The Minute Magazine July August 2011 by The Minute Magazine

editor

from the

I love books. I love the way they smell, the way they feel in my hands, and (most importantly) the words inside of them. I love finding a new author that seems to have the same thoughts and feelings as I do, and diving into their world until I feel as if it is my own. And this issue is devoted to the home-grown men and women from our communities that devote their lives to writing. I’m proud to say that we have many, many talented authors that hail from northern Louisiana. They’ve won national book awards, been published by some of the largest publishers in this country, and yet they’re usually quiet and shy when it comes to talking about their accomplishments. The authors that we’re featuring in this issue are some of my local favorites. If you haven’t read their work, you’re really missing something. And if you have read their work, you’re probably jumping up and down right now because you know that they deserve every bit of this attention. Books and authors have always interested me, since the days when I was just tall enough to reach the hard-cover editions of writers like Nancy Drew. There have been many books that have helped to shape and mold me, just as I’m sure that there are dozens of books that have shaped and molded you, too. I remember the first time that I read Louis Lowry’s THE GIVER. It opened my mind up to the idea of culture for the first time. And suddenly, I could turn around and look at the culture around me and realize that we’re not perfect in this day and time, either. Years ago, a dear friend of mine recommended that I read a book that she promised “would change my world.” And she was right. I picked it up on a whim, and was once again reminded of the power of the written word. What are your favorite books? Drop me a line at lewisfamily1908@bellsouth.net and tell me the authors and novels that have changed your life. And for all of those writers out there, remember that we are always on the lookout for talented contributors to write for The Minute Mag. So don’t be shy. Query me at lewisfamily1908@ bellsouth.net today!

Jacquelyn Lewis

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Wesley Harris Laura Horton Jackie Lewis Megan Lord Jason McReynolds Melissa Teoulet

For Good Memories by Margaret Tripp Timmons Blueprint for Preservation by Megan Lord

The Journey by Jason McReynolds Why Books Still Matter by Jackie Lewis A Novel Approach by Winnie Griggs White Elephant by Galen White Backyard Baseball by Wesley Harris Life’s Blessings by Vicki Caskey Weeder’s Digest by Anita Goodson Upcycled Art by Brian Carlisle Louisiana Girl Revelations by April Timmons Antique Junkie by Donna Arender PJ’s Point of View by Phillip Volentine You Never Know... by Laura Horton Simply Cooking by Melissa Teoulet Hormonal Woman by Elizabeth Drewett Copyright 2011. 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.

contributors Donna Arender Vicki Caskey Brian Carlisle Elizabeth Drewett Anita Goodson Winnie Griggs

ion t p i r

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10 12 15 17 22 27 28 29 30 32 34 37 38 48 42 46

April W. Timmons Margaret Timmons Phillip J. Volentine Galen White

cover

Our cover models are local authors Liz Talley and John Corey Whaley. The photo was taken by Kerry Easley of Easley’s Main Street Photography in Minden, LA.

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MAKING ICE CREAM -----------------------------------

’ll never forget the times we made homemade ice cream. There was nothing like it to cool off on a hot, summer day. It wasn’t easy to make homemade ice cream, but was well worth the effort. The first thing that we had to do was get the ice cream freezer out of storage (which was usually

in the wash house outside the back door). It was an old wooden bucket about two feet tall, and held a metal container inside. The container had a metal lid with gears on the top. Our ice cream freezer was not electric so it had to be hand cranked. The handle part was made of heavy metal and had gears up inside the middle part of the handle. It had half of a latch on the opposite end. The wooden bucket part of the freezer had the other part of the latch. Once the two latches were connected, the gears from the handle and the metal container could be entwined. The next step was to lock the handle with the wooden bucket by means of another latch. We

this was done, he would sharply stab the ice in this chipped area once or twice. To my amazement, the ice would break clean through and become a separate pice. The man would pick up the piece of would then turn the handle then with large, metal ice to see if the metal container ice and place it on a sort inside the wooden bucket tongs of wooden slide. The slide turned. Once everything was sloped downward was found, the container to the little door on washed, all of the parts through the fabric and flap to put together, and it was the outside. Once outside, checked to see if everything the iceman would pick it up worked, we all got inside with the tongs and place the old ’56 Chevy Station it into the car or wagon. Wagon and headed for We’d usually have him put town to get the ice. in one of Mama’s number The ice house was itthree tubs that we in town on Main Street. would wash have brought with It was an old unpainted us just for this purpose. wooden building with a Years later, the old loading dock that ran all ice house torn down the way across the front. and anotherwas one was built There was a big, heavy a few blocks off Main Street door in front that spewed in front of the A&P Grocery out a heavy vapor ‘fog’ Store. We had known the every time the door was iceman who worked there opened. years. At this A few feet away for many you could buy from the big door was a icehouse bags but since the blocks smaller square door that of ice were cheaper, was low to the dock. It would usually buy Daddy them. had a heavy fabric He’d have Mr. Pharr, the flap across it that iceman, place the block helped keep the of ice in the wash tub so cold air inside it wouldn’t melt and get and the hot air all over the Chevy Station outside. Once the Wagon. customer decided When we got what size block of home, Daddy would chip ice he wanted, the the ice while Mama man inside would the ice cream. mixed chip that much use fresh eggs thatShe’d we’d off a huge block. gathered from our hen’s Usually, we’d buy a nests, sugar, vanilla and fifty pound block of fresh, creamy milk from our ice. I always found cows. Sometimes she’d it interesting to add fresh fruit or bananas. watch the man chip Once the ice off the block of ice. cream was mixed, Mama He would gently would pour the mixture into chip all the way the metal container of the around the ice with ice cream freezer and the an ice pick. Once fun would begin. Daddy

would carefully layer the chipped ice and salt around the metal container in the wooden bucket. While he was doing this, he’d let one of the kids slowly crank the handle. After he had completely filled the wooden barrel with the ice and salt, he would start turning the handle himself. Since Daddy was such a big, strong man, the ice cream freezer had a tendency to ‘walk’ while he was turning the handle. This was when the little kids got to help. Daddy would send one of the bigger kids to the house to get a big bath towel and some empty paper sacks. He’d cover the top of the freezer with the paper sacks and place the towel on top of them. Once that was fixed, he’d pick up one of the little kids and set them on top of the ice cream freezer to help hold it down. It never completely worked so the freezer would still juggy around some while Daddy was turning it. The little kid would giggle and laugh as they would hang on for dear life. Of course, the rest of us stood around and laughed at the sight and sounds too. O c c a s i o n a l l y, someone would squeal and start running around trying to dislodge the piece of ice our brother or one of the sisters had sneaked down the back of their dress. Just before the bohunkas of the riding little one froze into a solid block of ice, Daddy would set that kid down, add a little more salt and ice, and return the sacks and towel to their place. He’d grab another child who was anxiously waiting for their turn, and place them on top of the ice cream freezer. Daddy would resume his cranking and turning while we all laughed until we cried at the merrymaking of the ice cream. The process was repeated until the handle of the freezer could no longer be turned. This meant that the ice cream was now frozen enough for us to eat. It was at this time that

Mama would bring the bowls, spoons and the big dipping spoon outside. Soon our bowls would be filled with the delicious, frozen ice cream. Amid “oohs” and “ahs”, and the smacking of our lips, we would begin to enjoy the fruit of our labors, and the making of one more memory… making homemade ice cream.

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Calling all Questions!

Have a question about preservation or old house repairs? Send me an email at theminutemagazine@gmail.com. Each month Megan will feature a brief Q&A with real-world problems and practical solutions appropriate for your old house. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

xcluding a seven-year educational excursion that led me to Alabama, Georgia, and France, I have been a lifelong resident of Louisiana. There are so many things that I love about traveling: exploring big cities and small towns; immersing myself in a different culture; driving scenic highways and taking trains; viewing both vernacular and high-style architectural structures that bespeak history and provide a sense of place. As much as I love traveling and living in architecturally distinct destinations, I’ve found that some of the most intriguing places in the world are right here in Louisiana. Louisianians are spoiled to have such a variety of architectural history at our fingertips. Native American, French, Spanish, American, Creole, West Indian, and Acadian are only a few of

the many types of historic architecture found in our state. In discovering each different type of Louisiana architecture, we also discover the histories of each culture that makes our state unique. So, as you prepare your summer reading list, consider the following titles. Not only will you brush up on local Louisiana architectural history, the beautiful photographs may even inspire you to schedule a weekend road-trip. One of my favorite books of Louisiana architectural photography is Creole Houses: Traditional Homes of Old Louisiana. The beautiful photographs by Steve Gross and Sue Daley capture the essence of Creole life from across the state. Commentary by John H. Lawrence, director of museum programs for the Historic New Orleans collection, accompanies the photographs, offering just enough information to leave the reader yearning to tour these quintessential Louisiana homes in person. Natchitoches and Louisiana’s Timeless Cane River features lovely images of the historic

city of Natchitoches and surrounding Cane River Creole region taken by photographer Philip Gould. Richard Seale and Robert DeBlieux reveal the architectural treasures unique to this region of the state in a series of enlightening articles. Few Louisianians know the significance of the Cane River Creole region in Louisiana history. This book uses the architecture of the region to tell that story. The Louisiana Houses of A. Hays Town with text by Cyril E. Vetter and photographs by Philip Gould features the residential architecture of renowned Louisiana architect A. Hays Town. Working in the second half of the twentieth century, A. Hays Town adapted features of classic Louisiana architecture for modern residential use. His work sympathetically blended the elegant proportions and features of French Creole buildings with the requirements of our modern lifestyle. This book beautifully captures the inspiring and timeless quality of Louisiana’s unique architectural heritage

