Ledbetter Lunacy...Cancelled for Deep South Snow Day!

Sorry we have no new episode of Lunacy today, but I couldn't stand to be inside when we had a rare snow day! Instead, I hope you'll enjoy a little pictorial trip around my house, neighborhood and beyond.

Snow on the sago palm~~

This is Grumpy the Teenage Snowman, created by Fresh Prince~~

And since Fresh Prince always has a girl with him...oh, it makes a mother (and probably neighbors too) so proud~~

A beautiful house down the street~~

Sneaux Flowers!~~

Fresh Prince in the front yard...with the same snowball he knocked the streetlight out with *sigh*~~

Early morning flakes (outside as well as in)~~

Snow-covered Ledbetter teen vehicles. Ain't we patriotical? And, yes, "Will work for car insurance." :) ~~

LSU's Mike the Tiger running in the snow~~

...and sitting~~

And finally, a full moon rising over snowy roof~~

Christmas Tree Contest!

"O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,Your branches green delight us." Remember that song? The original version is German -- "O Tannenbaum" -- and used to be one of the most popular holiday carols.

I wish I had some blue spruce or Frasier fir spray to spritz right now, sorta like smell-a-vision, to put you in the mood, but we'll just pretend we can smell Christmas all around us as we gaze at these lovely contest entries. There are a variety of trees (and other things) being represented in this year's pageant, but they all give us Christmas spirit, no matter if they're traditional or not. I just love the pencil cactus "tree" at my poetry professor's house {pictured above}.

Even the local weather is cooperating! The weathermen are reporting we may get snow and/or sleet tonight!! No biggie, you say? Well, it certainly is if you live in south Louisiana! Any kind of snow (or sometimes the mere threat) is enough to clear the interstates and cancel school. The last time we had a thin covering of snow was around 1989, and the vast majority of us Cajuns who chose or were forced to be on the roads, most likely ended up in a ditch. See...we can drive in rain, torrential storms, tornadoes and even hurricanes...but not in snow of any sort. Ah, every culture needs a downfall. *grin* Okay, enough of all dat, and on wit da show.

About the contest:

• Please vote in the comments section. Yap all you want to, feel free to oooh and ahhh, but be sure to put a NUMBER down as your selection.


• One vote per customer, please, but your blog friends are most welcome to come by and help plump the count for you.
• I'll announce the winner of the lovely Cajun ornament and contact you asap, then I'll get ya to send me your snail mail info.
• I'm afeared I left somebody out of the contest, so if you sent me an entry, please let me know I messed up, and I'll add you in pronto (with two bonus votes for my stoopidity).

Ready? Here they are, in no particular order:

#1 Melissa's:

2. Michelle's:

3. Janna's:

4. Carrie's:

Suldog's got so much spirit, he's got two entries! #5:

and #6 (not in any way, shape or form a tree, but makes me smile, so that's good enough in my book!):

7. Kimmi's Christmas Barn:

8. Joyce's:

9. Amy's since-I'm-Jewish-and-such-a-good-sport-I'm-submitting-my-Christmas-story-that-was-published-in-the-Chicago-Trib as an entry!

10. And Jill's (whose entry I forgot to include early on, and who has more shots of her fab tree if you click on her name!):

Finally, Gumbo Writer has a Pretty in Pink version this year, but is not entering her own contest, and just wanted to share the beauty. Miz Pink got two hot pink feather boas added to her branches this year too. Ain't she purty? ~~

OOOOO, Y'ALL, IT'S SNOWING HERE IN BATON ROUGE RIGHT NOW! WE GET THE WHITE STUFF ABOUT ONCE EVERY TWO DECADES!!!

With a Little Help from My Friends

Wow, boys and girls, it's been an exciting couple of days for me! I got the two nifty-fied blog awards from friends Barbara and author Kimmi, and now the unveiling of the video made especially for me by Colby! If you haven't seen it yet, you must. Colby did an excellent job and she just may have a future in film. Really, is there anything better than having great friends...especially ones who make you laugh and share their goodies with ya? And don't forget, get your Christmas tree pictures in for the contest by midnight tonight! I know you want that lovely ornament that's going to the winner.

Of the second type, Small Footprints, that super green lady who dispenses advice on how we can help keep the earth healthy, sent me writerly info. to share with y'all. Thanks, Small! ~~

My name is Bob Griffin. I have just started a small publishing company that will be publishing fantasy, science fiction and horror stories. Listed below is my company's first press release. If anybody in your organization is interested in submitting their works of fiction please visit us at www.absentwillowreview.com.

