Settling in slowly
We lived in our old house for nine years, almost a decade. That’s a lot of years - and it was such a cool house, but it was never entirely comfortable. It was a fixer, it needed someone to save it, and we worked on it endlessly. Over the years, it became an all-consuming project rather than a place where we could thrive, or even be. The last eight months at the old house were especially challenging, with non-stop big repairs. At the end of that process we stayed in Airbnbs a few times because of the intensity of the work, and I would bring my pens and some inks to those places to try to reconnect with the hobby because my old home office was unusable. I inked two pens, I think. The other times I just sat there glad to have a desk with nothing rattling or thundering behind me. When we were finally done, the old house was picture-perfect - and everybody remarked on its good condition. But I was not in a good condition myself.
The first ink-related thing I did in the new house was to refill my Homo Sapiens Bronze Age with yet more Taccia Rikan-Cha. My new office is a mess, but it’s all right.
It’s been a month and a half since we moved to our new home, and I’m finally beginning to catch my breath. My new office is unpacked. It’s much larger - and darker, which is a good thing. On our many hot days, my old tiny room with its large south-facing window would heat up like a well-oiled pan. But it was familiar. I’ve written - five, I think - published books in that room, and a bunch more besides. So far I’ve only written a few poems in this one. It is going to take time to settle.
Taccia Rikan-cha is very cool. I got mine from The Gentleman Stationer.
Over the long weekend, I managed to wash out, tidy, and journal about almost all of my pens. I inked three new pairings - the Conid with Montblanc Gatsby, the Kilk Yggdrasil with J. Herbin Opale Nocturne, and my Leonardo MZ Fioritura Viola with the perennial shimmer favorite of the Fall season, Diamine Maple Leaf. I still have my Homo Sapiens Bronze Age inked with Taccia Rikan-cha, and the Montblanc Starwalker with Taccia Nakahanada (I’m almost sure, but that was an Airbnb inking back in April, so that part is murky). I think I want to ink one more, probably a Scribo, but I’m not there yet.
Dappled horse friend and some of my pens. I replaced the nib in the Kilk Yggdrasil after I took this picture - it now has a black Jowo with a tree, which Kirk ground for me back in 2025.
The succession of murky Taccias in my HSBA has gotten me through most of the year, really since November of 2025 or so. I did multiple fills of Ainezu, then at least two of Budounezu, one each of Kuromurasaki and Kuromidori, and finally three fills of Rikan-cha; all of them in the HSBA. I have a lot of gratitude and affection for this pen, but now looking back I have to wonder: was this depression or crushing exhaustion that drove me to seek comfort inside the cozy blanket of murk? I’m not over this, either. After filling the Conid with a much more cheerful Gatsby, I found myself writing with the HSBA+Rikan-cha combo again. I’m letting myself be.
Almost inked the Conid with MB Stevenson, but went with Gatsby in the end. Forg friend thinks watery thoughts.
My new room does not have much of a view; it’s larger and darker than the old one. Still I angled my desk so that I would have a view of the park, and not of the neighbor’s wall. It took some doing. I like it. I have no idea what the future holds and what I will write in this room. Maybe nothing. Hopefully something. Time will tell.