A Place for Handwriting

 

 Last week, I visited my friend Kathy at her tiny and very special little shop in Beebe, Arkansas.

Funky Junque

130 W. Center St.

Beebe, Arkansas 72012

(501) 352-9631 

It's a place I like to visit as often as I can and I always find some little something I just have to have.  There always seems to be time for a visit too...which I call therapy.  Her shop is in a very old gas station of all things....made adorable to my way of thinking.  So....on this visit, among a few other things, I found a wonderful vintage tin, which I had to purchase right away....because I thought it needed to live on the old writing desk given to me as a birthday present many years ago by the old navy man.  

 

Yes...this red tin here...."Penns Spells Quality" it reads and shows a pen nib.  Immediately, I associated it with all the very old dipping pens and nibs I have in a metal basket on my writing desk.  Perfect! 

While in the shop, I mentioned to Kathy that I had a collection of old pens and nibs and I would take a photo of the tin in its new home and send it to her.  This post is for her, so she can see just what I meant.

 

I also told her I would write something with one of the glass dipping pens I have and show that too.  Here you see a green glass pen and the red ink on its tip.  I do really enjoy writing by hand.  No, I know nothing about calligraphy, preferring instead, to write in my own hand...as I believe our handwriting (no matter how good or bad) is actually our own little piece of art, ours and ours alone.  Like our fingerprints.

 

Here is what I wrote:

"These days there are few things as special as words written to you by someone who cares in their own handwriting."

 

Our handwriting tells a lot about us, they say, so I am sorry it seems to have become another thing lost to time.  Everyone is in such a hurry these days and if a person doesn't care for their own handwriting, I am sure they feel it's a waste of time to write things down, to send notes or letters.   Not me.  I feel it is a very special thing worth saving.  I know I would love to have a note written by my paternal grandmother who died in 1918.   Something tangible I could hold and read over and over again.  Who wouldn't consider that a treasure?

  

I took this photo...just to show you that glass pen all clean and ready to write again.  The  spiral grooves in it beautiful even without ink.

 

 And, here is my little collection of pens and nibs.  Some still usable and I do use them from time to time.  Gosh, I just love nostalgia!

 

 I bought this very old wooden box fitted with ink bottles at a flea several years ago.  And, I have a few old glass ink bottles and a lovely glass inkwell on one of the shelves of this old desk.  Such fun!

 

 And, here is a closeup of that old tin I purchased from Kathy last week.  When I saw it, my little collection of pens and nibs came immediately to mind.  I really did connect it with writing with ink, old nibs and such and knew it would add a bit of interest to my collection.

 

But, actually, it is an old tobacco tin. 

 

 I think it adds a bit of fun to the little writing corner in one of my bedrooms.

 

I know someone is going to ask....those three chests on top of my desk hold stationery and cards, both old and new.  

 

So, Kathy, this post is for you....I so enjoyed finding this tin in your wonderful little shop.  I hope you enjoyed seeing it in its new home.

From Bird Nest Cottage

Until next time,

 ♥♥♥