Thank you for your time,

Bob Griffin Rochester, NH

PRESS RELEASE OCTOBER 31, 2008 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: New Hampshire Authors Launch Publishing Company. Rochester, NH - New Hampshire authors Rick DeCost and Bob Griffin are proud to announce the launch of their publishing company and its online presence. Absent Willow Publishing LLC is an independent book publisher that will provide its readers with high quality stories of horror, fantasy and science fiction. Its online efforts include The Absent Willow Review. The Absent Willow Review plans to publish fictional stories in the horror, fantasy, and science fiction genre while allowing its readers access to the magazine anywhere in the world. Additionally, the Absent Willow Review will publish paperback anthologies from their collected works. "We're huge fans of the genres we publish," remarked Griffin. "We started this company to find greats works of fiction and to locate the next generation of great writers." With its online magazine spotlighting new works and its print publications soon to be available through Amazon.com and other retailers, the Company is planning to renew interest in short works of fiction. "For new and established authors of short fiction in the horror or fantasy vein, the market is light," DeCost added. "We are hoping to change that." Absent Willow Publishing LLC is located in Rochester, NH USA MEDIA CONTACT: Rick Decost & Bob Griffin Absent Willow Publishing LLC PO Box 66Rochester, NH 03866

And there's also good friend and author of 5 awesome suspense novels, Deborah LeBlanc, who said I could share her newest contest details with ya. I've read all her books, and loved them. The newest, Water Witch, is ever-suspenseful and is set in the bayous of Louisiana. Here's da scoop:

The window of opportunity to win a free trip to New Orleans, La. is closing fast! To celebrate the launching of my new website, we're running a contest for not one, but TWO free weekend getaways to New Orleans, Louisiana at the luxurious Hotel Monteleone! http://hotelmonteleone-px.trvlclick.com/

Each getaway includes airfare for TWO, hotel accommodations for TWO, and a $100 gift certificate for dinner for TWO at the infamous Brennan's Restaurant, http://http//www.brennansneworleans.com/

The getaway dates are January 9-11, 2009 and May 22-24, 2009, and here's how the contest works: To register for the January 9-11, 2009 getaway, go to the books' page on my new website-- http://www.deborahleblanc.com/leblanc-books.htm ---and click on the cover of WATER WITCH. This will lead you directly to that book's individual page. Once there, scroll down a little and look on the bottom left of the page. There you will see order links to Indiebound, Amazon.com, Borders.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and Books-A-Million.com. Click on the link of your preference, order a copy of WATER WITCH (New, not a used copy), then send a confirmation of your order to contest@deborahleblanc.com. For every copy of WATER WITCH you order, your name goes into a drawing for the January 9-11, 2009 getaway! Order two copies, one for you, another for a friend, and your name goes into the drawing twice. Order five copies of WATER WITCH (would make a great Christmas stocking stuffer!), and your name is entered into the contest FIVE times! The only caveat we have to add is that as soon as the online bookseller notifies you that your order has been shipped that you forward the shipping confirmation notice to contest@deborahleblanc.com. (I know sending two notices is a pain in the rear, but, unfortunately, there are some folks who'll order ten copies so their name goes into the drawing ten times, then they'll cancel the order once their name is added to the contest list.)

The getaway on May 22-24, 2009 works basically the same way, but we wanted to give you an additional ordering option. Let's say you've already ordered copies of WATER WITCH to use as Christmas gifts, but still want a shot at a trip to New Orleans. Well, here's your shot! Just go to the books' page on --http://www.deborahleblanc.com/leblanc-books.htm -- then click on any other book title, like GRAVE INTENT, A HOUSE DIVIDED, MORBID CURIOSITY, and FAMILY INHERITANCE. Send your order and shipping confirmation notice (For new books, not used copies) to contest@deborahleblanc.com, and you're in! The same also applies to the number of entries. The more copies of the other book titles you order, the more times your name goes into the drawing for the May getaway to New Orleans! The winners will be announced and notified on December 23, 2008.

Whatcha doing hanging around here? Go write something! :)

For the Carnivores Amongst Us

Before I share one of my DH's (Deer Hunter's) favorite recipes, first let me say thank you to Kimmi for the Attitude & Gratitude award, which is proudly displayed with the keepin' it real one Barbara passed along to me. Wheeee -- it's been a great week at Gumbo Writer's place!

Now, to the recipe, which will be a culinary delight for venison-loving individuals. If you're one of my veggitanarianistical friends, I don't know what to suggest as a substitute for the deer meat...unless you can roll out some tofu and try that as a wrap. :)

Venison Roll-Ups

Strips of fresh venison (back strap)

-- pounded out and marinated overnight

in Italian dressing and seasoning

Lite cream cheese

Thick slab bacon

Sliced jalapeno peppers

Lay out venison strips and put a blob of cream cheese in the center of each piece, then add one slice of pepper.





