Back to Business in Earnest

The server crisis seems to be in the rear-view mirror now, tho' I do pray for that server fairly often - so I've been getting back to business in earnest.

What does that mean? Well, I'm back to work on the websites - mostly in the evenings, and also the ebooks (afternoons).

But with the ebooks I've been having a hard time understanding how to get the LibreOffice method of automatically numbering the pages to work for me. So I've given up on that frustration and starting up again with Scribus, which is a desktop layout- for-print kind of program. I used to use it all the time when I was the editor for MHSS's publication, "The Historian."

However,they have come out with a newer version of Scribus, so I've been reading up and watching videos to learn the new tricks and methods there. Once I'm up to speed, I know that I shall be able to prepare my ebooks in a fairly efficient way to save as PDFs and put up in my Bouquet's Books Shop for sale!

My transcription project for the "Caregiver" book is slower in getting done because my mornings are often interrupted with a host of little matters and interruptions.

Also, my youngest sister has decided that she wants to learn to build websites, and is often phoning to ask advice. I decided last night that I need to figure out a course outline, decide on a block of time (hmm?) to ask her to join me via zoom and watch as I demonstrate my own methods. I can answer questions as she comes up with them.

I have thought at various times in the past that I would enjoy teaching a course on building a web business online, but it never seemed to come off the ground. An experimental dry-run with my sister, might just help me to sort out what is needed and what is unnecessary; doing all this in a video series such as I've been watching with Scribus, might be just the way to offer it - without having to give up all those hours over and over and over again to just one or two individuals each time.

What block of time shall I sacrifice now to teach my sister? Will she have to wait until October?

<*> TIPS & SOLUTIONS: <*>

Research Project - Any Suggestions?

You may recall, as I've mentioned it from time to time, that I have mice in this old house. Sometimes they don't make a noise or any evidence of being around, and like a couple of weeks ago, I bagged and threw into the garbage bin 4 sticky traps with 6 dead mice on them.

Then I spotted somewhere, a mention that mice and rats do not like certain scents. The main ones mentioned were cornmint, citronella, and linseed oils. Since then I've been pondering on which ones to buy and try out. Also, will I be able to tolerate them?

I'm sensitive to strong fragrances, and can get a cross-eyed headache when someone a couple of rows behind me in church is wearing a powerful (and probably expensive) perfume.

I don't mind mint. I have scattered crumbled dried mint leaves in various places, but I know that scent evaporates or fades and I am not sure how often these oils that are recommended would last; cornmint, citronella, and linseed oils, are the top ones mentioned in Google. (There are still more!)

So I'm curious; have you had any success with herbal oil scents to deter mice from moving in with you? I'm looking for true testimonials. What success have you or someone you know had?

Yes, I know this old house - which will be 100 years old in 3 years, needs to be thoroughly renovated, in such a way that all the tiny gaps mice can enter are forever closed to them. But I don't know how many years it will be before I can afford all that renovational work.

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