M.L. LeGette's Blog, page 55

The Inspiration You Can Find in a Bathroom

I was recently in the Earth Fare bathroom in Athens, Georgia. For those women who also have frequented this establishment, you too might have spotted the (unsuccessfully) wiped clean sharpie message MatthewMayfield.com on the left wall of the first stall. As I sat there, I couldn't help but study it and appreciate, not the words necessary, but the brilliance. Now THAT'S marketing! It's a good thing I didn't have a sharpie in hand as the temptation to devilishly scribble Mllegette.Wordpress.com would have been overpowering. (Goodness, isn't that a horribly boring address? Oh well.)

I should say that I knew about Matthew Mayfield prior to my bathroom encounter. I had downloaded one of his free EPs off NoiseTrade; though it's taken time for me to appreciate his voice and style, I am practically enamored with his song, Open Road.

While I was reading his honest and downright lovely bio on his website, I was struck by the increasing realization that Indie Songwriters and Indie Authors are in the same boat.

"At 19, I quit school, started a new band, played every dive in the Southeast for 50 bucks and beer, and eventually signed a giant record deal with Epic Records in 2005. We spent lots of their money making a big record, opening big tours, and believing big promises. The wheels eventually fell off, and we realized this isn't about overnight success. You have to grind it out for a LONG time. You have to work your ass off just to get by. You have to keep paying your dues and keep paying your dues and keep paying your dues. In 2008, I decided to go solo and take the DIY route. It was time to own it. The thrill of any success and the weight of any failure would be on my shoulders."

It's true. Success is not overnight no matter what idiots try to tell you—typically waving those 'big promises' in front of your nose. It's a downright daunting, frustrating, and terrifying experience—if you let yourself dwell on it. That's why I typically don't. It's too upsetting to imagine yourself 'successful' when you're living with your parents, still struggling on finishing the book … or album, which only leads you to think, Is this it? Am I where I will always be?

I often wish there was an author version of NoiseTrade, a place where excellent Indie books are displayed and recommended directly to viewers by the staff. As much as I enjoy Goodreads, it's just so … so big. And yes, I know that there are a gazillion Indie artists, but what's lovely about NoiseTrade is how they don't drown their visitors in album after album after album. That's one of the things that so daunting about marketing yourself: You realize that you're just one more tadpole in an endless pond and you start to wonder if you keep kicking your tail, will more frogs notice you or will your exhaustion burn you out?

I'm still trying to figure out what marketing works. Schools didn't. Conferences didn't. Contests don't. But you know what I think DOES? People. Ordinary, regular people. And fate.

2011 has seen more sales on Unicorn Girl per month than 2010 (and by more, I mean startlingly), and that, in my opinion, is a good sign. It's still not enough sales to, let's say, move me to the front group of thrashing tadpoles, but my kicks are getting noticed by a few and that few has become a some and that some just might eventually become a many.

So I'm going to keep writing (and posting when I've got the time) and like Matthew said, "So here I am. 27 years old and still climbing the ladder."

I'll turn on Open Road and we'll climb that ladder together.

Bluebird by Sara Bareillies

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One of my absolute favorite songs from Sara's second album, Kaleidoscope Heart. The entire album is magnificent, but Bluebird struck a strong cord with me from the very first listen.

The Crane Wife Part 3 by The Decemberists

I wasn't that big of a fan of The Decemberists until about three months ago when it hit me (and it felt like somebody knocked me over the head): This band is amazing. I honestly don't know where my brain has been for the last two years. My brother got into The Decemberists first and quickly bought nearly every album. I'm not too sure why it took me so long of feeling nothing but lukewarm toward them, as now, I am truly addicted.

The Crane Wife Part 3 was the first song I bought from them, but being the idiot I was, it still took me forever before I listened to it. Really listened to it. Absolutely phenomenal. The Crane Wife is actually a series of songs (1, 2 and 3) that tell the Japanese fable of a man who saves a crane and then marries the woman who appears shortly after on his doorstep. But they are terribly poor and his wife offers to weave for him, but she insists that he must not see her while working. Her clothes quickly become the rage and their standard of living increases. The husband, growing greedy, sets her to weaving more and more, not noticing his wife's dropping health. One day while his wife is weaving, the husband, curious to know what his wife does to make her weaving so magnificent, peeks in on her and sees to his surprise a crane at the loom, plucking its own feathers and adding them to the silk and wool. At the sight of the man, the crane flies away.

A haunting, fascinating story that The Decemberists spin into music with skill, poise, and sorrow.

