So You Are Starting a New Notebook, Help!

[taimdala]

On 8/1/2022 at 10:34 PM, Misfit said:

Maybe. My issue is oh look at that pretty notebook. Must have it. Then it sits, and waits, and waits, and waits. And waits  some more. Did I mention waiting?

 

At one point they got the job to weigh down a plastic three drawer shelf cart. They still live in that drawer, waiting. And then this year, I got even more notebooks to wait in that drawer with the others. 
 

I do use a Leuchtturm and a Clairefontaine A5 size to write down the name and nib of a pen, and the ink in it. I added Tomoe paper in old and new in a Travelers Notebook to post on Stub of the Day thread.  Plus I can see most all an ink has to show off. And I have two Field Notes in a holder I got on Etsy that I carry in my purse. It has one in graph paper for information, and lined paper for lists. I got book journal notebooks to fit two Midori products. I have yet to log a book, though I am reading. 
 

Edited to add the Clairefontaine is almost full. I’ve almost finished a notebook. Except for Field Notes, I haven’t done that since college. And that’s been awhile. 

 

I don't think that waiting, of itself, is bad.

 

I like having a full pantry of stationery supplies/art supplies. 

 

I take comfort in knowing that I have that stock on hand if I ever need to whip up a last-minute gift.

 

Like: I can make a personalized noteboook for a fic-writing friend

 

Or: I can repair my kid's toy cowboy gun with a spring from my Pilot G2 and a bread tab. (No, seriously. The trigger spring broke and the ratchet flange died of plastic fatigue.)

 

Or: It's a friend's birthday and the gift bag I got for their gift needs gussying up--washi tape and confetti/paper streamers to the rescue!

 

And all those pieces and parts in my "pantry" might have been hanging out for several years before they got used, but they did get used. 

 

Knowing they are there makes me feel more prepared to handle whatever might come up. 

 

So ... guilt from having all those unused notebooks? 

 

It's undeserved, so please grant yourself some grace.

 

As for myself, if ever we lose power in the dead of winter, I will bask in the warmth and security that comes of having umpty bazillion pocket Moleskines to use as kindling in my fireplace. 

 

Who knew they could multitask so well?

[inkstainedruth]

2 hours ago, taimdala said:

 

 

EXTRA HUGS! 

(to tide you over til evening.)

Thanks.  

Wish your hugs would make the storms in the area go away.  I've been hearing thunder for the past forty minutes....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[taimdala]

5 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

Thanks.  

Wish your hugs would make the storms in the area go away.  I've been hearing thunder for the past forty minutes....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

You're welcome, inkstainedruth, and you have my sympathy. 

 

My husband developed an internal storm barometer as a consequence of catching mono in college. Any sudden change in pressure, usually before a storm, hammers his sinuses. 

 

He can always tell if it's going to rain and if it's immient. 

 

Given the weather patterns where we live, it's a handy thing to have, if a bit painful. 

 

Now, our city possesses this weird combination of being in an "intertidal zone" where two weather zones meet (Zones 7a and 7b) AND being a heat island. 

 

What this means: prevaling weather patterns can swing one way or the other on a dime as the boundary between the zones fluctuates. 

AND due to the heat island effect, our city parts any resulting storm front in two like Moses parting the Red Sea, so that we actually don't get the rain/weather more than half the time!

 

But my hubby still suffers that sinus warning, whether the weather touches us or not.

[inkstainedruth]

I sympathize with your husband.  My mom had a bad leg and foot (complications from chemotherapy) and she could ALWAYS tell when there was a storm brewing in the Gulf of Mexico -- even all the way up to 50 miles north of Manhattan, where I grew up).  She just KNEW.  Because her leg hurt....  

She used to joke that scientists should be studying her and her ability to predict weather, even at a great distance....  Mind you, once she was "officially" a cancer survivor (after several bouts of malignant melanoma; I'm not scared of breast cancer -- it's melanoma that scares the cr@p out of me because it's got a way lower survival rate) is when my parents became effective globe-trotters.  They LOVED to travel.  I got to go to Egypt when I was in college because my mom called up and said "Your father and I are going on another trip!  We're going to EGYPT!" and when I found out when the trip was, I was going, "Uh -- I THINK that's during spring break.  How are Rob and me supposed to get home when we don't have cars?"  So suddenly we got to go along on the trip as well.  And it was a REALLY interesting time to be there -- it was when President Carter was flying back and forth between Cairo and Tel Aviv to get the Camp David Accords signed.  Even if it did screw up scheduled travel plans the whole time (at least we were better off than the people whose flight had to sit on the runway in Zurich for many hours because they were turning away incoming commercial flights due to security issues...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[taimdala]

10 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

I sympathize with your husband.  My mom had a bad leg and foot (complications from chemotherapy) and she could ALWAYS tell when there was a storm brewing in the Gulf of Mexico -- even all the way up to 50 miles north of Manhattan, where I grew up).  She just KNEW.  Because her leg hurt....  

