I have made so many true and talented friends in this world of blogging. In 2014, I met up with our Slice of Life bloggers for a face to face dinner at NCTE. There I met Melanie Meehan who bought a copy of my first ever middle grade novel Blessen and read it on her plane ride home. She wrote an email inviting me to join her writing group, and the rest is history, as they say. But Melanie is not in our group any more. (She is an active contributor to Two Writing Teachers.) Even though the writing group has changed faces, our bonds are strong. One of those 2014 members was Julie Burchstead. Julie and I have never met face to face. She lived in Vermont and then retired to Oregon, but we keep in touch through Facebook.
I kept seeing posts from Julie of beautiful handmade journals. I sent her a Direct Message, and she offered to make me one. (I did pay her.) The book is lovely, made of soft leather with a handmade butterfly button closure. vintage paper, spring flower binding, and 3 signatures of 98 lb. multi-media paper. (Yes, she wrote it all out on a notecard.) The braided thread wraps around and tucks into the button with a variety of beads, among them a silver bee and butterfly. She wrote, “May this journal always call your muse.”
So far I haven’t brought myself to scratch out a rough draft poem inside, but I am collecting quotes.
Thank you, Julie, for giving me something to comfort and inspire me.
Reflections on the Teche 
It is beautiful. I took a bookbinding class many years ago and picked it up again a bit during COVID lockdown. This inspires me to revisit it again.
Really enjoyed this…One of the teachers at the early childhood center where I worked, someone who knew and appreciated the fact that I was a poet (she is a writer and artist), gave me a gorgeous fabric-bound, handmade paper-filled journal “to write your poetry in”. That was in 2017. I tried a few times to find uses for it, and could not bear to fill it with drafts. Two weeks ago I realized what I’d use it for: this will be my gift to my granddaughter, filled with the 30 days of poems I wrote for her just after her birth, during NPM 2023, complimented by our son’s photos. At last, a purpose for the beautiful journal!
I was struck by the depth of relationships that are virtual or infrequent, but still long and meaningful. When I read your title I was longing for a photo, so thank you. the journal is a beauty, but I would not be able to draft in it either! Quotes are a beautiful idea, as is Carol’s idea, above.
Your picture caption, with ‘comfort and inspire’, hints at what you have been going through. Continuing wishes on your recovery.
Margaret, there is so much truth here about these very real and lovely online relationships. I just ordered Blessen! 🙂
Oh Margaret, hooray for online relationships. The journal is beautiful, especially with that handmade butterfly closure! I love how the braided thread wraps around the journal and tucks into the butterfly button with a butterfly bead and bee bead. The butterfly paper that MO’s quotation is gorgeous and meaningful with her quote. I have always loved that quote of MO’s. Seems like Julie knows you well and was keeping in mind your likes when she thoughtfully and tenderly created this journal for you. A true treasure. Love those other quotations, also. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
What a lovely slice about the power of on-line connections and writing communities! The journal is just gorgeous and collecting quotes within it seems like the perfect thing to do.
Oh, look at that beauty, June!
It was a pleasure to make this journal with you in mind. I cherished those days writing in such rare company. I am so very proud of each and every one of you.