Where’s the drumstick??? 

When I was a child, Thanksgiving was considered sacrosanct. It was the only time of the year when my mom’s family got together. To me, it was a big party with lots of cousins, aunts and uncles. The visiting relatives contributed specialties for a buffet table of hefty hors d’ouvres. Aunt Madeline’s stuffed cabbage and Aunt Ethel’s mushroom & barley, not to mention a hot dog casserole Aunt Gladys made because she wanted to try a new recipe–these favorites can still make me salivate. After digging into those dishes, no one really needed turkey and sweet potato pie and cole slaw and a million other sides to the main meal which the hostess provided.

After many childhood years enjoying wonderful Thanksgivings, I got married and immediately was assigned the role of hostess. (I’m sure my mom and aunts loved having a year off!)  That first Thanksgiving dinner I prepared stands out clearly in my mind today… and not because I was a great cook!

There I was, not yet twenty-one years old, making my first turkey. I stuffed it, basted it, wrapped it in foil and set the oven for 350 degrees (I made everything at 350). When I took it out of the oven several hours later, the bird looked wonderful–nicely browned–and smelled delicious. I set it on top of the stove to cool and rejoined my relatives in the living room.

When I returned to the kitchen fifteen minutes later, the turkey was on the floor, the drumstick gone, while my Shepherd dog sat there with a shit-eating grin on his face.  My heart raced, my jaw dropped. I could feel myself panic, but kept silent. I didn’t want anyone else to know what happened. But what to do…what to do…? I had a beautifully set table in the dining room with twenty people gathering around it, a loving crowd expecting to see a lovely browned turkey. And entire, whole lovely browned turkey. Oy.

I changed the rules. When I called everyone to dinner, I served the bird already sliced up nice and neat. I didn’t say a word about the little mishap. And if we were one drumstick short…well, no one really noticed. Some secrets are meant to be kept 🙂

So whether your turkey has one drumstick or two, whether you’re roasting your hundredth bird or your first, whether you’re celebrating with a special someone or a crowd, I wish you the happiest of Thanksgivings.

And a special happy Hanukkah for my friends who celebrate that awesome holiday! It will take another 70,000 years (no kidding) for Thanksgiving and Hanukkah to collide like they do this year in 2013. Hanukkah is based on a lunar calendar, and since there are only 28 days in a lunar month, every so often the calendar is recalculated. That’s why Jewish holidays have floating dates. But never before and never again in our lifetime will Hanukkah and Thanksgiving be celebrated on the same date. So Happy Thanksgivukkah!

As always, thanks so much for stopping by. I hope to see you for the next edition of Starting Over.

LINDA

P.S.  Don’t forget to celebrate with Celebrate Romance!   Only 99 cents at Amazon, BN, Kobo and Smashwords.

ONE WRITER’S BLOG… a day late and a  dollar short! 

Change is in the air and in my fingers. I love writing this blog. I love connecting with readers and writing friends. I haven’t even run out of ideas yet. However, with a brand new book in the works, I’m running out of writing time. I’ve had to rethink my writing priorities which also affect the quality of my personal life. So, change is coming.

I began the Starting Over blog last April and have posted twice a week since then, every Tuesday and Thursday. The posts have usually run between 400-700 words or more with pictures! Everyone loves pictures 🙂  I’ve discovered, however, that writing and organizing so many essays conflicts with the time needed to work on new books. So, I’m starting over again, trying to figure out what makes sense for me. The first change I’m making will be to post less often now. Perhaps once a week. Maybe only when I think I have something important to say!

So let’s consider what we talk about here.  Starting Over was and is about a journey of many new beginnings. I’ve shared my health issues and information about breast cancer. We’ve discussed books and writing. We’ve laughed about my life in the day camp and making new friends after my golfer guy and I moved a thousand miles away from our old home. I talked about these topics because I suspected I wasn’t alone in my experiences and hoped I’d connect with others. I’ve heard from so many of you here, on Facebook and by email that we do have a lot in common. These subjects are still relevant. So, what changes am I making with content?

I’ll be inviting more guest bloggers to share their news and views with us. Mostly other authors who’d like to connect with folks who read. That would be YOU. My author friends write across all genres from sweet romance to thrillers. You’ll be getting a taste of the reading and writing world. You’ll also be getting info on book pricing deals. In fact, my own book, Family Interrupted will be on sale for .99 in December. I’ll let you know more as the time draws closer.

In the meantime, Celebrate! is available at all ebook stores except Apple.  Only 99 cents and it’s already garnered a reader review of 5 STARS. I’m psyched!  (But we need more reviews! If you’ve read it and would consider writing a line or two at Amazon and BN, it would be wonderful and appreciated). By the way, when you look up Celebrate at the ebook store, please type in the title and one of the author’s names. It’s much easier to find with an author name.

Change is in the air – it’s always in the air – because the only thing in the world that’s constant is change.  You’ve heard those words before. It’s a truth we may not like at times, but we adapt as needed. Thank you for understanding. I need to adopt a new schedule, and we’ll adapt to it together. (Okay, I’m stretching word play here, but can’t resist!)

As always, thanks so much for stopping by. Stay tuned. Stay connected. I hope to see you for the next edition of Starting Over.

Celebrate?  Why, yes. I think I will! 

In earlier blogs I’ve written about my excitement as part of the Celebrate! anthology with four other authors. One of my goals is introducing myself to new readers in the hope they will become new Linda Barrett readers. Of course, each author has the same goal. We all agree that a little story buffet might be a wonderful method of introduction. So, here’s the news that will go viral next week:

The price for Celebrate! is now 99 cents!!  And it will remain so. Here’s a peek at the stories themselves:

CELEBRATE! Five heartwarming stories celebrating the sweet gift of romance on Mother’s and Father’s Day, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas.

Man of the House by Linda Barrett  
Bobby’s been the man of the house since his father died, but now his mom is spending time with Steve. Steve makes his mom happy, but no one can take Bobby’s dad’s place. Can Bobby have a change of heart and accept a new man of the house?

One Star Spangled Night by Rogenna Brewer

Navy Chaplain Lieutenant Lindsey Alexander is not as naive as world-weary Aircraft Carrier Captain Doug Reese believes. When the Top Gun is ordered into counseling, the junior officer is the only thing standing between him and his losing command of his ship.

Love With All the Trimmings by Barbara McMahon

An unexpected reunion at Thanksgiving changes a growing relationship when an old flame shows up just when Juliana has hopes for a future with Matt.

The Eighth Gift by Karen Sandler

When widow Sarah Meyer’s house is broken into and her son’s Hanukkah gifts stolen, her late husband’s best friend comes to her rescue. But as the friendship between Sarah and Jake Goldman blossoms into something more, it takes a Hanukkah miracle to lead to a new and lasting love.

My Christmas Angel by Debra Salonen

“Little Dickie Daniels is a Christmas angel.” So, 8-year old Abigail believes…until she meets the scruffy child her mother brings home on Christmas Eve. But looks can be deceiving Abigail learns, and some encounters leave an indelible mark. Thirty years later, Abby–author of the children’s book “My Christmas Angel”–receives a call that proves holiday miracles really do happen.

Available October 3rd