The Winner

 
This will be a quick post. I have to access the internet from a friend's computer, and can't upload any pictures, and I'm stuck using IE, which I hate.

But I do have a winning entry for the contest. As was noted under the picture of Maggie telling you to nose around about the contest (when it was there), I received 5 entries. Thank you! They came from borris (sir rob), Ann, Liz, Ivy, and Jackie.

Four of the five people got all the puzzle words right. I had the friends that I am staying with judge the stories. Nothing was judged for grammar or language skills, but just for how engaging the story was. It was close, but in the end, the unanimous choice was Jackie of The Painted Veil!

She even sent a picture to go with it, which I will add when I get home, and her banner link- it's all just too hard from a strange computer without my own software. Here is Jackie's story!

A Grandmother's Heart

My heart cries out many times as I spend countless lonely hours missing my entire family. My parents have been dead for many, many years. My husband's job requires he be away weeks on end, my children and grandchildren live long distances away from me, and I reside in a very isolated community. Holidays drift by, and I am alone. It seems to me, sometimes, as if I am on the very bottom of everyone's list of priorities. More often than not, I feel I am but a fleeting thought that drifts across their mind occasionally. Like fence posts, lined along a road, they are subconsciously aware of them, but, rarely have occasion to give them a moment of serious contemplation.

The occasion to receive a phone call or visit from any of my grandchildren rarely arises. However, I do not spend my time lamenting. I try my best to know and understand that things are as they should be according to God's will. My children and grandchildren are all living and soaring into life with their own wings. This to me reveals success as a parent. However, the price paid for teaching young ones to fly so well is indeed high. They do not live next door. They lead active busy lives, not leaving them much time for thoughts of a grandmother's heart. But, lamenting, no that is not for me, even in my darkest hours of loneliness, I try my best to go forward and be grateful to God for their well being and happiness.

To lament is to grieve or have regrets, and I would not be truthful if I said I never grieve or have any regrets. After all, I am only human, and I cannot go back and change what is in the past. Rather, I choose to go forward and do my best to enjoy life such as it is. Albeit, there are times when I have to remind myself to smile or laugh. But remember I do; I always remember, as we all should.

"Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful"- Proverbs 14:13

OK, now I HAVE to go get some sleep. Just a half day work tomorrow, and then the drive home. Can't wait to see Maggie!