ANGIE LEDBETTER ~ GUMBO WRITER

Friday Foibles ~~ Insurance Insanity

2012-01-27T06:41:00.000-06:00

I know I'm crazy, but I have this recurring fantasy involving all those insurance agency mascots you see endlessly on TV. (Who says advertising doesn't work?) My fantasy goes like this ~~

Scene 1: The duck eats the gecko...

Scene 2: The caveman eats the duck...

Scene 3: Mayhem arrives and creates a little chaos:

Final Scene: The handsome Allstate guy and cool chick Flo run away together and open their own insurance agency called Progressive State. Think of the cool ads they'll make with the initials PS. ("PS -- We've got the best insurance for you!")

Okay, now you know the depths of my insanity and the wonkiness that is my brain! :D

I'll be back to "normal" next Friday and post a Boudreaux & Thibodaux or blonde joke. Have a great weekend!

The Older I Get...

2012-01-26T07:54:00.002-06:00

The stoopider I feel. The most recent cause for this condition is one of the technical difficulty kind. (If you remember the "stand by" notice from your old television set, you're a dinosaur like me.) :) Since returning from my blogging hiatus, my posted photos haven't been showing up. grrrrr

Anywho, I was informed via a message on my screen that the reason for the invisible pics might be because my browser no longer supports certain Blogger features. Hunh? Whut?

Long story short, I downloaded Google Chrome this morning. (Yeah, late to the party again.) So we'll see if that fixes the problem.

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If you can see the photo below, leave a caption in a comment by midnight Friday. There just might be a prize involved. *grin*

Tasty Tuesday ~~ Crazy Pancakes

2012-01-24T07:16:00.000-06:00

If you're looking for a different sort of breakfast, this just might be it. This recipe evolved like most of mine do -- by accident and with a little good luck. :)

Crazy Pancakes

3 cups Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix
2 cups water
3 mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup Craisins (or dried fruit of your choice)
1/2 cup nuts (I used sunflower seeds and sliced almonds)
6 strips cooked and crumbled turkey bacon

Whisk together the pancake mix and water until mostly lump-free. Add in other ingredients, stir well, and get to making these yummy flapcakes. I spread with Smart Balance butter and skip the syrup since they're already semi-sweet. (Makes 12 pancakes.)

*Wouldn't these be cool for Thanksgiving since they contain turkey and cranberries?

What's the craziest thing you've ever done in the kitchen...recipe-wise? :D

Well, Hey There!

2012-01-23T11:02:00.001-06:00

You know you've been absent from Blogland way too long when you've got to delete 145 spam comments! (Which reminds me, if you set your thingamajig to moderate all comments over two days old, it REALLY helps cut down the junk comments.)

Life, artistic pursuits (got a new big girl camera for Christmas), and Facebook have dominated my time lately, but I haven't forgotten about YOU (yeah, you!) faithfully posting away. I'm gonna be a better friend and check on you more frequently. Promise.

Okay, I've said a little about what's been occupying my time........now, WHAT ABOUT YOU?!

Hope your cups are overflowing with good stuff! xxo

Chart Rush for Jessica Bell's Book 11/11/11

2011-11-11T06:31:00.000-06:00

Today is THE day to help Jessica Bell's debut, STRING BRIDGE, hit
the bestseller list on Amazon, and receive the all-original soundtrack, Melody Hill: On the Other Side, written and performed by the author herself, for free!

All you have to do is purchase the book today (paperback, or eBook), November 11th, and then email the receipt to:
jessica.carmen.bell(at)gmail(dot)com

She will
then email you a link to download the album at no extra cost!

To purchase the paperback:

Amazon USA
Amazon UK

To purchase the eBook:

Amazon USA

Amazon UK

To listen to samples of the soundtrack, visit iTunes.

If you are
not familiar with String Bridge,
check out the book trailer:

Rave Reviews for String Bridge:

“Jessica Bell’s STRING BRIDGE strummed the fret of my veins, thrummed my blood into a mad rush, played me taut until the final page, yet with echoes still reverberating. A rhythmic debut with metrical tones of heavied dark, fleeting prisms of light, and finally, a burst of joy—just as with any good song, my hopeful heartbeat kept tempo with Bell’s narrative.” ~ Kathryn Magendie, author of Sweetie and Publishing Editor of Rose & Thorn Journal

“Poet and musician Jessica Bell's debut novel String Bridge is a rich exploration of desire, guilt, and the difficult balancing act of the modern woman. The writing is lyrical throughout, seamlessly integrating setting, character and plot in a musical structure that
allows the reader to identify with Melody's growing insecurity as her world begins to unravel … String Bridge is a powerful debut from a promising writer, full of music, metaphor, and just a hint of magic.” ~ Magdalena Ball, author of Repulsion
Thrust and Sleep Before Evening

“Jessica Bell is a brilliant writer of great skill and depth. She doesn't pull back from the difficult scenes, from conflict, pain, intensity. She puts it all out there, no holds
barred, no holding back. She knows how to craft a scene, how to develop character, how to create suspense. This is an absolutely brilliant debut novel. I look forward to reading her
next novel, and next and next.” ~ Karen Jones Gowen, author of Farm Girl, Uncut Diamonds and House of Diamonds

Connect with Jessica:

String Bridge: http://www.stringbridge.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jessica_bell
Website: http://www.jessicacbell.com/
Blog: http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/author.jessica.bell
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MsBessieBell
Publisher: http://www.luckypress.com

Please TWEET and/or FACEBOOK this post using #StringBridge!

Tasty Tuesday ~~ Simply THE BEST Apple Pie Ever, Bar None

2011-07-26T17:17:00.003-05:00

Just got back home from my Twins Out West trip with Alaine last night. Every second of our 1,319-mile journey was a blast! Got tons of photos, poem fodder, and some body/mind/soul rejuvenation to boot. Yeehaw!

The food, flavors, colors and sights of the Southwest were refreshing and music to the senses and nectar to the taste buds. Surprisingly, I've realized from Facebook comments, not everyone on the planet knows how to make the best apple pie, so I decided to share the secret recipe with bloggy friends who may be out of the loop~~~

Simply make or buy your favorite apple pie and cook according to directions. While it's hot from the oven, cut yourself a slice and smother the top of it with the sharpest cheddar cheese you can get your hands on! (No, processed cheese just will not do here.) Savor the heavenly taste combo!!

The kind 1900s-bank-turned-cafe' owner in Santa Rosa, New Mexico followed my instructions perfectly and deliciously. Proof's in the picture *smile*:

I Know it's Not Tasty Tuesday...

2011-07-14T12:06:00.000-05:00

...but I've been traveling so much the last few months, I'm really not sure what day or month it is. So here's an out of sync, but delicious recipe for my foodie blogger friends anyway. After two more trips -- one out west with my twin, and then a visit to my bestest friend Kat Magendie -- I'll unpack the old suitcase and settle back into my former "normal" routine. (Lotsa stories and news to share!)

You Are My Sunshine (Y.A.M.S.) Casserole

6 large yams or sweet potatoes [they're pretty interchangeable!]
1 lb. dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup LemonHead candies
1 stick butter, Smart Balance or Margarine
2 cup of miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup pecans (toasted with a few dollops of butter & sea salt)

Wash and peel potatoes OR use one large can of yams with half the liquid drained. Cut potatoes into roughly 2-inch hunks, and layer into a pan. Cover with water and swoosh in the vanilla flavoring. Add in salt, sugar and candy. Mix liquid with large spoon. Put lid on pot and boil until tender (about 30-35 minutes), stirring now and then. Drain liquid.

Transfer potatoes into a large baking dish and sprinkle on brown sugar and cinnamon. Layer on pecans. Dot with butter or margarine. Bake for @ 20-30 minutes at 350. Sprinkle on marshmallows and bake until marshmallows are brown. (Watch closely so they don't burn.)

Now you're ready to serve up some really yummy yams with a zesty flavor! And it doesn't even have to be Thanksgiving or Christmas. :)

***Ugly veggie, sweet dish!!! :D

Unleash the Creative Muse Contest!!!!!!!

2011-06-29T13:12:00.000-05:00

Hey, y'all! I'm peeping into Blogland today to kick off a cool, artistic, writerly contest I know you'll enjoy!

My Divalicious friend Steph Jordan will judge AND create the BEAUTIFUL AWESOME WRITING JOURNAL for the winner. (And as usual, I might have a few prizes around to give out to some other lucky winners.)

Details~~~~>

1.) Put your artist's beret on and come up with your best design idea for the cover of a writer's journal. State your theme, colors, and any other blingy ideas that come to mind in a comment.

2.) If your blog ID isn't connected to your signature, please leave an email address or link so I can get in touch with you if you're a winner!

3.) Steph will choose a winner, create the journal using your winning idea, and mail you your one-of-a-kind prize.

4.) ONE entry per person. We're limiting this particular contest to US residents only. (Sorry...postal costs and all that.)

5.) Contest runs through next Wednesday, July 6th (midnight Central time). We'd sure be obliged if you shared the contest with your friends and buddies. :)

Now, don't be shy! There's NO artistic creation Steph can't whip up! If you need some inspiration, cruise her Etsy shop for bright splashes of color HERE or her uplifting blog: Living in Color.

Wheeeeeeee...hugs to all, and I'll be back on a regular basis VERY soon. Got lots to tell ya, lots going on, lots accomplished, travel stories, etc. etc. etc. to share. It's A-MAZING what you can do if you "unplug" for a few months. XXO

Get it 'Fore it's Gone!

2011-06-15T11:52:00.000-05:00

I've been AWOL from the social networking grid for a long long time, but have gotten an amazing amount of things done! Photos and details soon, I promise.

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Popping in today for a SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT.......

If you love to read, get Kat Magendie's Tender Graces today!! It's one of the best books ever. (Check out the 70 fab Amazon reviews if you don't believe me.) That it was written by one of my very best friends is a bonus. And that it has consistently been at the top of the Amazon list, reads like a fresh, lyrical Harper Lee work, is gripping & haunting...well, that's just more gravy on top the biscuit!

Even if you don't have a Kindle, you might be able to download this awesome book to your computer reader, iPad or phone. Trust me, you'll be glad you did. Or grab one for a friend. I did, and it made a nice little surprise! (The third "graces" book in the series comes out in the fall.)

[click here]--> LAST DAY OF THIS SUPER LOW $2.99 PRICE SPECIAL!!!!!

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LOVE, HUGS AND ALL GOOD THINGS. SEE YA SOON. ANGIE

Writerly Wednesday ~~ Vote for Great Aussie Poet!

2011-04-20T08:21:00.000-05:00

If you haven't met Tabitha Bird yet, please let me introduce her with just a few words: great blog, great poet, great words, great lady. :)

Please vote for Tab's blog, THROUGH MY EYES, for best blog in Australia. All the information you need is at the blog link above. Good luck, Tabitha!

From her blog:

About Me
Tabitha Bird
Australia

"Writing is not life, but it can be a way back to life." ~ Stephen King. This is how I found my voice. The page became my back door and I have not stopped letting the words spill since. I write narrative non-fiction and literary fiction.

And how are YOU doing? (I'm trying to get back in the routine saddle after a fab 10-day vacay with Kat and my twin sister, and will write a post about our trip to a writing conference in Fairhope, Alabama asap. But now...it's time for my poetry course.

See ya soon!

Friday Funnies ~~ Redneck Ingenuity

2011-04-15T10:06:00.001-05:00

Short & sweet today since I've run off to a writerly retreat with my twin Alaine and BFF Kat Magendie to work on poetry, painting, manuscripts, with a "little" fun thrown in. When I get back to "reality," I'll do up a nice post on the conference we attended and some of our other crazy doings. :)

Hope you're getting some good and extended ME time for yourselves.
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Indeedy, the picture of this Redneck Hanging Basket is worth a thousand or so words......

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And for your cultured eyeballs, the new spring issue of Rose & Thorn Journal is now live! [Cover art below.] We love comments, and so do our writers & poets.

Tasty Tuesday ~~ Recipe for Disaster

2011-04-12T10:39:00.000-05:00

Why three crazy women should never be left to their own devices................

LOL! Have you ever wanted to do something insane but were afraid of what people would say or think? Aww, just go ahead and do it! (Then you won't have regrets later on.) :D And if you have done a crazy thing, what was it, and what was the reaction?
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If you're looking for a literary "feast," sign up for Rose & Thorn's free quarterly newsletter so you can have fabulous poetry, prose and art delivered to your email in-box each season. R&T's spring issue comes out this Friday, April 15th. We're hoping it brings our readers something nice to diminish the effects of Tax Day. :)

Bye now from Alaine, Angie & Kat who are off enjoying a slice of paradise...

