No one is born with their future written in stone; it took me years to find my own path. Looking back I can see now what I couldn’t see then, that the tiniest inspiration, if you love it enough, can be the gateway to a future. For instance, don’t laugh, (and most of you probably already know) but I always got an A in handwriting. At the time, no one got very excited about that (although, when I was around fifteen, my dad did take something I wrote to work to show his co-workers, something the daughter will never forget ♥), but really, how much more insignificant could an “achievement” be? Would you ever imagine there could be a life in handwriting? Me, either.
But yes, it can happen. Which, by the way, means anything can happen! This is the top of my calendar page for March. Musica? Oui! It’s a celebration of good old-fashioned letter writing. I love my grandma’s old letters that all start with “Sue Darling;” my old boyfriend’s 
letters; all the letters from my best friend Diana when I left California to move to Martha’s Vineyard. Our letters flew back and forth and now they’re like little diaries. They never get old; their details capture and hold on to a moment in time like almost nothing else. Except for the photos, everything on that calendar page was either written or painted by hand. The old letter in the upper left was one written by a beau to Joe’s great, great grandmother in 1881. On the right, is the front, inside, and back of a card I wrote to my grandmother when I was eight. As you can see, I was so excited to get to the p.s., I almost forgot to sign my name first! I’ve always been a P.S. Person!
Goodbye cursive? Get outta here! They’ve been talking about taking cursive out of schools. I saw this newspaper in a gas station while traveling last fall and practically cried before I ran to get the camera! My sister says the school her eight-year-old twins go to is no longer teaching cursive! Luckily my little nephews are amazing artists; they want to know how to do cursive and Shelly teaches them.
I think learning cursive was the first connection between my brain, a pencil, and whatever artistic talent I had; moving the pencil just so to form letters, to make a little curl on an E, to bend the top of a T. I don’t know if it happened that way for other artists — but what if it was the same thing for some of the most talented artists, for example, like Monet, or DaVinci (who taught himself to write cursive backwards!), or John Singer Sargent? What if it was??? No pencil, no connection = just maybe, no art.
And for sure, two out of these three books could never have been written if it wasn’t for cursive. Not to mention the Declaration of Independence, which wouldn’t have been half so interesting or informative if it had been written perfectly, on a computer, all mistakes and cross-outs deleted.
I have nothing against a printed book, love love love them in fact, but
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this kind of book makes me feel history more than any printed book could ever do. Rachel (we met as pen pals and now we are dear friends for twenty years; go say hello if you have time!) sent me this old diary she found for sale in an antiquarian bookstore in England where she lives; she knew it would be my cup of tea, and she was so right!
This diary was written by a twelve-year-old British girl named Alice. She writes about her lessons with “mademoiselle,” about her dog, about teatime and what she ate; and about how much she whistles, which is practically every night. She really loves to whistle! “Dec. 4, 1906 Nothing special today, whistled in the evening.” It’s a little treasure; she might have thought it was “nothing special” but it is to me. I wonder what she was like as a grown woman?
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I would love to have known Margaret Cavendish! And, just imagine, no this:
I have no doubt at all that Nancy Luce’s writings and little books were inspired by her simple everyday school life here on the island, learning to make her letters. Despite her illness and loneliness, she still managed, through her handwriting (and her heart), to become the most famous person on Martha’s Vineyard in the late 1800’s.
And for sure, this would look very different if it wasn’t handwritten; my favorite book I ever wrote; the diary of our adventure in England. Sure it could be typed, but I love all the mess in this diary, it’s real, with crossed out lines and misspellings and lots of exclamation points!!!! I tried to make this first page neat, within reason, I didn’t have a ruler, but inside it looks more like my other diaries:
This was part of my diary entry for January 19, 1978; the first time I broached the question of how “real” writing was done. Sometimes people tell me they don’t want to use their handwriting in their scrapbooks and on recipe cards because they think it’s so bad. Could it be any worse than this? Would it really matter? Wouldn’t a great, great, great grandchild love seeing any kind of handwriting at all, as long as it belonged to you?
I’ve been keeping a diary on and off since I was nine, and constantly since I was thirty. These are probably the most embarrassing items I own. They’re bare bones, pathetically truthful, “scream of consciousness;” running the gamut of emotional health from A to B and will all have to be burned one day. They know too much. I never thought about “writing” when I wrote them, which is too bad; I would have liked to see myself wax poetic! I left out lots of details and told things that no sane person would ever tell. Because I wasn’t thinking!!! This is the truth, there was no thinking going on!!!
I was a gut-spiller in my diaries, and yet, they are part of me and my life, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, I am married to them. I bought my House of Creativity inside those pages! Our Christmases are there. My kitty, Pooh, died there. I moved to Martha’s Vineyard inside those books, wrote my first cookbook and met Joe. And without cursive, all that important stuff would be lost!
And you know what else? Without cursive, here would be no more of these!!
So I’m declaring this day, March 10th, “I Love Cursive Day,” and in honor of the celebration I am giving away not one, but three, things that will exercise your cursivity and leave a little herstory for the folks in 3012, who are apparently going to need it.
First off, I’ll send the winner of our drawing a package of these How to Be Happy Notecards. So she can send a little note to someone she loves, and put it on paper to last forever. ♥
In addition, the package will contain a signed copy of my new Grandma, Tell Me Your Story book. I wish so much I had one of these when my Grandma was alive; there are lots of family memories lost forever. I would have loved to know more details of her childhood. I never did hear about her favorite dress. ♥
The book is lined, and filled with good questions for a Grandma to answer, the ones I would have liked to ask; “real” ones, such as “Did you ever leave school without permission?” And, “Did you like to dance; did your dances have names? Who taught you the steps?” (That’s where I would write that my first dance partner was our refrigerator door handle!) When finished, this book will be something a family will cherish forever. If the winner isn’t a Grandma, I’m sure she will know one or have one and it will make a wonderful gift!
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And last but not least, this. It’s my newest recipe keeper, and I’ll be signing this one too. It’s smaller than our three-ring-binder-recipe-keepers which means it would be a quicker project to put together; the letter stickers come with it so you can add a name on the cover; you just fill in the recipe pages with your favorite family recipes, gathered in one place, to save forever, perfect for a newly wed daughter or son.
To enter the drawing for all three items, you have to be actually on my website, which most of you are (some people have the blog emailed to them via subscription, which means there is no comment button; if that’s you, just go to www.162.240.10.175/~susanbs3/susanbranch/) and leave a comment by clicking the word “comment” at the bottom of this post. That’s all, and in a few days, charmingly talented “Vanna,” our in-house random number generator, will choose a winner. Join my quest to save the cursive! And have a wonderful weekend girlfriends!
X O X O X O
Hi Susan!
I’m not sure if I was on your list, so have done what you suggested. Hope that works out okay!
I loved this post! Writing and receiving mail is very dear to my heart. As is preserving the handwriting of my ancestors. Even if you don’t have diaries or letters, you can find signatures on wedding certificates, books, music sheets details on the back of old photos. etc. It’s also important to have a record of your own childrens’ and grand-childrens’ handwriting and I’m making sure of that.
Thank you for this reminder. You’ve prompted me to sit down and write some little notes to some of my friends I’ve neglected for a while.