Roll up strips and secure with a toothpick. Wrap a slice of bacon around and around each roll. Re-secure with toothpick.



Aren't these lovely? Now you're ready to put the roll-ups on the BBQ pit!



The Great White Hunter cooks up the venison just right!

Head & Eye Candy

For those who think they know it all, more useless trivia to fill your cranium:

• The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as a substitute for Blood plasma.
• No piece of paper can be folded in half More than seven (7) times.
• Oak trees do not produce acorns until they are twenty (20) years or older.
• The King of Hearts is the only king without a mustache.
• American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one (1) olive from each salad served in first-class.
• Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.
• It is possible to lead a cow upstairs...but not downstairs.
• And the best for last...turtles can breathe through their butts.
  

{Thanks for the forward, Stumpy!}

Now you really do know it all. No need to thank me! *grin*

As for the eye candy, I've been nominated for a bloggy award by friend Barbara at The Serenity Gate (a really handsome blog). It's called, "Real People, Real Blogs," and as I understand it, it's given to bloggers who keep their posts real. Thanks for the nom, Barbara!

The rules say: *Please put the logo in your blog *Place a link from the person whom you received the award *Nominate at least 7 others *Put the links of those on your blog *Leave a message on their blog to let them know they've been nominated.

So, in compliance with the rules (yes, I can follow 'em sometimes), and so I can now proudly display the keepin' in real award, I'm nominating the following blogs, so congratulations, y'all:

Travis Erwin, unruly writer guy

Amy Sue Nathan, a true hoot of a friend (and a dang good writer)

Carrie Wilson Link, always good for some huggage

The Surly Writer, Michelle Hickman

Kathryn who howls from her mountain

That ol' bad boy, Suldog who writes some of the best posts ever

And Jenny James, a giddy writer friend and mom of six.

Politically Incorrect Letter - You Might be a Redneck...

In case you can't see it, the title of the photo is "Redneck Time Out."

Props go out to friend Oren for forwarding me this email so I could share it with you. Instead of "kartoons," we shall all enjoy politically incorrect Redneck thoughts today. I am proud to claim this label, along with "Cajun," "Coon-a$$," or any other moniker associated with being a red-blooded, hard-working and playing, patriotic American in the deep deep south, or from any geographical area. So, here ya go:

We have enjoyed all the redneck jokes for years (as well as Jeff Foxworthy's sketches of the seedier stereotypical side of life). It's time to take a reflective look at the core beliefs of a culture that values home, family, country and God.

If I had to stand before a dozen terrorists who threaten my life, I'd choose a half dozen or so rednecks to back me up. Tire irons, squirrel guns and grit -- that's what rednecks are made of. I hope I am one of those. If you feel the same, pass this on to your redneck friends. Y'all know who ya are!


You might be a redneck if...

• It never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase, "One nation, under God."
• You've never protested about seeing the 10 Commandments posted in public places.
• You still say "Christmas" instead of "Winter Festival."
• You bow your head when someone prays and you stand and place your hand over your heart when you hear the National Anthem.
• You treat our armed forces veterans with great respect, and always have.
• You've never burned an American flag, nor intend to.
• You know what you believe and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.
• You respect your elders and raise(d) your kids to do the same.
• You'd give your last dollar to a friend.

...now, keep the fires burning, redneck friends.

Spotlight On...Christmas Meme for Writers

Love the photo? I took it at a little cafe in St. Francisville, Louisiana a lot of motorcycle riders frequent. "HOG-wild for Christmas," I think is a good caption.

Today's holiday meme treat comes from {and, hey, it's not even Wednesday and you're getting mo writerly nuggets} friend Barbara over at The Serenity Room. Of course I had to tweak it and break some rules (I'm just like dat sometimes), but it was fun to do. I'm not gonna tag folks, so feel free to borrow it for your own bloggy's devious purposes, twisting and turning it to form a new or traditional version of this acrostic game.

But before that, and since I loves me some trivia as you know, here's some background on the word acrostic since I had to do a little research at Wikipedia to make sure I was calling this meme the right thing: Acrostic: a poem, or other writing in an alphabetic script, in which the first letter, syllable or word of each line, paragraph or other recurring feature in the text spells out another message. An acrostic can be used as a mneumonic device to aid memory retrieval. A famous acrostic was made on the Greek for the acclamation Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior which in Greek is: Iesous CHristos, THeou Uios, Soter (ch and th being each one letter in Greek and u is also y). The initials spell ICHTHUS (same as ICHTHYS), Greek for fish; hence the frequent use of the fish by early Christians and up to now as a symbol for Jesus Christ.

