I have a son in middle school and part of his English curriculum is writing. They write about novels they are reading and they also are required to keep a blog about anything they want. The main objective of the blog is to practice their writing craft. He usually uses the Microsoft Word program to write his papers on. One of the things we noticed is that MS Word doesn't always correct all the grammar problems.
I write two different blogs each week and while I have an editing program within my blog, it doesn't always catch my spelling, let alone, my grammar issues. Many times I'll use Microsoft Word as well, only to find embarrassing errors. Writing reflects the author's credibility, and you can lose jobs, and receive negative perceptions if your work is off.
Recently, I found another software program called WhiteSmoke 2011 . WhiteSmoke is a language solution for full text translation and English writing. I know sometimes I have to look up synonyms, but have no fear this program will do it for you. WhiteSmoke will also correct spelling mistakes and grammar issues with a single click. When compared to Word this program found 3 spelling errors compared to MS Word only finding two errors. In the same document WhiteSmoke found 7 grammatical errors versus Words 2 errors.
You can also translate over 50 languages with this program and it contains a Multi-Lingual Dictionary along with an English Thesaurus. WhiteSmoke 2011 is the first all in one English solution. Why not download it for free and give it a try? There is nothing to lose, but great writing to gain!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Winter Travel Helps Beat The Blues
Lately,everywhere I turn someone is commenting on the weather.Headlines today read: Heavy Snow Pummels Plains and Midwest, Oklahoma Sees Record Cold:-31, Digging Out Becomes Neighborly in Tulsa, Extreme Weather Pushes Food Prices Higher. This winter in particular has been bad; with record cold temperatures and record amounts of snow, everyone is feeling the winter blues a little. Even in sunny North Carolina, where I used to live, friends of mine are running to warmer destinations like Florida to get away.
My Dad, a native Ohioan, lives in New Smyrna Beach, Florida during the winter.He has even been complaining of the cooler temperatures lately. I heard on the news a few weeks ago that every place in the United States, including Hawaii, had snow. Granted the snow in Hawaii was in the mountains, still; Hawaii?
My Facebook page has been covered with posts expressing everyone's discontent with the weather and how people are feeling, "blue," or "ready for some sunshine," or "ready for a drink with a colorful umbrella stuck in it, laying seaside in the hot sun." Whatever your distraction from the ice,snow, and grey skies might be, travel during the winter months should be something to consider.
Winter is a good time to travel because of the obvious but did you know there are some deals out there as well? According to the Today Show, Travel Expert Mark Murphy, there are some, "Hot Weather Deals," right about now. Check out San Juan Puerto Rico,Intercontinental Hotel, airfare-4nights for $525; Miracle Springs Resort and Spa, Desert Hot Springs, CA for $119 per night; Orlando Florida, park tickets and 3 nights @ Universal Resort for $389, or how about a 4 night Baja Cruise on Carnival for $249. He also mentioned Honolulu Hawaii, Outrigger Luana at $119 per night.
Speaking of Hawaii, I did a little "surfing," the net that is, myself and found a great destination; Kauai. Kauai is the fourth largest island on Hawaii and is sometimes called the,"Garden Isle."It is the northernmost island in the chain and is draped with mountains and cliffs, waterfalls, rain forests and beaches. What attracted me is the landscape but also all the outdoor fun that comes with it. Kauai offers something for everyone with things like golf, kayaking,snorkeling, hiking, ziplining, or just laying on the beach with one of those cocktails with the umbrellas.Kauai has 50 miles of white sand surrounding the island and many of the beach areas are private and away from large crowds. There is even a version of the Grand Canyon on the island called Waimea Canyon. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
The best time for whale watching is during the winter months and a local even gives tours to do just that and chances are you'll see some dolphins too. Click here for more information on whale watching.
Are you into surfing or want to learn? The Kauai North Shore Surfing School offers surf lessons for the beginner and for the more advanced surfer who wants to improve their skills. The school also has Stand- up Paddle board lessons and snorkeling tours. My kids love surfing, so while they are in a lesson I could learn to stand up paddle; how cool is that?!
Talk about deals. I found a hotel called Kauai Palms Hotel that offers deluxe rooms for $75 per night. The rooms are clean, plantation style, centrally located and near the airport and beach. For a few extra dollars they offer rooms with kitchens; can you say families? Hello. It's definitely worth checking out.
A dream of mine has always been to own a second home. A beach property or a lake property would be so great. After seeing all the great things that Kauai has to offer it got me thinking that a more permanent dwelling would even be better so I started searching for some real estate in Kauai just to see what was out there. Like many places in the country with the recent housing crash, I was surprised at some of the deals there as well, especially foreclosures.
My husband should have some airline points from his work travel, combine that with the winter deals out there and wha- la we have a winter vacation to an exotic place like Hawaii; even if he doesn't know it yet...
