Deadline is going well, but there is much to do. An extra 16 pages taxes my ability to bring a feeling of order to the articles. I become both editor and reader, trying to make the issue flow smoothly, making the articles more accessible to the reader’s mind. Most of the articles are laid out, edited, and paginated. Rough place-holders are left for ads, which will be placed Tuesday. This is the reverse of how most magazines do things, but BHM is driven by editorial content, not advertisers.

Don Childers is still finalizing some art. I had him do a nice black and white rendering for one article, then realized I actually needed it in color so he redid it in color yesterday. I also cut two articles yesterday for lack of space, so that gave my daughter, Annie, room to breathe in her layout duties. The articles will fit nicely in next issue, and one of them needed better art anyway. Annie has done some super layouts, including one for one of Jackie Clay’s articles that Jackie will really appreciate. Layout is a real art, and a good layout can make an article’s information pop right into your brain.

Silveira, Lenie, and I still have not finished our articles, which is an especially big problem for Lenie since she is so involved with the details of deadline. Yesterday John took over an article I was supposed to do, which is not only good for my mental state but he has a better grasp of the material.

This is the time of deadline when Lenie turns into Wonderwoman, shedding her Business Manager suit entirely and donning her “Final Layout” cape. She will tweak both editing and layouts until I say, “Enough! Put the damn article to bed!” But she is a perfectionist when it comes to the final product that will go to the printer. She used to do all-nighters but I insisted she stop.

Now ads have to be placed, starting today. Lorraine, Lisa and I will do that, with Lenie building some of the smaller ones from scratch. Annie will build the half and full-page BHM ads today and tomorrow.

Thank goodness I have a competent crew. Rhoda has finished most of her editing and proofing. Lorraine will finish up with advertisers today, then we’ll final set the ads tomorrow. Lisa is dealing with writers on last minute details. In the background, Ramona is downloading orders, answering phones, and doing the mail, and Ellen is working away on the database. The mail and phones have been busy these last two weeks because we recently sent out a renewal mailing, so often four ladies are on the phone at once taking orders.

We’re all kind of tired. But the issue is excellent. Very strong articles, high quality art from Don. It’ll be a satisfying moment Friday at noon when the Fed-Ex man zooms out of Gold Beach with our package.

It’s Lenie’s birthday today! We’ll stop at 11 and have a little office party.