore), Newton Pens (USA), Pengallery (Malaysia), Pierre Cardin (Hong Kong), Regalia Writing Labs (USA) and Straits Pen (Singapore). We’re very happy that they will travel all the way here for us. It’s going to be a lot of fun! If you’re a fountain pen enthusiast, or if you have a loved one who is, this is the event to attend this year.

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to attend the pen show because I’m spending time with my family that weekend (it’s an important weekend for us), but I’m encouraging pen lovers to go because it truly is the highlight of the year. There will be pens (vintage and new, of different brands), inks, paper, accessories, and you’ll get to spend time with people who love the hobby. It’s gonna be a blast!

Prosperity for Prosperity’s Sake

Today’s journal entry is about greed and how the world is filled with dragons of all sizes, jealously guarding caches of gold, big and small, for the sake of possessing. Many churches in particular have focused on appearing “blessed” or prosperous in lieu of actively taking care of the poor and vulnerable while fulfilling the Great Commission. Too many pretty buildings, too few charitable acts. Too far removed from the example of Jesus.

Doing nothing for others is the undoing of ourselves. ~Horace Mann

40th Birthday Journal Entry

I turn 40 tomorrow. Yesterday, I spent the whole day with my family, sharing a simple celebration. I felt that the way we celebrate my birthday was exactly how I wanted it because it’s so me. Simple and no-frills. Honestly, as long as I’m surrounded  by the people I love, I’d be happy with anything. I have much to write about turning 40, so I kept my art page to also a simple food doodle (foodle?) about all the unhealthy things we ate haha.

Children of Crisis

Today’s journal entry is about this book that I just recently started reading, Children of Crisis. This series of books is a social study of children in the United States written by child psychiatrist Robert Coles. The first few chapters focus on Ruby Bridges and talks about how children adapt to extreme changes in their environment. He wrote about Ruby’s drawings and his conversations with her and  her parents. Ruby Bridges, at the age of 6, was the first child to desegragate the all-white  William Frantz Elementary School in Louisiana. Her parents did not expect such opposition towards a little girl going to school, and certainly did not expect that she would be alone in there due to the boycott.

I’ve only read a few chapters but it’s a very interesting and insightful read. I can’t wait to read more.

Each and every one of us is born with a clean heart. Our babies know nothing about hate or racism. But soon they begin to learn – and only from us. We keep racism alive. We pass it on to our children. We owe it to our children to help them keep their clean start. ~Ruby Bridges

A Quiet Saturday Afternoon

I had such a wonderful day today. It had been a long week, but before this week, I had been sick for most of August. It feels good to be able to sit up for hours and read or write. Today is beautifully calming for me. Nothing beats the smell of old books, vintage celluloid, coffee, and rain. I loved the sound of the soft patter of rain outside the window, and my husband in the living room, watching TV. The cat walks to my study and the living room, quietly keeping tabs on both of us while we’re not sitting together, just walking back and forth, napping here and there.

Sometimes we take such things for granted, but it’s a gift to enjoy this kind of peace and quiet, and even more so when you enjoy it at home with people you love.