Judy Vorfeld's Office Support Services

Publicity Hound Rocks

2008-07-29T03:45:57Z

I really need to improve my press release writing. As our culture changes, so do the approaches to the media. Joan Stewart, the Publicity Hound, offers a publication, "89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases." I bought it this eBook over the weekend, and can't praise it enough.

Two hundred sixty-one pages full of examples, ideas, resources, and more...it is written especially to help people write good releases for more than journalists: it's written to help people write for the Web.

A very multi-talented person is Joan Stewart. She's fast becoming one of my heroes.

Plurals and possessives for proper nouns ending in sibilants

2008-07-24T00:19:08Z

Recently, someone asked me, "Which is correct for the plural of my last name - Strauss's or Strausses or Strauss'???? And what about possessives?

First, let's discuss sibilants. Merriam-Webster's defines a sibilant as having, containing, or producing the sound of or a sound resembling that of the s or the sh in sash. It says sibilant is a present participle of sibilare, which is to "hiss, whistle, of imitative origin."

Chicago Manual of Style says (6.7) The PLURALS of most nouns are formed by the addition of "s" or "es." When the noun ends in soft "ch" or in "s, sh, j,x, or z," the plural inflection is "es."
So it appears the plural of your name is "Strausses." The Strausses live there. The Strusses are going to Rome. The Strausses have guests.

You'd only use an apostrophe if it were used in a possessive manner: The Strauss's landscaping...The Strauss's dog.

Chicago Manual of Style says (6.24)The general rule for the POSSESSIVE of nouns covers most proper nouns, including most names ending in sibilants...

Examples: Kansas's, Burn's, Ross's. Rice University Style Guide says:
Form the possessive of singular nouns, including proper
nouns and words ending in sibilants, with ’s (but heed exceptions
noted in Chicago).

Mrs. Davis's house

The boss's office

Octavio Paz's work

Here's a terrific article:
Making Words Possessive When They End in Sibilants

Will Maria Humphrey ever walk?

2008-07-23T18:57:16Z

Laurie Roberts, columnist with The Arizona Republic, wrote Wednesday about a four-year-old who needs $5,000 in equipment. The state of Arizona has turned her down. What issues does she face?

Hydrocephalus
Cerebral Palsy
Scoliosis
Seizures
Severe delays

Doctors say Maria will be deaf and blind, and never able to feed herself or walk. But her parents know their daughter can do more if given a chance.

Rather than blame the state, although of course this must be addressed, and is being addressed next Monday at a hearing, perhaps people could stay tuned to Roberts' blog and see how things turn our. If there's a further delay, then perhaps concerned people could send some money to the family.

It's just that doctors have expressed concern that she must stand as soon as possible to hopefully avoid further deterioration of her little body. As Roberts says, the sooner she is upright, the better. I'll keep you posted.

NOTE: Saturday's paper published an update. People came through, offering lots of help. The state will approve of the walker Maria needs. And the El Zaribah Shrine will provide the stander. What an outpouring of support for Maria's parents! And the article itself is an encouragement. Roberts quotes the grandmother of a child with disabilities: "Never give up on these children. They surprise us so much."

Zachary King seeks autism service dog

2008-07-19T04:37:27Z

Zachary King is like most other eight-year-old boys. He is extremely active and loves to ride his bike, run, climb trees, play video games, and play with star wars and transformer toys. The biggest difference between Zachary and other children his age is that Zachary has Asperger Syndrome and ADHD. Asperger Syndrome is a form of high functioning Autism.

He is a very bright little boy but he has difficulty with cause and effect. He does not have forethought as to what his actions might cause. Zachary is unaware of dangers such as: open bodies of water, crossing the street, or thttp://www.ossweb.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt.cgi#he ill intention of strangers.

Zachary has a very difficult time socializing with other people. It would be so nice for him to not only have a best friend, but a dog would also teach him to look outside of himself and to care for another living being.

]]> He gets very upset sometimes and has a difficult time calming down. Zachary does not do well with transitions, changes in his routine, doctor visits, therapy appointments or trips to the hospital.

He has a very high level of anxiety and a service dog can help to relieve some of his anxiety. Dogs have a very calming effect on children with Autism.

By far the most important issue at hand is his lack of safety awareness. He is a runner. He tends to run through parking lots, run away in stores, and he disappears at the zoo or the amusement park.

He will run through hospitals at a break-neck speed and he is so fast that he is difficult to catch. Maybe some day he will be an Olympic sprinter, but today he just needs to be safe.