She used to joke that scientists should be studying her and her ability to predict weather, even at a great distance....  Mind you, once she was "officially" a cancer survivor (after several bouts of malignant melanoma; I'm not scared of breast cancer -- it's melanoma that scares the cr@p out of me because it's got a way lower survival rate) is when my parents became effective globe-trotters.  They LOVED to travel.  I got to go to Egypt when I was in college because my mom called up and said "Your father and I are going on another trip!  We're going to EGYPT!" and when I found out when the trip was, I was going, "Uh -- I THINK that's during spring break.  How are Rob and me supposed to get home when we don't have cars?"  So suddenly we got to go along on the trip as well.  And it was a REALLY interesting time to be there -- it was when President Carter was flying back and forth between Cairo and Tel Aviv to get the Camp David Accords signed.  Even if it did screw up scheduled travel plans the whole time (at least we were better off than the people whose flight had to sit on the runway in Zurich for many hours because they were turning away incoming commercial flights due to security issues...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Wow! That's amazing, the traveling you and your family did. And during such interesting eras, watching history being made, right there in front of you. 

 

(And I'll pass on your symathies to my husband. You're very kind.)

 

[Misfit]

5 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

Thanks.  

Wish your hugs would make the storms in the area go away.  I've been hearing thunder for the past forty minutes....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Sending hugs to InkstainedRuth also. I hope you feel better soon. It’s been several days, with the sinus headaches, hasn’t it?

[inkstainedruth]

Yeah.  More like a week at this point.  I thought it was just the weather, until I found out that headaches are a (known) side effect to taking Allegra (wow, not much good as an allergy medication, is it? )  So I've gone back to the Zyrtec.  And for a day or two just taking an ibuprofen when one started coming on was enough to last me the rest of the day.  But we had storms yesterday, and storms predicted for today and tomorrow (at least).  And I can't take more ibuprofen for at least another hour....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[essayfaire]

On 7/29/2022 at 11:01 PM, Misfit said:

 

So you chose which new notebook to use next. What's on the first page? (Courtesy of @mhguda)
 

This isn’t to tell you what to do; it’s to get your ideas. Lots of us struggle with how to start a new notebook.  Maybe you know what you’ll write in it because you keep a journal. Or, the notebook is dedicated to your hobbies.  
 

I subscribed to Field Notes, so I have a lot of them. I usually keep two in a holder I got for them. One is lined for lists, the other is graph for anything. For those, I sometimes just add the first entry to start. Now I’m planning to record my two favorite radio stations on the first page, and maybe a favorite quote on the graph version. 
 

Then there are those other notebooks. You know these, they are precious. You can’t just start with anything.  If they are leaving home with you, they might start differently than when they stay at home most of the time. 
 

Share how you start your notebooks.  Give ideas for starting a new notebook. If you bought a new notebook, and want to show it off, you can do that here or at this thread:

 

 

 @amberleadavis and @essayfaire suggested I start this thread. I posted about a new one on the above thread, wondering if I had a good idea how to start it. This thread was born from that short conversation.

 

It’s your turn now, to give suggestions and shine a bright light for your fellow notebook fans. 

I didn't realize this thread had been started and now I'm late to the party!  Apparently it's a popular topic!  I will catch up and chime in at later date.  

 

See?  Build it and they will come...

[mhguda]

we're off to a flying start. Yes it is fun! Looking forward to some inputs from you...

[Misfit]

The two Milquerius notebooks arrived today. The lined one is quite narrow compared to the smaller graph version. I knew it would be, but seeing them together accentuates the lined version’s thinness. I also returned, and then got a proper version of a notebook with sticky notes and a hot pink gel pen. The one I got in a grocery pickup order was missing the pen and one set of sticky notes. I didn’t care so much about the pen, but it needed all its sticky notes. It’s a Pen+Gear brand. 
 

