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Back to School
 I’ve been retired from teaching at Hawkeye Community College for two years, but this is my first semester when I don’t have my younger grandson, Mason, to babysit during the week, and my volunteer work with the Cedar Falls Authors Festival has ended. I am still keeping busy with the League of Women Voters, but realized the other day that this fall is very different. Without Mason here, the house is a little quieter. It is the first semester that I am not mentoring a student from UNI’s Education department: I had four wonderful students over the past two years, and it is fun to watch several of them on Facebook as they enter the classroom. Mason is a big boy now, and enjoying Kindergarten. He likes to write his name and a few words, draw, and help his big brother create new board games. I can’t wait until he comes in the door and says, “I can read, Grandma!” Big brother Corbin is in the second grade and a wonderful reader; he is a bright little boy and getting taller and taller. We had a lot of fun with them this summer, and look forward to a few days this fall and winter when school will be out and we’re needed again. They love watching cartoons and movies, especially those about Phineas and Ferb, Paw Patrol, Curious George, and others. However, they are just as happy watching cartoons on PBS kids on our Kindle Fires. We try to get them out in the yard to blow bubbles, throw around a ball, or admire our neighbor’s big garden. We go to the park, the library, and the store. Now that I am a grandmother, I occasionally help out with getting the boys to school. As with everything else, having a routine, being organized, and setting out clothes the night before makes all of the difference!  Some things stay the same I’ve always liked shopping for school supplies. I have way too many pencils and pens, so now I am shopping for the grandsons. A few weeks into September, I love all of the back to school shopping clearance sales—construction paper, pencils, and three ring notebooks for a dollar? Yes, thank you. I love the sense of a fresh start. I’ve been decluttering in the garage, closets, and my office. The return to school always brought with it a sense of getting organized, of a new semester, a new routine, and a new paper planner.  Some things are very different I love not having to rush out the door to an 8:00 am class! I don’t miss all of the meetings that I used to attend, all of the grading, and the prep. However, I do miss my colleagues, the classroom, and interacting with students.  I’m as likely to focus more on my Google calendar than a paper one: I can check it from my phone, iPad, PC, laptop or Kindle Fire. It took more than a year to disconnect my brain from the academic calendar of midterms, finals, spring break, and graduation. The first semester I would look at the calendar and think, “My Composition 2 class would be working on the first essay….My Literature class would be finishing up Fiction…my Technology in the Classroom students would be searching for their curriculum standards and working on lesson plans.” So, what now? I’ve always loved reading, and retirement has made it possible to read more. While I enjoy our new condo, there is limited space for more books, so I have shifted to reading eBooks on my Kindle and IPad. I also have more time to write and reflect, work on projects, and volunteer. I love updating my websites and blog, posting to Facebook about new events, and catching up on my friends and family online. However, anyone walking into my home office immediately recognizes that I have quite a few projects to work on, and each one is represented by several boxes, tubs, or totes. So, just as some of my teacher friends have returned to the classroom, it’s time for me to get back to work! What does “back to school” mean for you? Updated September 22nd, 2018 Also posted on my Blogging Basic blog, https://bloggingbasicswithcherie.blogspot.com/2018/09/back-to-school.html?view=magazine |
12 Takeaways from Gen Con 2018
1. What is Gen Con? It’s described as “Four days of
gaming” and takes places in Indianapolis, Indiana each August. It recently
celebrated its 50th anniversary.
2. What kind of games? Board games, mostly—I saw
one room with old fashioned arcade games. There are games for kids and adults, and
at least one game company (Rio) had a big room where you could sit and play
games to see what you liked. Of course, this grandma played a lot of games
geared for children, such as Monster Factory, where you draw tiles and try to
create a monster. Many of the children’s games teach math, build memory, and
encourage children to problem solve while having fun.
