Beyond the Wall

Spotted this book on the library shelf yesterday and immediately knew I had to check it out. Having traveled through East Germany (aka GDR) in the 70s, I was curious to read Hoyer's take on those days.

Fountain vs. Gel

Gosh! I'm forever going back and forth on this. Which do I prefer, the the gel or fountain pen? Can't make up my mind. On the one hand, I like how the gel pen doesn't bleed through the page like the fountain pen. On the other hand, I really like how smoothly and easily the fountain pen nib glides across the page. 

So ,once again, I dragged out both pens and put them to the test. Can you guess which of the lines above were written with the gel pen and which were written with the fountain pen? Does it make any difference?

Executive Power

Something to think about. According to Cogliano, the Virginia's 1776 constitution sought to "diffuse and limit executive power." To wit:

"The governor would work with an eight-man Council of State, whose members served at the pleasure of the assembly. The Constitution vested executive power in the council rather than the governor, who could not call out the militia, make appointments, or grant pardons without consulting the council. The governor and council should exercise the military authority through a Board of War appointed by the House of Delegates." 

Movin’ On

The last of the ornaments that I photographed before packing them away for the year. And with it, I think I’m about ready to move on. Lots happening this month and next, as I’m preparing to go on tour with a choir that will be singing in various places in England. Lots of music to learn and memorize. 

Then, of course, there are all the matters that have to be attended to when traveling overseas . . . uhm, like visas. A new law came into effect January 7 this year, I understand, that now makes it mandatory for Americans traveling to England to obtain visas. So . . . I spent a good part of this past Thursday going through the application process—successfully, I might add. Tricky, though, involving downloading and working with an app.