Six Things

Wendy who Writes in the City tagged me with the "Six Things" meme, so I'm making that my post today. If I skip a few weeks of Politically Incorrect Kartoons, maybe I'll be able to search out some new ones.

I'm supposed to list six of the things that make me happy, then tag 6 bloggy friends, then link back to whoever tagged me. But I'm gonna break the middle instruction and not name others. Anyone who wants to participate, have at it.

Six Things That Make Me Happy~~

1. Family, Friends Faith & Food (the 4 F's)

2. Traditions, like family recipes

3. New puppy Bandit

4. Beauty in nature

5. Books. Especially if written by friends

6. Writing/Blogging

Life is a Box of Cereal

Please indulge another brief interlude with craziness. If you were a box of cereal, which one would it be, and why?

Ledbetter Lunacy -- "Dad Does NOT Always Know Best"

TGIF, and hope it's a good one fer ya! Today's episode of family insanity has to do with the way children sometimes take what they hear very literally. [You'll understand by the time you see the last frame.]

So, without further ado, we'll crank up a little Cajun Zydeco music for today's edition. Can you hear the chank-a-chank, the whine of the fiddle and the wheeze of the accordion? Hope you enjoy today's...

~~LEDBETTER LUNACY~~

SO SO SORRY. THE LAST FRAME DIDN'T APPEAR FOR SOME REASON! NOT AN INTENTIONAL CLIFF HANGER. AS SOON AS I GET BACK HOME AND CAN ACCESS MY FILES, I'LL PUT IT BACK IN. GRRRRRR. GONNA KILL ME SOME CYBER MONKEYS! Here it is:

The Floor is Open...For Blog Tawk & Contest

I just noticed on my site meter that Gumbo Writer blog is approaching the big 10K visitor mark. Wooohoo! In honor of this momentous occasion, I'm giving a prize to lucky number 10,000 who comments here...or at least, as near as I can determine who it was. I'll have unbiased persons in the form of kids and DH (Deer Hunter) to help me if dilemmas arise. The prize will be in the form of a gift card because postage is cheaper.

Now, about blogs & blogging, a few questions have been circling the gray matter:

• Do you only visit others who comment at your place each day, or do you have a strolling route you just automatically take each time you read others' blogs, or maybe you only visit the places listed in your blog roll? How do you decide where to visit and/or comment?
• Does anybody in here know how to teach dummies about linking to others' posts beneath comments? What's it all about, Alphie?
• What makes you want to follow a blog and/or add them to your roll?
• What do you hate about blogs/blogging?
• Lastly, is ya fer or again' comment word verification?

Okay, time to go check on Bandit (the new pup) and do some Ledbetter Lunacy drawings for tomorrow. Hope you get a nice surprise, good news or just a day without stress today!

Wednesday Writings

Lots o' stuff today, writerly peoples! First, please take a moment to send good thoughts, vibes and prayers to fellow writer/blogger Travis Erwin who lost his home to fire on January 4th. I can't imagine what his family is going through. Some friends in this big beautiful Blog-o-rama have set up a fund called Habitat for Travis, if any of you would like to "lay a brick" (donate).

Next, Carrie Link had a great video at her blog just the other day. It is Wally Lamb talking about his latest book, The Hour I First Believed, and the angst of the sometimes long writing process.

Now, some awesome news...my most dear friend Kathryn Magendie's debut novel will be out in a few months. Keep your eyes peeled for Tender Graces. And please visit her brand spankin' new blog on the topic too. She's good about returning visits and has been a frequent commenter here and elsewhere in the Bloggy Universe, so stop by and give her a ^5 or an attagirl or something.

Amy Sue needs you! If you've got editing tips and advice to share on working over a manuscript, please go share it with her. She's just finished her first WIP! Congratulations, friend!

And, finally, I'm not gonna bore you with the minute details of my New Year's Writing Resolutions, but let's just say they're lofty. Primarily, I will spend January (and hopefully not too much past that) revising my women's fiction manuscript and polishing it up to present to potential agents. Wish me luck! (Mo on dat later.) But for an awesomely awsome list of resolutions to get you in the mood to write, check out this blog.

Oh, and PS, don't forget to vote for The Rose & Thorn ezine in as many categories as possible in the Preditors and Editors Poll. We 'preciate ya lots and lots! [More details in my R&T blog post over on the sidebar.]

Now, git bizzy. Go write. Grab them resolutions by the horns!

