Did he say BIG AND EXCITING? Yes, I believe he did!!!
INTERVIEW WITH IAIN DOUGLAS KEMP
Before I get into the details (and read through, because you’ll think it’s big too!) if you haven’t read Marie Elena’s amazing interview with the incredibly talented and multi-faceted man and poet, Iain Douglas Kemp, get there post haste. http://poeticbloomings.com/2012/06/06/web-wednesday-iain-douglas-kemp/
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING AT POETIC BLOOMINGS:
We had contributions from 125 poets during the past year. Marie Elena recently posted the International breakdown of our poetic community.
We’ve had 55,037 views during our first year, with 10,002 items (poems, comments and corrections) posted. Our most views in a day were 760 on 2/19/2012. UPDATE: Make that 776 on 6/7/12! Way to go, Bloomers! 
ANNOUNCING THE GREEN THUMB AWARDS – 2011/2012
Marie Elena and I would like to announce the establishment of the First Annual POETIC BLOOMINGS GREEN THUMB AWARD, which is given for contributing at least one poem to every prompt posted for our “Growing Season” (May 1 – April 30). The winners for the 2011-2012 “Growing Season” receive this special badge and a certificate denoting the honor.
The POETIC BLOOMINGS GREEN THUMB AWARD recipients for the 2011-2012 season are: 
Connie L. Peters Paula M. Wanken
WEB WEDNESDAY INTERVIEWS AND IN-FORM POET
Marie and I have decided to break up our Wednesday line up. Starting in July, Wednesday will continue with a weekly IN-FORM POET exercise. A new form will be highlighted each Wednesday.
Also beginning in July, the WEB POET INTERVIEW will move to Thursdays, to appear the second Thursday of each month. As well as our contributing poets, Marie plans to present other poets and people who promote poets and the poetic process.
AND THE REALLY, REALLY, REALLY BIG NEWS…
Marie Elena and I would like to finally announce that we are in the process of readying for publication,
POETIC BLOOMINGS – FIRST BLOOMS
This is a collection of the BEAUTIFUL BLOOM poems from the first year of the Sunday prompts, along with my and Marie’s examples. We ask all who had been selected for a BLOOM during the year to revisit the awarded poem(s) and revise as necessary. We are relying on you to self-edit your work. Please email the corrected pieces back to us (poeticbloomings@yahoo.com) by July 1st. If we do not receive an updated version of your poetry, we will assume it is to your liking as posted on our site.
Here at POETIC BLOOMINGS, we have always taken pride in opening the gates of this “Garden” to poets of all ages and skill levels; to make ourselves all-inclusive. So in that light, we invite poets who replied to at least 10% of the prompts (the reason I searched for the poets who at the very least had a 10% commitment to POETIC BLOOMINGS) to contribute to this publication with poems written for the POETIC BLOOMINGS prompts. Eligible poets will be notified shortly. We ask that you update your contact information for correspondence, and request that poets who post under a blog screen name supply their full name with their info.
A brief biography (no more than 6 lines, including your url) will be required for all featured poets in this book.
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We really appreciate your talents and hard work during our first year at POETIC BLOOMINGS, and hope for continued success for you and this community we have amassed.
June 7th, 2012 at 7:21 PM
This is VERY exciting. Marie and Walt, thank-you for all of your hard work and constant encouragement!
Congratulations Connie and Paula, you deserve this award!
June 7th, 2012 at 7:27 PM
You two are on fire, now, as always. Congrats to Connie and Paula, both of whom I love to read, as well as to Marie and Walt for their guiding samples every prompt. You two should put together a First Bloom collection of your work. Congratulations on creating a wonderful place for us all to bloom.
June 7th, 2012 at 7:37 PM
That’s what we’re doing, Jane, along with all of our wonderful poets work.
June 7th, 2012 at 7:30 PM
It is BIG and EXCITING!!! Thank you, Marie and Walt
Congratulations to the Green Thumbs!
