Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

One of the first things I learned to bake as a child was banana bread. It’s a child-friendly recipe that has been handed down in my mother’s family from her Grandmother Johnson. Each generation of women in our family makes this recipe with slightly different ingredients depending upon what she has on-hand in her pantry.

My Great Grandma Johnson made it with white sugar and butter. My Grandma Camp made it with Crisco shortening because there was a butter shortage during World War II and made it with the shortening thereafter, because that was the way she liked it.

My Mom originally made it with Crisco like her mother, but currently makes it with butter like her grandmother. (We’re avoiding those trans-fats now.) She is the one who discovered that you can use vegetable oil for part of the butter and it bakes up very moist, almost like cake. She also uses brown sugar for part of the white sugar which is equally delicious.

Making this recipe was the beginning of learning graciousness and hospitality with family, friends and guests for me. My Mom simply showed us by example these lessons. At holiday times, she frequently made 5 small loaf pans of bread with this recipe instead of the two large loaf pans, so she could give them away as gifts.

She taught us to value our family and our history by noting on her recipe cards which family member gave it to her. She experienced the joy of making these recipes with those family members and the additional joy of teaching younger family members to make them too.

Thank you Mom for teaching me so many wonderful things.
Happy Mother’s Day.
Love, Ellen

Ellen Wass Beckerman
Writer/Photographer/Graphic Designer
Photography portfolio: www.istockphoto.com/zmacgal
www.gardentextures.com

Great Grandma Johnson’s Banana Nut Bread
(Waity Rebecca Douglass Johnson’s recipe. She lived from September 18, 1894 to January 29, 1991. Age 96.)

1 and 1/2 cups white sugar
(you can part brown sugar such as 1 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar)
3/4 cup butter or shortening or oil
(I sometimes use one stick of butter which is 1/2 cup and then 1/4 cup walnut oil)
3 eggs
2 cups mashed bananas
(bananas that have a few brown spots on the skins are at the perfect ripeness for this recipe)
3 and 3/4 cups flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Measure and mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and salt) in one bowl.

In another bowl, cream the sugar and the shortening (or butter whichever you are using). Add eggs and bananas and mix. Add the dry ingredients from the bowl into the wet ingredients gradually. (It’s easier to mix, if you don’t dump it in all at once.) Mix well.

Pour into two greased loaf pans (use butter, shortening or spray to grease pan). For a glazed, crusty top: sprinkle sugar on top before baking. Colored sugar makes a pretty top.

Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees F.

Bread is done if you insert a toothpick, pull it out and it comes out clean. If toothpick has dough on it, continue baking 5 or 10 minutes longer.

The Importance of an “i” in Spelling

Many of us take our language for granted. We speak it, we write and sometimes we type it, all as a matter of every day living. I doubt that I think about how to spell a word even once a week, it’s all a pattern of previously memorized letters that I use automatically.

However, there are days, when it is advisable to take your brain off autopilot.

This week I was teaching my students about:
www.dictionary.com

It’s a great on-line dictionary that makes it easy to find definitions of words and it also has a thesaurus which helps us find words with similar meanings (synonyms) and opposite meanings (antonyms).

Our group was a bit sluggish, so I asked the students to pick a word to define. No one answered. So I encouraged them—I firmly believe that people should use words that are meaningful to their lives.

One student answered with a question about the different sects of Muslims that she had heard about in the news. I told her that she would probably get a better idea from www.wikipedia.org (an online encyclopedia), but sure, since no one else had any ideas, let’s all type it into the definition box.

How do you spell it?

Instead of thinking about it, I and everyone in the class typed in the word exactly as she spelled it.

s, h, i, t, e.

It only faintly occurred to me that this spelling didn’t look quite right.

We pressed our enter keys and got the definition almost immediately.
shite, noun, obscene terms for feces [syn: crap]

The word we wanted was Shi’ite.
Shi ite also Shi’ite, noun, A member of the branch of Islam that regards Ali and his descendants as the legitimate successors to Muhammad and rejects the first three caliphs.

