Category: Musings

  • Accounting for what I said

    Accounting for what I said

    I said something to someone that I shouldn’t have. I was reacting instead of responding. Intentions aren’t measured, only outcomes. I need to apologize and I will. I have needed to apologize in the past. Sometimes I have. I need to change that. I should always apologize when I should. I need to be more…

  • Should we be getting rid of old books?

    Should we be getting rid of old books?

    During a librarian meeting in September, we were told to cull our collections, getting rid of books that portray people of diverse ancestry poorly. I kind of get it but I also kind of don’t.

  • I have to list the pens in order to sell them

    I have to list the pens in order to sell them

    I don’t know why I’ve been so reluctant to put my pens up on Etsy to sell. It’s the best way for me to move them. But, I’ve been putting it off. Tonight, I sat down for a bit to update some Etsy listings. I’m going to try to do the same tomorrow. I should’ve…

  • Making a bench vise

    Making a bench vise

    Today’s project was making a bench vise. I’ve been wanting to do this for some time, now, but never got around to it. It’s more complicated than it sounds.

  • Emails at Work

    Emails at Work

    I started in my current role as the teacher-librarian at our school a couple of years ago. To get information out, I have to send broadcast emails to all of the staff, and I try to make them interesting to read. The email I sent earlier this week has gotten a lot of positive feedback.…

  • European round top pen and video views

    European round top pen and video views

    I made this pen about a week ago. I like it but it’s not a style of pen that I would use, I don’t think. In other news, I’m not sure what’s going on with the YouTube algorithm but my view count is way up. I keep checking it, thinking it’s not right. I’m excited…

  • It’s getting darker earlier

    It’s getting darker earlier

    The weather has been unseasonably warm this year. It’s been great for me to get outside and turn some pens. The sun, however, is still on the same orbit. It’s been getting dark earlier, making it a little tricky to work into the evening. My dad gave me the idea of using a photography light.…

  • October 31, 2022

    October 31, 2022

    I figure I should title these posts with the date because that’s what they’re about – the day. I made this fountain pen a few days ago. I didn’t like it much at first but it’s grown on me and now I quite like it. It’s a Sedona fountain pen made with Osage Orange wood…

  • New lightbox and a walnut pen

    New lightbox and a walnut pen

    I was only able to make one pen today. My lever for the tailstock of my lathe broke just over a week ago. It’s an easy problem to work around but it’s a nuisance. It took me at least a couple of hours, I think, to fix my self-centring vise today — the knob to…

  • The last page of a notebook

    The last page of a notebook

    I got to the end of the notebook I’ve been using for my morning pages this morning. It feels like a poignant event, symbolic of growth and change, with its closing being an opportunity to begin anew. Yet, it’s simply the turning of another page. Eloise seems to be struck by the moment, too.

  • No hot water this morning

    No hot water this morning

    There happened to be a plumbing emergency last night and the hot water was shut off. This morning, I spent the first hour-and-a-half of my day boiling water. I had one electric kettle in the bathroom and a stove-top kettle on the stove top. I almost called in a sick day. It did put my…

  • 1k+ YouTube Views

    1k+ YouTube Views