Send Me Energy & Good Thoughts!

2011-04-11T09:38:00.000-05:00

Hey friends! I'm AWOL, but for a good reason. I've snuck off with best friend and twin to a secret location in paradise (a hidden country cottage two states away, with bay breezes in a birder's haven) to work on our manuscripts. I've blown the dust off my three-inch stack of neat pages, and am beginning the long plodding chore of putting the puzzle pieces together.

After shelving my womens fiction story for nearly a year and a half, I hope the gumbo of words has simmered to just the right "taste," and that my eyes are ready to pick out the goodies and scoop out the lumps. So, wish us luck and productive days as we unwind far from our "normal" routines and restrictions.

And we'll be sending you good thoughts too! Oh, and finalizing Rose & Thorn Journal's spring issue due out this Friday! We can't wait for you to see the magical, absorbing art, prose and poetry our contributors have sent us!!!

XXO and hope you get time off the grid too. :D

Friday Funnies ~~ Boudreaux at the Pearly Gates

2011-04-01T05:36:00.000-05:00

A little treat for your funny bone. Have a beautiful weekend, y'all!
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When everybody on earth was dead and waiting to enter Paradise, God approached the line of Louisianians and said, "I want y'all to make two lines. One line for the men who were true heads of their household, and the other for the men who were dominated by their women. I want all the women to report to St. Peter.

Soon, the women were gone, and there were two lines of men. They were carrying on in typical Cajun fashion, talking about dem Saints, crawfish, Mardi Gras, fishing & hunting, etc.

The line of the men who were dominated by their wives was 100 miles long, and in the line of men who truly were heads of their household, there was only one man, Boudreaux.

God said to the long line, "You men should be ashamed of yourselves, I created you to be the head of your household! You have been disobedient and have not fulfilled your purpose! Of all of you, only one obeyed. Learn from him."

God turned to Boudreaux and asked, "How did you manage to be the only one in this line?"

Boo was quiet for a minute and you could've heard a pin drop. Then he whispered, "Mais, mah (my) wife, she tole me to stand raht (right) here, yeah."

Writerly Wednesday ~~ Two Wonderful Women Winners

2011-03-30T05:00:00.123-05:00

I've got two friends who are sharing their winner's story with y'all today. You all know Kim Richardson by now. Learn a bit more about her journey to publication -- a path filled with pot holes, detours and road hazards. It's a story of determination to succeed which (just like her book's plot) ultimately drives her to victory!

From a recent article about Kimmi...

"The path to publication can be a gauntlet beset with trials that test a writer's endurance. Many writers give up. Jan O'Hara, of the popular, award-winning site for writers Writer Unboxed, said:

These days, getting and staying published requires a larger skill set than understanding point of view, plot and character. Rather, most would say it requires grit, determination and tolerance for life in the public eye. When I look for models of writers who possess those traits, I think of Kim Michele Richardson, author of The Unbreakable Child. (Kim's had) one of the most arduous struggles to publication I've yet encountered.

Kim writes: Few will know about my path to publication. By sharing my journey I hope to inspire other writers to stay the course."
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Read the rest of Kimmi's article in the Huffington Post. It will inspire you and maybe just make you see your own journey to writing success in a different light. The prize goes to those who refuse to quit fighting. And you can quote me (and probably Kimmi) on that!

The Unbreakable Child available HERE at Amazon.

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And now, here's friend Jessica Bell with news of her literary endeavors come to fruition:

Bell grew up in Melbourne, Australia, the child of two gothic rock musicians who had successful independent careers during the '80s and early '90s. She spent much of her childhood travelling to and from Australia and Europe, experiencing two entirely different worlds, yet feeling equally at home in both environments. She currently lives in Athens, Greece and works as a freelance writer/editor for Hellenic American Union, Cengage Learning, Pearson Education, Education First and Signature Manuscripts. Jessica Bell's poetry and short stories have been published in various anthologies and literary magazines. Additionally, she has written various English textbook materials and is also a singer/songwriter/guitarist. Ms. Bell's experience as an Australian living in Greece has greatly influenced her writing.

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If you're looking for something new and different to sink your eyeballs into, check out Jessica's book, STRING BRIDGE, which launches on November 1, 2011. If that's not exciting enough, there will be a new companion website for the book...with a music-related surprise!

Some lucky readers will also win free Advance Review Copies of the book this summer just by "liking" publisher Lucky Press LLC on Facebook! (Established online and print book reviewers may request ARCs of String Bridge by contacting Lucky Press, LLC June 2011.)

STRING BRIDGE is categorized as Women's Contemporary Fiction and Literary Fiction. Here's a blurb:
Jessica says about her book (and you can find out more about her and her projects at her site HERE and at her Alliterative Allomorph): "I wrote String Bridge because I want to break into the women's fiction market and steer it away from the stereotypically glorified woman that is most commonly portrayed today. Not every women in this world lives without regret, knows exactly what she wants, and has the courage to put every essence of her being into achieving her dreams. Not every woman is inspirational to others. Not every woman can leave her comfort zone to better her future. But, so what? Does that mean a less strong-minded woman doesn't have an interesting story to tell? Definitely not."

Greek cuisine, smog and domestic drudgery was not the life Australian musician, Melody, was expecting when she married a Greek music promoter and settled in Athens, Greece. Keen to play in her new shoes, though, Melody trades her guitar for a 'proper' career and her music for motherhood. That is, until she can bear it no longer and plots a return to the stage--and the person she used to be. However, the obstacles she faces along the way are nothing compared to the tragedy that awaits, and she realizes she's been seeking fulfilment in the wrong place.

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String Bridge first page excerpt:
by Jessica Bell, copyright 2010. All rights reserved.

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See the String Bridge trailer here, and listen to the music too! Can you guess who's singing those lovely haunting lines?
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NOW, TELL ME HOW YOU ARE ONE OF THE "WINNERS" IN THE WRITING GAME TOO. (Yes, small and baby-step progress definitely counts!) :D

If music were wind, I would live in a hurricane. If it were a mother, I would sleep in her soothing womb. If I were music, I would simply be me, shrouding my existence in a monsoon. But I am not music, even though my name, Melody, suggests I could be. The closest I get to "being" music, is playing it, living it, embracing it as if it were the organ most vital to survival. I might say it was my heart. But no...I can't give it a name, because it's more like a sixth sense.

Music is the shadow of thought. A muse for grief. An unending moan. A manic pandemonium that roams through rhyme and mimics my soul through mime. It masquerades selfish woes, masks my hollow lifestyle like warm humming cellos. It's a blend of folly and secretive gen, acoustic vignettes--motionless, yet moving.

Music is not meek; it's neurotic, like me...

Friday Funnies ~~ Cajun Diet

2011-03-25T05:30:00.001-05:00

Hey and happy TGIF. I've got a family "girl" gathering, plans to do spring planting in the yard, and maybe a nap or two. :) Hope your weekend is full of grins and good things! To get things kicked off, here's a little dose of that crazy Cajun, Boudreaux.....

Boudreaux was looking in the mirror one morning and noticed he was overweight. He went to his doctor and asked to be put on a diet.

The doctor said, "I want you to eat regularly for two days, then skip a day, and repeat this procedure for two weeks. The next time I see you, you should have lost at least five pounds."

Boo had a hard time giving up his boiled crawfish and beer, but he was determined. When he returned to the doctor's office, he shocked the doctor by having lost nearly 60 lbs! He shakes Boudreaux's hand and says, "Why, this is amazing! Did you follow my instructions?"

Boudreaux nods and says, "Mais, I'll tell ya, I tought (thought) I was gonna die, yeah!" When the doc asks him to explain, Boo continues, "By dat terd (third) day, Doc, I tought I might juss (just) drop dead."

"From the hunger, you mean?"

"Hell no. It was from all dat damn skippin'!"

Writerly Wednesday ~~ Reasons for Rejection

2011-03-23T07:31:00.001-05:00

I know y'all are all bizzy bizzy with your WIPs and other fun writing projects, right? I'd really love to hear about your progress or troubles in meeting goals!

As a publishing editor of Rose & Thorn Journal, I get to read some beautiful prose and poetry from all over the world. But there's always the "bad and ugly" to go along with the good in the growing number of submissions we receive. It always amazes me that, say of 100 submits, Kat [hey Kat!] and I will independently short list the same eight or so stories, then haggle over the other three to add to our YES pile for acceptance. These are just random numbers picked for this example, but what I'm saying is there are some stories, no matter the genre, that rise to the top of the pile by virtue of their excellence.

The stories we accept each quarter have nothing more in common than their power to grab our eyeballs and move them to the story's conclusion. (BTW, we do not read bios until after we read the story. Unlike other journals, we also make it a point to ferret out great stories that might just need a bit of tweaking because we are determined to include new voices as well as established!)

Thinking about what separates GOOD prose from GREAT prose, I've compiled a list of what does it for me. These are the things that never fail to catch my attention:

TOP 10 INGREDIENTS OF GREAT PROSE

10. Polished, realistic dialog
9. An element of surprise or a plot twist
8. Lyrical use of language
7. Characters that are real, quirky or gritty
6. Stories that hold to the end (don't fall flat or drift off point)
5. Unusual treatment of evergreen themes
4. Gripping story plot
3. A finish that is as strong as the beginning
2. Clean and technically well written
1. That extra "something" (similar to the inigmatic "star quality" some movie celebs have)

And ever sweet Kathryn Magendie just emailed me her list of thoughts. (Thanks, owe ya one!) Kat says:

Endings that aren't cliched - or as if the writer didn't know how to end it or was just tired of writing it and slapped some ending on. I can be reading a good story and get to the end and am so disappointed! Second to that are endings that feel as if I hit a brick wall - I don't need things tied up into a bow, but I don't want to feel as if something is missing and I'm left emptied by the ending instead of filled.

Characters! I'll follow great, interesting, compelling characters anywhere they lead me--anywhere! Make me care or be intrigued or interested about the character in any way (and it doesn't necessarily have to be a "likeable" character -I just have to care to follow them) and I'm in for the ride - unless, see above - the ending has to hold up the rest of the story. If the ending is weak, the story falls upon itself in a big heap.

Passion/Care/Love for/in the writing - sometimes I swear I can tell when someone slapped together a story just to submit it in a hurry to fifty-galleven editors at fifty-galleven journals. There's an emptiness to it, a hollow ringing - I'm not engaged.
okay, that's off the top of my head --

I hope the list inspires you in your own writing and/or gives you a nugget or two to consider if you're submitting work to the world "out there." On the subject of creating magical worlds with words, you might want to check out Rose & Thorn's new blog series called BACK STORY. They are fantastic posts by our contributors that explain how their prose and poetry was "born." I find them really interesting, and love getting glimpses inside creative brains. Hope you do too.

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Now, what is it that does it for you? That "it" factor that speaks to you when you read your favorite kind of writing? Yes...I really wanna know!

I'm in serious need of coffee. Please don't hold it against me if there are typos. I'm lazy and don't usually spell check. ;) @@@

Tasty Tuesday ~~ Drunken Chicken

2011-03-22T10:34:00.000-05:00

A cooking haiku, if you'll indulge me:

Now your barbeque pit knows
it's time to fire it
up. Drunken Chickens for spring.

:D Here's how...............

Drunken Chicken

1 or 2 fat, juicy hens
1 beer can per chicken (with 1/4 - 1/3 beer left in can)
Worcestershire Sauce
Garlic juice (or garlic powder)
Orange Juice
Tony Chachere's Cajun seasoning (or 1/4 tsp. cayenne per can)
Sea salt and pepper

Get your bbq pit's coals to a nice cooking temperature. Put all ingredients to taste preference into beer cans. (Cans will be filled almost to the top by the time you've added in everything.)

Place cans into chicken's cavity, after cleaning and drying your bird(s). Rub outside of chicken with canola oil or butter, then sprinkle on favorite BBQ seasoning or rub mix. Cook on pit until chicken falls over "drunk." When this happens, it means the chicken is cooked and tender.

Great all year round. Chicken will be moist but fully cooked. Mmmm-mm-good!

DH thought it would be funny to make his chickens look like drinking buddies holding each other up, or dancers doing the Cajun two-step. :)

A Ride n' Write You're Really Gonna Wanna Get Behind!

