You must have all come over to hear about my hangnail!
Aren't you just the sweetest to be so concerned!
Let me tell you, it's a doozy. It started on Monday when I was washing the dishes. It was just that little tiny painful beginning, you know? And I noticed it when I went to dry my hands and that painful little poinky end got caught on the dish towel and I was like, "Oh, man! Not a hangnail!"....
Wait a minute.
You're all managing to look very patient.
But I heard yawning...
...and I see some eye-rolling in the back over there....
You didn't really come over to hear about my hangnail, DID you!
I KNEW it!
So why are you here on a Thursday?
Go home, I tell you!
Jeez Louise! You'd think I had nothing better to do than to entertain you lot with the
ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE HALLOWEENSIE CONTEST WINNERS!!!!!
Heeheehee! I'm sorry! I just can't help myself. Heeheehee. I don't even HAVE a hangnail! Heeheeheeheehee!
Okay, really. I'm sorry for tormenting you with my juvenile behavior. Let's start with a few surprises, shall we?
As you are all aware by now, we had a record turnout for the Halloweensie Contest - 79 entries!
I was thrilled beyond measure to see so many wonderful stories!
But with large entry numbers come hard choices. My assistant judges and I worked hard to winnow the total down to a manageable number of finalists that we felt were truly all-around deserving of that distinction, and those were the ones we presented to you on Monday for your vote.
There were, however, many other entries that were outstanding in certain areas even though they might not have qualified all-around for one reason or another.
So my assistant judges and I would like to award recognition and a small prize to the following authors for the following merits:
1. For Honorable Mention In The Competition As A Whole:
Vivian Kirkfield for Halloween Dance Party Countdown
Carrie Finison for Callie's Prize-Winning Potion
Lauri Meyers for White Cat's Halloween
Suzy Levinson for Black Cat Goes To Spooky School
2. For Best Use of Poetic Language:
Kathy Moncrief for Halloween Night!
Heather Greene for Untitled (Hallowed Eve)
Julie Rowan-Zoch for Halloween Comes To The Farm
Bradin Farnworth for The Witches' Song
Kimberley Moran for Black Glass Cat
3. For Spookiest Entry: (not already in the finals)
Teresa M.I. Schaefer for Grim Concoction
Laura Shovan for The Old Hotel
Jackie Wellington for A Disappearing Act
Deirdre Sheridan Englehart for The Spookiest Night!
4. For Funniest Entry: (not already in the finals)
Mike Allegra for Spooky Piggy
Janet Johnson for Brewster's Trick
Sheila Renfro for Helga's Black Cat Search
5. For Sweetest/Cutest Entry: (not already in the finals)
Deb for Boo: The Scaredy Halloweenie Cat
6. For Great Kid Appeal: (not already in the finals)
Michelle Barnes for The Witching Hour
Meg Miller for The Halloween CAW Ball
Kirsten Bock for Scare D-Cat
7. For Most Original Format:
Nancy Hatch for Cackle... The Spooky Black Cat - in rap! :)
8. For Best All-Around Entry By A Newcomer To The Blog: (not already in the finals)
Juliana Lee for Sleepless Hallow's Eve
Doris K. Stone for The Fat Black Cat Sat
9. For Favorite Character:
Stacy Couch for her Ninja Ballerina in Olivia vs. The Witch :)
Congratulations to all of you for fantastic elements of your stories! You may all email me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com to collect your prize, which is your choice of one of the following: (the titles are all links so you can go see what they're about)
... THE WINNERS OF THE 2013 HALLOWEENSIE CONTEST ACCORDING TO THE POPULAR VOTE!!! (which did not have the consideration to work out very neatly as you will see...)
In First Place, winner of a picture book manuscript critique from Corey Rosen Schwartz (celebrated author of The Three Ninja Pigs and other wonderful picture books) AND a copy of Linda Ashman's brand new Nuts & Bolts Guide To Writing Picture Books...
DDDDDRRRRRUUUUUMMMMMRRRRROOOOOLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!
Nata Romeo
for Drusella, The Black Spooky Cat
Congratulations, Nata!!!
In Second Place, winner of a picture book manuscript critique AND a query letter critique from Heather Ayris Burnell, author of Bedtime Monster,
Marcie Rinka Wessels
for Miss Sadie
Congratulations, Marcie!!!
In Third Place, we have a tie between
Eric Weibel and Margaret Greenias
for The Dare for One Ghostly Halloween
One of them will win the signed copies of Halloween Hustle by Charlotte Gunnufson, The Monster Who Lost His Mean by Tiffany Haber, and Marathon Mouse by Amy Dixon, which was the original 3rd prize. The other will win The Writer's Workout: 366 Tips, Task andTechniques From Your Writing Coach by Christina Katz AND Rip The Page: Adventures In Creative Writing by Karen Benke - they will have to fight amongst themselves and/or come up with a way to split and share the spoils :)
Congratulations, Erik and Margaret!!!
In Fifth Place, we have another tie! between
Laura Renauld and Cheryl Secomb
for Foe or Friend? for On Halloween
Since I didn't previously announce prizes past 3rd, I'm going to keep this tie fair by awarding both Laura and Cheryl a $20 Amazon Gift Certificate - that way they won't have to fight like Erik and Margaret :)
Congratulations, Laura and Cheryl!!!
All the winners should email me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com with the subject heading Prize Winner so we can work out details for you to receive your prizes! Finalists who did not finish in the top 6 (Joanna, Nancy, Katie, Donna and Buffy) may also contact me for their choice of the Kindle or paperback prizes listed above.
Congratulations again to all our winners - it was a stiff competition!! - and congratulations to EVERYONE who wrote and entered a story in the contest. You all deserve a huge round of applause, a confetti parade, and a large amount of chocolate cake :)
Thank you to everyone who helped make this contest SO MUCH FUN, whether by writing an entry, reading people's stories, leaving comments for the authors, and/or voting in the finals. It's because of all of you that this contest was such a success, so many, many thanks from the bottom of my heart!
And before we go, I will give you all advance warning so you can start planning a little time into your December schedule...
The 3rd Annual Holiday Writing Contest will be coming up sometime in the neighborhood of December 11-18. I'm running it a little bit earlier this year so we can all fully enjoy it and still have time for last minute holiday things. And to whet your appetites and get your thinking caps on, I will tell you that first prize is something AWESOME! A picture book manuscript read and critique by an actual editor at an actual highly regarded publishing house!!! But that is all I'm saying for now :) You will just have to stay tuned for more details as the Holiday Contest approaches. And I will do my best to post the rules well in advance so you all have time to work on your stories!
Have a terrific Thursday everyone, and thanks again for making the Halloweensie Contest such a wonderful time for all! :)
I don't know about you, but I am completely floored by a) how many entries we got for the Holiday Contest (40!!) and b) how good they all were!!!
What a job it's been trying to winnow down 40 fantastic entries to a manageable number of finalists! It's actually a great exercise in understanding what editors must go through. I could find at least something to like about every entry - it was a question of weighing and balancing strong points and weaker points and overall impression - and it gives me an appreciation for the subjectivity aspect of editorial choosing - it's entirely possible that some of the finalists my assistant judge and I settled on are not the same ones you would have chosen.
All of this to say that everyone really did a wonderful job. It was a pleasure to read every entry, and even if you didn't make the list of finalists, please know that our decision was agonizing and there were many great things about every single story - we really wrestled with choosing the finalists and went back and forth for a LONG time! - so you should feel good about your effort no matter what! And my assistant judge and I, as well as ALL the readers (there were over 1200 views of the Holiday Contest post alone, not to mention how many visits you all got on your individual posts) got loads of enjoyment and entertainment out of your wonderful stories, so thank you all so very much for participating and sharing your creativity with us all!
In the final analysis, though, the finalists were chosen on the basis of 1) kid appeal (it is a children's story after all!) 2) originality/creativity 3) writing quality and story quality, and 4) if you chose to write in rhyme we were pretty strict about how well you did it since there was a prose option (although of the 40 entries, only 15 were in prose.)
Please review the finalists' entries below and then vote for the one you think should win! You have until midnight Christmas Eve to vote (December 24 11:59 PM EST.) There are 10 finalists (I know! I'm sorry! But I did get it down to 25% of the entries, and a lot of you will have read them all already and there will be 5 prizes given!) and they're all fantastic, so we're going to need all the votes we can get! :) Oh, and one more thing - if you make it all the way to the bottom, the girls and I have a special Holiday message for you and I really don't think you'll want to miss it :)
#1 Dashing Through The School
Dashing through the school,
The bell’s about to ring,
I can’t be late again,
And disappoint Miss Sing.