through the elements of contemporary architecture. For heavier reading, Louisiana Buildings 1720 – 1940, Historic American Building Survey offers a comprehensive look at Louisiana’s landmark architecture through the lens of the Historic American Building Survey, the only New Deal program to continue to the twenty-first century. A collection of over 300 black and white photographs and line drawings accompany individual listings that include location, the date of construction, the architect when known, and the current status of each building. In addition to this wealth of graphic documentation are nine chapters that cover Louisiana architecture from Creole influence in the south to the folk style of the north. Louisiana Buildings 17201940 is required reading for those wanting to learn more about Louisiana’s architectural history. I heard recently that Louisiana has the highest resident retention of any state in the nation. Simply put: if you were raised here, you stay (or return) here. That’s proved true in my life and I’m certain that Louisiana’s unique architectural heritage was an influencing factor. Louisiana’s culture, expressed so intensely through its architectural heritage, provides a definite “sense of place” different from any other state in the nation. So, this summer, further your appreciation for our local Louisiana architecture by adding one of the above books to your reading list. Then, take a weekend trip to experience these places – and your heritage – in person. --------------------------------Have any favorite books about architecture in your region of the state? Share your local reading list with readers in other regions by emailing me at theminutemagazine@ gmail.com. Remember to send your old-house questions as well! ---------------------------------

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Control ---------------------------------

o I became an uncle this week. Actually, I already was one. My stepsister had a baby and we count that but this week my full blooded sister had her first kid. It’s weird, though. You know how it goes. You had to come to grips that your baby sister was going to start dating when the brothers of the thugs that you hung out with in college started coming around the house. That was your first eye opener. The next was when she went off to college and you started seeing party pics on her facebook page. This means you have to come to grips with the fact that she’s growing up... maybe to fast. I didn’t say grown up… just growing up. You immediately swear you will never visit her facebook page again. Really you go one of two ways – 1. you never look again for fear of what you may learn or 2. you visit everyday for blackmail purposes. I did the former. I’ve got enough blackmail to last a lifetime! Now don’t let me paint my little sis in a bad light. She never posted anything that wouldn’t get her a job.

She is actually the nicest sweetest girl you’ll ever meet. But where’s the little sis with the pig tails? She’s gone. Two or three years ago she got married. It was weird. I didn’t really know the guy that well because I lived out of state. He seemed like a good guy and actually is a good guy. At this point you pretty much are grown up. There is always more maturing that a person goes through but she has made a life long decision which is a sign of growing up. I’ve now lost that direct control and influence in her life. I was the big brother! I was the guy she looked up to until she was… well, it was probably until she was 10 but the role lives on in my mind! Now this guy is the number one influencer and role model in her life. And rightly so. Biblically this is a key characteristic of a marriage. But it’s tough for us older brothers to let go. Several months ago my sister calls and says that she’s pregnant. Now my sister doesn’t like pain. I’ve got three kids. I’ve seen what happens when you squeeze a watermelon through a lemon. There’s pain. So when she goes into labor she is planning to get the epidural asap. She has it all planned out in her head. She’ll get the epidural, kick back, chew on some ice chips, and when the time

comes push that baby out. Then she and her husband can hold the newborn and show him off to the new grandparents. It will be a wonderful time. It didn’t quite happen that way. Early on in the labor her bloodwork got a little wonky and they couldn’t give her the epidural – ever. I wasn’t there but I heard that a fully mature woman showed up and gutted through 12 hours of contractions. Who is this girl? My sister? Nope. I’ve never met this lady. Now, I know that women throughout history have done this every day ever since God told Eve there would be pain in childbirth but 12 hours sounds like a lot of pain. My sister had matured into a mother but the situation was out of her control now. Hey sis! Welcome to parenting! Enjoy your first lesson! Wait, it gets crazier. When the doctor comes in and says it’s time to push, she does but the baby is coming out wrong. Then he shares that they have to do an emergency c-section but because her bloodwork is off they have to knock her out completely. She can’t even be there for the birth of her son. Her husband couldn’t be present either. So much for the fairy-tale birth. Now the situation was completely out of her control.

Having control is a fleeting thing. It’s hard to quantify why you have it sometimes and why you don’t at other times. It is easy to look at the people around you and to know that you don’t have control over them. It is easy to see that you may have influence or can offer some assistance but you don’t have any control. The control-to-influence shift starts early too. Probably around age 10 or 12. But we do have one area of our lives where we always have control. In us. In our choices. In our decisions. Every choice we make is a decision that we have given power to. I’m not going all new-age spiritual on you here. Every decision we make is one that has the potential to represent Jesus or not. Every decision we make has the potential to encourage someone or not. Every choice we make has the potential to lift someone up or to lift ourselves higher. Paul makes this clear in Roman 7:14-25. There are things we want to do that we don’t do and things we don’t want to do that we end up doing. But in either instance the choice is ours to make! During her labor and delivery I never heard my sister want to give in. She never complained. She had one driving focus. To have a healthy baby. She did. Really healthy. 8 lb.s 1 oz, 21 inches healthy. No, she wasn’t “there” when he was born but God was. No, it didn’t go just like she planned but it did work out to God’s favor (a healthy baby is always a miracle from God). No, she didn’t have any control over the situation but her Heavenly Father was in control. Control is funny. We fool ourselves into thinking we have it when really it is Jesus providing us with His favor. I still have control over my choices but it’s good to know that He has control over everything else. If He can create life I think I can trust Him.

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remember the first thing that I bought when I found out that my husband and I were pregnant with our first child. I didn’t rush out for baby booties, or cute little outfits, or even try to find the perfect baby bed. I bought the one thing that I knew would make a lasting impact on my child’s life: I bought my baby a buggy full of books. There were little books with pictures of bunnies and tractors, and big books with words that I knew my child wouldn’t be able to read for a half dozen years. There were books full of rhymes by Seuss and books full of pop-ups. But my favorite books were the ones that hadn’t been printed by the thousands-- my favorites were the books written by local authors that gave me an excuse to escape from the every-day world and enter into one of make believe, where animals talk and the endings are always happy. As my baby boy became a toddler, we walked through books that transformed into jungles where we searched for big cats with razor-sharp teeth. We counted kisses and drove tractors over cornfields and through wheatscented meadows. And now, as my once tiny bundle of joy approaches puberty, I get a warm, fuzzy feeling in my heart when I watch him sit and read from the books that I bought for him before I even decided on his name. Because I know that I gave my child something very important, even before he was born. I made the decision to pass along a love for literature that he will never lose-- in particular, a love for local authors. Why did I rush out to buy my baby books, long before I ever picked the theme for the nursery? It’s because books matter. Words matter. Cold black text on white paper conveys the most important parts of mankind: our emotions, our desires, and our dreams. I once had a literature professor that summed it up perfectly when he said, “Books are the way for us to capture the

way that we feel. In the right hands, a pen can be used to make people hundreds of years from now understand exactly what it felt like to be you.” The moment that my professor spoke those words, something inside of me changed. I had always adored books. In the long, heated summers of my youth, I devoured the books in the Sarepta Branch Library until I had signed my name on the check-out cards of every single book in my age category. By the time I was fifteen, I began reading a novel a day. And those books, both fiction and non-fiction, taught me that it’s a lot easier than you would think to see the world, even if you never leave home. But until a college professor at Arkansas State University spoke those words to my class, I never understood exactly what it was that made me love books so much. Literature gives us the unique ability to capture our feelings in a way that other forms of media cannot. And Louisiana is full of authors that have made the decision to capture their feeling and emotions for us to read. This issue of The Minute Magazine highlights a few remarkable Louisiana authors, so take time to pick up their books when you have the chance. You would be surprised how many well-seasoned authors live in our neighborhoods. Without even realizing it, you bump into the writers of hot, steamy romance novels at the grocery store. Many of you went to high school with a shy guy that wound up publishing his first novel with a major New York publisher. And if you take the time to open his novel, you’ll see that he named his characters after the small towns that dot the map of northern Louisiana. We at The Minute Magazine encourage you to form a literary connection with a local author. Because my college professor was right. A pen, placed in the right hands, can change your life. And we should be proud of the handfull of local writers that use their pens to put our state on the literary map.