2011-03-18T10:47:00.000-05:00

Hey Bloggy friends, and happy Friday. Please meet my friend Rick Arnett and learn about his fantsastic adventure that's looming on the horizon. I hope you'll get to know him, follow him on Twitter or at his brand spankin' new blog HERE, and support him with good thoughts, prayers, and a few bucks if you can! He's got contacts at a major publishing company, and is talking with them about a book. Exciting, no?

Read below to find out about Rick's journey in his own words, except where I butt in with the yellow font. LOL
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I'm making a bicycle trip, solo, unsupported (no chase vehicle or crew) by bicycle from Virginia Beach, VA to San Francisco. I'll leave the first week in April, taking 9-10 weeks to cross the USA on two wheels. I'm setting up a website that will have interactive maps with way points tracking my progress in real time. My gps sensor will post a spot on the map anytime I hit the button and i'll attach photos and details specific to that point. It'll include an ongoing blog. Should be up in a week or so--we're making the maps now. [If anyone has a helmet/handlebar cam they're not using, wouldn't that be a wonderful addition to Rick's data gathering equipment?! :D]

It's not just a recreational ride. I'm in the process of making contacts in every planned overnight through AA (I'm in recovery). Most every night of the trip a fellow AA member will bring me to a meeting, give me a safe place to pitch my tent and wash up, and share a meal, then I'm off to the next day's riding. The idea is to demonstrate that with a little help from my friends, family and fellow AA members, I can achieve goals that would otherwise be impossible on my own, or at minimum, a daunting challenge. People in early recovery and those who think they may have a problem (by which time all your friends, family and co-workers already know you do) feel lonely and afraid. This ride will be an example that shows how people in recovery are only too happy to lend a little support to a fellow recovering alcoholic (or addict).

And I'll be writing about all of it. Besides being a mission to raise awareness for recovery, it's a Creative Nonfiction journey. I thought you might be interested for that reason.

I'm also begging for donations. Anything you could contribute will be greatly appreciated. I'll list all contributors and the amount they give on the website/blog. Funds above whatever expenses I incur on the trip will be donated to recovery centers in LA (Hope Center, Marksville and Red River Recovery in Pineville) and CA (Mad House in Sacramento.) If you send a check, make it out to Diane Gordon--she's going to take care of all that. Address is 4117 Seaforth Road, Chesapeake, VA 23321. [Hey Rick, you need to investigate getting a PayPal account for online donations!]

I'll be posting a lot about this on FB as we departure date gets closer and thereafter, too, as a supplement to the blog. [Friend Rick on FB HERE.]

I feel like Flounder in Animal House. "This is gonna be great!"

P.S. I must stress the BEGGING part--I am entirely dependent of funding from others for all aspects of the trip. Thanks again. This will be fun, scary, angst-ridden, exciting, boring, engaging, morale deflating and spiritually uplifting at various points along the way. I hope to impress those emotions on the readers. I'll be in touch!
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How cool is this? I can't wait to follow Rick's journey!!!

Writerly Wednesday ~~ A Journey from Narrative to Jazz to Poetry

2011-03-16T08:14:00.001-05:00

I've got a treat for you writerly/readerly folks today. Poet, professor, global speaker and down-right smart woman Ava Leavel Haymon dropped by to share a bit of her writing journey with us. I know you'll find it inspiring!

Ava heads Collaboration 672, shares her knowledge of the craft willingly with all interested persons, and is on the short list of State Poet Laureate nominees. Her newest book of poems is Why the House is Made of Gingerbread, which she speaks about below:

The old story Hansel and Gretel is a favorite of mine. They did not live happily ever after, and even as a kid, I knew I liked that ending better. I wrote a few poems about Gretel, the sister, a long time ago, and thought I'd like to know more about her. A couple of years went by. Then, at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, 1990ish, I heard Delfeayo Marsalis, and he played some pieces he was composing. This body of work ultimately became the CD "Pontius Pilate's Decision," but that would be several years in the future. No lyrics, all instrumentals. That day, he played one unfinished piece, "Mary Magdalene." Most of the parts in the piece were not scored; there was only him on trombone with another player on another instrument, maybe it was a clarinet. I remember the two parts twining upward like two vines, without support, somehow each holding the other up as they rose.

As the piece unfolded, I realized he'd done something new: He was writing about the crucifixion story, but instead of tracking the narrative from beginning to end, as I'd have expected, he instead wrote a completely separate composition on each character. You see immediately what I mean: a composition about Judas Iscariot, another composition about Pilate, etc., to be played in any order. The music was great, of course, the Festival joyously Dionysian, and in that odd and unexpected inspiration that artists -- maybe only writers, know -- my hair began to stand on end.

Once I'd heard Delfeayo play, I could write about Gretel. Now it could become the obsession it had to be to get words on pages. Instead of writing poems that told the story beginning to end, I could write poems that were jazz riffs. The Gingerbread House as poem topic or focus, Hansel another, the witch's kitchen another. Like traditional jazz: the foundation melody is taken for granted, all the separate jazzmen keep it in mind and improvise off that, and, as I heard Delfeayo say years later, then the performance becomes a conversation among musical voices.

It took years to get the poems down, but slowly the long poetic sequence improvised itself into being. It does not tell the story. The reader doesn't have to know the story. The story was running in my own head, the story let me forget myself, and the individual poems rooted in it. They twined their way out of the story into their own forms. The book is WHY THE HOUSE IS MADE OF GINGERBREAD, Gretel and Hansel still do not live happily ever after, and the poems were free to grow, funny sometimes, fateful always, and spooky as hell.

Find out more about Ava at her site. Why the House is Made of Gingerbread is available online and/or you can read more about it at LSU Press.

Tasty Tuesday ~~ Corn and Shrimp Soup

2011-03-15T12:02:00.000-05:00

Hey friends. Whatcha up to? I've been SO busy lately, have barely stuck my toes into the Blogosphere or other swimming holes along the Social Network Highway. (Mardi Gras activities, a massive art project deadline and the time change certainly haven't helped!)

Hope you like this southern favorite. It's good all year round, and most of us keep the key ingredients on hand, so no mad dash to the grocery is needed. :)

TELL ME -- WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE SOUP TO MAKE OR EAT?

Simple Corn & Shrimp Soup

1 T. olive oil
2/3 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery (if you like it)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 lb. large Gulf shrimp (cleaned & deveined)
20 oz. cream corn
10 oz fresh (cut from cob) or canned corn niblets
Sea salt & pepper to taste
(If you like heat, add a 10-oz. can of Ro-tel tomatoes w/green chillies)
1 1/2 cups water
1 T. brown gravy mix or roux (from jar or homemade)

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, saute' veggies until soft and almost clear. Add in shrimp and stir until you can almost see through them. Put in cream corn, Ro-tel (if using), and corn.

Cook covered on low for 20-30 minutes. Add in seasoning and stir well. Last, dissolve gravy mix or roux in 1 1/2 cups water, then add to pot. Stir to make sure any lumps are dissolved. Simmer on lowest temperature until ready to serve. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Writerly Wednesday ~~ Birth of a Story

2011-03-09T09:10:00.001-06:00

We're stoked about our new blog series "Back Story" over at Rose & Thorn's blog. In this continuing stream of posts, contributors of both prose and poetry tell readers how their published pieces were born. Cool, no?

In the kick-off post, Eirik Gumeny shares the journey he took in creating his powerful short story Ballpoint & Boredom. (Read the story in our winter issue HERE.)

Enjoy a sneak peak at Eirik's "Back Story" whose own Blogspot address is HERE ~~~

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Like a lot of writers, a large number of my stories are based on real life. Unlike a lot of writers, real life sometimes entails the voice of a grizzled old man telling me what I should be doing myself.

“Ballpoint & Boredom” was based on a real job, a real girl, and a very real fear of rejection. It was also based on a real pep talk given to me by a real voice inside my head.

For what it’s worth, I’m referring to something more akin to a conscience than an actual schizophrenic hallucination. Although, for what that’s worth, I never did bother to get tested.

To this day I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard the voice in real life—and, if not, why my subconscious chose the dialect it did—but I really and truly heard it tell ing me to get off my ass and go after the girl. On a fairly regular basis.

The girl was a friend of mine and we talked occasionally, and being younger, shyer, and male... er, that was enough to convince me that we had a shot at a real relationship. The voice seconded that assumption. He also hinted that, in order to facilitate that, I should, you know, actually ask the girl out. As with most advice I give to myself, though, I ignored it.

Instead, I sat in my cubicle answering the phone, staring out the window, doodling dragons on scratch paper, and staring at the girl as she walked by. It was a short jump from there to a full-on daydream, most of which entailed winning the girl over in a spectacular fashion, the two of us then going on to live happily ever after.

The voice insulted me the entire time.

You can read the entire post HERE. And while you're visiting our Roses & Thorns blog, look over the various topics there. You might just find some inspiration, hints or ideas for your own prose and poetry!!

Share a memory about how one of your works was born, why don'tcha? :D

Tasty Tuesday ~~ It Ain't Called FAT TUESDAY for Nothing!

2011-03-08T05:00:00.001-06:00

Cool mask artwork by my twin Alaine, hunh? (She's @Canvas on the Rocks on Facebook if you want to see some artisitc magic.) :)

And if you need a good "taste" of MARDI GRAS in the Big Easy, read below:

Chef John Besh goes over some traditional Mardi Gras dishes (such as Jambalaya) and traditions, and even brings us to his hometown's yearly parade via live cams. Zatarain's has even spiced up their Facebook page to continue the fun with videos from the parade, recipes, Carnival music and a new app to jazz up your profile picture. All at THIS LINK, brought to you by hometown favorite -- Zatarain's!

PS. Friend Zatarain's on Facebook HERE for essential Mardi Gras recipes and more, and be sure to follow Zatarain’s on Twitter (@MyZatarains) to let the good times roll (Laissez les bon temps rouller)!!!

Friday Funnies ~~ Information Overload?

2011-02-18T08:52:00.000-06:00

Kinda sad to say I relate to some of this! Have a wonderful weekend, kicked off with a little bit of techy humor...

When I bought my Blackberry, I thought about the 30 year business I ran with 1800 employees, all without a cell phone that plays music, takes videos, pictures and communicates with Facebook and Twitter.

I signed up under duress for Twitter and Facebook, so my seven kids, their spouses, 13 grandkids and 2 great grandkids could communicate with me in the modern way. I figured I could handle something as simple as Twitter with only 140 characters of space.

That was before one of my grandkids hooked me up for Tweeter, Tweetree, Twhirl, Twitterfon, Tweetie and Twittererific Tweetdeck, Twitpix and something that sends every message to my cell phone and every other program within the texting world.

My phone was beeping every three minutes with the details of everything except the bowel movements of the entire next generation. I am not ready to live like this. I keep my cell phone in the garage in my golf bag.

The kids bought me a GPS for my last birthday because they say I get lost every now and then going over to the grocery store or library. I keep that in a box under my tool bench with the Blue tooth [it's red] phone I am supposed to use when I drive. I wore it once and was standing in line at Barnes and Noble talking to my wife and everyone in the nearest 50 yards was glaring at me. I had to take my hearing aid out to use it, and I got a little loud.

I mean the GPS looked pretty smart on my dash board, but the lady inside that gadget was the most annoying, rudest person I had run into in a long time. Every 10 minutes, she would sarcastically say,"Re-calc-u-lating." You would think that she could be nicer.It was like she could barely tolerate me. She would let go with a deep sigh and then tell me to make a U-turn at the next light. Then if I made a right turn instead, well, it was not a good relationship. When I get really lost now, I call my wife and tell her the name of the
cross streets and while she is starting to develop the same tone as Gypsy, the GPS lady, at least she loves me.

To be perfectly frank, I am still trying to learn how to use the cordless phones in our house. We have had them for 4 years, but I still haven't figured out how I can lose three phones all at once and have to run around digging under chair cushions and checking bathrooms and the dirty laundry baskets when the phone rings.

The world is just getting too complex for me. They even mess me up every time I go to the grocery store. You would think they could settle on something themselves but this sudden " Paper or Plastic ?" every time I check out just knocks me for a loop. I bought some of those cloth reusable bags to avoid looking confused, but I never remember to
take them in with me.

Now I toss it back to them. When they ask me, "Paper or Plastic?" I just say, "Doesn't matter to me. I am bi-sacksual." Then it's their turn to stare at me with a blank look.

I was recently asked if I tweet. I answered, No, but I do toot a lot."

Can you relate??!? (Please lie and say yes.) :D

Writerly Wednesday ~~ She's Number Three with a Bullet!

