Karmen's Journal

By way of introduction to the origin of what my future post content will be, I will start with my all time favorite non-fiction reads. This list is comprised of books that I have never forgotten and, in many cases, have read more than once. I have been reading biographies since under 10 years old. In grade school, they assigned me children's versions of biographies of famous people. By my tweens, I was reading full fledged gigantic biographies and histories. This passion was fostered by my parents who were both history buffs. Biography has always been my first love in the history genre but I do also read grand sweeping history for the bigger picture. I have to add that my grandmother was instrumental as well. You see, she worked for Doubleday and several times a year brought home cart loads of books from their book sales open only to employees. Anything about History or Art, she would make sure she brought them for me. So much of my reading started from the books she would bring ho...

 I thought I would start with my first vintage fountain pen! I happened upon this at a local pen show that a friend invited me to back in 2018. I had never been to a pen show before and knew virtually nothing about pens at all. What eye candy! It was held in a local university in one of their large rooms. I'd say there were about 40 dealers there. What my eye kept going to were the older pens even though all of the new and high end samples were there to peruse and buy.  What I kept looking at were all of the vintage ones mostly filigree in silver and gold. Being an antique jewelry lover, I suppose what attracted me was the aesthetic, design and workmanship of these pens as the same attracts me in jewelry. I settled on this gold pen from the 1925-1930s era. It is a Waterman's which I knew was an excellent brand of course even with my limited pen knowledge. The pen was in excellent condition, lever filled and I just fell in love with it. The bladder needed to be replaced and I h...

 Welcome! I am so excited to start this new blog to share what I am reading, museum visits, new paintings I’ve seen or painted as well as sharing my new hobby… fountain pen collecting! So much to share that has come across my desk so to speak as I rediscover my love of art, history and now fountain pens. Enjoy!