Oh how times have changed. If only the difference between the classes were based upon the forks with which one dares to eat. We are getting ready to move soon, and so begins the purge of unused possessions. I am very much looking forward to lightening our load.

I think my mother wrote shorthand. I remember her scrawling, at a breathless pace, what appeared to be unintelligible marks on stenographers paper. It was gibberish then, and it is gibberish now. But stunning in its economy and gesture. These two pages are a perfect example of Pitman Shorthand, popular in the UK, and second only to Gregg Shorthand in the US. Gregg Shorthand is far less compelling, and even a little boring, because of the uniform thickness of the line. For more information on the Pitman method, go here. Images from here.

Just a short burst of office supply nirvana. I am reliably predictable in my affinity for this sort of ephemera. From, once again, the gimlet-eyed folks over at Present & Correct.

Would you accept the charges? Seen on a traffic light pole in Narrowsburg, NY.

Few things make me happier than getting “real” mail. So, when Neal, at Present & Correct (one of my favorite blogs and shops!), told me to expect something in the post, I got very excited thinking about what it could possibly be. But then Sandy came and went, and we both assumed that the package became a minor casualty of the storm. Not so fast. I went to my mailbox the other day and found a nice big envelope with these splendid French paper rulers inside. I think the pop out French curve is what makes them so marvelous. Thanks!!