May Day! I'm back! this time with contributor Mariah Plumlee, a friend and mama from the Ithaca, NY area. This issue includes: The Car Question (with a surprising answer!), The Marvelouses do Baltimore, Getting Mauled By Bunnies: Life on the frontlines with twin toddlers (not for the weak of stomach), book reviews, a family pic so's you can see who you're dealing with, and from Mariah - the Diet Guru, Elegy for a Still-Living Elkhound, and unusual words on Dr. Suess. Oh, plus there's a top secret Mama tip written in code! Can you figure it out? hee hee hee, the adventure continues in a rambunctous household with your hostess and new RN actually paying the bills with a fulltime job that lasted more than 7 weeks! Who'da thunk?

Hi!
i just picked up apron strings at the printer and I must say that I am quite pleased with it! lots of clever stuff from some great contributors plus a photo of yours truly with the always-crushable (in the "I have a crush on him" kind of way) and well-coifed SF mayor Gavin Newsom. I am going to mail out trades as soon as I can organize myself. regular folks: expect one within a couple of weeks.

The WINTER issue includes:
Mini Mental Status Exam
Christmas Bounce
What is good about getting old?
Secret
a poem
correspondence from my call nights
a few reviews

Love to share and trade. Let me know if you would like one.
Spring will come too...

My new zine reflects the emotional changes going on with me in my journey of personal development. Positive Evolution: The Zine for an Ultra Life is about my mission to infuse positivity into the world! Topics include choosing happiness, depression management, overcoming trauma, letting go of the past, personal development, personal growth, positivity, and more.

Positive Evolution is a quarterly publication. Magazine dimensions are 8.5 x 11 with a full color cover and back. The inside pages are black and white with gray scale artwork and photos. The magazine has on average 50 pages, and is composed primarily of the writing of myself, Trula Breckenridge, and freelance writers. Out March 2008

this is what I just emailed out to all the contributors. I want to put it up here too, so we can keep straight. Its a big step, I think, and at this point it feels right to just go ahead and lead the mass production attempt myself. If there is an unforseeable problem that mamaphiles #3 doesn't make it to printing, I will send everyone back there money. I will keep our collective money in my savings account, away from my other money, and can hopefully raise it quickly, then send it out to the printers. We have had a seperate treasurer in the past, but I think this makes sense. As alway, if someone has a different idea, please feel free to chime in! Or discuss! Or get the collective juices going again!

Hi y'all, I am really ready to put together another apron strings...now that new baby is almost 6 months! I would love submissions. I think the theme going to be "Juggling" or "balls in the air" or something related to that. I would love your stuff (essays, cartoons, photos, fiction) and you can send it to robin_cookston(at)yahoo.com
love, robin

I'm just wrapping up GEMINI Issue #7: Word to Your Mother, and hope to get it to the printer in the next couple of days. Inside:
I discover the library
Connecting through books
Twins learning to talk
My son is a money-grubber
PLUS
cartoons
poetry/haiku
book reviews
and much much more...

Get your today (OK, get yours next week after it comes home from the printer). $3/issue or trade. If we've traded in the past, you'll no doubt have one in the mail in a week or two. If not, let me know.

I am finally making copies of mamphiles and trying to sell them to my contacts, but I am wondering why we chose $4 as the price. It cost over $5, just to copy, not to mention the shipping cost (almost $2) and that all the places I sell them to take a 60/40 cut. I'm not trying to make money, obviously zines never do, but it would be nice to come close to breaking even. Also, it hit a nerve for me, a nerve that mamas and writers never place a value on their time and often donate their time and energy and ....

Good News! Fertile Ground #16 is done! Trades are in the mail!
Bad News! I think this might be my last issue for awhile.

Website isn't updated, but if you'd like a copy, email me (stacey at fertilegroundzine dot com) for a trade or paypal me $3.

Here's what's inside:

FROM THE TRENCHES
Soil Chart by Stacey Greenberg
Abraham at Home by Andria Brown

THE REAL DIRT
It’s a Family Affair by Wendy Trenthem

Literary Mama wants to review all three issues of Mamaphiles. This could be terrific publicity for us. I don't even know where my copies of 1 and 2 are. Anyone?

email me at oceanreader (at) gmail (dot) com if you have them and I'll send you the address of the reviewer.

Thanks!

-Kate