What's in Your Stocking?
For some families, Christmas is an elegant and refined celebration. For my family, Christmas is a little… different. It’s not that we don’t want to act refined. We even have the china and crystal set on linen tablecloths to prove it. But we’re scattered from Louisiana to Georgia to Florida and now to Indiana and don’t see each other often. When we do get together, we sometimes become a little too connected to our inner children. A few of us, namely my sister Eileen and I, love to tease our siblings, which often leads to a more raucous than refined celebration of Christ’s birth. Stocking stuffing has become one of our quirky family traditions.
This tradition devolved over the past decades, when we decided that the stocking opening, which
often yielded staples like socks, chewing gum, and Chapstick, needed a little pizzazz. Or maybe the impetus was the Christmas that will live in infamy when my older sister and I, who butted heads constantly as teenagers, received super-sized onions in our stockings (what Santa used in the Byrnes household to express his displeasure since coal was unavailable). Some of the more spectacular stocking stuffings over the years include a gummy candy tongue, a toy reindeer that dropped brown jellybeans, and bacon bandaids. One year, we all tapped into the same wavelength and gave each other pickle ornaments.
Sometimes the desire to laugh spills over into the regular gift exchange among siblings. My sister Eileen and I especially like to give an additional odd gift to our older sister whose sense of humor, at times, is smaller than the Grinch’s pre-Christmas heart. Who knew an enormous bar of Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate and a small tub of double-salted Dutch licorice weren’t funny!
What would you like to find in your stocking Christmas morning? What, if anything, are you tempted to put in someone else’s stocking for a laugh?
Labels: Maureen Hardegree, stocking stuffing
This Week on the Wet Noodle Posse
Noodlers celebrate the Home for the Holidays theme with the following blogs for this week:
Monday, December 7th: MJ Fredrick Favorite Christmas Books
Tuesday, December 8th: Terry McLaughlin TBA
Wednesday, December 9th: Maureen Hardegree Stocking Stuffing Tradition
Thursday, December 10th: Lee McKenzie TBA
Friday, December 11th: Q&A: What makes a story ending satisfying to you as a reader?
Labels: christmas books, Lee McKenzie, Maureen Hardegree, MJ Fredrick, stocking stuffing, story endings, Terry McLaughlin
This Week on the Wet Noodle Posse
Noodlers finish Giving Thanks month and begin our Home for the Holidays theme as November turns to December.
Monday, November 30th: Debra Holland TBA
Tuesday, December 1st: Introduction to Home for the Holidays Theme
Wednesday, December 2nd: MJ Fredrick Favorite Christmas Shows
Thursday, December 3rd: Maureen Hardegree Tinsel on the Tree
Friday, December 4th: Q&A: What holiday traditions does your family follow?
Labels: Dr. Debra Holland, Maureen Hardegree, MJ Fredrick
Top Ten Tips for Writing a Thank You Note
1. Use a high cotton content paper or notecard. Think simple and elegant.
2. Handwrite your thank you. Handwrite the addresses on the envelope, too, rather than use printed address labels.
3. Write a rough draft on scrap paper first.
4. Be specific about what the gift is and why you are thankful. If the gift is a critique, then tell the person who wrote it what specific advice you found helpful and plan to use to improve your writing. If the thank you is for birthday money, tell the giver how you intend to use it.
5. Keep your note succinct. Most thank you note stationary provides an expanse of 4” x 5” in which to express yourself. If you keep the thank you from three to five sentences, you should be okay. Leave enough room for your signature, too!
6. Be sincere in your gratitude. If you don’t plan to wear the sweater Great Aunt Margaret knitted, don’t lie. Thank her for the love and care that went into every stitch.
7. Revise your draft.
8. Proofread for grammar and punctuation errors. Correct them.
9. Pen the final draft on your nice stationary.
10. Don’t wait too long to send your thanks. According to most etiquette gurus, thank you notes should be sent within forty-eight hours. With wedding or graduation gifts, thank you notes can be sent as late as four to six weeks after the event.
What other tips can you add to the list?
Labels: Maureen Hardegree, thank you notes
This Week on the Wet Noodle Posse
Noodlers continue exploring Giving Thanks month with the following blogs:
Monday, November 9th: Trish Milburn/Tricia Mills TBA
Tuesday, November 10th: Terry McLaughlin Lessons
Wednesday, November 11th: Maureen Hardegree Top Ten Tips for Writing Thank You Notes
Thursday, November 12th: Lee McKenzie TBA
Friday, November 13th: Q&A: What foods can’t you pass up on the Thanksgiving table?
