How Could I Forget?

In the midst of my excitement for the beginning of spring and Earth Month, I completely forgot to mention that April is also Poetry Month (how could I forget to mention this when nearly every thought in my head tries to work itself into a poem? Maybe that's exactly how I forgot.....)

In the spirit of Earth/Poetry month, I want to tell you about Margaret Atwood - a Canadian novelist, essayist, and poet, who is also an active environmentalist. She invented something called LongPen™ - a green technology that allows authors like her to sign books at faraway conventions without having to travel there. It also provides

legally-binding methods to sign documents remotely. With LongPen™ hardware and software - including the unique RealWET™ pen-on-paper signature and the Transactional Masterfile™ for all-in storage and extra non-repudiation - the distance between signing parties becomes irrelevant. LongPen™ transmits an original signature via a secure network - instantly.

LongPen™ utilizes proprietary biometric handwriting technologies to provide users with a simple way of executing hardcopy and digital documents while complying with all regulatory requirements. All products can be combined with video conferencing for a full long-distance business solution, allowing users to interact in real time HD video and audio...

....LongPen™ provides the benefits of direct, personal contact without the cost, time, security issues, and carbon footprint associated with travel.

A member of the environmental organization Friends of the Earth, Atwood expresses deep concern for the state of our planet and the losses we have already incurred, and she says that, "The human species won't be the last go. The losses we are seeing now should act as a warning bell to us all." She also says that she and her husband are cutting down on the flights they take to literary conferences and such, doing what they can to minimize their carbon emissions. She's also the source of one of my favorites quotes:

"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt."

This explains why my blogging has been more sporadic than ever (it seems to me anyway)--it's spring - time to dig in the dirt, prepare the garden, plant the seeds.... show Evelyn what it's all about...