The lesson to be learned (once we had all stopped laughing) is that missing an “i” can turn a beautifully crafted piece into a pile of “you know what,” if you aren’t careful about your spelling.

Thanks for sharing a few minutes with me.
Ellen

Ellen Wass Beckerman
Writer/Photographer/Graphic Designer
Photography portfolio: www.istockphoto.com/zmacgal
www.gardentextures.com

Four Techniques For Proofreading

1) Use your spelling checker! In Microsoft Word, the software automatically checks spelling and underlines any suspected mistake in red. Items underlined in green are considered grammatical mistakes. Right-Clicking on the underlined word, brings up a menu of suggested corrections.

Spelling checkers are not always correct, but they are a good start. Remember, a spelling checker may not catch a typographical error that spells another word. For example: I don’t here you instead of I don’t hear you.

Hint: If you can’t determine whether or not a green underlined item is a genuine grammar error—Don’t bother! Most green underlined sentences are at the very least awkward. Rewrite or rearrange the sentence until the green underline disappears. New users and poor typists, be aware, extra spaces in a sentence will cause a green underline.

2) Read Your Document From Beginning To End. Out loud. After typing, rewriting and polishing your document, do a full read through. Many people catch awkward writing by reading the document out loud to themselves or to another person. If you have difficulty saying a sentence, people will have difficulty reading and/or understanding your sentence.

3) Read Your Document Backwards! From the last page at the bottom right—read each sentence—one at a time—going backwards through your document to the first page.

Many people automatically fill in any short words that are missing from a sentence they are reading. (Most people think in patterns of words and your brain sometimes sees the meaning of a sentence rather than its words.)

Reading a document backwards, forces you to concentrate on each word of each sentence. It is easier to find errors with this method because you are not thinking about the content of each paragraph, but the construction of each sentence.

Note: This method is tiring and it takes time. Do it LAST, after you’ve read through and polished your document to the best of your ability.

4) Have another person read it. There is a reason for the job title Writer and the job title Proofreader. A person who writes a document is often too familiar with the intent and content of the writing to see minor mistakes.

Whether or not you are a professional proofreader, the first time you read a document is the best time for you to discover errors, whether spelling, typographical or grammatical.

Thanks for sharing a few minutes with me.
Ellen

Ellen Wass Beckerman
Writer/Photographer/Graphic Designer
Photography portfolio: www.istockphoto.com/zmacgal
www.gardentextures.com

The “Eye” of Editing

Most people know what proofreading is—reading through a document to look for and correct any misspellings or typographical mistakes.

However, not many people know what it is like to take advantage of the skills of an Editor.

An Editor looks at your document with a different set of “eyes.” Yes, she looks for the same types of general errors that a proofreader does, but then goes the extra mile. At the very least, editors check for grammar errors and awkward sentences. At their best, editors help you say what you want to say, better than you have written it.

The easiest method of explaining working with an editor, is to show you—I am working on a website with a client that is new to the internet. He would like to use his website as an informational business card or an expanded “Yellow Pages” ad.

The following example is of a portion of the text he has provided for his biography:
Dr. Colter moved to Huntersville from Iowa and opened his practice in 1993. As the first chiropractor in Huntersville “way back” in 1993, Dr. Colter has seen the tremendous growth of the area over the years and has been an integral part of the community with his involvement in the following organizations:
• Board Member of the Chamber of Commerce
• District Chairman of the Boy Scouts of America for 8 years
• Member of the Optimist Club
• Sponsor of the Huntersville Youth Athletic Association

Here is the edited version of that text:
Dr. Colter moved here from Iowa and opened his practice in 1993. As the first chiropractor in Huntersville “way back” then, Dr. Colter has experienced the tremendous growth of this area. Over the years, he has been an integral part of the community through his involvement in the following organzations:
• Board Member of the Chamber of Commerce
• District Chairman of the Boy Scouts of America for 8 years
• Member of the Optimist Club
• Sponsor of the Huntersville Youth Athletic Association

Thank you to Dr. Colter and the HFC staff for your permission to share this example!

