Groundwaters Publishing, LLC

Our Newest Published Author!!

The Groundwaters staff is extremely excited and honored to have in our midst a newly published author… Jennifer Chambers. Jen’s long-awaited novel, Learning Life Again, is based on her own experiences with traumatic brain injury and is now available at both http://www.Amazon.com and http://www.Barnesandnoble.com.

Here’s a summary of Learning Life Again…

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Learning Life Again is the journey of two women towards health, success, and fulfillment. Maggie McLeod, 28, recovered from a teenage traumatic brain injury, is out of money and out of options. She just got fired, and had been barely making it on the dregs of the settlement from the car accident that injured her and killed her parents. With no money, she’s forced to go back to Oregon to face a bequest from a father she doesn’t remember and a request to mentor a brain injured girl from the doctor she owes her life to.

Sarah, 17, is in the hospital facing an uncertain recovery. A foster child in the throes of rebellion, Sarah desperately wants someone to understand what it’s like to strive to be a person whom you don’t remember you were. Sarah is alone, awkward, and full of angst.
Maggie can give a lot to Sarah, if she can overcome her fear of being seen as wounded. Going back to the hospital means facing versions of her previous self, something she’s tried very hard to ignore since she got out of town as soon as she could after her own accident. She is terrified of doctors; but really, she’s afraid going back will make her face her own guilt over recovering so well.

Once she’s accepted the challenges of Sarah and starting a new business, Maggie deals with another facet of brain function. Her best childhood friend descends into bipolar disease and institutionalizes herself. She also attempts a real romantic relationship, something that has been disastrous for her in the past because she has been gullible, though she sees it as weak.

Through the story, Maggie learns to trust and to be loved for who she is. Sarah learns to be confident that her choices can determine what happens to her despite her disability. Learning Life Again explores the fascinating way people adapt to challenges and how we can learn to heal.

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The editors of Groundwaters magazine hope that you will support Jen’s first literary effort and order some copies for gift-giving!!

The “Journey” Issue is Out!

Well, the Fall 2009 issue of Groundwaters is printed and distributed. We’re finding it really hard to keep our distribution sites stocked this time and I’m afraid that we are going to run out of our allotted issues before this month is even done. That’s a two-edged sword… I’m certainly glad that it is so popular, but it also means that the racks will be empty for two more months before a new issue comes out.

We’ve used all of our grant funds provided us by the Oregon Country Fair this past year and until we can get additional grant funding, we need to strictly adhere to our limits on the number of copies we print each issue. We’ve allotted ourselves three toner cartridges for each at a cost of ~$170 per cartridge. I usually get about 600 copies out of the three cartridges, depending on how well they stretch. We’ve printed all 600 of them and have distributed over 500 of them through subscriptions, distribution sites and restocks. The remaining ones aren’t going to last much longer. I can maybe squeeze another 30-50 copies out of the remaining cartridge.

So, we’re counting on our readers and supporters to help us once again with letters of support, subscriptions, advertising and donations to keep us going. We could also use a few more sales of our poetry chapbooks. They make wonderful inexpensive Christmas and holiday gifts for friends and family. The 2-volume set is $10; individually, the books are $6 each. They can be ordered directly from us on-line (http://www.groundwaterspublishing.com/Poetry_chapbook_ad.html) or via mail at P.O. Box 50, Lorane, OR 97451. They are also available at the Broadway Events Center in Veneta or at the Groundwaters production office in Lorane (call ahead at 344-0986).

Thanks to all of you for your great help and support in keeping Groundwaters in print!

Pat’s End-of-Summer Thoughts

I think my future plans for this blog should be to just let you know that I’ll probably take the summer off from writing it each year. Each summer seems to take me in more and varied directions. It’s definitely not the best time for me to write!

I keep looking towards Fall and the feeling I get when the weather turns nasty… when I can snuggle into the warmth and comfort of home without feeling guilty that I’m not out working in the yard, mowing grass or driving a tractor. Actually, I love to work in the yard, ride my lawn mower in slow, lazy circuits of the yard and even drive the tractor… for awhile, anyway. It gives me the time for reflection and a chance to gather my thoughts as I make those HUGE slow, never-ending, lazy circuits of the hayfields. But, as I get older, the heat and rays from the sun play havoc with my energy level.

This summer has been a particularly difficult one for our family. I’d like to write off the worries and concerns over health and personal issues of family members. Fortunately, some are being resolved; others are being accepted. We’re no different than most other families. It’s just that ours has been so fortunate and seemingly blessed for so long, that it is hard to watch any of our special people hurting.