Now, boysies and girlies, wasn't that a cool example to have found right here at Christmastime?! So, on with the Christmas Acrostic for Writers (or in Gumbo Writer language, the C.A.W.) *grin* ~~

C ~ Chapters/stories written and edited to perfection

H ~ Happy news on submissions and queries

R ~ Readers who help polish your work

I ~ Ink (pens and cartridges) which never run dry

S ~ Stockings filled with plenty of WIPs

T ~ Tons of toys of the writerly kind

M ~ Major editors begging for your work

A ~ Angels watching over your computer's hard drive

S ~ Successful writing endeavors in the New Year

Add one or a couple of your own Writer's Christmas ideas in a comment!

Ledbetter Lunacy - Part IV (Cont.)

Yes, dear Blogosphere buddies,
it's Friday, and therefore it is
time for your end-o-the-week
installment of fantabulous,
freakish fun!


~~shrill flute music & cymbals crashing (and since it's Christmas month, a nice sprinkling of bells jingling)~~

LEDBETTER LUNACY!

Today's episode really goes with last Friday's. That's the one in which readers find out what drove the Castle Wench to begin her love affair with costumes, outrageous behaviors and other stoopid doings. To catch up, click here for the first part of Episode 4 "Revenge of the Castle Wench" which began thusly:

And continues here:

{Pssssssstttt: Don't forget to enter the First Annual Gumbo Writer's Christmas Contest. Send me a picture of your 2008 lovely Christmas tree (or an outdoor decoration, or some other festive/funny jpeg) and you will be entered to win a one of a kind ornament. Email it to me at AngieDLed@aol.com }

The Floor is Open...What's Your Worst?

Since we're all decorating (and photographing for the Gumbo Writer's contest...right?) our Christmas trees and thinking about what we'll get all the special people on our lists this year, I have a burning desire to know the worst gift YOU ever got.

Was it a mod wide tie sorta like the one pictured above? A dollar store hard-as-a-rock nasty fruitcake? A re-gifted item totally unlike anything you might desire or want, with the price or gift tag with someone else's name left on it? Something befitting a 3-year-old? Something so ugly and horrific you didn't know whether to laugh or cry?

Spill the beans -- inquiring minds really do wanna know! I promise not to laugh (too loudly) when you reveal your worst Christmas gift ever. And since I'm all about turnabout being fair play, below you will feast your eyes upon not one but two (2) such items I received when I was in my late 30s; from the same person, just a few years apart. Item #1, the handy household helper, was not nearly so subdued in color. Rather, it was a bright (eye-blinding) puce green model and much larger in stature than the one pictured. Item #2 is an exact model down to the very brand name.

Ready?...................

...................

........(keep scrolling)............

................

.....(is the suspense killin' ya?)...........

.................

..................

................

(wait for it, you won't be disappointed!).............

...................

Writing News and Nuggets

{Warning -- there may be typos and mistakes in here today. Too tired to preview/review/spell check/edit.}

I got some cool news over at Amy Sue Nathan's awesome blog this week. I won a nice prize: Writing the Breakout Novel plus Workbook! Amy posts some really good writerly stuff at her place, so if you're interested in writing, check out her blog. And her parenting column is listed over to the right in an icon box, so you can click and visit that too.

As per the title of today's post, I've got a hodgepodge of writing-related nuggets to share, so here goes:

If you like to submit to anthologies, Cup of Comfort is calling for submission in several categories. Here are the basic guidelines -- All Cup of Comfort stories must be original; true; appropriate for mainstream Americans (adult, primarily women); inspiring, comforting, and/or uplifting; and 1,000 to 2,000 words. Creative nonfiction and narrative essays preferred (that is, incorporating such fictive elements as scene, dialogue, character/plot development, imagery, and literary word usage). Whether serious or humorous, the story should be authentic and engaging.

Electronic submissions preferred. One submission per email. Copy and paste (or type) into body of email. No formatting (no indents, centering, double space, bold, underline, etc.). To: wordsinger@aol.com. Standard typed manuscript (double-spaced, indents).

Each submission must include: author’s full name, mailing address, email address, phone number, story title, story word count, and theme of volume for which it is being submitted (i.e., Grieving Hearts).

For more detailed writers guidelines: http://www.cupofcomfort.com/share.htm

~~~

I enjoy my Tuesday morning coffee newsletter of job listings delivered by email. Check it out, it's free.

