vivdunstan

Just had my first go using a blunt syringe with a 3D-printed ink miser to load my piston filler daily journal fountain pen. The ink in the big bottle was now too low a level for me to get a good fill directly. But my neurological illness hands were rather terrified of today's process! But it worked brill. Filled the syringe, then the ink miser (almost totally full), then filled through the pen nib using the piston filler. Worked brilliantly, and I didn't knock anything over! Just a little ink left over in the miser, which I poured back into the bottle. Very happy fountain pen user. Martin was around today, but I decided to try to tackle this myself. And it worked.

Photo of a sink draining board with (from left to right) fountain pen, syringe, ink box, ink bottle, and a multicoloured 3D printed ink miser

Had fun at my first go playing the Fellowship of the Ring trick-taking card game in solo mode. It's about 40 years since I've played a trick-taking card game ... Didn't score well enough to pass the opening chapter of the game, but happy getting more fluent with the cards. Great for a Tolkien/LOTR/card game fan.

One big relief with the card game try was my neurological illness hands were cooperating today! And my new folding table was big enough - just! - to accommodate the cards. Also very pleased with my William Morris designed tablecloth, which provided a good surface to play on, and a sturdy weight too.

A grid layout of colourful cards with Lord of the Rings characters and themes (e.g. forest, meadow, mountain, hill, ring, shadow) on them. On top of the cards sits the slim rulebook leaflet for the game. The cards and rulebook rest on a Wiliam Morris designed tablecloth.

A grid layout of colourful cards with Lord of the Rings characters and themes (e.g. forest, meadow, mountain, hill, ring, shadow) on them. On top of the cards sits the slim rulebook leaflet for the game. The cards and rulebook rest on a Wiliam Morris designed tablecloth.

The game box of "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Trick-Taking Game" designed by Bryan Bornmueller. The box is slim, with a dark design, ornate font for the lettering, and a bright gold One Ring prominent. The game box rests on a William Morris tablecloth with gold birds and leaves against a black background.

Unsleeving my cards for the Fellowship of the Ring trick-taking card game. Had sleeved them cos I'll be shuffling these a lot. But my neuro illness hands struggle with them sleeved - too slippy, too bulky. So unsleeved it is. Feels like right step even if backwards!

All the removed sleeves are now back in their packet, beside those I hadn't sleeved onto cards yet. I may yet change my mind. Or might want to use the sleeves for something else. But I'm confident they're better not used here. At least for me.

A third of the way through sleeving cards in my new Fellowship of the Ring card game, and it’s a tight fit, but they do fit sleeved (there are 3 slots in the box for 48 cards each). Relieved to have managed the first batch - hands cooperating well there today despite my progressive neurological illness. But definitely leaving the rest to later this week! P.S. You don't have to sleeve the cards, but I prefer to in this case. I'm using Gamegenic 66 x 91 mm "Gray" code Standard Card Game Matte Sleeves (3 x 50 packs). But there are other options too.

The Fellowship of the Ring Trick-Taking Card Game opened up on a red sofa. To the left is the tall but compact game box cover, with a vividly coloured one ring design. In the middle at the top is the bottom part of the game box, with 3 sections, each holding 48 cards. The second and third sections are partially hidden by "Part I" and "Part II" lids. At the bottom the rules booklet sits, with the one ring play then resting on it. Over to the right are some card sleeve packs.

One thing I was pleased about today is that I was wheeling myself well around the Kimono exhibition in between Martin pushing me. Definitely better than when I was at Tartan a year ago. I’m often very weak in my arms or otherwise struggling to control them. But this morning my arms and also hand grip were good. I was also coping well with a very packed and busy room. Though sitting down helped with that! Now in bed and going back to sleep!

This is rough, but on day 9 of Covid I am overjoyed to have managed to get the box out today. This is my wee French chromatic button accordion (the one in this post's icon picture), with a warm swing sound. Also very relieved yet again that I didn't get the extreme musette tuning I initially fancied 😉 I am only practicing intermittently but amazed how quickly I am getting on with this totally different system I've been learning since June (no piano keyboard, unlike the type of accordion I have played since the mid 1970s). This tune was played reading from sheet music. I wanted to play the wee box earlier in the week but was way too achy and then temperature still bonkers for days. But managed a half hour or so's play tonight. So chuffed. A quick recording of me playing Sunrise Sunset is on my website. Full of fluffs, but honestly I'm just delighted. Also staggered how I'm retaining the new skills I'm learning given how spread out my practices are. This is the new accordion that seems to be helping me recover lost neurological right hand control. Win win.

It's a bit hot, but chuffed to manage some accordion practice. Still learning Money, Money, Money by ABBA (second practice trying it). Played on my big Italian/Clinkscales 1981 piano accordion made by Paolo Soprani, the oldest accordion company in the world. Some fluffs, but honestly I'm really pleased with that. And again my right hand control kept up throughout the practice, managing lots of three-note harmonies. My right hand control even on the piano accordion has been much better since I started learning my new French chromatic button accordion in June, and doing lots of intensive new hand exercises on that. Which is helping me recover long-term lost hand control from brain damage from my neuro illness.

Here is a link to the audio. And it was played on this box:

Got a nice reply from one of the Maugein staff who I'd emailed (carefully written in French!) to say just how much the chromatic button accordion seems to be helping me recover some better neurological control of my right hand. Which has been poorer since I had effectively a stroke in 2004 when my cerebral vasculitis relapsed suddenly and dramatically, and I was a lot weaker for a very very long time down my right side. She says they have other clients who have had strokes, and whose doctors have insisted that they must keep practicing the chromatic button accordions. Which are a particularly intricate form of accordion to play. But a wonderful exercise for limb and hand control, plus mental gymnastics. Mine seems to be helping my hand control more generally, including helping me play my piano accordion much better and for vastly longer. Quite an incredible result - I only started learning the chromatic button accordion in mid June.

Just refilled my main bedroom fountain pen(*) with ink, and in my confusion tried to cap the pen after with the ink bottle lid. Oops. Luckily no mess! As someone with weak neurological hand control I find fountain pens much easier to write with, and smoother than especially ballpoints. But I need to use piston filler or similar to refill, to manage with my hands. But that works. And yes I probably need a fountain pen icon for here ... (**)

* Lamy 2000, medium nib, refilled with Diamine Chocolate Brown ink. My Lamy 2000 fine nib in the sitting room is one of my top 3 favourite fountain pens. But I have a medium nib one for bedroom scribbles.

** P.S. And now added an icon. Of my favourite pen, in use. With a glass of wine beside it.

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30

Entries tagged with hands

"Need a syringe"

Fellowship of the Ring trick-taking card game

Unsleeving game cards

Sleeving cards

Good wheeling

Squeezebox finally

Money, Money, Money

Maugein on hand control

Almost the wrong cap

Profile

June 2025

Links

Syndicate

Most Popular Tags

Page Summary

Active Entries

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags