The Competition

So, a couple of weeks ago, on a whim, I decided to enter the Spring Art, Craft and Photography Competition and Exhibit at the Cedarhurst Creative Art Center. Mostly because I just so happened to receive an e-mail at work about the upcoming event and thought it sounded kinda cool.

I called the director and had her send me an entry form, and then I went about deciding which two pictures I wanted to enter. Which wasn’t easy because I have approximately three years’ worth of photos on my hard drive, along with countless CD’s from past years, and I really didn’t feel like going through all any of them, so I took a cursory glance at the various folders on my PC and came up with a couple that I liked. (Actually, I had the Smiling Dragonfly in mind and then picked the Poppies shot because … well, let’s face it, I’m a bit obsessed with poppies, but mostly I just liked the colors and the contrast.)

Smiling Dragonfly

Poppies

I also considered a couple of portraits of Kendra and a shot of Diane reading to the grandkids (despite all the nature-type stuff I generally post online, I actually prefer “people” shots, but I’m ultra-leery of posting pictures of kids), as well as these two photos:

Wet Poppy Bud

(This shot would be just about perfect, in my opinion, if there were just a little bit of orange splitting through the bud.)

Ducklings

I have no idea what to expect at the competition/exhibit. I’ve never attended it, and I’ve certainly never entered anything. In fact, the only time I can ever remember entering anything in any kind of art competition was the junior high art show, in which I submitted a sort of miniature general store diarama (is that spellt right?) that I put together from a kit and a string art sailboat (remember when string art was popular?). I got a ribbon for the string art, which didn’t take me nearly as long to do as the diarama.

Anyway, the exhibit starts April 12. I’m anxious to see what everyone else has submitted.

The Loser

Well, guess what: I didn’t win the HGTV Dream Home.

I thought I wouldn’t find out until tomorrow (March 19) that I hadn’t won it, but turns out the announcement was made Sunday (March 16). So, for at least two full days now, I’ve been thinking I might still have a chance. (Actually, I was pretty sure the winner was going to be announced Sunday, but then someone convinced me the date was Wednesday, and so I convinced myself that there was STILL hope, even when I hadn’t heard anything by this past weekend. Bummer.)

I’ve entered the sweepstakes when the dream home was located in North Carolina and Colorado — I even convinced myself, last year, that I COULD learn to ski! — but when I found out this year’s home was on Islamorada in the Florida Keys, I was certain I was going to win. I mean, who loves the Keys more than I do … besides Diane?

I actually liked last year’s house better, architecturally speaking, but geographically: yeah, this should’ve been my year.

Plus, I LOVE this home’s kitchen!

Meanwhile, back at the Southern Illinois ranch, rain has fallen all night and all day, and my back yard is a lake. And it’s supposed to keep raining for another umpteen hours.

And as I sit here, I’m afraid I’m breaking the 10th commandment … at least when it comes to my neighbors in Iowa who won the 2008 Dream Home!

Smiling Moon

Kibble, Piddles, etc.