Come on folks, don't be griping at Sephy!

She's an AWESOME hostess here. She popped up and helped me tons getting the hang of the site and how to use it to make my stories look good. I only asked one question and she flooded me with help and ideas and even prettified my second story. Without her this place would be so drab. Don't make her all sad and regret the work she puts in!

I think the contest idea is just fine and if my muse will cooperate I will try to write a story within the guidelines.

Hey, it is not like she said "... and your main character must be a left-handed transgendered woman from Finland with a limp and has to be scared of reindeer but only on Tuesdays!"

Give her a break :)

Hun just know no one can be mad or upset with you, in reality they are upset or mad at themselves and take it out on you. True friends are there no matter what, the People that are not are no true friends.
Love and Hugs Hanna

Hi Sephy,
Just read your message about some people complaining to you about the constraints, which I think are pretty open, on the Christmas Eve story contest. I was very disheartened and saddened to think that a few spoiled sports would be so unfairly inundating you with silly complaints about the contest outlines. I just dont get it at all. I mean you and Erin do so much here for us an other authors and readers in our little community for your own enjoyment and pleasure. It's not like your getting rich off of this!
I LOVE the contests and your challenges to stretch our creative juices and come up with something fun and lovely for others to enjoy! I love the chance to compete with other fine authors and see what turns up and compare notes and styles it like all such exercises has taught me so much as it should others I would think. I wish I had time to enter them all and read them all. But there just aren't enough hours in the day sometimes.
I do admit the last Halloween contest I wished was more of an actual Halloween project only because I had a really great story idea I had written an outline for hoping there would be a more Halloween theme, all though I did LOVE the story submission guidance and I had a great romantic themed reconciliation type story idea but just didn't get time to finish it. I was already trying to finish a fall/Halloween story series on FM that was already taking an emotional toll and time and also fall classes so I couldn't get it done.

I love the Snow storm Christmas idea, and have something in the works. I dont get the problem with some others though maybe I missed something lately. I mean what could be simpler?

Are people afraid to write something with a Christmas religious theme or do they want it to be religious? It is what this season is about really, when one strips away the commercialism and Black Friday sales. A time of giving, of sacrifice, of rejoicing in our differences and our love and hope for each other and ourselves. No matter what religion you are or if you aren't any. Have so many become so secular and politically correct and self absorbed that we cant remember the joy we felt about Christmas and the holidays seen through our childhood eyes, when we were innocent and carefree. Are we as humans now so filled with suspicion and self loathing that we cant look at pretty colored lights and the idea of what Christmas is about and wish for miracles and love and peace? This time of year I am always looking for those that still feel that childhood joy in their hearts, and that spirit of giving and loving without conditions or preconceived notions or expectations. In my travels around the world I have seen them first hand and was brought to tears by it and thankful that it still exists and hope and yes pray that it could be felt all year long.

Call me a Pollyanna, or a Romantic I accept the label proudly I still listen for Reindeer and smile at twinkling lights and Christmas music because it reminds me of happy, carefree, joyous times, when I was much younger and things were simpler and salespeople wished you Merry Christmas and kids sat on Santa's lap and someone didn't accuse him of being a child molester. We waited until Christmas Eve to put the baby Jesus in the manger and sang Little Town O' Bethlehem, and all was right with the world. But if others dont believe or celebrate it the same way I always said that's their right too, but I will still wish them Merry Christmas just the same and wish them peace and love. Because that's my right. Sure there were times I was jealous of my sister because she got the pretty night gown and dolls for Christmas and I wanted them but I never let her know or took her joy away from her. What good would it do?

So with all that said, I hope you feel better now, that others will still participate and put aside the animosity and other issues and just let the words flow.

Love and peace to all...never let them see you sweat, especially in a blizzard it gets colder!

Nikki