The Minute Magazine November December 2014 by The Minute Magazine

Nov / Dec 2014 Volume 9, Issue 6

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Home for the Holidays

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Editor from the

here is always, always something to be thankful for. I am thankful for our readers and advertisers. It is a joy and a priveledge to be able to share inspiring stories with you and we at The Minute Magazine are so grateful for the opportunity you have given us.

We look forward to sharing some heartwarming and humorous stories about what it's like to be home for the holidays in this issue. Turn to page 24 to read Darla Upton's tale about a holiday present gone wrong. And it's all the Tooth Fairy's fault! We've also highlighted a few local organizations that could use your help this year. Check out Chris Broussard's article on page 20 and read more about the Joe LeBlanc Food Pantry in Minden, Louisiana on page 43. We hope your holidays are filled with happy memories, great food, and a thankful heart. Merry Christmas & God bless!

Tiffany Byram Owner/Editor

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VICKI CASKEY Sales Manager

RUSTON FLORIST Feature Decor

VICTORIA AXTON MELISSA HARRIS Guest Writers

For a list of locations near you, or to catch up on past issues, visit www.theminutemag.com or like us on Facebook! For article suggestions and queries email Tiffany Byram at theminutemagazine@gmail.com The Minute Magazine is distributed throughout Caddo, Bossier, Claiborne, Bienville, Ouachita, Webster, & Lincoln Parishes in Louisiana. They are FREE for you to enjoy. Take a few to your friends, relatives or anyone else that you think might need a refreshing, enlightening â&#x20AC;&#x153;minute.â&#x20AC;?

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8 14 19 30 32 43

Cozy up with a Good Book by Tiffany Byram Support the Lady Techsters by Victoria Axton A Heart Full of Home by Chalaine Scott Home for the Holidays by Tiffany Byram Home for the Holidays Recipes by Darla Upton Joe LeBlanc Food Pantry by Melissa Harris

Chris Broussard Tiffany Byram Vicki Caskey Shelley Duran Barbara Ellis Durbin Winnie Griggs Wesley Harris Liz Hines

Ashley Maddox Jason McReynolds Rachel Pardue Judith Roberts Chalaine Scott Melissa Teoulet Rosemary Thomas Darla Upton

Nov / Dec 2014 Volume 9, Issue 6

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magazine Copyright 2014. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be copied or reproduced without permission. The Minute Magazine cannot be responsible for unsolicited materials. The editorial content of The Minute is prepared in accordance with the highest standards of journalistic accuracy. Readers are cautioned, however, not to use any information from the magazine as a substitute for expert opinion, technical information or advice. The Minute cannot be responsible for negligent acts, errors and omissions. The opinions expressed in The Minute are those of our writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. The publisher has the right to accept or reject any advertising and / or editorial submitted.

Special thanks to Ruston Florist for making such a beautiful wreath and to Mr. and Mrs. John Fontenot for allowing us to use their lovely home for this issue's feature story.

Home for the Holidays 7

Did you know that columnist Winnie Griggs has a new book out just in time for Christmas? HER HOLIDAY FAMILY, is available now on amazon.com. To find out more information, visit Winnie's website at www.winniegriggs.com

Take time this holiday season to catch up on your reading. These are a few of our new and old favorites. Or perhaps you'd rather snuggle with your favorite cuddlebug and read him or her a new bedtime story. Either way, it's time to break out your favorite blanket and get cozy.

Suck Your Stomach In & Put Some Color On! Shellie Rushing Tomlinson The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Rebecca Skloot Thrive Arianna Huffington Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Jamie Ford Keeper Kathi Appelt American Ghost Janis Owens Injustice For All Robin Caroll Bossy Pants Tina Fey The History of Love Nicole Krauss Wild Cheryl Strayed The Memoirs of a Beautiful Boy Robert Leleux The Tender Bar - A Memoir J.R. Moehringer The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood Let's Pretend This Never Happened Jenny Lawson Unlimited: How to Build an Exceptional Life Jillian Michaels

FOR THE LITTLE ONES Where the Sidewalk Ends Shel Silverstein Where the Wild Things Are Maurice Sendak Harold and the Purple Crayon Crockett Johnson Love You Forever Robert Munsch The Giving Tree Shel Silverstein FOR OLDER KIDS Charlotteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Web E.B. White The Giver Lois Lowry Aliceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Adventures in Wonderland Lewis Carroll The Illustrated Man Ray Bradbury

The Polar Express How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Biggest Snowman Ever Llama Llama Jingle Bells Uncle Si The Christmas Elf The Night Before Christmas

Chris Van Allsburg Dr. Seuss Steven Kroll Anna Dewdney Si Robertson/Ashley Howard Nelson Charles Santore

Thanks for Thanksgiving The Best Thanksgiving Ever! 10 Fat Turkeys

Julie Markes Teddy Slater Tony Johnston

headlines &

hemlines

written by Rachel Pardue

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The Year of Lasts -----------------------------------

or me, this is the year of lasts. The last time to put on a plaid uniform skirt, last high school football game, last time to see my classmates that I’ve grown up with since age four, last Christmas at home. Somewhere between recess on the playground, painfully awkward junior high dances, and a mountain of college applications, we’ve grown up.

picture what it will look like in the near future when its walls are bare and there are a pile of moving boxes where my bed once was. The truth of the matter is that life never stops changing, and the only thing that has rescued me from becoming overwhelmed with fear of the future is remembering that I do not have to create my own path in life. I simply have to find the path that God has already created for me.

A greater feeling of relief cannot be described as when I throw my hands up and say, “God I trust you show me the way, and I will go”. In a euphoric moment of peace, all the chaos of the world is silenced, and I Sometimes it is do not fear. overwhelming when I run down the hallway, eager This feeling of serenity is to share a story with my like the first ray of sunlight brother, and I open the after a blizzard. It is what door to find an empty the holiday season is all bedroom. Or when the about: In the middle of little girls I’m teaching in a chaos, it is a time to find dance clinic beg me to be peace and be thankful. their instructor next year and I have to explain to Today however, the holiday them that I won’t be here. season is often referred to Or when I lie awake in my as the most stressful time bedroom that I’ve lived of year. Instead of sitting in my entire life as I try to by the fireplace with loved-

ones, people are racing around crowded shopping centers to find the perfect gift to express their love. Instead of baking cookies with their kids and teaching them about the birth of Christ, parents’ most important job is to ensure that their child receives the perfect gift from a magical man in a red suit. How did celebrating the birth of Christ turn into a time in which reindeer, magical elves, and Santa Clause are center stage? We are too busy doing the material things that have become associated with Christmas that we forget to celebrate Christmas. In my home, it is a tradition that before anyone touches a gift, we eat breakfast with the entire family. Following a giant meal and countless shared stories, we all gather around the living room and read the story of the birth of Christ from The Bible. In my early childhood, it was agonizing torture to have to wait hours with a mountain of presents staring at me from underneath the Christmas tree. I had

always been impatient, wishing everyone would hurry up and stop taking so I could get to the good stuff-the gifts. Now looking back upon that time I can honestly say that I do not remember a single present, but I cherish the memories of the stories shared and the times whenever my whole family would burst into a booming laughter that was so loud it made my ears hurt. That’s the thing we miss when we focus on the material part of Christmas. We miss that moment of serenity where all of life’s problems are irrelevant. That moment when it doesn’t matter that life is about to change completely, that I have no clue where I’m going to college. It doesn’t matter because I have a God who has a plan and a family who loves and supports me, and that is more than I could ever wish for on a Christmas list. ----------------------------------Rachel is a senior at Cedar Creek where she is Student Council President, VicePresident of the Key Club, Secretary of the National Honor Society, Co-captain of the dance line, and a member of the Lady Cougar Basketball team. Rachel will graduate in May and will soon be deciding which college to call home. -----------------------------------

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will do: whole, 4%, 2%, 1%, skim, etc. Screw the cap on tight and shake the dickens out of it. Shake it for a full minute at least.

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Homemade -----------------------------------

’ve always been a pretty earthy sort of child. I loved old things and learning how to do something before technology or mass production. For example, I will one day learn how to spin yarn on one of those old fashioned spinning wheels exactly like the kind that Aurora pricked her finger on in Sleeping Beauty. Lately though I’ve been intrigued by food and traditional methods of making food. It all started when I learned to read and understand food labels. It is stunning just how much of our food has become a weird concoction of unpronounceable science words. Some of these are preservatives while others are added to our food as a cost saving procedure for the manufacturer. Hence the difference between 100 fruit juice and fruit juice cocktail. The former is the actual product of fruit while the latter is watered down to the point where it

may contain as little as 5% juice but might also contain added sugar and artificial flavorings to make it taste like juice. Fruit juice cocktail is much much cheaper to produce because it is basically sugar water. Sour cream is another example. One day at the store, I happened to turn the carton around to check out the ingredients and the list was a mile long of chemicals. Most brands didn’t even contain any actual cream, but the ones that did also contained a whole slew of chemicals. I have since learned that Daisy brand of sour cream contains only one ingredient: cream. Unfortunately Daisy is not a brand that I am able to find up here in my grocery stores. As usual, I started on a quest. This time it was to make my own sour cream. After learning that sour cream is made from buttermilk, I expanded the quest to include homemade buttermilk too. And here is what I learned. It is surprisingly easy to make your own buttermilk and sour cream, so easy that I was floored. I’m ashamed to say that in the past I have used the vinegar in milk substitution when I was making a recipe and didn’t have any buttermilk

on hand. I am reformed and baffled to consider that someone actually thought vinegar in milk was an acceptable substitution. I love buttermilk in my food, I really do. It adds a richness and flavor and I try to add it to as many foods as I can. Recently I’ve discovered cultured buttermilk which is super thick, creamy, and tangier than the buttermilk I had bought before. It is this cultured buttermilk that you will use to make homemade buttermilk. ----------------------------------Homemade Buttermilk Step One: Buy a carton of live culture buttermilk. It is very important that you make sure the carton says live culture on it. Buttermilk contains good bacteria and we will need these bacteria to be alive to make our buttermilk. This is called a starter culture. Yogurt, sour cream, and sourdough all contain cultures of good bacteria. Step Two: Use most of the carton, leaving only about ¼ cup. Step Three: In a quart-size mason jar or some other jar with a tight fitting lid, pour the ¼ cup of buttermilk. Fill the rest of the jar with milk. Any sort of cow’s milk