Ahhhhh, Sue. Your blog fills me with the most wonderful joy and inspiration and comfort… but also, because I relate so very much to you and the things you are interested in and love to do… I feel a bit of sadness, knowing that I should not have been such a perfectionist, but should have embraced the lovely human-ness of all the things I wrote and created but never kept, as well as all the things I meant to do but never did. You are living my dream life. : ) Thank you for sharing it with me, and showing me what is possible.
I love that you call it “wonderful humanness” I will try to remember that next time I cringe through one of my diaries! 🙂 Thank you Becky!
I am going to be a first time grandma in August and of course am very excited! I had my mother and mother-in-law complete similar books for my son and daughter when they graduated and they enjoy “new” discoveries each time they read them. My mother has passed away but this book remains a strong connection to her, in her own hand written words. I have mom’s recipe file box and recipe book filled with her favorite recipes and enjoy reading her words and making her goodies!
Your penmanship conveys so much of your personality so we all can feel you are connecting to each of us individually. I do have a trunk of letters from relatives back and forth.. One such enlightening note is from my mother to her mother announcing my upcoming birth, waaaay back in 1948 and to let her know she was making lamb with mint jelly that night. Everything can be Important News in a letter.
And so often it’s all the little joys of life, like an old apron, homey and comforting.
Great post as always – I have 4 granddaughters and 1 grandson so would love
to win the Grandmother book. I agree that cursive should be kept in schools.
I have a big box in my closet full of letters that my husband wrote to me when
he was in the Army – We will be married 48 years on July 4th. I also have some
recipes from my Grandmother, Mother and Aunts – most unsigned but I know
each individual’s handwriting. Treasures! My own handwriting isn’t beautiful
but it’s mine.
That’s right!! Love that attitude!
Dear Susan you never cease to amaze me! As a 3rd grade teacher for 34 years, I had the fun of teaching kids to write cursive. I always gave it a big build-up before starting, about it being so important to the history of man. I even went back in history and told them all about the monks and illuminations, and about all the wonderful “secrets” they would be able to read once they learned it! We had daily winners, weekly winners and winners for everyletter! It sounds so silly now telling you, but I made such a big production of it the kids just loved it. It turned out, my kids were very good at cursive because it was important to them. When I retired our district was not even requiring that it be taught because many people thought that someday we would do all our communicating by computers. I’m glad to see that it’s becoming important again!
I think the magic word you used was “secrets” — my first diary had a lock on it! I thought, oh boy, the secrets I would tell! Of course at 8 or 9 my secrets were few! But the imagination was working full time! Your students were lucky to have you!
Really nice post Susan. Don’t you just love it when a letter pops through the letter box and you recognise who it’s from just by the handwriting. Sadly not many people seem to write letters any more which is a real shame. To receive something that is hand written is special, much more exciting than a text or email.
These days when I get one, I always look at it like a gift — it used to be so normal to have three or four actual letters in the mail!!
Oh, how I love writing letters now! I guess I finally have to admit how thankful I am to the nuns at the Catholic school for teaching penmenship. Back then so many, many years ago I hated all the hard work of slanting the letters just right and making sure every word ended upward toward heaven. The only thing I loved back then was filling my fountain pen with peacock blue ink – oh it was so pretty! Now I’m grateful for all their hard work teaching me something I will use and enjoy all my life. Hopefully this generation and many of the next will also fall in love with the cursive word.
I think the trick when teaching it may be relating it to art??
Hi Susan
I live in London near Wimbledon and read your all your blogs.
How heartbreaking to think that that little piece of a person, that piece of who they are, will be lost. I have only little bits of the writing of my parents and grandparents-their signature on a card, my mother’s handwritten cookery notes, but they mean the world to me -each one is like hearing their voices again for a moment.
My husband and I were talking only yesterday about the digitization of photos and music. Is the magic of digital hiding a secret? Our albums and biscuit tins of old photos can be handed down to our grandchildren, but who owns everything we are saving into ‘the cloud’ when we are gone ? It is a subject that is worrying so many people here, that our top UK consumer magazine, ‘Which?’ is starting a campaign to ensure that our photos remain ours in the future . I’m starting a series of albums to pass to my nephews with the photos and the stories I was told about my family, so they are not lost.
PS I have all your big cookerybooks from when they were first published and they are a joyful part of my home and I’m so looking forwards to your new book !
Very good questions Janet. I guess it will sort itself out sooner or later. Please say hello to beautiful beautiful England for me!
Oh Susan – another wonderful blog post. I have a diary that was my great grandfather’s and I treausre it. He traveled from CT to GA and noted places he stayed, what he ate, and how much things cost. You just can’t replace treasures like that. I too hope cursive will survive – how will people sign their names? You should have a lovely spring week on MV – temps. look to be warming up. And I LOVE your items you are giving away – truly special.
would so love to have the “grandma Book”. it’s about time i started to put these thoughts down on paper. better late than never!!
Susan,
Oh! How I love your blog!! I check every morning, hoping to find a new entry. You validate my feelings and you love the things I have always loved! Cooking, flowers, sweet thoughts and words, beauty in all forms, books, movies and now cursive writing too. I have always loved forming letters and the feeling
of accomplishment, standing back and looking at the written page. I have never really thought of it as art. I thank you!! You also inspire me to continue to keep everything for our grandson Zack, in order for Bebe and Papa to always be vivid in his heart and mind.
Thank you again, for sharing yourself, Joe and the kitties with me, and all of us!! I look forward to collecting all your books!!
Hi Susan,
Getting rid of cursive……..I hope not! I lost my right forearm to a surgery malfunction 6 years ago and I didn’t think I’d ever get used to writing left handed. But I’ve managed and some would tell me it looks as good as how I used to write.
I have a pen pal that I made from a magazine 30+ years ago, and she still writes me the neatest letters! They are such a blessing to me, because she takes the time to write them!! I pray the story isn’t true about stopping cursive. That will be a sad day indeed.
Looking forward to your new book!!!
I’ve always wondered what I would do if I lost use of my right hand, and now I know. I would just have to learn to do it with the left!
Just getting over eye surgery so please excuse any type errors I may make. I can not read the comments this time – did read a little of your lovely and thought provoking article an recall so well the years in early school years of practicing our penmanship by the hour in shcool and writing between those lines. I had the experience of a wake up call back in the 70’s when I worked for sixty five engineers in a technical firm and had to deal with their handwriting which was truly a shock due to the lack of it back then. Today is far worse….and I can not ehelp but wonder myself, when all of this technology fails for whatever reason, where will humanity be witih regfard to being able to communicate if they cannot write. It certainly is something to think about is it not? How treasured the gift of good handwriting is ……..and how much it really does matter we won’t realize until we no longer hav e it. Sorry if this comment sound s down as it is not meant to be – let’s all hope we realize how important these things are before they are long gone. Certainly your blog remidns us of that. Again, excuw3 the type erros, still cannot see well yet. thanks for such a lovely article once again, so thought provoking. Thanks for keeping us all more alert to our world. Blessings to you.
I love the idea of a book to record Grandma’s memories — especially since my own mother is a frail 84 and my children are just out of their teens (and old enough now to appreciate their Grandma)!
The book is noted as out of stock. Will you be restocking it?
Thanks for your cheery posts– they really cheer up a dreary day!