Oooo, oooo, Mr. Kotter....look what I got last night --->

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup is what my friend Myrna calls "Jewish penicillin," and she's right. The rich, aromatic smell and taste of homemade soup is good for whatever ails ya. So, here's how to fix it:

Saute your standard veggies of onion, garlic and celery. Add that to a big pot half filled with water, half chicken stock, and any juices you have left from browning chicken thighs in the oven. (I do the thighs the day before for a few hours, seasoned and covered with foil so I can skim off the congealed fat before adding to the soup.)














Throw in a bag of egg noodles prepared according to instructions. This time, I also added chopped fresh carrots to the noodles while they were boiling. De-bone chicken thighs and cut into smaller chunks. Throw that in the pot too. Season to taste and cover. Bring to a medium boil, then put the pot lid askew so it'll thicken up for about 30 minutes on simmer. Be careful your goodies don't stick to the pot; stir every now and then.













Now you just let simmer on very low for a couple of hours and you're ready to serve. Goes great with cornbread muffins!

Trivial & Literary Pursuits

Before the fun, can I take a minute to do some shameless promotion for our beloved The Rose & Thorn Literary ezine? (Well, yeah, guess I can since it's my blog. LOL) The annual Editors & Preditors Readers' Poll is cranking up, and we'd dearly love it if you voted for us in the ezines category for Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry and Magazine ezine editor. Voting is going on until January 14, so pwetty pwease vote for a great little friendly ezine if you have time. 'Preciate you in advance!

Now, back to trivia bidness. Why do we like it so much? It doesn't particularly make me feel smarter or anything. Maybe it's just because it's interesting and it falls under the category of uncommon knowledge (most average people don't know it). But since my brain is in such need of defragging and compacting, I don't understand why I keep cramming in more and more factoids of no importance when I can barely remember my kids' names some days. I mean, really, when is the knowledge that turtles breathe out of their butts ever gonna come in handy?

Anywayyyyy, here's a dose of mo random and trivial factoids to get your Monday started:

• Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
• 23% of all photocopier problems worldwide are caused by people sitting on them to photocopy their butts.
• In 1879, a mail service in Belgium employed 37 cats to carry bundles of letters to villages around the town of Liege, this experiment was shorted-lived as the cats proved thoroughly undisciplined. {Wha? The Furball Express? Doh!}
• Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.

Now, get out there and do something nice for somebody. :)

{Photo from Photobucket.com}

Politically Incorrect Kartoons & Other Stuff

Howdy, boys and girls. Hope the new year is serving you all well. Today's selections are a mixed bag of politically incorrect stuff or just plain weird.

Feel free to vote on your favorite. And you have a real good day now, ya hear?

1. Loading Dock Signage:













2. Colby's Dad:













3. *Itch Slap Justification:










4. Bad Colonel Sanders!:












5. Furball Fury:














6. Open Wide:

Just Curious...

Ever wonder what you'd do if you suddenly became rich? I had a dream last night of money floating down from above, so that's what inspired this post. Hey, maybe it's an omen that I'll hit the jackpot this year with my goals and resolutions!

What's the most unusual thing you'd do if someone handed you a million smack-a-roos or you won the lottery?

Ledbetter Lunacy - Episode 6, "Down in the Dumps"

Hello, New Year babies! Here's the promised late edition of the family cartoon saga. After you read it, you'll understand why I'm late posting today.

So, without further ado, let's crank up the percussion section of the band along with the cymbals, and a few tootin' blow horns in honor of the day! It's time again for...

~~LEDBETTER LUNACY~~

We Temporarily Interrupt This Broadcast...

My day yesterday did not go as planned. My hopes for the spanking new year were smashed to smithereens. If that old saying about what you do on New Year's Day is what you'll do the whole rest of the year, then my big fat bahonkus is in deep doo-doo.

But, maybe it's just a test to see if I'll be thrown off my plans and resolutions for writing in 2009. If so, "Nanner nanner, boo boo," to the cosmic forces that be who thought pulling this funny would run me away from my goals. I'm only more determined now, since I'm getting a day later start than I'd planned! Ha! I remember those old Emergency Broadcast System announcements of, "This is only a test!"

All that said, check back by later today for a late breaking edition of Ledbetter Lunacy in which I will render my special "drawerings" of yesterday's events. Sorry to leave you hanging, but I don't want to spoil the story. Hoping each of you got to spend the first day of 2009 doing exactly what you wanted to do and had planned. If not, remember that tomorrow is another day!

January 1, 2009!

A happy and wonderful New Year's Day to all my blogging friends! May your every dream, goal, wish, prayer, resolution and desire come through for you in 2009.

Thanks to each of you who has shared yourself with me in this strange Bloggy-Land universe. I look forward to more good stuff flowing both ways!

Huggage,

Angie Ledbetter (Gumbo Writer)

{Image from Photobucket.com}