Taking notes

"Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night."

Thanks to Nancy for finding this image and for reminiscing about  Gregg shorthand on her blog this weekend.
My mother learned Gregg at Grace Martin's School in Pittsburgh. She used it professionally and personally, whether taking dictation or taking notes for a club or committee -- or whenever she wanted to make a list that we wouldn't be able to read! 

When I was a senior in high school I took a one-semester version called "notehand."   The one phrase I remember is "ch com," for "chamber of commerce." (And now, in 2011, I am on the Chamber of Commerce board.)   I used notehand the first semester of college, but because I wasn't proficient it was easier for me to take 'regular' notes. I soon figured out that the professors used an outline, whether explicit or not, and it wasn't hard to follow along.

I had not read Nancy's posts until today. It's purely coincidental that among the things I bought at an estate sale in Zion yesterday were four steno notebooks.  (Wide-lined Pitman rather than narrow-ruled Gregg.)  They were just .25 each. Three are completely unused. The fourth has four pages filled with Gregg -- many repeated word-forms, so I assume the writer was just practicing.

I've found that estate sales and garage sales are great sources for home office supplies. In addition to the steno books I've acquired a stack of legal pads (it doesn't matter to me if five or ten sheets have been used; the remainder of the pad is still good), felt tip markers (out of a box of ten, three may be dried up but that leaves seven), Avery adhesive labels, and more.  And I use them!