Step Four: Set it in a warm spot away from direct sunlight for 12-24 hours or even longer if your house tends to be colder. You can periodically open it and check on it. When it is nice and thick, it is ready. It separates a bit so shake it up again to mix everything back together. Now store in the fridge and enjoy. Use within 2 weeks. Remember to save about ¼ cup to make more when you begin to run low. ----------------------------------Homemade Sour Cream Just as easy as making buttermilk, the only difference is you use heavy cream instead of milk and you might have to leave it on the counter a little bit longer. Step One: In a pint-size mason jar, add 2 tbsp of live culture sour cream or buttermilk. You can use either sour cream that you’ve made previously, homemade buttermilk or store-bought. Fill the rest of the jar with heavy cream. Screw the cap on tight and shake vigorously for at least 1 minute. Step Two: Set the jar in a warm spot away from direct sunlight. Step Three: Wait. After about 48 hours, the sour cream was thick but not as thick as store bought and it had separated. I shook the jar up again and set it back down for another 8 hours. The next time I checked it was super thick and there was no liquid. Step Four: Store in the fridge and use within 2

----------------------------------Caramel Apple Sour Cream Coffee Cake Crumb Topping/Filling: 1 c. Flour 1⁄2 c. Sugar 1 tsp. Cinnamon 1/8 tsp. Salt 1 stick Butter, melted Cake: 2 c. Flour 1 1⁄2 tsp. Cinnamon 1 tsp. Baking Soda 1⁄2 tsp. Salt 2 Eggs 1 1⁄2 c. Sugar 1 stick Butter, at room temperature 1 c. Sour Cream 1 tsp. Vanilla 2 Apples, peeled, cored, and diced 1⁄2 c. Caramel Sauce Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon for the topping. Stir in the melted butter and set aside. In a large size bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set that bowl aside too. In a medium size bowl, whisk together the eggs, and sugar until light and airy. Whisk in the butter until combined. Add the sour cream and vanilla, continue whisking until combined. Carefully stir the wet ingredients into the large bowl of dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Stir the diced apples into the cake batter. Butter and flour a Bundt cake pan. Sprinkle half of the crumb topping into the pan. Pour half the cake batter into the pan. Sprinkle the rest of the crumb topping and then pour in the other half of the cake batter. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until

a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and set on a cooling rack. Do not remove the cake from the pan until it is completely cool. Remove cake and flip over onto a serving dish. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the cake and serve. If you’re like me you will not be able to wait until the cake is completely cool and the cake will fall apart trying to remove it from the pan. If that happens, don't worry. I've come up with a great modification. Pull out a trifle dish or a large bowl. Place a layer of broken cake pieces in the bottom of the bowl. Add a layer of vanilla pudding. Drizzle some caramel sauce on top. Add another layer of cake, pudding, and caramel sauce. Continue layering until you have used up all the cake. Drizzle the remaining caramel on top and serve in bowls instead of plates. Pretend that you meant to make a trifle after all. ----------------------------------Melissa is a happy-golucky, thirty-something from Chalmette, Louisiana who recently moved to Long Island, New York. She studied culinary arts at the Chef John Folse Culinary School at Nicholls State University. Between spending time with her family and immersing herself in books, she lives for exploring new places, bringing smiles to everyone she meets and sharing her passion for Southern cuisine with that unique Cajun twist. -----------------------------------

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Support the Lady Techsters Written By: Victoria Axton There is a new coach for the Louisiana Tech University Lady Techsters basketball team this season and his name is Tyler Summitt. He is the sixth head coach in Lady Techster history, and he intends on the team earning the respect which they have been known for. The tenacity and drive of this 24-year-old head coach is something that will reignite the flame that once was so strong in women’s basketball in Ruston. I met Coach Summitt and his wife, AnDe, at the annual Welcome Back Luncheon, sponsored by the Lady Techster Tip-Off Club, on October 11. From the moment I shook hands with this couple, they were kind and eager to talk to me even though they had a crowd with which to attend. As I observed the fans with their new coach, I could see that they did not see his age, but his passion for women’s basketball and this program.

Savanna Langston, senior forward at Louisiana Tech University, has been playing for the Lady Techsters for four years and says this is going to be a very exciting year for the team. “The practices are very intense,” Langston said. “Coach (Summitt) teaches fundamentals and the little things before we move on to anything else. “We are all very excited and our main goal for this year is to win a conference championship. We want to fill the seats with our fans.” Ruby Richie, sophomore at Louisiana Tech, says she is very excited about her second year as a Lady Techster. “We have been working really hard,” Richie says. “It is all coming together for this season. “There is more of a family atmosphere than there ever has been. We are really close, which is what makes us a great team.”

Malcolm Butler, Associate Athletics Director of Over and over, the coaches, players, and fans said that Communications for Louisiana Tech University, says the Lady Techsters were not just a team – they are a that the team’s goal for this year is to create a huge buzz in their fan base. family.

To purchase season tickets, call the Louisiana Tech Ticket Office at 318-257-3631 or email techtickets@latech.edu. Fans can also follow the Lady Techsters through social media, including Twitter (@LATechWBB), Instagram (LATechWBB) and Facebook (LATechWBB).

“We want as many fans in Thomas Assembly Center as possible,” Butler says.

“I want to thank (the fans) for the excitement,” Summitt says. “I want to make you proud.

“From what I have seen in the practices, Tyler is about family and team effort. It is going to be a process, but It is going to be fun watching this staff and this team.

“I want to thank God first and foremost because through Him, all things are possible. I also want to thank my wife, AnDe, because nobody in this room knows how much she has sacrificed. I owe her a lot.”

“They practiced that first day without basketballs; those were locked away. Everything was defense, fundamentals, effort, and that is what is going to be so fun to watch this year. The girls are working hard. I’m excited. The staff is excited, and we hope that you are excited.” Les Guice, president of Louisiana Tech University, says it is great to have excitement back for the Lady Techsters. “It’s a great time to be a part of the Lady Techster program,” Guice says. “I’ve been around this program for many years, and it is great to see the excitement back. “I was thrilled when Tommy (McClelland, Athletics Director) introduced me to Tyler as our next prospective head coach, and it didn’t take but about five minutes of visiting with him to know that he had something very special. At that point, it became clear to me that there was no one else in this country that I would rather have at Louisiana Tech than Tyler Summitt.” Tyler Summitt says that it usually takes wins to bring on excitement, but there is so much excitement surrounding the Lady Techsters and they haven’t even won a game yet.

Summitt says that Louisiana Tech has set a precedent in women’s basketball. “We have players that didn’t even view the campus before they said yes to becoming a Lady Techster,” Summitt says. “They just saw the tradition. “You will see them work and play hard and their athleticism is impressive. Not only will they work hard on the court – we are doing things the right way in character, competition, and toughness. We want to prepare these girls for life. At the end of the day, we want them to graduate and have a good life. “We are going to do our very best to live up to the tradition and example of people like Sonja Hogg and Leon Barmore. We want to build a future by embracing that tradition. “Come out and support the Lady Techsters!” Whether fans from way back when or part of the new fan base, come out and support this new and improved familyoriented team. With our support, the Lady Techsters can and will go for a conference championship. This is going to be a good year!

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ice cream & other things that should be discussed written by Ashley Maddox

A Sad Decision -----------------------------------

y first article I wrote for this magazine discussed my dog, Turkish, being diagnosed with a bladder tumor. He was diagnosed in January and only given 6 months to live. He made it almost 10 months.

Wrong. I took him to the vet and they did some bloodwork and it turns out his kidneys were no longer functioning properly. The vet offered the option of having him hospitalized and flushing his kidneys with fluids. After talking with my husband and the vet, it was decided that the best thing was to have Turkish put to sleep.

I always thought he would pass away in our backyard. I thought I would just come home from work and he would be laying in the yard peacefully. This would have been the ideal situation. However, that is not what happened. My husband and I had to make the heart breaking decision to have him put to sleep.

We took him to the vet to be put to sleep the next day. It was such a monumentally hard day. Especially when we had to take him to the vet and his tail was wagging because he saw his leash out and he loved car rides. All I could do was apologize to him. He had been in my life and my husband's for over 8 years and now we were ending his life. It's hard to reconcile doing that to someone you love even when it's for the best.

I won't go into all of the details but Turkish had started losing weight and refusing to eat. The hard part was he still happily bounded into the house, wagged his tail, and asked for treats. He still wanted to be with us constantly. He was still able to get around. I remember looking at him

We were with him when he left this world. It was one of the most heart breaking moments in my life. I know he didn't feel any pain and just went to sleep but when he died a small part of me died too. I suffer everyday seeing things that remind me of him. Whether it's the back door that he used to

means FUN

bark at to be let in or the fact that there is no one there to beg for scraps off my plate. Even when my husband plays his guitar I am waiting for Turkish to howl along to the tune. Love your sweet pups while you have them. Enjoy them and remember that they love you unconditionally.

-----------------------------------

SCIENCE means FUN

WHERE

-----------------------------------

and thinking "he's still ok." You're not supposed to have to put your dog down until he can't move or is in pain right???

Ashley is originally from North Louisiana but now resides in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her experiences growing up in the country and being transplanted to the big city give her a unique perspective into life's quirks and hilarities. She is active in the New Orleans lifestyle and she has a great group of friends from which to draw her inspiration. She is a member of the Krewe of Nyx, attends numerous Mardi Gras Balls, runs, and enjoys reading and ice cream. She is married to her loving husband Jerry (who may or may not have written this bio).