~~~

Good news on friend and author Deborah LeBlanc's website for Jessica Brody's debut book-already-optioned-for-film, The Fidelity Files. Surf there for a good read.

And again here at Jess Riley's blog for a good insider peek via an interview with Ms. Brody.

~~~

If you love all things literary, check out one of the best zines around -- The Rose & Thorn! (I'm a co-managing editor there, so I'm partial, but it really is a nice place full of great volunteers, and the blog carries tons of resources and editor tips!) The winter issue should be up soon, and while you're there looking around, don't forget to sign up for the newsletter...which is, yep you guessed it...free. :) R&T always carries top of the line prose and poetry.

So, tell me, what's your favorite sort of articles or blog posts about writing?

Comfort Food - Best Mac and Cheese

From the Gumbo Writer recipe file today comes the most beloved of all comfort foods -- rich and creamy Macaroni & Cheese. I made a humongous pan for Thanksgiving, so cut it down to size as needed if you're going to make a batch yourself.

Especially for my veggytarianistic friends, I hope you enjoy. Next week I'll have a recipe for the carnivores amongst us.

Best Ever Mac & Cheese

1 Box Velveeta Cheese

32 oz. bag of shredded cheddar

2 boxes angel hair pasta

1 16-oz. jar of Alfredo sauce (I like the one with roasted garlic)

3 c. milk

1/2 c. butter

You'll need a huge pan for this, or one of those aluminum ones works great. Cook pasta according to package directions, then drain. Line pan with a layer of half the Velveeta cut up in hunks, plus 1/3 of the bag of cheddar.

In a large pan, heat milk, butter, and 1/3 of the remaining cheddar cheese on low for 5 minutes. Stir frequently. While it simmers, add about half of the hot pasta to your pan along with remaining Velveeta and the Alfredo sauce. Stir gently.

Layer on the rest of the pasta and the liquid mixture into your pan. Mix until well blended. Cover with aluminum lid or foil. Let rest overnight. Before serving, cook in oven at about 300 degrees covered for an hour. Watch the smiles appear as your guests take that first bite!

Christmas Quiz & Contest!

FIRST ANNUAL
GUMBO WRITER'S
CHRISTMAS QUIZ!
(c) 2008 Angie Ledbetter


Are you an Ebenezer or a Pere Noel? You'll need pen and paper and about 5 minutes to find out by answering the True or False questions below -- without the use of a search engine. And remember, Santa's watching, so be honest:

1. I know the meaning of the two names listed above.
2. Even when I'm in a hurry, I'd rather write out "Christmas" than "Xmas" where needed.
3. I attend or host at least one holiday gathering every year.
4. I've done at least two of the following: worn a Christmasy costume (as an adult), gone caroling, made homemade goodies to share, visited the ill or lonely, decorated the house even though I didn't feel like it, drank eggnog, played Secret Santa at work, laughed at my own holiday kitchen disaster, gone to midnight Mass or service on Christmas Eve, attended or rode a float in a holiday parade.
5. It doesn't make me feel weird to say Merry Christmas as opposed to Happy Holidays.
6. I have at least a handful of ornaments that are over 20 years old.
7. There are certain Christmas books or movies I must read/watch during every Christmas holiday.
8. In It's a Wonderful Life, I know George's guardian angel's name. I also know when an angel gets its wings.
9. My Christmas tree is never re-boxed or out on the curb till after the New Year.
10. Besides Rudolph, I can name at least four of Santa's reindeer.

Now, boys and girls, wasn't that fun? Give yourself 5 points for every True you wrote, and 0 for the Falses. Add up your total. How'd ya do? (Scroll down to find out, then report your scores in a comment if you dare!)

0-10: Take a very long nap until the new year, Scrooge!



15-25: You're out of step with the season, but at least you're trying. Give yourself a shot of Christmas Spirit!


30-40: You're on Santa's "nice, not naughty" list, so be sure to hang a big stocking this year!





45-50: You're def one of Santa's best elves and of good Christmas cheer. Thank you for spreading the love!

Now...the Christmas Contest!...

[No purchase necessary to enter. LOL] Send me a link, jpeg or somehow otherwise transmit to me a photo of your 2008 Christmas tree by no later than midnight on December 10. I'll collect them, keep 'em safe and unveil them in a post so everyone can vote on the one they like most. And because I love my new bloggerish friends so much, I'll send the winner a cool, awesome, fantastic ornament I promise you won't have another one like. Got your tree up already? {I know Colby and Terri do...I've seen the pictures!} Get that camera out and start clickin'.





To all you Bahumbugs and Happy Elves, have a great week!