How did you spend your summer vacation?

I think I say this every year, but it amazes me how quickly the time goes--especially in the summer! I hope you had a good, relaxing few months of bliss, wherever you live. :)

Summer here has been full, as always. Here are some of the projects and ideas I've been fascinated with over the last several months:

• Social networking for nonprofits
  
• Product development, management, and launch of a research-based pilot for education
  
• Collaboration across time, space, and industries
  
• Writing about mindfulness and peace in work, life, identity
  
• Initiatives truly designed to serve (as opposed to grab market share)
  
• Relaxing into a sense of the good ideas arising now

All in all, a wonderful summer. I'm thankful. How about you?

Life Is Fun

Well, I discovered tonight that I've been remiss in updating this resume blog. My writing is continuing to flourish (thanks to Peter for that wonderful word!) and I love it more than ever. Here are a few of the milestones in the few months since I've posted. I am working or have worked on the following projects recently:

Managing editor of The Educational Forum for KDP

Creating social networking solutions for nonprofits

Design, layout, and proofreading for Earlham School of Religion

Monthly newsletter and web content for Microsoft

Work in pastoral care at a local hospital

Volunteer work transcribing Thomas Merton's handwritten notebooks

Retreat facilitation (coming fall 2008!) on contemplative living at Bethany Spring

In addition to these life-enriching activities, I am actively writing "Gentle Conversations: Nurturing the Art of Deep Connection," and working on two other projects that spring from the center of my heart (one is a book on guided meditations related to loving the earth and another is a reflection on Sri Ramana's Forty Verses of Reality).

It is a rich summer full of creative expression--such a blessing! I've never been happier. What inspiring things are you working on right now? (Comments welcome!) :) k

Want to be interviewed?

[Update: November 4, 2007] I've just added the second set of interview questions for the Conversations survey. These questions focus on conversations in community, spirituality, and care of the earth. Here's the link: Conversations survey, part 2. Thanks for helping!


Hi! I'm beginning to research a new project on the dynamics and effects of conversation. I've created a simple survey--would you be willing to participate? It shouldn't take more than 5 minutes. All responses are confidential (I don't ask anything scary, anyway) and if I choose to quote you, I'll send you an e-mail message asking your permission first.

Here's the link, and thanks for helping!

Click here to take the Conversation survey

Another new book!

[Update: October 2007]This is the first Plain & Simple book I've had the pleasure to write: Microsoft Expression Web Plain & Simple. Expression Web is the new Microsoft Web page design software, created to replace FrontPage and offer standards-based Web page creation simply and easily. The book is a visual guide that teaches the basics so you can create professional looking pages whether you're new to Web design or just switching over from another program.

Word 2007 Inside Out is loose in the world!

This huge book that is literally packed with great information about Word 2007. Writing this book was an adventure that I'm sure many Word users can relate to. The new user interface simplifies things, right? Well, it's also deceptively simple. Researching and writing this book was a bit like falling down the rabbit hole. The more you explore, the more there is to find! In any event, it's a great book--it's selling well. Check it out when you get a chance.

Writing for CNET's TechRepublic

I've been having a blast writing some Office-related articles for Jody Gilbert over at CNET's TechRepublic. They have a great series of "10 ways..." articles. It's a fun, informative format. Here's a few that I've written, but there are lots more on a variety of topics. See the list by going here.

• 10 ways to format Excel data so people actually understand it
  
• 10 ways you can tweak Word to fit your working style
  
• 10 Word features you can skip
  
• 10 things you can do to give your PowerPoint presentations a heartbeat

First Look Book wins award

[update: January 29, 2007] What an honor! First Look 2007 Office System won a Distinguished award from the Society for Technical Communications, Puget Sound Chapter. Val, my editor on this project (and others, too) attended the banquet to accept the award, and I received it, and the evaluations, today. What a great way to start the year! (Thanks, Val!)

Happy 2007!

[UPDATE: January 16, 2007] I got word this morning that the first article in a series of Office 2007 articles went live this morning. The title is Make Design Changes to Templates in Office Access 2007, and the article shows how easy it is to apply templates and make simple design changes in Access 2007. That's important when you're working with something as potentially difficult as database design. More coming soon!

[January 10, 2007] This winter is off to a busy start. In addition to completing a book editing project for Addison-Wesley, I've just finished my half of the revision of Microsoft Office Word 2007 Inside Out. The book is in production now and should be coming soon to bookstores (and booksites) near you. Microsoft Word 2007 is just packed with new features and new ways to get your documents done--it's a great product.

I also wrote the content for the new Windows Vista Community site, which will go live at the Windows Vista Consumer Launch, January 30, 2007.

I start my next book for Microsoft Press later this week. I can't announce the topic yet, but it will be a fun one to write!

We are continuing to work on preparing our content for the spring list of Starlight Books, and I've been doing more scriptwriting (I love it! Stay tuned for further developments.)

Finally, I've recently met the founders of a fascinating new online search company called ChaCha.com; ChaCha enables you to search the web and find the best of the best with real-people guides in real time if you choose. It's a timely idea and very smart. In future posts I'll share more about where my work goes with this fast-growing startup. In the meantime, it's a good company to watch!

Happy Fall!

[Update: November 1, 2006] New article published in Plainviews,a newsletter for chaplains and spiritual care providers: The Family Prodigal.

[Fall 2006, Indianapolis, IN] It has been a wildly busy and productive fall. After a whirlwind project this summer writing the Office 2007 manual Getting Started with 2007 Microsoft Office System, which will be included in all copies (!) of Office 2007 Professional, Professional Plus, and Small Business Edition sold throughout the world (and translated in 33 languages!), I am busily updating our best-selling book, Microsoft Office Word 2007 Inside Out, posting daily in The Hive, writing the Microsoft Mindshare materials, and going through the early stages of our startup, Starlight Books.

In addition to all the writing (and various articles here and there), I am doing some copy editing for Addison-Wesley (I like to take on editing while I write because it keeps my writing cleaner for my editors).

Our big news this fall is the arrival of Ruby, Kelly and Tony's first child, and my first grandbaby! What a blessing! :)

Happy Summer!

[Summer 2006, Indianapolis, IN] School is done for the year, the frogs are back in the pond (see the photo on the left), and the crickets have resumed chirping. It's hot and humid already here in central Indiana. And it's going to be a busy summer!

Right now we're celebrating the huge release of beta 2 of the 2007 Microsoft Office system. Beta 2 opened for public beta last week, and along with it, the book I've been writing, First Look 2007 Microsoft Office System, is now available as a free download in PDF format. This is the first time a book I've written has been almost instantly--literally, within two days--made available online. I just love technology! Things can't get much more streamlined than that. :)

I'm continuing to write and post content for The Hive (if you're involved in an online tech community, check out that site--there's a huge amount of information there and some really great people) and doing the newsletter and web content for Microsoft Mindshare. In addition, I write blogging articles regularly for Microsoft At Home and At Work. It's a full plate, but I love it. I hope you're happy and productive in your work this summer!