Thank you to both Charles and Italophile. Although I have used Word for 30 years and regularly produce newsletters and flyers, it is obvious I am a first-grader. I will save all of this information and try to improve.

In the meantime-- Select all is working well. Insert text box is erratic. I often get what looks like a picture box, but with no picture, no swivel handle, no way to insert text, but has the format box on the upper right corner that allows you to move with text. I call this one a jpg box. Sometimes there is also an insertion point to draw my own text box, then I can delete this other one.Sometimes there is an additional text box about 1 1/2 inches high by 1/2 inch wide, where I can insert text into the jpg box.

Using the ribbon, insert, text, text box is also erratic. The only way that is really reliable is to use one of the templates -- I use the simple one -- and delete the included text. The draw text box may or may not work. Sometimes I get a 1" square text box, which I can enlarge. Sometimes I get the jpg box and an insertion point. It may or not be possible to delete the jpg box and keep the text box.

This is very frustrating. Although at an elementary level I have been able to make it do what I want it to, using text boxes ranging from a single letter size to an entire page, with boxes on top of boxes. I need to be able to that again and I don't know where to turn.