The week following a pen group meetup is flush with more inked pens than my usuals six. I’m using a set of seven pen and ink combinations this week.

The end of my school year carries a mixture of emotions. I’m happy to have survived the most challenging and exhausting teaching year of my career. And I find myself also sad to say goodbye to my students.

And so blue inks …

With my students transitioning into working on their final projects this week, I expect far more meetings than prepared lessons.

Teaching is what motivates me. So my daily drivers need to help keep me interested. I chose both of my new pens as daily drivers: one a Japanese F and the other a European F. They’ll keep me wanting to write and make progress on what small projects remain.

Family came over Sunday to celebrate a belated Mother’s Day. We were within the two-week post-vaccination period on the official calendar date. So, we chose to wait a week and celebrate safely together. On Sunday, for the first time in a year, we got to bring family together in person. And eat unholy amounts of carbs.