3. Who goes to Gen Con? We saw young adults, teens,
grandmas, young families with babies in strollers, middle aged people, retired
people, and people of all races. 4. How big of a deal is it? They sold over 60,000 four-day
passes! Gen Con takes over downtown Indianapolis, packing the convention center
and Lucas Stadium with people, food trucks, cars dropping off attendees, and
lots of people in costume. 5. What kind of people go to Gen Con? It is the nicest
crowd you can imagine and a strange sort of High School reunion if all of the
theater kids became friends with all of the “Big Bang” cast, the chess club,
the PTA, and teachers and staff. They are all excited to be there, and kind to
each other. 6. Gen Con works hard to be friendly to people with
mobility issues, and we saw a lot of people with walkers, wheelchairs,
rollators, crutches, and surgery boots. I saw a double wide stroller with a
screen on top for twins. We also saw a number of people on electric scooters
they rented to help them navigate the hallways. Even though it is crowded, I
found people opening doors and making way for me with my rollator, which made
me feel welcome. 7. How do you manage 60,000 people and over 18,000
events? It is run by volunteers – hundreds and hundreds of friendly people in
special Tshirts. They use social media, their Gen Con Website to communicate,
and of course, there’s an app! Food trucks line up outside the convention
center with pizza, noodles, salads, hot dogs, etc. Inside, there were several places
to buy food and drink. 
8. Can you buy anything at Gen Con? There are lots
of vendors selling costumes, t-shirts, books, artwork, mystery boxes, jewelry,
comics, Dr. Who stuff, books, and man kilts/skirts. I brought back some tiny “Tardis”
earrings and a little zippered bag filled with Dr. Who loot. 9. What else do they do for fun? COSPLAY. People dress
in costumes from their favorite movie, game, or book – we saw people dressed up
as a character from Lord of the Rings, Avengers, Star Wars, Star Trek, Japanese
anime, The Transformers, Spider Man, and two people wore giant T Rex suits.
There is a parade on Saturday afternoon and a costume contest.  11. One of the things that impresses me about Gen Con is
its focus on giving back, choosing several charities each year. They raised
more than $50,000 for The Jack Vasel Memorial Fund and Second Helpings, Inc.,
the official 2018 charities, pointing out that they have raised more than $300,000
overall for charity.
12. I was overjoyed to see TWO groups doing Voter Registration -- the Indianapolis League of Women Voters and another group. We had to stop and chat!   |
Are you Registered to Vote?
 Midterm Elections -- on November 6, 2018 -- are getting closer. As the President of the local League of Women Voters, I am getting numerous requests for Voter Registration events. As we go out into the community, we get lots of questions about voting eligibility and voter registration.
Are you eligible to vote in Iowa? According to Iowa’s Secretary of
State, you need to be a U. S. citizen, a resident of Iowa, and 18 years old by
Election day. Oh – and you need to be registered to vote! Do you need to update your Voter Registration? Most of us know
that we need to update the Voter Registration if we move or get married, but
did you know that you also need to update it if you decide to switch political
parties?
How can you check to see if your Voter Registration is accurate? You
don’t have to guess. Just go to the link on the Secretary of State’s website
and search at the following link.
Are
you registered to Vote? Fill in the form and click to see. 
What if you need to update your Voter Registration? You have three
options:
Online Form and a place to download a paper form.
Pay attention when you are filling out the form! Rock the Vote says that people make these
three common errors:
1.
forgetting to sign the form at the bottom,
with today’s date
2.
entering today’s date and the registrant’s
birthday in the wrong place
3.
failing to provide a full driver’s license or
the last four digits of a Social Security number. The
League of Women Voters identifies other common problems
when people forget to do the following
things:
Remember, your vote counts! Amazingly, some elections have been
decided by a handful of votes, as Adam D’Arpino describes in his article, “10 Elections Decided by One Vote
(Or Less).” In the 1994 Wyoming’s
House of Representatives race, Republican Randall Luthi and Independent Larry Call each finished with
1,941 votes. Following a recount that produced the same results, Governor Mike
Sullivan settled the election in a most unconventional (although
state-appropriate) fashion: drawing a ping pong ball out of his cowboy hat to
determine a winner. Luthi’s name was drawn, and history may well have proven
him the right man for the job: He served the Jackson Hole-area district until
2007, ultimately becoming Speaker of the
House. So, there are only 107 days until the Mid-Term Elections—are you
registered to vote?
Resources
“10
Elections Decided by One Vote or Less.”
Questions?
Check with your County Auditor’s Office. In Black Hawk County, go to
Links
to changes in Voting Laws
Link
to online voter registration and a link to download a copy to print out and
complete.