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Dr. Kishore Malireddy –“Dr. Reddy”– has his priorities in order and that includes his patients’ needs first and foremost. Due to his compassionate nature, he wants every patient to leave his office with no unanswered questions, a clear understanding of what–if anything – is wrong and next steps of care. Dr. Malireddy chose to become part of Minden Medical Center because of the “warm and welcoming staff, setting and community.” Board certified in GENERAL SURGERY with additional fellowship in Advanced Laparoscopic & Minimally Invasive Techniques, Dr. Malireddy’s ultimate goal is to provide comprehensive general surgical care by using recent advances in surgery. He has given multiple presentations during his training and extensively contributed to medical literature. Most recently, he received the 2013 Fellow Award for outstanding patient care, compassionate work, excellence in surgery and overall exemplary dedication. Dr. Malireddy is accepting new patients at Surgery & Endo Associates located at 102 Monroe Street, Suite B in Minden. Appointments may be made by calling (318) 377-4534. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP American College of Surgeons Associate Fellow, Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Indian Medical Council

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A Heart Full of There's

HOME

WRITTEN BY: CHALAINE SCOTT

a peanut butter spread at a local grocery of a Georgia island. This heart is the only one that has store in Michigan I just recently discovered. It’s the best held a certain Nana’s hand through chemo and wiped a certain cousin’s tears as she buried her Gram. This peanut butter I’ve ever tasted. heart is the only one who cuddles a dog on the couch In Georgia, there’s a Thai restaurant that mixes up a and counsels an aunt through life and strives to make special sauce to pour on your rice. It’s the best sauce everyone around her happy. This heart is one who owns a room confidently with laughter, but cries when she’s I’ve ever tasted. alone. There are hot glazed donuts in Louisiana, Chinese chicken fingers in Massachusetts, bacon cheese pizza This heart longs for something I cannot even name. It in New York, southern barbecue in Texas. And those are longs for places I have never seen and people I have just a few of the foods I’ve tasted in the places I’ve lived. never met and adventures I have never dreamt. It longs for more of what I’ve known but less of what I know. They say home is where the heart is. But is that really true? For a person who’s called a lot of places home, It longs for things that don’t even make sense. there’s not a particular dot on a map that can be defined with such a title. My parents live in Louisiana, so that is And that is why, when they say, “home is where the where my “house” resides, but a home and house are heart is,” I become sad. Because I can’t pinpoint “home.” It isn’t just an area code for me. It’s certain people two totally different things, in my world, anyway. and certain foods and certain feelings that I’ve had in In my world, I’ve tasted a ton of foods, hugged a lot of multiple places. Because part of me is always missing necks, introduced myself to a lot of people, walked a lot somewhere, always missing someone and something. of roads. In my world, home has followed these footsteps Of all that has been invited into my heart, I’m bound to and not preceded them. Because in most of these places, forget some pieces and lose others here and there. I they’ve felt more like home once I was no longer living don’t think I’ll ever collect them all again, that my heart there. I’ve missed them more once I was away. Absence will ever be as whole or put together as it once was. And makes the heart grow fonder, right? People sure seem I’m okay with that. Because at my core, I know home is to know a lot about hearts, even though they only know wherever I make it. It’s wherever I’m throwing myself into their own. No one else personally knows mine. I am the new places and new people and embracing the area I’m only one who truly knows the aches I feel, the longings in right at this moment. I feel, both the happiness and the pain that make up my heart. I don’t think anyone can tell me the words my heart searches for. The words I long to read or write or hear. Because I’m still trying to figure out exactly what those words are myself. I’m still trying to figure out the am’s of my heart, because I know a lot of the am not’s of it. I know I’m not complacent. I am not driven by daily routine or entertained by ordinary. I am not intrigued in monotonous venturing. These realities scare me. They stir up questions like, “Am I never satisfied? Will I ever settle down? Do I know who I really want to be?” But there’s no logical explanation for the longings of my heart, and the reasoning I succumb to is just that: I am the only one with this heart.

They say that home is where the heart is, and that must be true in its most literal form. Because if home is where the heart is, then home is wherever I am. Our hearts are with us everywhere we go, so home, somehow, follows us no matter where we are.

And while I’m trying to figure out exactly where my heart I am the only one with the heart that has lived in the belongs, I do it with a heart full of “home” and a world just places I have. Smelt the flowers from the fire escape of a waiting to be full of my heart. New York apartment and dipped my toes into the ocean

rants of an

old hen

written by Chris Broussard -----------------------------------

The Last House -----------------------------------

was about 27 years old when I decided that I would be the Minden Civitan’s Toys for Tots chairman. Judy Talley and I were the first females to join the all male group back then. The Toys for Tots campaign at that time accepted used toys that the volunteers would refurbish for poor children. I had decided that was not acceptable. I would make the challenge for the community to step up and donate NEW toys and/or money so we could purchase new toys. I had also learned that the Minden City Police played Santa and all the deliveries to the needy children of Minden were delivered in cop cars by city cops. I thought that was unacceptable, too. A cop didn’t need to deliver toys to these kids. How scary, I thought. And not to take away from the generosity of our city cops who were more than willing to do this wonderful deed….I just felt that a real person needed to do it. Well, need-less-

to-say, I bit off more than I what I would encounter. could chew. But I was wrong. I made my way to the homes in I was successful in raising the poor district of town. more money that year than I was fearless. This was any previous year. And I Christmas. I knocked on had decided that I would door after door and handed selfishly deliver these gifts the grateful recipient their to the needy. We had our bag of goodies. Everyone fund drive. The toys were was so gracious and so purchased. The girl gifts grateful. were wrapped in one kind of Christmas paper and But I had more gifts to the boys were wrapped deliver this year than in another. The names any previous year. On were submitted and our my second load, it was committee met to divide up getting quite dark and I the toys and bag them up was worried that I might not in black garbage bags for have enough time to make delivery. The Minden city all the deliveries. I was cops were ready to pick at an intersection when a them up and make their friend of mine waved me deliveries when I informed down. It was Thelda Harris them that I would be doing and her husband, Welton. it. They were surprised but I had worked with Thelda offered to help if I got in a through the Community pinch. Action Center. She was a well known professional in I was young, naive and the black community and ambitious. I thought I could she and I had become good do this myself. I set out friends. She asked what that day and piled what I I was up to. I explained could in my car for the first that I was delivering toys round of deliveries. I had to the needy. She and a little trouble locating the her husband immediately houses from the address offered to help me. By list. I was not familiar at all this time, I was worried with some parts of town. I about getting everything did have enough sense to delivered. I took her up on locate a city map and mark her offer. off my journey. But it didn’t take me long to see what a Thelda and her husband challenge this was going to took half of the stash I had be. in my car and we went over my list of recipients I guess I thought I knew and carefully divided up

everything according to areas. She and her husband took off to make their deliveries and I set out to finish the ones on my list. I was wrapping up my deliveries and every door that I knocked on I was met by a very appreciative mother or grandmother who thanked me and blessed me. And in each case, the recipient was far more in need than I had perceived. I had one more name on my list. It was in an area of town that I was unfamiliar with. I pulled over and turned on my overhead light and looked for the road on my map. Even today, I couldn’t tell you where it was but it was out there and at the end of a long dirt road. It was after midnight and I was wondering if I could get away with not delivering this last one. Would they really know? Would they really care? My guilt got the best of me and I set out to find this last house on my list. I finally made it to the last house. It was nearly 1 AM. I had wondered if they would even still be up at this late hour. I thought that if all the lights were out, I would just place the bag on the front step and hope that they would find it in the morning. I drove up to the house, or trailer, I should say. The lights were still on. I was hoping that the lights would be off so I could just set the bag down. I was so tired and I just wanted to go home. This job was more than I had bargained for. I walked up to the door and knocked. A young woman came to the door and was surprised to see me, of course. I immediately told her who I was so she

would not be alarmed. “Hello, my name is Chris. I am the Toys for Tots Chairman and I’m here to make a delivery.” She did something I wasn’t ready for. She invited me in. I had not entered a single home. I just made my deliveries and said Merry Christmas and I was on my way. “Oh no, thank you though. It’s late,” I said. “I’m sure you want to go to bed.” “No. No. Please come in,” she insisted. I stepped up into the trailer and in front of me stood a lighted Christmas tree. I made my way in and she offered me a chair. I sat down and immediately said, “I can’t stay. It’s so late and I have to go to work in the morning.” She was so gracious and it was as though she hadn’t heard what I said. She immediately went into thanking me while her eyes were filling up with tears. “I can’t thank you enough for coming,” she said. “We lost our home in a fire. We lost everything,”she said. She went on to explain to me why she was up at this hour. She explained that she was a single Mom and she had submitted her son’s name for consideration for the Toys for Tots long after the deadline. She was still up because she was trying to figure out what she was going to tell her little boy when he woke up on Christmas morning to see that they had no presents under the tree. While she was telling me about her unfortunate circumstances, I happened to glance over at the little modestly decorated Christmas tree in the corner. There were no presents. She kept thanking me and calling me her Christmas angel. I’ll be honest. I couldn’t wait to get out of there. I was so

over taken by my emotions that all I could think about was getting home so I could cry. I gave the lady a hug and wished her a Merry Christmas. I finally made it home. I was exhausted. I cried myself to sleep. I haven’t shared this story with anyone until recently mainly because I didn’t want it to come off boastful. But I realized while writing these stories how much of our early decisions in life dictate what paths we choose. We all have so many things to be thankful for and it’s easy to get wrapped up in our own little world and forget that there is another one out there. The number of poor people is growing in our country and our own community. Whatever their circumstances are, I don’t think it is for us to judge. But I do think that we should not forget them! There are many wonderful organizations and churches in our community who have worked tirelessly year after year to bring to the less fortunate of our citizenry the joys of Christmas. From the Civitan's Toys for Tots (now Civitan Santa) to the Jr. Service Leagues' Angel Tree project, and many individual gestures of giving, I would like to thank you personally for your kindness. -----------------------------------Chris Broussard, cofounder and chairman of the board of Cultural Crossroads is an artist, an entrepreneur and currently the art enrichment teacher for Glenbrook. She started writing down her personal accounts of whimsical and heartfelt experiences in a blog called "Rants of an Old Hen." And will now share her favorites with Minute readers.

CIVITAN SANTA Minden's Toys for Tots Campaign now called 'Civitan Santa' began in the early 1950's under the leadership of Dr. Tom Richardson and John Mays. They only collected old bikes and restored them to give to the needy children in the community. By the early 1970's, the Civitans were refurbishing old toys, dolls and bikes. And by the mid 70's the campaign went from old toys to new toys. Back then, the number of families served was around 140 families and 400 plus children. That number has grown to 700-800 families and 1,000 children served last year. The Young Women's Service Club assist in packing the bags while the Minden Police Department and the Webster Parish Sheriff's Department deliver the packages. The Minden Civitans have been honored for the past two years by the District for their dedication and commitment to this project. Ed LaBruyere, 2014 Civitan Santa Chairman Phone: 318 377-0858 Donations may be mailed to: Civitan Santa, 611 Main Street Minden, La. 71055

JUNIOR SERVICE LEAGUE ANGEL TREE Junior Service League Christmas Angel Tree is an annual event held in December of each year. The purpose of the Angel Tea is to collect and distribute Christmas gifts of clothes and toys for children in need in the Minden area elementary schools. Harper Elementary, J.L. Jones, Central Elementary, Doyline Elementary, Richardson, and Webster Pre-K will be contacted in November to have the teachers submit a list of student names they feel would benefit from this event. The Angel Tea is held the first Sunday of December. At this time, individuals can pick up an angel. The league members then collect the gifts the week before Christmas break. The gifts are then distributed to the schools the last day before the holiday break begins. The gifts go home with the nominated children for Christmas. If you have questions about the Angel Tree, contact Stefanie Bond, 2014 Child Services Chair, at stefbond07@yahoo.com.

