…and it’s nearly halfway through National Poetry month and I’ve said nothing at all about poetry. Well, for those three people still following me you probably already know about the League of Canadian Poets Poetry Blog, but go check it out again and again. There’s new poems all the time.

And because hair is something I’m always thinking about lately, here is a poem for you!

UPDATE: Hair is one of my poems on the LCP blog!

…is what I’m dubbing interest in blogging. I say “interest” but with me I mean renewed interest; however, as I was cleaning out old unused blogs from my links section I seemed to be adding more than removing. What is this new interest in the blog? Is it a step back from social networking (a kind of back off and get your own blog thing)? Does it matter?

I have nothing but praise for those that still blog (as a sporadic blogger lately, this is salutable), and I have nothing but praise for those willing to join the ranks. There is something more for me to sink my head into than just a status update, something more than an event invitation, something more than scrabble and lexulous (okay, confession time: I, shuffle, shuffle, kick some snow, like playing scrabble and lex), but you get my snowdrift (and yes, seven months of snow does have an impact on the inner workings of the brain).

So in getting back into blogging I’ve updated my links and such, and added to my already great list:

Shelley Banks, Leona Theis’s new blog, Amanda Earl, Kathleen Wall (love the handmade quilts), and another one today Cassidy McFadzean, pointed out by blog guru Brenda Schmidt.

Hallelujah!

Update: Here are a few more Saskatchewan blogs to savour: Leeann Minogue and Jennifer Wynne Webber and Anne McDonald.

Well, I’m grateful today that I remembered how to log into my blog. Sure that sounds like small potatoes to some, but to me, spiral fries seasoned with salt thank you very much.

Speaking of salt, I spent my weekend doing vast loads of laundry while watching episode after episode of the 100 Mile Challenge on some channel I didn’t even know existed on my television. I admired the families in Mission, BC that took on this challenge of eating foods from within 100 miles of where they lived, and found that I’ve been thinking about my food and it’s source ever since (well, also because I’ve been plodding through and over my favourite seed supplier’s catalog lately). I decided to do a bit of checking on my own sources and supplies just to see if I’m fairly close to the 100 mile range. So, because Saskatchewan is a large and varied place, but still a small and intimate space, I decided to see how my food purchases, as far as being produced in Saskatchewan, fared.

For the most part, I think that I’m fairly knowledgeable about where my food comes from; for instance, my beef is raised only 40 kms from where I live (my dad supplies me with that), and I used to get chickens and eggs from him too, though I’ve had to resort to alternatives for those in recent years. I still look for suppliers of eggs from local farmers or buy them from the Farmer’s market. As we often have to resort to commercially sold eggs during winter season, and I found out that Star Eggs is located right in Saskatoon.

I grow my own lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, beans, carrots, beets, peas, squash, and herbs in the summer and freeze/can what I can in fall. For the most part, I buy from the Farmers Market in the spring and summer, or drive out to Lumsden for produce, and I try to invest in local products. I did a bit of research on other products that people doing the 100 Day Challenge had some trouble finding, such as flour (wheat), salt, sugar, etc. and in my search, I’m pleased how well we do out on the prairies. One of the main ingredients people on the show missed was salt. Much of our salt is from Unity and I found out from Amy Jo Ehman’s blog how to tell from your salt box whether you’ve actually purchased Saskatchewan salt and a little history. My flour is Robin Hood, milled in Saskatoon. If it wasn’t I could always get bags of it from my dad. Again, that’s lucky. Other grains as well are easily found from local suppliers, such as oats, and lentils. And even though I’m an olive oil junkie, I do use Canola Oil as well. This too is within distance.

Sugar, not so close. This comes from Taber, AB, and the Rogers Company. Not too far, but not Saskatchewan. Not to fear. There are plenty of alternatives for the sweet tooth–such as maple syrup, and honey, which is available from many great sources. And vinegar, even further in Kelowna, BC. But, I’m sure in season, one can find local cider vinegars made with fruit, and the old fashioned method of making pickles didn’t require vinegar, but salt.

