Another try
I have gone to two classes for blogging at the Central Arkansas Library, and I learned a lot. Michael, the teacher, figured out what I needed to do to allow public access to my CV on the Writely website. So I followed his directions, and I believe these links will allow you to view my documents without having to register or sign in -
My CV (that means curriculum vitae, and in the US, it is academeze for a list of everything you've done related to your chosen field):
http://www.writely.com/View.aspx?docid=dghb22x9_0zsbgdm
My resume (a one page version):
http://www.writely.com/View.aspx?docid=dghb22x9_2dpfzdz
Let me know if it works! I have also learned about sharing pictures, and I will be doing more of that.
Thanks!
An Experiment
I have been trying to figure how to post my CV to this journal without pasting it into a post. I went to a blogging class the other night, and was directed to this website as a possibility for a file storage site. So you can help me figure out if this works. Hopefully if you click on the link below you will be able to go to the page that has my CV on it. If it requires you to login, don't do it, and let me know that. I want to find one that will just give the person who wants to look at it access to my CV. Your help will be appreciated!
http://www.writely.com/Doc.aspx?id=dghb22x9_0zsbgdm
It takes my breath away!
Once again something amazing has fallen into my lap!
I found a book about Heinrich Huebsch, who was a well known architect and the older brother of Wilhelm who lived in Arkansas and wrote the letters I have studied and want to translate and publish. The author of the book acknowledged the help of Dr. Peter und Hella Huebsch in Freiburg. Well, Hella was the name of the person who had transcribed Wilhelm's letters from the handwritten originals and who wrote the forward and who had also worked with Ruth Rector from Arkansas to research the whole group of emigrants.
Hoping that it was the same person (and it seemed likely), I looked them up on a German version of Whitepages.com, and this site had a neat thing where you could send a postcard to the person whose address you found, and pay for it online. They then printed out the card and mailed it for you! So I did that - not expecting it to really work, but it did!
Today I got a letter from Hella Huebsch - she got my card and she is the same person, and she wonders how I got the letters, etc, etc, and she included her email address! She wrote in German because she assumed that I understood the language and that I would want to practice it, but she can also do English - I will write back to her in German, although that is part of what takes my breath away. That and the fact that the pieces of this project keep falling from the sky!
I have about decided that I am not ready yet for writing the grant application to the Humanities Council for this - there are just too many things stirring around that have to be done regarding the changes in my life situation for me to have time to work on the budget and the proposal. So I will probably wait until the February application cycle. Mostly I need to finish transcribing the letters into Word and refresh myself on the contents, because that is what will persuade people in Arkansas to support me in this project. But I am becoming more convinced that it is going to happen! And that also takes my breath away!
Just to report, the first week of being at least partially self-employed has gone well. I like the work in processing manuscripts, and I like not having to go to work every day! I managed for the most part to stay on task the days I didn't go to the library. And I like the idea of a four day weekend every week!
I'm the Boss!
Tomorrow is the first day that I work for myself! This week I begin working part time at the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, and for now my schedule is to work half day on Tuesday and all day on Wednesday and Thursday. That gives me the other half of Tuesday to do research at other locations if needed, and then Monday and Friday to work in my own office!
I took some pictures to include with this posting, but tonight my dial up connection is apparently too clogged up to upload them. I tried twice and let the process go on for about 15 minutes each time, but no luck. Having only dial up to use here may be something I have to remedy at some point. First, however, I will have to earn enough money working for myself to afford the monthly fee for Comcast Cable, as DSL isn't available where I live yet.
I know how important being disciplined about this process is going to be. That's what I hoped to show with the pictures - my write-on calendar on a yellow bulletin board, a white board/bulletin board with projects listed and sticky notes of to-do's on it. I have plans for each of the days that I will be self-employed this week.
Tomorrow my tasks are to finalize my CV and send it to at least five people, and then to work on my entry on German immigration for the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. That last one will earn a modest stipend when I get it turned in and through the editorial process; the other part is just to get the word out there and hopefully drum up some paying work!
Tuesday I will do some research at the UALR library for the history of Coleman Creek I am working on for the Coleman Creek Greenway Committee. That is volunteer work, but a lot of people will see it and will know that I wrote it.
Friday I will work on the script for a living history character. If it works out, and if I can perform it, and if they are interested, I will do living history from time to time at the Historic Arkansas Museum. It pays well, and the work is usually pretty light.
Actually I also have an appointment on Wednesday with the head of the Library to talk about some more extensive contract work. I am both excited and apprehensive about that. In fact, I am both excited and apprehensive about the whole process!
It is exactly what I want to do - it feels much more like when I was in school and could work on projects in my own way and on my own schedule. And by choosing classes that interested me, I could control to a certain extent what kind of projects I had to do. The difference here is that, instead of working for a grade or just the satisfaction of doing a good job (be honest, Shirley - you worked for the grade!), now I will be working for pay, and it is a substantial portion of my livelihood!
Nevertheless, I feel strongly that this is the way for me to go, and the time is right to do it. In a few days (when I figure out how to do it!), I will post my CV here, in the hopes that interested people will see it, and or that some who read these pages will remember it when they learn of work that I might pursue. So keep me in mind, friends!
