MaryAnn from San Diego (Mary Ann Marler)
I started collecting fountain pens about 5 years ago. Pelikans were intriguing to me, with their piston fillers...so the hunt was on... Up until recently, Pelikans were THE pens for me. Specialty nibs were like icing on the cake! Both Richard Binder and John Mottishaw kept me busy playing with stubs and italics! Vintage (for the nibs) and new...they all are great!
Lately I have started to branch out to Japanese...Danitrio Urushi & Namiki so far. It's a whole new writing experience! The beauty of some of these pens takes my breath away! I attend the Los Angeles Pen show every year and for the first time have plans to fly to DC for the Supershow in August '06. I can't wait to meet all the east coasters that I miss meeting at the west coast show! I know it will be a great time! (Why do my friends think I'm nuts taking a special trip to Wahington DC for a fountain pen show?)
I've lived in the San Diego area twice. This time for 12 years (so far) and at another time for four years. In between I lived on Maui for 2 years. That was an experience I will never forget! I actually prefer Southern California to Hawaii, however the golf courses in Hawaii were to die for! San Diego is second best for golfing, but I'm sad to say I haven't golfed for about three years. Now I'm afraid to embarrass myself out on the course and look like a fool...but hey! Who hasn't looked like a fool on a golf course at one time or another...
I was born in the San Francisco Bay Area and grew up in Los Altos. A beautiful area at that time (1950's and 60's), now it is very crowded with killer commute traffic. Visited for a reunion type event last summer and was amazed at the changes. I lived in Chico, California for 17 years and loved the outdoor activities. I like the benefits of living near a city, but love life in a smaller community.
I spent about 25 years in a career putting together special events--some quite large for public attendance and some small for corporate gatherings. It was a fun time and I loved going to work every day. I'm pretty much retired now and work now and then. I have one sister that lives about 8 miles away. She goes to the pen shows with me and collects mostly vintage US made pens. My Mom, who is 92, lives about 20 miles from me and needs quite a lot of attention now. I have lots of wonderful friends and a cute little house not far from the ocean that I've spent years remodeling! (I don't do the work, however!) I love cooking, photography, art, computers, reading, writing letters, laughing, buying and selling pens and my 19 year old cat, Cookie! I've been told I'm a gearhead and I guess I'm a bit of a geek! I studied Economics in college, but love to paint with watercolors, so I guess I've tried to develop both sides of my brain!
Would love to get to know some of the Pentracers in more depth...so let's correspond!
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