Through 4 Paws for Ability we have an opportunity to keep him safe. Our goal is to raise enough volunteer credits to have an Autism Assistance Service Dog placed with Zachary that is specially trained in search and rescue.

We need your help to make this dream come true. With your tax-deductible donation, we will be one step closer to raising the funds needed to have a dog placed in our home with Zachary.

Not only will this be a dream come true for Zachary but it will provide some safety and peace of mind for his family. You can help bring some magic to Zachary's life by making a tax deductible donation to 4 Paws For Ability.

For additional information contact Heidi and Dave King at (513-752-9712) or email them by clicking here. To contact 4 Paws directly call (937) 374-0385 or visit their website at www.4pawsforability.org.

Note from Judy: I'm webmaster for 4 Paws for Ability, and it's a pleasure to endorse this organization and be a cheerleader for the families seeking to raise funds so their children may have the peace and security and joy that service dogs give.

Homemade Travel Hand Wipes

2008-07-19T04:33:11Z

Great blog, and dandy recipe for making travel hand wipes.

Karen Shirk tapped as CNN Hero

2008-07-17T01:17:49Z

Karen Shirk, Executive Director of 4PawsforAbility, Inc., is featured this week as a CNN Hero. I'm webmaster for the site, and know a bit about what she does for this organization.

Karen's enthusiam and commitment truly make a difference in the lives of many families, and she hopes her organization can grow in a healthy way so she can see increased numbers of families helped.

Her agency's website is at http://www.4pawsforability.org - it's worth a visit.

And be sure to read about her children. She has one adopted child at home, and three in Haiti awaiting the time when all the approvals can be made.

Group blog for parents of children with special needs

2008-07-17T01:12:48Z

There's a brand new blog out there, and it is a work of art. It's 5 Minutes for Special Needs and is written by a number of articulate parents who choose to offer support, insight, and inspiration.

It rocks.

Sweet Saturday Sunset

2008-07-13T14:51:27Z

My NYC pal, BL Ochman, twittered late last evening that the moon was beautiful, so I grabbed my Pentax Lumix camera and headed for the back yard. Gorgeous. I struggled to get a good picture, and failed, even when I used my tripod. Not to worry, I'm going to set up my Canon digital SLR so I can try again tonight.

Little did I know that earlier that same evening, just a few miles away, my brother, David Crook, was in the parking lot of Big Lots when he spotted the magnificent sunset. He grabbed his Pentax and got a few good shots. Granted, sunsets look their best with some kind of landmarks involved, but in this case, they would have detracted from the splendor in the sky. Here's what I think is the best of the "lot."

Erin Saulsbury needs multipurpose service dog

2008-07-12T16:52:56Z

Erin Saulsbury was born on July 23, 2003. Throughout the first year of her life, concern began to grow--developmental milestones were not being reached. As the months went by, physicians began to suggest looking deeper into her development. She is turning five now and there are still no answers. Even though there is no official label for Erin's condition--its effects shadow her daily life.

]]> Born with severe developmental delays, visual, neurologic, and orthopedic conditions-she has braved through numerous tests and procedures to find her diagnosis and eliminate some of the scariest possibilities. Physical, occupational and speech therapy are as regular as a trip to the grocery store.

Like most five-year-old girls, Erin loves taking walks, camping, and dancing with her big sister, Alexa-who she calls "Ah." She refers to herself as "I-Ya." Dogs are her favorite animal--she calls them "D!"

But Erin has obstacles different from most children entering kindergarten. She struggles to keep up in our busy world-- full of stairs, curbs, and unfamiliar surroundings. Just getting through a doorway can be difficult. She tends to wander away and is unaware of environmental dangers such as traffic, bodies of water, or the ill intentions of a stranger. She is non-verbal and is unable to tell someone her name if she should ever get lost. Vision and balance issues affect her mobility, anxiety, and safety. She needs a strong companion at her side.

Erin's multipurpose assistance dog will be trained specifically to her needs. Tasks will include behavior disruption, tether, tracking, balance, and pre-guide dog work.

You can help Erin by making a tax-deductible donation in her honor, to 4 Paws for Ability, 253 Dayton Ave. Xenia, OH 45385; just make sure to write her name in the memo of the check. Every dollar donated in her honor, puts Erin closer to her very own "D!"

