My mother, Grace Laemmlen, was a 3rd grade teacher for many many years.  She had the best penmanship of anyone I’ve ever known.  She taught children to write beautifully.

In her later life, she loved going to UC Santa Cruz each year to take a week-long calligraphy course.  Today I found some of her notepads and practice sheets, stored carefully under a spare bed.  I won’t be hanging on to these any longer, as much as they bring my Mom back to me.  I can see her in my mind, focused on her pen, tongue sticking out just a bit, as she fashioned the letters.

Here are some photographs of her practice work from 1980 and 1981: