Soil Chart

Soil Chart
Stacey Greenberg

April is all about birthdays here—I just turned 33 and Satchel will be three next week and Jiro turns one shortly after. This month we also got to meet baby Miles (that’s him in the picture) and spend time with him and his awesome mommies. It was awesome. We def-initely feel like we have one of the best extended families ever.

I’ve been busy writing my fingers off—I now have a daily blog “Purty Mommy” (don’t ask) at Rescuemag.com and a monthly column “Stomping Ground” at PhilosophicalMother.com. My essay “Brother Can You Spare a Bagel” was in the most recent Hip Mama and “Can Meat Eaters Raise a Vegetarian?” was in the most recent Natural Parenting. I’ve also done a couple of book reviews for ImperfectParent.com. And as you will see when you get to the center of this zine, I have been cooking up a children’s book with the help of the most talented illustrator, Suzy Helme. I’m exhausted! I’ve had more than one person ask me, “How do you do it?” and I have to say I’m not really sure, but my essay in this issue “Participant Observation” is my attempt to answer that question.

This issue focuses on creativity and gender roles among other things. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed putting it together. Thanks to everyone who made this issue so damn cool. I’m dedicating it to my feisty, tough as nails grandmother Dorothy Toledano, who passed away in January at the age of ninety-eight. (Read all about her in “Mothers and Daughters.”)

See you in July…in the meantime stop by my blog or peruse the “Fertile Ground” website (www.fertilegroundzine.com) that is always up to date, thanks to Erica Carter.