2011-02-16T07:51:00.000-06:00

We all know and love the fabulous Jenni James, author and mom extraordinaire; now we have a chance to help her win a contest. Jenni is one of the most generous writerly women around, and there's pretty much nothing she won't do to encourage and advance her friends' writing goals. So let's pay it forward!

Here's the scoopage on the writing competition in JJ's own words:

Um, backstory: It's my very first historical attempt and short story I've ever written. For anyone who has ever read Pride & Prejudice or watched the movies, then you know about the awkward sister Mary. I decided to write her own love story and have her find someone amazing. My primary reason for entering this contest because I'd love to have a chance to have a connection with Random House, mainly because of all my author friends/people I come across who have awesome stories. {Angie here -- Jenni wants to be able to help other authors, so is seeking to increase her connections to do so.}

I'm not sure if you can vote more than once, but already these women are going all out. Lol! I'm so not the 'vote for me' type, so I'm struggling with this one. However, I think I've got a real shot if I can just crack the top ten and it's worth it if I get a chance to help someone else. {Angie again -- JJ's story is at #3 with a bullet, so let's shoot her to the top of the heap! She's story #85: "Mary Bennett Falls Head Over Heels."}

You go to THIS LINK and hit **click here to vote* right above the listings.
It's simple, easy, and will get you good writerly karma...and just possibly A VERY COOL PRIZE from Jenni James!!!!! Let's do this thing!

Of Haikus and Cupids

2011-02-14T11:24:00.001-06:00

Thanks to all who entered last week's contest. The winner of the Valentine's haiku competition is....drumroll, please....

Glynis Smy (visit her blog HERE). Congrats to you poet/author lady. Lovely work, and oh what a killer last line! Love when a poem's form mirrors the message. The end words -- promise, kiss, farce also make a secondary form, if you've got a wierd brain like mine. Here's Glynis' winning haiku:

Stiletto promise
Floral bribe, sweet chocolate kiss
February farce

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Since today is that special day we spread around the love a little bit more than the other 364 days a year, here's hoping you ALL have a wonderful Valentine's day. [That especially includes those of you who are single or between loves, divorced, widowed, or simply choose to be by yourself for now!]

I planned and executed Operation St. Valentine's and had a great time preparing little treat bags for my loved ones here in town, but I'm sending y'all who live far from me (and you KNOW who you are) thoughts of love and joy too. :)

What is Operation St. Valentine's (OSV), you ask? Just some culinary and therapeutic fun I cooked up.........

Step One -- Decoupage and personalize plain brown paper bags:

Step Two -- While the bags dry, make a big load of brownie balls to put in the freezer to harden for an hour or so (see recipe from last week):

Step Three -- Fill Ziplock bags with Dr. Teal's (Oh myyyyyyy; you just gotta try this new spin on epsom salt!!!). I used Lavender for this project, but love the spearmint and eucalyptus:

Step Four -- Decorate brownie balls with melted chocolate, Heath and Andes Mint chips, sprinkles, etc. Put in fridge for 2 or 3 hours to set:

Step Five -- Group sweets in sandwich bags and tie with a pretty ribbon. Add colorful tissue paper and you're ready to deliver your "Soak and Savor" bags.

X's & O's from me to you!!!

Friday Foibles ~~ Just Can't Fix Stoopid

2011-02-11T07:37:00.001-06:00

Check out the fun haiku and Mardi Gras contests below. Cool prizes involved!!! Now, back to our regularly scheduled Friday fun...

I was driving when I saw the flash of a traffic camera. I figured that my picture had been taken for exceeding the limit even though I knew that I was not speeding. Just to be sure, I went around the block and passed the same spot, driving even more slowly, but again the camera flashed.

Now I began to think this was quite funny, so I drove even slower as I passed the area once more, but the traffic camera again flashed.

I tried a fourth and fifth time with the same results and was now laughing as the camera flashed while I rolled past at a snail's pace.

Two weeks later, I got five tickets in the mail for driving without a seatbelt.

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Photo image from BatonRougeToday.com

No, this wasn't really me, but it coulda been! Have you had any experience with a traffic camera, or some other driving related mishap?

Have a wonderful weekend and stay warm!!

Writerly Wednesday ~~ Contest and Other News...

2011-02-09T08:55:00.000-06:00

Hey writerly blog pals! Before other things, I posted the recipe to Beth's yummy Italian Cream Cake below. It's TDF!

How's it going in your corner of the world? I've been b-u-s-y lately, but with good stuff. Cooking, writing projects, some creative endeavors of the Vispo-collage-art kind, reading, researching some new ideas for our beloved Rose & Thorn Journal, (check out our winter issue -- it's fab!), collecting recipes/pics for a cookbook project, etc.

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I've also been doing some background/extras work on the set of HBO's Treme show down in New Orleans. Sooooooo much fun, and an awesome series. Check it out on Hulu if you get a chance. The second season airs starting in April. I'll let you know if I make it past the editing "machine" and actually appear in any of the episodes. haaa

Okay, enough about Gumbo Writer's world. Hope yours is twirling just as nicely as mine! :)

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It's time for a writing contest, dontcha think? This one will honor ST. VALENTINE'S day. It's simple and fun, so enter to win a fab writerly package, which naturally includes lotsa chocolate and coffee -- mainstays of the "job" description. [More on that on Friday's post.]

All you have to do is write a Valentine's haiku and leave it in a comment. Or, hey, if you're not one of those mushy, gushy, lovey-dovey types, how about an anti-Valentine's haiku? *grin*

Haiku is that Japanese poetic form that follows the 5 + 7 + 5 = 17 syllabic equation. They're fun, easy and can be surprisingly "deep" if crafted correctly. And the best part? ANYone can write a haiku!

Here's a quick example~~~~~~~~

He corrected her
drink order: "Two rums and Coke."
The break-up followed.

So get busy, have fun, and enter to win by midnight February 13! (Leave me an email address if you don't have a Blogger account profile so I can get in touch if you win!) One entry per customer.

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For another cool writerly contest of the Mardi Gras variety, check out Tere Kirkland's at her The Lesser Key of Tere writing blog. Cool prizes to be given!

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Just in case you're wondering...I've got three sticky notes left in my 100-pack Spread the Love project. It's been SOOO much fun. I'm going to do it again soon. Recipients have really enjoyed the little boost to their day and/or an unexpected "love" note.

Now.....get out there and do something nice for somebody, and for yourself too! xxo

Tasty Tuesday ~~ Sweets for Your Sweets?!

2011-02-08T03:46:00.001-06:00

If you're trying to think of something to get your Valentine's this year, what about something made with love from your kitchen? Here's a few options...

BROWNIE CAKE BALLS

1 brownie mix cooked according to pkg. directions
1 16-oz can of complimentary flavored frosting (or prepared butter cream icing)
6 or 7 oz. chocolate chips, melts or almond bark

After brownies are cool enough to handle, crumble the panfull into a large mixing bowl. Add 2/3 of the can of frosting or comparapble amount of butter cream. Put bowl in fridge for at least 4 hours.

Form small balls (these are rich!) and put on wax paper-lined cookie sheet using your hands like making meatballs, or a melon baller if you have one. Flash freeze for about an hour.

Melt chips in a small glass bowl in microwave, stirring between heatings to get it smooth. (You can add a few drops of food coloring if you use the almond bark or white chips). Either dip each ball with a spoon into chocolate, or drizzle it on top, or just dunk in the top half! This recipe has lots of leeway and flavor choices! Set balls on clean wax paper. Put in refrigerator until choclate sets.

You can also use the leftover frosting with a cup of chips/melts to drizzle over brownie balls. Or just dust with powdered sugar!

BUTTER CREAM FROSTING

1/3 c. margarine or butter, softened
Flavor: 1 1/2 t. vanilla, almond extract OR 1/2 tsp. peppermint
3 T. milk

Mix all ingredients until smooth.

Your love will eat these up! Find a pretty container or tin...or even use candy sticks to make a bouquet of sweets in a styrofoam wedge.

When I get back from New Orleans this afternoon, I'll post the recipe that goes with this...........

Beth Bennett's Italian Creme Cake

1 stick butter
2c. sugar
5 eggs, separated
2 c. flour
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 can coconut
1 c. chopped nuts

Blend sugar, butter and egg yolks. Add flour, buttermilk, baking soda and vanilla. Fold in coconut, nuts and beaten egg whites. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Let cool.

Frosting

Blend 1 8-oz. package cream cheese, 1 stick butter and 1 tsp. vanilla. Gradually add in 1 box powdered sugar, then one cup chopped nuts. Apply to cool cake. Garnish with a sprinkle of nuts.

******This cake is amazing!!!! Twin Alaine ate so much of it she got sick. LOL

What's your plan for the fourteenth???

Friday Foibles ~~ Phone Funniness (PG-13)

2011-02-04T08:17:00.000-06:00

TGIF to all my friends. Hope life is treating you well. I'm juggling several fun and exciting projects (more on those later), along with taking care of Rose & Thorn Journal and editing an engrossing manuscript for someone I love. I've also blown the dust off my own ms and am tackling revisions.

Being away from home the last almost-two weeks and unplugged from the electronic world was refreshing, but I also missed it. I was a Camp Chef on a hunt in northeast Louisiana with two great Hunter's Specialties pro staff guys -- Steve Criner and Rick White. It was oodles of fun, and I've got plenty of new recipes to share with y'all from that trip.

But no matter how busy I get, I'm NEVER too busy for a few laughs; especially those of the slightly politically incorrect variety. (Might wanna censor the kidlets for this one if they're reading over your shoulder.) :D
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When old people (AKA "parents") text and use those fancy phones, bad things happen. Have you done anything like this yet?.......

Okay, don't tell me that's not funny! Surf over to DamnYouAutoCorrect if you want a few more giggles. And for even more snafus of the cellular kind, check out the popular CrazyThingsParentsText too. Oh my......I laughed til my sides hurt!!!!

Love, laughter and lotsa good stuff to each of you. xxo Angie

Writerly Wednesday ~~ Novel Editing Tips

2011-01-19T05:00:00.001-06:00

Good stuff on tap today, writerly blogging friends! Lynnette Labelle is sharing her top 12 tips to editing your way to a better novel. Her article will appear in RWA Online's site at the end of the month, so you're getting a sneak peak! After you enjoy Lynette's tippage, how about leaving your favorite editing tip or trick in a comment? Or a problem area you struggle with? Maybe some kind fellow blogger (or Lynnette, if she has time) will offer a possible solution.

I'm coming to visit, so put on some coffee, okay? :)

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Novel Editing TipsBy Lynnette Labelle

As a developmental copyeditor, I do more than correct grammar and punctuation. I also look at the big picture. In a fiction manuscript, I watch for mistakes made in plot, characterization, dialogue, pace, tension, conflict, and more. The beginning should hook, the middle shouldn’t sag, and the end should satisfy. Unfortunately, writers have a difficult time finding these flaws in their work. Sometimes they’re too personally invested in a particular scene or phrase. Other times, they simply don’t know what to search for. Here’s a list of several issues I encounter frequently.

1. Show, don’t tell: Put the reader inside the character’s head. Show him how the character feels and what she experiences. Avoid “telling” words like: heard, saw, noticed, smelled, thought, etc. For example, instead of saying, “She saw Jim kissing Joelle and wanted to kill them both.” You could say, “Jim kissed Joelle, and Nancy’s stomach turned. How could he do this to her after all they’d been through? Well, if that jerk thought he was getting away with betraying her trust, he was in for a big surprise.”

2. Unrealistic dialogue: Sometimes dialogue is realistic, but doesn’t suit a character. For example, a grandmother wouldn’t say, “Dude. That’s so rad, man!” However, there are times when dialogue simply isn’t realistic. If people wouldn’t say it in real life, your characters shouldn’t say it either.

3. Boring dialogue: Always make sure there’s a point to the dialogue and that one character doesn’t go on and on and on. We all know someone like that in real life, but we don’t want them slowing down our story.

4. Dialogue that reads like transcripts: This happens when two (or more) characters are talking and the writer doesn’t have them do anything more than that. In reality, people never just sit and talk, even when they’re sitting and talking. They might fidget, take a sip of coffee, look around the room, gaze into each other’s eyes, etc. All of these actions tell us more about the characters and possibly the plot. Conversations should also show the characters interacting with the scenery to remind us where they are. The atmosphere in a rowdy country bar would be different than at a quiet, romantic restaurant.

5. Scenes that don’t move the story forward: This is a tough one because there are times when a scene is well written, but it just doesn’t fit with the story. Always ask yourself what’s the purpose of the scene. If it doesn’t move the plot forward or develop the characters, then the scene’s purpose is in question.