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JOHN COREY WHALEY -----------------------------------

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SHELIA GOSS -----------------------------------

orey was born and raised in Springhill, Louisiana. It was around ten or eleven, when he started to become interested in the idea of writing everything down; he wanted to tell stories. According to Corey, it really didn’t matter whose stories he was telling, just as long as he was writing things down. The excitement of writing stories and having teachers praise his creativity and use of rhetoric was enough to make him, at a particularly angst-ridden time in his life, really gain a lot of confidence. Corey still remembers a story he wrote for Freshman English about a UFO sighting that his teacher especially liked. Corey ultimately decided to study Journalism in college, a major he dropped after one quarter at Louisiana Tech and quickly changed to English Literature. He continued to write short

stories, poetry, and beginnings of novels throughout college—honing his writing style into something much more similar to what it is today with the help of some amazing instructors and writer friends. When he was a senior at Louisiana Tech, Corey was driving down the interstate, on his way to meet his parents somewhere for dinner, when he heard a story on NPR about Brinkley, Arkansas-- a town where someone had spotted a long thought-to-be-extinct woodpecker (the ivory-billed woodpecker). The radio story focused around a favorite musician of Corey’s, Sufjan Stevens, and his writing of a song about this small Arkansas town, all based off of recorded interviews of townspeople there. Corey immediately, right there on I-20, knew that this was the book idea he had been waiting on for years. And

so began his 5+ year journey with the novel that was titled Good God Bird at first, but which is now in stores under its new title Where Things Come Back. This novel, Corey’s debut, centers on a small town in Arkansas where a thoughtto-be-extinct woodpecker (called the Lazarus in his story) is spotted by an ambitious ornithologist. When Corey wrote Where Things Come Back, he kept this question in his mind: Is it possible to grow up in an impossible world? And he hopes readers find the answer to this question in this wonderful story. Corey is stepping away from his five-year career as a public school teacher this summer to become a fulltime author. And one thing’s for sure. This Springhill, Louisiana native is certainly making his home-town proud of him!

Shreveport, Louisiana native Shelia M. Goss writes in multiple genres. This prolific writer has been writing since she was nine years old. After hearing Maya Angelou recite from her book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings during her freshman year in high school, Shelia knew that she wanted to become a writer. Although Shelia has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, her passion for writing has always been there. Shelia decided to pursue her life-long dream of being a published author after being down-sized from a fortune 500 company. Shelia is the National

Best-Selling author of four young adult books: The Lip Gloss Chronicles series (The Ultimate Test, Splitsville, Paper Thin, and Secrets Untold (August 2011), six romance novels (Hollywood Deception, My Invisible Husband, Roses are thorns, Paige’s Web, Double Platinum and His Invisible Wife), two Christian fiction novels (Delilah and Ruthless (February 2012)) and two suspense novels (Savannah’s Curse and Montana’s Way (2012)). Her books have been on the Dallas Morning News and Essence Magazine best sellers list. She’s received many

accolades and awards over the years, including four Shades of Romance Magazine Readers Choice MultiCultural Awards. She was also honored as a Literary Diva: The Top 100 Most Admired African American Women in Literature. Besides writing fiction, Shelia is a freelance writer. She writes articles on relationships, writing, and entertainment.

novels focus on family, community and matters of faith - all subjects that are near and dear to her own heart. Her work has earned a number of awards - most recently a nomination for the Romantic Times Booklovers Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Award and an Award of Merit from the prestigious Holt Medallion contest. Winnie’s advice for those interested in writing with an eye toward publication: Besides storytelling ability, there are two things you need to succeed - perseverance

and the belief that you have within you something worth sharing with the world.

Winnie

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Winnie Griggs

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Griggs is a small town girl from Southeast Louisiana’s Cajun Country who grew up to marry a country boy from Northwest Louisiana, where they now reside. With a BS degree in mathematics and a minor in Computer Science, Winnie held various professional and managerial positions in the electric utility industry until she left that behind to pursue a full time writing career. Drawing from her own small town roots, Winnie’s historical and contemporary romance

SHELIA’S BOOKS: The Lip Gloss Chronicles; Savannah’s Curse; Delilah; Holly Wood; Double Platinum; His Invisible Wife

WINNIE’S UPCOMING RELEASES:

Home For Thanksgiving (part of the Oince Upon A Thanksgiving anthology), Love Inspired Historical, October 2011; A Baby Betweeen Them, Love Inspired Historical, June 2012

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BETH

CORNELISON -------------------------------

Rita Award finalist Beth Cornelison received her bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from the University of Georgia. After working in public relations for about a year, she moved with her husband to Louisiana, where she decided to pursue her love of writing fiction, especially romantic suspense. Since that time, she has won numerous honors

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LENORA WORTH

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Lenora Worth has written over

45 books for three different publishers. Her first Love Inspired “The Wedding Quilt” won Affaire de Coeur’s Best Inspirational for 1997, and “Logan’s Child” won RT’s Best Love Inspired for 1998. Her suspense “Code of Honor” finaled in the American Christian Fiction Writers’ Carol Award and her “Body of Evidence” made the New York

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JOHN AGAN

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ohn Agan has been a lifelong resident of Minden. As a child during the years of the Civil War Centennial, he developed a

fascination with history. He earned a B.A. in History from Louisiana Tech University. After working in other fields the call of history was so strong he returned to that calling, earning a M.Ed. in Social Studies Education and later a M.A. in History, also from Louisiana Tech. Before embarking on his teaching career he had already developed a hobby of writing history. John’s writing career began accidentally. About two years after John graduated

for her work including the Golden Heart for unpublished authors awarded by Romance Writers of America, the 2010 Daphne Du Maurier Award for series romantic suspense and ACRWA Readers Choice Award. She made her first sale to Silhouette Intimate Moments in June 2004 and has gone on to publish many more books with Harlequin/Silhouette. She has also published with Five Star Expressions, Samhain Publishing, and Sourcebooks. Beth has presented workshops across the country to numerous chapter meetings, conferences, online classes

and b o o k clubs. Beth Cornelison lives in West Monroe, Louisiana, with her husband, one son and a fluctuating number of cats that think they are people. A FEW OF BETH’S BOOKS: Specail Ops Bodyguard (July 2011); The Prodigal Bride (February 2011); P.I. Daddy’s Personal Mission (November 2010); The Bride’s Bodyguard (October 2010)

Times Bestseller list in Mass Market Paperbacks. With millions of books in print, Lenora continues to write for Love Inspired and Love Inspired Suspense and she recently sold three books to Harlequin’s SuperRomance, still writing as Lenora Worth. Lenora also wrote a weekly opinion column for the Shreveport Times and worked freelance for SB magazine. She has now turned to full-time fiction writing and enjoying adventures with her retired husband, Don. Married for 36 years, they have two grown children—Kaleb and Carly. Lenora enjoys writing,

reading and shopping … especially shoe shopping.

from Tech, Professor John Winters submitted one of John’s papers into a contest for the best paper written on Louisiana History. The first time John learned of the entry was when he was notified that he had won the award for his article, Minden, Louisiana: 1933. Recognizing that the writing gave an outlet for using his research, John began writing articles. In 2000, he began a weekly column, Echoes of Our Past, published every Friday in the Minden Press-Herald. Arcadia Publishing asked him to compile a pictorial

history of Minden. That first book experience led to four subsequent books on Minden and Webster Parish history. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor of History at Bossier Parish Community College.

SOME OF LENORA’S BOOKS: Hometown Sweetheart (October 2011); Body of Evidence (February 2011); Because of Jane (January 2011); The Soldier’s Mission (December 2010); Assignment: Bodyguard (September 2010); Risky Reunion (June 2010); Hometown Princess (May 2010); The Perfect Gift (October 2009); Gift of Wonder (August 2009); Code of Honor (April 2009)

JOHN AGAN’S BOOKS: Images of America: Minden, Louisiana; Images of America: Webster Parish, Louisiana; Minden: Perseverance and Pride; Remembering Minden: Echoes of Our Past; Echoes of Our Past: The Civil War Years in Minden

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LIZ TALLEY

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From the time she learned to read to the present, Liz has always had a fascination with books. As a child she remembers reading Little Golden Books instead of napping. And, oh, the first time she read a romance – The Thornbirds – she was hooked. She ate up the SuperRomances on the shelves of her aunt’s used bookstore, borrowed her grandmother’s Boons and Mills Medical Romances (loved those nurses’

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WESLEY HARRIS

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tirred by his grandmother’s stories of her family’s early days in Louisiana, Ruston native Wesley Harris began researching local history at the age of eleven. He collected boxes of material and conducted independent study projects on Louisiana history while attending Ruston High School. Those early efforts blossomed into several articles

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JUDY CHRISTIE

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North Louisiana author Judy Christie creates stories about made-up places in North Louisiana – all based on towns she’s loved since childhood. When she’s not dreaming up fictional characters, she’s passionate about helping real people slow down and enjoy each day more. She is the author of the popular Green series of novels, set in a fictional town in North Louisiana, and the Hurry Less

caps) and snuck her dad’s westerns so she could read the “romantic parts” (which lasted about a page). She inhales books, no doubt about it. Of course, it never occurred to her to write one until her college roommate said, “You read so many of those things, why don’t you write one?” The idea stuck and several years ago she did it! So now she’s an author with four manuscripts under her belt and a release on the way! So instead of just reading those SuperRomances, she’s writing them. Liz serves as President of NOLA Stars and also blogs on the 2009 Golden Heart

blog – http://www.rubyslippersisterhood.com. She loves strawberries, fishing, retail therapy (especially at Target), and she’s a Virgo. Liz married her high school sweetheart and has two smart, beautiful boys. When not writing contemporary romances and still editing her historicals, she is usually found working in the flowerbeds or doing laundry.

and books on regional history. Harris earned a B.S. degree in Education from Louisiana Tech University and later a Master of Arts in Human Relations and Supervision. During a law enforcement career spanning over three decades, Harris has worked in police departments in Louisiana, Georgia, and Texas. As a noted author and lecturer on police procedures, he has written several books and many articles and taught in police academies in thirteen states. Today, most of his writing focuses on historical subjects of personal interest,

especially those dealing with north Louisiana. Harris writes a blog at www.diggingthepast. blogspot.com and can be reached at campruston@ gmail.com.