[InkyColors]

On 8/5/2022 at 1:03 PM, inkstainedruth said:

Yeah.  More like a week at this point.  I thought it was just the weather, until I found out that headaches are a (known) side effect to taking Allegra (wow, not much good as an allergy medication, is it? )  So I've gone back to the Zyrtec.  And for a day or two just taking an ibuprofen when one started coming on was enough to last me the rest of the day.  But we had storms yesterday, and storms predicted for today and tomorrow (at least).  And I can't take more ibuprofen for at least another hour....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

It’s a shame you had side effects with the Allegra.  I’m glad it doesn’t give me headaches since I can’t take Zyrtec and stay awake. Meds just work differently in different people.  Nine out of ten people don’t get headaches with Allegra. Headaches are a side effect of Zyrtec also, but it sounds like it works well for you.  When I have a sinus headache I usually have to add a decongestant to my meds to relieve the pressure and pain.  Hope you feel better soon. 

[Misfit]

By the way, I think Milquerius should give @taimdalaa free notebook of her choice for helping their sales. 

[essayfaire]

On 8/4/2022 at 3:23 PM, taimdala said:

My husband developed an internal storm barometer as a consequence of catching mono in college. Any sudden change in pressure, usually before a storm, hammers his sinuses. 

Interesting; I am also a human barometer and also had mono in college, but never thought they were connected. Over the years I my ability to sense the storms seems to have become more and more sensitive, which is not so pleasant, but makes me more accurate than the local meteorologist. 

 

As to the original topic...

 

I like setting up in the bullet journal fashion because the indices(by number not date) have simplified my life and allowed me to rid my house to all the random little pieces of paper I used to scribble upon.  Indexing is not difficult, because I set up some very general topics at the front of the journal, and then I fill them in as I go along.  Here's how I got some new plants and added  it to my index for plants on the page I had numbered(and yes, it may be odd, but I use pre-matter page numbers for the index pages and other front matter):

 

Since this was page 75, I add it to my index in the front:

 

I set up future logs in the front as well.  Here's another example of an index:

 

and the page referenced above:  

 

I had tried marking the "important pages" with sticky notes a number of journals back, but quickly discovered my journals were lost in a series of Washi tape page markers, to the point where it was actually difficult to use them.

 

This journal was not pre-numbered, but I very much like journals that cone with pre-numbered pages. The Endless notebooks are pre-numbered.

 

I always keep one journal that I do not index for nothing but quotations.  I usually scribble the quotation down in the current journal, and then if I still like it a week or two later copy it into the quotation journal, along with poems I like that aren't too long.  Other than in the quotation journal I have settled on dot-matrix. The quotation journal is lined.

 

I do list contact information on the inner from page of each journal, along with where it is in my series of journals(e.g. 8th BJ, 3rd dot matrix, 6th hardbound) so that I can find information later.    I also thread my indices, so if I were on page 10, looking at my current inks, there would be an arrow at the top pointing to the right along with the number "35" so that I instantly know where the current inks list continues without having to return to the index.  I know this is redundant but it does make my life easier.

[taimdala]

@essayfaire, I love your pictures on how you journal. It really helped me understand how indexing and threading worked. Mere verbal or written descriptions haven't really sunk in--but a picture allowed me to understand it in seconds. Thank you for this! 😃

[taimdala]

22 hours ago, Misfit said:

By the way, I think Milquerius should give @taimdalaa free notebook of her choice for helping their sales. 

 

I would not say no! LOL! I would love it if they did. 😃

[taimdala]

22 hours ago, Misfit said:

By the way, I think Milquerius should give @taimdalaa free notebook of her choice for helping their sales. 

 

I hope you enjoy your MQ acquisitions, @Misfit. ♥   I know I simply adore mine.

[XYZZY]

2 minutes ago, taimdala said:

@essayfaire, I love your pictures on how you journal. It really helped me understand how indexing and threading worked. Mere verbal or written descriptions haven't really sunk in--but a picture allowed me to understand it in seconds. Thank you for this! 😃

I second that. You posted four pictures, and I'm reasonably certain I have read more than 4000 words on this topic.  Very simple but effective!

[essayfaire]

Glad it's helpful!  You've shamed me into adding a fifth photo showing how I thread...

 

 

 

 

 

[Misfit]

On 8/7/2022 at 5:46 PM, taimdala said:

 

I hope you enjoy your MQ acquisitions, @Misfit. ♥   I know I simply adore mine.

Thank you. I’ve tried their spiral notebooks, and was pleased. 
 

@essayfaire thank you for the photos. Like @taimdalathose helped me understand the process. 

[oliviaf]

If it's a new journal I always write/do two things. I write "Dear Diary, you ain't never gonna believe what I'm about to write down in yous." it always starts my first entry.

I also like to put in a goal template to the first page of a new journal
I've been doing both for a few years now