Thanks for sharing a few minutes with me.
Ellen

Ellen Wass Beckerman
Writer/Photographer/Graphic Designer
Photography portfolio: www.istockphoto.com/zmacgal
www.gardentextures.com

What Does A Visionary Problem Solver Do?

First and foremost, I listen. When I work with a client, whether on information technology, graphic design or writing, it is important to clarify what that person wants to do. Everyone starts with a project idea or a problem.

For example, one client asked me to review and proofread the book cover design for a Spanish instruction book.

Second, I ask questions. Usually to determine the scope of the project. Some questions are very literal, such as: What is the size of the book? Where is it being printed? What software would you prefer to use for the final file?

Other questions are meant to delve a little deeper into the purpose and usefulness of a printed piece such as: Who will be using this book? What images or messages would you like them to remember about your company?

Third, I listen again and throughout the project.
One of the most interesting parts of my job, is picking up on what people say, even if that person doesn’t think it may be important.

In the above book example, my client ended a telephone conversation with the following: By the way, my business partner just noticed that the photograph I found on the web and used for the cover of my book looks exactly the same as the new first class stamp. Do you think this will be a problem?

Fourth, I bring experience and education to each project. Yes, using the artwork from a first class stamp on the cover of your book that you will register a copyright in your name and sell commercially could potentially be a serious problem.

Many people feel that anything found on the web, especially in terms of images, is free for anyone to use. While is some instances that may be true for personal use, it is almost always not true for commercial use.

Fifth and my last point for this entry, I create alternative solutions. For the book cover, my client loved the image of the Statue of Liberty with the American flag in the background.

My solution? Buy two stock photography images from a major company: one of the Statue of Liberty and one of an American flag.

Combine the two images to create a new photograph that is similar to, but not exactly the same as the first class stamp. We avoid intellectual property and copyright issues by having a clear track record on where the initial photography came from by purchasing it.

The client likes the final photograph better because it shows the Statue of Liberty’s torch and her face instead of only her face in the original photograph. By the way, this client is the one who dubbed me with the title of Visionary Problem Solver.

Thanks for sharing a few minutes with me.
Ellen

Ellen Wass Beckerman
Writer/Photographer/Graphic Designer
www.gardentextures.com

Becoming Comfortable With Uncertainty

Today is a beautiful Sunday morning here in North Carolina. The weather is unexpectedly cool—around 60° F and breezy.

I walked down to the Access Lot. For those of you not living near a lake, an access lot is one piece of property in a housing development that provides access to the lake for the people living in that development. Our lot has two boat ramps, a small swimming area and a dock.

The dock has a walkway that extends into the water and at the end is a portable platform that is literally attached to four tall posts. The platform raises and lowers with the water level of the lake. Walking on it takes getting used to because it rocks with the water's movement.

It was too pretty a day not to spend some time sitting on that platform.

I sat down to meditate. What an unusual feeling!

The platform itself was hard and solid under my butt—but under the platform everything was shifting with the movement of the waves.

As I breathed, I became aware of the breeze on my face, the sun shining warmly on my back and the shushing of the waves.

Is it possible to relax into the uncomfortable, unsteady movement of the platform?

That was the question that I posed to myself. I changed it into an intention for my meditation by asking: Is it possible to relax and be peaceful, when I don’t like the uncertainty or the unknown elements of my life at this moment in time?

Today’s answer in that moment in time, on that hard wooden, but moving dock platform, was YES.

It took about 30 minutes and the conscious choice to relax.

The most surprising part of the exercise was the balance that it required. Since I had impulsively decided to meditate, I hadn’t brought a pillow or blanket to sit upon. I needed to find the balance point between relaxing my lower back, keeping a slight tension on my hip muscles and remembering to lift my chest so I could breathe properly.

It was an odd feeling. I was NOT comfortable.

But I did relax. I could feel my tense muscles, the ones I hold almost subconsciously, release. But it wasn’t a simple release, it was a tightening and a lessening, tightening and lessening—all in response to the movement of the platform. It took time, but I ended up very relaxed.

Relaxing was much more than a “giving up” of tension, it was more like a “give and take” with my environment. A moving connection.

