I’ll be lifting off on Monday – first trip off Vancouver Island since 2019 – and flying to Saskatoon, where I’ll be reading at 7pm on Tuesday evening with two fabulous Saskatchewan poets, Mari-Lou Rowley and Katherine Lawrence at McNally Robinson Booksellers. It will be livestreamed for those who can’t make it! The event link is right here on Facebook.
The bake sale! We did it! The final menu featured 21 different items baked by six local bakers. Of these items, 19 were gluten-free, 20 were dairy free, 15 were vegan and 2 were raw foods.
Grateful thanks to the bakers, to the shoppers, and to the people who donated funds that got us to an eye-popping $1000 by the end of that long and tiring day! Funds went to Red Cross Canada’s Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine. From the generosity shown, it seems I was not the only one wanting to stop anguishing and actively support something.
A number of those who stopped by were unable to eat gluten, and expressed delight at having so many options to choose from at a bake sale.
Here is what we had on offer, just so you know what you missed, if you missed it:
The News has become a dark place, and February 24 was a darker day than most. For a couple of months I felt crushed, dodged war reports, hunkered down in helpless anguish.
Then one day an email dropped into my inbox from The Real Bread Campaign, reminding me that there was indeed something I could do. I could bake!
I managed to enlist a few other like-minded bakers, and an idea was born. A healthy baking bake sale!
And so it will be, this very weekend. We’re defining healthy in any way we choose; the only condition being an ingredient list so buyers can decide if our views match up.
I’m still deciding what to make. So far I’ve made some favourite crackers – cassava flour – and some sourdough flax crackers. Planning to make some banana bread (GF) and some chocolate-coconut truffles; some muffins; maybe if there’s time some cookies too.
By other hands we also have GF / vegan peanut butter choc chip cookies, rhubarb bars, savory muffins and homemade Twix bars; and some magnificent gluten free olive bread and GF “fake rye” bread.
Our bakers include CSNN grads and GTUF members and I thank them for their generous donations of food and time. Quality cooking takes quality ingredients, and great care. I’m hoping we’ll get a good turnout on Sunday afternoon and be able to turn over some needed funds for the Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal. Any leftovers will be donated to a local community kitchen or two.
You’re all invited, wherever you may be!
A virtual and geographically diverse launch event on Sunday June 5 at 11am (PST): Rhona McAdam launches Larder from Victoria; Mari-Lou Rowley launches Catastrophe Theories from Saskatoon; and Lisa Pasold hosts us from Paris.
It’s a joint presentation by our BC publishers, Caitlin Press (Qualicum) and Anvil Press (Vancouver) through the magic of livestream technology.
No matter your time zone, enjoy brunch with us (11amPST) or lunch (12pmCST) or late lunch (2pmEST) or aperitifs (7pmBST) or supper (8pmCEST)— and let us feed your minds!
It will be livestreamed on Zoom – the link is here: https://fb.me/e/3d9qGnweE
(you don’t have to be a Facebook user to find the details there)
Followers of environmental news will know of the ongoing protests over old growth logging at Fairy Creek, southwest Vancouver Island. In tune with this, Christine Lowther named the substantial anthology she’s edited for Caitlin Press Worth More Standing.
Clocking in at 239 pages, the anthology is a veritable forest of Canadian poets paying homage to trees of all kinds. I am one who contributed two poems to this work, including a poem from Larder.
On Saturday May 28 I will join five other poets at the Harbourfront Library in Nanaimo to help launch this with a live, in-person reading.
Poets who will be reading at the Nanaimo launch include: Leanne McIntosh, Ann Graham Walker. Rhona McAdam, Nicole Moen, Sheena Robinson and Kim Goldberg.
The reading runs from 1-3pm and is free and open to all.
This Friday May 27 I’ll be reading in Victoria at Planet Earth Poetry. Events kick off with an open mic at 7:30pm, and then Catherine St Denis will take the stage as the Poetic Opener. Catherine has read a number of times at the open mic, always impressed with her poems, and I am very much looking forward to hearing more from her. After Catherine, I’ll be reading from Larder and selling books thereafter.
The reading is live and in person! at Russell Books. For those who can’t make it in person, there’s a livestream of Catherine’s and my readings which starts around 8/8:15. For info on how to access that, it’s best to contact Planet Earth Poetry; (details in their weekly newsletter) or you can message me on Facebook.
PEP’s readings (featured readers and poetic openers) are usually recorded and posted on its Youtube channel a few days later, so you can catch us there too!