Dear Jo, This is Starting to get Ridiculous…

I am one of your avid fans and followers. The moment Pottermore flashed up on my radar I was interested, impressed, and very curious. Of course the MOMENT readers could compete for early access I was elbowing my way in, too. It took me till the fourth day—I gotta admit, I like sleeping—till I got my CONGRATULATIONS, YOU ARE ONE OF THE MILLION email. Now while I await for my entry email I am stuck listening to gleeful people exploring Pottermore and I WANT TO, TOO!!

Shall I demonstrate the desperate desire I have for signing in? I have now dreamed twice (TWICE) about entering. The first—and my favorite—was that I awoke in the middle of the night, realized the glorious email had arrived at last and stumbled out of my bedroom to retrieve my laptop. But as I bleary-eyed made my way down the hall I passed pockets of rats (my house currently is under siege) and I just waved them a cheery hello and goodbye. "Don't mind me," I said to them. "I'm just getting my laptop."

See, Jo? See? Please send me my welcoming email so that I can go back to dreaming in peace. I know you said it would come sometime between mid August and late September but would it be so terrible if you sent it … um … today?

xoxoxo

Melissa

My Poodle the Raptor-Sitter

I have one dog. He's an 8 lb, grey, toy poodle with 180 lbs of personality.

Meet Andy.

Ever Vigilant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About two/three weeks ago, we got fifteen baby guineas (or as I like to call them, raptors). We got them for the farm, in hopes that they will help with our squash bug issue. We also wanted them to be somewhat tame, so we fixed up a large tub in the family room with bedding, food, water, and heat lamp, to help them get accustomed to our voices and to being handled.

The Raptors

During this time, Andy took it as his sole duty to protect. Whenever we entered the house, Andy would race down the hallway, first thing, and check on the babies. If any one of us said, "Where are the guineas, Andy?" he would dash to their side. He even growled at one of the cats when she sauntered a little too close.

And now that we have moved the guineas to the farm, Andy speeds to their enclosed coop, just to make sure that everything is a-okay.

The Raptor-Sitter

 

 

 

 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

"Come … come to me … Let me rip you … Let me tear you … Let me kill you …"

After his explosive first year as Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry Potter returns to the Dursleys, who are meaner, fouler, and nastier than ever. And being cut off from the Wizarding World is proving even more difficult than Harry thought. But on Harry's twelfth birthday, he gets a magical visitor of the most peculiar. And what this visitor has to say is even stranger: "Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts."

But Harry does return to Hogwarts and once there, a terrible, ancient monster begins to terrorize the students. Harry, Ron, and Hermione  don't know who has released the wicked creature, but the rest of the school has an idea who the culprit might be: Harry Potter.

One of the things that I love most about the Harry Potter series is that it is FUN. Pure and guilt-free FUN. Of course, this FUN dwindles somewhat as the series progresses, becoming more sinister and serious. But the first four of the series take me back to summertime as a teenager. The only other book that has achieved that feat was Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. 

Absolutely awesome.

Willow Spotlight: Ukrainian Beauty Eggplant

We like eggplant. A lot. But I can understand why it is one of the most unloved and under appreciated vegetables in the U.S. If not cooked properly (i.e. not enough fat and not long enough) it can taste bland with a less than pleasing texture. Also, eggplant should be fresh. The ones found in grocery stores give me chills. The skin is usually dull with decomposing spots, the stem black, and the flesh bitter and brown. Our eggplant usually keeps for a few weeks in the refrigerator with little decline in quality. That's why I've often wondered just how long those eggplant sit on display to turn so nasty.

I'm not sure just how many varieties of eggplant there are, but I'll go out on a limb and say A LOT. Ukrainian Beauty (above) is one of the varieties we grow. We like it for its productiveness, flavor, and look. At my home, we have two rules with eggplant: If it's bitter, don't bother; If you have to peel it, don't bother. Ukrainian Beauty passed both tests to our satisfaction, though I am slightly worried as our very early flush had a slightly tough skin. I'm hoping this is just due to it producing so strangely early (MAY!!).

Ukrainian Beauty first came to the U.S. from Yalta, Ukraine by a Peace Corps volunteer who received the seeds from a Crimean plant researcher. It is an heirloom. The fruits are blocky with green and purple skin, usually being more on the purple side. The flesh is very tender and mild. I like to use it for baking whole as it cooks around 30 minutes and then I can just chop it in half and scoop out the flesh for a pureed dish. It is also really nice in Eggplant Parmesan as the slices are so large and the flesh becomes deliciously creamy.

