Tome's feel better. (Duh Moines best calligrapher)

Tome is one of my local pen pals. In fact, she is the person I recruited to teach when I realized that I was not going to last forever as a teacher. My gut told me that she was perfect - but her kids were a bit young and I knew that I could not put the full court press on her. Luckily, it has worked out that each year, each kid gets a year older - and the oldest is now driving -- so she can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I know that she is going to be very happy that she has cultivated this fabulous career as *the best calligrapher in Duh Moines.* She's very good, but she is like all of us who cross paths with the true rock star calligraphers who can now be reached through the internet. We can see that we are not rock stars on a national or international level. Tome's copperplate is better than mine ever was. I'm not sure she believes me. But, it is. It really is time for her to assume the official role of *the best in town.*

I still feel silly that I got to be that person for so many years. I have an envelope that was done by Jean Larcher. I would pull it out whenever I got into a discussion with someone who wanted to exaggerate where I was on the bell curve of calligraphers. I'd whip it out and say, "Oh, yeah? Do you think I could do this?" And they would gasp.

Passing that envelope along to Tome will be like passing the -- what's that thing people pass? Is it a mantle or is it the keys to the kingdom? 

***

I came back and took time to Google passing the mantle and that's the right word. Although we are going to call it Passing the Larcher. It is pronounced Lar-shay' - and he was French so the Jean is more like John with that zj-sound. Tome (pronounced like the other word for book) will teach for 20 years and then she will have to find someone to pass the Larcher to.

Link to LARCHER website

A Larcher envelope:

I never got to take a class with him, but I did give him a ride one time at one of the conferences.

He passed away in 2015.