For additional information, contact Renee' or Paul Saulsbury at # (907) 622-4311 or email The Saulsbury Family. To contact 4 Paws directly call # (937) 374-0385 or visit their website at www.4pawsforability.org.

NOTE FROM JUDY: I'm webmaster for 4 Paws for Ability, and strongly endorse their choices for service dogs. I keep learning how family lives are changed, not just the life of the child. Please consider donating to 4 Paws.

Italy's treat: Andie Burton

2008-07-11T15:45:57Z

Andie Burton, my niece, graduated from Mossyrock High School in June 2008. Right now she's in Italy with Global Expeditions, Italy, a Christian organization. Her next adventure will be a bit later this year when she enters a college in Alaska. Here's a shot of Andie talking on the phone while in Italy:

Oh, and did I mention that Andie's home is Christmas Hills Tree Farm, home of the Burton Blue Noble fir? Yep.

Christmas Hills Tree Farm Launches Website

2008-07-07T04:26:43Z

What a joy to announce the first website for Christmas Hills Tree Farm of Mossyrock, Washington. I was privileged to develop the site, working with the owner, John Burton, Office Manager, Debbie Olson, David and Janet Crook, and Kelly Ward.

John and Cheryl Crook Burton are my nephew and niece, and the help from the Crooks was invaluable. They've spent a lot of time at the farm. In fact, David goes up to Mossyrock every harvest to help John and Cheryl in any number of ways. His photography helped make this site come together.

Here's a picture (lightly edited by me) David took in June 2008 when they flew up for Andie Burton's high school graduation:

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I hope they sell ever so many Christmas trees, and I hope you get a feel for the beauty, energy, and delight that make up this wonderful home. I spent last Christmas with the Burtons, and it was enchanting. Truly. Lots of children, friends, Christmas trees, pets, family, food, bedrooms. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

They're a traveling family, so I get to see many of the Burtons throughout the year. Such fun.

Enjoy visiting their farm.

Fourteeners

2008-07-06T02:36:09Z

"Hey, Mom, we're going away for two nights and three days to go camp over at Lake City Colorado and climb three fourteeners." And off they went!

Okay. Since I didn't ask my daughter, Shannon, what fourteeners were, I googled them, and when she and my son-in-law Roger returned, she gave me more info:

Just wanted to let you know we made it back. In one piece. I suppose it WAS rather exhausting for a "vacation" and now I'm trying to recover at home......it's been busy! We did climb three 14-ers. Got caught in a storm at the top of the one where we did two together. Scared the living daylights out of me. Thank you Lord that we didn't get hit by lightning. The one we did the following day was hard and NO storms! BEAUTIFUL alpine flowers/waterfalls, clouds, snowfields, etc., etc. I thought about you and your photographic eye! But the price to get up where we were is very very hard!

We climbed "Redcloud," "Sunshine," (those were the two hooked together, sort of, where we got caught in the storm) and then the next day on the other side of the dirt road (Grizzly Gulch Trail off of Cinnamon Pass) "Handies" Peak. It's great adventure and a great work out as well!

Shannon and Roger do a lot of climbing, running, etc.. They live near Pike's Peak. What a fun thing to do. I enjoy hiking as well, but not Extreme Hiking. And I have acrophobia, so have to limit where I hike. But...what a terrific thing to do on the Fourth of July!

CRITERIA OR CRITERION?

2008-07-01T14:50:59Z

Do you get confused when the plural of a word doesn't end in "s"?

"Criteria" is plural (like "phenomena"), while "criterion" is singular, like "phenomenon." You have one criterion or many criteria. It's easy to be confused, since some words (e.g., "data" and "media") are the same whether singular or plural.

Examples: Kelly Ward detailed the six basic criteria for accepting a client...The restaurant has one criterion for entry: every customer must wear shoes or sandals.

Criteria: plural

Criterion: single

Sunset at Desert Botanical Garden

2008-06-29T04:21:25Z

Sometimes approaching sunset is a fine time to play with photography. My brother, David Crook, took this shot at Desert Botanical Garden, and it seems to suggest several themes. Great composition, bro.

David, Dragonfly, Desert Botanical Garden

2008-06-28T05:20:34Z

My brother, David Crook, drove to Florence yesterday to do some volunteer work, then stopped at Desert Botanical Garden on his way back. It was late in the day. He got some magnificent close-ups, and this dragonfly is a great example. I edited the first two in Virtual Painter 5, and just edited the third photo using brightness and contrast and small changes. Colors in the sky were spectacular. Isn't this the cutest little thing?