If you haven’t read anything by the Buddhist nun, Pema Chodron, please check out the link below to her book Comfortable With Uncertainty.

Thanks for sharing a few minutes with me.
Ellen

Ellen Wass Beckerman
Writer/Photographer/Graphic Designer
www.gardentextures.com


Comfortable With Uncertainty by Pema Chodron

Link to her website
Pema Chodron

Link to Shambala Books to this specific book
Comfortable With Uncertainty

The Only Constant With Technology Is Change

I have the privilege of teaching basic computer skills to the unemployed and the working poor during my evenings, four days a week. There are two classes, one that is more than halfway through the ten week instruction period and one that is at the beginning.

All of the people who are in my classes are bright, intelligent students.

They are eager to learn.

In my opinion, all of them will be able to learn enough skills to be able to type a letter and a resume on the computer which is the main objective of the classes.

Think about that.

Think about the technology skills that most of us take for granted as we go about our daily tasks.

Working with technology is primarily a matter of access and experience. You must have access to a computer with reasonably current versions of the software to be able to learn.

You must be able to receive enough instruction whether on your own or in a class to gain experience.

One of the things I stress to my students is not a computer skill, but a life skill.

It is vital to “learn-how-to-learn.”

The only constant with technology is that it changes. Software updates have SLOWED down to upgrading about every 18 months. (When I started in the computer industry, I was learning new versions of the software every 3 to 6 months.)

It is possible to keep up with the change by creating a pattern of learning. There are similarities between the majority of software programs. Use the items that are same such as creating a new document, opening an existing document, saving and printing, as a stepping stone to any new version of the software.

As you master a software program, you will gain experience that will help you with any other programs that you wish to learn.

Our current technology is represented by our computers today. These computers are at their most basic level a tool to perform a desired task, like the telephone. One hundred years ago, we communicated differently. One hundred years from now it will also be different.

BUT, in the present, REMEMBER one thing: the computer is a tool, what you do with it, what you achieve with it, is up to you.

Thanks for sharing a few minutes with me.
Ellen

Ellen Wass Beckerman
Writer/Photographer/Graphic Designer
www.gardentextures.com

Take A 10 Minute Break — Plant a Tomato!

This morning I remembered it is Wednesday. There’s nothing unusual about today, except that it’s our neighborhood’s scheduled day for garbage pickup. So I was outside, bright and early, dragging my garbage can to the edge of my driveway.

I live in the Southeast and the temperatures are starting to get warm here during the day (the upper 80s). The early morning temperature is beautiful. It is the perfect time for planting tomatoes. I took an extra ten minutes out of my day to plant a Carolina Gold.

This year is the first time I’ve planted a yellow tomato, but I’ve heard they are delicious. Tomatoes are one of the easiest vegetables to grow (although I’ve heard technically they are considered a fruit). You can put one in the ground or in a large container.

Sweet 100 is a great variety for growing in containers. It’s a cherry or small type of tomato and it grows like a tall bush. I’m also going to try a pink variety called German Johnson. I bought one from the Farmer’s market last year and it was fantastic.

You can purchase Sweet 100 at any garden store in the bedding section. Carolina Gold and German Johnson, you’ll have to look a little harder for a plant. Farmer’s markets are a great location to look, also check out smaller, independent nurseries and produce stands. I found my German Johnson and Carolina Gold at Gene’s Produce in Statesville, NC. It was the first time I had stopped there and I found varieties I had never seen before!

My plan for today is WORK, WORK, WORK!

BUT, it is important to take a short break every hour or so. During my breaks today I will plant the last two tomato plants in my garden.

One item to note: my garden isn’t a straight forward rectangle in the middle of my sunny yard. I do live in a suburban area, so I’ve planted my tomatoes in the sunniest corners of my garden beds surrounding my house. (In fact, two of them are in my rose garden along with my day lilies, mint and parsley!)

Thanks for sharing a few minutes with me.
Ellen

Ellen Wass Beckerman
Writer/Photographer/Graphic Designer
www.gardentextures.com