profile

Margie Wakeman Wells

Delightfully Overwhelmed

Published 12 days ago • 2 min read

May 2026​
​

In the Wells household, we are hanging in there, but I have to say this aging thing is real. At 93 and 84 (this month), we are up against it!! Sometimes I think that, were it not for doctor appointments—though we do most often combine them with lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant, El Sombrero, in Manhattan Beach—we would never see the light of day!!

I have been delightfully overwhelmed by three awards that I have received in the last month or so. Just wow!!

  • The Virginia Court Reporters Association awarded me the Frank Tayloe award for my years of service.
  • Steno in the City recognized me as a “Steno Legend” with over forty years in the field.
  • CalDRA created the “Spotlight” award for me, again for my long years of service and dedication to the field of reporting.

I am touched and awed and so thankful to everyone that supported these honors. I am truly blessed and am always aware that my success is because all of you have been willing to listen!!

Margie Holds Court continues to thrive. People still like my books; Margie’s Gurus, my membership group, where you get to ask those burning questions about English or a sentence from your transcript, is keeping me busy; and I continue to enjoy teaching classes online. In my spare time, I am working on a couple of new projects—one on vocabulary, which I will be telling you about soon.

If you are looking for reasonably priced CEUs that also have value, check out Margie’s Masterclass. If you are a member of Gurus, these classes are part of the package. There are eleven recordings, each one hour and each .1 CEU. Get your CEUs and actually learn some valuable information.

Take care; be well; stay safe.

Margie

PS (PROBABLY THE MOST EXCITING NEWS OF ALL:) Several of you know that my younger son moved to Bali two years ago with the intent to open an eco lodge. Guess what?? That dream has become a reality – introducing jiwaecoescape.com. Nestled high up on the side of a volcano—inactive—in the middle of rice paddies and a lush jungle, this beautiful, one-of-a- kind lodge is taking reservations. Go to the website; check out the pictures. Plan your next trip. Spread the news.

I was invited to attend the Deposition Reporters Association convention in Ventura, California, last month. I not only received an award but got to introduce a fascinating session by Mike Hensley on "Digitiorganization." We even made a little video about it!

​
Upcoming Classes

My plan is to teach a series of short classes throughout the rest of the year. On the docket are sessions on quotes, periods, question marks, maybe number form, and probably one on that heinous hyphen!!

I am starting gently: a one-hour class on apostrophes—not just for making words plural but in all those other sneaky places that need that little mark. See below to sign up.

The Amazing Apostrophe​
Saturday, May 16, 2026

Course Content: The Apostrophe

  • Plurals: where the apostrophe is needed and where it is incorrect
  • Possessives: where the apostrophe is needed and where it is incorrect
  • Random uses of the apostrophe

More offerings from Margie...

Margie's Masterclass

On Demand Access

Completion Certificate Offered

Essential & Nonessential Explained

On Demand Access

Completion Certificate Offered

Margie's Gurus
MEMBERSHIP

Member Community
​Free & Discounted Courses

214 Main Street, #189, El Segundo, CA 90245
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​

Margie Wakeman Wells

Margie Holds Court

Margie began teaching in 1964 and joined the court reporting world twelve years later. She taught the machine and all aspects of English for traditional programs before establishing her own online school in 2015. She is the author of English-related books that present practical solutions for applying standard English rules to the spoken word. Through Margie Holds Court, she teaches classes, presents for state and national organizations, authors a blog on all things English, and runs a subscription service to answer daily questions.

Read more from Margie Wakeman Wells

This Saturday, May 16: New Class My plan is to teach a series of short classes throughout the rest of the year. On the docket are sessions on quotes, periods, question marks, maybe number form, and probably one on that heinous hyphen!! I am starting gently: a one-hour class on apostrophes—not just for making words plural but in all those other sneaky places that need that little mark. See below to sign up. The Amazing ApostropheSaturday, May 16, 202610:00 AM Pacific Time Course Content: The...

8 days ago • 1 min read

January 2026 This is personal… As I sit to write this first newsletter of the new year and as I turn 84 in a few months, I am reflecting on my good fortune—my blessings, if you will. I am feeling… THANKFUL for my dear husband, who is soon to be 93 years old. His macular degeneration is worsening though the injections are helping. He is pretty spry for an “old” guy. And he is the same dear man that I married coming up on 30 years ago. BLESSED to have my two sons, a brand-new daughter-in-law,...

4 months ago • 3 min read

July 2025 Dear ones, July 4 is here with summer in full swing. And the reason I mention July 4 is that, while you are celebrating with barbecue and burgers and dogs and fireworks, you need to know that there is another reason you are celebrating: Bill and I have been married 29 years on the Fourth of July. See how sneaky I was in choosing that date: He could never really forget; we would never have to work; and the whole country joins us for the celebration every year. So Margie Holds Court...

11 months ago • 3 min read