You
can also call your elections office at the Black Hawk
County Courthouse directly.
Black Hawk County Election Office Phone: 319-833-3007 Voter Registration -- Requirements
To vote in Iowa, you must be registered to vote. |
Ten Reasons to Vote
Did you know that Pew reports that fewer than 50 percent of eligible voters cast a vote in the midterm elections, and fewer than 60 percent vote in Presidential elections? We need to step it up! Most developed countries around the world do better! In a survey, the United States came in at 26th place out of 32 countries for percentages of voters who participated in elections.
So, do you need a reason to vote--other than the fact that you are a citizen and it is your right and responsibility?
Here are ten reasons to vote.
1. Vote to support public education in
your community and state.
2. Vote to make sure your voice is
heard. Don’t assume, “I don’t need to vote—other people will make sure that we
support our schools, take care of veterans, the elderly, and the mentally ill, etc.
3. Vote to make our country a better one.
President Lyndon Johnson once said, “The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man
for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison
men because they are different from other men.”
4. Vote to advocate for change, because communities with higher
percentages of voters get more attention from elected officials.
5. Vote for those people who cannot
vote. Children and teens under 18 can’t vote but depend on us to look out for
them and their futures.
6. Vote to make your voice heard on an
issue or candidate, because every vote counts!
7. Vote to send a message. More people
voting sends a stronger message that we want new policies or people in office.
8. Vote because of what’s at stake in
the next election: a specific issue, a specific race, a specific candidate, or
an important ballot measure.
9. Vote to make sure that we continue to
have free and fair elections, civil rights, freedom of the press, freedom of
religion, and protection of private property. Don’t take freedom for granted.
10. Vote like your future depends on it! Remember,
elections are sometimes decided by fewer than 100 votes.
However, you can’t vote if you aren’t registered!
Am I registered to vote? Not sure? Search with this easy to use
form.
Have
you moved in the last two years or gotten married? Have you updated your Voter Registration
with your new address and/or name change?
If not, go to http://www.vote411.org/register#.W0PgDtJKhPY
Find the form at the Black Hawk County Election office
website,
Find the form at the State of Iowa Elections link,
Sources
"Reasons to Register and Vote."
"U. S. trails most developed countries in voter turnout," by Drew DeSilver. May 21, 2018.
"Voting Rights." https://www.lwv.org/voting-rights Last updated July 15, 2018
|
Apps for Seniors, PART ONE
Fitness and Entertainment Apps for the
Jorgenson Plaza  As active seniors, we’re embracing
technology including smart phones and tablets, and exploring apps for every
facet of our lives, including fitness. Let’s look at some apps you might want
to download before heading down to the Jorgenson Plaza to work out. You have
lots of options: listen to music, watch a movie or television show, listen to a
podcast or enjoy an audible book. There’s an app for all of these options!
First, if you don’t have a set of
wireless headphones, you’ll want to get a set. Mike got us the Hopday Bluetooth
headphones on Amazon for $19.99. These are oversized in-ear Bluetooth earbuds;
I can’t wear ordinary ear buds but like these, which include a little curved
piece that fits over the ear. I also have a pair of folding headphones made by
iJoy for $15.99 (also available on Amazon).
Remember, if you have a smartphone
(iPhone or Samsung Galaxy), you have a built in pedometer, as long as you carry
it in a pocket or clip to your belt. Download Map my Walk and it uses the GPS in your phone to record details of
walks and can post them to your social media account. You can also try Map my Run or Map my Ride for runners and cyclists.
If you have a Fitbit, you are probably
already using the Fitbit app to
monitor activity levels and motivate yourself to get a few more steps in your
day. However, did you know that you can also monitor heart rate and how much
sleep you got last night? When it’s cool enough, Mike walks down to the
Jorgenson Plaza to get a few more steps in his day, or walks back to get the
last steps to reach 10,000.
So, what to do while working out to
keep yourself entertained and motivated? Search for these apps in your apps store.
NetFlix (Free) --
The Netflix app is free, but you need a monthly $7.99 Netflix subscription
to use its library of movies and TV shows. Mike downloads shows before he goes
to work out, so that he does not have to rely on Wi-Fi.