Despite my focus on other things, I think our readers are going to agree that the October 2009 “journey” issue of Groundwaters is something special. Our cover, I believe, is one of our best and the stories and poetry inside are wonderful, as usual. Enjoy!

A Groundwaters’ Summer

The Groundwaters staff has had an extremely busy summer so far. Pat Broome and her husband Dennis have taken several mini-vacations to the Southern Oregon coast and Pat has been active in her positions as Fern Ridge Library Foundation chairman and a board member for ART, Inc.

Jennifer Chambers, her husband Ryan and two sons, Riley and Quinn, camped out at the Oregon Country Fair as they usually do. Jen works in the OCF’s General Store each year. She distributed quite a few copies of Groundwaters. The Chambers family have also taken a couple of mini-vacations.

Jim Burnett and his wife Jonni have decided that their short-lived days of retirement, roaming the U.S. with their 5th-wheel RV home in tow were going to have to come to an end. The price of gas and health issues dictated that they put down roots and be content with occasional vacations, instead. They just purchased a home in the Portland area and he will continue to work with us via email and occasional visits.

It was a long haying season for Jim and me. In fact, Jim is baling the last five acres today… much too late in the season for the hay to be top quality, but with periods of unsettled weather, thunderstorms and hot weather that shut down mowing operations after 1:00 p.m. and equipment breakdowns, it seemed to go on and on and on for us this year. Inspired by Norm Maxwell’s story that he wrote for the April issue of Groundwaters, we made reservations to stay at Crater Lake for two nights this month as a late 45th anniversary celebration. We aren’t going to stay at the lodge. We decided that the cabins were more our style. I made reservations for the boat tour, too, which we’re both looking forward to. Even though I’ve lived in Oregon most of my life, I’ve never been to Crater Lake. It will be a nice break for us. Someday, we’ll get a longer vacation in, but for now, we enjoy sticking close to home. The long ones are fun to do with family.

We’ve begun work on the October “journey” issue. We have a beautiful cover by Alix Mosieur for it and have already received several wonderful submissions, both prose and poetry. I think our readers are going to be pleased…

Chateau Lorane Fine Art & Wine Festival 2009

Oregon Authors’ Table

The Chateau Lorane Fine Art and Wine Festival, held over Memorial Day weekend, was the first time that Groundwaters has hosted an Oregon Author book signing event. The three days spent lakeside at beautiful Chateau Lorane Winery near Lorane was a wonderful experience for all of us who participated. Our tables were set up in front of the art display building and everyone who entered the festival walked past our tables. We had four or five invited published authors in attendance at all times and Groundwaters had its own table where some of our regular contributors handed out back issues of the magazine and signed copies of their articles, stories and poems for people who wanted autographs.

On the first day, Saturday, May 23, the Groundwaters table was manned by Bridgett Johnson-Elliott, Millie Graves and Jean Marie Purcell. Gary Lewis was there, too, to provide back-up. Our published Oregon Authors that day included Jo-Brew, Marva Dasef, Dan Armstrong, Robert Chambers and our own Jen Chambers was there taking orders for her soon-to-be-published book, Living Life Again. I was there all three days with my own book, From Sawdust and Cider to Wine. Marna Hing, my co-author on the first S&C book, joined me on the first day, too.

Sunday, May 24, was our biggest day as far as sales and people stopping by the table. Groundwaters was represented by Norm Maxwell, Pat Broome, Gary Lewis and Jean Marie Purcell. Our Oregon Authors included Carola Dunn, Dan Armstrong, Jo-Brew, Sharon Brandsma, Joey Blum and Nick DeAngelo with his book of panels from his comic strip, Just Add Water.

The final day, Monday, May 25, brought Gary Lewis and Tom Howell to the Groundwaters table and Oregon Authors were Douglas Card, Joe Blakley and Marva Dasef.

The book sales weren’t too brisk, but the company and the venue were exceptional. Everyone is hoping that we’ll be invited back next year.

Thanks to all of you who took part in the event!

What’s Pat Been Doing?

Well, now that you’ve had a chance to catch-up a bit on what we missed posting in the last two months, I want to bring you up to date. I still need to report on the Groundwaters‘ sponsored Chateau Lorane Fine Art and Wine Festival Authors’ Table, but I’ll have to do that in the next post.

The last two months have been extremely busy and stressful for me and I’ll be glad when things can settle down a bit. Some of the things — the poetry chapbook, the author’s table, preparing the July issue of Groundwaters and submitting a new grant application — have all been very enjoyable, too; but, with them all being overlaid, one upon the other, without any break in between, it kept me jumping. Add to all of that was the fact that a very special brother-in-law has been very ill for the past two months, in almost constant pain and misery. Our whole family has been trying to help John and his wife Vicki keep their animals fed and their yardwork done so that when he returned to good health, their home life would not be in ruins. I’m glad to report that John is home from the hospital and although he’s not well yet, he’s on the road to recovery. Thanks to all of you who have been sending your prayers his way.

