No Virginia, you are " not a winner"!!

I am so used of this recently... not making the cut, not winning the candle or any other little thing and it is not the prize…it is the participating and I am hoping soon it will be the placing, acknowledgement and maybe at some point, winning.

Was I disappointed...not in the least. This shows I am making excellent progress after some serious surgery and heavy drugs and it has taken me three years to focus again and perform at a near normal level although I still feel something is missing…hope I find it. I have also changed from a financial career (Project Director) that I loved to awaken my more creative side that has been buried all those years. So, in past lives and interests I was so used to running away with it and I worked so hard all my life to achieve and do the best I could which was rewarding. I would have been devastated had I not won or at least been in the running. But I am not downed by this at all as it is all part of the plan…if you can say it is a plan. I try to find out where I should be at this time and how I can get up a rung on the ladder. So actually entering the contest was a big WOW for me. Mission accomplished.


No Virginia you didn’t win but there is a Santa Claus…wait for it!

I had entered the Tartan Scots contest for Christmas Decorating. Choices were Mantle piece, Christmas tree or Table Setting. I entered my fireplace mantle piece as you can see in past blog below. Here is the link http://tartanscot.blogspot.com/   Please visit the Tartan Scots blog and check out the entries and the winners. There was one that blew me away (I didn't want to steal the picture) it was "art". Entered by Hugh Luck...I don't know what Hugh does but he has to be in the "art" industry...it was different and amazing and should be in the Christmas tree museum (if there is one). That one gave me inspiration. Hugh got third place in the Christmas Tree section, so if I was last or binned in the mantle piece section, I am more than honoured. There were 175 entries in all and I must thank the Tartan Scot for doing this with "real" judges from the ID industry. All that time from all of those talented people adds up to something quite valuable in this life when we are all so time poor.

I am now working on the staircase and although I am doing what I usually do with garland and ribbon...I am now thinking differently...and I am hoping I can "can" this feeling somewhere until next year where my creative side is trying to find other objects/ design that would better reflect me and my style. More pictures to come once I have added the finishing touches.

So whatever 2011 brings I am now even more ready for the changes and I do love change.

It is really is a beautiful life whether you win or lose, or just participate.

The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others' burdens, easing other's loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas."

~ W. C. Jones