Worry Less nonfiction series. “Playing with words is a wonderful gift,” Judy says. “I encourage all writers to put their stories on paper. Each person has a unique perspective and can write something that no one else can write in the same way. Sit down and write. I didn’t write my first novel until I turned fifty, and what an amazing journey it has turned out to be. By this fall, I’ll have a dozen books in print. What a blessing this writing life is!” Judy also leads workshops and retreats to help people learn to slow down and have more fun. Her

books include “Hurry Less Worry Less at Christmas,” being reissued this year with added content. “Hurry Less Worry Less for Moms” will be out in the fall. “I can never adequately express my thanks to the local people who help me with tips and stories,” she says. For more, visit Judy on Facebook. A free Hurry Less Worry Less podcast is available on iTunes with a quick weekly tip to enjoy life more. “Life is full of possibilities,” Judy says. “Take a fresh look at your life and consider what you might do to follow your dreams.”

LIZ’S BOOKS: A Touch of Scarlet (October 2011); A Taste of Texas (May 2011); The Way to Texas (December 2010); Vegas Two-Step (June 2010)

WESLEY’S BOOKS --Greetings from Ruston: A Post Card History of Ruston, Louisiana; Neither Fear nor Favor: Deputy United States Marshal John Tom Sisemore; Fish Out of Water: Nazi Submariners as Prisoners of War in North Louisiana during World War II

of events that lead us from the opening of our story to the conclusion. Sounds easy, but I think you’ll agree that the tricky part comes in figuring out which particular chain of events are needed to make your story the page turner you want it to be. After analyzing my own process (always a scary proposition!) I came up with what I call the 7Cs method. These stand for: Character Circumstance Conflict

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The 7C’s Method Of Plotting ---------------------------------

hen it comes to plotting, writers fall somewhere on a continuum from the uber-planner who plots everything down to the nth degree, to the writer who takes a hint of an idea and dives right in, trusting that the plot will come to her as she goes along. I personally fall somewhere in the middle. I usually know who my characters are and what drives them. I also know how they’ll change by the end of the story, and I also know some of the bigger turning points that happen along the way. The rest of it I figure out as I go along. Over time, I’ve come up with a plotting process that works for me and today I’ll share that

with you. But first, let’s discuss what a plot is and isn’t. Plot is not story. Story is the end product, the combination of theme, premise, character, action and emotion, presented in an engaging manner to produce a cohesive whole. Plot is one part of what goes into crafting a story. It’s the ‘what happens’, the sequence of events that occur as the characters attempt to achieve their goals and solve problems. And to be effective, this sequence of events must be structured such that, no matter how the situation or characters change by the end, the plot has led us there in a smooth and inevitable manner. Unlike real life where things happen randomly or with little impact on everyday life, in fiction, each event must have consequences that impact what happens next and lead inexorably to the story’s conclusion. To illustrate this difference between plot and story, I’ll use a simple example - Cinderella. At a high level we have these events: A quick glimpse of Cinderella in her everyday world A ball is announced and Cinderella decides that she wants to go Her stepmother and step-sisters conspire

to keep attending

her

from

Aided by her fairy godmother, Cinderella goes to the ball anyway, but is warned she must leave by midnight Cinderella meets Prince Charming and the two fall in love Cinderella almost overshoots her deadline and flees, losing her shoe in the process Prince Charming finds the shoe and uses it to search for Cinderella The stepmother locks Cinderella away Cinderella escapes and she and Prince Charming achieve their happily ever after

As I said, high level, but these are the story events - the plot points if you will. As you can see, it’s not the story. It’s much too dry and lackluster to engage readers in any meaningful way. The story itself is much richer and more lyrical, with layers and emotion that are missing here. So, since plot is the ‘what happens’ in your story, it stands to reason that, to plot, one merely need come up with a list

Consequences Crisis Conclusion Change & Coherence You can attack these in whatever order you like, but I usually start with Character and Circumstances. I explore my characters - their goals, values and especially their backstory - before I begin writing my story. While character does not overtly play into your plot points, it does inform them. Going back to Cinderella, our plot points don’t state what kind of history Cinderella has with her stepmother and stepsisters, or that she lost her father at a young age, or that she’s a dreamer. But because I know this, I know what actions she is likely to take under specific circumstances. At this time, I also think about what my characters initial circumstances are. Once I really understand my character and their initial circumstances, the next ‘C’ I work on is the Conclusion. This may sound counter-intuitive, but I need to know where I want my character to end up before I start planning how to get them there. In the case of Cinderella, I want Cinderella to go from

being unloved to finding true love. Once I have these three pieces - character, current circumstances and conclusion, I start trying to figure out the events that will get me there. To do this, I play ‘what if’, brainstorming events and outcomes, looking for the ones that best fit my story and characters, the ones that will provide story energy and keep readers turning pages. I build from the current circumstance, throw in Conflict, figure out the Consequences, then identify the new circumstance and so move forward, repeating the steps, taking the story as far as I can. You can see this cause / effect chain in the Cinderella example:

erect roadblocks my character to be when consequence - she is the story ends. If I’ve done temporarily stymied my job properly, set up the proper chain of events, new circumstance I will have believably demonstrated her growth - Fairy Godmother and the sacrifice she appears, helps endured to prove herself Cinderella go to worthy of her reward. the ball where she The last ‘C’, meets the prince Change and Coherence, Conflict - she must leave are filters I use to keep me before midnight or her on track. I do this by asking finery will disappear the following questions: Consequence - she Did this particular is nearly caught and plot point change the must race away and so situation and/or characters? forth. If it didn’t, then it doesn’t have a place in my story. The fifth ‘C’, Crisis, Next, does it have is the major event that coherence? Does this occurs in the closing act event flow logically from the of your story which causes prior one, while remaining the reader to wonder true to my character, or how your hero will ever did I throw it in because it reach his reward. In our sounded like a fun scene to Cinderella example, it’s write or because I wanted when Cinderella is locked to force the story in a away from the prince and it particular direction? Note, circumstance seems they are doomed to when I say flow logically, be separated forever. I don’t mean predictable. Cinderella decides The sixth “C”, Surprises are good, so long to go to the ball Conclusion, I’ve already as you motivate the action conflict - her relatives mentioned. It’s who I want in a believable manner.

So there you have it, my 7Cs method of plotting. I hope you find it helpful.

WINNIE GRIGGS is a multi-published romance author who currently writes for Harlequin’s Love Inspired and Love Inspired Historical lines. Her column focuses on tips and prompts for aspiring authors. A small town girl herself, Winnie’s books focus on family, community and matters of faith all subjects that are near and dear to her own heart. Readers can learn more about Winnie and her books at www.winniegriggs. com or connect with her on Facebook.

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The Behemeth of All Snakes

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nakes that I see quickly and early don’t bother me ‘cause I can avoid ‘em. It’s those I don’t see until the very last split second that get my goose! For example, jumpin’ into the pond and coming up to see a cottonmouth only a couple feet away from the tip of my nose. Folks, if that don’t gitcher heart pumpin’, nothin’ will. It’s gotta be better’n one of them deefibbinulator doomafatchies! In that particular case, I’m not sure who scared who the most. I can honestly say I didn’t wait around very long to discuss the situation with the snake, nor did it take long for me to analyze my personal feelin’s! I came outta that pond so fast the vacuum I created siphoned half the water outta the pond! Okay, maybe not quite that fast, but close. That was but one of many encounters I have had with snakes throughout my life. At times, I went looking for them; other times they came lookin’ for me. Regardless, the meetings varied from almost friendly to almost fatal. Such was my life of growin’ up on a

small Claiborne Parish farm located on the banks of White Creek. I remember one episode as if it happened less than an hour ago. I was about six or seven, was up the road about a quarter mile visitin’ my cousin, when Mom called and said I needed to come to the house ‘cause I had company. Well, my visitor happened to be a classmate, who happened to be a girl. Now, you know good and well a six or seven year old boy ain’t got no time to fool with a female. But this particular young boy knew better’n to fool with his mom, so he commenced puttin’ one foot in front of the other toward home. It was a typically hot, dry July or August day, and while the dirt road was shaded in many areas, it also had many areas that were open to the sun’s searin’ rays. Iron ore rocks soaked up heat like a sponge and wasted no time transferrin’ it to my bare feet when stepped on! And the sand could only have been a few degrees short of molten glass. Guess you could say I “hot-footed” it home! I was trudgin’ along with my head down, disappointed that I had to leave Cud’n Mick’s, when somethin’ told me to look up. I was only a couple hundred yards from home, but the sight in front of me scared me half to death! Stretched across the road and with his head stickin’ up at least 4 feet was

a Claiborne Parish King Anaconda Python Cobra Constrictor! Now, I hear you snickerin’ ‘bout there not bein’ any such animal in Claiborne Parish, but to me, that’s exactly what it was! Now, maybe it wasn’t really a Claiborne Parish Ki…, a CPKAPCC, and maybe his head wasn’t stickin’ up 4 feet. But I do know it was a snake at least five feet long and I know it was multicolored like a coral snake. Obviously, it wasn’t a coral snake ‘cause they don’t get that big. However, I vividly remember the bands of yellow, black, and red; or, white, black and red…, maybe yellow, white and red…, anyway, I can still see its head raised up maybe six to eight inches and givin’ me the eyeball. At the time, I knew it was sizin’ me up for lunch and I wasn’t hankerin’ to be invited. It wasn’t but a moment or two before the