June 7th, 2012 at 7:52 PM
Congrats to Connie and Paula! YOU ROCK! Marie and Walt, I am excited to be a part of the First Blooms collection! WOW and WOW!
June 7th, 2012 at 8:08 PM
Congratulations to Connie and Paula! Paula, my friend, you rock!
Walt and Marie, awesome news. What a great way to celebrate all the poets who have participated over the past year, not only those who received blooms, but those of us (I hope I’m firmly in that category) who made the 10% mark. It’s sure to be a great collection. Thank you for all you do to make this such a positive and supportive place.
(Now I wish I’d written more.)
Richard
June 7th, 2012 at 8:18 PM
Thanks all. Yes Richard, we wish you’d written more as well. Please be sure to send an email with your current information for the upcoming correspondence. W.
June 7th, 2012 at 8:17 PM
Thank you, Walt and Marie, for the “green thumb” distinction!
…who knew that after years and years of trying to keep plants alive, my green thumb was being used in the wrong garden! 
Thank you so much for being the Master Gardeners that you are, providing such a fertile place for us to grow.
Congrats to my fellow green thumb, Connie, as well!
And…let the publishing begin!! Woohoo!!! I’m excited for you both to see the fruit of your combined labor and the far-reaching impact you have had on the 125 poets who have passed through your garden, as your “first year anthology” takes shape. Blessings to you both.
<3 Paula
June 7th, 2012 at 8:19 PM
…and thank you Janet, Jane, Alexandra, Patricia, and Richard for your words of encouragement…what a great place to come back to, week after week…
June 8th, 2012 at 5:15 AM
Congrats also to Connie
A great achievement.
June 7th, 2012 at 8:38 PM
Congratulations to Paula and Connie – well-deserving green thumb award winners both – so prolific and utterly talented poets – brava!
And how very exciting, all the upcoming changes and new things to look forward to … what an honour, to be included in the Poetic Bloomings – First Blooms anthology … I will get busy asap on proofing any of my poems …
You two nurturers of all things poetic should really take a bow – the garden is flourishing and it’s due to the fine stewardship shown by the gardeners – I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say how much we love and respect you and thank you, thank you, thank you…best always, Sharon
June 7th, 2012 at 9:28 PM
Oh yes! What everyone said here! Congrats, Paula & Connie for your unwavering participation — you ladies are awesome! And congrats & thanks to Walt & Marie for your enthusiastic support of all things poetic and for the creation and nurturing of such a bloomin’ garden of poet-tree!
(Sorry, I had to get that in before Paula said it!) 
)
June 7th, 2012 at 9:39 PM
New to the garden I can only say that what I have seen and read since meeting the gardeners has been encouraging. What a wonderful place to meet other poets and learn so much and recieve such encouragemnet.
Thank you Walt and Marie (and Mike for first sending me to the garden gate). It is so enjoyable to be here.
Yes, congradulations to both Connie and Paula who have gone the extra mile to participate each week in the Prompt Challenge. I have read and enjoyed your contributions over the short time I have been in the garden.
June 7th, 2012 at 10:37 PM
I love the idea of having a new form-challenge each week. I look forward to the opportunity to see more and experence using them.
Also glad that you will continue to interview and help us to better know other members of the garden and beyond.
Thank you for all your efforts and work.
My big effort for the year will be to be more active in comment!!!
June 7th, 2012 at 10:48 PM
Congratulations, Paula and Connie!!! This is a serious achievement and so worthy of the green thumb recognition! So cool.
Oh my!!! You were not kidding when you said big and exciting, Walt!!!! Wow! HUGE happy smiles for all that you guys have been doing and for the beautiful endeavors of collectively bringing this together to shine in a publication!! So very amazing and inspiring. I’m so blessed, truly.
Thank you SO much!!!