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written by Rosemary Thomas

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A Shift in Perspective: A Traditional (or not) Family Christmas -----------------------------------

ike it or not (and on occasion I have to side on the side of “not”), the holidays are here. For better or worse. Sort of like a relationship (or job or most anything) in that you gotta take the good with the bad. But hopefully, most of it is, at best, not so bad… so it is important to keep the focus on the good stuff. There is so much good stuff that happens this time of year. For many folks the chance to get together with family and friends is the best of the best. I am sure I am not alone in wondering why we all can’t get together in, let’s say, April? Although that remains a mystery, it is fun to talk to people and see what their family traditions are. And make no mistake, family traditions are serious business!

Years ago, after I had built up my courage with several glasses of cheap Merlot (purchased only because of the funny or unusual label no doubt), I posed a question to the entire clan. Everyone was sitting waist deep in torn gift wrap, crumpled tissue paper (except for the tissue paper beside my little sister which was neatly folded and stacked) and shreds of raffia and ribbon. You could tell those of us who had been sampling all the wine with funny labels by the gaudy array of package bows stuck haphazardly to our heads. The feeding frenzy had subsided and we were all satiated and surrounded by piles of treasures. At that time I asked the group “Why don’t we just draw names next year and not get everyone a gift?” Simple question really. Maybe my timing was off, because every head in the room swiveled in my direction. I swear it looked like a meer cat colony had just spied a fox headed straight for the most frail member of the group. You would have thought I suggested we sell the youngest among us to finance matching neck tattoos. My Dad’s left eyebrow shot up to his hairline. Those of you who have a Dad with an expressive eyebrow know what I am talking

about here. Serious business. My Mom went all still and quiet, hands folded in her lab. Bad sign. My older sister, after picking her chin up off the floor, recovered enough to give me the almost imperceptible head shake – secret sister code for “Abort!” “Abort!”. I realized then I had suffered a terrible lapse of judgment. ”What?” I said. “It was just a thought. Just something to think about.” I was back peddling faster than an acrobat from the Shanghai Circus riding one of those trick unicycles (I just saw that show in Branson – highly recommended). Let’s just say that my suggestion was not well received and leave it at that. Several years later my mother made the same suggestion and everyone jumped on it like a duck on a June bug. “Really?” I protested. “I made that suggestion years ago and was practically shunned.” “Well, I don’t remember anything about that” my mother quietly stated. Hmmmm. O.K. Done deal. Guess that demonstrated the existing familial hierarchy. Anyway, we now draw names, and some family members don’t even participate at all in “the draw” as we call it. We have made a new family tradition where my Dad tapes all the participants

names to a Silver Dollar (which he always laments are very difficult to find these days) and we all choose to see who we will have for next Christmas. We have evolved and that’s a good thing. We have even had some non-traditional holiday dinners. One year we had an array of Soups instead of the traditional ham or turkey. My Dad still isn’t happy about that one though. I think it still hurts his feelings when no one makes his favorite sweet potato casserole and he would be devastated if he didn’t get some deviled eggs each year. But the point is we have all learned to relax a little and focus on what is really important. Being together. Laughing a lot. Remember those who are no longer with us. Making memories and new traditions – especially for the younger kids. Laughing some more. And being grateful for all we have. There is one family tradition however that is completely non-negotiable. Ever. Even for my radical, break the rules personality. The Dressing. Don’t ever, ever, ever mess with the family dressing recipe. Enjoy your holidays. I hope each of you gets to enjoy some old traditions and maybe start a few new ones with the people you love. Happy, Happy Holidays. ----------------------------------Rosemary Thomas is an avid cook and gardener who enjoys the challenge of owning a restaurant and working with her daughter. She is an RN and continues to work several days a week in Shreveport where she lives with her husband, three dogs, two cats and 80 chickens. -----------------------------------

and choose the area hospital that was named one of the nation’s top performers on key quality measures two years in a row. We’re proud to be recognized by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of healthcare organizations in the nation, for our achievements in quality… but we’re even more proud to be chosen by you. Minden Medical Center understands what matters most to patients and their families – safe and effective care. We are committed to providing the highest quality care possible, along with the expertise and leading edge technology that you expect at larger hospitals, all conveniently close to home.

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Saturday, December 6, 2014 in Minden, LA Hosted by Minden Medical Center Rehab & Physical Therapy, this year we hope to get everyone in the Christmas Spirit! Running through Ridgewood Neighborhood we will enjoy thousands of Christmas Lights, Christmas decorations, music, caroling and if we’re good Santa himself will make an appearance. Following the race there will be FREE chili, hot chocolate and awards! Cost $25, After November 21st $30. Students $20. Early registrants will receive a long sleeve official Run T-shirt. Awards given to top finishers in each age category. IPICO timing system included. Give back this Christmas! Unwrapped toys and books are being accepted for Minden Civitan Santa at the race. Films subject to change. Call (318) 424-8660 for showtimes.

www.sciport.org | 318.424.3466 On the Downtown Shreveport Riverfront

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And of course, because I'm a female, I stomp off muttering something about giving him ONE job!

strangers at my

coffeepot

written by Darla Upton

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When in Doubt, Blame the Tooth Fairy -----------------------------------

ngel Face has a holiday storybook that comes with a pen. The story is this magical pen is carved from a branch of the North Pole Christmas Tree. When you write with it your letter automatically shows up in Santa’s Official Record Book! When Angel Face was five he was very excited about writing his Santa letter by himself! He came to me with his magic pen ready to write. As he flips open the book, pen in hand, ready to write I ask what he is asking for and he says, “I saw it on YouTube!! I’m gonna tell him to bring it to my house!” I lean across the table and

snatch his pen, “Whoa! Hold on!” After ushering him to a computer, I discover he wants a 60th Anniversary Celebration Edition Steaming Thomas that is out of circulation. For those who don't know about Thomas the Tank, this toy runs on blue track. Blue track is over a decade old! You have to buy a converter kit to make blue track hook to track sold today. Angel Face shows me video after video of kids playing with Steaming Thomas! It steams! There is a red light in the funnel so that when it steams it glows. It whistles! Its blue paint has a glitter in it! This Thomas is special from buffer to buffer. He is in love. It is his Christmas wish. I tell Angel Face to, “hold off on writing Santa until I talk to the elves to make sure they have instructions to make a toy that old." I tell LifeMate to find this toy and he reports back they are expensive but can be found. I tell Angel Face to write his letter. On Dec. 17 it arrives! It came without instructions but that's no big deal because I have several men in the house that

night who wouldn't have looked at them anyway. With some B&B guests, we set it up. We turn it on and it doesn't work. I find some instructions online posted from a parent that says “toy is hard to make work even when following instructions.” Gee, that’s promising! We follow the instructions and it isn’t glowing and most importantly isn’t steaming. The first question I ask LifeMate is, “Did you ask the seller if it worked,” to which he says, “yes.” As someone who has been burned on eBay I don’t mess with it anymore. My legal background causes me to almost depose a seller before bidding. When I determine that all the seller agreed to was "it works," I do what any parent does in a crisis at Christmas –-I turn on him!! I ask him why he believed he was so special to get an item that usually sold for over $100; why he was able to obtain it for a mere $10!! I ranted as to why he assumed the word “worked” would include ran on track, whistles, glows red and steams when he didn’t ask any of those questions!!!

Contact is made with Seller #1 and she refunded the money minus shipping and we kept the broken engine. We immediately find another dealer. The guy says it works fully! Yes, they can expedited shipping! Steaming Thomas #2 is on its way! We leave town and come back thinking this toy should be sitting on our porch. It. Is. Not! We start checking the tracking number. The tracking number they emailed us, the one that cost us a boatload of money is not a UPS number it is a USPS number for regular ol' PRIORITY MAIL! It is December 23 and there is no gift from Santa. We start looking around online and even if we overnight no company will guarantee delivery on Christmas Day. At this point, I call my sister in tears because Christmas is ruined! I mean, forget the fact this spoiled child has $300 worth of gifts stacked up in the closet! I mean, go along with this Tiny Tim version. So we get Steaming Thomas #1 out and rip this sucker apart. LifeMate is instructed to make this thing steam even if we have to shove dry ice up its caboose! All it has to do is steam for one loop around the track! Just make it steam so Santa can live! Off LifeMate goes to Lowe’s, the moon, hell and back, looking for the smallest wires you have ever seen to reconnect it to steam. No luck. Christmas Eve and the mailman comes and goes.

No Steaming Thomas #2. and tripped. Then we had Expedited shipping my Santa leave a note saying he had gotten a call and butt. hurried back but couldn’t fix We decide Santa will leave it and the elves would send a note promising Steaming another one right away! Thomas is on the way. We put Angel Face to bed and Don’t you just hate the are working on the note Tooth Fairy for putting when I hear, “Mama, come Santa out? Yeah, us too! quickly!" Angel Face had She was probably giggly been jacking with a loose and tipsy and her tutu tooth and has gotten it out! was probably half in her So now on Christmas Eve panties! Toy breaker! we get to do Santa and the Steaming Thomas #2 Tooth Fairy! came in and it makes Now, let me tell you we about two loops around don’t like the Tooth Fairy. the track and starts clicking When Angel Face was when it hits a curve. Click. four he fell into a table Click. Click. Until finally and pushed his top front it won’t run. Angel Face teeth back parallel to the is standing at the table roof of his mouth. This when it takes its final lap involved an ER visit and and says, “we need to they pulled out the teeth. call Santa!” I approach my He was not happy about blue-eyed angel and very his teeth being pulled! softly say, “ya know, you We explained the Tooth could always maybe...well, Fairy to him and thought now would be a good time he understood but the to maybe say you want next morning he pitched something else.” I no more a fit! He yelled and cried, get the words out than his “you call that Tooth Fairy bottom lip starts quivering, and you tell her I don’t “but I don’t want anything want this quarter! Tell her else.” I quickly say, “I’ll call to bring back my teeth!” Santa. Got it covered!" At It was pretty traumatic. which point I am yelling He hates the Tooth Fairy. to LifeMate to get his butt When the holiday season back on the computer and started with a loose tooth find another one! he said, “I’m not giving it to that Tooth Fairy. You tell Which he did. Because we her to leave me the tooth are idiots. And because we don’t know how to just and the quarter!” tell our child to suck it up. So, when he lost his It is utterly disgusting to tooth all I could think was watch. Seriously, just turn “Great! He is going to be your head if you see us in even harder to go get to public. sleep because he’s got this anxiety about a tooth We set Steaming Thomas stealing fairy and about #3 up when we get it Santa coming!” Then it hit and it is all he has ever me! We decide to write a wanted. It is amazing. It is letter from the Tooth Fairy an incredible toy. The next saying she was sorry day his friend drops by but she broke Steaming and they are playing in his Thomas. She came in room. In his room all of his after Santa had been there trains have an engine and