snake dropped his head and skeedaddled on across the road and into the ditch. I was in such shock and fear that I wasn’t about to walk past that spot ‘cause I just knew he was a lyin’ sneaky snake! He was just pretendin’ to leave me be, but I knew he was layin’ there, waitin’ for me to get close enough where he could have me for lunch. (Hey! I was a sweet boy and can you say for certain snakes don’t like sweets?) Anyway, I remember screamin’ my head off tryin’ to get someone at the house to hear me and come help me get away from this gigantic Claiborne P…, this huge reptile! My screams and yells were all in vain, though, and I eventually had to gather enough courage to walk past the spot where the sneaky snake lay in waitin’. Well, I didn’t really “walk” past the spot; it was more like “flew” past it at about the same velocity mentioned earlier and used when exitin’ the pond. You know, over the years I’ve searched several times tryin’ to find a picture matchin’ that snake. Unfortunately…, or maybe fortunately, I’ve failed to come up with an identical match. It could have been a Louisiana Milk Snake, a Louisiana Rat Snake, or a Northern Scarlet Snake, which in either case, don’t sound scary enough. To me, it remains, and will forever remain, a Claiborne Parish King Anaconda Python Cobra Constrictor!

BACKYARD

baseball

by Wesley Harris

never played Little League. Shy and small for my age, I had no inclination to play organized sports as a kid. Backyard ball was a different matter. Playing ball with Dad was one of the simple pleasures of my youth. Dad ran a route on a soft drink truck, refilling machines. I thought it had to be the most marvelous job in the world. A beautiful yellow truck loaded with green glass bottles of Coca-Cola. I had no idea of the physical demands of lifting unwieldy wooden crates of Coke, Sprite and Fanta all day. Dad wasn’t overflowing with energy when he got home but he still got out in the backyard after dinner. I had an old raggedly glove. One ball. Dad got cracked bats from the coaches when he refilled the Coke machine at the college baseball field. We mended the heavy wooden bats with tape and nails. My hands stung every time I made contact with the ball and splinters supplied evidence of a big hit.

The pecan tree served as first base; the fledgling magnolia Dad had planted marked second. A short run uphill to the general vicinity of the kitchen window took me to third. I rarely stopped at the makeshift bases—I was also the next batter up—and Dad often ran me down and tagged me out. Occasionally Dad and I would go out to Fraser Field by the fairgrounds to see one of Ruston’s two teams, the Ramblers and the Volunteers, play other teams from a north Louisiana league that produced many professional players. A Fraser Field trip constituted an adventure. The aroma of roasted peanuts sold by a tiny one-legged woman. The pistol-shot pow of foul balls pounding the tin roof of the stands. The dust floating in from the dark parking lot. Clumps of old men talking loudly and smoking cigars. It was fascinating and a little scary. Dad’s presence was comforting. Sitting beside Dad watching real ball players ranked up there with playing in the backyard. Admission, Cokes and peanuts cost about three dollars, a rather extravagant expenditure. Dad bought groceries and gas on credit at Goolsby’s Store and settled up on payday. There was little money for leisure activities. We went to high school football games after the third quarter when the ticket booth closed. Even when

future NFL quarterbacks Bert Jones and Joe Ferguson faced off against one another at Ruston’s James Stadium. Rarely could we afford the sodas Dad hauled around town every day. I think he saw a trip to the ballpark as an essential expense. Fraser Field was an education fathers owed their sons. When I was in the sixth grade in 1968, my principal stunned me with news that three Ruston guys were playing for the Atlanta Braves. It was the only year George Stone, Ralph Garr, and Wayne Causey played together in Atlanta but that early hometown pride made me a Braves fan for life. With no money for baseball magazines or trading cards and virtually no televised games on the three fuzzy channels we could tune in, I would be in high school before I learned Ralph Garr was African American. He had played on a Ruston team Dad and I never watched at Fraser Field—the Black Sox. Segregation by race applied to the teams playing at Fraser Field just like the schools and the public restrooms. Even into my teens, I could coax Dad, and sometimes my brothers, into the backyard for abbreviated sessions on my imaginary diamond. Dad would pitch, but years on the Coke truck and later on a walking mail carrier route had worn him down. If I ran after my own hits,

Dad would stay in the game just a little longer. My own son grew into and out of his Little League career in a few fleeting years. He received an education as well in the backyard and at the ballpark. While Dad and I could only read newspaper stories about the Braves, my son and I attended many games when we lived in Atlanta during his youth. Later my daughter played softball, dreaming of pitching for the same college that equipped me with broken bats. That aspiration faded when she discovered a talent for cheerleading and dance but she quizzes me every spring if the Braves will be playing in Texas this year and “can we make the easy drive to watch them beat the Rangers or the Astros? Please, please, please?” Both kids have learned one thing: Dad always has time to go out in the backyard.

-----------------------------Ruston native Wesley Harris recently published GREETINGS FROM RUSTON: A Post Card History of Ruston, Louisiana, available from amazon. com or by contacting him at campruston@ gmail.com. Check out his other books and Louisiana history blog at http://diggingthepast. blogspot.com.

so totally overwhelmed sometimes that they snap at their family. Please tell me there are others of you out there. Please, are you there?

bed. No she doesn’t live with me but thankfully right across the street. I have been known to sneak in and crawl in her bed, it is like a tranquilizer.

I am quite certain that every other Wednesday when my dear precious housekeeper arrives she must stand at door and scratch her ----------------------------------- the head and ask herself how our tiny family of three manages to destroy this house. Somehow she braves her way in and pulls often look at my me back together so that I husband and daughter might function for another and ask “DO YOU THINK I couple of weeks. AM WONDER WOMAN?!” Of course I don’t look like I would bet money that my Wonder Woman, wink sweet housekeeper stands wink. But I do think my there and raises her hand sweet family thinks I have in protest and silently yells her capabilities. According at me “DO YOU THINK I to my research, some of AM WONDER WOMAN”! Wonder Woman’s abilities My answer to her would include: superhuman be YES YES YES I KNOW strength, super speed, YOU ARE! Because every super stamina and super other Wednesday my life is agility. bliss after she has visited.

You see my mother knows I am not Wonder Woman. She tells me often while also gently reminding me that I am not the only wife and mother who occasionally gets overwhelmed and I certainly will not be the last. You just gotta love a mother’s honesty. However, I am accepted there and I like it. She is after all a Wonder Woman herself.

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WONDER WOMAN

After I yell this statement at my family, usually after they have required too much of even Wonder Woman, my husband looks at me, with the sweetest of smiles, and says “honey you are my Wonder Woman”. Ok settle down, I know that is very sweet but not when I am just slap worn out! I do realize I am not the only wife and mother who juggle career, family, and a household and get

So not to be overtaken by Wonder Woman’s arch enemy the Duke of Deception (Wonder Woman #2 (Fall 1942), I have accepted, that on some level, I must be a Wonder Woman, right along with all of you other cape wearing wives and moms out there who sometimes just need to lay down the many capes of power we wear and just rest.

So I have found a solution to my Wonder Woman syndrome. You will know it as the afternoon nap. Not afforded every afternoon of course, but on occasion Rest in the knowledge when I find myself totally that our families do see us as super humans and exhausted. whether we realize it or not I find that lying my head they do appreciate us. So down for a few minutes wear your Wonder Woman allows me to revive my capes with pride- just don’t super human powers so forget, it’s ok to take it to that I might face what the the dry cleaners every evening brings. My favorite once in a while instead of spot for this is my mother’s laundering it yourself!

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Thyme in the Garden

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s I weed and cultivate the basils, savories, and thymes in my garden, touch their furry or glossy leaves, and breath in their spicy scent, they seem like such old friends it is difficult to realize that only three years ago these aromatic herbs, except for the parsley, sages and mint, were quite unknown to me. ~ Helen Morgenthau Fox, Gardening with Herbs for Flavor and Fragrance, 1970 As I write this it isn’t quite summer yet. My garden is flourishing in an abundance of flower blooms, squash, tomatoes, & okra. The only reason I even have any fruit is that I am watering every day. Thank goodness I had a well dug a few years ago. Most of Louisiana is under a burn band because we haven’t had any rainfall in weeks. The ponds and lakes are very low. Many people that live on the lake, water their gardens and lawns

the Phlox took 2 years for the roots to develop and bear their first flowers. Like many perennials the plant needed to be at least two years old to flower. So don’t expect anything the Watering takes time. For first year and don’t give up many years I drug hoses on your plants. around my gardens to supply water. It became If you transplant perennials a chore. My husband, you may loose you flowers over the years, put in an the first year after the irrigation system. It isn’t move. Time is on your nearly so time consuming side. The plants will grow now that we have finished bigger the second year. installing the last of the You will have bigger and system in the front for my more flowers. The roots will be more established azaleas and front lawn. for the heat and affect it as With this drought we are bad. You will need to still having without watering water during dry period to we wouldn’t have a lawn. maintain healthy plants. When you drive down the road you will recognize We all may want to start who is watering and who heading toward more is not. The brown color is drought tolerant plants. unmistakable. Generally it If you are like me and is August and September my garden, many plants before you notice the didn’t come back from brown colors. Are we last year, even with the having a climate change constant watering. Instead of replanting the same or what? thing, we may have to The heat is taking the fun move to a more reliable out of gardening for me. plant with regard to heat Since I am growing older, tolerance. For instance I don’t seem to take the herbs, sedums, grasses, heat like I use to when I and many sunny ground was a younger. My flowers covers. and herbs are thriving. The Phlox have been beautiful. Also, try old family It is putting on a show which heirloom plants. You know, started when the weather the ones that have stood heated up. As a perennial the test of time. These are with pumps using lake water. If you are fortunate enough to live on the lake you should have a healthy green garden with only the cost of a pump and hose.

