Quite the card.
Dear Internet,
As I go through this patch of life, trying my best to make sure those whom I have offsprung grow up to be, y'know, civilized...sometimes you have to emphasize the more mechanical aspects of being a civilized human being. Which isn't easy.
Even in the most overevolved among us, as of this writing, are sometimes remiss in R.s.v.p.-ing or derelict in issuing thank-you notes. So, basically, civilization is going to crash around us any moment now. To forestall this, we've always made it a point to make sure the lads saw us R.s.v.p.-ing or issuing thank-you notes. Most of the time, to be honest, I crank out something on the computer, print it out, sign it and maybe add a scribble or two. To be even more honest than that, only A-listers get the full-on handwritten treatment: Nice stationery, an effort at penmanship, some thought put into the words...that sort of thing. Given that A-listers are people whom I find delightful, I launch myself at the task with zeal. I rummage for a fountain pen, I pick a nice-looking note card and I dash off something warm and pleasant. These days I'm in an Italophilic mindset, so I use the excellent Rossi "Fiorenza" -- which is not as girly-floral as it looks -- for all my handwrittens, along with a neat Delta fountain pen loaded with [WARNING: SERIOUS GEEKERY FOLLOWS] ink I've blended myself. (2:1 Pelikan Blue : Waterman Purple) and I'm as happy as can be.
Anyway, as soon as a lad got old enough to wield a pen without a concern he might accidentally perform a tracheotomy, he was charged with sending thank you notes for birthday gifts and so forth.
Given the average Xth grade classroom is a veritable Germ Training Camp, it is not unlikely that once a month or so, some kid will have some 3-4 day malady befall him (or her). Part of the whole gentleman thing is to be able to send a proper note expressing the proper sentiment. This was always something of a struggle, because the child in question is forever engaged in far more pressing tasks such as GameBoy or Googling something about pirates or race cars.
So we hit a compromise. IF he would be good about sending out cards when they were appropriate, we'd let him pick the cards. This is what NOS chose:
Since ours is a Mom-Dad-Oldest Son-Youngest Son household and he thinks this was the funniest TV program ever, it struck him as a no-brainer.
It came very handy when we had discovered the lovely and gracious Poppette had contracted pneumonia. He wrote a brief, inscrutable, little "Get well soon so we can see you over Spring Break*" and he signed it
and left a spot for NTS to sign it. The thing is that we had some discussion over the actual card he chose which was this gem:
We explained that pneumonia (or "Nomia" as Miz Poppette has christened her individual case) very often has suprisingly little to do with getting slugged and developing a black eye as a result. After somewhat frank and honest deliberation, he relented and chose another one. Which I shan't show because it'd ruin the surprise.
So there you have it, another dispatch from the trenches along the western front in the fight between civilization and barbarism.
Ovah and out.
-J.
* I fear this idea of meeting girls in Florida over Spring Break may carry future, unintended consequences.
As I go through this patch of life, trying my best to make sure those whom I have offsprung grow up to be, y'know, civilized...sometimes you have to emphasize the more mechanical aspects of being a civilized human being. Which isn't easy.
Even in the most overevolved among us, as of this writing, are sometimes remiss in R.s.v.p.-ing or derelict in issuing thank-you notes. So, basically, civilization is going to crash around us any moment now. To forestall this, we've always made it a point to make sure the lads saw us R.s.v.p.-ing or issuing thank-you notes. Most of the time, to be honest, I crank out something on the computer, print it out, sign it and maybe add a scribble or two. To be even more honest than that, only A-listers get the full-on handwritten treatment: Nice stationery, an effort at penmanship, some thought put into the words...that sort of thing. Given that A-listers are people whom I find delightful, I launch myself at the task with zeal. I rummage for a fountain pen, I pick a nice-looking note card and I dash off something warm and pleasant. These days I'm in an Italophilic mindset, so I use the excellent Rossi "Fiorenza" -- which is not as girly-floral as it looks -- for all my handwrittens, along with a neat Delta fountain pen loaded with [WARNING: SERIOUS GEEKERY FOLLOWS] ink I've blended myself. (2:1 Pelikan Blue : Waterman Purple) and I'm as happy as can be.
Anyway, as soon as a lad got old enough to wield a pen without a concern he might accidentally perform a tracheotomy, he was charged with sending thank you notes for birthday gifts and so forth.
Given the average Xth grade classroom is a veritable Germ Training Camp, it is not unlikely that once a month or so, some kid will have some 3-4 day malady befall him (or her). Part of the whole gentleman thing is to be able to send a proper note expressing the proper sentiment. This was always something of a struggle, because the child in question is forever engaged in far more pressing tasks such as GameBoy or Googling something about pirates or race cars.
So we hit a compromise. IF he would be good about sending out cards when they were appropriate, we'd let him pick the cards. This is what NOS chose:
Since ours is a Mom-Dad-Oldest Son-Youngest Son household and he thinks this was the funniest TV program ever, it struck him as a no-brainer.It came very handy when we had discovered the lovely and gracious Poppette had contracted pneumonia. He wrote a brief, inscrutable, little "Get well soon so we can see you over Spring Break*" and he signed it
and left a spot for NTS to sign it. The thing is that we had some discussion over the actual card he chose which was this gem:We explained that pneumonia (or "Nomia" as Miz Poppette has christened her individual case) very often has suprisingly little to do with getting slugged and developing a black eye as a result. After somewhat frank and honest deliberation, he relented and chose another one. Which I shan't show because it'd ruin the surprise.
So there you have it, another dispatch from the trenches along the western front in the fight between civilization and barbarism.
Ovah and out.
-J.
* I fear this idea of meeting girls in Florida over Spring Break may carry future, unintended consequences.
Comments
A funny card from the kids, a sober one from K and me...sometimes one that says "for a great Uncle" or some such.
Oldest signs with the signature of someone just learning their signature.
Middle has created an icon, if you will, that IS his signature.
Youngest always signs his entire full name.
I thinks it's great that you are insisting that the children have manners and etiquette. We do, too. It's the most instantly noticeable thing about our sons out in public. I bet you get comments all the time. People seem to think these boys are born that way! Give me a BREAK! It's been alot of consistent insistence!
And dude, the mixing your own ink, that ROCKS.
I mix my own ink because I like each pen to have a different color and I have enough pens that I run out of colors. I'll post someting on that, maybe.
-J.