a coach. You twist and pull to disconnect engine from coach but with Steaming Thomas he needs his coach to steam. While they are playing in his room she sees him twisting the trains apart. She picks up the one closest to her which is Steaming Thomas and she... TWISTS AND PULLS. I wanted to cry when he brought Steaming Thomas out in two pieces. He handed the toy to me and I do believe he skipped off saying, “It's ok, accidents happen, mama.” I have never wanted to slap him before then. I mean, I have never been so proud of how he handled a situation. Yeah, proud. That’s what I was. Dizzy with pride. Pride making me grip the side of the table. Pride had me putting my head between my legs because I thought I was going to faint! Pride made me lightheaded. The gift that we had struggled over. The gift that had taken weeks. The gift that was going to have me muttering in the hallway of a nursing home was now in two pieces. As I looked down at the little blue engine with a smiling face I wanted to squeeze …..until its eyes bugged out! After Angel Face’s friend left and LifeMate and I stood there holding the pieces of Steaming Thomas #3 we agreed on some things: A) We love AngelFace and really don't want to drop him at the fire station, B) He was no longer allowed to watch YouTube,

C) If he couldn’t find it in a store or catalog he couldn't ask Santa for it, D) We hate Thomas, and

Steaming

E) When in doubt, blame the Tooth Fairy! Merry Christmas! -----------------------------------Darla lives in Jefferson, Texas, where she raises her eight year old son, Atticus Gregory with her significant other, Hugh Lewis II. Hugh owns the Alley-McKay House Bed & Breakfast. Atticus Gregory is the Eloise of the McKay House. Prior to being a selfemployed, stay at home mom she was a Civil Litigation Paralegal for a defense firm in North Carolina. After leaving North Carolina, she lived in Houston for a short time. She eventually returned to her hometown of Texarkana, Texas, where she met Hugh while working at the Texarkana Gazette as a production assistant. Girl meets boy, girl falls in love with boy, girl has a baby and gets a bed and breakfast? It happened. So, she was smart and professional at one time and now she can't find her keys, has more toys in her purse than pens, can't decide if she should color her hair again and sometimes she burns the bacon. Luckily, no matter what life hands her, she has a good sense of humor, vodka and her typewriter. ------------------------------------

Happy

Holidays

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something or someone. Fighting the good fight doesn't necessarily look like we think it will. Now how’s that for some life advice?

a season of

becoming

-----------------------------------

in new orleans

written by Shelley Duran times where you should take a step forward. Vise versa, sometimes the best way to deliver a punch is to NEW OWNERS step back and not towards ----------------------------------Donna & Meagan Hammons your opponent. Now how’s that for some life advice?

How Boxing These two and things WINTER UP (big bold) are Has Become My WARM completely unnatural for me. I am the bull in Oprah NEW BULBS-NEW PACKAGES the china shop. I am the

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emotional before the logical so it’s difficult for me to CALL TODAYnot for react HOLIDAY SPECIALS in those ways. We can create the perfect gift basket However, life experience has someone shown me that though for your special it may be right, it doesn't mean it ain't wrong. While ’ve recently gotten address andthe phone literalnumbers advice ishave good, into boxing – apparently stayed the same as in previous as in don’t run whenads you it’s all the rage for chicks shouldn't, for me it’s more to do – and I've noticed a lot of my instructions in the about thinking a little more ring are kind of profound before reacting. Before life stuff. Granted, I can’t taking that step. Before think too long about it in saying those words. I’m the moment because I a much better me if I can will drop my hands, thus give myself some time causing me to get socked to process and to think it in the face (trust me, it’s over. It’s not me shutting down or shutting you out, happened). it’s taking a step back Here’s the thing: do you instead of taking the step remember that dialogue forward. in Million Dollar Baby when the coach (Morgan Your body knows so much Freeman whom I once saw more than we give it credit on a date in New Orleans for. Boxing has shown me – a story for another time) that. There comes a point speak about how you when I am so exhausted, have to step into the pain? that a slip turns into a That’s actually correct. The weave and I in no way times when you want to planned for it. The body step back are usually the knows.

So this holiday season, I’m giving myself the same advice I’m going to give you. Let’s all think before we speak. Let’s hold our ground when our knees are shaking. Let’s say the thing we’re so afraid of saying instead of backing away. Let’s listen to our guts more instead of mentally justifying

Shelley is a twenty something gal twostepping in Lafayette, Louisiana. When she's not working as a Marketing Manager for the Chamber of Commerce, she can often be found running through her neighborhood in order to enjoy Cajun cuisine on a regular basis. Her beloved dog, Olive is often by her side. Follow her rants and quips on Twitter @shellbellduran. -----------------------------------

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Written by: Tiffany Byram

It's not the ornaments on the tree, the smell of pumpkin pie, or even the sound of your uncle snoring softly (or loudly) in the recliner after the big meal. The holidays represent so much more than any one individual memory.

us have the whole letter memorized and can guess the words that FaFa can’t read anymore. As a kid this letter took hours to read out loud. Now that I’m grown I realize how special this piece of paper is to my family and our traditions. It also seems to get shorter and shorter every year and there are more and more tears from the adults in the room every time FaFa reads it. I think it’s partly nostalgia and partly knowing that we are all getting older and our traditions will have to change soon.

Through the years a few things have evolved. Some new traditions have replaced a few of the old ones. New family members have been added. Babies have been born and introduced to the ways of my crazy family. A few of There is an indescribable feeling we get when the these babies are now entering their teenage years. But holidays roll around. Especially when we go home to the feelings remain the same. The warm, fuzzy feeling celebrate. Home is more than a place. Home is where in your chest when you hear Charlie Brown’s “Christmas your heart is. And most of us would say that our heart is Time is Here” for the first time each year. The happy where our family is. Extended or immediate, love them satisfaction you get when wrapping presents or pulling a or hate them, our families define us. They also define our perfectly baked pie from the oven. holidays. I can name every Christmas I’ve spent away from my side of the family. This is simply to say that my At ten years old Christmas was mostly about getting gifts. heart had a small hole where my family would be if I was At twenty it was about finally getting to sit at the “adult” table. Now at thirty and with children and experiences away from them. of my own I see things very differently. There are so When I was young, Christmas was mostly about waiting many things I notice now that I was oblivious to before. for the green light to open presents. The hours always The overwhelming voids that are left from family and seemed to drag on forever. My family had plenty of friends gone too soon, the aging of our parents, the traditions when it came to how to celebrate the big day. subtle changes in relationships as we move further and All of our Christmas took place on the day of Christmas further into adulthood. I still love presents but my love Eve. We would cook all morning for our lunchtime feast has shifted into giving the gifts and watching the happy that was supposed to start at noon but without fail would faces of my family members as they open them. As I get pushed back to one o’clock. That was followed fairly move into my forties and fifties I know my perspective quickly by tryptophan induced naps and ping pong will shift yet again. Each decade seems to have its own tournaments. The rest of the day was spent begging important lessons. My mom just wants to see her kids to open presents even though all of us kids knew we and grandkids. My grandparents are just happy to be had to wait for dark. Around sunset my grandfather (and there. later myself) would pull out the guitar or sit at the piano and the family would sing every Christmas song that has My whole life I’ve felt a sort of melancholy after the ever been written. Each person would sing louder than holidays. I was never able to pinpoint why exactly I would the next until we all sounded like a band of hyenas. We get sad after such a happy time. Now I realize that the would burst into fits of laughter when someone would melancholy I felt was simply knowing that everyday life forget the words to their “solo”. There were usually a few would return to normal. People would go back to work impromptu dance offs to garner extra attention. (Years and school and keep chugging along. All that cheer and later I would find out from my husband that this whole goodwill would slowly fade away. The connections and practice was considered VERY WEIRD.) After we’d reconnections made during the holiday would begin to exhausted the entire holiday hymnal we would move on disintegrate. And most importantly, it would probably to “the letter” and then it would finally be time to open be another year before the whole family would all be together again. This year I plan to be more proactive presents! in keeping the holiday feeling alive all year long. That My grandfather, who we call FaFa, wrote “the letter” in basically means I’ll try to keep in touch with all the people his thirties (it’s about 50 years old) about the importance who are important to me. It also means I’ll try to be a of family and why Jesus is the reason for the season. more caring, loving, and giving individual. More facetime “The letter” is written on a very old, very large sheet of and phone calls. More six hour drives and weekend paper that has been folded and refolded for decades. visits. And more making family traditions of my own so It is torn, yellowed and covered in messy handwriting that when my children are grown they can remember just that has smeared and smudged over the years. Most of how special it is to be home for the holidays.

Browned Butter Frosted Pumpkin Cake INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

1 stick butter, room temperature 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon allspice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 large eggs 1 cup pumpkin (puree or canned) 1/2 cup warm milk (110 degrees)

Home for the

Holidays Recipes

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Coat pan with flour, and tap out any excess. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, and beat until combined. Add pumpkin puree and milk; beat until combined. Add reserved flour mixture; beat on low speed until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool. Let cake rest 20 minutes. Unmold cake. Using an offset spatula, spread icing over top of cake.

Browned Butter Icing INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 cup sifted confectioner's sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 vanilla bean opened extract seeds, discard shell 1 to 2 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat until nut-brown in color, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and pour butter into a bowl, leaving any burned sediment behind. Add sugar, vanilla seeds and extract and 1 tablespoon milk; stir until smooth. If the icing is too thick, add the remaining tablespoon milk, a little at a time, until consistency is spreadable. Let cool 5 minutes. Use immediately.

Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie INGREDIENTS

1 cup apple butter 1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ginger 3 eggs, beaten 3/4 cup evaporated milk 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell Sweetened whipped cream, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Combine apple butter, pumpkin, sugar, salt and spices in a bowl. Stir in eggs. Gradually add milk and mix well. Pour into pie shell. Bake for about 40 minutes or until set. Cover edge of piecrust to keep from burning.

