11 Monday Oct 2010
Posted in My Client's Sites, Ongoing Projects, Thoughts, Writing
Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful,
for beauty is God’s handwriting.
[Ralph Waldo Emerson]
Late summer is my busiest time as I polish publications and the annual catalog for Willowgreen Publishing. This year has been especially exciting. We added two new printed books, 15 ePub eBooks, a growing list of MP3 audio books, and a new audiovisual production. We also started a new blog, 1-Minute Inspirations, that offers VideoPress videos of Jim’s photography and words.
23 Friday Jul 2010
Posted in Ongoing Projects, Review, Thoughts, Writing
Opinion is ultimately determined by the feelings,
and not by the intellect.
[Herbert Spencer]
I’ve spent the last several months reading dozens of books on my iPod Touch. The reason is (in addition to the fact that I love reading and my iPod makes it so convenient without adding more paperbacks to my overstuffed bookshelves), I’m producing eBooks that will be marketed in several ways. I needed not only to learn about production, but also about the product. Here are my opinions that are based upon this brief, unscientific research and experience. Remember this is merely my limited opinion that is influenced by my tastes, habits and myopic view of the world. My opinions were also shaped by the following:
My two favorites are Barnes & Noble, and Stanza. Readability won out. Both of these allowed me to customize the text so that I could read a sanserif font in a nice size. Serif type is like Times and a sanserif is like Helvetica. I found the sanserif easier to read. The main thing I liked was that the type on these two eReaders is not justified. Justified type means that the lines of type align on both the right and left, often leaving rivers of white space that make it hard to read (and plum irritating to an old typesetter like me). These two eReaders also allowed me to navigate through the books with greater ease.
My conclusion? I doubt if I’ll ever buy a dedicated eReader. My iPod Touch works great. I can only imagine using an iPad instead if I’m ever blessed with one. I’ll continue to use the B&N Reader (I ought to buy stock in the company considering how many books I’ve bought) and the Stanza eReader through which I’ve read many free classics that I wish I’d read as a child.
One more thing. As with any new technology, this technology is still a bit rough around the edges. I’m confident that the formatting of electronic books and the finesse of electronic readers will steadily improve. Also, I’m sure this technology will become more standardized, flexible and cross-platform.
06 Saturday Mar 2010
Posted in Ongoing Projects, Thoughts
To know the true reality of yourself,
you must be aware not only of your conscious thoughts,
but also of your unconscious prejudices, bias and habits.
My Adobe CS4 came bundled with not only Photoshop but also Fireworks. Why? I asked myself. I’ve used Photoshop since version 1.0 and could see no reason to learn a new piece of software. No reason except for one—I recognize that I tend to be biased by familiarity, and I need to make a conscience effort to try other things to keep from missing something really cool.
Making use of my Lynda.com membership, I started viewing one of the set of Fireworks tutorials (Rapid Prototyping) and it blew me away. Over the years, I’ve cobbled together my own method of producing comps for website development using Illustrator and Photoshop. I will still use Illustrator for my illustration work and Photoshop for photo editing and print production, BUT I’m going to give Fireworks a try on my next web job. I can tell from the tutorial that I’m going to love it.
That brings me to today’s hint from the woman with the white hair:
Being aware of bias in your thinking could be your greatest asset in personal growth. Use it as a flag, a sign post. Let it motivate you to research the other side and see if there is any validity to your biased inclination.
30 Wednesday Dec 2009
Posted in Favorite Things, Ongoing Projects, Review, Thoughts
Lieutenant Dan got me invested in some kind of fruit company.
So then I got a call from him,
saying we don’t have to worry about money no more.
And I said, that’s good!
One less thing.
[Forrest Gump referring to Apple Computer]
If I’d purchased stock every time I purchased software or computer upgrades in the last two decades, I could be as wealthy as Forrest. In fact, every time I upgrade I think, I ought to buy stock instead. If you are one of those who did, then I’m one of those who has been keeping Apple and Adobe in business all these years.