Happy Travels,
My Dad, a native Ohioan, lives in New Smyrna Beach, Florida during the winter.He has even been complaining of the cooler temperatures lately. I heard on the news a few weeks ago that every place in the United States, including Hawaii, had snow. Granted the snow in Hawaii was in the mountains, still; Hawaii?
My Facebook page has been covered with posts expressing everyone's discontent with the weather and how people are feeling, "blue," or "ready for some sunshine," or "ready for a drink with a colorful umbrella stuck in it, laying seaside in the hot sun." Whatever your distraction from the ice,snow, and grey skies might be, travel during the winter months should be something to consider.
Winter is a good time to travel because of the obvious but did you know there are some deals out there as well? According to the Today Show, Travel Expert Mark Murphy, there are some, "Hot Weather Deals," right about now. Check out San Juan Puerto Rico,Intercontinental Hotel, airfare-4nights for $525; Miracle Springs Resort and Spa, Desert Hot Springs, CA for $119 per night; Orlando Florida, park tickets and 3 nights @ Universal Resort for $389, or how about a 4 night Baja Cruise on Carnival for $249. He also mentioned Honolulu Hawaii, Outrigger Luana at $119 per night.
Speaking of Hawaii, I did a little "surfing," the net that is, myself and found a great destination; Kauai. Kauai is the fourth largest island on Hawaii and is sometimes called the,"Garden Isle."It is the northernmost island in the chain and is draped with mountains and cliffs, waterfalls, rain forests and beaches. What attracted me is the landscape but also all the outdoor fun that comes with it. Kauai offers something for everyone with things like golf, kayaking,snorkeling, hiking, ziplining, or just laying on the beach with one of those cocktails with the umbrellas.Kauai has 50 miles of white sand surrounding the island and many of the beach areas are private and away from large crowds. There is even a version of the Grand Canyon on the island called Waimea Canyon. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
The best time for whale watching is during the winter months and a local even gives tours to do just that and chances are you'll see some dolphins too. Click here for more information on whale watching.
Are you into surfing or want to learn? The Kauai North Shore Surfing School offers surf lessons for the beginner and for the more advanced surfer who wants to improve their skills. The school also has Stand- up Paddle board lessons and snorkeling tours. My kids love surfing, so while they are in a lesson I could learn to stand up paddle; how cool is that?!
Talk about deals. I found a hotel called Kauai Palms Hotel that offers deluxe rooms for $75 per night. The rooms are clean, plantation style, centrally located and near the airport and beach. For a few extra dollars they offer rooms with kitchens; can you say families? Hello. It's definitely worth checking out.
A dream of mine has always been to own a second home. A beach property or a lake property would be so great. After seeing all the great things that Kauai has to offer it got me thinking that a more permanent dwelling would even be better so I started searching for some real estate in Kauai just to see what was out there. Like many places in the country with the recent housing crash, I was surprised at some of the deals there as well, especially foreclosures.
My husband should have some airline points from his work travel, combine that with the winter deals out there and wha- la we have a winter vacation to an exotic place like Hawaii; even if he doesn't know it yet...
 |
| Na Pali Coast Kauai |
Kelly
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Book Club Blues( A Review of Sorts)
Be careful what you wish for cause you just might get it. We've often heard this saying before and while it is a bit cliche it rings true for me on many levels. This blog is a funny story about how I longed to be in a book club and was finally accepted in.
Recently, I wrote on my Face book page that I was wanting to start a book club and got many rejections. The excuses were many, but in my mind not valid, and went something like this; I'm raising my kids and I just don't have the time, or I only like reading things that I choose, or I'll do it if we can start in January-a dear friend said this, only out of sheer guilt that I put on her.
I did have an enthusiastic group of out of town friends who were ready to start an online book club but my response to them was, "What's the point?" My visions of book club were twelve girlfriends, getting together, eating gourmet food, drinking good wine, and having detailed intellectual conversations about literature. A night out, without husbands and kids, entered into my mind as well, in a loving way.
So what happened? I was asked in by another friend with an already existing book club. I was thrilled to say the least but a bit hesitant because I'd been told that the group had been together for five years, they didn't do,"Oprah," books and the group was rather political with who they let in. While I felt privileged I was somewhat apprehensive. What if I can't finish a book, what if I don't like the girls, what if I have to host at my house, what if... the list went on.
I am happy to report the group was extremely welcoming and the first meeting was an end of the year party where they spoke of no books, at least not in the group manner I was expecting. The end of the year party consisted of games, food, wine, and great conversation; some about books but mostly about life. The only real talk of any books was the announcement of the first book of the new year called, Until I find You, by John Irving. The host, who picked the book was forthcoming when she said," I'll warn you this is not an easy to read book. The story-line is challenging." This comment came after I was already enthralled by all my new friends. My head swimming with wine and good girl talk, how hard could this book be? The comment about the new book was quickly forgotten.
All of my fears and reservations were taken away as I met the new girls and they welcomed me in. When my friend who invited me said, "Are you ready to go yet? It's midnight." I almost fell over as the time had passed so quickly.