Recipes by Darla Upton

Wine Poached Pears INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups sugar 1 bottle Moscato wine (or other sweet dessert wine) 2 cinnamon sticks 2 tbsp honey 1 piece fresh ginger (3/4-inch), peeled and finely chopped 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeded 6 small, firm, ripe Anjou or Bosc pears, peeled and cored, cut the bottom flat so it will stand in bowl, do not remove stem bittersweet chocolate melted for garnish

DIRECTIONS

In a saucepan (large enough to hold all the pears), combine sugar with 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Add wine, cinnamon sticks, honey, and ginger. Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean and add the bean to the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until honey has melted. Add pears and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until pears are tender when pierced with a small knife. Remove pears from the liquid and allow to cool slightly. Continue to simmer the liquid until it thickens and is reduced by half, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Discard cinnamon sticks and vanilla bean. Place each pear on a small serving plate. Drizzle with poaching syrup. Then drizzle with a tad of chocolate. Serve immediately. This can be done with apples. It can be done using other ingredients like red wine. Play with it. Serve it as a dessert or as a fruit side at brunch.

Chicken, Corn, and Beer-Cheddar Chowder INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

1 lb. bacon, cooked 2 Tbsp. butter 1/4 cup flour 8 oz. chicken broth 1 can condensed cream of celery soup 8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar; the sharpest you can buy 1 can of the darkest beer you can stand 1 medium onion, chopped 4-5 small/medium potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped 2 cans whole kernel corn; undrained 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved 4 oz cream cheese 1 1/2 cup Half & Half

Spray inside of 5 quart crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Place raw chicken breast halves in the bottom of crock pot. Add potatoes, onion, carrot, and corn (undrained) to pot. Crumble bacon and add to crock pot. On stove top, in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat melt butter. Slowly add flour until butter is absorbed making a roux. Add chicken broth and stir until sauce thickens. Add cream of celery soup, stir until blended. Add shredded cheddar by the 1/4 cup stirring until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. After all cheese is added and melted, slowly add 1/2 can of beer. Stir until smooth. Pour cheese sauce over ingredients in the crock pot. Slowly add remainder of can of beer to crock pot. Do not stir. Cook on high for 6 hrs. Chowder can be stirred after 3 hours of cook time. With 30 minutes of cook time remaining, scoop out chicken breasts and shred with two forks, return to crock pot. Cut cream cheese into cubes and add to crock pot. Slowly stir until melted. Add Half & Half stir and cook remainder of time.

husband and me? When she’s our age, who will be her family if she, too, is an only child?

written by Judith Roberts

-----------------------------------

Choice and Chance Make a Family -----------------------------------

amily. That one small, six-letter word holds a world of significance, especially during the holidays. Being an only child of parents who stayed together, family meant the three of us as well as my plethora of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Even though I had no siblings of my own, I had close relationships with my kin and never felt disconnected from my family.

more than just the man I called my husband: I now also had a brother-in-law, a mother-in-law, a father-inlaw and all of his relatives as my relatives, too. Eight years later, another growth occurred: the birth of our daughter, Alice. As Alice grows, I often consider who her family is and will be. Will she have siblings? Will she have cousins? Will she marry? Will she have children? Will she adopt? Will we adopt? Chance is also involved. There’s a chance she won’t have siblings. There’s a chance she won’t have cousins. There’s a chance she won’t marry. And so on and so on. But, on the other side of the coin, there's a chance that she will.

Also echoing chance and choice are the family members that you meet along life’s way. I’ve had chance encounters with individuals who became friends who then became as dear to me as family As I grew up, especially members. in my 20s, my definition of family has expanded My first “big girl” job out of by choice and by chance. college rewarded me with I married my college a friend now as close as a sweetheart when I was sister. 21, and my family grew by

One of my husband’s dearest friends married a woman who is one of my most fun confidants. Choosing to attend my church and participate in Bible study gave me a host of Godly friends who are my sisters in Christ. I have never been one to agree that only bloodlines create a family. A family is much more than shared DNA. As my husband puts it, you “do life” with family. You celebrate the good times. You comfort in the bad times. You challenge each other. You love each other. You stand with each other. Family, this holiday season, includes a host of people from my biological family and those who are not of my same background – those people who we “do life” with. Like all moms, I worry about my little girl. What will happen to her if something happens to my

I can’t say, and that’s hard for me to admit. I like being in control; I want to know that everything with her life will go perfectly – but it won’t. And this is just the start of many, many questions I will have as she grows up. But while I can’t say for sure whom her family will include, I am hopeful, prayerful, that she will have family who share her name and family who are as close as blood kin. Best friends, kindred spirits, and a soul mate who will walk with her through her life. It’s more than getting together for the holidays and eating pumpkin pie. It’s more than buying and receiving presents. It’s about doing life with those you love. ----------------------------------Judith Roberts is a journalism instructor at Louisiana Tech University and a born and raised Louisianan. She is an alumna of Tech, Grambling State, and the University of Southern Mississippi. She and her husband Kyle have one gorgeous and feisty child, Alice, and they are members of Temple Baptist Church. Judith has run three half marathons and also enjoys reading and writing -- but not arithmetic. -----------------------------------

the

journey written by Jason McReynolds -----------------------------------

Distraction Attraction

-----------------------------------

s a pastor my “weekend” is usually on Monday and Tuesday. And a lot of times during those days I try to give my wife a break from some of the more mundane duties that she does so she can rest as well. One of those items is picking up the kids from school. A few days ago I drove through the carpool line but one of my three were missing. No worries. We parked and went up to his classroom where we found him catching up on some work that he had missed from a previous sickday. “Forty-five minutes,” his teacher said. My daughter knew what that meant… she got the playground all to herself. That was fine because I could do some work on my phone. She bolted to the monkey bars while I started working. And then the worst thing in modern-day, 1st world countries occurred… 10% battery. Great! What was I going to do? I put my phone away to save any remaining battery in case someone called. I knew I was in for a long, long,

boring wait (again 1st world problems here… let’s keep it in spoiled rotten context). I sat down on a bench and leaned my head all the way back. It was an absolutely beautiful day. 76 degrees. Light wind. The clouds were spotted in almost perfect little squares butted up against each other as they all moved to the east like marching soldiers. Their backdrop was an incredibly perfect bright blue sky. I could have fallen asleep right there. I watched for what seemed like 10 minutes and it was just fascinating and relaxing. I had to thank God for that. At some point my neck starting seizing up so I turned my gaze to the ground. With my eyes opened to God’s creation now, I began to notice every blade of grass beneath me. It was a mixture of St. Augustine and Bermuda. Large blades and small blades coexisting together. It was thick and really green. I wanted to take off my shoes but that would be weird. No one wants their children coming out of school around the dad that’s rubbing his oddly shaped toes in the grass with a grin on his face. Anyway, I’m always amazed by the complexity

of a blade of grass or a leaf on a tree. I don’t know how long I stared at the square foot of soil between my shoes but it was at least another 10 minutes. I found myself thanking God for that too. Now, before you begin to think I’m turning into a new age hipster or think I’m becoming derelict in my parental duties you have to understand that I was watching my little girl play and have fun on the playground the entire time. I saw her smiling a lot. That was a blessing from God because she had been a grouch for the past two weeks with a bout of sickness for accentuation in the middle. It was nice to see her smile and having fun again. Thank you God that she was healthy again and in a good mood. Then my son came bounding out of the school building. “Wow, that went by fast,” I thought to myself. A whole lot faster than if I had been working on (more like fighting with) my stupid phone. Now I’m a simple guy. Don’t mistake that for stupid or uneducated in any way. For the life of me I don’t understand how anyone can say that there isn’t a creator after looking at those things. But,

actually, I can because I have just filled myself with something else. I’ve just been consumed with time wasters instead of stopping to see what God has done. I just come to a different conclusion when I have continuous distraction in my life. On that playground I found myself attracted to distraction and not attracted to God. I had to apologize to Him for that. Even ministry tasks can pull me away from Jesus. But sitting on a park bench with a brick for a phone, I learned a valuable lesson that day. It’s actually a lesson that is thousands of years old. Psalm 46:10 from the bible says, “Be still and know that I am God.” The author of that verse learned it from God’s creation, protection, and victory. I saw it in the sky, grass, and laughter. The author didn’t have cars, screens, deadlines, or TPS reports. He just had time. Admittedly, it was probably much easier for him but anyone can see God. But not if you don’t stop allowing yourself to be distracted. Take the screen away for 30 minutes, go out in your backyard, lie down, and wait. Then you’ll see, you’ll know that He is God. ----------------------------------Jason McReynolds is the pastor of New Orleans Community Church. He and his wife, Liev, have two boys and one little girl. Jason enjoys hanging out with his family and friends, watching and/ or playing any kind of sports, and taking his wife out on dates. To learn more about him, or NOCC, visit: www. neworleanscommunity church.com -----------------------------------

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--------------------------------

Frosted Flakes --------------------------------

rosted Flakes. That’s the first memory. When I think back as far as I can, I remember Frosted Flakes. They were poured out on mornings after sleepovers in a big comfy bed, I’d crawl under the covers of that blue handknitted afghan. We’d fall asleep watching some Lifetime movie. “Nana loves you,” she’d whisper

as she placed her glasses on her nightstand and drifted to sleep. And I knew she did. In my heart, I felt it. I’d spin around in the fabric I stole from her sewing room like a princess in a far away land. She’d make a crown to match. I’d order as many toppings as I could on my sundae. She’d tell the waitress not to forget the extra cherries. I wrote a lot of stories. She read them all. I told her I’d grow up to be famous one day. She framed my autograph. She told me she believed in me, and I knew she meant it. A little

You’ll get a call from your mom who’s crying on the other end of the phone. She’ll tell you your best friend has cancer. You’ll cry a little harder. You’ll imagine a world without Frosted Flakes. A world without hand-sewn dresses and stockings stuffed at Christmas with Avon jewelry and random packages in your mailbox filled with chocolate. You’ll imagine your world without the one person in it who’s always seemed to make it better.

blonde haired girl was best friends with a greying And then, the world will go grandma, and all the world really dark. was right. Something like that. When you’re young, the world is lit up. Trees are greener and mountains are taller and magic flies in on the wings of a butterfly. But at some point, the world goes dark. Outfits don’t match as easily and not all problems can be solved with a Popsicle. At some point, greying grandmas turn to grey grandmas who can no longer chase you around the living room or stop her hands from shaking as she sticks a thread through a needle. At some point, you realize a freezer full of Fudgesicles and a pantry full of Frosted Flakes can never keep you young.

