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Dear Mr Pitman
Kites
Ted's Essay
Opportunists
Dear Mr Pitman (12 May 2016)
---Original message---
From: Pitman
Date: 10/5/2016 - 8:30 (GMTDT)
To: Ryter
Subject: Any news?
<<Dear Mr Ryter, Have you been doing anything interesting lately? I
would really like to hear about it, but you must write it all in
shorthand for me and then I will enjoy reading it even more. I always
like to hear how my students and shorthand devotees are getting on. Best
wishes*, Mr Pitman>>
* "best wishes" Upward Ish in order to join the phrase
Dear Mr Pitman, I am sorry I have not written for a while, but I have
been extremely busy. I was going to tell you all the interesting things
I have done and seen over the last few months, but there really is no
time at the moment* to go through my diary and compose a summary of
activities. It does take some time* to get it all together and
unfortunately* I have had to leave all that until later, and concentrate
on my shorthand studies. I hope you are able to* excuse this lack of
news from my neck of the woods.
* Omission phrases "at (the) moment" "I (h)ope you are able to"
* "unfortunately" Optional
contraction
* "some time" Halving to represent the T in this phrase
I have taken to getting up earlier, so that I can do some extra
shorthand practice before everyone else is out of bed. While waiting for
the breakfast toast to pop up and the kettle to boil, I can usually fill
up two pages of the facility drill book*. This is quite an easy task as
the outlines are already there and I don’t have to struggle to remember
them, although there is still the* work of reading each sentence before
I copy it out, but that is becoming much easier. Whilst eating
breakfast, I read through the next few pages in advance. I have set
myself the task of writing another two pages before I wash up the
breakfast things and this really makes me get a move on. The clock seems
to whizz round so fast and before I know it, it is time to dash out of
the door and be on my way.
* Omission phrase "there is s(t)ill the"
* Facility drill book PDFs of blog articles
www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand-reading.org.uk/blog-downloads.htm
Before I leave the house, I check that I have all my shorthand material
in my bag, to keep me going throughout the day. I have to take the bus
and train, and there is often a lot of waiting around, especially with
train delays, so that is my chance to read through yesterday’s practice
dictations, or maybe revise some points of theory in the book, so that I
don’t repeat past mistakes*. This really makes the waiting time fly past
and soon my train is pulling in to the station. I always try to get a
seat in the carriage at the far end, where it is quieter and less
crowded, and I can get on with my shorthand reading without any puzzled
looks from passengers.
* "mistakes" and "mistak/en/enly/ing" omit the T, but past tense "mistook" does
include the T stroke
During the day there is not much opportunity to do any more practice,
but I am glad to report that I can now take down all my telephone
conversations* in shorthand and any other* notes that I have to take at
meetings and interviews, although this will* go better when I get my
speed up a bit more. In my lunchbreak I like to sit in the park and read
the newspaper, but sometimes I feel that* there is nothing newsworthy to
bother myself about, so I just write over the headlines in shorthand
with a red biro.
* Omission phrases "telephone (conver)sations"
"and any oth(er)" "I fee(l) that"
* "this will" Downward L in order to join the phrase
After work I have to walk down the high street to the station and I
often go into the store to see if there are any bargains with the
shorthand pads. I keep the more expensive smooth ones for dictation
practice and taking notes of real meetings, so I need to keep a large
supply of the cheaper ones for home practice. I can get through the ink
in two shorthand pens during a busy day at work and in the evenings I
wash them out before refilling, but if I don’t have time for that
straight away, I just refill with water so that they flush out cleanly
later on. I did once have a go at writing with that water, and was very
surprised that I could actually see the light blue outlines quite well,
so that is a good thing to know if the ink runs out during the working
day.
Evenings are taken up with family time but just before bedtime I do
spend half an hour or so looking up outlines, as it is not really
practical to carry a big dictionary around during the day. I always
write the correct outlines in a list down the margin of a blank pad, so
they can be practised on the train, which means I don’t have to look
them up again and again*, something I have learned the hard way not to
do, it is such a waste of time* to repeat my efforts! What with my
working day and all the other household and family activities, I have
had to fit the shorthand into all the spare moments I can find. They are
definitely there, but in lots of short segments, but as you know this
all adds up to a reasonable amount of practice time, with the advantage
of spreading out the effort and avoiding fatigue.
