We're rebooting the Queer Kidlit Mentorship program in 2024 (skipping this year.) You may remember the #QueerKidLit twitter chats. We would love some input from people on WHEN the mentorship is. In the past, it has been three month during the summer. The questionnaire linked below asks about when the mentorship would work and if you're interested in mentoring and/or have any comments or suggestions

The program is to support pre-published, non-agented LGBTQIA+ kidlit creators. If you're an agented and/or published creator you're eligible to mentor, which involves providing 3 rounds of feedback (1x per month) on a draft of a picture book manuscript or dummy, 10 pages of a MG or YA novel, or portfolio review.

Thanks!

https://forms.gle/n7oaMnasN5pg8ytE8

I too do perennials (flowers & Herbs) because with the cost of them, especially this yr, at least they (usually) not only survive but multiply, forever. I've been adding lots of flower beds (where there used to be grass, front and back yard) As the yrs tick by, I sure notice it getting much harder on the ol back and joints but  still satisfying. One cool thing, don't know if anyone else has had this occur... my Parsley survived the winter, there it was, starting to grow, green as green could be, as the snow melted away from it. I'm wondering if all the snow we got here in the North (Ottawa, Canada)  formed a blanket of insulation so deep, that it sheltered the roots from the extreme -35/40C days/nights we got through the season.
Debbie?
The woodier herbs, like thyme, oregano and sage were all fine too but that's more common. Gardening, for all it's work and cost, certainly lifts the spirits! With such warm days this May, next wk is Hot Pepper planting time, YAY, running out of my frozen peppers from last yr!

JFriday, I am going to buy some annuals for a planter I have on the patio. The best deal I've found here, is Costco for those but going to have to wait till after 24th of May (traditionally the safest date here to avoid frost)

I'm going broke buying flowers to put in pots on my deck. Anyone else go berserk around this time of year??

Yup. I'm so mad that my lantana didn't survive and they're a native plant. Grrr. Here you go: 

Verla, thank you for this space. You are so creative and good in so many areas. I find that there's a lot of cross-pollination from different creative endeavors. I've ended up writing about Bach and Louis Pasteur and even my failed gardening projects.

Happy Mother's Day to all writer-mamas on the board!

Oh fun!

I'm going broke buying flowers to put in pots on my deck. Anyone else go berserk around this time of year??

Yes, that is exactly the kinds of things you can bring up on this board, AnnH. I hope someone has the answer to your eyebrow pencil question. I use a soft gray one myself and have found Sephora brand to be the best for me. If there is a store that sells that makeup near you, you should be able to test the pencil colors before buying one. Another possibility is to find a Mary Kay representative near you. I sold their products decades ago and their makeup eyebrow colors were really good. (I have no idea what they are like now, but they are definitely worth checking into.) Good Luck!

Thanks for the suggestions, Verla, and for the Water Cooler!