National
Public Radio, or NPR (Free) -- If you love NPR, you can use
your phone or tablet to listen to your favorite shows. There is another app for
NPR Music.
Yesterday Radio On The Air (iPhone and
iPad) (Free) – Listen
to Old Time Radio from the 1920s-1950s.
Pandora
(iPad and iPhone) – (Free) – Type in the name of a song, band, or artist
to find the music you love.
If I’m pedaling on the NuStep machine for 40 minutes, I
sometimes put my device up on the bars and read. Whatever
your device, you have a built-in reader (such as iBook or Kindle). If you like
a bargain, here are some of my favorite sources for free or low cost e-books.
Register at each website and you will receive daily emails with lists. Some of
these books will come with a low cost audible book.
Book Bub. https://www.bookbub.com/welcome Sign up here and select your categories.
Fussy Librarian – a
daily newsletter with free books. https://www.thefussylibrarian.com/
Sign up here.
Early Bird Books -- https://earlybirdbooks.com/. Sign up
here.
Book bub -- https://www.bookbub.com/welcome. Sign
up here.
Audio books on
Audible (from Amazon) and Audiobooks – my favorite thing to do while
working out is to listen to books. There are also free options from your public
library, but that’s another column.
Whatever
your preference for keeping fit and entertained, there’s an app for you!
Last updated July 5, 2018 |
Protect data when using public Wi-Fi: Use a VPN!
GUEST POST Blogger -- Mike Dargan
My favorite Geek read my article about VPNs and looked skeptical.
So, I said -- OK, write your own article. So, he did.  Isn’t it great to sit
down with a double mocha latte at the local snob coffee shop, whipping out the
iPad, agreeing to the cafe’s acceptable use policy and attaching to the free Wi-Fi? Leaning back in that cushy booth, logging
into the bank app and paying the month’s bill in your private little corner of
the world? What could go wrong? Hold on there! If you’re not connecting to that free Wi-Fi
with a VPN, your correspondence could be easily intercepted by the bad
guys! Login credentials, bank account
and credit card numbers might all there for the taking.
The hapless Internet
surfer might think, “How is this possible?”
I’m in Joe’s Coffee Cup Shop, I see the SSID (i.e., Service Set
Identifier--used to publicize a Wi-Fi access point) is “Joes_Coffee,” I’ve
known Joe for years and am confident of his honesty and technical
competence. Surely, everything is fine.
He also sees that he’s
connecting with HTTPS and knows that all of the traffic is therefore encrypted
and routed through the secure port 443.
Perfectly secure, right? However,
what if the user gets in a hurry and connects to “Joes-Coffee” or “JoesCoffee”? (See the subtle difference? ) Things could go
very wrong in a hurry! It’s cheap and easy to set up a rogue Wi-Fi router
(AKA Honey Pot”) controlled by a bad guy who can read your traffic. If so, all of your traffic will be observed
by the criminals and put to their use.
Login credentials, credit card and bank information, social media and
email credentials will all fall into the hacker’s hands. However, the criminal’s task becomes much
more difficult if you use a personal VPN when connecting to the Wi-Fi on a
public access point. The hacker can see
the traffic, but he or she isn’t able to decrypt it, therefore rendering it
useless.
What is a VPN? What are the pros and cons? Should you use one? VPN is an abbreviation of Virtual Private
Network. A VPN is typically a
client/server system where both ends share a key that is used to
encrypt/decrypt traffic. You download VPN
software on your devices. The server,
more precisely, a “proxy server,” then forwards the traffic, on behalf of your
clients, to the intended target, e.g., bank, credit card company, social media
site, email, etc. An added benefit of
the proxy server is that the originating IP address is not available to the
target site, thereby providing anonymity.
Keep in mind, though, that the VPN server managers are not enthused
about protecting the privacy of clients bent on violating the Digital
Millennium Copyright Act of 1998; it’s
possible that they will block typical P2P ports used by Bittorrent. In other words, using a VPN to anonymously
download copyrighted movies isn’t as easy as it might appear.