Please join us!
Labels: Lee McKenzie, lessons in thanks, Maureen Hardegree, Terry McLaughlin, thank you notes, Tricia Mills, Trish Milburn
Brownies--A Recipe Sure to Garner Thanks
This is my all-time favorite brownie recipe. It's easy and will earn you many a compliment.
Brownie Recipe
(Based on the Recipe from The Fannie Farmer Baking Book)
Ingredients:
4 ounces (4 squares) unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
½ cup salted butter (1 stick), chopped into pats
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup flour
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan. DO NOT USE A RECTANGULAR PAN! Place the butter and chocolate in a sauce pan and melt over low heat. Stir frequently. Once the butter and chocolate are melted and combined, take the sauce pan off of the heat and set aside for a few minutes to cool. Once cool, add vanilla, sugar, salt, and eggs. Stir until combined and glossy. Add flour to the chocolate mixture in sauce pan and stir until incorporated. The batter should be thick. Spread batter evenly in square pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out BARELY CLEAN. If the toothpick is totally clean, you’ve over-baked the brownies. Cool, then cut into 16 squares and enjoy!
What recipe earns you thanks?
Labels: brownie recipe, Maureen Hardegree
Five Things to Be Thankful For
Most days are a blur for many of us. We don’t cross off everything on our lengthy “to do” lists, and these do’s carry over to our lists for the next day. As it is Giving Thanks month here at the posse, crazy as it sounds, I wanted to add one more thing to my list, something I don’t often scribble amid the grocery shopping and bank treks—counting my blessings. How often do we slow down enough to realize how much we have to be thankful for?
As a group, the wet noodle posse is thankful for the writing contracts we have, the agents who represent us, for the readers who enjoy our books and short stories, and for our families and friends who support us in our creative endeavors.
As an individual, here are the top five things I am thankful for today:
1. family
2. friends
3. health
4. a sound roof over my family’s head
5. a local dance supply store calling Grishko for me last night and getting them to send a few pairs of my daughter’s pointe shoes, needed for Nutcracker in three weeks. They’re on back order at my usual on-line store. Whew! Thank you, Center Stage!
How about you? What’s on your list? What are you thankful for?
Labels: counting blesslings, Maureen Hardegree
This Week on the Wet Noodle Posse
Noodlers explore the following topics this week:
Monday, October 26th: Maureen Hardegree Turning Gray
Tuesday, October 27th: Merrillee Whren TBA
Wednesday, October 28th: Delle Jacobs The World Turned Upside Down
Thursday, October 29th: Karen Potter Breast Cancer Screening: Early Detection and Biopsies
Friday, October 30th: Q&A: What are you giving trick-or-treaters this year?
Labels: Delle Jacobs, Karen Potter, Maureen Hardegree, Merrillee Whren
This Week on the Wet Noodle Posse
Monday, October 19th: Diane Gaston Turn to A Treasure Trove of Golden Heart Advice
Tuesday, October 20th: Theresa Ragan TBA
Wednesday, October 21st: Maureen Hardegree Easy No Sew Costumes
Thursday, October 22nd: MJ Fredrick Favorite Scary Movies
Friday, October 23rd: Q&A: What can writers do to improve their stories’ turning points?
Please join us!
Labels: Diane Gaston, Maureen Hardegree, MJ Fredrick, Theresa Ragan
Candy Corn Isn't What It Used to Be
When I think of candy corn, I picture the white, yellow and orange striped triangular candy of my childhood. I was amazed to discover this weekend that candy corn has gone gourmet. While at a book signing, I tried crème brulee candy corn, and it prompted me to wonder what other flavors were out there. I found that not only are there many flavors, but there are also triple-sized corn, gummy candy corn, candy corn Dots, and candy corn Hershey Kisses.
Different Flavors of Candy Corn
1. traditional (vanilla)
2. chocolate
3. cinnamon
4. gingerbread
5. peppermint
6. caramel
7. caramel apple
8. crème brulee
9. apple cider
10. blackberry cobbler
11. pumpkin spice
12. raspberry lemonade
13. cherry
14. green apple
15. tangerine
If you like the traditional vanilla flavor but want a more colorful corn for holidays other than Halloween—bunny corn (pastels), cupid corn (pink, white, and red), and reindeer corn (red, white and green) are available.
