This is personal...

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, my stepdaughter and her husband, a stepson and his wife, and a bonus son and his wife. Most live close; so I get to see them often. One lives in Bali, where he and his wife are building an ecolodge. A reporting software group is already talking about a retreat there. Check it out: jiwaecoescape.com.
HAPPY to have three wonderful grandkids: one who is a school counselor; one, a critical care doctor; and one who graduates from Loyola Marymount this year.
GRATEFUL for this career—62 years and counting—that I continue to find as a source of joy and fulfillment.
CONCERN for the state of our world and the issues that divide us.

It seems that we were worried about Y2K just a little while ago, not 27 years ago. There is a message here, I think: Recognize the moment; cherish the moment. This life goes by quickly.

A salute to reporter educators…

It seems that the field of reporter education is doing well—many new students for the machine as well as voice. I am ever grateful for the educators who work each day to turn out top-quality new reporters.

On that note, I want to let you know that I am cleaning out old, long-ago files. Since I do not have the heart to just discard dictation material that I worked so hard to create, I am now creating files from all those years that I taught the machine and dictated endless material for practice.

If you are an educator and would like some new material—long takes, short takes, counted/uncounted material, random topics—to use in your classes, please add your name to this list. I am happy to send you at no charge what I have put together so far.

From Margie Holds Court…

2026 will bring some new classes from Margie Holds Court: some old standards and some new topics that I have not tackled before. Yes, a class on hyphens is in the works. Watch this space for information on the offerings.

For members

I continue to answer daily questions on Margie’s Gurus, my $10-a-month subscription, which includes a monthly workshop, free access to live bimonthly Masterclasses (and all past sessions) that earns .1 CEU.

Margie's Masterclass

These Masterclass sessions, worth .1 CEU each, are also now on my website and available for purchase. Check them out for an easy way to earn your credits—and gain valuable information about this crazy language at the same time.

Learn Something New (And earn CEUs)

I encourage you to join Justin's "Frame of Mind" presentation mentioned below. He is truly on the cutting edge of information for our future. (And he is a pretty good business manager for some of us!!!!)

Wishing all of us a happy new year and a prayer for our troubled world.

Happy punctuating!

Margie

Featured Offering

REPLAY: THE FRAME OF MIND Webinar with Justin Baker-Rojas
Hosted by Margie Wakeman Wells
CEUs Offered

Back in August 2024, I had the pleasure of co-hosting a rich and engaging webinar with my longtime creative partner, Justin Baker-Rojas. As we begin a new year, it feels like the right time to offer this conversation again for those who may have missed it or would benefit from revisiting it.

In the webinar, I explore the evolution of language and how English continues to adapt and challenge those who work with it every day. Justin brings a complementary perspective as a visual strategist, sharing insights on how we make meaning in an image-saturated world and how visuals connect with the human mind.

This session is designed for both creators and consumers and offers a reflective look at language, visuals, and intentional communication in today’s digital landscape.

Enroll with Discount

Friends of Margie Holds Court get $10 off with this special link.