However, the VPN is not
without issues. The
encryption/decryption of the data and the secure forwarding of traffic takes
time. Not much time, if you’re using a
good service, however, latency will be greater when using a VPN. Another problem is that some sites will not
work with VPNs. Netflix, for example,
can detect a VPN and will insist on not using it. A good work around is to download Netflix
media from a trusted access point without the VPN for offline viewing
later. Another issue is the possibility
of malware defeating your VPN. In other
words, if a rogue application gets between you and your VPN client, the
encryption can be defeated. There are
decent ways to mitigate the malware issue, but that’s a topic for another
column.
Furthermore, VPNs cost
money to run; you’re going to have to pay for that client. And, the client you want to buy for your
family’s devices may not work on every Internet gadget in the house. If you want the convenience of a VPN client
that runs on iPhone, iPad, Android, MacOS, Windows, and Kindle Fire, etc., be
sure to test or ask before you buy. And,
before you buy, get a recommendation from a trusted site that reviews VPNs; my
favorites are CNET and PC-Magazine. When
my current VPN client subscription comes up for renewal, I’m going to take a
hard look at the Cisco AnyConnect Client.
When I see “Cisco” I feel confident.
When I see that it’s “free” I want to give it a trial. Despite the hazards of
connecting to the Internet without a VPN it appears that most users choose to
do without and take their chances. Let’s
hope that they’re lucky. Thomas Gray
tells us that “if ignorance is bliss, tis folly to be wise.” Ignorance of unsafe Internet surfing is
blissful until one’s privacy is violated.
Using a VPN to protect the privacy of important data is the very wise
decision.
--Mike Dargan Last Updated June 17, 2018 |
Secure your Family with a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
With so many headlines about
hackers stealing your information, such as credit card numbers, passwords, or
contacts’ information, many people are reluctant to browse the web on public
WIFI, so they’re buying their own VPN. What is it, who needs one, and how can
it protect you and your family online? What do
you need to know about VPNs before you buy one?
A VPN,
or Virtual Private Network, sounds like something you would find at your
workplace; however, smart people who value their privacy and want to safeguard
their online activity are buying VPNs for use at home—and on the go. More of us
are relying on our mobile devices to purchase products, make reservations, pay
bills, and check bank accounts and credit card accounts. Doing these activities
using public Wi-Fi is extremely dangerous and invites others to hack into your
accounts. You need to protect yourself with a VPN.
What
is it? A VPN is software; it does not create an actual hard-wired network. If
you do a search, you will find hardware for routers or firewalls that builds in
a VPN, but this will only safeguard your data in your home. You can install it
on your Home PC, your phone (both Android and Apple) and mobile devices, such
as a Kindle Fire tablet, iPhone, and iPad. Download the app, and once installed,
you will see a little VPN icon on your device’s home page; you can also see
that it is on by checking settings. An article on PCmag’s website compared a
VPN to a tunnel connecting your computer (or mobile device) to the VPN server:
all of your internet traffic goes through the tunnel.
Who
needs to use one, and why? Anyone connecting to public Wi-Fi that is not
encrypted is vulnerable to hackers who are trying to get your information.
However, it is even more alarming that Congress passed a law in the spring of
2017 to make it legal for your Internet Service Provider to sell your browsing
history to advertisers, without your consent. A VPN protects your data and
prevents others from intercepting traffic, where they could get credit card
information, passwords, or even see your laptop’s desktop.
A VPN
helps you to safely browse and use the internet to make purchases, especially
when on pages with https (the s stands for secure shell) When shopping online,
you should always be careful, but when you see the https, you can expect
greater security. Adding a VPN to your browsing experience gives you greater
confidence that your data is secure. A VPN is useful EVERYWHERE! However, it is
especially needed in public when so many of us rely on public WIFI. At home, it
depends on how secure your internet access point is, and that is another topic
for discussion.