I’ve got the leading role,
The play’s about to start,
Through the doors and up on
stage,
I’m born to play this part!
Oh,
There’s the bell, there’s
the bell,
I’m in the nick of time,
The auditorium is packed,
And the curtains start to
climb.
Oh,
“Jingle bells, jingle
bells,”
The chorus sings in tune,
My tummy’s feeling funny,
‘Cause I know it’s my turn
soon.
I take a big deep breath,
Step forward on the stage,
Look out at the crowd,
Is that my Aunty Paige?
The lights shine in my
face,
This costume’s far too hot,
The words catch in my
throat,
An actor, I am not.
Oh,
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
They’re ringing in my head,
At practice I was doing
fine,
But now I’m filled with
dread!
Oh,
I’m not well, I’m not well,
I’m really feeling ill,
I wonder if it’s not too
late,
To swap my part with Bill.
I take another breath,
Deliver my first line,
The butterflies are gone,
Suddenly, I’m fine.
When the play is done,
Applause rings ‘round the
hall,
I take my final bow,
I’m an actor after all!
Oh,
I did well, I did well,
My heart is beating fast,
I never thought I’d feel
this way,
The day that I was cast.
Oh,
“Jingle bells, jingle
bells,”
I’ll sing it loud and
clear,
I wonder if they’ll let me
play,
This part again next year.
#2 Christmas Bash-A-Roo
Tromping through the pines
In their woolen socks with toes,
Yetis march in lines
Grunting Ho, Ho, Ho’s!
They meet their Sasquatch friends,
And Bigfoot buddies too.
The time is here to all attend
The Christmas Bash-A-Roo!
Oh…
Bigfoot tap, Yeti rap,
Sasquatch line dance too—
Gathered in the forest
For their Christmas Bash-A-Roo!
High up in the sky
A flash caused them to pause.
“Could this be the guy?
Could this be Santa Claus?
We’ve heard the tales of old.
We’ve heard the human lore,
But never has he joined our fold
At Christmas time before.”
Oh…
Bigfoot tap, Yeti rap,
Sasquatch line dance too—
Gathered in the forest
For their Christmas Bash-A-Roo!
They heard a Ho! Ho! Ho!
And saw a red-nosed gleam.
Coming through the snow
Was Santa and his team.
“I think we can agree—
Though sightings have been few
It can be reality—
Yes, legends can be true”.
Oh…
Bigfoot tap, Yeti rap
Sasquatch line dance too—
Gathered in the forest
For their Christmas Bash-A-Roo!
Santa flashed a grin
And said, “Hey guys, let’s bop.”
The reindeer joined right in
And did the Reindeer Hop.
He handed out sweet treats
To each and every beast.
Then said, “Let’s dance a few more beats
Before we fly on east.”
Oh…
Black-boot tap, Santa rap
Reindeer line dance too.
What a holly-jolly,
Hairy Christmas Bash-A-Roo!
Santa waved goodbye
And headed to his sleigh.
He winked a twinkling eye
As he flew away.
Oh, what a joyful night—
A Santa Claus debut.
Oh how merry! Oh how bright!
The Christmas Bash-A-Roo!
Oh…
Bigfoot tap, Yeti rap
Sasquatch line dance too—
Gathered in the forest
For their Christmas Bash-A-Roo!
Tromping through the pines
In worn out socks with toes
Yetis march in lines
Grunting Ho, Ho, Ho’s!
They wave at Sasquatch friends
And Bigfoot buddies too.
And say, “We’ll see you all again
At next year’s Bash-A-Roo.
#3 Garbage Truck, Garbage Truck
Trashing through the snow, in a noisy garbage truck,
The bins are hard to empty, with boxes getting stuck.
Crumpled wrapping paper, chunks of Styrofoam,
Packing peanuts everywhere are blown from home to home.
Oh, garbage truck! Garbage truck! After Christmas trash.
Load it in the garbage truck and watch it mash and smash.
Garbage truck! Garbage truck! Haul it all away.
What looked so festive yesterday is now J-U-N-K.
Dried-up wreaths with bows, Lights that didn’t light,
Toys already broken, clothes that got too tight.
The garbage man is tired. He’s handled lots of stuff.
He wishes folks could see that they already have enough.
Oh, garbage truck! Garbage truck! After Christmas trash.
Load it in the garbage truck and watch it mash and smash.
Garbage truck! Garbage truck! Haul it all away.
What looked so festive yesterday is now J-U-N-K.
The garbage man goes home, and hugs his kids and wife.
They eat and read together, a calm, uncluttered life.
He’s happy with his job, but wishes people knew
That things don’t bring you happiness, but times together do.
Oh, garbage truck! Garbage truck! After Christmas trash.
Load it in the garbage truck and watch it mash and smash.
Garbage truck! Garbage truck! Watch it blend and mix.
So much turns to garbage on December 26.
#4 The Tree
Sliding through the snow
in Granddad’s beat-up truck,
Looking for a tree.
Not having any luck.
Evergreens galore.
The Spruce and Firs abound
Nothing fits our search -
too dense, too big, too round.
Finally I spy
the perfect Christmas tree.
Granddad swings his axe,
“Ready. One, two, three!”
“Granddad, stop!” I shout,
“I see a mouse nose there.
Don’t you see that nest?
And isn’t that a hare?”
Thoughts swirl round my head.
I tell Granddad my plan.
He wags his graying beard,
then shakes my mittened hand.
Singing as we drive,
we race back to the farm.
I raid the kitchen store,
while Granddad raids the barn.
Night begins to fall.
We truck back through the snow -
find our lonely tree,
lit up in starry glow.
Stringing beans and hay,
instead of paper chains.
Nuts and seeds in fat,
we cover all in grains.
Then we sit and wait.
and slowly they appear.
The bestest gift and tree
from any Christmas year.
#5 Humphrey The Humbug
Dropping through the mail slot in a BAH-Mobile, came Humphrey. Humphrey was no ordinary bug. He was a Humbug. And being a Humbug, Humphrey had to follow one simple rule: ‘Make Christmas cheer disappear.’
It was Christmas Eve. Humphrey’s well-trained eye zeroed in on the slightly tilting Christmas tree. “All I have to do is give that tree a push, knock over the glitter, and let the cookies burn and the Holly Household’s Christmas cheer will soon melt into the Grinchy grumps,” Humphrey said to himself.
But I can’t wreck another Christmas, thought Humphrey. The truth was, Humphrey was a half-hearted Humbug. He secretly liked everything about Christmas: the tree, the lights, and especially the music.
He poked his head out of his BAH-Mobile. The coast was clear. First, he made his way to the tree but, instead of giving it a push, he made it stand taller, tightening the bolts in the stand. Next, he took the jar of glitter and tightly screwed on the lid. Finally, he set the kitchen timer so the Holly’s would take the cookies out of the oven.
Humphrey settled down inside his BAH-Mobile, happy for the first time. I spread Christmas cheer this year, he thought, as he drifted off to sleep.
Humphrey awoke to a laugh. “Ho, Ho, Ho,” chuckled Santa. “I’ve caught a Humbug!” He gently placed Humphrey on his knee.
“I know I’m on the Naughty List, Santa, but let me explain,” started Humphrey. Santa held up his hand.
“You are mistaken, Humphrey. You are on the Nice List this year.”
“I am?”
“You, my friend, have had what is called a ‘Change-of-Heart.’
“Yes!” said Humphrey. “I don’t feel like a Humbug anymore.”
“Did you know,” asked Santa, “that Humbugs are very musical?”
“I do like to hum,” said Humphrey.
Santa handed Humphrey a small package. “My first present!” he shouted. Tearing it open, Humphrey found a book of Christmas carols. “Oh, thank you!” he beamed.
Now, at Christmastime, Humphrey, the humming bug, follows his own rule: “Hum carols far and near to make Christmas cheer appear!”
#6 That's Not Santa!
Walking through the mall,
In my brand new Christmas Shoes,
Look at that kid bawl,
I have got the blues!
-
My mom smiles at me,
She wants this photo,
Can’t anybody see,
That’s NOT SANTA -NO!
-
(Chorus)
OH!
His beard is fake,
His eyebrows snake,
His mustache is dark brown,
I feel bad for the lad,
That Santa just put down!
-
OH!
He has a belt,
It’s made of felt,
That just makes me pause,
His suit’s off-red, like I said,
THAT’S NOT SANTA CLAUS!
-
(Second Verse)
I don’t have a choice,
Four more kids to go,
I hear Santa’s voice,
He says “Hoo Ha Ho”?
