Text edit won't save documents

Question

Several days ago i started having a problem i never had before in a zillion mac years.  I use Text Edit a lot, to take quick notes or copy and paste things.  I save the documents, give them a name, put them in a folder, or throw them away.  Several days ago, i had some trouble saving.  This being Mountain Lion OS 10.8.5, i have to hold down the option key to get Save As to come up in the File menu. i don't really need it because Save will ask if i want to Save As, but it took me a while to understand that and by then i was in the habit of the option key.. Anyway, a few days ago, when i would click Save As, the file menu button would light up but instead of just quickly opening a Save As window, there was a delay.  Then, the window opened and i saved. As time went by, sometimes the File menu button would light up and just sit there, no window would come, and then after maybe 10 seconds, the light would go off and no save option window came up. That is the problem i'm having now. I have a bunch of text edit documents on my desk top, Untitled, Untitled 2, Untitled 3, etc.  I can't save them.  I click on Command S, same thing happens, i try clicking the Close button (red button in upper left) but it just lights up for 5 or 10 seconds and goes off. It doesn't ask me if i want to save before closing, as it used to. 
Has anyone heard of anything like this before?  Is there anything i can try to fix the problem and to be able to save my documents?   If i force quit, will there be a saved version of the documents anywhere?  I have a Time Capsule. i've never tried to retrieve anything from it.  What a hassle.  i'd appreciate some help if anyone has heard of this issue.  I'm able to save/save as in Preview and in Word.  As far as i know the problem is just in Text Edit. 

Answer 1

Control- or right-click on the file in the Finder & choose "Compress" from the contextual menu that appears. The option is also available from the File menu in the Finder.