Writing Wednesday - Planners, Reading and Pens

If you are even vaguely interested in calendars and planners, this is the time of year when just about every planner designer/maker releases, or sets up pre-orders, for their 2024 planners. Hobonichi, my planner of choice, starts a month-long preview of their 2024 line-up on 01 August every year. 

This year I was sweating it out a bit as their sneak peeks was not showing anything with their covers that wow'ed me. I thought I was going to have to go with a plain colored cover. Sigh. Especially since I was adding a couple of extra planners to my line-up (more about that later).

Then on Monday...

Photo courtesy of Hobonichi

Botanicals!

The second planner from the left, laying on the desk, is a Weeks. I've had a botanical Weeks with a difference design in the past. The cover is canvas-like and I love it.

The large and small planners on the left are what they call a HON. It's their regular planner, but with a hardback cover on it already. So no need for a separate cover. I will be getting both of them. The smaller one I will be carrying around with me to record food and other health-related things, along with my daily spending. The larger one will be used as a 'common place' planner and will be a place to log my ideas, reading notes, quotes, etc. A second large HON will be my 'year in the garden' book. 

On the far right, the thin pictures on the desk are actually pencil boards. You put them behind the pages so you have a firmer surface to write on. I already have the one in the center, but will be getting the large one and the thin one. 

For my main planner, I will be getting the larger of the two planners on the back right. There are also a couple of plain notebooks with botanical prints on the front I will pick up to supplement my planners with extra space for writing notes.

So I am happy with this year's planners. I can't wait to be able to order them on 01 September (actually, I'll stay up late and order the evening of the 31 August.)

Another fun thing about the release of the Hobonichi for 2024 is my local stationary store, Good Postage, will be getting them in (I am still ordering mine from Japan) and having a week long event. They are the only store I know for miles around which actually carries Hobonichi.

I have also picked up a couple of fountain pens over the past few weeks.

The dark green pen is a Kaweco Sport which writes really nice. I love the feel of writing with a fountain pen. And on my Hobonichi planners, fountain pens work well. The light green is a Lamy Safari. It is so smooth and a dream to write with. Unfortunately, Good Postage carries these pens, so I see them when I walk in. And they come in a multitude of colors. I think there may be a collection starting as they are very reasonably priced. 

Finally, I have been reading on Julia Cameron's new book, Write for Life. 

Waiting for my car repair last Thursday, I read and wrote about 8 pages of notes. A lot of ideas, to-do's and thoughts poured forth. Like many of Cameron's books, there are Artist Dates, walking and Morning Pages suggested. But more on this book at a later date. However, I have reestablished Morning Pages in my life, which really gives me a freer mind. 

Life is good at the present time. Writing is getting done. New planners on the horizon, too. Now if I could just get autumn to arrive!