In that darkness, you’ll search desperately for light, and you’ll find it, remembering all the brightness that’s still left. And you’ll be thankful for those minutes shared, but even more thankful for all the ones to come. And you won’t let anyone diminish the glow that’s still here. You’ll remind yourself that the grass is still green and the sky is still blue and the mountains haven’t grown. And that the God who’s created all of it has not changed. And neither has the ending to the story. The beauty of life is that you get to share the firsts of it with the people you love most, and you get to share the ends with them, too. The years fly by. You sit beside those closest to you as the sand sifts through the hourglass, clocking laughter and love as time ticks on.

And when you reach that point, you’ll cry a little. You’ll run your fingers over the skin on your face and it won’t feel as smooth as it once did. You’ll be reminded that you don’t Nana, I’ve sat beside you get to live forever. And on endless road trips in neither do the people you the car. I’ve sat beside love. you on the floor as I’ve

ripped open wrapping paper on Christmas mornings. I’ve sat beside you on the couch on movie nights. At the dining room table for countless dinners. At booths in Friendly’s restaurant as we ate ice cream. At the nail salon in a reclining pedicure chair. I’ll sit beside you today at the hospital as you you endure your first chemo treatment. And I’ll keep sitting. No matter how far apart we are in the world. My love is always right beside you, right behind you, right within you. And there, my heart is, too. I may not be able to crawl in your bed, wrap my arms around you and hug you until I fall asleep. I may not wake to the sound of Frosted Flakes being poured in a

bowl. But that’s only the first memory, and we still have a lot more to make. I’ve shared a million memories with you. And cancer will not be the last.

----------------------------------A copywriter, novelist, and columnist, Chalaine lives by her pen. She is always traveling and never settling, making memories wherever she roams. Living off her dog's cuddles, her brother's humor, and sweet iced tea, she is just a girl in love with the simplicities. Mostly though, she is just a mess in stilettos, living off God's grace and living to serve Him, welcoming inspiration from wherever it comes and pursuing her dreams with whatever it takes. Follow her @ Chaleezy

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In those years there was no question of what was celebrated. The Revolutionary War and the freedom it had provided was still fresh in the minds of the colonists.

a collage of southern stories and recipes:

seasoned moments written by Barbara Ellis Durbin

-----------------------------

Colonial Christmas -----------------------------

he following recipe was composed with an early American Christmas in mind. Its ingredients represented food products which might have been available to the primitive colonial shop keepers. It was a time period when the reason for the celebration itself was never in doubt. Christmas celebrations were begun by the Christian church many years before colonial times. It provided a midwinter alternative to a pagan holiday. By the time our ancestors made it to these shores, they knew what they celebrated. In the dead of harsh winters, an event to celebrate whether one believed in the virgin birth or not, was a welcome respite.

Because of the scarcity of fresh fruit, an apple in the gift stocking was considered a gift of much value. It along with forest picked nuts provided much needed vitamins in the hard of winter freezes. Sugar was a valuable commodity. It was kept under lock and key and used only when the traditional honey, maple syrup or other alternative sweeteners were not handy or could not be used as a substitute. The pineapple represented the age of hospitality in colonial America. When a ship from the South Seas came to home port, they would distribute a pineapple as a gift. It was a welcome gift to those who came to their home, or a gift for the hospitality offered by others. Pork was plentiful, as the swine were allowed to roam freely and forage for their own food throughout most of the year. It was a basic table meat for our early American ancestors. Although the Christmas tree itself did

not become prevalent in America until after 1840; perhaps there was one. Woven among its fragrant evergreen branches were perhaps bits of fruits, nuts, candies, and other sweetmeats. Candies and confectioneries were placed throughout the home in anticipation of the gleeful holiday. Cranberries were a main household food product for most of the early settlers in the northeast. Their availability primed them for use on the table, as a means to heal wounds and was a preventative for scurvy. They were slow to spoil and kept well in the cool of the storehouse. It was a basic commodity for sauces, jellies, and jams.. The youngest seamstress of the house probably took thread and a large needle to begin the yearly tradition of stringing both popcorn and the cranberries. This skillful threading providing the merry red and white holiday garlands which were placed over the mantle, along the banister of the stairs and perhaps upon the tree as well.

There were no words omitted in order to be politically correct nor was a person afraid to voice their belief for fear of retribution. A person either chose to celebrate Christmas or not. Unless we as Americans have slumbered far too long, I believe the amendment which protects freedom of religion, speech, and the press still stands. So, with the liberty which continues to all; may the God who sent His Son for a reason, bless you this holiday season. ----------------------------------Boneless Holiday Pork Loin 2-4 lb. boneless pork loin 1 can whole berry cranberry sauce 1 medium Granny Smith apple (peeled, cored, & sliced) 1 c. crushed pineapple in heavy syrup Â˝ c. thin sliced onion 1/3 c. brown sugar 1 T. coarse ground black pepper Â˝ t. salt Â˝ c. fine ground pecans 2 T. cooking oil Preheat oven 325. Season pork with salt and pepper and roll in chopped nuts. Heat cooking oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-

high heat; then add pork. Sear on all sides until brown. Transfer pork to plate and cool slightly. Stir the cranberry sauce, apples, pineapple, onion, and brown sugar into the skillet. SautĂŠ fruit mixture over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes then remove from heat. Place the pork back into the skillet and into the center of fruit mixture. Baste meat as much as possible with the fruit mixture. Cover and transfer skillet to oven and roast until pork registers 160-170 degrees in the center or about 25 minutes per pound. Add small amounts of water weakened apple juice during roasting to prevent the fruit mixture from burning.

----------------------------------Barbara Durbin is a legal secretary and a published newspaper and magazine columnist. When not at her "real job", she works on her baskets filled with vintage books/china for "The Vintage Bee." She loves a walk in the woods and her time with God. Barbara and her husband have four children, four grandchildren and a dappled dachshund named Bella.

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November 17th-22nd

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Refreshments and gourmet sampling November 21st 11am - 2pm Blood Drive 1:30 - 4:30pm (Receive a free red rose for donating red)

Look for her on facebook and follow her "Pocket Full of Moment" comments. -----------------------------------

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Making a Difference in Written By: Melissa Harris

Joe LeBlanc Food Pantry 7th Anniversary Celebration

The holidays bring to mind putting up a Christmas tree, decorating with red bows and crossing items off of your Christmas shopping list or buying the newest gadget, but for others they are wondering where their next meal will come from.

Minden

September was Hunger Action Month, a nationwide campaign mobilizing the public to take action on the issue of hunger. Organized by the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks, the campaign brings greater attention to the issue of hunger in America and promotes ways for individuals everywhere to get involved with the movement to solve it.

Not only did clients take part in face painting, balloon animals, hot dogs, nachos and snow cones, but Minden constituents also raised money for the food bank by being in a dunk tank. Tommy Davis and Chad Odom Some families and individuals in the small town of vying for mayor and Mike Toland and Terry Gardner Minden and surrounding communities go to bed hungry vying for city council also donated $100 each at the or struggle to keep a roof over their head. For some event. individuals and families that are struggling to make ends meet, receiving help from the Joe LeBlanc Food Pantry “Our goal of the event was to not only celebrate our has meant the difference of tears and sadness to joy and clients, but to also inform the community,” Lewis said. happiness. “The clients were excited about the event. We have a personal relationship with our clients.” Joe LeBlanc Food Pantry, now in its 7th year, has been a blessing to Webster Parish by providing food to Lewis said that their vision is for this to be a Minden individuals in need. The food bank distributes food to ministry, not one particular church, but everyone. those who qualify on the third Saturday of every month from 9 a.m. until noon. Not only has Minden become involved in feeding the hungry, but Lewis said surrounding communities such as The food bank operates strictly off of monetary and food Shreveport, Bossier, Haughton, Springhill, and Homer donations and without the help of the community many also volunteer at the food bank. more individuals, including children, would go without. “Last year we introduced Sponsor a Family for a “Minden is a caring community and if you let people Thanksgiving meal, in addition to the regular distribution, know, they will step up and help,” Director Jessica Lewis and we had 382 clients that we served, but this month said. we currently already have 400 clients signed up and we expect to serve 500 families,” Lewis said. Numbers have skyrocketed from initially feeding an average of 30 families a month in 2007 to 74 families However, the food bank’s needs do not stop with one a month in 2012. As of September 2014, the food bank donation or one fundraising event. With the rising served 474 families-consisting of more than 1,000 number of clients that need to be served every month, people and more than 18,000 pounds of food. Lewis the food bank is always in need of monetary donations anticipates those numbers to rise, from the years and and food donations. The food bank also purchases food months previous trend. from the Northwest Louisiana Food Bank, however that is not possible without donations. To celebrate their clients and make the public more aware of their ministry, the food bank held an event at the end of September to wrap up Hunger Action month. “The event was open to the public and raised $1,024 for the food bank in two hours,” Lewis said.

For more information, call Joe LeBlanc Food Pantry at 318-639-0274 or like them on Facebook.

a family that loves you IS a privilege, not a given.

written by Liz Hines he was an alcoholic. I don’t That’s what I’m thankful

-------------------------------- care if he had made terrible for. I do work that means

Thankful --------------------------------

choices and he was on the street and cold because of himself. He was cold, and he was not in a warm home enjoying his family and the abundance of turkey, gravy, and love.

something. I get little to no recognition for the job that I do. I am often invisible, or called a ‘great nurse’ by families.

This year I will spend one major holiday at home, and with family. Now, maybe my soft spot for the homeless man with no socks was because of how I feel about homeless people. Maybe it was because I was so far away from home. Maybe it was because I wanted to be eating turkey and laughing with my family. I don’t actually know.

ast year I spent thanksgiving and Christmas at work. I had been in NYC for 2 months before my first holiday. I didn’t think it was a big deal- until Thanksgiving morning. I went to the Macy’s day parade. And then to work. I was so excited to be living the New York city life.

I bought this man some socks. Now- I’m no dummy. I didn’t try to go all mother Theresa and put them on his feet. There was a good chance he would wake up swinging. But he deserved to at least have warm toes on Thanksgiving.

After the parade walking to work I passed a homeless man with no socks on. He looked like he had passed out drunk on the sidewalk, and hardly noticed that he had no socks on.