6. Too many details: Some writers write beautiful passages that go on forever. Others describe every little detail in the scene, leaving nothing for the reader to imagine themselves. Both of these scenarios should be avoided. Readers like just enough information to allow their imaginations to fill in the rest rather than having the author spoon feed them every last detail.

7. Not enough details: On the other hand, sometimes writers don’t add enough details, so the reader feels like the characters are living in a box. Balance between both styles is key.

8. One dimensional characters: These characters haven’t been fully developed. We might know what they look like and what they do for a living, but we don’t have an idea as to who they really are. Show us their personality. How is this character different from that one?

9. Flawless/perfect heroes or heroines: Nobody’s perfect and people don’t want to read about someone who is. Boring. Plus, it’s harder for readers to relate to the hero or heroine if he/she seems too good to be true. Characters need to be at least a little flawed so they can learn and grow by the end of the novel.

10. Unlikable characters: While it’s okay for us to hate the villain, we don’t want to hate the hero or heroine. Granted, sometimes either one of these characters may come across as blunt, bitchy, aggressive, or strong willed, but they must have some sort of vulnerability, something that shows, deep down, they’re good people.

11. Flat beginnings: This often happens when a writer starts at the wrong place. Either too far in the past or too far in the present. (Prologues are an exception.) The ONLY place to start your story is at the inciting incident. What situation or event changed your character’s life forever?

12. Lack of GMCs: Many writers have never heard of GMCs. Others know the acronym stands for: goals, motivations, and conflicts, and may even believe they understand the concept, but more often than not, they don’t. If a story’s GMCs are missing or weak, the book probably won’t sell.

Writing a novel and writing one that’s publishable are two different things. In the end, it all comes down to knowledge. How well do you know the craft? This list is a good place to start.

Lynnette Labelle is a certified copyeditor and proofreader, and the editor of LoveBytes, RWA Online’s newsletter. She offers writing coach services and teaches courses one-on-one as well as in a group setting. Look for her next online course called “Hook, Line, and Sinker” coming soon. Check out Lynnette’s website and blog HERE!

Tasty Tuesday ~~ New Year's Day Menu

2011-01-18T11:41:00.000-06:00

I'm late posting my New Year's recipes, but better late than never, right? These dishes use some traditional items with a Cajun-Country-Italian spin on them -- typical Gumbo Writer style. :) The key to enjoying your New Year's food is s-l-o-w cooking, in my opinion. You put your food on to cook the day before, or early morning of, and let it do its thing while you enjoy your football games or other plans. I love that you're working out of one pan of sauteed veggies for the whole menu! :)

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BBQ Pork Tenderloin (aka Pulled Pork)

4 8-pound pork tenderloins
Seasoning (Tony's or Cajun spice, garlic powder, sea salt & pepper

Put tenderloins in large aluminum pan and cover tightly with foil. Cook at 350 for about 12 hours. (Works great overnight!)

Drain off about 2/3 of the juice/drippings. Add BBQ sauce (recipe below) after pulling apart meat. It should be very tender and fall apart.) Stir well. Re-cover with foil and put back in oven for 2-3 hours on low. This allows meat to absorb the sauce.

Notes: This is great as a main dish and also for sandwiches. I served this recipe at the men's shelter on New Year's Eve and it was a big hit. THIS RECIPE SERVES 50, SO ADJUST DOWN RECIPE AS NEEDED.

Angie's BBQ Sauce

6 18-oz Kraft BBQ Sauce (2 each - Regular, Hickory, and Honey flavor)

2/3 cup mustard

seasoning (garlic, salt & pepper, Tony's/Cajun seasoning)

1 large store brand grape jelly

4 T. Worcestershire
1 cup leftover coffee (Community Coffee Dark Roast)

Heat ingredients in a medium pan on low, stirring until mixed well. Simmer for 2 hours with lid off to thicken. Yummmmm! (As in pork tenderloin recipe, adjust down quantity to fit your needs.)

White Beans & Ham

1 pkg Camellia Great White Northern Beans ("New Orleans' finest...since 1923.")
Large leftover ham bone (Save your Christmas honey ham bone for this!)
2 medium white onions chopped medium fine
1 cup pan drippings (If you have to ask, just use 2 boullion cubes & water. LOL)
1 cup leftover coffee (I use Community Coffee Dark Roast)

Seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic powder, Diesel's Seasoning --NOTE: Diesel is blogger Karen Evans' son and a swell soldier man!)
1/2 tsp. Kitchen Bouquet
A few strips of cooked bacon or breakfast sausage for extra flavoring
2 garlic pods, minced
1 c. juice from pork tenderloin, or bought broth

Soak beans overnight, drain off water, rince, cover with water again. Saute onions in drippings (or olive oil). Add garlic to saute pan the last few minutes.

Put all ingredients into crock pot, cover, and cook on high for 4 hours. Then mash about a cup of the beans against side of crock to thicken. Simmer uncovered for about an hour. Taste to check seasoning, and add more if needed. Serve and enjoy. (Even better the second or third time as leftovers.)

Black Eye Peas

2 cans Trappey's black eye peas "flavored with slab bacon"
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning
2 T. pan drippings/sauteed onion & garlic
2 cooked breakfast sausage pattis, crumbled (Or substitute bacon)

Simmer peas in medium pot, lid on for 2 hours. Adjust seasoning if needed. Serves 4.

"Fried" Cabbage

1 head green cabbage

Seasoning to taste

3 or 4 slices crisp bacon and/or breakfast sausage

sauteed onion & garlic

1/3 cup beef broth

1/3 cup leftover Community Coffee

In same pan you sauteed onion and garlic in, retain 1/2 cup veggies and drippings. Rough chop cleaned cabbage into pan. Cover and cook on medium low for about 30 minutes. Add in broth, cover and simmer on low for 1 hour. Cabbage will shrink down a LOT. Drain off 2/3 of juices. Enjoy!

Saturday Sweets ~~ A Few Goodies

2011-01-15T09:44:00.000-06:00

Happy Saturday! I hope everything that fills your weekend is SWEET and satisfying. It's been a great week for me, and I'm having a blast leaving my sticky notes around town. :)

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If you're looking for some great short stories and poetry to browse, please check out our shiny new winter issue of Rose & Thorn Journal. Kat and I think it's the best issue yet. Yay! And the cover art below? Isn't it stunning? [Thanks to awesome artist James Day!]

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For a writerly treat, hop over to Kat's blog and read an actual rejection letter she got a few years ago, and her hindsight response. It's a hoot!

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And how's your year going so far??? xxo

Writerly Wednesday ~~ Best "Writing" Project EVER!

2011-01-12T07:51:00.000-06:00

I read recently somewhere on the Internet (or saw in Twitter or on Facebook...or ???) the coolest project I've come across in a long time. From some tragedy -- probably a young suicide -- someone decided to add a little brightness and hope to the world by scattering around uplifting sticky notes. Cool, hunh?

Though the details escape me, the idea of random acts of kindness always lurks in my mushy brain. Sooooo, the other day when I had some time to waste, I scribbled through a sticky pad with the note you see below.

I cannot tell you how much fun it's been this week leaving the "love notes" around town. Places I've put them so far -- on the glass front door of a high end make-up store, on a restaurant table, the entrance to a hair salon, handed to friends, on random cars in parking lots, on the bathroom mirror at a bookstore, etc.

If you're looking for a method of generating story/poem ideas, give this idea a whirl! I laughed so hard at myself yesterday when I was going through a parking lot putting a few sticky notes on cars' driver's side windows, figuring owners would find them when they finished shopping. I stuck a note on an SUV with tinted glass. It seemed like a good choice at the time. Only after afixing the paper to the vehicle's window did I notice there was a driver sitting behind the wheel! A bearded older man!!!!

Oh lawd, he must've thought I was a lunatic or trying to pick him up. Or both. :D [I pretty much ran to my car and peeled out, so didn't see his reaction when he got out to read the note.] LOL

For the cost of a sticky note pad, you can have a ball of fun and spread the LOVE too. "Try it, you'll like it," as that old commercial used to say.

Have YOU ever done crazy things to generate writing ideas, just to have fun, to spread some happiness, or to flesh out a novel's plot?

Tasty Tuesday ~~ Louisiana Gulf Shrimp Poppers

2011-01-11T09:16:00.000-06:00

Hey blogging buds. Hope you've jumped into a wonderful new year with lots of good eats and progress with your resolutions and goals! Mine's been wonderful so far, with many projects of the creative kind.

Speaking of creative endeavors, the winter issue of Rose & Thorn Journal is coming out this Saturday, and it's jam packed with AWESOME art, short stories and poetry. Hope you'll browse through the issue and leave feedback for the authors and poets as the spirit moves ya. [Hit the link to sign up for our free quarterly newsletters too, if interested!]

Now, on with a yummy, tongue-tickling appetizer recipe. This one comes from sweet Kelli, who I claim as a niece......

Kelli's Shrimp Poppers

3 pounds thick sliced bacon

3 pounds fresh shrimp (16-20 size) cleaned & deveined

1 8-oz. cream cheese, softened

jalapeno peppers

toothpicks

Slice jalapenos the long way and scrape out all the seeds. Fill pepper halvess with cream cheese, add a shrimp to each "unit," and wrap with a piece of bacon. Secure with toothpick.

Whether cooked on a BBQ pit or at your stove, watch poppers closely to keep from burning, turning often to evenly cook on both sides. (Takes about 20-30 minutes per batch on a pit.)

Serve hot and watch your guests' eyes light up! Serves 6 or more.

NOTE: If you're not into spicy foods, you can substitute slices of green onion for the jalapeno, or use banana peppers since they're not too hot. :)

Friday Funnies ~~ Seven Degrees of Coonass, A Blonde & A Lawyer

2010-12-31T10:29:00.001-06:00

Here's one last Cajun joke squeezed in before the end of the year. May we all have a little more laughter and joy in 2011!!!

Love y'all. XXO :)

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SEVEN DEGREES OF COONASS

FIRST DEGREE
Boudreaux and his wife were asleep when the phone rang at two in the morning.

Boudreaux picked up the phone, listened a moment and said, "How should I know? Dat's 200 miles from here!" and hung up.

The wife said, "Mais, Boo, who was dat?"

Boudreaux answered, "I don't know, some man wanting to know if da coast is clear."

SECOND DEGREE
Two Cajuns are walking down the street. One notices a compact on the sidewalk and leans down to pick it up. He opens it, looks in the mirror and says, "Hmm, dis person looks familiar." The second Cajun says, "Here, lemme see!" So the first Cajun hands him the compact. The second one looks in the mirror and says, "You dummy, it's me!"

THIRD DEGREE
Boudreaux suspects his wife of cheating on him, so he goes out and buys a gun. He goes to his house unexpectedly and when he opens the door he finds her in the arms of another man. Well, Boudreaux is really angry. He pulls out the gun, and as he does so, he is overcome with grief. He takes the gun and puts it to his head. His wife yells, "No, honey, don't do it!!!"

Boudreaux replies, "Shut up, you're next!"

FOURTH DEGREE
Boudreaux was bragging about his knowledge of state capitals. He proudly says, "Go ahead, and axe (ask) me, I know all dem capitals." Thibodaux says, "OK, what's da capital of Wisconsin?"

Boudreaux replies, "Oh, dat's a easy one! It's W."

FIFTH DEGREE
What did the Cajun girl ask her doctor when he told her she was pregnant?

"Is it mine?"

SIXTH DEGREE
Boudreaux, a Cajun in his fourth year as an LSU Freshman, sat in his US Government class. The professor asked Boudreaux if he knew what Roe vs. Wade was about. Boudreaux pondered the question then finally said, "Dat was da decision George Washington had to make before he crossed da Delaware "

SEVENTH DEGREE
Returning home from work, Boudreaux was shocked to find his house ransacked and burglarized. He telephoned the police at once and reported the crime. The police dispatcher broadcast the call on the radio, and a K-9 unit patrolling nearby was the first to respond. As the K-9 officer approached the house with his dog on a leash, Boudreaux ran out on the porch, shuddered at the sight of the cop and his dog, then sat down on the steps. Putting his face in his hands, Boudreaux moaned, "Oh yai yai. Me, I come home to find all my possessions stolen. I call da police for help, and what y'all do? Y'all send me a BLIND officer!"
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Now, just for good measure, I'm throwing in a blonde joke and a lawyer joke so I can be an equal opportunity insulter! :D

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A blonde was weed-eating her yard and accidentally cut off the tail of her cat which was hiding in the grass.