I haven’t had time to search out everything but I’m curious about products that are made here, such as beer. We have micro breweries as well as a major one, but do they use Saskatchewan hops? Wine too, is produced here, but is not as easy to find as wine from other provinces and countries.

There is a lot more stuff I haven’t sourced out, but suffice it to say, with the exception of coffee and tea, and seasonal fruit, I do try to shop locally, and I’m hopeful that I’m healthier for it! Or not.

You know it’s been awhile since you’ve posted a blog post when:

10. You forget how to log in
9. Your page hit counter doesn’t register above 0
8. You don’t recognize your dashboard
7. You don’t remember writing any of the previous posts
6. You need to chip the ice off the keyboard (maybe unrelated, but true most mornings)
5. You can’t recall where to type your post
4. You see for the first time your most popular post is “how do you spell falafel”
3. You can’t remember why you haven’t posted
2. Your “Most Active” list is empty
And the number one reason you know you haven’t posted on your blog in a long time is that someone tries to hack into your account on account of your inactivity.

…yes, that’s right, a smorg of writers is heading to the Weyburn Library tomorrow. A bevvy of beauties bursting to bring you rolls of lines.

Bring your families! Bring your neighbours! Bring your wallets! Bring yourselves and join us,

Byrna Barclay, Kathleen Wall, Bernadette Wagner, and me, me, me (part of my new branding procedure is to call me me) at the Weyburn Public Library at 7pm.

Be there or starve!!

…is a catchy title. It’s what is needed to sell your song, your product, your book, why maybe even yourself–

Bob: Hey look at me! I’m in the Top Ten!
Me: The top ten what?
Bob: Hunh?
Me: What are you in the Top Ten of?
Bob: The list.
Me: Oh. Gotcha. (frown–thought bubble–how do I get on this list?)

I’m becoming increasingly interested (and at times alarmed) at the use of branding, internet marketing, and even the dissemination of our work in the public sphere. While I understand the need to market, the need to get our names our there, the need to sell ourselves as well as our books, I’m decidedly at crossroads with the process.

But, because it is the time to be seriously silly, I’ve decided to join the masses of retail marketers this Christmas; I’m taking matters into my own hands.

While I’m not sure how I’ll brand myself (did a little number already on my nose on the weekend when I opened up the roasting pan the wrong way–even melted the mascara from my right eye) or exactly what brand I’ll be, I think that I’m going to market myself like the masses. Drum roll please:

For a limited time only!

Read it here first!

Here are the Top Ten reasons you should buy my book(s) for Christmas:

10.They make great coffee table coasters.
9. They are conversation starters– you can tell friends that you know the author (even if you don’t).
8. When bought in lots of ten, they make great door stops.
7. They match any decor!
6. They can be stacked under the door to keep the draft out.
5. They fit neatly in your coat pocket.
4. They don’t make any noise.
3. They come with bookmarks from outdated readings that you can regift to others.
2. They are easy to wrap.
1. They can be read and reread.

…here are some interview questions (with answers) by some of the 2010 shortlisted authors (and includes yours truly) compiled by our amazing little paper the Prairie Dog!.

…what Ariel says.

Need I say more?

Join us if you’re able–and if you dare!!

…in case you’ve not heard, Interruptions in Glass has been shortlisted for two Saskatchewan Book Awards, the Award for Poetryand the Regina Book Award. And, as if being shortlisted with two GG nominated fiction writers such as Sandra Birdsell and Dianne Warren isn’t enough, I’m in amongst some seasoned veterans of poetry such as Dave Margoshes and Don Kerr. For me the greatest satisfaction is just being shortlisted.

And the SBA will be featuring poems by the shortlisted poetry books, so keep your eyes on the SBA facebook page. Update: In order to read the poems, you must join the SBA FB group!!

And here’s a link to a smallish review; it is American (you must scroll to the end of the poetry reviews to see it), and short, but positive, which is never a bad thing!!

And one question for you the general masses that may or may not be reading me any more. Has any contemporary Canadian female  poet ever been labelled as an “upstart?”