Haying season is now upon us, as well. In fact, I’m using a little time to write this blog before heading to Coastal Farm Store to buy some baling twine. Then, I’ll climb aboard our tractor for a day of raking hay in our Lorane fields.

We finished folding and stapling our July issue on Tuesday and I dropped them off at most of the distribution points that same day. We still have to make runs to Cottage Grove and Creswell. The subscription and contributor mailing has gone out, as well. This issue is jam-packed with poetry this time… much of it submitted as “extras” by those contributing to our book of poetry. I was very very impressed by the quality of the the submissions, poetry and prose alike, and I think that you’ll enjoy this issue. We have several new contributors and many of our regulars. I must apologize for the print quality of this issue. We are experimenting with using some “compatible” or “remanufactured” toner cartridges. The authentic HP cartridges which we have always used are skyrocketing in price… $180 to over $200 each when you add in shipping… and we use three cartridges each issue. Our regular supplier, in fact, did not even have any of the HPs on hand this time and most are going to the compatibles. The compatibles sell for half that price. Some of them work just as well as the HPs, but many do not. The one we tried this time was not one of the good ones and the pictures are not as sharp and the print is lighter than I like. Fortunately, it was used for only one-third of the printing. So, if your copy looks a little dim, that’s why and I apologize! I promise to figure out something that will maintain our normal high-quality print standards.

Well, it’s time to head for town. I’ll see if I can do a better job of keeping you posted on what’s happening with Groundwaters. And, please send us your feedback on the July issue. We love to hear from you!!

Come see Jen and I at the Art in the Vineyard celebration at Alton Baker Park on Friday, July 3. We’ll be at the author’s table!

Feedback from Judy – April 2009

Judy Hays-Eberts has been providing detailed feedback on the last few issues of Groundwaters and I want to share her comments with the rest of you…

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Hello Publisher and Editors,

I’ve now read v.5 n.3 from cover to cover. It’s beautiful, it’s a service; thank you. This issue best reflects the present group as it’s solidified. I noted added clarity throughout, particularly about the LLC. Lots of distribution locations!

Herbie’s poems seem to always hit the right spot. And such a cute illustration by Avis!

Jim’s Mother’s Day tribute describes someone truly wonderful, yet I can’t help think it’s not what many of us experienced…

Pat B. did a nice write-up about Jen’s book. Congratulations, Jen! It’s been a long road.

I loved Karen Wickham’s wonderings – a real favorite! Nice to see new offerings from Janine Margiotta, too. Such a talented poet.

I liked Pat B.’s column – observation without all the politics. I also liked reading about Jo-Brew.

And I was so glad Rhonda’s poems appeared. “Pines of Madrid” is one of my favorites of hers.

Beth Robinson inspired me to look at bread tags with new eyes – just my kind of fun. And such a lovely illustration by her for this issue.

Carolyn Carney shared the wondering of many a writer. It was also good to see more from Millie Graves about her family. I admire them! And, that was a cute piece from Avis Rust. (Congratulations on their anniversary)!

Lloyd Counts’ story is heartbreaking and very important. You did great work here, Pat, and it’s the star of the show – the very essence of the whole endeavor. Thank you!! The timing was crucial, as it turned out. Lloyd is truly a hero, by sharing his experiences and what was in his heart. Very important. Sonny thought so, too. (Note from Pat: Lloyd Counts passed away on March 30, 2009, just two days before the April issue appeared in print. Fortunately, Lloyd had previewed the article and was quite touched that he was allowed to share his story.)

Like Norm and Sande, Sonny and I stayed at the Crater Lake Lodge for our anniversary after it was last renovated. It’s nice, but discomfort inspired us to leave early in the morning – which was a wonderful time to see the park, we discovered! We never took the boat ride and always wondered about that, so welcomed the great description. The depth of the water is scary to think about…

Jim Miller’s story of the old car really tugged at my heartstrings; sad and sweet. Good addition to the other authors.

Millie already remembers more jump rope rhymes than I do! Very fun to try, though.

It’s an interesting poem, but I’m still wondering about the W of the PV, too.

William Crutchfield’s poem certainly reminded me of Fern Ridge Reservoir. Another great addition to the group. Having heard of Palmer Vilagi, I was interested to see his writing, as well.

It would be wonderful if Sue Pike and others saw your Zebrafish article… (I remember Judith fairly well, of those named). Funny, I spent a good amount of time around those labs during the same period, being friends with the research students, never knowing what would evolve later with the dept. secretary!