She rushed her cat, along with the tail, over to Walmart!

Why Walmart?

HELLOOOOOOOOO! Walmart's the largest re-tailer in the world!!!
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A lawyer boards a plane in New Orleans...with a box of frozen crabs under his arm. He asks a blonde stewardess to take care of them for him.

She takes the box and promises to put it in the crew's refrigerator.

He advised her that he was holding her personally responsible for them staying frozen, mentioning in a very haughty manner that he's a lawyer, and proceeds to rant at her about what will happen if she lets them thaw out.

Needless to say, she is annoyed by his behavior.

Shortly before landing in New York, she uses the intercom to announce to the entire cabin, "Would the gentleman who gave me the crabs in New Orleans please raise your hand?"

Not one hand went up, so she takes the crabs home and eats them.

Two lessons here:

1. Lawyers aren't as smart as they think they are.
2. Blondes aren't always as dumb as most folks think.

Writerly Wednesday ~~ Darrelyn's Pitch Fest Debacle

2010-12-29T12:13:00.000-06:00

If you haven't met my friend Darrelyn Saloom, you really need to! She's a home girl Who Dat citizen, but better than that, she's a great writer and person.

Read all about her travels and terrors at a big conference agent pitch fest in a three-part guest blog series on Writer's Digest Jane Friedman's, THERE ARE NO RULES column here. [Scroll down at the site for parts 1 and 2.] You'll find great what-not-to-do tips to guide you on your own future pitch session.

A HAPPY NEW YEAR FULL OF MET WRITING GOALS TO ALL!!!!!!

Howdy!!!

2010-12-17T10:31:00.000-06:00

Just flying by [yes, I keep my Halloween broom handy] to say "hey and love ya" to all! I've missed my blog buds, and *promise* to be a better post-er and visitor in the new year. :)

I hope you're all in the full swing of holiday preps, and are enjoying the good things life has to offer. I've been mega busy with family stuff and getting the winter issue of Rose & Thorn Journal ready for January 15th. (Don't forget to sign up for the free quarterly newsletters, k?) We've got a great menu of prose, poetry & art lined up for our readers' enjoyment.

<3's & huggage, and a VERY Merry Christmas too.

Lurve, Angie (Gumbo Writer)

Writerly Wednesday ~~ LOBO Blog Contest!!

2010-12-01T05:00:00.021-06:00

Hidy, writerly friends! Got a great little contest for you today with fab prizes!!!!!

We're all excited about Kat Magendie's THIRD book, SWEETIE's release! Here's a little taste from an early review...

Five stars. FIVE STARS to this book. I'm out of breath from being totally blown away by this beautiful coming-of-age story. Parts of this book reminded me of an old favorite book, The Shepherd of the Hills by Harold Bell Wright. Kathryn Magendie has captured some magic in her descriptions of the Smoky Mountains and has created a character in Sweetie that will live on in my memory.

I had a sneaking suspicion after reading the first chapter that I would like this book, but I did not expect it to flat out floor me. The development of the story, the characters, the way Magendie manipulates her readers emotions threw me for a loop and had me laughing and crying .. sometimes loudly. This is the perfect book for you folks who love a good coming-of-age story with a touch of magic in it. I cannot wait to get my greedy hands on a physical copy as soon as I can (as I received this via Netgalley).

Read the entire review here at The Lost Entwife. And another great one here: Library Thing.

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Now, about that contest........

This is a LOBO (Leave One, Bring One) event that's easier than it sounds. LOL. You simply leave a comment, and bring a friend to leave a comment too. Comment about what, you ask? Tell us what you love most about Kat and her writing or blog. Easy!

EXAMPLE: "I love Kat's mountain hick voice. John T." Then your friend comes by and leaves his/her comment. "I think Kat is a beautiful person." Suzy Q (friend of John T.)

Contest Rules:

1.) Leave a comment on what you love best about Kat or her writing.

2.) Have a friend do the same, AND SIGN HIS/HER COMMENT WITH, "FRIEND OF (YOUR NAME)." You can comment as a friend for someone else only once, and also enter yourself by bringing another friend once.

3.) This isn't a requirement, just a favor -- please spread the word about this contest. SWEETIE and KAT deserve oodles of publicity. I know y'all love to Tweet and Facebook cool stuff, so how's about sharing the love? Thanks!

4.) Contest runs through Sunday midnight, December 5, Central Time. Use your imagination and writing skills. Creativity counts!

5.) PRIZE PACKAGE: Winner will receive a copy of SWEETIE, hot off the presses, signed by our friend and author, Kat Magendie; a lovely matching book cover necklace that says, "Hold out Hope" (you can see it looped over the cover in the photo below); some cool gel writing pens; and an Amazon or B&N gift certificate (winner's choice) for $20.00. As I'm prone to do, I may throw some other goodies in the pretty red gift bag too!

SO, GET BUSY, SPREAD THE WORD, AND GOOD LUCK TO ENTRANTS!!!

Get Sweetie at Amazon in paperback or for your Kindle!

Tasty Tuesday Trifecta

2010-11-30T09:48:00.001-06:00

Since I've been so lax and have skipped a few Tuesdays of posting yummylicious recipes, I've got a three-fer for y'all today. Enjoy! AND COME BY TOMORROW FOR A VERY COOL WRITERLY WEDNESDAY CONTEST!!!

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BEEF STROGANOFF

Saute 1 lb. lean ground beef or turkey with 1/2 yellow onion, diced in a large pan. Drain off grease. Add 2 cans cream of mushroom soup, 1 soup can of milk, 2 cups of sour cream, salt, pepper and garlic to taste. Stir well and simmer on low.

Cook 1 lb. box of small pasta shells according to package directions. Drain water and add shells to pan. Continue simmering with lid on, stirring every now and then, until ready to serve. [If stroganoff becomes too thick, thin it out with milk.]

Now, wasn't that easy? And it makes for great leftovers to reheat!

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Coffee Cake Bread Pudding Muffins

Another quick and easy recipe you won't believe how good it is! (Thanks to Jessica for the addition to our Thanksgiving food stock.) :)

1/2 can (7 oz) can condensed milk

4 eggs, beaten

3/4 c. golden raisins

1 prepared bakery cinnamon coffee cake with pecans

pinch of salt

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350. Whisk in large bowl all ingredients except coffee cake. Tear coffee cake into bite-sized chunks, and add to bowl. Toss until cake has absorbed as much of the liquid as possible. Spray muffin tins with non-stick spray. Pour in mixture. Bake for one hour, or until golden brown. (If you like your bread pudding more spongy, decrease cooking time.)

Glaze muffins with canned icing, or confectioners' sugar + water you've made yourself. Mmmm mm good!

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Green Bean and Fingerling Potato Salad with Shrimp

1 lb fingerling potatoes (small Yukon Gold work well, too), halved lengthwise
1/2 lb fresh thin green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
2 1/2 Tbsp cider vinegar (apple cider vinegar works as well)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill, divided (I only used 2 Tbsp total…depend on how "dilly" you want it to taste)
3/4 lb medium shrimp, cooked, peeled, and deveined. (I get the Target "Market Pantry" frozen shrimp in a bag…thaw, season with Paul Prudhomme's Seafood Magic and then cook up on the Foreman Grill)
3 Tbsp pecan halves, toasted

1. Place potatoes in saucepan; cover with water to 3 inches above potatoes. Bring to a boil; simmer potatoes just until tender (about 8 minutes). Add string beans; simmer until beans are crisp and tender (about 3 minutes). Drain.
2. While potatoes cook, combine Dijon, vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, and 1 Tbsp dill; stir with a whisk. Set dressing aside.

3. Place shrimp and potatoes-and-bean mixture on platter; drizzle with dressing (mix if desired) and top with roasted pecans.

***Thanks to Cynthia for lending me her recipe. This is a delicious full-meal-in-a-casserole!

Y'ALL LEMME KNOW IF YOU WANT A RECIPE FOR A CERTAIN THING, AND I'LL DO MY BEST!

What's Up?

2010-11-24T09:58:00.000-06:00

Hello! I've missed y'all and my time at the computer lately. Things have been so crazy here, I've not had time to play in Blogaritaville much! Here's a taste of what's been up with me...and I hope you'll leave a note telling me what you've been doing. And after all your Turkey Day doings are over and you've digested your food, come back by this weekend for a great contest with wonderful prizes. If you're a reader or a writer, you'll wanna enter! [No more hints for now. Aren't I mean? Mmwahahahaha!]

To say it was fun being an extra in the HBO series TREME would be an understatement. That's what I did at the beginning of the week. Got to be in on the filming for an episode at Commander's Palace in New Orleans for a Thanksgiving 2006 scene. If you're not familiar with this fabulous post-Katrina saga, you need to be. Cool cast, director, plot line! I think they said the second season will begin airing in April, so I'll let ya know if I "make the cut."

Now, how are your Thanksgiving preps coming along? Mine are just flying into place...because we're eating at Cracker Barrel this year! LOL. Family and friends are all spread out, plus it's *insert dark piano chords here* [bom, bom, bom...] hunting season, which means all the hunter men and women want to scoot out for the woods as soon as the last fork full of food is consumed. Yep, eating out is a great alternative to the "full bird spread" and all that cooking/cleaning involved in loading down the banquet table, y'all!

Besides, who can cook/clean/prepare with a whole like this in their kitchen ceiling? Yep, this is what happens in Gumbo Writer's world when we decided to have the attic insulated to save on utility costs for the Ledbetter clan. After a whole day of blowing insulation into the attic, a workman went to inspect the job and...well, you get the picture. So now, as we "speak," another workman is on his way back for the fifth time to work on patching/painting the large area that had to be re-sheet rocked. Soooo, no, Nana is not cooking this year in all that mess. But she is excited that her stepdaughter family will be arriving shortly. Hope they don't mind a few construction obstacles! Jessica and kidlets' visit reminds me to mention we'd all appreciate your prayers for her hubby who's serving a year in Afghanistan. The holidays are hard for them all. GOD BLESS OUR MILITARY AND THEIR FAMILIES!!!

Now, just to keep things really interesting, I've got an ethnography job (where you collect data for a research company) on Black Friday shopping and crowds. UG! But the money is good. LOL. Sooooo....I'll be out from 2:00 am til 7:00 am observing the insanity that is post-Turkey Day shopping. Oh boy.

So, no, I haven't gotten a lick of anything writing related done! How 'bout you?

Now...what've YOU been up to lately????

HAPPY AND BLESSED THANKSGIVING TO ALL YOU WHO CELEBRATE IT, AND A WONDERFUL WEEKEND AS WELL! XXO

Writerly Wednesday ~~ Mega Mongo Giveaway!

2010-11-17T07:15:00.002-06:00

Hey writerly folks, there's a big big big contest going on at the blog home of writer & sweetheart Jenni James today through November 30.

Here's what Jenni says:

How would you like to get all of your Christmas shopping done at once? In honour of my great friend and amazing writer: MM Bennetts, and her new book-- Of Honest Fame
I'm hosting A Ginormous Christmas Gift Giveaway!

A group of authors from all over the world, have come to celebrate the release of MM's book with her. And they have each contributed a book or gift of some kind to be included in the giveaway. One LUCKY READER will have the chance at winning all 20 books listed--including Of Honest Fame posters signed--a Portrait Painting (by me), a pencil drawing (Elizabeth Mueller), Christmas booklets, and many more fun prizes!

An estimated $500 Value!

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Get on over to Jenni's and enter to win. And good luck! When you get through at Jenni's, drop by Kat's and check out the neat linkage she's got up today. Great reading. Yay/!

Friday Funnies ~~ Boudreaux, the Romantic

2010-11-05T08:10:00.000-05:00

As we say here, "Y'all pass a good weekend, ya hear?!" A little bit 'a Boo & Thib to get ya started~~~~~

Thibodaux is passing by Boudreaux's hay barn one day when, through a gap in the door, he sees Boo doing a slow and sensual striptease in front of his old green John Deere.

Hiney clenched, Boudreaux performs a slow pirouette and gently slides off first the right strap of his overalls, followed by the left. He then hunches his shoulders forward and in a classic striptease move, lets his overalls fall down to his hips revealing a torn and frayed plaid shirt.

Grabbing both sides of his shirt, he rips it apart to reveal his stained tee shirt underneath. With a final flourish, Boo tears the tee shirt from his body and hurls his baseball cap onto a pile of hay.

Having seen enough, Thib rushes in and says, "Mais, what da heck you doin', Boo?!"