How
do you get one, and what will they cost? Go to PC Magazine.org or CNET for product
reviews. You can order them online: Amazon lists a number of VPNs, including a
few that offer a free product such as Express VPN or Windscribe. Some offer a
trial period when you can try them out. My husband tried one VPN but found it
would not work on our Kindle Fires, so he returned it and got a second product,
Windscribe, that worked on all of our devices. We are spending $100 a year for
the family and it covers all of our devices. According
to PC Magazine, some of the top-rated VPNs include NordVPN, Private Internet
Access VPN, and Tunnelbear. CNET also lists NordVPN and adds VyprVPN,
StrongVPN, and IPVanish, among others, to its list. While there are a number of
products that offer a free version, or a trial version, be sure to read the
details. Whatever you choose, it’s clear that if you want to use your devices
to browse and purchase online, you need to protect your family with a VPN. Last updated June 1, 2018 |
Wrapping Up the CFAF
Shortly after I retired from Hawkeye Community College, Barbara
Lounsberry invited me to join a committee exploring ways to honor five best-selling
authors with Cedar Falls ties: Bess Streeter Aldrich, Ruth Suckow, James
Hearst, Nancy Price, and Robert James Waller. Other committee members included:
Rosemary Beach, Jan Andersen, Kim Manning, Mary Taylor, Mary Bremmer, and Scott
Cawelti. Together, we created the Cedar Falls Authors Festival (CFAF).
We began planning in the fall of 2016. We applied for a grant
from the Cedar Falls Community Foundation (The Saul and Joan Diamond Community
Enhancement Grant) and received $5,000 for our budget. We enlisted the help of
a number of organizations around the community: The Cedar Falls Public Library,
the Cedar Falls Tourism & Visitors Bureau, The Hearst Center for the Arts,
The Rod Library, The Cedar Falls Historical Society, The Western Home
Communities, and many others. Since we had a small budget, we used our
brochures, Gary Kelley posters, media partners to promote our events, as well
as our website and Facebook.
Early on, I discovered a wonderful website created by the
students of Dr. Tom Connors at UNI in 2012: https://sites.google.com/site/historicalcedarfalls/. The literature page mentioned all
five of our authors and was a wonderful resource. I created our website, www.cfauthorsfestival.org: the only expense was buying the domain name.  Programs began in May 2017 and go through June 9, when we
wrap with the Ruth Suckow Memorial Association’s Annual Meeting, and a
presentation by Ken Lyftogt, open to the public. We spent a month focusing on each
of the five authors, had an August birthday party readathon, invited local
authors to participate in a book fair, and launched the second part of our festival
in January —celebrating local authors, many of them writing about history or history-based
fiction.
We had a finale at the Hearst Center in May to thank
participants, partnering organizations, our steering committee and the larger collaborative
committee. Here are a few highlights from the program. By the numbers:
· More
than 60 events were held from May 2017 to May 2018
· More
than 3,200 guests attended
· Nearly
40 speakers presented
· Seven
festival presentations were made to clubs and service groups  A dozen permanent projects have created a
lasting legacy:
· Gary Kelley’s original artwork for the festival’s poster will be donated to one of our partners for permanent display. · “Amongst" by UNI student-sculptor Hanna Seggerman honoring Ruth Suckow and Ferner Nuhn is on temporary display in the Hearst Sculpture Garden. · A commemorative plaque in Seerley Park honors Nancy Price and other writers who lived and wrote there.  The rock in Seerley Park, with Nancy's plaque. · Screening “Sleeping with the Enemy” in Seerley Park prompted the upgrade of its electrical capacity, allowing for new events to be hosted there. · Additional illustrations by Nancy Price have been added to the Hearst Center’s permanent collection.  Jim with a poster for his booklet of 23 discovered Hearst poems.
As we wind down, we feel a sense of accomplishment. We showcased our five best-selling,
nationally known authors and created a greater awareness of Cedar Falls’
historic, literary legacy. We gave an opportunity for local writers to give
presentations, serve on panels, participate in a book fair, and attend a free
workshop on blogging. We packed the house at many events.
What are my takeaways from this project? Cedar Falls is an extraordinary community that cares about literature and literacy, values its public library and museums, and shows up for events. Our partners were wonderful: we could not have succeeded without their participation. The Cedar Falls Public Library, Hearst Center for the Arts, and the Rod Library hosted most of our programs, and staff members were helpful. Most of the committee members were retired; however, two were hard-working women with a day job. A big thanks to Mary Taylor of Western Home Communities and Kim Manning of the Cedar Falls Tourism and Visitors Bureau. Creating Facebook events proved useful: when my husband began using his iPhone to do Facebook Live at events, it was a wonderful experiment. Presenters with relatives in other towns got feedback: “I watched your event!” Thanks,
Cedar Falls! I cannot imagine a better way to start retirement than getting
involved with the Cedar Falls Authors Festival: and thank you to our co-chairs,
Rosemary Beach and Barbara Lounsberry. Last updated August 20, 2018 |
7 Excuses for not blogging: I’m too busy writing!!
The last two months have been pretty intense for a retired teacher. I realized that I had not been posting to Geeky grandma as much as I normally post. So, what have I been doing?