* Omission phrases "again (and) again" "was(te of)time"
I think you might have guessed that I have a secret motive behind all
this extra attention to my shorthand studies, and that is because I know
there is* a job opportunity coming up soon and I believe my shorthand
skills will put me ahead of the other applicants. If I am successful in
my application, I will certainly write and let you know. So once again*,
my apologies for not having much to report, and I hope that* next time*
I will have some good news to tell you. Yours most sincerely*, Mr Ryter
(960 words)
* "I know there is" Doubling to represent "there"
* Omission phrases "wu(n)s again" "I (h)ope that" "ne(k)s(t) time"
"Yours mos(t sin)cerely"
Top of page
Kites (16 May 2016)
On Sunday the 15th of May, we went to the 18th* Streatham* Common Kite
Day. Unlike our usual outings, we and many others did not want a calm
hot day to enjoy the sunshine. Everyone wanted a breezy day, but
hopefully some sun as well to keep us warm. I am happy to report that
this is just how the weather turned out, a mixture of blue skies and
clouds, sunshine and breezes. We arrived at Streatham Common railway
station and our route towards the green was confirmed when we saw two
large high flying kites visible over the rooftops. Streatham Common is a
large area of grass and woodland in south London, much like all the
other commons in London, but on this day it was completely transformed*.
The entire green was dotted with people, and the sky dotted with
colourful kites, with lots* of white strings between them*. There were*
stalls in brightly coloured tents, selling food, souvenirs and of course
kites, information on local societies, such as wildlife conservation and
Friends of the Common, and a children’s play area with bouncy games and
slide.
* "18th" Always insert the first vowel in this and
in "tenth" as they are the same outline
* "Streatham" is pronounced "Strettam"
* "transformed" Optional contraction
* "lots" "masses" Always insert the vowel,
as these are similar in outline and meaning
* Omission phrases "betwee(n) them" "there (w)ere"
A large arena was roped off in the centre for the displays of kite
flying that were to take place during the afternoon. The atmosphere was
one of excitement, anticipation and exploration, as this event is one of
those* where visitor participation actually makes the day happen.
Families and children were buying kites, unpacking kites, launching
kites and running around with them. The kite stalls had the wind vane
types tethered to poles around the tents and I think my favourite* was
the rotating circular one with long tails. One always sees these at the
seaside and I wouldn’t have been surprised to turn around and glimpse
the sea somewhere!
* "one of those" Insert the vowel in "those" as it is out of position in
the phrase
* "favourite" Note "favoured" is written with anticlockwise V stroke
Most of the kites were geometric shapes in rainbow colours, with
trailing tails. Many were in the shape of animals: swallow, owl, kite (a
type of small hawk), bright pink flamingo, black menacing shark, mauve
smiling fish, pink octopus and blue and green dragonfly*. There were*
some airplanes and I liked the one that had a spiral tail attached to
each side of the tailplane, looking like curling spinning vapour trails.
A few were indeterminate beasties with big eyes, fangs and waving
tentacles that one felt might sting like a jellyfish. One could buy the
smallest kite, barely six inches in length, but being made of shiny
mirrored plastic, it shone like a brilliant flying diamond, fluttering
and glinting in the sun and appearing much larger than it actually was.
These are ideal for flying at home* in the garden, with the advantage
that they can be flown by running along with them, without having to
wait for a breezy day or a trip to the park.
* "dragonfly" The Fl is reversed only when necessary to join a preceding
stroke. Fl stroke is never reversed for vowel indication like the Fr
stroke is.
* Omission phrases "there (w)ere" "at (h)ome"
 
In contrast to the personal kites, there were* some large floating*
characters, giant nylon constructions filled out by the wind but held
aloft by a large parachute type of kite much higher up. The first we saw
was an enormous crocodile, and being long and thin he was undulating in
the breeze, but fortunately not roaming around and filling his giant
belly with any of us. He was later brought down and next up was a
voluminous billowing blue teddy bear, swimming horizontally and swaying
this way and that. Before we went home, we saw a third offering in the
form of three angel fish tethered along the lower part of the line, also
swimming in the air and enjoying every minute of their freedom before
being packed away at the end of the day.