the ones that are still living where the house has long rotted away. It may be that they are bulbs, crepe myrtles, or old garden roses. I purchased several old garden roses from the American Rose Society a lot of years ago. They are some of my favorites, Natchitoches Nosette, Caldwell Pink Pet, & Martha Gonzales. Each is still living and very heat tolerant. I would recommend these to anyone interested in growing old favorites. There again, these have stood the test of time. They are pest resistant. Which doesn’t break my heart. I don’t want to have to spend money on sprays and poisons if I don’t have to. Natchitoches Nosette was found in an old cemetery in Natchitoches. Hence the name Matchboxes Nosette. You know: if dead people can grow them you can! Some of the places you can find many of the Old Garden Roses are Specialty Nurseries; Linda’s Antique Roses, a small Texas grower of old root roses with an unusual selection of “Found” and mostly older varieties, The Antique Rose Grower, A Texas grower, and Country Side Roses, also of Texas. All three can be found on the internet. Ask questions, some old heirlooms can be invasive. Seven Sisters is one my husband found out about the hard way! We still have not gotten rid of it. Don’t be afraid to try growing anything new. Who knows, you may surprise yourself. Remember to take the time to smell the roses. Have fun gardening, and garden to have fun. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. So until next tine, HAPPY GARDENING!

BY BRIAN CARLISLE

BY B

RIAN

CAR

LISL

Upcycled Art A

Turning trash into a treasured home for our feathered friends, one found object at a time.

rotating composter. From there, I started to see things differently more and more over the years. My focus these s I’ve gotten older, my thoughts and actions of recycling days is all over the place. I re-purpose almost everything have increased. It probably kicked into high gear when - yard décor to garden implements. Our family fills up two I married my wife. She was the proud owner of a large, street side recycling containers to the max each week.

My creative outlet most recently has been making birdhouses out of old stuff - items that have outlived most all of their days of original purpose and are headed to retirement, on a shelf in a collection or probably to the dump. The very first item that sparked the light in a dark corner of my brain was a fair-sized hammered copper coal bin. I imagined it as a birdhouse of some sort, inspired by the way the top scooped up and lipped around and the shape of the pot belly. That coal bin became my first birdhouse created of old items. With it, I took my first steps into a new venture that is a growing influence and movement in culture today -- upcycling. The roof I fashioned out of a dusty piece of galvanized sheet metal. The awning over the entry was a piece of decorative metal awning edging. The handle was the perch and the entry was edged with copper came, a scrap from my other hobby, stained glass work. I finished it with soldered typewriter keys around the perimeter spelling the word “FLY”. A homemade copper pipe chimney came out from the side with a cap from a bell hanger. All the parts were just scraps lying around my workshop. My first birdhouse was quickly purchased by my dear friend, Chris Broussard. She immediately commissioned me to create two more birdhouses to serve as gifts to some of her friends. Since that creation I see art where others see junk. Now, my garage is filled with parts - old teapots, copper trays, nuts, bolts, solder, enamelware bowls, plates, silver-plated coffee pots and too many other things to mention. It goes on and on. The structural parts I use to create my birdhouses are things that people have lying around the house, collecting dust. I find a lot of raw material cheaply at antique and thrift stores. Utensils are flattened and carved into rose leaf-shaped pieces. Pot lids become roofs. Drawer knobs become perches. Napkin rings become awnings. Everything old has reinvented itself into something new with just a little imagination. And the best part is: Anything goes. It’s art! My birdhouses are always created to serve the purpose of being an actual birdhouse, but they can just as well serve their time sitting on shelves to be admired and enjoyed. Birdhouses aren’t the only way to use old items. You can make hanging planters from cake and Jell-O molds turned upside down. Turn a galvanized bucket into a hanging basket. Use that large tray or bowl as a hanging bird feeder. That old copper or metal wire can become a neat spider web design. A rusty, old metal lunchbox can be mounted outside on the kids’ fort as a mailbox for fun. Use that scrap 2x4 lumber to create a Mason bee house. If you don’t know what a Mason bee is, get out of the chair and Google it. These guys are great companions flying around with our honeybees. Birds are so entertaining to watch, it was a natural transition to creating art for them. I’ve decided that one day, I want to be that old fellow who knows the birds by their songs, and can teach his grandkids what bird is on that branch. I’ve set up a certified natural habitat right in my backyard through the National Wildlife Federation. Everything that passes through our yard gets a nice handout, whether it is a drink on these hot summer days or some extra food or seed to get through the hard chills of our brief winters. Creating for the nature in my environment with things that are otherwise considered trash has been so fulfilling. I encourage each and every one of you to turn what you love into something that makes a difference. In your own way, you can feed your soul and help our planet out in some way - big or small. --------------------------------------------------------------------------

This photo is one of Brian’s unique birdhouse designs. Visit our Minute Mag Facebook page to view more. Do you find this birdhouse as irrisistable as we do? Visit him online, or buy one of his creations at www.gadgetsponge.com or www.papersponge.com.

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I never wanted to give shots. Ever. It never appealled to me to sink a 17 foot needle in someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s behind. I never wanted to be feared by grown men nor have children shudder when I looked their way. Needle fear is way up there on the list of things people are frightened of. That is one of the reasons why I chose dental hygiene as a profession. In my world there were no nee-

dles, no sticks, and no screams of agony. There was only good tasting toothpaste, cool glasses (so that light didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get in your eyes), and a sticker at the end. I was such a fool. They only tell you that stuff to lure you into applying for clinicals. The reality was that after many years of lobbying to the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry, dental hygienists were given the privilege of

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Minden & Ruston Locations

being able to administer local anesthesia. This was decided one year before I applied for dental hygiene school. Therefore I was the second class to graduate with a local anesthesia license. This was my worst nightmare coming true! Not only because I was going to have to give shots, but in order to get my license I was going to have to receive them - lots and lots of them from a

shaking novice. You havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lived until youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had a 25 gauge needle coming at your face and the administrator is more nervous than you are. Each dental hygiene student had to give their first shot to our fellow classmates. We all took turns giving and receiving. It was just like Christmas. Turns out, giving them wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t so bad after all and after you get so many you get used to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;stickâ&#x20AC;?. The only thing that bothered me was the numbness. I seriously hated the being numb part. You can never look dignified or graceful with a numb face. Things ooze and droop. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not pretty. However, it does serve a purpose so that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel anything while the work is being done. The problem is that the numbness doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t disappear when the hurt is gone. The nothingness stays and lingers for a time being. No feeling, just nothing. Just like a shot of Lidocaine, life can deal us blows that leave us feeling numb. Perhaps itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the death of a loved

one, or a longing for times long gone, or hardships that we must endure. Life is just hard. I foolishly used to believe that if this was as hard as life got then I had it made. Of course that was B.T. and B.C. – Before thirty and before children. I eventually figured out that life isn’t always what we have planned for ourselves. When the hits keep coming, we sometimes instinctually numb ourselves to the pain. We harden ourselves to keep from feeling the pain that is so real. It helps us deal and gets us through the hard parts. God gave us pain for two reasons: to tell us something is wrong but to also let us know that we are still alive. I’m certainly no doctor (although my daughter did ask me how I knew everything) but I believe that numbing yourself is a defense mechanism, and although this serves a great purpose, getting used to feeling nothing will eventually leave you from enjoying the good times. The good times may pass you by because you are shielding

yourself. Joyous times can’t be embraced if you keep your walls up. Every person at some point desires happiness. Happy for me is watching my daughter play and hearing her innocent giggle. It’s knowing that no matter how frizzy my hair gets my husband loves me anyway. Happiness is the simple pleasures in life. It’s listening to the crickets sing on a hot Louisiana summer night or smelling bacon frying on a Sunday morning. It’s the trust of a true friend and the wisdom of your mother. The greatest joy in life may not be something you are seeking but rather something you already have. Don’t shut yourself out of your own life. You may be too numb to feel the pain but you may also be too numb to feel the bliss. A person that is numb won’t feel a slap in the face but they also won’t feel a sweet kiss on the cheek.