I just checked; on one part of the webstore pages, it is showing as in stock, which is what I was looking at, but you are right, when you go to purchase it, it says out of stock. Being Sunday, it’s a little hard to check on stock, but I did write to Judy; maybe there is something she can do from home to free things up. So sorry Lisa!
Thanks — I will keep checking the website for something saying that the book is back in stock. I’m looking forward to ordering a copy!
The comments that you receive are as fun to read as your blog post (almost). Such sweet and touching sentiments. I have three children and the older two learned cursive at school. My youngest age twenty was the first group to experience the absence of cursive writing in our towns curriculum. It is a crime! I went to the school, I protested, I tried to gather a group of parents (strength in numbers) to no avail. The whole ordeal made me so sad! I vowed to teach Zachary myself, and I did. But, I am no teacher and so he can sign his signature but because he did not use the skill…his cursive is barely readable. Sigh. Some of his friends cannot even sign their own name! They print their signature! Whew, I am riled up and need a strong cup of tea :). Wishing you a wonderful Sunday! It is sunny here in New England today and you have inspired me to get out in the garden.
I agree about the comments! Love them! Thank you Patti! Gorgeous day here on the island!
It is sad that they have stopped teaching cursive in school. I couldn’t believe it when my grandchildren said they couldn’t read my hand writing. All they do is print, and that what they can only read. Imagine and they are in there 20’s. Very sad. I too have kept diaries, and now jouranls. Started at a young age , stopped for a while when my family was growing up. Wish I had kept writing than. But started again when I was older and family gone. Keeping track of all our trips was fun, cause now I can read them and enjoy the trip all over again. You are an inspiration.
Loving the phrase “scream of consciousness” – so well put!
I was an early writer, by which I mean that Mom taught me cursive writing while I was only 5 or 6, and when it came time to learn to print, which is, of course, what most kids do first – I couldn’t seem to do it for the longest time!
Now I find that my “writing” looks very similar to my printing, and wonder if it’s due to that short confusing time in my education, who knows? 🙂
Please do not burn your diaries! What an irreplaceable treasure they are! My mother did not keep a journal. When she died, I scoured her belongings looking for ANYTHING she had written because it was the most personal thing of hers I had left that was uniquely “her.” I found a note she wrote to herself inside her sewing machine saying to “be sure to tighten the screw next time you oil the machine because I forgot to do it” with a little smiley face next to it. You cannot imagine how much I value that little piece of “her.”
Susan,
Your blog posts are always so insightful. Handwriting is such an important part of who we are and who we have been. I lost two very dear people last fall, my mother Pearl and her sister Jane (just weeks apart). I have many items that have been saved over the years with their handwriting, recipes, Christmas cards, birthday cards, envelopes, etc. I wouldn’t part with those items for a million dollars. They both had beautiful, distinctive handwriting. I actually bought one of your “Tell Me Your Story, Mother Books” for my mom to fill out. Sadly, she passed away before I got to tell her about it and have her use it. I have decided to fill it out myself for her, telling all the stories she told me over her life. There are so many wonderful, funny, poignant stories that I want my daughter, nieces and nephews to be able to read and know about their grandmother. Thank you for always reminding us of what is really, truly important in life. Take Care!
Dear Susan,
I love your view on cursive writing. I also work in a public school that does not seem to emphasis the importance of handwriting like they use to. There are middle school children that say to me that they wish they could write like I do. I find this funny because I have never thought my handwriting was that good!
I just tell them to practice and they will end up with their own unique style.
My father passed away almost 6 years ago and one of my treasured gifts is a handwritten letter from him.
Spring is on the way…enjoy your week girls!
Amy
What a lovely post today Susan. I have recipes that were my grandmothers that are handwritten, so I had them laminated to protect them (from my sloppy cooking!) It brings such joy and peace to cook or bake those favorite dishes, even though both are gone now I feel like they are still here with me in my kitchen.
I CHERISH !!!! all that has been handwritten. I have kept a lifetime of notes, and cards, letters and the recipe’s OH, the wonderful recipes and the women in my past. Just looking at them fills me with warmth and loving memories. LONG LIVE THE CURVE! My father never liked his handwriting, but his printing…oh my. So strong and distinctive. I have but a few notes and cards from him, I wish he had journaled or left more notes!!!
GIRL SCOUT NOTE….. It is Girl Scout week AND our 100th year of Girl Scouts. If you have not been to Savannah and toured Juliette Gordon Low’s lovely home, put it on your bucket list. A special woman in our history.
LONG LIVE THE CURVE!!!
Lindy from Holland, MI
I was a Brownie, then Girl Scout for many years, eventually I became my daughter’s Brownie, then Girl Scout leader for 6 years 🙂 (and then became a Cub Scout leader for my youngest son for 5)….so hooray for Juliette Gordon Low 🙂 Thanks for the mention of the 100 yrs of Girl Scouts!!
I’ve enjoyed cursive, well, since the day I learned it 🙂
I have different “styles” for when the mood strikes me, it truly is an art form to me. My children (who are now in their 20’s) all learned cursive in school, but I think that it will become a thing of the past, if it hasn’t already.
Lovely giveaway, please include me 🙂
blessings,
Niki
I don’t like my handwriting but I know I should leave some things that I have written for my children because I cherish the few things that I have from my Mom. Hurray for “Spring forward”!
I would love to win! I love cursive – when I write my name on the board in a patient’s room, he or she always says “you have such beautiful handwriting.” My cursive is very curly!
I have always said that if I could change anything about me it would be my smile and my handwriting.I almost think both are hereditary.My mother writes beautifully and my father…not so much. I got my fathers. My sisters writing is almost exactly like mine. Handwriting also seems to come in eras.We had our geneology done and have original documents from the turn of the last century and the writing is a lot like your antique diary script. A few weeks ago,my mother gave me all my old letters that I wrote to her while I was away at nursing school almost 40 yrs ago.My stationary choices were pretty much what I would pick out today. Some things don’t change.
Good Morning,
When I flipped my Susan Branch calendar on March 1, and saw the theme, my mind immediately went back to 2nd grade. We were going to learn to write cursive — finally!! For days we did push-pulls, a swirl up, a staight-line down, and a flip out, over and over and over again. Then we graduated to circles, rows of connected circles, pages of circles. I was never good at staying inside the lines, but I was determined. When it was time to learn to write the first letter, the teacher gave everyone an ink pen, not a ball point pen, real ink pen! Will my grandchildren ever have the thrill of writing cursive with a real ink pen?? Only if Grandma teaches them, I am sorry to say. But I plan to do just that. Thank you for the inspiration.
Hello Susan,
Thank you for such a nice post on cursive writing. I loved to write from a very young age. I wrote short stories, poems, letters, and did some journaling here and there. I do scrapbooking now. My Mom had the most beautiful penmanship you ever did see. I am blessed to still have all the cards she and my Dad gave to me, plus some recipes to. I am also grateful that on my (Dad’s) side of the family, I have a hand written copy of all the Genology and it goes way back. Plus other family stories all hand written.
I never got the pleasure of meeting either of my Granparents on either side as they were passed on by the time I came along. Yet one of my Grandmothers and I share the exact same birthday. My Mom also had copies made up for all of us in our family of pictures done in (black and white) of her parents. Oh I love the old fashion photos.
Thanks so much for this post and giving us a peek into your past of cursive writing, your journaling, your drawings.
