Sealed with a Fit of the Vapors

Every so often I like to pull out my fountain pen and write a letter. I write to my family, my friends, people who don't exist, and people who do exist who aren't my friends yet. My favorite part of sending letters is the smug feeling I get when I do it, but my second-favorite is sticking on the stamp.

The United States Postal Service offers a wide variety of stamps, and I want most of them. Today, however, I will discuss just the one that I mentioned briefly last week.

Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch is on a postage stamp.

Not only is Gregory Peck extremely attractive, but Atticus Finch is one of the greatest heroes of American film. I don't know if there are any lists of heroes of American literature, but if there are, he's probably on there, too. They just couldn't really put Atticus Finch on a postage stamp until Gregory Peck portrayed him.

Buy through the Postal Store for $0.44 apiece.

Image via the Postal Store.

Yours faithfully,

Maureen

Awww, You Guys Made Me Ink!

I have found my new love, everyone. This weekend I went to Staples (oh, so low-class) because my fountain pen needed ink.

After discovering that the low-class Staples stocks low-class opened and Scotch taped packages of Parker black ink cartridges, I wrinkled my nose and looked a little harder.

I found a very fine bottle of Parker's Quink. I am not a great knowledgeable pen and ink connoisseur, but I do know that the bottled ink was closed and that in the long run it will be cheaper than the cartridges. I snapped it up and snooted my way out of that store.

Now I have gotten a little more ink than is necessary on my hands, but I feel fancy for using my pen's converter, and I'm getting back into the habit of writing letters. Next up: I need to get Gregory Peck stamps so I can send mail to Cate.

You can by your own bottle of Quink for the fountain pen that I'm sure you own for about ten dollars at Staples, or you can go to the Parker web site and find a boutique (it's the only way to buy pen supplies, really).

Then you can go to the Post Office and get Gregory Peck stamps.

Yours faithfully,

Maureen

P.S. It should be noted that fountain pen ink is not tax-free on tax-free weekend in North Carolina. And people wonder why kids vandalize bridges.