Monday 10 December 2012

2012 Was A Banner Year!

In 2011 and 2012, my focus was mainly on my writing, which means that my small plant nursery business and flower gardens didn't receive the attention that I'd given to these things, in the past.  Countless hours spent working on the computer (instead of out in the yard) do seem to have been worth the effort, though.  I'm happy to say that this year, 2012, has been a banner year for me! 

A real milestone for me was having my book, 'Paudash Poems,' published by Brian Wrixon Books, of Burlington, Ontario, in July of this year!  This volume contains almost every one of my poems that has appeared in The Bancroft Times newspaper, starting with the first one, 'Springtime In Paudash,' which was published back in May, 2006. 








As well, I'm very happy that I was able to contribute to a dozen different Canadian poetry anthologies that were published in 2012!  Here's a list of the books that include my work:

  • WORDS ON THE WINDS OF CHANGE - Brian Wrixon Books (2 poems):  1. Hey, Communist / Capitalist China; 2. Where’s Mr. Hada (Part I) ~ March 16, 2012 
  • TRIPPING ON WORDS A LITERARY ATLAS - Brian Wrixon Books (3 poems):  1. Trees (Ontario, Canada); 2. Springtime In Paudash; 3. In My Garden (A Winter Reverie) ~ April 17, 2012
  • THE SURVIVOR’S GUIDE TO BEDLAM - Brian Wrixon Books (2 poems):  1. Purify; 2. The Monster Of The Lakeside Marsh ~ May 24, 2012
  • THE FOUR SEASONS is volume 1 of 4 in the poetry anthology called, ‘REFLECTIONS ON A BLUE PLANET’ - Brian Wrixon Books (1 poem):  It’s Winter ~ July 12, 2012
  • EARTH, WATER, SKY is volume 2 of 4 in the poetry anthology called, ‘REFLECTIONS ON A BLUE PLANET’ - Brian Wrixon Books (2 poems): 1. Blue (A Poem For The Blue Planet); 2. Pink Sky ~ July 12, 2012
  • ALL GOD’S CREATURES is volume 3 of 4 in the poetry anthology called, ‘REFLECTIONS ON A BLUE PLANET’ - Brian Wrixon Books (3 poems): 1. Eulogy For A Bat; 2. Like A Starry Night; 3. The November War ~ July 12, 2012
  • NATURE’S PALETTE is volume 4 of 4 in the poetry anthology called, ‘REFLECTIONS ON A BLUE PLANET - Brian Wrixon Books (1 poem): Jerusalem Daylily ~ July 12, 2012
  • ON THE WORDS OF LOVE - Brian Wrixon Books (1 poem): A February Notion ~ September 7, 2012
  • THAT NOT FORGOTTEN - edited by Bruce Kauffman and published by North Shore / Hidden Brook Press (1 poem): Trees ~ September 9, 2012
  • A POET’S VIEW OF BEING - Brian Wrixon Books (7 poems):  1. A Day In June; 2. Chocolate; 3. Gumboots; 4. Junque Maximus; 5. Ode To Housework; 6. To The Hardware Store I Go; 7. When Things Happen ~ October 15, 2012
  • IN MEMORY - IN PRAISE - IN INK - Brian Wrixon Books (1 poem):  The Robins Of Cardiff ~ December 3, 2012 
  • BETWEEN EARTH & SKY ANTHOLOGY 2012 - Silver Bow Publishing (1 poem):  In My Garden (A Winter Reverie) ~ December 9, 2012

Tuesday 24 April 2012

Welcome To Flowertopia!

This 'Season's Greetings' daylily is surrounded by rudbeckia.

 Welcome to Flowertopia!

I love working in my flower gardens and often think that there's no place I'd rather be, especially during bloom season, so I call my gardens, 'Flowertopia.'  

Blogging is something new to me and I'm just learning how to do it so, until this blog site is a bit more developed, here are some links to other places where you can currently find my poetry in cyberspace:




 

This is one of my own daylily seedlings.
 

I have a small plant nursery, specializing in fancy daylilies.  Currently, there are over four hundred registered varieties in my gardens, along with countless, unregistered seedlings that are the result of my hybridizing efforts.  I love photographing the flowers in bloom.  Sometimes, I'll add the text of a short poem to a photograph.  Four or five of these, 'text over photo,' poems have been published in the local newspapers, including 'The Bancroft Times,' and, 'Bancroft This Week.'  I'll post these, also.

 

Frequently, it's while I'm working in the flower gardens that I become inspired to write a poem.  Often, the first lines just occur to me, out of nowhere, while I'm busy weeding away...

Here's a link to more pictures of, 'Flowertopia.'  http://flickriver.com/photos/fancy-daylilies/popular-interesting/