Epitaphs Magazine issue #2 is DONE and SENT! And thank goodness for that. This issue was driving me bonkers! Don't get me wrong, it's a great issue. The thing was, it was like it had the curse of the Black Pearl on it. But all delays aside, it's out and I'm sure you'll be pleased with it.

In this issue you'll get to meet our designer, Kristine. I think you'll agree she does exceptional work. You'll also see some familiar writers, some new ones and a couple of photographers named Jeffrey.

As for issue #3, work has already begun on its production. Even though #2 was late by a few weeks, we are still going to release the May issue on time. Then we'll have the August issue. But I'm not going to make any special promises about the November issue, as my baby is due Oct. 11! I'll do what I can. :-)

Which brings me to something interesting. If you've visted TheCemeteryClub.com lately (and our steady visits say people have), you may have noticed that I posted that I will be selling some funerary items on eBay soon. It's funny, ever since I found out I was pregnant, I've had the desire to get rid of many of my funeral home collectibles. And I haven't been diving into cemetery literature like I usually do. It must be a maternal instinct to keep even the notion of death away from my child even before the baby is born. It, of course, also doesn't hurt to earn a little bit of cash for when the baby comes. My biggest concern, aside from my chld, is that these items go to good homes. My original plan was that if I kept these items as a collection that I would eventually (many, many years down the road) will them to the Museum of Funeral Customs in Springfield, Ill. These special items tend to be tossed out like so many other promotional items that people think of as cheap plastic crap or what have you until decades later when they have an interest again. My main concern now is that they find good homes. If you are a collector and are interested in some of my items and would like to make an offer off of eBay, I would be willing to talk, too. I'm always up for a fair deal.

By the way, this is a totally different subject but also very important. In the current issue of the International Cemetery and Funeral Association's magazine has a book review of "Cemetery Walk" and also mentions the magazine! It's a favorable review, and I hope it inspires a lot of interest in the book, mag and Web site. I've already had one survey filled out from an ICFA member. Super sweet!

I hope all is well in your parts of the world. I feel like I'm getting back in the swing of life as the baby hormones start balancing out. As of tomorrow, I'll officially 11 weeks along.

Happy cemetery haunting,
Minda

www.TheCemeteryClub.com