What I do know is that as the holidays approach, I don’t want to feel sorry for myself because I’m far away from home. I want to be thankful. Because I have an amazing job. I live in an incredible city. I’m far from my family, but I’m living a dream. I am thankful for the opportunities that I have that so many others do not. Sure, school was hard for me. I busted my tail to finish and get this job. But honestly? I’m spoiled. I have a family that loves and supports me. I have someone to call when I BUT- I get to work. I get need help. to see kids and parents that don’t want to be in the After about a year in this city, hospital on Thanksgiving. I I realize that not everyone get to do a job that I love. gets that privilege. Having

Let’s get something straight here- NYC is COLD in the winter. It’s not like being in Louisiana in the ‘winter’. Last year during thanksgiving it was hovering around the 30 degree mark. In Louisiana our typical weather is in the 40’s, 50’s, even 80’s. . And we complain. “It’s so cold! We are freezing!”. I don’t really care if he was drunk, or why he had gotten to that point. I don’t care if

This year I am working again on Thanksgiving. But this this time I’m more thankful for that. I have enjoyed and been spoiled by 27 years of Thanksgiving celebrations with an abundance of food, family, and love. Of course I’m sad, and will probably be a bit homesick, too. My family will gather – without me – and cook, pray, and eat. I won’t get to make fun of my uncle missing a finger. I won’t get to frustrate my mom by taste testing things before the rest of the family arrives. I won’t get to be a 29 year old woman sitting at the kids table.

If you’re going to be with your family for the holidaysavor it. If you’re going to eat warm food, be in a heated home, and hug your loved ones, then don’t take it lightly. I know that the man I left the socks sitting next to wishes he could be doing the same. If anything, he just wanted to be warm. And even though I didn’t see him wake up, I know he was thankful. I’ll be home for Christmas. I’ll eat sticky buns- a Hines family traditions. I’ll open presents and drink coffee with my mom. I’ll shoot guns with my brother. I’ll go walking with my dad. But I won’t forget how blessed I am. How blessed I am to be loved, and cared for. I won’t forget those who have nothing. I will spend Thanksgiving volunteering and working this year. So I encourage those of you with the time- to use it. Volunteer. Find someone who needs help, and give to the best of your ability. The holidays are difficult for some people. Before you judge them, help them if you can. From my family to yourshappy holiday season. Enjoy it! -----------------------------------Liz is a typical southern girl that decided to take on the big city. After taking the scenic route through college she packed everything up and decided to try out life as a New Yorker. Her dog, Charmin, is adjusting well and meeting lots of city dogs in Central Park. Liz is living her dream and is bringing a little southern charm up to the Big Apple. ------------------------------------

Minden Pediatrics is Growing Healthy, Happy Children

Children have different health care needs than adults – both medical and emotional. Dr. Cristal Kirby Dr. Michael Ulich

In choosing a pediatrician Minden Dr. Cristal at Kirby and Pediatrics you will Dr. Michael Ulich your child areknow nowthat seeing patients in is being treated by an Ruston, LA at expert in children’s health. The physicians 307 North Monroe and staff your Call to makemanage an appointment child’s total health care needs, including:

318-377-7116 • Growth and Accepting new patients

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invested time and emotion in can now live beyond their own book by making appearances in future books as secondary characters.

a novel

CONS

approach written by Winnie Griggs

--------------------------------

Writing Connected Stories

Since then I’ve participated in a continuity with two other authors and completed another four book series of my own.

• A theme or trope such as mail order brides, fairy tales, ghost stories.

There are other ways to connect stories, but I Here are a few insights I think this covers the most picked up along the way. common.

-------------------------------- TYPES OF CONNECTED Now let’s discuss some STORIES

pros and cons of writing connected stories.

There are many different ways to tie together the PROS s a reader I’ve stories in a series. You can • Helps build a following always loved connected connect them through: if you do your job correctly stories. What’s better than knowing that the characters • A single character who in the first book, you’ll have and storyworld you’ve just is a major player in each readers eagerly awaiting throughout your the next book in the series invested so much time and book emotion into will reappear series. Think of Sherlock in additional books. But Holmes, Stephanie Plum, • Helps you write faster - less worldbuilding is it never occurred to me Miss Marple. required, because much of to pen connected stories myself, not until I wrote • A cast of characters the work was taken care of my seventh book, The connected by family, where in the first book. Christmas Journey. Both each character is featured • Allows for a larger story the hero and heroine of in their own book. arc - with a series, you can that book had siblings who really tugged at me to tell • A cast of characters expand themes and story their stories. I ended up connected by occupation arcs across multiple books writing two more novels or vocation such as military rather than confining them and a novella set in that units, first responders, etc. to one. storyworld. • A location or community. • You can revisit characters - those characters you’ve

• Setting everything up correctly. It is crucial that you develop your story world and its inhabitants in the very first book in a manner that will support the subsequent books. • Including backstory from prior books - you want readers who pick up a book mid-series to be comfortable in your storyworld and at the same time you want readers who have been with you from the beginning not to feel like you’re weighing down the current story with too much repetition of ‘what came before’. It can be a tricky balancing act. • Keeping up with minor details from prior books - its important to be consistent, what is the name of the school’s principle, what street is the library on, is the river east or west of town. - those sorts of things must remain the same. • There’s the danger of getting in a rut - writing about the same storyworld with the same cast may lead to you as a writer tiring of the whole thing before you conclude your series. • Meeting reader expectations - readers will form their own ideas of what subsequent books in

the series should focus on, they’ll form attachments to characters that you may or may not plan to feature. Or they will try to pair up characters that you have other things in mind for. You‘ll need to be prepared to respond to this sort of feedback.

author, Winnie feels blessed to be able to share her stories with readers through

her published books. You can learn more about Winnie at www. winniegriggs.com or

connect with her at w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / WinnieGriggs.Author -----------------------------------

So, do the pros to writing a series outweigh the cons? That’s a personal question that will be answered differently for each author and each story. But there is no doubt that connected stories, when executed well, are big hits with readers. ---------------------------Winnie Griggs grew up in south Louisiana in an undeveloped area her friends thought of as the back of beyond. She and her siblings spent many an hour exploring the overgrown land around her home, cutting jungle trails, building forts and frontier camps, and looking for pirate ships on the nearby bayou. Once she ‘grew up’ she began capturing those wonderful adventures in the pages of her notebooks. Now a multi-published, award winning

bringing back

the past written by Wesley Harris

-----------------------------------

1944: Navy Sails to Tech's Rescue -----------------------------------

n 1944, the Navy rescued Louisiana Tech football. World War II had an impact on collegiate athletics in the early 1940s as so many young men swapped athletic uniforms for military ones, joining the service to fight in North Africa, Europe and the Pacific. Louisiana Tech was not immune. Young men who would have been playing college football instead were serving their country, forcing Bulldog football to be discontinued during the 1943 season. Professors were joining the cause as well while coeds

were signing up with the Red Cross, the WACs— Women’s Army Corps— and the Navy WAVES— Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service. Legendary Bulldog head coach Joe Aillet even changed roles in 1943 as the University put football on the backburner as the flames of war spread across the globe. Aillet did his part by commanding the local state guard unit

and assisting the USO in entertaining troops stationed locally with films of old college games. As war progressed, enrollment at Tech and other Louisiana colleges plummeted. In January 1943, the State Board of Education voted to discontinue collegiate athletics. Gasoline rationing and the lack of athletes created difficulties in fielding teams and traveling for games.

The nation—the world— was engrossed in the war. With the need for tens of thousands of new officers to command the growing Navy and Marine Corps, the U.S. Navy created the V-12 Officer Training Course to provide a college education to prospective naval officers. Prior to World War II, most Navy and Marine officers were produced by the military academy at Annapolis, Maryland. However, drastic times called for drastic measures. The Tech campus was one of over 100 colleges across the country designated as training sites for Naval officers. Hundreds of young men from across the country came to Ruston to partake in a combination of traditional college courses, military training and physical conditioning. They were enrolled in classes right alongside Tech students.

to Ruston and Louisiana Tech to reminisce. Some never made it back, h o w e v e r. Nearly 2,000 Tech students and alumni served in World War II with 86 killed in combat, including members of the V-12 group. --------------------Athletics were reinstated at Louisiana colleges late in 1943 because the V-12 training required it. Stipulations included requirements that events had to be limited to a reasonable minimum, students could not be away from campus more than 48 hours, and use of rubber tires and gasoline for transportation required Office of Price Administration approval in advance.

heights, including a future Navy admiral, Robert L. Baker, Army General LaVern E. Weber, scores of successful businessmen and even professional football players.

PICTURED: V-12 band outside their dorm on the Louisiana Tech campus, 1944.

Auditorium to return to classes. -----------------------------------Wesley Harris is a native of Ruston. Among his books are FISH OUT OF WATER: Nazi Submariners as POWs in North Louisiana during World War II and GREETINGS FROM RUSTON: A Post Card History of Ruston, Louisiana, available from amazon.com. Check out his Louisiana history blog at http:// diggingthepast.blogspot. com. He can be contacted at campruston@gmail. com.

V-12 officers and other -----------------------------------students leave Among the players on the Tech chapel services at Howard 1944 team was Cloyce Box, who would become a two-time Pro Bowl selection with the Detroit Lions, winning the NFL Championship twice. Box, who left the Lions at one point to fight as a Marine FAMILY CLINIC / WELLNESS CENTER Many of the V-12 men officer in Korea, became a suited up for the Louisiana millionaire oilman in Texas Tech football team in 1944. and his ranch was the TransportaUnder Coach Aillet, the location for the first season tion Services Bulldogs recorded a 3-5-1 of the TV show “Dallas.” Family Clinic / Wellness Center Available to record with wins over ULClinic Patients Lafayette, Northwestern Not only did men like Box Rural Health Clinic Accepting in Arcadia and Medicare, Medicaid, and Private Insurance State and the Marine OCS help keep the Louisiana Surrounding Tech football team afloat • Routine family and preventative care in New Orleans. Communities, • All age groups welcome during a time that so at no charge, • Kid Med services However, the number of many men and women to and • Immunizations marks in the win column were called away from the from Clinic • Work and sports physicals really didn’t matter. University to serve, but the • Hypertension and diabetes management Appointments Football served as a V-12 program literally kept • Female wellness exams much-needed diversion Tech in operation with an • Family planning and contraceptive management from the tragedies that influx of military dollars to Holiday Open House were taking place in the replace those that were lost December 5th from 11am - 1pm air over France and on the by the drop in enrollment. seas in the South Pacific. FAMILY CLINIC WELLNESS CENTER For many years, the Marine Medical Park Arcadia Medical Park Arcadia 1175 Pine Street, Suite 100 1300 Pine Street After the war, many component of the Tech Arcadia, LA 71001 Arcadia, LA 71001 participants in the Tech V-12 program held annual 318-263-7970 318-263-9355 V-12 program rose to great reunions, returning at times

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