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...
8 months ago • 3 min read
May 2025 Dear ones, And just like that, summer is almost upon us. As a fan of cool weather and nothing over 70, I am not looking forward to the heat.I know/hope you have been wondering why you have not heard from me about the classes I mentioned in the February newsletter. It is not great news: I had a very bad fall in the middle of March – concussion, broken nose, stitches in my lip, sprained knee, and other assorted bruises and tweaks. Life has been and continues to be a series of doctor...
10 months ago • 1 min read
MARGIE WAKEMAN WELLS AUTHOR & COACH December 2024 Dear ones, I am not sure where this year has gone, but a few more wake-ups will find us in 2025. Remember when we were all worried about Y2K? Wasn’t that just a few months ago? In the Wells household, we are celebrating three successful surgeries on an aneurysm condition for my dear husband. He came through with flying colors, and for an almost-92 guy, that is the best reason I can think of to be thankful. Margie Holds Court is celebrating the...
about 1 year ago • 2 min read
Hello, Reader. And just like that, it is August. Some of us are really looking forward to no more heat and chilly mornings and cool afternoons and even cooler evenings. Okay. So Southern California near the beach is not stifling hot, and “cool” is relative. Fall is still my favorite time of the year. This is the most exciting news I can possibly share at this moment: Just Grammar, my new grammar book, the prequel to Bad Grammar/Good Punctuation, is in the last stages of being proofed and will...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
Reader, Sentence Diagramming II, the sequel, is this Saturday at 9:00 AM PDT. If you took the first class OR if you know the very basic rudiments of diagramming—subject and verb, simple modifiers, direct objects—join us this Saturday for a look at diagramming compound construction, verbals, and dependent clauses. [As I write this, I am puzzling over how I am going to fit these drawings on a PowerPoint slide!] As a member of this elite group of people who know how to diagram...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
Reader, Because our world needs a bit of lightness—or maybe a whole bunch—Sentence Diagramming, the sequel, is around the corner. Our two-hour follow-up session is Saturday, July 27, from 9:00 to 11:00 AM PDT. If you missed out on the first one that was given in June, you can take it on my website and earn the CEUs. The recording is up, and the class is ready for purchase. In the sequel on July 27, we will do a bit of review and then cover diagramming compound construction, verbals, and...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
Reader, Many of your colleagues and friends have already signed for my eight-hour grammar course starting this weekend. It is probably the most essential course that I teach, and it is a little different every time I do it. If you haven't enrolled and are on the fence about whether to sign up or not, know that this is the only time this year I'm giving this class. I could teach for months on grammar, but I've packed up the most important things you need to know in one accelerated course in...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
June Offerings I want to thank you all for understanding the postponement of the diagramming class. All is well once again in the Wells household. So June is going to be a busy month. Happy punctuating! Margie LIVE This Weekend The Basics of Sentence Diagramming (rescheduled) This is a two-hour basic sentence diagramming class. We will look at and practice the standard diagramming techniques. Using the conventional diagramming baseline, we will cover subjects and verbs, direct objects,...
almost 2 years ago • 1 min read
May 2024 With my birthday coming up the end of the month, I am reflecting on my 60 years as a teacher -- yes, I started in 1964 as a very naïve 22-year-old, teaching high school Spanish—and am feeling so grateful to have spent these years doing what fills my soul. I want to thank all of you and the other thousands of students who have passed through my classes. Retirement, you say? But I am still having fun! AND speaking of fun: Back by popular demand, a two-hour class on SENTENCE...
almost 2 years ago • 1 min read