Anyone who’s cleaned after their parents can relate to Norm’s piece about the family’s junk, but it sounds like his plate is quite full!

“Lullaby” by new poet Jane Capron is lovely.

I liked Jen’s cooking instructions; truly helpful hints.

Uncle Don is indeed a poet. He should have more published. We hope to see Marj’s Diary produced as a book, at least for the family, sometime in the future. And I hope to read the rest of her papers soon.

I was struck by the truth of Vallee Rose’s poem. I’d wondered what happened to her. I totally relate; reminds me of my own and others’ experiences. A deeply frustrated type of wonderment…

The puzzle is always fun.

Loved Jen’s piece about Central Little School. I hope they keep up the good work. And I sure miss Sam Konnie. (He would have been featured, of course. And I’m fairly certain that he and Bobbie would have enjoyed Groundwaters).

Nice observations by Bridgett Johnson-Elliott. I hope she keeps writing.

I wonder…who is that Grandma of “Linneybugs”?

I especially liked that Tavia Ames wrote “The Heart of a Champion” as “tribute to a much-admired competitor.” And the title of Heidi Ramp’s poem is best described by the lines that follow it. Well done.

I most enjoyed the quote by Rachel Carson. Impressive, particularly because she worked so hard on behalf of life itself.

Riley Chambers is really growing into quite an artist. And, boy, is Nick D. talented!

Krystle Rodriguez captured the essence of spring. Another good addition to those published in GWs. And I liked the photo and caption for A Look Back… I like seeing a bit of local history there.

Have fun at the art & wine festival! Sylvia Beltran’s art, among others, has been featured there in previous years. Sounds like a good event for you.

Seems to be working very well without me! Best people for the job! I’m very grateful for all of you. Onward!

After a short hiatus, we are now back on-line with our blog. It was necessary for us to restructure the blog on our own website instead of on Pat’s Sawdust and Cider site where it was set up. The former blog entries are not lost, however… if you want to read all of what went on previous to this entry, please go to http://sawdustandcider.com/blog1/

Blog Clean Up

Because my blog went off-line sometime ago, there were some things that I wanted to share with you that didn’t get posted. To transition to the new blog entries I will begin making shortly, I will add these posts now. One of them is a short blog that tells about our ART Poetry Night presentation of our grant award by members of the Oregon Country Fair board. The other is a wonderfully detailed feedback provided by Judy Hays-Eberts of our April issue…

The ART, Inc.’s “Open Mike Poetry Night” and the Oregon Country Fair of the presentation of the $1,500 grant award to The Groundwaters Magazine Project was a big success. We had more than 20 people in attendance. The Oregon Country Fair was represented by Clare Feighan, who presented the check, Charlie Ruff and Steve Wisnovsky. Jen Chambers, Pat Broome and I represented the Groundwaters staff. We wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to the board of the Oregon Country Fair who demonstrated their support in our efforts.

Since our last blog entry, a lot of things have been happening with Groundwaters. We have been wanting to put together some chapbooks to promote the magazine, showcase some of our contributors and provide a means to raise funds towards the costs of buying a new printer for use in producing the magazine. When we accepted the job of sponsoring and organizing an author’s table at the Chateau Lorane Fine Art and Wine Festival in Lorane on Memorial Day weekend, we decided it was the perfect time to design a book of poetry – The Best of Groundwaters – that we could introduce to the public. (Please note: I will write a separate blog on our fun experience at the Chateau Lorane Fine Art and Wine Festival.)

We contacted our poet/contributors who had published more than three poems with us over the years to ask their permission to use some of their poems. We had such a good response, that by the publication deadline, we had enough to fill two-volumes of the book. The books are now available for sale. See the ad for them in the July 2009 issue of Groundwaters or the ad on the home page of our website at http://www.groundwaterspublishing.com.

After a short hiatus, we are now back on-line with our blog. It was necessary for us to restructure the blog on our own website instead of on Pat’s Sawdust and Cider site where it was set up. The former blog entries are not lost, however… if you want to read all of what went on previous to this entry, please go to http://sawdustandcider.com/blog1/

We’re Back On-Line with Our Blog!

We’re Back!!!….

After a short hiatus, we are now back on-line with our blog. It was necessary for us to restructure the blog on our own website instead of on Pat’s Sawdust and Cider site where it was set up. The former blog entries are not lost, however… if you want to read all of what went on previous to this entry, please go to http://sawdustandcider.com/blog1/

Please send us your comments and feedback on not only this blog, but on Groundwaters Magazine, Groundwaters Publishing, LLC and on our services. It’s always good to find out how what we are doing is being received by our readers. Thanks always for your support!