Sources of Joy - Day 51 At some point - I forget when - during my teenage years, my favourite aunt gave me her Parker 51 fountain pen. I see from the Wikipedia reference that it was the "vacumatic" model. It was exactly like the top one pictured there. For many left-handers, fountain pens present... Continue Reading →
Showered with blessings
Sources of Joy - Fabulous Day 50 Today was a day of very pleasant surprises. Those who know me forgive me for a number of things automatically. These characteristics include a reluctance to accept compliments graciously and an independent spirit which makes it difficult for me to ask for help, or accept offers of help. I... Continue Reading →
Saving grace and saving face
Sources of Joy - scattered over days 44-49 These six days have been interspersed with the varied joys of public transport, public bureaucracy of the efficient kind, no transport except my two feet on several occasions, unexpected giving up the ghost of my own vehicular transport after its recent visit to the mechanic's, and the... Continue Reading →
No problem – new radiator required
Sources of Joy - Day 43 The first source of joy came from the utter calm of composing a quotation to a potential new client this morning. Integrating newly absorbed ideas from the recent conference into daily practice made me feel as if a plan were coming together. I was also happy that I gave this... Continue Reading →
Self-promotion, strangely enough
Sources of Joy - Days 36 and 37 Note: All graphic material on this page is the sole copyright of Toni Le Busque, who so engagingly illustrated my brief but informative memoirs in Scatterling. Seeing as she had so much fun drawing them, I am, as far as I know, the only one who is... Continue Reading →
Lead kindly Light
Sources of Joy - Day 35 There is a well-known hymn: Lead kindly Light, amid th'encircling gloom; Lead Thou me on! The tune of the hymn linked here is not the one I know, but beautiful, anyhow. Just as beautiful is the very recently published collaborative effort of freelance translators giving voice to their own... Continue Reading →
Roots
Sources of Joy - Day 34 Yesterday, I won a prize. I shall receive a book in the post. What makes it special is that it is a novel translated from French by a recently-made Facebook friend. The idea of reading it on my forthcoming train trip to Porto appeals. Today I had a lovely... Continue Reading →
Officialdom
Sources of Joy - Days 31—33 I have decided to give the "Sources of Joy" series proper blog titles from now on, with the day count as the subtitle and the URL. I shall be revising the titles of all past posts in this category in the days ahead. That way, I can keep track,... Continue Reading →
Sources of Joy – Days 29 and 30
Communicating When I started out 2014 feeling slightly jaded from the effects of electing to work during the holiday period, and finally got around to formulating a few resolutions two weeks after everyone else, it occurred to me that this year, more than any other, seemed conducive to more open, and more frequent, communication. This is... Continue Reading →
Sources of Joy – Day 28
Technology, and carrots Receiving sudden, very sad news of the critical state of health of a childhood friend is tempered by the appreciation of the Facebook chat box. The exchange with the healthy brother is Immediate, direct, intensely personal. We share so many links and interconnections, so many years. Words in print don't convey the... Continue Reading →
That elusive pair of jeans 