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A Brown Puppy and a Falling Star -----------------------------------

yesterday, when I heard my sweet mother’s voice reading my favorite bedtime story. I remember her sitting on the end of the bed, taking turns each night reading the books that my brother & I picked out. We both had several books that we liked more than others, so of course we heard them more often. My brother, David, liked The Three Billy Goats Gruff. I didn’t like it very much because I was “scared” of the troll who lived underneath the bridge. My favorite story was A Brown Puppy and A Falling Star. I could almost repeat the words before my mother even read them. That story never got old, and to this day, as I read the words... I still hear my mother’s voice as she would read them; “I’ll run fast and I’ll run far, so I can find the falling star,” said Brown Puppy as he hurried down the road. And of course, I like the story because it has a happy ending. Brown Puppy didn’t find his falling star, but he found Peter and a new home.

ince I am an “antique junkie”, I usually try to write about things that I find as I’m out & about treasure hunting. Sometimes I write about things that are “hot” in the eyes of all the collectors out there. But, as you can imagine, there are as many things to collect as there are people who collect them... and each have their own personal reason for “why” they collect the things that they do. One such item, which may not be as popular, and certainly doesn’t have the monetary value that a lot of collectibles do..., is books! Of course, there are exceptions, and there are some out there that have a high dollar price tag, but I’m speaking of the ones in general. You know the children’s books that you usually come across at garage sales & flea markets. I can’t really tell you “why” I like this story so much but it Seems like it was just did bring me lots of comfort

as a child, and endless joy, as my mother read it to me over & over along with the other books. I’m sure it was just the warm and cozy feeling of love and security you get as a child, when an adult takes the time to sit and read... to spend that one-on-one time with you. It gives you something that will last you a lifetime. I think books are very important in a child’s life. I believe we should read to our children from a very early age. I still have ALL of the books that were Michael & McKensie’s when they were little. And, now as grandparents, Mike & I spend lots of time reading to our grandsons. Not long ago, I decided to go out to the “playhouse” where there is a tall bookshelf with all of the books that belong to my children. I chose a few of them to bring in and read to Remington & Levi, so they would have “new stories” to listen to before nap-time. I believe that books are a great gift to give children, and they can never have “too many”. And an even greater gift is the T-I-M-E

that you spend reading to your child. We taught our children to have a “respect” for their toys and not to purposefully tear them up, and that included their books. Our children weren’t allowed to write in or tear out pages in their books. And with a few exceptions, while they were still “learning”, most of their books are in great shape. I tell you this story, because I learned that lesson the hard way. My mother didn’t like me to write in or draw in my books either. We had paper & coloring books that were made for that. Books were to read! But one day, as I was playing school, I couldn’t resist the temptation to write the name of my “student” all over my books, in magic marker, of course! My mother wasn’t very pleased with me when she saw what I had done. And, as I got older, I realized what my mother had been trying to teach me. So now, as I still have the original book from my childhood, (which is over 40 years old) it has a big worn spot on the front cover, where I later tried to remove the name written in marker. If I had only listened to my mother! Not all books are valuable in the collector’s world. But in a child’s world, books hold an extraordinary value. All it takes is an adult willing to sit down and spend the time to read to them. You can get lost in an imaginary world or dream of things that might never happen in real life. But sometimes... those dreams do come true! I just can’t end “this story” without mentioning “My Brown Puppy” that was my best friend during my teenage years. “Shorty” looked almost identical to the puppy in book, and he was the most lovable, sweetest dog in all the world. It’s almost as though he walked off the pages of the book and right into my heart. My memories of Shorty and of my mom reading to me are both priceless!

size of a fire ant mound and if you walked through it some would stay on your shoes for days. The garden wasn’t doing so well either. The dry weather had taken its toll on the squash. The deer had eaten all my okra and the coons raided my watermelon patch. The tomatoes didn’t look too good and then the hornworms got them, so apparently the lime and cat litter mixture didn’t work as a fertilizer or a pesticide. Fortunately for me this year the drought was so bad I didn’t plant anything.

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GARDENING -----------------------------------

pounds of lime before he told me when and how I should use it. While I was trying to figure out how to apply the lime without ruining my garden, the lime found a temporary home on the carport along with all our other orphans. As luck would have it, bad luck that is, my old truck was leaking some oil on the driveway and as you know three drops of oil will cover three hundred square feet of concrete and I think it looked like a little more than three drops. Pam noticed the oil slick and immediately brought it to my attention so on my way home from work I stopped and bought a canister of cat litter to pour on the oil spot.

t had been several years since I had planted a garden so last spring I was ready to grow some fresh vegetables again. I found a nice spot, ample topsoil and plenty of sun. I tilled the soil and added some fertilizer and I thought my garden was ready to plant. I asked someone at the seed store if I needed anything else and as it When I parked the truck turned out I did need some I couldn’t get to the oily spot so I temporarily set lime. the cat litter on the carport Lime…I thought lime was where it became part of our “Limy” only used to mark off extended family. baseball fields. Apparently and “Cat Poo Kitty” were it can help things grow if still all right until the truck used correctly. Generally tire accidentally bumped you would put the lime on the lime and the bucket your garden and cultivate of cat litter and cat litter it into the soil basically the and forty pounds of lime covered half the carport same as fertilizer. all mixed together. Some The problem was I had of it landed on the oil spot already planted all the but not much. I gathered rows with tomatoes, bell up what I could and put it peppers, squash, okra and in two five gallon buckets watermelons. The farm and took it out to the barn supply guy sold me forty where I put half into another container.

I brought one of the buckets back and emptied it on the oil spot and the other bucket I took to the garden and dug some holes beside each tomato plant and poured a generous amount in each hole. The mixture I put on the carport looked pretty good until the air conditioner on the car dripped water on it. After that it grew to the

Now I guess I will just complain about how expensive the vegetables are every time I go to the store and buy them anyway. I’ve come to the conclusion that it is easier to complain than it is to grow something!

not only in the summer months, but year round. 1. Flashlight, flares, and a first-aid kit 2. Jumper cables 3. A mat or blanket 4. Extra clothes and gloves (you never know when you may have to go under the hood or the car) 5. Paper towels 6. Extra washer fluid 7. Unperishable food 8. Water 9. Basic tools

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It’s Summer… Is Your Car Safe to Drive? -----------------------------------

3. ummer is here and that means it’s time for vacations, cookouts and summer road trips. Before you jump into the family vehicle, have you done everything you could to ensure safe travels? If not, you may want to think twice about driving “Old 4. Faithful” across the country or across town to a BBQ. We all know with summer comes extreme heat, which can wreak havoc on a car. However, there are a few things you can do to ensure you keep your car in its best operating condition. 1. Get your oil changed. Every 3,000 miles, or every three to six 5. months, is usually the amount of time between oil changes. (It’s also not a bad idea to rotate your tires

necessities available every other oil change in your car. If you to ensure equal wear.) were to become Oil is critical to the stranded somewhere, function of an engine. do you have items Not changing the oil that would make can lead to increased your wait a little less wear and tear on the painful? engine, which could decrease performance. An underperforming Here are just a few items engine can lead to you’ll want to make sure many other problems. you keep in your car, Check all engine fluid levels (along with coolant, transmission and brake fluids). Have your vehicle inspected. Before going on long road trips, it is highly suggested you have your vehicle inspected by a certified mechanic. They will be able to diagnose and assess any issues your vehicle may have. Check your tire pressure (including the spare). For the most part, vehicles can lose about one pound of pressure per month. Driving on underinflated tires can lead to increased gas consumption, and more wear and tear on the tires among other things. Above all, it just isn’t safe. Not only do you want to make sure your vehicle is mechanically sound, but you also want to make sure you keep the proper

Now that you’ve had your car inspected and you’ve stocked your trunk with the proper necessities, you should be ready to go. Remember to get plenty of rest before you drive long distances. Safe, happy travels to you! ----------------------------------www.foxreno.com. Summer Driving Tips. June 2010

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Peel and cube the honeydew. Wash grapes and remove stems. Freeze the honeydew and grapes for at least 1 hour. Combine the frozen grapes, melon, lime juice and honey in a blender until smooth, adding water as needed.

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SUMMERTIME SMOOTHIES!

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id you happen to notice on the calendar that the first day of summer wasn’t until June 21st this year? I’m going to guess that the people printing that calendar are somewhere up north because they most certainly can’t be from Louisiana. Maybe if you lived in Maine that might be an acceptable date on which to begin the season; but where I come from, we’ve been jumping into pools probably since the beginning of April. I propose a vote to change the first day of summer to May 1st or maybe May 15th. It’s much more appropriate than the end of June. I love summer. Sure its hot, really hot, scorching fires of hell hot, but it’s the perfect excuse to relax with an ice cold drink. My dad tried to convince me that drinking hot drinks when you’re hot can actually help cool you off. I am here to tell you that that is a bold faced lie. All it does it make you hotter. He tried the same trick in winter with cold drinks, again a lie. Here are a few summertime drink recipes that are quick and easy to make. My favorite is the Gingered Lemon Lime Fizz but they are all delicious.