* Omission phrase "there (w)ere"
* "floating" Insert the vowel, so it is not misread as "flying" or, if
badly written, "fluttering"
We watched two of the kite displays, where specialised* kites were
danced around the sky above the arena to music, swooping up and down,
and crossing over each other and back again. The interesting thing about
these is that they are not flat, so when they land, they are still
standing up on their points, and can be jerked back into flight again.
Dancing kites to the loud soundtrack of Chariots of Fire held our
attention completely. The next display was two kites with extremely long
tails that formed circles, loops and spirals as they followed the track
of the kites. These reminded me of the toys we used to make, with a
wooden sewing thread spool on a length of string, with a very long light
plastic tail attached to the spool, which could be* swung round in loops
in the back garden.
* "specialised" Essential to insert the diphthong, and
advisable to also always insert the final vowel in "specialist", as
these two are similar in meaning
* "which could be" Not phrased, in order to keep the "could" obviously
in position, so it is not misread as "can"
We left mid-afternoon, and by that time the crowds had doubled and many
were sitting on the grass on their picnic blankets, eating and drinking
to get their strength up for another session of kiting and running
around. The great thing about this type of event is that once it is
over, that is not the end of kiting but just the beginning. Everyone who
bought a kite can return at any time and continue flying their* kites on
the green*. I am sure that once this happens, the children with smaller
kites will start to literally raise their sights onto bigger kites, and
if the budget doesn’t stretch, then make their own. Plastic bags and
barbecue skewers will start to reappear in wonderful new shapes, with a
much loftier purpose in mind, attaining the freedom of the skies for
their ground dwelling owners. (886 words)
* "flying their" Doubling for "their"
* "green" Helpful to insert the vowel, as it could be misread as
"ground"
www.streathamkiteday.org.uk
www.my-best-kite.com
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Ted's Essay (21 May 2016)
It's great to have reliable staff who can fill in when you are a little
busier than usual, and if they perform well, it can sometimes lead to
promotion. Ted is already Chief Dictionary Looker Upper.
Dino learning his alphabet by
recognising the Letter U in the Thames river bend at Greenwich
I have been asked to write an essay with no long
words, so that the boss can continue working on some changes to the
websites and blogs. I always keep to short and easy words because they
are much easier to read. I am using my favourite purple ink in the green
pen.
My friend Dino is a very slow reader and so I have to write things that
he can get through without taking all day. He reads at twenty words a
minute*, which is one word every three seconds, and that is quite good
for a dinosaur, at least* that is what Dino says. I think it will be
easier as well to practise writing it all really fast and get up a good
speed, with a number of words a minute* that is a lot higher than usual.
* Omission phrase "words (a) minute"
* "at least" and "at last" Always insert the vowel
I am going to tell you about my day out to the centre of London. We went
up on the train, and I am very pleased to say that* it was a fast one
for most of the way. I like the fast trains but sometimes it is
difficult to see what we are passing and it is too fast to see the names
of the stations.
Then we went on the underground trains and we sat where the two
carriages are joined. It is interesting to watch the floor at the join,
because it is all moving and sliding. The train is open all the way
along and you can see all the carriages at once, moving from side to
side and going round the curves.
* Omission phrase "I am very please(d to) s(ay) that"
We went to Somerset House where there is a
big open area in the middle. There are lots* of holes in rows where
fountains come up from underneath. Children and people were running
about through the water. The fountains were going up high and then down
low, and the water drains away along all the sides down a long thin gap.
It was a hot day and this is a really good idea that is safe for
everyone. It is very good for tourists who need to cool their feet after
all the walking around town.
* "lots" and "masses" Insert the vowel, as these two are similar in
shape and meaning
Then we went to another place called Covent Garden
where there are lots* of market stalls. We watched the street
performers. One man was juggling with knives which I did not really
like. Another one did some tricks balancing on a ladder. There were*
people standing around in costumes on metal stands that make it look as
if they are floating. There are a lot of that type now around the
tourist places, but everyone still likes to watch them even though they
know it is a trick.
I liked the one that looked like a cat in a little basket, but it is
really a man’s head and he is sitting underneath the table with just his
head showing. The children were stroking the fur paws and wondering how
it was done.