1. We collected things and created signage to put up and take down displays at the Cedar Falls Library (May: Cedar Falls Authors Festival wrap up with Rosemary Beach and June: Ruth Suckow Annual Meeting, with Barbara Lounsberry). 2. I worked on writing my second draft of a book chapter for a book about the Midwestern mind. It’s starting to come together! I still need to fuss with some of the footnotes, work on transitions, and do some polishing. 3. I have been working on The Gift, my first novel (100 pages and 8 chapters that are more or less developed, with notes and some work on the remaining chapters). 4. I put together two massive notebooks that archive what we did in the Cedar Falls Authors Festival over the past year and a half. Thanks to Rosemary Beach, who has tirelessly collected every mention of the festival in the newspaper and elsewhere. 5. We held our 2018 Annual Suckow meeting at the Cedar Falls Public Library on Saturday, June 9th. Our final program for the Cedar Falls Authors Festival took place at 1:00 that afternoon, with a wonderful presentation by Ken Lyftogt about Ruth Suckow and Going to the Woods (her views on nature). 6. We wrapped up the year with the final Legislative Forum at the Waterloo Public Library. 7. I finished up work on my presentation about “Going Google” for the Cedar Falls Christian Writers Workshop. Then, I attended the workshop last week, which was wonderful! Wow! It's been a busy time, but a productive one. Want to watch Ken's talk on YouTube? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj8XiAWe0Vc&t=638s Last updated June 18, 2018 |
Ten Takeaways from Our Blogging Workshop
 Our blogging Panel: Jocelyn, Robyn, Cherie and Mary. 1. Many of the participants were familiar faces, having attended previous events for the Cedar Falls Authors Festival: I saw several on Sunday, at Scott Cawelti's presentation. 2. The four panelists all had great reasons for blogging, ranging from promoting books, building a platform, and connecting with readers. 3. Our audience expressed a range of reasons for wanting to start a blog, and we had folks who already had a blog to those who had never blogged before. 4. Having laptops makes ALL of the difference in doing a hands-on demonstration! Thanks, Cedar Falls Public Library, for making it all happen. 5. Regardless of the platform (such as free WordPress or blogger), it’s important to use pictures, catchy titles, and even videos to attract readers and get them to read your posts. Jocelyn talked about having guest bloggers or collaborating with other authors on book giveaways and other promotions. Mary shared her experience of co-authoring a book with her friend Mary, and doing one blog to promote that book. Robyn used two different platforms for blogs, and enjoyed sharing experiences and prompting readers to reflect, without being too preachy. 6. Sharing blog posts on Google+, Facebook, Twitter or other social sharing platforms is a great way to get the word out about your blog. 7. Several of our participants asked what we thought about repurposing content to repost it: I showed them my LinkedIn page, which now has a place to post articles. The LinkedIn readers generally seem to be a different audience. I also post the same content on Geeky Grandma and my Blogger blog.  8. They liked the look of my Dynamic Theme on Blogger that lets the reader pick how the Blog will look: some views are more visual, almost like Pinterest, while others feature sidebar navigation and are more text based. 9. I mentioned that I had posted my Blogging Workshop presentation on Slide share, which is a website connected to LinkedIn; no one had heard of it, so we took a quick look, and people were pleasantly surprised to see some of the numbers of views for presentations posted several years ago. If you haven't seen the website, take a look.
Look for Blogging 101
10.
It was like a mini reunion of the Cedar Falls
Christian Writers Workshop: I met all of these women there over the past 8
years.
Thank you all for participating! It was a lot of fun. As soon as few more people send me their blog's URL, I will send it out to the group.
Thank you to the Cedar Falls Public Library for all of their support (Thanks, Erin, Ambri and Neal). And, thanks to the Umbrella/Planning Committee of the Cedar Falls Authors Festival for their support. Last updated April 13, 2018 |
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