Cantaloupe Orange Tofu Smoothie: 2-4 c. Ice ½ Cantaloupe, peeled and chopped 1 pkg Silken Tofu ½ c. Orange juice ¼ c. Honey In a blender, combine all Cherry Tofu Smoothie: 1 c. Silken Tofu (Silken is ingredients and blend until the best kind for smoothie smooth. Serves 4-6 making as it blends the best. Firm and Extra Firm Gingered Lemon Lime Fizz: Tofu are more crumbly) ½ c. Lemon Juice ¼ c. Maraschino Cherries ¼ c. Maraschino Cherry ¼ c. Lime Juice 2 c. Cold Water Juice 4 tsp Honey ½ c. Orange Juice 2 c. Ginger Ale Maraschino Cherries In a blender, combine tofu, In a small cherries, cherry juice, and p i t c h e r , orange juice until smooth. combine the Pour into 2 glasses and lemon juice, juice, garnish with cherries. lime water and Serves 2. honey. Fill 4 Citrus Cucumber Fresca: 12-oz glasses with ice and 1 Cucumber divide the 1 Lemon juice mixture 5 c. Water b e t w e e n Sugar to taste Peel and cube up the them. Top the cucumber and juice the glasses with ale. lemon. Add the cucumber ginger and water to a blender and Stir and serve. puree. Strain into a pitcher Serves 4 and add the lemon juice and sugar to taste. Serve H o n e y d e w Lime Cooler: chilled. 1 small Peach Blackberry H o n e y d e w Melon Smoothie: ½ c. Seedless 2 c. Vanilla Soy Milk Red Grapes 2 c. Frozen Peaches ½ c. Lime 1 c. Frozen Blackberries Juice 2 tbsp Honey Combine all ingredients ½ c. Honey in a blender until smooth. 2 c. Sparkling Water Serves 4. Oh and don’t be scared of the tofu that you’ll find in a couple of the recipes. Tofu is flavorless and makes a great thickener for a smoothie. I promise that you will not taste it at all.

Maple Banana Smoothie: 1 c. Plain Yogurt ½ c. Milk 1/3 c. Maple Syrup 1 Banana, peeled Pinch of Cinnamon Ice Cubes In a blender, combine the yogurt, milk, maple syrup, banana, and cinnamon. Add the ice and blend until smooth. Serves 2. Strawberry Watermelon Slush: 2 c. Seedless Watermelon, cubed 1 pint Strawberries, halved 1/3 c. Sugar 1/3 c. Lemon Juice 2 c. Ice Cubes In a blender, combine the watermelon, strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. Add the ice and blend until slushy. Serves 5.

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It’s All About Your Point of View -----------------------------------

was born in Ruston. It’s a typical rural southern town. The best part about north Louisiana is the generally mild weather. Well, most of the time. The last few weeks have been some of the hottest I remember in all my years here in Louisiana. It has been over 100 degrees for most of the past three weeks. It’s even hotter than I remember south Louisiana to be. I moved to Baton Rouge when I was fifteen and spent the next twelve years rarely donning a sweater due to the much milder winters. Daily showers cooled off the summers, leaving me with weather memories that were shrouded by humidity and mild temperatures. I recollect a few 100 degree days. But a very few. Saying that is has been HOT this summer is not a stretch of the imagination. My weather experiences have spanned not only the state, but also the US. After marrying my college sweetheart, we moved west to the desert -

the Sonoran Desert, that is, in Phoenix, Arizona. Over the next 14 years, I learned how to survive unbelievable heat for five months a year contrasted with perfectly amazing weather for the remaining seven months of the year. And by the way, if anyone tells you it’s a dry heat, they forgot to mention that an oven is still an oven, no matter what. I’ll never forget my first July 4 in Phoenix. A heat wave was moving through the state, and it was as miserable as you might imagine. My husband was, at that time, serving in the Army National Guard. His two weeks of Annual Training took him to Flagstaff, Arizona, two hours north and 80 degrees cooler. In fact, he called me on July 4th to tell me that it was snowing in Flagstaff. Yep. And while he was enjoying the snow, I was sweltering in 123 degree heat. That was officially the hottest day in my entire 14 years of living in Arizona. And it was not a dry heat. I was drenched in sweat and produced my own humidity. Because my 14 years of desert dwelling made me a professional at enduring heat, I thought I’d share some tips with you to help you cope with our unusually hot summer. Rule #1: Never go anywhere without a water bottle in hand. Staying hydrated was an important coping technique! Not only does it keep away heat

stroke, your skin will feel better if you are hydrated. Rule #2: Always test drive a new car in the summer to ensure that the air conditioning will cool down the car quickly. I still live by this rule. This is my summer for test driving as I decide which car manufacturer will take my hard-earned dollars. The finalists in my car decision must pass the air conditioning test as well as the cool door handle test, another important purchasing factor when living in Arizona. After a car sits in 110 degree heat, you may find yourself unable to get in your car due to door handles that are too hot to touch! Rule #3: Know where the covered parking is and always use it. I became quite skilled at finding covered parking as well as shady parking. Sometimes it might require a longer walk to the store. However, the end result was a car that cooled itself in minutes rather than what seemed like hours. I also learned to grocery shop after the sun went down or before it came up. Even though I lived one minute from my favorite grocery store, ice cream could melt in the back of a car inside of five minutes on a 110 degree day! Rule #4: A cool shower or a dip in the pool will cool your body down and help you sleep better. Summers in Phoenix could

produce three to four months in a row of 100+ temperatures. Even most nights, the temperature would remain over 100 degrees. I found that a dip in the pool made me feel cooler and sleep better. But if you don’t have a pool, a quick, cool shower will produce the same results. Rule #5: Escape to cooler temperatures for the weekend whenever possible to give your psyche a break. In Phoenix, summers were desolate. Everyone would escape to somewhere as often as possible. San Diego was six hours to the west and offered 75 degree temperatures year round. Flagstaff was two hours to the north and offered nighttime temperatures that required a sweatshirt! Over the past few days, I’ve heard many complaints about the heat. And my response is always this: be thankful for where you are. One of the reasons that I returned to my birthplace of Ruston four years ago was to escape the desert heat. Fellow southerners, I can assure you that even though we’re having a mighty hot summer, this is far better than the alternatives. It all comes down to your point of view!

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Elizabeth Haynes Drewett: a hormonal woman rumored to be somewhere between the age of 30 and 50. Her job: Operations Manager and Marketing Director for Seasons Wellness Clinic and Seasons - The Spa in Ruston. Her training: bachelor of arts in journalism degree from LSU and a bachelor of fine arts degree in piano performance from LA Tech University. Her life: wife of Ruston architect C.P. Drewett, Jr. and doting mom of Langdon, age 12, and Reagan, age 6. Her passion: the state of Louisiana - as Miss Louisiana 1992 she devoted her year of service to breast cancer education and the importance of early detection; lover of music - invested 10 years as a piano teacher into the lives of the most wonderful kids in the world; lover of a good game - job experiences include communications at PING Golf Equipment and public relations with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. Her favorite things: an underdog who overachieves, a good laugh, a good book, a good word, and a good hair day.

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re y’all ready for the greatest book show on earth? Do you want to meet talented, famous authors and wear your favorite tiara? Then you’re in luck! Next year’s GIRLFRIEND WEEKEND in Jefferson, Texas, will be held on January 12 - 15, 2012 at the Jefferson Tourism and Transportation Convention Center. Kathy Patrick is ready to host another fun-filled, literary weekend that you don’t want to miss. Don’t know Kathy? She’s the founder of The Pulpwood Queens Book Club, (the largest meeting and discussing book club in the world-- as seen on Oprah’s OXYGEN NETWORK, The Oprah Winfrey

Pazzaz and personality: Kathy Patrick and Robert LeLeux are sure to keep you entertained at GIRLFRIEND WEEKEND 2012.

Show, and Good Morning America), and the author of “The Pulpwood Queens’ Tiara Wearing, Book Sharing Guide to Life.” Join Kathy, along with Robert LeLeux (Editor of LONNY Magazine in NYC, columnist for The Texas Observer, and author of “Memoir of a Beautiful Boy” and “The Living End”) along with more than 50 authors (including: Star of The Guiding

Light, Tina Sloan, who will speak of her book “Changing Shoes” and will perform her one-woman show of the same name.) The lineup of events includes: Thursday Night Author Dinner where authors wait your tables; Friday and Saturday all-day author panels; Friday Night “PRETTY IN PINK” Prom Party; Saturday Author Luncheon; Saturday Night

“GREAT BIG BALL OF HAIR” Ball (dress as your favorite CIRCUS performer for costume contest!); Sunday Morning Worship Service and MORE! And in the meantime time, check out Kathy’s new Book Club Talk Show with authors like Fannie Flagg, Pat Conroy, and Anna Quindlin at www.beautyandthebook show.com! Call Kathy at 903-665-7520 to purchase your packets today, or email kathy@ beautyandthe book.com for details.

THREE TIMES IN EIGHT YEARS. TWO YEARS IN A ROW. It’s a time for celebration at Minden Medical Center. We have been selected as one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals for 2011 — the only Louisiana hospital to receive the recognition three times since its inception in 1993 and the only hospital in northwest Louisiana to be so honored in both 2010 and 2011. It’s a big honor based on ten areas of excellence in patient care and safety, financial stability, patient satisfaction and successful outcomes for patients with heart problems and pneumonia. It’s also a way for us to see how we measure up to our mission: to be the finest hospital in the country. This national recognition tells the community that the very best possible healthcare is available right here. Thank you to our staff and physicians whose loyalty, support, dedication and passion for excellence have enabled us to provide outstanding care and treatment for our patients. Thank you to our Board of Governors for their leadership and to our LifePoint corporate family for providing the support and structure to achieve our goals. As we celebrate this recognition, we vow to continue to strive for excellence by earning the loyalty of our staff, praise from our patients and the respect of our physicians…the best rewards of all.

cheers!

cheers! MINDEN

Medical Center

100 TOP HOSPITALS

again

Sincerely,

George E. French, III George E. French III, CEO

#1 MEDICAL PLAZA MINDEN, LA 71055 (318) 377-2321