Tuesday, March 29, 2011

peacock blue



recently my grandson asked if i could show him how to write his name in long hand (script). i was shocked to learn that children in newfoundland are no longer taught long hand writing. how will they read old letters that they find in the attic?
growing up in the 50's and 60's we were taught long hand in grade 3. in grade 5 we began using a pen. first a straight pen with a bottle of ink. then a fountain pen. ballpoint pens were frowned upon. i fell in love with peacock blue ink.
this summer, if i can drag him away from the swimming hole, i'll teach eamon how to write long hand.

3 comments:

Catherine said...

I remember the Peacock blue ink and my Pearl-white Osmeroid school fountain pen! (after we graduated from the stick pens) The teacher didn't like the Peacock. We were supposed to use blue or black ink. Remember that messy ink eradicator?

My grandparents took me to Eaton's and bought me a good fountain pen, which I still have somewhere.

I can't say those pens helped my handwriting at all. Ball point pens were so much easier (and faster) to write with.

Andrea said...

!!!
Really?
This is terrible news.
Why?

{I have a beautiful, small collection of pens and nibs, one nib shaped like the Eiffel Tower...Though learning calligraphy is a whole other issue...}

bluebird of paradise said...

I was a " peacock blue " fan too. It seemed so decadent and artistic. I hadn't thought about it for years, thanks for the memories...