Barb from Ludlow, MA
Darling Sue: Wonderful blog & comments! Not long ago I went to an estate sale in the neighborhood. There was a small bedroom filled with boxes of journals in my neighbor’s handwriting (she was in her late 70’s when she passed away). I had to stop, sit down on the floor, & open some – I think just to honor her years of handwriting those journals. Her handwriting was harder to read than mine!!!!! It made me sad that her children were trying to sell the journals of their mother’s written word of her everyday life – “went to the store today”, etc. But, to keep them, they would’ve needed a storage shed! Hopefully, they chose some to treasure!! ♥ Joanie
P.S. I think I remember that awhile back, you asked if we wanted you to continue writing in cursive, or switch to the mechanical word???? And, I voted for cursive, even though I know it takes so much loooooooonger for you to write a book! But, the beautiful watercolors & handwritten word grabbed my heart from the first time I saw your work – well, that, & your wonderful way with words!!! xoxoxo
There are a few things I regret, one of them was destroying old letters from Grandma Fisk. She would remind me to be careful and not let the boys wander into the cornfield (she was a worrier) or retell the story our oldest told her about how our youngest son got the name Poo! Thanks again Susan for slowing down the world while I read your post.
My mother-in-law, who’ll be 97 in May, has kept a handwritten personal journal since 1964. Of all her possessions, her 107 descendants most want her journals or one of her many quote books. My favorite statement about gut-wrenching personal journals: “I’m going to burn my journals the day before I die.” Thank you for the wonderful entry today.
Hi Susan,
I’ve bought a couple of journals within the past few months and haven’t written in them yet, because of the fact, that, as I start to think about “where to start” and how to begin writing, I then put it off, feeling as I’m in the middle of my life, “what” would I start writing about~ like starting to watch a movie when it’s half-way over; I guess it is better to start now than never, so I can choose ‘whatever’ is on my mind lately, and write the things I feel about for today, because as your above quote from Margaret Lavendish of 1655 sais she wrote for her own sake, not for the sake of the readers; therefore, making our written thoughts genuine and from the heart.
Thank you for the inspiration today!
p.s.: I also saw that very same article when it came out-about children not learning cursive in schools; I was shocked and thought what a shame for this to happen!
And, another thing – I forgot to thank you for your generous gifting of prizes, THANK YOU so much!
So welcome! So fun to do!
Such a wonderful tribute to cursive handwriting! The first 2 1/2 years of my relationship with my husband of 42 years are letters we exchanged as long-distance friends–I still have each and every one of them! When I purchased your first cookbook binder a couple of years ago, it has been my quest to have as many hand-written cards as possible in it. I have retrieved cards from my mothers’ recipe box when she died three years ago, written by my aunts and other relatives, to add to my collection. I have hand-written recipe cards from most of my friends also. It would be so sad to see cursive handwriting as a lost art! Technology has its drawbacks as I find myself sending more e-cards and emails than handwritten letters. You have inspired me to reverse that habit!
A couple of things that have always drawn me to your work…
of course, your wonderful drawings…but your script! Too many valuable things have gone by the wayside for progress…like teaching home arts in schools. No wonder people can’t even hem their clothes anymore! I hope cursive stays!
I was recently given an old cookbook written in Hungarian that was my Juliska Neni’s (Aunt Julia) . So very precious because she went to work as a housekeeper and cook for a wealthy family after my uncle’s death in the 1950’s. There were all sorts of hand written ~ trial and error~ recipes in the book and some on slips of paper inserted in the cookbook, here and there. The most endearing thing about this cookbook is that she had covered it with wax paper to keep it clean ~ but inside, many pages are stained and splattered from use. Thankfully, I read Hungarian and have made many of her written recipes even though I have not perfected exactly how much is a “coffee cup” of flour – a “handful” of onions ~ a “soup spoon” is of something else.
My goodness – over 800 comments already! You have definitely hit on something here. I LOVE cursive and am so very sad that so many young people, particularly my grandchildren, will not know the joy of it. My father who will be 90 this year says that in his day and earlier days it was a sign of good breeding and etiquette to have beautiful handwriting. He feels that your personal writing shows your attitude to other things in your life and that you should take great care when writing a note or letter – at least make sure people can read it! He still enjoys looking at old hotel registers with all the fancy signatures. He has the most beautiful writing and he signs his name with a few flourishes! When I attended Catholic school – we weren’t allowed any flourishes. We had to stick to what was on the board or else! No artistic license was allowed!!!! I loved to write (still do) and was always upset when I didn’t win the penmanship award. I always came in 2nd or 3rd and could never understand it! hahaha 🙂 BTW – I can totally relate to dancing with the fridge door handle. My mother reminded me of that many times. I think she got a kick out of it but didn’t tell me till I grew up. I love you Sue. Was cleaning up my garden yesterday in our 70 degree weather and thought of you a lot. I haven’t met you but love you dearly. I’m digging, raking and thinking what would Sue think of this or that, etc etc etc. Would love to win but feel that I already have with you and your website! Happy Sunday to you and all the girlfriends!
I love to receive hand-written letters but seem to have “lost” the ability to actually write one myself…. I can’t remember when I sent out the last hand-written missive to a loved one, possibly my daughter who did her “A Levels” in England. She would send me postal cards, written in tiny print and filled to overflowing with writing going around the cards border. I HAVE to write more, I have to then send them out, not forget them in my desk. I actually don’t know what the postage is these days (thanks to the internet, I don’t send out any letters, bill payments or “anything”) – so I will now begin to reassess my correspondence and will begin by sending out ONE letter/card a week, then two, then three… I’m retired and this will be my quest!
Good Morning, Susan…
What a glorious day…I too love cursive writing. I love checking the mail..snail mail. My Dad is 84 and about once a month he receives a handwritten card from one of his sisters. He treasures those as I do. No one does that anymore and now I am inspired to go and pick up a card tomorrow and send it to my sister in ND. I live in TN…miles apart but close in heart. Have a beautiful day….we are off morrell mushroom hunting this afternoon…Found the 1st one yesterday…about 10 days early for us….YES!!!!! We keep track..LOL
Sincerely, Lorie
I’m so enjoying each of your blogs since I ‘found’ it a few weeks ago. I was introduced to you through a book that a dear friend gifted me with years ago, and have ‘loved’ you ever since! I’m delighted to now share your days through your blog! Today’s entry was so heartfelt to me, for many reasons. I’ve been feeling the push to write many of my own thoughts, and your post was a push for me! 🙂 I also follow directions, and visited your pen pals blog. I have a daughter and son in law in London (I’m in GA), so her post about missing family far away was so personal. I can’t even imagine leaving babies that far away! We are planning a visit in April, and I plan to hand write a travel diary thanks to you! I must say leaving this comment is the first time I’ve ever written that I didn’t’ fear I’d had too many exclamation points, I feel so sure you’ll understand!! Thanks for sharing, LOVE it all… Beverly
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about writing! Sadly, my Mother passed away last summer. As we were sorting her possessions, we came across ALL the letters exchanged between my Dad in WWII and my Mom. My brother, sister and I divided them in thirds. I have tied a bundle of them with pretty red ribbon to display in an inherited old kitchen cabinet along with little framed photos of my Dad in uniform and the photo of Mom he carried with him during WWII. My heart sings when I admire the two of them and the hand-written letters…then a tear runs down my cheek, I miss them terribly. I started to read one of the letters, but couldn’t finish it — I felt like I was invading their privacy. I will simply hold onto these written treasures for now and pass them to my daughter and granddaughter.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about writing! Sadly, my Mother passed away last summer. As we were sorting her possessions, we came across ALL the letters exchanged between my Dad in WWII and my Mom. My brother, sister and I divided them in thirds. I have tied a bundle of them with pretty red ribbon to display in an inherited old kitchen cabinet along with little framed photos of my Dad in uniform and the photo of Mom he carried with him during WWII. My heart sings when I admire the two of them and the hand-written letters…then a tear runs down my cheek, I miss them terribly. I started to read one of the letters, but couldn’t finish it — I felt like I was invading their privacy. I will simply hold onto these written treasures for now and pass them to my daughter and granddaughter.