Are you a candy corn fan? Have you tried any of the alternative flavors? If so, which did you like best?
When not researching different flavors of candy corn, Maureen Hardegree writes for BelleBooks and Bell Bridge. Critters of Mossy Creek is available now. Look for her first paranormal young adult novel Haint Misbehavin' on bookshelves in June 2010.
Labels: candy corn, Maureen Hardegree
This Week on the Wet Noodle Posse
Noodlers continue exploring the month's Free Falling Theme with the following blogs:
Monday, September 14th: Dr. Debra Holland Song Titles as Inspiration
Tuesday, September 15th: MJ Fredrick Falling in Love, Again and Again
Wednesday, September 16th: Maureen Hardegree Top Five Things College Freshmen Shouldn’t Say to Their English Instructors
Thursday, September 17th: Maureen Hardegree Buy One Get One Free and Other Coupon Deals
Friday, September 18th: Q&A: What was your favorite after school snack as a kid?
Labels: after school snacks, college, coupons, Dr. Debra Holland, falling in love, Maureen Hardegree, MJ Fredrick, song titles
Letting Go
If you’re like me, you like being in control—not that I’m a complete freak. I’m learning, though, to let go. In fact, it’s become a goal of mine to relinquish more and more things that, quite frankly, aren’t that important in the grand scheme.
Helicopter Parenting
Okay, I admit I haven’t completely succeeded with eliminating this tendency. But the helicopter has shrunk to a little toy size. My daughter succeeds or fails. My job is to help her process the success or failure. As much as it kills me not to badger her into telling me when I know something is bothering her, I stop when she says she doesn’t want to talk about it—most of the time.
Volunteer Work
Several years ago, I assessed how much time in the day I had to accomplish my goals, and I discovered that volunteering was sucking away my writing time. I whittled down my list to only things I loved, like sewing for my daughter’s ballet company and volunteer opportunities that helped my career. Are people disappointed in me when I say “no”? Probably. But since I no longer feel the need to be perfect, I’m fine.
Perfectionism
This is has been the cornerstone on the foundation of change for me. I am not perfect, and I no longer expect it of myself. I don’t expect it of others. I make mistakes. Some people dislike me, and that’s okay. Unless I have guests arriving, my house is messy, my office needs a good dusting, and there is clean laundry not yet folded sitting on my dining room table.
What are some things you’ve let go of to have a richer, happier life?
Because she's let go, Maureen had the time to write "A Tale of Two Kitties" for BelleBooks' Critters of Mossy Creek, Book Seven of the Mossy Creek Hometown series. Critters will be released on September 28th ! Visit Maureen's website at www.maureenhardegree.com
Labels: letting go, Maureen Hardegree
This Week on the Wet Noodle Posse
Noodlers continue their free fall into September with the following blogs:
Monday, September 7th: Diane Gaston A New Start
Tuesday, September 8th: Terry McLaughlin Writing: A Hobby Out of Control
Wednesday, September 9th: Maureen Hardegree Letting Go
Thursday, September 10th: Lee McKenzie Falling Out of Touch
Friday, September 11th: Q&A: How do you stop yourself from editing when writing your first draft?
Labels: Diane Gaston, falling out of touch, hobbies out of control, Lee McKenzie, letting go, Maureen Hardegree, new starts, Terry McLaughlin
Q& A Friday and September New Releases!
My memories of writing when my daughter was a baby are being jogged today as I babysit my nephew Wyatt. I recall sneaking in writing time as my daughter napped. How did I start that first novel? With a notebook and a pen. And when I'm stuck now, I get out paper and pen and free write. I prefer gel pens. There's something about the glide of the ink against the paper that appeals to me.
So how about you? Do you prefer a certain kind of pen for free writing or signing your books? Do you always write with a computer? What's your favorite writing instrument and why?
If you're looking for some great fall reading, check out our Noodler New Releases for September:
MJ Fredrick
Beneath the Surface 
Samhain Publishing
September 1, 2009
When past and present meet, secrets lie beneath the surface.
