Monthly Archives: October 2011

Adjectives (or a lack thereof)

25 Tuesday Oct 2011

Posted by in Thoughts, Writing

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October flames through maples and turns the elm to gold.
November denudes sycamores as night shortens day.
December settles snow upon the pine and buries the sleeping bulb.
I hibernate with knitting and my pen while my soul yearns for spring.
[Katherine M]

kale

I belong to an online writing group for women through The Story Circle Network. Our October writing prompt was to compose a descriptive paragraph using only three or less adjectives. The response was astounding. Everyone’s piece took on a poetic tone. Here is one at this LINK to the blog, Stones and Feathers. My offering is here above the photo of the ornamental kale that decorates my front steps. As all else succumbs to the change in the weather, the kale just grows prettier and prettier.

The Public Library and Digital Books

08 Saturday Oct 2011

Posted by in Favorite Things, Thoughts

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There is not such a cradle of democracy upon the earth
as the Free Public Library,
this republic of letters,
where neither rank, office, nor wealth
receives the slightest consideration.
[Andrew Carnegie]

The main branch of the Allen County Public Library dominates the the west side of downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana. Every time I drive past it I think, it says a lot for a city when its public library is one of its main features. Now the library offers another feature: downloadable eBooks and audio books.

I’ve mentioned in other posts that I enjoy eBooks, produce eBooks for clients and I am in and ongoing search for eBooks and digital audio books that won’t bust my budget. Last week, I dug out my library card, went to the ACPL website and took the plunge. I downloaded the OverDrive Media Console to my computer, and the OverDrive app to my iPad. Then I logged in with my library card and have been enjoying digital files ever since. I discovered that it was easier for me to manage the audio files in OverDrive rather than iTunes. Also, I hope that the eReader for the books will become more sophisticated over time. It needs a dictionary and more options for configuring type.

The folks at the library were so responsive and helpful that I got started with this adventure with very few problems. I highly recommend it.

Follow Your Heart

06 Thursday Oct 2011

Posted by in Thoughts

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… almost everything—
all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—
these things just fall away in the face of death,
leaving only what is truly important.
Remembering that you are going to die is
the best way I know to avoid the trap of
thinking you have something to lose.
You are already naked.
There is no reason not to follow your heart.
[Steve Jobs, 1955–2011]

I bought my first personal computer in 1982 from Radio Shack. It was a TRS-80 with no hard drive and 4k memory. I’m not a techi but computers fascinate me. After I graduated from art school, I did my work on a drafting board with T-square and triangle until, one evening, I walked past a cubical where a coworker was trying out a new computer. I’d spent a frustrating day drawing lines with a ruling pen and plopping ink in all of the wrong places.

“Could I draw a 1-point line on that in camera-ready quality?” I asked.

“Sure,” she replied.

I’ve never looked back. The computer was an Apple and the year, 1987. I’ve been laying out publications, drawing cartoons, optimizing photos, creating websites, and doing hundreds of other things on a long line of Apples ever since.

Thank you for your vision, Steve Jobs.