"Jeez, Thibodaux, you done scart (scared) da snot outta me!" exclaims Boo. Then, obviously embarrassed, he says, "Me and mah old lady, we been havin' da troubles lately in da bedroom department, so da terapist (therapist), he done tole (told) me I should do someting sexy to a tractor."

Tasty Tuesday + Writerly Wednesday Game

2010-11-03T05:54:00.000-05:00

Hey, y'all! I've been AWOL for a while from the computer, getting caught up on family stuff and chores that have been dragging. Hope you've been well, and that life's treating you right. There's a recipe and a short little writing game below. Enjoy!

Sidebar: Kudos to all you who got out to VOTE yesterday, remembering the supreme privilege it is to exercise the freedom others have died to protect. I'm proud to say our local citizens battled rain and long lines to make their choices count, and also slogged through 10 amendments' legalese as well.

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SOUR CREAM CHEESY CORNBREAD

1 C. self-rising corn meal
1/2 C. self-rising flour
1/2 C. butter (I use Smart Balance)
2 large eggs
1 can cream corn

1 carton sour cream (8 oz.)

1 C. cheddar cheese (garlic cheese & sliced bacon cheddar are great)
1/2 C. milk
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl with the corn. Beat eggs and add to mixture. Next, add melted butter, then garlic and pepper.

Pour into greased cast iron skillet. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Wonderful with chili, gumbo, soup, or as a meal. Serves 8-10.

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Now, let's have some writerly fun! Leave comments that represent a "best of" or "worst of" aspect of your writing routine. The first person starts with the letter A, and we'll follow alphabetically. [Ex -- ALWAYS planning a scene; BARELY enough sleep; CAN'T stop thinking about my WiP plot, etc.] Go!

Tasty Tuesday ~~ Superrific Soup and Salad Duo

2010-10-26T05:00:00.005-05:00

I'm real thankful for my friends who share their "goodest" recipes with me. 'Preciate the good eats, Cynthia!

Here's a new favorite soup & salad combo I think you'll really like. It's great all year round, and you can substitue asparagus or broccoli for the zucchini. Experiment!

Enjoy...

Zucchini Soup
(aka ToupsSoup by way of Southern Living)

1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 lb. zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 5 cups)
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (16oz.) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Garnish: Heaping amount of crumbled feta cheese (a must)

Sauté chopped celery and onion in hot olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat for eight minutes or until tender.

Add zucchini and next four ingredients. Bring to boil over medium heat; reduce heat to low. Simmer 10 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Remove from heat. Let stand 20 mins.

Process soup, in batches, in a blender or food processor 30 seconds or until smooth. Return soup to Dutch oven, and cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Garnish.

Strawberry & Arugula Salad with Prosciutto
(a regular Spring Mix works just as well)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/2 cup sliced red onion
Olive oil cooking spray
4 thin slices prosciutto (about 2 oz)
6 cups baby arugula (about 5 oz)
2 oz goat cheese or feta, crumbled

Whisk together first 5 ingredients (through black pepper) in a large serving bowl. Add berries and red onion; let stand 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, lightly coat a seasoned cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan with cooking spray, and heat over moderately high heat. Add prosciutto in one layer, and cook, turning, about 5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a plate to cool; crumble and reserve.

Place the baby arugula in a large serving bowl with cheese; add the strawberries, red onions, and balsamic dressing, and toss gently until just coated. Divide the salad among 4 serving plates, and top evenly with cooked prosciutto.

Friday Funday ~~ Bad Bad BAD Boo & Thib

2010-10-15T10:58:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Daddy for forwarding another Boudreaux & Thibodaux joke for us all to enjoy. And thank Y'ALL for all the well wishes and prayers concerning "Big Hairy" (18-y.o. "Court Jester" of my old Ledbetter Lunacy cartoons) and his getting well. His mono symptoms and fever are much better and we got home from the hospital to sleep in our own beds last night. That's all the TGIF I need to have a great weekend!

Hoping same for each and every one of y'all! Now, here's a new chapter in the life of those bad bad Cajun boys, right after a reminder that our fall issue of Rose and Thorn Journal went live today! Go take a browse, add us to Twitter/Facebook, and sign up for the newsletter!!!!! And we lurve feedback. :D

Now, dem boys...

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One day, Boudreaux's walking down Main Street when he sees his buddy Thibodaux driving a brand new pickup.

Boudreaux pulls up to him with a wide grin.

"Hey, Thib, where you got dat truck?"

"Mais, Tammy Lou gave dat to me. Ain't it sumpin (something)?" Thib beams with pride.
Boo replies, "Hooo-boyyy, she juss gave it to ya? Mais, I know'd she was kinda sweet on ya, but a new truck?''

"Well, Boudreaux, me too, I was kinda shock, but lemme tole you what happen when she give it to me. We just drivin' out on County Road 6, in da middle of nowhare. All of a sudden, Tammy, she pull off da road, put da truck in 4-wheel drive, and head into da woods. She park dis (this) truck, gets down (term used for "out"), trew (threw) off all her clothes and say, 'Thibodaux, take whatever you want.'"

"So, me, I took da truck!"

"Mais, Boudreaux, you a smart man, yeah! Dem clothes woulda never fit you nohow!"

At the Hospital

2010-10-13T18:58:00.000-05:00

Sorry no recipe or writerly stuff this week. My "baby" (18, almost 6-ft. tall, and real hairy) has been trying to shake off a case of mono for over a month. Long story short, he had a relapse with a vengence. High fever, aches, an almost-closed throat from swollen glands, and feeling just horrible all over, and like his head was on fire. He needed more help than a fever reducer and a steroid were giving him.

Being at the hospital in the pediatric ward has been nice. The IV of fluids and meds has brought his burning fever down, so he's finally feeling human again. As a bonus (and so no one will steal him or give him to the wrong mom...LOL), we have matching paper ID bracelets!

So, I'll see y'all next week. Until then, have a great weekend. Do something nice for someone in need...and also for yourself. :D *hugs*

Friday Funnies ~~ Boo & Thib Go Hunting

2010-10-08T08:24:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday, y'all! Here's another episode from the endless book of jokes about our two favorite Cajuns, sent to me by my Daddy...

Boudreaux and Thibodaux are some excited that hunting season is here once again. The two hire a pilot to fly them from Grande Mamou, Louisiana to Canada for some moose hunting.

The bon amies have had a good trip and manage to bag four. As they started loading the plane for the return trip home, the pilot tells them the plane can take only two moose.

They objected strongly in their Franglish dialect, and start waving their arms around wildly. Boudreaux says, "Mais, lass year we shot four a' dem moose, and da pilot let us put all dem big beasts on board, and he had da same kinda plane as yours!"
Reluctantly, the pilot gives in and all four are loaded. Unfortunately, even at full power, the little plane just can't handle the load and crashes a few minutes after takeoff.

Climbing out of the wreck, Boo asks Thib, "Any idea where we at?"

Thibodeaux replies, "I tink we pretty close to da same spot where we crashed lass year!"

Writerly Wednesday ~~ Literary Mystery and an Interview!

2010-10-06T08:12:00.000-05:00

Good morning, writerly friends! Before we get started with our author interview with Michelle Davidson Argyle, please take a second to check out an unfolding literary mystery. I'm copying the email exactly as I received it yesterday, and you can decide whether to participate or not. If you're the inquisitive type like me, you just can't stand not to be in on the ground floor of such an interesting endeavor...

From: Enna Scott

To: ennascottblog@gmail.com
Sent: Tue, Oct 5, 2010 10:06 am
Subject: I'm a writer friend, this is my pen name

You know me. I'm part of a circle you run.

I sent this e-mail to lots of people, but I hid the addresses because you are all smart. I don't want you to know who I am yet.

Check out my new blog. See what you think... http://ennascott.blogspot.com/ ...I need your help spreading the word where/when/how you see fit. Maybe you could even follow me. (hint)

If you figure out who I really am, don't make it known...

XOXO,

"Enna Scott"

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Interview with Michelle Davidson Argyle

**Read Michelle's story, This, at Rose and Thorn.

1.) In your experience, how important is social networking to the writer? To the author?

I think social networking is important for a writer who wishes to immerse themselves in the world of marketing their work. Some authors are more shy than others, and I wouldn't blame them in the slightest if they didn't feel comfortable networking themselves all over the place. I know I'm more likely to attach myself to an author's work if they feel more accessible to me, but it's certainly not a requirement. It is the writing that matters, and no amount of social networking is going to make a book inherently better or worse at the end of the day.

2.) Which is essential -- writer's blog or personal website?

I honestly don't think it matters as long as the writer has a place where fans can go to get information. A blog is certainly more interactive, but I don't think it's essential or necessary.
**Michele's The Innocent Flower blog.
**Author site.

3.) What has your journey from start to publication been like so far?

Interesting! It has been a lot of fun, mostly, and since deciding to self-publish my novella I've learned more about publishing and writing than I ever would have otherwise. I'm not an advocate for just self-publishing or just traditional publishing. I think both avenues are excellent options for different people, and my journey so far has taught me the valuable lesson of seeing the politics and emotions of publishing from different angles.

4.) If you could've known one thing before now about the world of writing, what would it have been?

To not write what others want me to write.

5.) Give us a peek at your typical day.
This is frightening.

Feed my daughter breakfast, network online, get my daughter to preschool, write or read, pick up my daughter from preschool, feed my daughter lunch, do more networking online, play with my daughter here and there, clean here and there, more networking/reading/writing, feed my daughter dinner...consequently wish my husband was home more often...clean some more, put my daughter to bed, do more networking/reading/writing, and go to bed.

That is so not exciting.

6.) Any/everything about Cinders we need to know?

Hmm, I could talk a long time about my book, but here are some things that have come up a few times that I'll clear up.

Basic things you should know:

Cinders is NOT a fairy tale nor a continuation of the Disney version of the tale.

Cinders is not a happily-ever-after story. I intended to end Cinders on a positive note although many readers don't seem to see it that way (it has been a lot of fun and very interesting to see what readers think about the end!).
I wrote Cinders to specifically self-publish the story - it has never been queried.

Cinders is the story of Cinderella after she gets married, not a retelling of the Cinderella tale, and although it takes place in a fantastical setting, I see it more as literary fiction that just happens to take place in that setting rather than pure fantasy.

7.) What are you working on now?

I am currently working on another fairy tale themed novella titled Thirds. It's based on the Grimm's fairy tale One-Eye, Two-Eyes, Three-Eyes and is not a continuation like Cinders, but an actual retelling. Thirds also includes a character from Cinders, which may be very exciting for some readers!

8.) Your best advice to fellow writers concerning publication.

Don't be in a hurry. Don't be in a hurry. Don't. Be. In. A. Hurry. And I mean that with every ounce of seriousness I can possibly put forth.

9.) What is the Literary Lab?

The Literary Lab is a blog co-authored by myself, Scott G.F. Bailey, and Davin Malasarn. We're an interesting bunch that adores literary fiction - writing and reading and talking about it. We blog every weekday about writing and publishing and I think any writer of any genre might find something of value in what we talk about if they stop by regularly. We celebrate all types of writing!

10.) Tell us a secret or something funny/embarrassing about yourself.

I love Metallica. I even play it enough that my four year old daughter headbangs in the backseat of the car when it comes on. I even think she knows the words.... :)

**Check out the Literary Lab.

Okay, you writers, you! What'cha workin' on?!

Tasty Tuesday ~~ Cheaters' Delight!

2010-10-05T15:29:00.000-05:00

Before we get down to cookin' "bidness," I wanna give a shout out to our beloved Louisiana potato chip maker -- Zapp's! You haven't eaten a real chip until you've tried one of these. There's tons of flavor choices for the Cajun in you.

Spicy Cajun Crawtator
Lighted Salted Sweet Potato
and Voodoo Gumbo

Ca c'est bon!!

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Sometimes we all need a shortcut or two, right? Right. Today I'm sharing one of my favorites with you. You know how much I love simple, easy and good. This "recipe" fits the bill AND is made all in one pan, making clean-up a breeze. It also gives you a few dishwasher safe containers to reuse later.

Cheaters' Delight is way better than a "time saver" too; it's a "time giver." It actually adds a couple hours to your day. :)

Not possible, you say? Well, check this out...

Cheaters' Delight

Go to your nearest favorite Chinese restaurant. (I guess it's politically incorrect to say Takee Outee, any longer?) *grin*
Order a large lo mein noodle with veggies, plus an order of mushrooms and beef.
Once home, combine both items in a large pan. If you have leftover baked or broiled chicken, beef or pork in your 'fridge, cube it and add to the pan.
Simmer covered on low until warm through and through.
Serve, eat, enjoy.