June 7th, 2012 at 11:31 PM
Wow, I’m really getting excited to see this collection come to fruition…I just went through each of the beautiful bloom postings and those with the 10% offerings!! This is going to be an amazing body of work put together. Congratulations to each and thank you again!!
June 8th, 2012 at 12:54 AM
Yay, Paula and Connie!
And Marie and Walt, you guys are ROCKING this “running a site” business. Seriously, best community spirit EVER.
Busy day, still digestion all of the above. Where can we find our Bloom poems?
June 8th, 2012 at 8:26 PM
De, as long as we tagged each post properly, you should be able to click on “Beautiful Blooms” on the side bar under “Categories.” However, I can do you one better than that. I’ll be PMing you in a minute.
ME
June 8th, 2012 at 3:03 AM
I’m so excited for Paula and Connie! Fab achievement, and two of my fav poets.
I’m also delighted about the First Blooms publication; Such a wonderful idea that you’re doing this. I wasn’t included in the PA-posted chapbook because I was away on holiday without an internet connection so I missed deadlines and never received that release document. Disappointing but that’s life when you hope to be a writer. 
June 8th, 2012 at 9:23 AM
[...] poems in response to the prompt. Marie Elena and Walt have plenty to announce, so stop by their home page, as [...]
June 8th, 2012 at 9:31 AM
Love the Green Thumbers (is That a word?); congratulations, Paula and Connie, I love your works!
June 8th, 2012 at 9:35 AM
how nice…my two edited versions are off to the Yahoo e-mail address…hopefully, that is where they were intended to go
June 9th, 2012 at 1:17 AM
Yes, what a great accomplishment Paula and Connie, congratulations. I’m so glad to see this because I haven’t much time at the moment and the week-end just before the 1st of July suits me fine.
Should I be too late, there are so many great poems to pick from so no doubt, we’re heading for something great!
June 9th, 2012 at 11:13 AM
[...] Had I been a wise man or shepherd, I might have heard too late, arrived in Bethlehem only to learn the babe has fled to Egypt and to wonder at the wailing in the streets of Judea. Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. This entry was posted on Saturday, June 9th, 2012 at 11:13 am and posted in Achievement, Beautiful Blooms. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. « ANNOUNCING BIG AND EXCITING NEWS!!!!!!!!!! [...]
June 9th, 2012 at 11:50 AM
Congratulations to Paula and Connnie on the Green Thumb Award. A poem for EVERY prompt is a great accomplishment. Marie and Walt, you guys make me proud to know you and to be a part of your community here at Poetic Bloomings.
June 9th, 2012 at 9:11 PM
I can say the same for you and each and every one of these poets, Mike! Thanks to all.
June 10th, 2012 at 12:05 AM
Ah, this is so terrific. Congratulations to our two Green Thumbs of the year, Connie and Paula. So glad you made it.
And a collection of poems to publish. So many choices and so many luscious poets to cheer on.
Congratulations on your Anniversary Marie and Walt. Now, where’s the cake. I didn’t see it on my way in.
June 10th, 2012 at 11:30 AM
Congratulations! I’d like to be included in your anthology, so tell me what I need to do.
Sal Buttaci
June 10th, 2012 at 12:23 PM
This is so very exciting. You guys are awesome!
June 10th, 2012 at 4:15 PM
Wow, this IS pretty exciting! Although I’ve hardly written ANY poetry since 2011, I’ve still been following the prompts and such. You guys deserve a standing O for all that you do, for your creativity and community building and just plain hard work!!
June 11th, 2012 at 8:18 AM
Congrats to everyone and especially Walt and Maria Elena! You two are amazing
June 11th, 2012 at 10:15 PM
Congrats to Paula and Connie! Green thumbs are made day by day in the garden, and Marie and Walt have encouraged us all to seed, weed, feed and let our poetry grow free. Thanks, so excited about the collection! – Damon Dean
June 15th, 2012 at 11:27 AM
[...] poems in response to the prompt. Marie Elena and Walt have plenty to announce, so stop by their home page, as [...]