* "lots" and "masses" Insert the vowel, as these two are similar in
shape and meaning
* Omission phrase "there (w)ere"
Then it was time to go home. On our
way to the station, we went past a building that was being worked on.
They usually cover them up with white sheeting to keep all the dust and
dirt inside. This cover was not white but was painted to look like a
real building. This is a very good idea and I was wondering if the
painting was how it was going to look when finished. I think I will only
find out next time* we go back that way.
We took the underground train and I am always searching for the old
decorations and tiles. The one in the picture may be a modern version of
old tiles. We had to change trains when we were nearer home, and the
last photo shows all the lines crossing. It was mid-afternoon so it was
all quiet and empty. London is very busy and noisy, so I was glad to get
back to the more green and quiet area. Best regards, Yellow Teddy (668
words)
* Omission phrase "ne(k)s(t) time"
www.yellow-teddy.org.uk
Top of page
Opportunists (31 May 2016)
We have two very beautiful and demure collared doves in our garden.
Their plumage is all shades of delicate grey, they are shy and retiring
and have only just learned that it is safe to land in the garden, as
long as we are standing around and not making any sudden movements. They
have been lured down by little treats on the lawn, small pieces of bird
feeding pellets. They will sometimes take crumbs if they are broken very
small, as their beaks are fine. Crushed peanuts are also acceptable, but
a whole one will be taken if it fits the mouth. They cause no problems
and do not seem to multiply out of hand like some other* birds do. We
started paying them attention some time ago* when one of them was
limping, but in time his injury healed, and so they became welcome
visitors, and since then different pairs have visited us.
* "some other" Doubling for "other"
* "some time ago" Halving to represent the T of "time"
Also in the garden are some wood pigeons. They are big and bulky when
compared with the collared doves. They sit at the top of the nearby
trees, and more recently on the greenhouse roof, and watch proceedings.
Then they come down for the doves' food. They have learned to run all
over the lawn, as fast as their little legs will take them, gobbling up
everything as quickly as they can, starting with the largest lumps if it
is bread, and leaving the smaller pieces until last. Then they wander in
zigzags, behind flower pots, under the shrubs, to clear up any missed
pieces. I am grateful for this service so that nothing is left over.
They are quite flighty when disturbed but soon return once all is quiet
again.
These wood pigeons are really shorthand students in disguise. They might
appear to be voracious opportunists, taking on board everything that is
put before them, but they are not averse to working a bit harder to find
it. They don’t mind what they do as long as there is something they can
grab that will help them in their goal of endless increase and getting
ahead with their life. They are alert and attentive, waiting for the
action to begin*, and have no thought other than to get down everything
that is put before them in the shortest possible time; after all, who
knows when the next chunk is coming, so best get this one down sharpish.
When they have cleared it all up, they are still expecting more. Their
quest is never ending, although when the offerings are good, they do
have to spend some time digesting it all before they can enter the fray
once again*.
* "to begin" Based on the short form phrase "to be" therefore through
the line
* Omission phrase "wu(n)s again"
Eyes on the window,
wings at the ready
The doves are the reporters in disguise. They are sleek, smart and well
dressed. They are well mannered, quietly spoken and polite. They are
really outsiders and not part of the general melee, and although they do
their best to blend in, they often walk around the outside, taking a
studious and accurate note of everything that occurs. When there is
danger, they will remove themselves temporarily but keep watch in order
to* return a little later. Their eyes and ears are their most important
assets, in order to* always be in the right place at the right time, and
definitely not in the wrong place at any time. They like to position
themselves in a prominent* place so that they can see all that is going
on and decide if it is worth their while swooping down and taking
advantage of any situation for their own purposes. Unlike the woodies,
their eyes are at all times* on the lookout for happenings other than the
current one, so that they can change their location and tactics to suit.
It is clear that a quick and alert mind is their most valuable tool,
without which they would not be successful in what they do. Although
they are not the big players on the scene, it is certain that they will
be in the business for a long time to come. (672 words)
* Omission phrase "in ord(er to)"
* "prominent" Helpful to insert the vowel, as "permanent" is similar
* "at all times" Halving to
represent the T of "times"
Hey it's me, remember,
your favourite!
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