Like Cinderella leaving the ball, I quickly scurried to get my coat. As we flew out the door the host reminded us that we would be meeting next month and she called,"happy reading," after us. I later( around 1am) fell into bed completely satisfied and happy with my new book club.
The next morning I couldn't wait to get on my laptop and read some reviews of my first book for the club. Alas my first mistake. As I read several reviews describing the very long(828 pages) text and the drawn out storyline, I wondered what I was getting into. To quote one of the reviews,' The story reads as though Irving woke from a recurring nightmare and started dictating compulsively.' I have less than four weeks to read this thing( as I now called it) add work, family, training for triathlon, writing, how in the world would I finish it? The very excuses that others had given me were quickly becoming my own.
Hence; be careful what you wish for. My husband laughed immediately as he has listened to me drone on and on about the possibilities of book club. He also remembers my past book club that dispersed after many months of reading,"bad," books only to show up for discussion to find that half of the club did not finish the book. That was eleven years ago. Another common saying comes to mind, time heals all wounds. Humm.
That is not the end of the story, but the beginning. The good news is that being the type,"A," person that I am, I formulated a plan. If I read around 36 pages per day I'll make my deadline. Being a triathlete I understand the importance of planning. So like a training plan, I formulated a book club plan. I'll let you know how it turns out( God knows I'll have a lot of pages to turn) and you'll get my own review of Until I Find You next month. If nothing else you'll get the conclusion of how it all panned out.
Happy Reading!
PS. Don't think I'm ungrateful for the opportunity(because I am grateful), just think of me as someone with a good sense of humor:) Kelly
Recently, I wrote on my Face book page that I was wanting to start a book club and got many rejections. The excuses were many, but in my mind not valid, and went something like this; I'm raising my kids and I just don't have the time, or I only like reading things that I choose, or I'll do it if we can start in January-a dear friend said this, only out of sheer guilt that I put on her.
I did have an enthusiastic group of out of town friends who were ready to start an online book club but my response to them was, "What's the point?" My visions of book club were twelve girlfriends, getting together, eating gourmet food, drinking good wine, and having detailed intellectual conversations about literature. A night out, without husbands and kids, entered into my mind as well, in a loving way.
So what happened? I was asked in by another friend with an already existing book club. I was thrilled to say the least but a bit hesitant because I'd been told that the group had been together for five years, they didn't do,"Oprah," books and the group was rather political with who they let in. While I felt privileged I was somewhat apprehensive. What if I can't finish a book, what if I don't like the girls, what if I have to host at my house, what if... the list went on.
I am happy to report the group was extremely welcoming and the first meeting was an end of the year party where they spoke of no books, at least not in the group manner I was expecting. The end of the year party consisted of games, food, wine, and great conversation; some about books but mostly about life. The only real talk of any books was the announcement of the first book of the new year called, Until I find You, by John Irving. The host, who picked the book was forthcoming when she said," I'll warn you this is not an easy to read book. The story-line is challenging." This comment came after I was already enthralled by all my new friends. My head swimming with wine and good girl talk, how hard could this book be? The comment about the new book was quickly forgotten.
All of my fears and reservations were taken away as I met the new girls and they welcomed me in. When my friend who invited me said, "Are you ready to go yet? It's midnight." I almost fell over as the time had passed so quickly.
Like Cinderella leaving the ball, I quickly scurried to get my coat. As we flew out the door the host reminded us that we would be meeting next month and she called,"happy reading," after us. I later( around 1am) fell into bed completely satisfied and happy with my new book club.
The next morning I couldn't wait to get on my laptop and read some reviews of my first book for the club. Alas my first mistake. As I read several reviews describing the very long(828 pages) text and the drawn out storyline, I wondered what I was getting into. To quote one of the reviews,' The story reads as though Irving woke from a recurring nightmare and started dictating compulsively.' I have less than four weeks to read this thing( as I now called it) add work, family, training for triathlon, writing, how in the world would I finish it? The very excuses that others had given me were quickly becoming my own.
Hence; be careful what you wish for. My husband laughed immediately as he has listened to me drone on and on about the possibilities of book club. He also remembers my past book club that dispersed after many months of reading,"bad," books only to show up for discussion to find that half of the club did not finish the book. That was eleven years ago. Another common saying comes to mind, time heals all wounds. Humm.
That is not the end of the story, but the beginning. The good news is that being the type,"A," person that I am, I formulated a plan. If I read around 36 pages per day I'll make my deadline. Being a triathlete I understand the importance of planning. So like a training plan, I formulated a book club plan. I'll let you know how it turns out( God knows I'll have a lot of pages to turn) and you'll get my own review of Until I Find You next month. If nothing else you'll get the conclusion of how it all panned out.
Happy Reading!
PS. Don't think I'm ungrateful for the opportunity(because I am grateful), just think of me as someone with a good sense of humor:) Kelly
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