The Used Thing: What Lives Inside What We Carry

“In going where you have to go, and doing what you have to do, and seeing what you have to see, you dull and blunt the instrument you write with. But I would rather have it bent and dull and know I had to put it on the grindstone again and hammer it into shape and put a whetstone to it, and know that I had something to write about, than to have it bright and shining and nothing to say, or smooth and well-oiled in the closet, but unused.”
–from The Preface of The Short Stories by Ernest Hemingway

I am currently reading A Moveable Feast. I remember struggling through Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea in our shitty apartment that flooded regularly when I was a kid. And then struggling through the sun also rises. But I am loving this one.

I don’t often listen to a book without also having a hardcopy, so I spent some time going through boxes of my old books that don’t have a place yet in our home – though we’ve been here eight years. Walter built the library (above and below), in our old Philadelphia home. I miss it, the library. In moods like this I wonder why I keep so many books I’ll never reread. And then I found a slipcover-less hardbound copy of Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore with two pages of scrawl written by an old boyfriend who still plays in a band I still love. This is why. The objects we keep are infused with meaning and stories and are often the time machine I dream of – spontaneously digging up long forgotten memories and bringing them back to life.

I ended up buying A Moveable Feast, though I did not make it through all of the boxes. I must see the words of books on paper for some reason – even though I pause, write, rewind, and write again, just as I did with lyrics from tapes when I was really young.

What’s in My Bag?

Exciting to read about Hemingway’s well-worn leather satchel filled with much of the same stuff I carry.

“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.”

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Here is what I packed in my Finch all week for my daily hikes:

1. Journal – nearly finished. I’ve begun working on my next one.
2. Anselm-style Journal – tutorial coming soon, promise!
3. A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway, though I am listening too – I love the reader James Baughton.
4. Side Pocket Pens and Pencils for easy access
5. Keys
6. Water Bottle – kid size!
7. Another book – often for changing moods :)
8. Knife – a gift I didn’t know I needed!
9. Lip balm/hand salve from Mellow Root Herbals
10. Sendak Nutshell for spontaneous self-portrait!
11. Peg and Awl prompt cards
12. Writing Projects Printed
13. Wallet

Same, same. Bag with worn leather straps, notebooks, pencil, sharpener..! Comfort in the familiarity. My animal feet, however, are on my living animal - so I have four of them for good luck! *see marked up book below

*Always scribble in your books!

Coming Soon!

We’ve been working on some fun new treasures. The new Bright Sendak colours! We are currently liking the names Egg Yolk (grocery store), Persimmon, and Cochineal, but these may change. They will be available Saturday, March 28 at 10:00 am EST!

My Substack

The Rat Room Update

Whenever I share glimpses of Walter’s woodworking in Instagram stories, it brings in far more views than anything else. His skill comes from another time altogether. When the inspector came to the old Peg and Awl shop, he was surprised and impressed by the craftsmanship throughout the building – which Walter did not claim – because he didn’t have the proper permits or licenses, or all the other drivel the world requires.

Everywhere, Astonishments

Listening: Michael Pollan on Joe Rogan and Stephen Fry with Oxford Writing House

Book: Leslie Stroz has published a book on tiny painting and Peg and Awl treasures are strewn throughout its pages. If you are eager to jump into making tiny paintings, have a look!

Sendaks filled in so many ways – I love how she shows the contents on top of the pockets!