I love cursive and calligraphy too. This post was near and dear to my own heart as I too do cards and such with my handwriting. Loved this post and March in the 2012 calendar is my favorite so far (LOL). I have a card ministry so this one just jumped out at me. And yesterday as I was continuing to organize in this “new” home, I came across some letters my husband wrote to me when we were “mail” dating years ago before email and all the social networks of today! They got wet but thankfully not completely ruined in a flood we had in our basement in Germany last summer. When I saw them, my heart tightened. Of all the things to get ruined in that flood, these bothered me the most. Why? Because they were from my husband in his handwriting. Thanks for this beautiful inspiring post. I am writing out some St. Paddy’s Day cards to get in the mail… Happy Day!
You are so right about the importance of writing. I learned to read when I was 4. I remember taking letters someone had sent to my Mother and tracing over and over on top of the writing. I think that is part of how I learned to read. Reading is a passion now and words. How else would that have happened for me? And remember those adorable little Penmanship books? I remember the groaning and moaning from other kids when the teacher would have us pull those out. I don’t think anything about school made me unhappy, though…
One of my favorite possessions of my mother’s is her recipe card box full of her handwriting and her last grocery list that was on her refrigerator. I cherish them. I also have through the years written comments on my recipe cards and grade the recipe with a 1-4 star approval judged by my children. Hopefully they will enjoy my recipe box once I’m no longer here. Thank you Susan for this strong support in cursive writing…
Beautiful post and I too love cursive writing! I always got good grades for penmanship…now I think unless I take my time, my grades would only be passable. I thought about how I rarely write a letter anymore and usually only a few cards to special people and family. I think this post made me realize how much I enjoy receiving something handwritten, so I am going to start writing more and taking the time to use my best penmanship. Thanks for your wonderful inspirations. I love all the items in your giveaway…so pretty and meaningful! Really love the How to be Happy notecards!!!
Miss Bloomers
Second entry if its allowed: Not only saving handwritings from our grandparents and parent, but our kids and grandkids too! Your mom was so wise and loving to save the first creations from Susan Branch! I have a Christmas Card that I made Mom and Dad in 2nd grade…It was on the LARGE “vanilla” paper, a crayon creation of a lop-sided Christmas tree, presents and a wreath with glitter balls (all that remains is the glue spots!) Every year we bring it out and this year, 7 year old Lily critiqued my handwriting. “Its nice Nana, but, you wrote up hill” !!!! I have 4 memory boxes with each grandchild’s name on it. Each box is filled of writings, pictures and little crafts. And a thousand handprints! I just love to see how their little hands have grown over the years!!
Colorado is having a shower! The rain smells so sweet! Its been so warm – no snow today!! The daffodils have poked their heads up. Hurry up Spring!!
Dear Susan,
I love your blog for many reasons, not the least of which to hear the sweet bird chirping 🙂 and mostly because it always makes me happy/smile/chuckle. This week after months of exhuastive tests….
my fabulous Mom was diagnosed with dementia, not a surprise but to have a definitive diagnosis is sobering.
Your blog will be my haven Thank you for sharing your talent and amazing observations on the good life.
Love to you Mary, and to your mom. Thinking of you today!
Ink pens and ink wells, little locked diaries written in purple ink, journals and postcards. All the wonderful memories I have and all written in cursive. I gave my mother a Grandma’s Journal but unfortunately she was too far into dementia to continue past the first page so I will take it up and fill it with all the memories she passed on to me about her childhood and growing up years. The next project after that will be to start my Grandma’s Journal for my two grandkids to go along with the little scrapbook I just finished entitled “My Story”. Thank you, thank you, thank you again for inspiring us to keep on writing. Hugs from NJ…
Loved todays post, i’ve always been told they could use your diaries in a court of law so i never kept one, instead my stories are in the quilts i’ve made. The stories they would tell if they could talk 😎 , and yes i always got an “A” in penmanship which was totally amazing because i’m left handed. Thank you again.
Susan
I haven’t done anything illegal yet (that I’ve been caught for) so hopefully, my diaries will stay out of court!!! Remind me to lie if anyone asks! 🙂
Hello Susan,
I loved this post and was thrilled to see that the March page of my SB calendar was all about letters and handwriting! I laughed out loud when I read that you always got an A in penmanship (not that that was funny, but..) Penmanship was always my lowest grade in elementary school! I’d sometimes have all A’s and then there was that big fat B (or B+ if I was lucky) for handwriting! I usually just put the blame on the fact that I was left-handed but it was most likely because I just didn’t practice enough or really make an effort.
As a teacher, I am saddened when I see the dwindling time allotted to cursive writing when students get to third grade. I am encouraged, though, when my first graders still ask me “when can I do cursive?”, which makes me believe that at least they think it’s something to look forward to when they get older, like some rite of passage. I mean does the word”keyboarding” really sound more intriguing or important than “cursive handwriting”? I hope that all of us who love cursive handwriting (even my left-handed scrawl), can keep it alive so that future generations can also discover the thrill of a handwritten note or letter delivered to their door.
I really think that kids associate cursive or lettering with art! They grow up with crayons and pencils drawing things, then to use them again to make letters, just feels like art to them.
Yes, I agree! Maybe instead of replacing handwriting and lettering with keyboarding, schools can integrate it into their art curriculum. After all, lettering is a beautiful form of art, and it helps us to communicate too! With all of the current interest in the different fonts for word processing, I would think that there would be a natural connection to how cool your own personal “font”, or handwriting is!
Did you ever know the lady who was called “The Duchess of Long Beach?” This might seem like a silly question but I have a personal reason for asking …
I love your writing (we all do!) and are so happy that you share your wonderful talents with us!!!
I didn’t, but we moved away when I was almost seven, so I didn’t really know anyone except my Grandma and the other kids in the neighborhood.
I love to read the old letters my parents wrote to each other when they were “courting” in the mid-1930s. Lots and lots and lots of letters back and forth, sometimes two a day, for two years or so when she was teaching in one part of Ohio and he was finishing college in another. I keep saying I want to turn these letters into a book someday. I better get with it–I’m sixty-two now, and my sisters and I have had the letters for over thirty years!
