Tuesday, March 19, 2013

A Wonderful Scrivener Class & Other Thoughts...


Scrivener - bokprosjekt
Scrivener - bokprosjekt (Photo credit: Leif (Bryne))
I feel as though I’m in unfamiliar waters as I begin writing this for my long-neglected blog since the last I posted was about my adventures of clearing the snow back in early March.

I have had every intention to get caught up, but for some reason, I’ve been devoting most of my time to learning the Scrivener program. The process has been challenging, true, but I have gained so much since it all began back on Tuesday, February 19. And with today’s lesson (#22), the  class “officially” closes. However, until April 2, the course forum for questions and answers will remain open. I am sure there will be lots of continued back-and-forth during these next few weeks, as the daily input from various folks working through the course has been very good.

Gwen Hernandez, the instructor, and also the author of the very helpful Scrivener for Dummies, has provided us all with the very basics of how to get a project off the ground and how to employ important “tools” for each. (e.g.-Keywords, Labels, Meta-Data, Snapshots, Notes, Synopsis, Templates, Compiling, etc.) And I am not alone in wishing that the class didn’t have to draw to a close just yet. Others who have written in to Gwen have posed the question as to the possibility of an “Advanced” class somewhere down the road.

And though Gwen is a very busy lady, I think we’re all keeping our fingers crossed that she might consent to putting together another course that would build upon this first one—sort of a “specialized” one that would help us all “cement” (the word of a fellow student) all of the skills covered in class one—to allow us to increase our Scrivener proficiency all the more. We shall see what might come of all this, but regardless, the Scrivener for Mac class has been a winner.
***
On another topic, cold and snowy weather simply refuses to bid adieu. A year ago today, we were walking around in shorts and t-shirts in 80-degree weather (or somewhere in the vicinity!), and right now where I write this from Holly, Michigan, it’s 23° (feels like 9°) with on-and-off snow showers all day long. Let’s face it, we here in the Midwest became a bit spoiled last year when the snow and sleet and freezing rain avoided us and the temperatures were more than moderate.

We paid a price for it during the summer, though, with record drought and seasonal crops that didn’t materialize. So I’m willing to put up with this more “typical” winter weather pattern for as long as it takes in hopes that things will be more normal in the spring and summer. I have to admit, with cherry blossoms popping out about this time last year, things just weren’t “right.” Maybe the cycle has come back around to normal. Let’s hope so.
***
I made the trip to Holly yesterday from home in Illinois--in fog, snow/rain the whole way--to spend a day with my daughter and son-in-law and their two foster children. I look at the two of them, a boy (3) and the little girl (8 months), and I try to picture what will happen to them both down the road. The situations from where they come are not pretty pictures by any account, and I fail to understand the legal opinions in handling these children. 

All I know is that as long as they are under this roof, they are getting the love, attention, care, hugs, food, nutrition, shelter, warmth, and direction they so deserve. In a fair world we could wish for them to just become an “official” part of this family. But, unfortunately, that’s not how it works in the world of Foster Parenting. Even so, I’m very proud of my daughter and son-in-law.…MLA
English: Hirst Hotel Holly MI

No comments:

Post a Comment