-
The girl on Santa’s knee,
Looks as scared as she can be,
The camera makes a flash,
The girl makes a dash!
-
(Chorus)
OH!
His beard is fake,
His eyebrows snake,
His boots are made of plastic,
I’m ahead and my mom said,
“This will be fantastic”!
-
OH!
He has no belly,
That shakes like jelly,
I am feeling sick,
On his lap is when I yap,
THAT’S NOT OLD SAINT NICK!
#7 Jingle Sheep
Tiptoeing through the fog
On teeny tiny feet,
Six hundred wooly sheep
Were sneaking down the street.
Poor Santa had the flu.
His temperature was high.
His doctor told him, “Stay in bed
And stay out of the sky.”
OH
Wooly sheep, sneaky sheep
Come to Santa’s aid
Wearing beards and Santa hats
And antlers that they made.
Wooly sheep, sneaky sheep
Glad to help St. Nick
Spreading joy and happiness
With a festive, merry kick.
The sheep tried very hard
To visit every child.
They tried to keep it quiet
But soon got very wild.
The children did not dream
Of sugarplums and toys.
They peeked out of their bedroom doors
To wonder at the noise.
OH
Wooly sheep, sneaky sheep
Come to Santa’s aid
Wearing beards and Santa hats
And antlers that they made
Wooly sheep, sneaky sheep
Glad to help St. Nick
Spreading joy and happiness
With a festive, merry kick.
At first the children stared
And some began to cry.
They then began to giggle
And not be quite so shy.
The sheep shared all their hats
And danced around the tree.
The children shared their gingerbread
With shouts of happy glee.
OH
Wooly sheep, sneaky sheep
Come to Santa’s aid
Wearing beards and Santa hats
And antlers that they made
Wooly sheep, sneaky sheep
Glad to help St. Nick
Spreading joy and happiness
With a festive, merry kick.
The sun began to rise.
The party had been grand.
The gifts had been delivered,
Though not like Santa planned.
He thanked them just the same,
The dear sweet, sneaky sheep.
He asked them what they wanted.
They asked for sixty jeeps.
OH
Wooly sheep, sneaky sheep
Come to Santa’s aid
Wearing beards and Santa hats
And antlers that they made
Wooly sheep, sneaky sheep
Glad to help St. Nick
Spreading joy and happiness
With a festive, merry kick.
#8 New Skates Please, Santa!
Wobbling on the ice
In my sister’s worn-out skates,
I might as well be wearing
Great big wooden crates!
The blades are really dull,
They’re too big for my feet,
and when I try to glide along
I end up on my seat!
Ohhhhhh,
Scrape, scrape, scrape,
Skid, skid, skid,
I do a crazy dance,
I can never learn to skate
While sitting on my pants!
Ohhhhhh,
Thump, thump, splat,
Ow, ow, drat,
Falling’s not much fun,
I’d really rather glide and twirl
And whirl like everyone.
My friends all have new skates
They glide around with ease
While I just watch them swish right by
Me, fallen on my knees.
It’s almost Christmas Eve,
I’ve wished upon a star,
I hope that Santa hears my plea
And brings skates from afar.
Ohhhhhh,
Scrape, scrape, scrape,
Skid, skid, skid,
I do a crazy dance,
I can never learn to skate
While sitting on my pants!
Ohhhhhh,
Thump, thump, splat,
Ow, ow, drat,
Falling’s not much fun,
I’d really rather glide and twirl
And whirl like everyone.
The presents are unwrapped,
No shiny skates in sight,
Just sweaters, hats, and oranges –
but what about tonight?
My sis hands me a box
and much to my surprise
Bright shiny skates, the kind I wished,
And look! They’re just my size!
Ohhhhhh,
Swish, swish, swish,
Zip, zip, zoom,
My skates are really fast,
I can whirl and twirl all day
And never be outclassed.
Ohhhhhh,
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh,
Jump, twirl, spin,
Across the ice I glide,
This is better than I dreamed,
I’ll never go inside!
#9 How The Grinch Spends Christmas
Dashing through the snow
In Santa’s stolen sleigh
Over Santa’s toe
Laughing all the way. MUA-HA-HA!
Flying snowballs sting
I’m not at all contrite
How fun it is to toss and fling
The gifts into the night.
Oh, bah humbug, Christmas, ugh!