Dear Susan,
You did it again, your post made me get excited, almost cry and get on the phone to call my mom to share it with her. She has macular degeneration, and has for some time. She was born the same year as you August 15th. Her hemmorages happened earlier than most. She loved cursive and was good at it. I know that, now when she has to write she is very self conscious. It still looks good. If you met her you wouldn’t know that she can barely see. Your post also made me think of my dad, who when I was a young student wouldn’t sign my report card because he told me that his signature wasn’t good enough to sign my report card. That made me sad then and now. I love how our penmanship is part of us. My sister and I want all of our nana’s recipes in her hand writing that we can find. My nana preferred to print and it was like no one else’s that I know. My daughter is now a 5th grader and they never were taught “penmanship” They were taught their letters and that is where it ended. My husband was a logger and had an accident in the woods that severed his brachial plexius nerve bundle from his spine. That is the wonderful wiring that runs your arm. He no longer has his right arm, he manages so well, even without a prosthetic. However, he will tell you that his biggest frustration is trying to write with his left hand. I apologize for going on soooo long but I felt like sharing how much your post meant to me.
Just a wonderful reminder for us to count our blessings. Please tell your mom I said Hello!
Hi Susan, I would be thrilled to receive any “one” of your gifts, but as the Grandma of two darling little Granddaughters, I would especially love the “Grandmother Book”. 🙂
From the first time I heard of it, I just cannot believe this world can go on without “cursive writing” – it just seems unbelievable.
Question: When in 1957, when you “moved up here” in California, was it by any chance Pleasanton, California ?
Thank you for your wonderful blog. Take care, Helen
Pleasanton is one of my favorite places, but no, our family moved to the San Fernando Valley.
I’ve saved handwritten notes from my grandmothers because it makes me feel close to them. Handwriting is a lot like fingerprints & snowflakes, no two are quite alike 🙂 Kelly in Eastern PA
As a second grade teacher I can’t tell you how I mourn the loss of cursive writing, For twenty five years I always encouraged my students through the first half of the year to do their very best printing so that after the Christmas break we could come back to school and start cursive. That first time that we would start using the practice strokes was always an exciting day- usually on a gloomy day in January. The kids always wanted to be able to write all the letters immediately and I had to remind them that it took a while for them to learn to print, but usually by the end of the year students were writing their names in cursive. This was also about the time that middle names started appearing on their papers, too. Not a coincidence, I’m sure.
Loved that, can just imagine all those excited children.
Oh, dearest Susan~ you are the one who will keep cursive alive. I, too, have a love for “old” art. I attended Catholic school and there was no excuse for not having good handwriting. I can’t draw to save my life, but have always loved the art of penmanship. I have fond memories of my little oak school desk with an inkwell in the top right-hand corner; the nuns only allowed us to write in fountain pen, with blue/black ink. I could picture my entire classroom right now. Goosebumps moment! Perfect musica! Love Pat and “Love letters…”
BTW, I adore my phone book! I love the way it’s set-up. It looks great in my blue and white kitchen. Don’t you just love when it’s the little things that bring a smile to your face each and every day?
Sunny Sunday everyone!
Bliss!
Marie xo
I do I do!
I loved this post! Penmanship was my favorite class in elementary school. I loved when Mrs Quigley (the penmanship teacher) came to our classroom with these really neat little books we got to write in! I think it is terrible that kids are not taught how to write properly -another downfall of computers. When I was in nursing school, I wrote up study guides on yellow legal pads. I had “typewriter” handwriting and would put cool little doodles in the margins. We would sneak into the hospital copy room late at night to make copies for everyone. 30 years later, and we still talk about those handwritten study guides! FYI, March is my favorite page on your calendar – I may have to frame it later 🙂
Me again ….. I always think this when you mention your “Grandma” ….. I hope my two little Granddaughters in years to come will remember and talk about me like you do about your Grandma. 🙂 Helen
I would imagine that if you care enough that they care, then they will! xo
Hello Susan, I have heard about the removal of cursive from our school system. I personally can not believe how wrong this is. I remember growing up how my mother born the year 1929 showed me the writing exercises taught during her days in school and she was a beautiful writer. Also my father and his writing was alsways so neat. Now what are they to do, only depend on a computer a phone to text. what happens if, there is no electricity for a few hours. How would they write a letter to the family or grand parents that have not learned the computers. Very Sad!!! But I have hope I do believe there are many out there that will strive to be creative and want to continue the glorious things of the past the hand made items those snail mails that we save, and fondly look back upon in later years. Susan I must say, you are not only so full of creativity, but also a lot of energy. Your are just so incredible and adorable.
Thank you for being you.
xoxo Thank you Caroline! I credit everything to naps! 🙂
I love cursive, too, even though mine has gotten worse over the years (probably from lack of use). I hate to think that children in the future won’t be exposed to cursive like we were.
Dear Susan: My most treasured possessions are of loved ones passed who have left their sweet hand written thoughts for me to read over and over. Among my Mom’s old keepsakes I found a letter written in 1885. It was a “birth announcement” of sorts from my Great great grandfather to his sister … telling her proudly of his strapping new son. And with no spell checker, it was a challenge to read the first time, but I felt as though I had won the lottery. I was so excited. So please add me to the list of cursive fans. Each hand written note is such a treasure. What a shame if we were to lose this artistic tie with the past.
Good Morning Susan, I found alittle something else that we have in common out today. My dad also worked for the phone company too. I see from you writing The Story of My Life (which by the way you wrote when I was nine days old.) You were born in Long Beach and I was born on Long Island, I had to think there for a minute because we have a Long Beach on Long Island too, then I remembered you were born in CA. Wonderful post today, I so enjoyed it. FOSB 4~Ever! ~ Doreen ~
Everyone compliments my cursive. When I was in school, I won prizes from the Palmer Method Penmanship Society. I, too, am soooo disappointed that children will not learn cursive writing. It used to be the mark of lady to “write a fine hand.”
Rose Sombar
Ellendale, Delaware
P.S.
Please enter me in your drawing. Many thanks
Hi Susan! Love your ‘thinking’ on hand written anything. Love to get letters, love your beautiful, original hand written books (…I own them ALL! and have given many as gifts ;). I have my mother’s collection of hand written recipes (2 stuffed-full recipe boxes and love to hand~write my recipes out for my 2 daughters and son. You have such a ‘happy way’ of taking life’s everyday moments and looking into how they are special!
‘Home-ology’! … It’s the little things that we do everyday to make our homes special and a place of comfort & love that we need to take pride in! I always felt loved & safe in my parents home and that is what I want ours to be for our children and grandchildren. ~A space of ‘Love’.
Thank you for sharing and always looking on the bright side of life! …There really needs to be more of that! =}
I loved your post today! I have letters that I saved from my Grandma when I was little and now enjoy writting letters to my 6 grandchildren. I try to space it out a little so each one is special. Love the idea of a Grandma book!
Susan,
Couldn’t agree with you more. I will personally teach my grandchildren cursive if the schools really stop doing it ! It always amazed me how my kindergarteners wanted to skip printing and go straight to cursive. Hopefully this yearning will continue. Long live sharp pencils, cean erasers and cursive !
Oh my gosh…so many thoughts while reading your post. First…I’m going to be a Grandma for the first time in October…YAY ME!!! I definitely need a grandma remembers book because I too wish my grandma had written one. When looking at your hand written recipes it reminded me of this story…. After my mom passed away, I was concerned that my dad would throw out things willy-nilly so I asked him to check with me before he just tossed things as maybe I would want them. He called me up one day saying, “I’m cleaning things out and…I know you have your mom’s recipes on the computer program so you wouldn’t want the recipe cards she wrote, right?” ACK!!! “YES! I’d love them.” Included in there was my great-grandmother’s recipe for cinnamon rolls written out by my grandmother. Such treasures. Whew…close call… Happy Sunday everyone!
