Deadline for the new issue is Thursday. We’re way behind, as usual. The content is settled; it’s the layout and myriad of details that are undone. I don’t get too involved with the details, but I come up with the headlines for the cover. Typically we have one main headline, plus some bullets, but this issue we have three articles competing for main headline:

– Richard Blunt’s superb article on whole grain breads. This will be the first of a two-part series, with the second part dealing with making bread from home-ground grain.
– Building Eric’s house by Dorothy Ainsworth. This will be at least a four-part series and will be a “how-to” involving the details of constructing Eric Ainsworth’s home in Ashland, Oregon.
– John Silveira’s examination of why food and fuel prices are rising and what we can do about it. This is John at his best, putting the hard, painful facts in perspective.

I’ve pretty much settled on doing two main headlines: Building Eric’s house and Rising food prices, then lead the list of bullets with Blunt’s article. This makes sense for a bunch of other considerations running around in my head.

I’m also working with Annie on the back cover ad. I throw out an idea and she runs with it. Good system. And I’m trying to get my editorial and Note from the Publisher done, as Silveira tries to complete his Last Word column.

Life is full of twists and turns, and here’s a stupid twist I never expected.

I threw out my back defending myself against Larry Bird, our rooster, who attacked me for no good reason while I was practicing with my golf wedge in the yard. So I took a swing at him and threw out my back in the process. After I limped into the house, I demonstrated my incredible patience and kindness towards dumb animals by not grabbing my shotgun and blowing Larry’s head off.

We’re in the midst of deadline for the next issue, so everything during this busy time will take even longer to accomplish as I make my way from chair to chair. There is a lesson in this, but I can’t figure out what it is. I think it involves stupidity.

Meanwhile, our Special Preparedness Issue has sold off the newsstands (It took about three days), so if you want to subscribe and get a copy don’t go to your local bookstore but click here instead. Click here to see the Table of Contents and read a few of the articles.