Serves 6-8 [Easy to convert to vegetarian dish by adding more veggies and taking out the meat! I used leftover pork chops in tonight's version.]

TGIF ~~ Hellloooooo, October!

2010-10-01T07:27:00.000-05:00

We've had about five days in a row of gorgeous fall weather here in Louisiana, and if you've ever been in a sauna, you can imagine our relief and giddiness.

It almost makes you wanna do this...

Writerly Wednesday ~~ Who Won the Contest?

2010-09-29T12:23:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all of you who entered the Flower Power contest. Loved the concise descriptions! It's hard to write a good, complete thought in under 25 words, but you did it.

Now for the winners of surprise packages of writing stuff and a dab of Cajun and coffee goodness, which I'll mail out as soon as I have addresses...........

Please congratulate:

Jane Gaston of Gaston Studio
Small Footprints of Reduce Footprints
and Diane Estrella

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And before y'all hop to the next blog on your stop, TAKE A LOOK AT THE COOL CONTEST POSTED BENEATH THIS ONE! KIM RICHARDSON'S GROOVY AGENT IS INVOLVED IN PICKING THE WINNER...SO *DO* ENTER TO WIN THAT FABULOUS MOOLAH PRIZE!!!!!

Tasty Tuesday ~~ A Yummy Read AND Contest!

2010-09-28T07:50:00.001-05:00

No, I'm not completely nuts and forgetting that today is usually recipe day, but you know ol' Gumbo Writer likes to shake things up now and then. So, instead of rattling the pots and pans today, I've got an especially yummy "recipe" for all the writerly folks and those who just like to doodle with words!

Speaking of all things writerly, I'll announce winners of my Flower Power contest tomorrow. Thanks for all the great entries, y'all! [***I know I've been a terrible visitor lately, but I'm remedying that in the next few days. Been busy putting together the fall issue of @RoseandThorn.] :)

Friend Kim Richardson is hosting a contest with a really cool prize over at her blog. I just know one of my bloggerish friends is going to be the winner, so get on it. Kimmi's been super busy tweaking her book and getting it ready for launch. I've read THE UNBREAKABLE CHILD, and can't recommend it loudly enough. But more on that later. Today, it's all about the contest!

Kim says,

"To celebrate the Oct. 1st 2010 release of my memoir, The Unbreakable Child, see here [Amazon] and keeping with the theme of my book, I would like to invite you to submit a children’s poem or a proverb-style type sentence (no more than 4 lines) for a child you don’t know...First Prize will be awarded by literary dream agent, Stephany Evans, president of FinePrint Literary Management. The winner will receive a 50.00 American Express Gift Card."

Go to Kimmi's blog to enter!

Friday Foibles ~~ Politically Incorrect Blonde Humor

2010-09-24T08:52:00.001-05:00

Thanks to all of you contestants who entered the Writerly Wednesday Flower Power contest! I'll be choosing winners over the weekend!!

Now, on with our TGIF fun. I've been pickin' on my own Ragin' Cajun folks lately, so it's time to find a new group of victims. Hmmmm...how's about a little stroll through Blondedom? hehe

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A blonde and her husband are lying in bed listening to the next door neighbor's dog. It has
been in the backyard barking for hours and hours. The blonde jumps up out of bed and says, "I've had enough of this!," and goes downstairs.

After a long while, she finally comes back up to bed. Her husband says "The dog is still barking. What have you been doing?"

The blonde says, "I put the dog in our backyard. Let's see how THEY like it!"

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Two Blondes With Hammers...

Lynn and Judy were doing some work on a Habitat for Humanity house. Lynn was nailing down house siding, would reach into hr nail pouch, pull out a nail and either toss it over her shoulder or nail it in.
Judy, figuring this was worth looking into, asked, "Why are you throwing those nails away?'

Lynn explained, 'When I pull a nail out of my pouch, about half of them have the head on the wrong end so I throw them away."

Judy got completely upset and yelled, "You moron! Those nails aren't defective! They're for the other side of the house!"

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Did you hear about the two blondes who froze to death in a drive-in movie?

They had gone to see 'Closed for the Winter.'

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A blonde was driving home after a football game and got caught in a really bad hailstorm. Her car was covered with dents, so the next day she took it to a repair shop.

The shop owner saw that she was a blonde, so he decided to have some fun. He told her to go home and blow into the tail pipe really hard, and all the dents would pop out.

So, the blonde went home, got down on her hands and knees and started blowing into her tailpipe. Nothing happened. So she blew a little Harder, and still nothing happened.

Her blonde roommate saw her and asked, "What are you doing?"

The first blonde told her how the repairman had instructed her to blow into the tail pipe in order to get all the dents to pop out.

The roommate rolled her eyes and said, "Uh, like hello! You need to roll up the windows first!"

Writerly Wednesday ~~ Flower Power Contest!

2010-09-22T05:00:00.001-05:00

Hope your mid-week is going well, blog friends. Are you meeting your deadlines, working toward your goals, polishing your WiPs?

When I want a break from revising my ms, reading submissions for Rose and Thorn Journal or whatever is taking up the majority of my time, I'll sometimes get out my camera and click away. It's nice to have a hobby that lets you refocus or change your perspective. The photos below are some I've taken recently.

If you're stalled out and need a little diversion, here ya go --
a short & sweet contest to get your creative juices flowing!

CONTEST RULES:

1.) Look at the numbered photos below and pick the one that best represents you.

2.) In 20 words or less left in a comment, explain why.

3.) Leave your email address in the comment if you don't have one connected to your I.D. so I have some way to contact you should you win a prize.

4.) We'll see how the contestant numbers stack up, and decide on how many winners based on that. The prizes will also be a surprise...but if you're a writer, you'll be happy.

Now..."pick a flower" and tell us how the two of your are alike.

(1.)

(2.)

(3.)

(4.)

(5.)

(6.)

Tasty Tuesday ~~ Terrific Twofer: Soup and Salad

2010-09-21T10:38:00.000-05:00

I love when people pass along their fav recipes, so I can pass 'em along to you! These two come from my daddy's friends, Beth Bennett and J.P. Averette.

Thought of the day ~~ Our "plates" are truly full when we have good friends to share with. Enjoy!

TACO SALAD (with delicious twists)

Ground Beef --------------------------- 1 Lb.
Taco Mix ------------------------------- 1 Pkg.
Lettuce -------------------------------- 1 Head
Cherry Tomatoes --------------------- 1 Container (Small whole tomatoes)
Avocado ------------------------------- 1 each
Red Beans ----------------------------- 1 Can (15 1/2 Oz) (W/juice, not cream style)
Dressing ------------------------------- Thousand Isle (Use approximately 6 to 8 Oz)
Fritos ---------------------------------- 1 Bag (9 1/4 Oz - small Fritos)

Cook the Ground Beef using just a small amount of Olive Oil while adding to it, during cooking process, only one-half of the Taco Mix. Drain. Allow the Cooked Beef to cool.

Chop and wash the Head of Lettuce and allow it to drain. Dry with a paper towel if necessary before mixing into the salad.

Drain the can of Red Beans and dry them if necessary. These beans may be washed and wiped dry. Peel the Avocado and cut into real small pieces. Crush the Fritos.

In a Large Bowl: Combine and mix the Beef cooked with the Taco Mix, with the Chopped Lettuce, whole Cherry Tomatoes, Chopped Avocado, Red Beans, Dressing, and Crushed Fritos. Stir in the Thousand Isle Dressing (6 to 8 Oz).

Notes: Ample salt should be provided by the Taco Mix. If the salad is to be eaten at a later time; keep the ingredients cool in individual containers and mix just prior to eating.
Note: Adding grated Cheese (Just a light sprinkling) and/or very small Pineapple pieces

(1 heaping TBS) is optional. Notes Wonder how this would taste with some small Spinach Leaves added? Say, abouta half-n-half mixture with the lettuce? OK, how about adding some finely chopped onion and garlic to the Ground Meat/Taco Powder mixture for a little Cajun touch? Call it “CajunMex Taco Salad."

OK- Ok, I’ll quit with this one; How about a heaping Tbs of fresh, crisp bacon bits?

BLACK BEAN SOUP

Red Beans (Dark Red Kidney) ------------------------- 1 Can (151/2 Oz)
White Beans -------------------------------------------- 1 Can (151/2 Oz)
Black Beans --------------------------------------------- 1 Can (151/2 Oz)
Ground Meat (Good Grade of Lean Meat) ---------- ½ LB.
Chicken Broth ------------------------------------------ 1 Can
Rotel Traditional (With Peppers) -------------------- 1 Can
Diced Tomatoes ---------------------------------------- 1 Large Can
Bell Pepper (Chopped) -------------------------------- 1 Cup
Onion (Yellow – Chopped) ---------------------------- 1-1/2 Cups
Garlic (Finely Chopped) ------------------------------- 5 Large Cloves
Tony’s Seasoning ----------------------------------------1 TBS
Olive Oil ------------------------------------------------- 5 TBS
Salt & Pepper ------------------------------------------- To Taste
Sour Cream ---------------------------------------------- Large “dollop” per serving.

Place Olive Oil in a large black iron pot. Add the Ground Meat, Bell Pepper, Tony’s Seasoning, and Onion. Sautee the mixture until the meat is just about cooked and then add the Minced Garlic to cook just a short time more. (Note: This prevents the Garlic from Burning) (Note: It would be extremely difficult to use too much Chopped Garlic or Onion) (Note: Save about a half-cup of the chopped onion to add later.)

With the meat cooked, begin to add the Beans (Red, White, and Black), Chicken Broth, Diced Tomatoes (Large Can), and Rotel Tomatoes, and the Chopped Onion that you saved. Note: Add the juice from each can also) Note: The addition of Salt will probably be necessary due to the ground meat. Place a lid on the mixture and, at low heat, allow the soup to come to a very slow boil for no more than five minutes before turning the heat off to allow the soup to “soak” for a short time.

Serve with Keebler Crackers and a large “dollop” of Sour Cream over to one side of the bowl.

Note: This soup freezes well in individual containers for serving at a later time.

Guess Who's Getting Roasted Today?

2010-09-19T05:00:00.003-05:00

Yeah...it's me. Come see how many times I can humiliate myself to the whole world in one post. LOL.

And thank you, Mr. Eddie Bluelights, for having me as your guest of "honor," or roastee, as the case may be.

***match image from here, and firewoman here.

Friday Foibles ~~ Boudreaux in Big Trouble

2010-09-17T07:55:00.000-05:00

Happy weekend to y'all. Now, "less git right to it!"

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Way down In Louisiana, Boudreaux was involved in a terrible vehicle accident caused by an18-wheeler running a stop sign.

In court, the trucking company's fancy lawyer fires questions at the Cajun, trying to wear him down. Finally, he asks, "Mr. Boudreaux, didn't you say at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine?'"

Boudreaux scratches his head, looks up at the judge, and says into the microphone, "Let me told you what happened. Me, I had jus loaded my favorite mule, Bessie, into da..."

The lawyer bristles and interrupts, "I didn't ask you for any details, Mr. Boudreaux. Just answer the question, please! Did you not say at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine!'?"

Boudreaux, unruffled, anwsers, "I had jus got Bessie into da trailer and I was driving down da road... "

The lawyer interrupts once again and bellows, "Judge, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the State Policeman that he was just fine. Now several weeks after the accident, he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Can you please direct Mr. Boudreaux to answer the question?"

By this time, the judge is fairly interested in the Cajun's answer, and says to the lawyer, "I'd like to hear what he has to say about his favorite mule, Bessie."

Boudreaux thanks the judge, invites him to attend the cochon de lait (coo-shaw de-lay) to be held the following weekend, and proceeds, "I had jus loaded Bessie, my favorite mule, into da trailer and was driving her down da highway when dis huge semi-truck an' trailer ran da stop sign and smacked my truck right in da side. Me, I was trown (thrown) into one ditch and Bessie was trown into da udder. I was hurting real bad, yeah, and didn't want to move a muscle. But, I could heard ole Bessie moanin and groanin. Me, I knew she was in some kind o' terrible shape just by her groans."

Boudreaux wipes the tears from his eyes and takes a deep breath before continuing. "Shortly after da accident, a State Policeman, he came on da scene. He herd Bessie moanin' and groanin' so, him, he goes over by her. After he took hisself a look at her, he takes out his gun and shoots her between da eyes. Den da Patrolman came cross da road, gun in hand, and looked at me. When he axe (asks) me, ' How are you feeling?'...

"...Now what da hell would you say?!"