Good save!!! Congratulations on the new baby!
I love letter writing so cursive will keep flowing from my fingers. I’ve noticed the decline of “writing” as a subject in our schools. I remember in third grade I took time one day to make my English assignment especially neat (in cursive). Ever after if I handed in a messy paper I had to do it over. I’m told I have pretty handwriting – all thanks to a nun whose name escapes me. Whoever wins this drawing is lucky!
I love a of combination of cursive and printing – not exaclty thee Palmer method ,but it works for me
Another reason I LOVE handwriting – you don’t lose everything you’ve typed if your computer gets a glitch as mine did just now >:-( I LOVE this post, Susan! I loved penmanship classes and took great pride in my flourishes ♥ I even tired to change the spelling of my name so that it would look artsy and fancier in my handwriting LOL And I can tell you that a handwritten note, card or letter is still cherished by any age ~ my nephew was in a soccer tournament here in Virginia and was coming with the team from NY – he’s 14. We have always shared letters, cards, LOTS of confetti in those cards (he calls it being armed LOL). This tournament is a huge deal, and he has been with this team only two weeks as their goalkeeper. I wrote him a note of encouragement, wished him much success and told him that no matter what time his games were, I would be there (a two hour drive at 5:30AM as it turned out yesterday) When he saw me standing with his dad at the side of the field, as soon as the game was over, he came running over, gave me the biggest hug and told me he got my card. THAT to me is what handwriting is all about ♥♥♥
Heart comes through the pen!
My Grandmother had award-winning penmanship and I have a beautiful old certificate that she won for it. My Mom and I both have a handwriting similar to hers – like we inherited it 🙂
Handwriting was always my favorite. I used to (don’t laugh!) sit around and practice different styles of writing to figure out how I wanted to write in school the next day! Should I slant my letters to the right or left, make big or small letters, make my letters round and fat or straight and skinny? This really used to consume a great deal of my time, and I’m ashamed to say, I still find myself doing that sometimes as an adult!! I would much rather hand-write something than type it!! I’ve always joked with my husband that I really should have been born in the 20’s or 30’s, because I would have been better suited for that time period!! I love my Susan Branch books, as they are my true “treasures”!!!! And, I can’t wait to get the Grandma book, because I just found out I am going to be a grandma for the first time!!
Letter writing is what sets me apart from so many of my family members, friends, and coworkers. I’ve been writing letters and have kept diaries &/or journals since I was about 10 years old. My two best friends and I used to sit on our porches during the summer and write to our grandmothers, or pen pals. “Way-back-when” Bob’s Big Boy restaurants used to have a folded flyer that had a BB comic strip, puzzles, word searches, and pictures for coloring in it. On the back they had an address where you could request a pen pal from anywhere in the world. For years I wrote to a boy in Dijon, France.
I was an only child and my father died when I was 14 years old. My stepmother was an alcoholic and, subsequently, destroyed everything of mine, including breaking into my diaries and ripping them apart. Eventually, I left her to live in California with my paternal grandmother, but it took me a while to get back into the mood to write again.
I am originally from Detroit, Michigan. One of my childhood best friends and I have written to each other since I moved here at the age of 15 — over 40 years. We have literally witnessed each other’s lives unfold {dating, marriage(s), children, and now granchildren} over the decades. About two years ago, via the wonders of the Intenet and Face Book, I connected with my other childhood best friend, schoolmates from St. Stephen’s Catholic Elementary school, and my best friend from the high school I attended when I moved here to Southern California. For whatever reason, time, distance and situations resulted in losing touch with each other. Now we have “caught up” and have resume letter writing again.
A year ago December, my husband and I traveled to Michigan {with side jaunts to both Illinois and Ohio} to visit everyone I had reconnected with. My husband was blown away when we met some of my former classmates and the “boys” had brought the letters I had written to them when I was 15 and 16 years old. He just couldn’t beleive that anyone, especially boys, now men, would keep letters from a female friend like that. It was amazing to read them and talk about what happened back then –> to know that they held onto them wondering what ever happened to me.
So I agree so very, very much with everything you have shared here. The post office offers a letter writing kit for children and have bought one so that when I have my grandchildren over they can sit next to me at the diningroom table and I can help them write letters to their cousins.
There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that compares to something expressly written in one’s own hand. And although mine are printed copies, I have many collections of historical “letters,” “notes,” and “diaries” by prominent men and women on my bookshelves.
Cursive — indeed, how would we put our “John Hancock right here” if we longer used it?
I was touched by your childhood story. You’re an inspiration.
Receiving and sending notes/letters is a great way to stay connected. Thanks for reminding me. I have several friends I need to write to. I like to use a fountain pen when I have really nice paper to write on. Filling my pen is a kind of ritual that helps me collect my thoughts before I begin to write.
My husband’s great aunt taught in a one room school house. Her cursive looked like it came straight from the lessons she taught. She always began her letters “Dear Ones”.
Thanks for your wonderful blog!
Good Morning
I so look forward to your blogs. It cheers me up for the Day! I have been a fan using your scrapbook supplies and your great recipe books. My friend and I were lucky enough to get a heart shaped scone pan from your store. We shared the bag of self rising flour and can’t wait to make the scones. Maybe today will be a good day as it looks like rain here in S.California. I would love to win the grandma’s book even though I don’t yet have grandchildren, it would great to record my memories while I still remember them. I wish my Mom had done that for me.
I have been sad about no more cursive, too. Technonogy should not have robbed us of cursive! One of my teaching partners, Irma who taught 4th grade, always had so much fun teaching cursive. The 4th graders would begin cursive and then as each student became more proficient with it, he or she would have a semi-fancy presentation of a “ball point pen!” Those 4th graders were so proud of their newly acquired treasure that they loved practicing their cursive. Cursive only takes a few minutes a day of practice with some “jazzy music” playing in the background. I have an idea cursive will come back in a few years, let’s hope it does. The diversity of students and their interests should at least help.
P.S. I also have a rule when it comes to writing. Having attended university for many, many years and having to write papers for professors, my “rule” is to not meticulously proof or edit anything of a personal nature {letters, notes, journal entries}. I also extend this rule to personal emails. Life is too short, and my passion to share too grand, to bother with “spellcheck, proof, edit, and rewrite.”
Cursive writing, like so many other things that have long been part of our lives, seems to be disappearing. I read in our paper (Dallas) the other day, that cursive has been dropped from many curriculums because it just isn’t seen “as necessary” any more. Seems so sad to me to lose such a beautiful part of our culture’s expression. I would love to win your new recipe keeper as my son is getting married in June and this, with many of my recipes in it, would be a perfect gift for my new daughter-in-law. Susan, I really do enjoy your posts- thanks so much for writing your blog.
Susan,
I also got A’s in handwriting. My Mom always insisted on Thank You
notes and not phone calls. In Grammar school I always had pen pals,
some from Japan. My Grandma and I wrote each other letters till the
day she died. I still miss getting letters instead of email. Every now
and then I will send a friend a card and they always love it.