I just upgraded to Creative Design Suite CS4 and it blows me away. I’ve been using Illustrator for twenty years and have always wished for features like having more than one page in a document. Ta-da! It has arrived. Along with the upgrade, Adobe is treating me to a month of courses on Lynda.com. That blows me away too. Their courses are fun, well organized and polished. I’ve learned more in the past week than I have in … well, in twenty years. After all of this time, I thought I knew the software like I know my vacuum cleaner, but there is so much more to learn. What a delight.
Now that I think about it, maybe it is good I didn’t invest in Apple and Adobe. If I had amassed a fortune, I might just sit around like a slug instead of being motivated to embark on all of these learning adventures. I DO LOVE MY WORK.
25 Wednesday Nov 2009
Posted in Knitting, Knitting Sites, Ongoing Projects
We may have all come on different ships,
but we’re in the same boat now.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
One thing I like about being an American is living in the midst of variety. I feel like I have dibs on a little bit of everybody’s culture. So here’s a chance to participate in something new to many knitters between the North Atlantic and Pacific. Andrea Wong has a new DVD on the market and is offering a special on two DVDs until December 15th. Check out this LINK if you are interested in learning Portuguese style knitting. The DVDs, pins and patterns also come individually packaged.
Andrea is one of my graphic design clients. I help her with her website, and lay out her print advertising. Currently, I am helping her with a knitting book layout, and I’m so thrilled about it. It not only has a number of Portuguese-inspired patterns, but it also has lovely travel photos, technique explanations, and history. The book is scheduled to go to print next spring.
02 Monday Nov 2009
Posted in Favorite Things, Knitting, Ongoing Projects, Thoughts
When you are asked if you can do a job, tell ’em, ‘Certainly I can!’
Then get busy and find out how to do it.
[Theodore Roosevelt]
The leaves and the year might be almost gone, but there is still time to have fun. My calendar for this week is full of fun stuff.
1. Beginning Blogging: This is the last week for the 8-week course that I teach on the internet under the auspices of the Story Circle Network. I enjoy this so much that I’m writing a proposal for the winter session that starts after Christmas. My course covers the technical aspects of setting up and managing a blog.
2. Birthdays: We are gathering at the Texas Roadhouse tonight to celebrate two family birthdays—mother and daughter who were born the same day but 25 years apart. That makes it easy to remember. Gifts are wrapped.
3. Curves: I am maintaining a decent weight but need to go exercise more (at least 3 times this week). It gives me energy and keeps me agile.
4. Knitting classes: Tomorrow is the last class for the vest, Wednesday is the last class for the stranded sock class, and Saturday is the first class for another group knitting stranded socks. I offer these classes at Sarah Jane’s Yarn Shoppe. I have a variety of sock patterns so each class member may choose the one she likes best.
3. Portuguese Style Knitting: My day job is as a graphic artist. One facet of that is preparing books for publication. I’m so excited about my current job—assembling a book on Portuguese-style knitting for Andrea Wong. She attended Cat Bordhi’s Visionary Retreat, and is working on getting her book ready to self publish.
4. Lifewriting Online: Blogging for the Faint of Heart: I’m composing a presentation to use as a skeleton for the 90-minute workshop I’m planning to facilitate at the Story Circle Network’s Fifth National Women’s Memoir Conference in Austin, Texas next February. This is an ongoing job for me but it is such fun and I’m making progress.
NOTE: The new masthead (now retired to masthead page) is the same view as the last one but later in the fall—the field is golden and the light has changed. When I retire a masthead, I put it on the Masthead page in the tab above.
14 Friday Aug 2009
Posted in Ongoing Projects, Quilting
When life throws you scraps, make a quilt.
[Author Unknown]
I’ve spent the summer finishing projects (some of which I started over thirty years ago). Here is Toby holding down my latest quilt top. I call it “Lincoln Star.” If anyone knows its real name, do let me know. Since I’m hand quilting two quilt tops already, this one is going to a lady who does lovely machine quilting so it can be finished before I’m 110.
See the braided rug in Toby’s photo? My grandma made that with scraps of fabric. She could make pretty and useful things out of next to nothing.
