Greetings from Late Winter/Early Spring 2026!

Hello, friends. I’ve been gone for quite some time. The trees and flowers are blooming beautifully all around me.

At the moment, I’ve got my reading glasses on and I’m settling into the workstation, which feels new again and so incredibly comfortable (just so you know). I’m returning to give you a few words on what I’ve learned in the past few months.

A while ago, I read up on some truly old-school proofreading methods. One of these methods includes reading aloud (yes, aloud) and dictating the sound of each word and then handwriting those words onto a new piece of paper. I also learned a bit about “dead copies” vs “live copies,” the live copy being the most recently edited copy of a certain document. I also was able to view the anatomy of type and even briefly discuss that with a friend who has been in the business of lettering for many years.

The details aren’t necessarily what this post is about, but it is stirring up some thoughts on how much has changed in the past nearly 30 years and beyond. A single-member proofreading business, all technology based, is certainly different from a bustling office where one can ask another human being many different questions on whether something is correct. I think that in an office with many different people (each with different years and levels of experience) working to perfect a book or an article would be such a satisfying environment. However, I am also able to see so many pros in my own status working independently. The biggest benefit I experienced working on documents in an office was a combination of independence and teamwork.

In a way, I feel that those particular positions that required a good eye for detail led me here. I still have so much to learn, and I’m excited for the future, even though my consistency of updating you and keeping my research going could use a bit of work. This year, my goal is keeping myself accountable and having some fun doing that.

I also need to find a way to keep Olive off the desk, though that might be a losing battle. Oh well; more kitty hugs for me.

See you soon,

—C.