Death, Resurrection, and Cappuccino


My TWSBI died this week, after many years of companionship it is gone. In Faro I took the cap off to discover Platinum Carbon Ink all over, a serious leak – TWSBI’s don’t leak, ever. I chalked it up to a fluke, then a day or two later the same thing happened, only worse, this…

Bold Colors and Paris Life


Just one year ago next month we moved to France, after 35 years of living in the Seattle, Washington area. What a difference a year makes. Seattle Metro has a population of 4,102,400 according to the 2022 census, it regularly ranks in the top ten worst traffic cities and in the top ten most expensive…

Capturing and Creating Moments


As a travel and urban sketcher much of what I sketch is what I see in front of me as I “capture the moment.” Sketching is a way to immerse yourself in the time and place, it imprints the sounds and the sights far better than most anything else I know – it is as…

French Food vs Spanish Tapas


Nine months ago we moved to rural Normandie France, a long way from the food capitals of Paris and Lyon. I have come to the conclusion that French food is boring, at least in our part of France, yet according to articles in the New York Times and Forbes many are saying the same thing…

A Fude Pen Week


A few weeks ago I replaced by Duke Confucius Fude Pen with a Duke Ruby. For some reason the Confucius started leaking, and for the life of me I can not figure out why. I clean it all, fill the converter, then the next time I pick the pen up there is ink all over….