In retrospect, perhaps archaeologist Mallory Reeves shouldn’t have delivered the divorce papers to her estranged husband mere weeks before her marriage to another man. She knew seeing Adrian again would stir up memories, but she didn’t expect so many of them to be good, not after the mess they both made three years ago.
She also didn’t expect to want to stay at the dig site on the Yucatan Peninsula. But the lure of the ancient ship and, yes, her sexy ex provide more of a draw than the white picket fence she thought she wanted.
Marine archaeologist Adrian Reeves has good reason to trust no one. His former partner—and former best friend—made off with his last archaeological find. And his wife left him, frustrated by his obsession for professional revenge.
Now both Mallory and his nemesis have returned, and it can’t be an accident that they’ve turned up in the middle of the most important excavation of his career. Seeing her again unearths old pain—and rekindles never-forgotten desire. Now he has to decide if he can trust Mallory again. More importantly, if he can trust himself with her.
Warning: Smokin’ hot archaeologists, painful memories, breathtaking underwater scenes and a passion that won’t die.Maureen Hardegree 
Critters of Mossy CreekBook Seven of the Mossy Creek Hometown Series
Belle Books
September 28, 2009
Furry, fishy, four-footed and feathered. Peek inside the lives of the strange and wonderful pets of Mossy Creek and the people who love them.
Springtime brings thoughts of love to people all over the world,
and Creekites are no exception. Although love to Creekites
isn’t necessarily romantic. Take, for example, how they feel
about their pets. Dogs, cats, birds, and fish take center stage as
we once again see how the Southern half lives. Your favorites
are back and in just as much trouble as ever. Amos and Ida
are still circling each other’s wagons. Sandy Crane has a little
Faith. Jayne Reynolds emerges from widowhood to take a
long lingering look at Mossy Creek’s Bubba Rice. Ed Bailey
and his beloved dog Possum, Lil Ida Hamilton, Peggy Caldwell
and others will make you laugh and cry at human and animal
antics. Cat heists. Fish ponds. Bird nappings. Don’t miss the
fun with Critters of Mossy Creek!
Labels: Beneath the Surface, Critters of Mossy Creek, M.J. Fredrick, Maureen Hardegree, pens, writing instruments
The Best Things in Life Are Free
That’s how the saying goes, but is it true? Here’s my list of the best free things in life:
1. Giving and receiving hugs. They make a bad day good and a good day even better.
2. Talking with Friends. Whether on the phone, in person, via facebook, or on Skype, connection with friends breed warm fuzzies, much like hugs.
3. Playing games. Board games, hopscotch, around-the-world, or hang-man, they’re all fun, and they don’t have to cost anything. Even if all you have is a stick and some dirt, you can play tic-tac-toe. If you don’t have a stick, you can play hide and seek or tag.
What are some other activities or items you could add to the list of best free things in life? Labels: best free things in life, Maureen Hardegree
The Perfect Sack Lunch
Back-to-school evokes fond memories of opening the brown paper sack lunch my mom would make for me when I was in elementary school. Packaged cupcakes for dessert would make me smile. Certain fruits like mushy apples or a banana whose smell would permeate everything else in the brown paper sack would make me sigh. When I was in high school, I packed my own lunch. Since I was always on a diet, my lunch usually consisted of diet soda (saccharine sweetened) and a turkey sandwich. If I felt I could afford the calories, I’d throw in an apple or celery sticks.
My idea of a perfect sack lunch today is not that far gone from what I loved as a child. I’ve made a few healthy concessions, though. Here’s what I’d include: turkey and swiss on whole wheat, baked Ruffles or mini-carrots, Honey Crisp apple, 1% milk, and one homemade chocolate chip cookie.
What’s in your brown bag?
Labels: Maureen Hardegree, sack lunches
This Week on the Wet Noodle Posse
Please join us as we continue August's theme of All Creatures Great and Small with the following blogs:
Monday, August 17th: Merrillee Whren Our Dog Pepper
Tuesday, August 18th: Diane Gaston Seven Cats
Wednesday, August 19th: Maureen Hardegree Out of the Ordinary Animal Encounters
Thursday, August 20th: Dr. Debra Holland TBA
Friday, August 21st: Q&A: What was your first pet?