18 Thursday Jun 2009
Posted in Favorite Things, Ongoing Projects, Thoughts
Good friends are like quilts.
They age with you yet never lose their warmth.
My friend, Ruth, is flying to Florida this weekend to celebrate her nephew’s wedding. She’d planned to make a king-sized wedding quilt for the couple ever since last fall. One challenge after another intruded on her plans and time grew short so she let me help her piece the quilt. For two weeks, we worked in a flurry of activity and finished in time.
It has been a long time since I set aside my knitting needles and sewed on a quilt. When I returned from North Carolina, I hurried to Ruth’s to see the finished quilt before she took it away. Wow. The quilting and finishing made it even grander.
This project was not only fun—it was a joy to work on a quilt with my friend.
03 Friday Apr 2009
Posted in Drawing, Knitting, Ongoing Projects
Sometimes you gotta create what you want to be a part of.
[Geri Weitzman]
I bundled up in a borrowed electric blanket and shivered while I watched sleet pile up on the garage roof. I’d just come in from shoveling snow. My nose was running and my spirits hit a low as the dark sky triggered the streetlights to come on in midday. I knew in my heart that flowers would bloom again, but I needed a mental exercise to convince myself of that. Think tropical vacation, I told myself. That was a month and a half ago.
What is my concept of the color of the tropics? What is my concept of the look of the tropics—you must understand my concept is formed more by picture postcards than actual travel experience. My journey started with colored pencils and is currently flying on the wings of my knitting needles. I returned the blanket to its owner and stored my snow shovel until fall. If it snows again, I’ll just let it melt best it can. This isn’t finished but, I couldn’t wait to share it.
I’m using three colors of Saucon Sock yarn from Kraemer Yarns, Nazareth, Pennsylvania. Here is what they say about their yarn:
Saucon Sock is a cotton, acrylic, and nylon blend perfect for year round socks. It comes in many bright, vibrant colors with more on the way! Although it is designed specifically for socks, Saucon Sock can be used for lace shawls, baby blankets, and sweaters, if you have the patience! Whether you are looking for a cool washable sock yarn or even if you just have an allergy to wool, Saucon Sock is a beautiful no-wool yarn that will hold its shape.
I’m knitting two garments. One is a sleeveless shell that has horizontal stripes. The other is a short lace bolero with short sleeves and V-neck. The shell has a deep ribbing that will show from the bottom of the bolero. I’ll keep you posted about its progress. I wish I could knit faster.
14 Tuesday Oct 2008
Posted in Favorite Things, Knitting, Ongoing Projects, Thoughts
Life is like a coin.
You can spend it any way you wish,
but you only spend it once.
[Lillian Dickson]
I’ve been spending life enjoying myself thoroughly. Our October is unusually warm so I’ve taken every opportunity to drive with the top down and, of course, with a grin on my face. It is great to have white hair and drive a sports car. I’m obviously so far past mid life that nobody could suspect me of being in crisis. I get broad grins and thumbs up in return.
I spent time in one of my favorite places last weekend, New Harmony, Indiana. A group of knitters met at the Barn Abby for a retreat. The folks from Atkinson Farm Yarns in Vincennes, Indiana even brought a selection of yarn for us to browse through. The weather was perfect and the crops on the farms looked like they were right out of a James Whitcomb Riley poem.
In addition to my day job (which is so much fun I can’t call it work) and exercising at Curves, I’ve been teaching knitting classes at Sarah Jane’s Yarn Shoppe. My little buddy, Toby, takes me for walks and we join friends and family for yummy suppers. There is a point to all of this—choice.
I could stress out as I watch my retirement savings evaporate. I could watch political shows on TV even though the campaign has gone on a year too long in my opinion. I could worry myself sick over how other people spend their lives. The question is, would my stressing out change one thing for the better any more than my gripping the arm rests keeps an airplane in the air? Of course not. So, I voted early—for me, the campaign is over. I found the off button on my TV, and filed my depleted quarterly financial report away. Choosing to be delighted changes a lot.
Knitting, writing and other joys 