It’s the little things we do together, a mnml guest post
It makes me happy to share a guest post by my partner, C. She is so excited about her new pen that she hand-wrote the first draft of the post below with her Opus 88 Mini Pocket Naptime.
My partner wrote an essay on fountain pens. With a fountain pen. A spousal penabling victory if I’ve ever had one.
— JP
Partner Pen Post: The Triple P
Reflecting on how to start this guest blog post, I kept coming back to this one song lyric: “It’s the little things we do together ...” from Stephen Sondheim’s musical, Company. Sondheim’s show is devoted to the inner workings of married couples, their relationships with one another, and what they share together. Pens, for JP and I, are one of the many things we share.
A few weeks ago, Endless Pens sent out a pre-order for a new Opus 88. They partnered with Twenty Sides, who illustrated the cutest dog on the pen’s cap, “Naptime.” Naptime resembles JP’s editor, our sweet dog, Rumi.
I guess her nickname could be “Naptime” now …
Of course I needed the Rumi pen.
The pen came in two color options: clear or blue. I pre-ordered the clear body as I enjoy a pen you can see the ink through … a la TWSBI style.
Rumi’s doppelgänger pen
Opus 88 is not an unfamiliar pen company to me. I believe my Dad has a few Opus 88’s. But this is the first Opus 88 in our house! The eye dropper way this pen needs to be inked is especially different. I am, though, grateful that I have my own in-house inker.
I chose one of my favorite inks for the first time using my Naptime pen: Colorverse’s Cape May, which was gifted to me by my Dad.
The inker inking ink
My Opus 88 is just a little bit bigger than the Kaweco Sport. I do like the thick body on this pen. I also enjoy that it can be a super-portable pen to bring in my purse, in addition to my Kaweco Sports.
“It’s the little things we do together”
Pens have been at the center of our relationship since the beginning. For those who don’t know, JP and I met at the 2019 Pelikan Hub. We always support one another’s passions in my family. Growing up, pens have been prevalent in our household for over ten years now when my Dad slowly started to grow his collection, and his passion for pens. My father was the Hub Master for the event and, up until then, I didn’t own my own personal fountain pen.
Signing wedding documents with fancy pens
Fast forward to 2022, and I am married to the mnmlscholar, JP. Unsurprisingly, I now have an array of pens and inks at my disposal. That is, if JP lets me use them (JK!). JP’s love and passion for his hobby piques my own interest in my small collection of fountain pens – and inspired a little guest post. Yay, me! I am definitely finding my own way. He is an Extra Fine lover and I am more of a Medium/Bold kinda gal … to each his own. In all seriousness, JP has enlightened me to the world of fountain pens
Pens N’ Roses
Over the past two years, I have slowly built my own collection. I have a few Kaweco Sports, a very loved Retro 51, a Gravitas Entry in Rainbow Skittle, and my favorite Benu Tessera. I’m excited to add this Opus 88 to my collection.
How can you not smile at this cute “Naptime?”
