product review heaven

There are a lot of pros and cons to editing a magazine. One of the cons is trying to be fair. Here at The Essential Herbal, there are times when we receive books and/or products for review, and that's fun - but it makes me worry that our regular advertisers or readers don't get the same break. So after much thought, we've come up with a "reader's showcase".

The plan is to to do this twice a year - January and May. Anything that is sent between those issues will be saved for a large article to be put together. The January article was posted to the Yahoo list, and the May article will be noted in the magazine for readers who may not be on-line - or any subscriber who missed this opportunity. We'll check out all the products and write about them. There are several books, and all the products above - plus 3 or 4 that are on the way. This will be a lot of fun for me, and there won't be any of that nagging feeling of concern that anyone was left out.

It's hard to make out the products on the picture here... we'll do better for the article. I'm enjoying some lipbalm from The Green Spiral as I write, and baked up a Bread and Spread from Herbs by Sarah the other night. Many other companies sent products, including Laurel Country Herbs, Planet Earth Remedies, Herbal Momma, Herbs from the Labyrinth, and Prairieland Herbs. There were even some items just perfect for Molly to try out, and she really enjoys doing product reviews, and its handy to have her point of view.

We only have another week or so to get the magazine pulled together for the printer, so we'd better get busy slathering. Perfect timing, too, as the weather has turned chilly and dry.

On a personal note, I read Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins this week. The book is largely set in New Orleans and discusses the blending of perfume (and the afterlife, immortality, love, morality, good vs. evil...). The narration about life in New Orleans made me even sadder to think that may never be seen again. The storyline was rich and full, and much more thought provoking than I'd expected. Some passages made me stop reading for a while, just to think. I loved the book.