TEACHING COPYEDITING?
In Delhi? In English?
My employer, Aptara Inc., provides editorial and production services—including copy editing—for major publishers all over the world. Much of the work we do involves science and medical editing. In recent years, more and more of Aptara’s customers have begun to request off-shore (and thus lower-priced) copy editing, but they were rightly concerned that copy editors who are non-native English speakers might not be prepared to deal with the nuances of American English. Thus, I was asked to work and live in India for almost a year. My assignment? To figure out what the Delhi copyediting team needed to know and to determine the best way to teach it to them. Because my nest was empty, and my husband recently retired, how could I pass up this opportunity? . . .

WHAT ARE YOU BRINGING TO COLLEGE?
A Grandmother’s Guide for Girls (and Boys!)
As empty nesters, we never give up our concern for our children, and we assume the same mantle for our grandchildren. Little did we know when we were expecting our first child that there would be so much joy—but that caring for the little one would be a lifetime preoccupation. As a natural offshoot of that caring, first for my children and then for my grandchildren, I decided to write a book for college-bound young people: What Are You Bringing to College: A Guide for Girls (Infinity Publishing, 2005). We were all so proud at the news that my granddaughter (we’ll call her Mary) was accepted by a college 100 miles away that the idea for a book came to me . . .

EMPTYING THE NEST:
Helping to Make Your Child’s College and Career Dreams Come True
It all began in 1993, when my daughter Amie, then a seventh grader, ran into the house after school one day and announced, “I know what I want to be when I grow up!” “What?” I asked. “An aeronautical engineer! I want to build airplanes!” she said. Hmmm . . . Amie always loved airplanes, and although she managed to get good grades in all her classes, science and math were her forte, so we figured anything was possible. Then, a few years later, during her freshman year of high school, Amie and I saw Good Will Hunting. Exiting the theater, Amie issued another zinger: “Mom, I’m going to go to MIT!” My heart sank as I considered the road we were heading down . . .

REAL PEOPLE EMPTY NESTING
On the Run with Jill Landsman
The empty nest has a special resonance for Jill Landsman. She is working to ensure that every resident of Fairfax County, VA, has a nest, be it empty or full. A resident of Fairfax County since 1993, Jill has worked in the housing industry as Communications & Media Relations Director of the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors® (NVAR); this position has made her aware of the plight of many of her neighbors who are in danger of losing their homes. Concern about the housing crisis led Jill to become a volunteer member of the board of directors for Housing & Community Services of Northern Virginia (HCSNV) in summer 2008. She quickly became the driving force behind a new fundraising race for the homeless, the Drumstix Dash . . .

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