Mischief saves the day
Trouble making – Reindeer MUSH!
In Santa’s stolen sleigh
Bah humbug, Christmas, ugh!
Mischief saves the day
Trouble making – Reindeer MUSH!
In Santa’s stolen sleigh
This morning when I woke
I thought, “The fun begins,”
I’ll lick the cookies clean
Return them to their tins
Pluck festive door wreathes bare
Chop down Christmas trees
Cram stockings -- not the kind you wear --
With coal lumps to the knees
Oh, bah humbug, Christmas, ugh!
Mischief saves the day
Shelf Elf shaking, snow globe breaking
Reindeer led astray
Bah humbug, Christmas, ugh!
Mischief saves the day
Snowman baking, present taking
In the mall Santa’s toupee.
Whooshing far and near
Dropping water bombs away
Then, Santa calls his deer
And rats! They do obey
He hums a little tune
Shakes his head so slight
Nails me with the last balloon
And flies into the night.
Oh, bah humbug, Christmas, ugh!
Santa made my day
I think I saw him gloating
As he rode his sleigh away
Bah humbug, Christmas, ugh!
Mean is in my genes
I can't wait for him to find
I fed his reindeer beans.
#10 Dashing Through The Snow
“Dashing
through the snow in a one horse open sleigh…” The song floated from the kitchen
radio. Holly heard her neighbor, Mrs. Frost, humming along.
Holly stared
out the window at the snowless neighborhood and sighed. Would she ever have a white
Christmas? She picked up the snow globe from the table and shook it. Tiny white
flakes swirled about the miniature horse pulling a sleigh with two riders.
Mrs. Frost
poked her head into the living room and smiled. “The first batch of cookies is
almost done. Once they’re cool, you can help me ice them, okay?”
Holly
grinned. “Sure!”
Mrs. Frost
was Holly’s favorite grown up…besides her mom and dad, of course. There was
something kind of magic about her, especially at Christmas. Her house glowed
with red and green lights and holiday decorations. She even had a Christmas
name. Like Holly.
Holly shook
the snow globe again and set it on the window sill. She watched the tiny flakes
spiraling inside. The song continued to play. “Dashing through the snow…” Her
eyelids drooped. “I wish we had snow,” she whispered.
Suddenly,
wind whipped through her hair, and she squinted as wet flakes splattered her
face. “What?" She gasped in the chilly air. "Where am I?”
“Dashing
through the snow, of course!” Mrs. Frost sat beside her, chuckling. She held
the reins to a horse covered in white. Its neigh echoed like laughter.
Holly
glanced down. Tiny houses flickered with Christmas lights far below. “We’re
flying!” she yelled.
Snow
flurries danced around them. “We’re dashing!” Mrs. Frost snapped the reins.
“It’s time,”
she said.
Someone
gently shook Holly’s shoulder. She opened her eyes to see Mrs. Frost standing
beside her. “It’s time to ice the cookies.”
Holly
blinked. A dream? She shivered. But it felt so real.
“Oh, look!”
said Mrs. Frost.
Holly peered
out the window. “It’s snowing!” Fluffy white flakes tumbled down.
She turned
to Mrs. Frost and spotted something sparkling in her hair. Could it be?
Mrs. Frost’s
eyes twinkled.
Holly was sure she saw a snowflake…before it
melted away.
I told you it was going to be tough! Ready, set, VOTE!
And my assistant judge and I felt we really must give Honorable Mention to Julie for Splash! Crash! Dash! - sibling Christmas vacation, very well written!, Renee for Holidaze - quite possibly the cleverest entry and amazingly well done, Carrie for Christmas In Lights which had a wonderful message about helping neighbors, Maria for Elmer The Christmas Sprite - a lovely, original, quiet story, and Linda for In A Daddy Open Buggy - excellent, excellent small child POV! Oh, and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Jill whose story I Believe brought tears to my eyes with its wonderful ending, and Delores's A Christmas Memory with it's evocative writing and lovely nostalgic feel... And now I'm going to stop before I've got the entire list up here :)
Have fun voting everyone! And here's a little holiday message from me and the girls :)
P.S. I wasn't going to post on Monday... and I still might not... but there may be a special surprise post going up that day if I can get it written and organized and if the stars are properly aligned... :) If I can't pull it off, then I'll see you on Wednesday the 26th with the winners. Happy Holidays Everyone! :)