I taught myself Calligraphy in my 20’s and continue to use it.
I would love to win your cards and recipe book, I would love to give
my sister the book for Grandma’s.
Sincerely,
Cathe
Hi Susan,
I too want to express my sadness at the lack of handwritten cursive in communication. Hand written correspondence and personal journals reflect a part of that person’s heart and soul and is something that cannot be found through todays technology with email and facebook. I cherish cards and letters handwritten from my mother and my children and would be sad to think that gift would not be passed down to future generations.
JoAnn
Mt Olive, Virginia
My gramma used to write letters to over 50 grandchildren, nieces, nephews, friends, and the children of friends. She wrote in cursive even after she was 100 yrs. old. I loved getting letters from her and I always wrote back sometimes in cursive and sometimes in printed letters. I have all of her letters saved to reread from time to time. It keeps her with me always. My daughter also has saved all of the letters that she received from her great gramma. I also agree that it’s a shame children are no longer being taught cursive and in some schools they are no longer taking the time to actually teach the children the proper way to make printed letters. Many of the children I teach do not know how to print all the letters when they take notes.
I also have a paper that I wrote for school call “My Life” and I have it framed. I was 10 yrs. old when I wrote it. I always feel very comfy when I sit down to write something special in cursive. Lists can be printed, but letters, etc. are in cursive.
Happy Week, Linda Bleeke
I have always been a neat writer. As a child, I used to love the new exercise books provided at the beginning of the new school year in September – lovely, fresh, unspoilt pages to write upon. When I became in a teaching assistant in later years, I taught myself to use the ‘Nelson Script’ that was standard in primary schools throughout the UK. Since I no longer work in schools, my handwriting has become more stylised, but basically keeps to the Nelson way of writing.
I started a journal in August 2010 and although I don’t write in it every single day, most days I do. Already I’m finding it useful to refer to regarding every day matters. However, after reading your post today, I think I’ll be a bit more adventurous and start decorating my entries with little stickers and basic line drawings.
Thankyou for your inspiration.
hi Susan….This has been a pet peeve of mine for several years now. I am a physical education and health teacher and while I don’t have occasion to see my students write often, I do give tests/work sheets and have seen that penmanship has greatly deteriorated. AND, there are as many ways to hold a pen/pencil as there are students….some actually pen in fist!!!! augh!!! I think that with the onslaught of the computer-age teaching/learning thing, in our haste to keep up, we forgot the basic needs of the mind and body. It’s like the kids who can’t tell time unless it’s digital, or the cashier who can’t make change unless the amount pops up on the register….AUGH!!!! And that’s without even mentioning the precious notes, letters, recipes, that we all have from those we hold most dear….our own diaries and journals….my mom’s recipe file….could go on and on….I know we won’t ever go back to running ovals and push-pulls, but I really do think that cursive is a MUST in all schools for it breeds so many other things….Mr. Palmer is probably turning over in his grave!!!
Just loved your post on this and will use it as I keep campaigning for cursive!! You are simply wonderful and it is a joy to talk to you and all the other girlfriends on the blessed blog!!! Happy Hour-Later Day!! love, cindy
I love your products! I first found a cookbook on Amazon and ordered one for myself and one for my daughter. Today I just happened to be searching for empty recipe pages for your recipe keeper (my daughter bought for herself and brought it home to show me over her spring break), when I stumbled upon your site. I’m so tickled pink!
love your blog
patti
I cherish my Gram’s handwritten recipes. They just wouldn’t be the same if they were typewritten…
I treasure all my Moms recipes written in her handwriting! Thanks for the beautiful post.
Dear Susan, How fitting that March 10th be “I love Cursive Day” as it was my daughter’s 9th birthday. She is a fabulous cursive writer and artist!! She is one of the most inspiring girls I know (along with my younger daughter of course). Thankfully, they still teach cursive in their school.
Happy 9th Birthday to your daughter, Mary!
I just love to write and am so worried that my grandchildren will only use the computer or a cell phone and text! My Mom has beautiful handwritting and mine is good not great like hers. My children take after their father and you need some one to decode it for you LOL. I write to people and most write back but there are the are some who email me? How can you keep that forever? I would love for Vannana to pick me but if not I will just have to buy them and have you sign them when I next see you. Thank you for all of the posts they make my day alittle brighter and keep a smile on my face<3
Dear Susan,
I never learned to print. I don’t think they taught us in a small town in Vermont during the 50’s, honestly, I never learned.
Cursive to me is writing and when I’m in the company of those who print nicely I marvel that I never tried it and it shows. However, the artistic movement of cursive writing is much more satisfying and given the right pen and mood I find it like sketching: artistic, soothing, and pleasing to the soul.
I believe that is what first attracted me to your work, the lettering makes it much more personal and the way you describe a painting or quote, no matter how small is so darling to me.
So sign me up as a cursive lover and preserver!
Thanks for asking.
June in Vermont
It’s so sad to know that cursive is disappearing from elementary schools. I’ve always appreciated pretty handwriting. My piano teacher had beautiful handwriting, and I loved when she would write out a sheet of instructions for me on how to practice just so I could see her handwriting. She has multiple sclerosis now. I wonder if her writing has deteriorated. I should look to see if I have one of her notes stuck in the pages of one of my old piano books. Love your posts. Keep it up!!!!
I LOVE cursive writing too! Cannot believe my daughters hardly use it in High School and in College. My husband saw the article in our paper about possibly not teaching cursive in school anymore and HE thought it was crazy!
Oh, Susan, I do love waking up to your blog. You inspire me like no other person. thank you so much, for just being Susan Branch. You are wonderful!
Ps. I have a kitten, Scruffy, he is just like Jack. You and I are both so lucky to have them.
Dear Susan,
Thank you for the generous person that you are! I am grateful that you share your life with us girlfriends. I try to make handwritten notes a part of my life and enjoy beautiful notes and stationery. It was shocking to me when a young friend of mine could not read my handwriting because he was not taught cursive in school. A Happy day to All!
Lorraine from Cape Coral, FL
Susan….Please don’t burn your diaries! They are priceless and will mean so much to a grandniece or grandnephew one day…..not to mention they will need to be included in the “Susan Branch Library” 😉 I have recipe cards written by my mother (98) and treasure them….with the spots and splatters included. I should laminate or frame them…gotta get busy on that. Happy Sunday!
While we think lamination is protection it is actually harmful to papers — the very act of heating the film onto the paper takes ten years off the life expectancy of the item — best to frame old paper in frames with special glass which is ultra-violet reucing and matting which is non-acidic.
While we think lamination is protection it is actually harmful to papers — the very act of heating the film onto the paper takes ten years off the life expectancy of the item — best to frame old paper in frames with special glass which is ultra-violet reducing and matting which is non-acidic.
Hello from Oceano, CA
I remember doing my daily cursive writing in grade school, the o’s, over and over on each line, until the teacher would walk by and check if they were good enough. My grandchildren in WA state are still learning it in their school, but for how long, thats the question. And remember the fun little art projects, you could hardly wait for it to dry and bring it home with great glee, to show your parents, or give as a gift. Sadly, art is taken out of our schools.
What would I do without my diary.
This old brain needs it to help remember the years past.
Oh, thought of you the whole time in Cambria, shopping the other day…..