I have read that the reason people salt their eggplant is to reduce the amount of oil the eggplant will soak up during cooking. I always thought it was to draw out the bitterness found in store bought varieties. There is certainly no need to salt Ukrainian Beauty as it is so mild and sweet. On the matter of oil, Ukrainian Beauty does take up a good bit of oil when you fry it, but hear me out. Eggplant is like a sponge. It's one of the reasons eggplant is so magnificent. It absorbs spices and sauces. I'm sorry, but eggplant needs fat. Now having said that, each eggplant reacts differently to oil. As I said early, if you don't like oily fried eggplant just by itself, I would not recommend Ukrainian Beauty. Try Kamo (a beautiful round variety that we once grew) or Ping Tung (an amazing Taiwan variety that is very common in the states)—both of those don't seem to take in as much. Use Ukrainian Beauty for roasting, puree the flesh with extra virgin olive oil and parsley for a dip, layer it with tomato sauce and cheese, use it in practically any Indian dish, even go on a limb and grill it.

Try this eggplant out! You can certainly find it in the Athens, Augusta and Washington Farmers' Markets from Lazy Willow Farm. But look around your own local markets and see what eggplants farmers are growing. What's even better, you can grow this variety for yourself at home!

Lazy Willow Approved Recipies

Eggplant Dip

Smoked Eggplant with Fresh Herbs

Eggplant Caviar

Eggplant Patties with Parsley, Garlic, and Parmesan

Dracula Ain't Got Nothin' on Lazy Willow

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Freshly harvested.

I like to imagine Dracula in all his ancient glory pit-stopping at Lazy Willow Farm. There are plenty of large trees with inviting branches to take a snooze, but if he spied our barn, he'd have a downright heart attack.

Garlic.

Garlic in great heaps on the ground, waiting to be tied up. Garlic in long bundles, dangling from the ceiling. Garlic just feet away, still in the ground. Garlic wherever you turn!

Garlic. Garlic. Garlic.

15 varieties and 4,000 heads to be exact.

 

I think we might be in Dracula's 'worst nightmare' category.

 

Hanging from the rafters.

A variety that isn't ready yet.

Theme Exhaustion

Dudes. Are y'all as tired with the merry-go-round of themes on this blog as I am? But I think, I THINK, I've got it now. Cool, simple, yet with enough uniqueness with the pencil-like smudges to keep me happy. I'm only annoyed with the lack of category options. Oh, well. I'll probably be keeping my eyes open for something better.

The Character Project : Leah Vindral

I ranked higher than the common thief, it seemed.

Leah Vindral – Protagonist & Narrator

Leah Vindral is the first and only child of Sir James and Lady Castilla Vindral. Small and skinny, awkward and plain, Leah is born in Willow Manor, to a life of wealth and ease. But Leah doesn't care much for society. In fact, she finds it irksome and bothersome. Such beliefs often lead her into feuds with her governess, Miss Perish.

Lady Castilla dies when Leah is two, which in effect causes Leah to be very close to her father, but also leaves her wondering what could have been for her mother is never spoken of. It takes a chance encounter with her godmother (a woman that has been hidden away from Leah) that sparks Leah's curiosity.

Leah's plainness and clumsiness disappears in a frightful and highly unexpected way. She becomes deathly ill and slumbers as if dead. But she awakens to find herself changed. Her hair, once black and straight is white and flowing. Her skin, once sickly pale now sparkles with an inner flow. Her eyes, once green are now the deepest blue of the ocean.Those around Leah are just as startled by her changes as she is and Leah finds herself isolated and treated with suspicion and fear.

In Writing…

Leah was the first character that came to me all those years ago at 14. She came in both forms — before and after the illness. The moment her haunting face flashed in my brain, I knew I had something and I went through a whirlwind of supporting characters and plot ideas. She was always the main character, but for the first spell of writing, she wasn't the narrator. My sister, upon reading the first few chapters, thought the humor would shine through easier if the story came through Leah's eyes. I just KNEW it would be impossible to switch perspectives, but it actually turned out to be ridiculously easy.

Leah came very natural to write. I often feel that I put a lot of 'me' into her. Leah is a girl with spunk. She isn't afraid to disagree. She has spirit and at times her emotions run wild–something that isn't always helpful.

Quotes

I understood that my drastic change of appearance would take getting used to, but life at Willow Manor just seemed different. Frank was kind to me as usual, but there was sympathy in his gaze. It was now common for Guinevere to drop what she was holding or run into something whenever I passed her. Adam, the stable hand, didn't seem to be around anymore. I finally snapped at Ann to talk to me normally instead of whispering quietly like I was on my death bed. She didn't take that very well and was huffy around me for the rest of the day. Life was tenser than ever before … and quieter … so much quieter.

p. 153

***

"It's lucky you have that nifty sack," said Ian happily over his shoulder. "Huntin' in the dark isn't fun."

"I'm so glad I've helped make this trip less unpleasant," I said dryly, as I pulled my foot out of a particularly muddy puddle.

p. 259

***

"There are dragons in the Brendor Mountains?"

"Course, didn't y'know?"

"Dragon habitats aren't exactly a lesson topic for a governess's pupil."

p. 304