Labels: animal encounters, cats, Debra Holland, Diane Gaston, dogs, first pet, Maureen Hardegree, Merrillee Whren
The Day We Couldn't Find the Cat
In early December of 2007, our cat Pumpkin decided to give our family a little pre-Christmas present, and not of the litter box variety. The day started great. I enjoy putting up holiday decorations outside and was careful not to let her out as I exited and entered the house, my arms straining with tubs of lights and garlands. At least, I thought I was careful. Pumpkin, you see, lived inside since we brought her home as a kitten. The one time she decided to do a little outdoor exploring, she didn’t like it. She slipped outside when no one was looking, and we found her shaking with fear under a bush in the front yard. On occasion, she ventured as far as the screened-in porch, but that was her limit for outdoor adventure.
On that particular December morning, she watched through the storm door as I unraveled the Christmas lights and strung them through the garlands of fake greenery twined along the front porch railing. After lunch, I noticed she wasn’t curled up in her favorite corner of the couch for her usual mid-afternoon nap. I suspected she was in the basement, a place of interesting smells but couldn’t find her down there. I shook her food container, which usually encourages her to emerge from her hiding spots, but she didn’t come. I didn’t panic yet.
By dinner time, no one had seen her, not my husband, not my daughter, not his grandmother who lived with us. Pumpkin’s food bowl hadn’t been disturbed since the morning, when she dropped a couple of pieces of kibble into her water for a little flavor. I started worrying she’d snuck outside while I was putting up the decorations. My husband, daughter, Big Mama, and I called her name repeatedly. We looked under beds, in closets, in cabinets, but we couldn’t find her anywhere. As dark descended, I even walked around the yard with a flashlight, calling her name and searching under bushes.
By bedtime, I was certain she’d escaped the house and had met some tragic end. I’d promised my distraught daughter we’d get another cat if Pumpkin didn’t return. I went out on the deck and called her again, even shook the food container out there, knowing if she was alive, she had to be hungry. That was when my daughter felt something move under the reclining couch. Yes, our overweight cat squeezed herself into a small space she couldn’t get out of and hadn’t bothered to let us know until hours later. My husband and I had to flip the couch over to release her. She promptly meowed, licked her paws like nothing had happened, then headed for her food bowl. We think she finally had reached the point where hunger overcame embarrassment at being trapped.
Have you ever lost your pet? Where did you find it?
Maureen's cat Pumpkin died last year but served as inspiration for the cat named Biscuit featured in the short story "A Tale of Two Kitties" included in Critters of Mossy Creek, Book Seven in the BelleBooks' Mossy Creek series. Critters hits stores next month.Labels: lost and found pets, Maureen Hardegree
This Week on the Wet Noodle Posse
Monday, August 10th: Tori Scott TBA
Tuesday, August 11th: Terry McLaughlin Doggie Neuroses
Wednesday, August 12th: Maureen Hardegree The Day We Couldn’t Find the Cat
Thursday, August 13th: Diane Gaston The Cat on the Kitchen Table
Friday, August 14th: Q&A: What pet qualities have you used or would you like to use in a story?
Labels: cats and hiding, cats and kitchen tables, Diane Gaston, dog neuroses, Maureen Hardegree, pets, Terry McLaughlin, Tori Scott
This Week on the Wet Noodle Posse
Noodlers delve deeper into this month's theme Summertime and the Living Is Easy with the following blogs:
Monday, July 13th: Maureen Hardegree Top Five Things NOT to Do This Summer
Tuesday, July 14th: Maureen Hardegree Blueberries—The Easy Summer Berry
Wednesday, July 15th: Guest Blogger Dianna McCabe
Thursday, July 16th: MJ Fredrick Summer Movies
Friday, July 17th: Q&A: What’s Your Favorite Song that Evokes Summer?
Labels: blueberries, Dianna McCabe, Maureen Hardegree, MJ Fredrick, summer movies, things not to do this summer
often yielded staples like socks, chewing gum, and Chapstick, needed a little pizzazz. Or maybe the impetus was the Christmas that will live in infamy when my older sister and I, who butted heads constantly as teenagers, received super-sized onions in our stockings (what Santa used in the Byrnes household to express his displeasure since coal was unavailable). Some of the more spectacular stocking stuffings over the years include a gummy candy tongue, a toy reindeer that dropped brown jellybeans, and bacon bandaids. One year, we all tapped into the same wavelength and gave each other pickle ornaments.
