Welcome to the First Annual February Music Motif Challenge. This year’s theme (and likely for years to come) is "I Enjoy Being a Girl." Variations on that theme might include any permutation thereof, including I enjoy being a close approximation of a girl, I enjoyed being a girl, but no longer, I am about to enjoy being a girl for the first time, and for all of you forced femme aficionados, I don't enjoy this at all, can I go now? Rather than award one single winner, owing to fairness, civility and an inability to get an auditor to certify our bogus results, we have given every entry its own unique award to recognize its ....uniqueness. Without further ado, we now present the Entrants, in no particular order other than from top to bottom, here are the "Winners" of the First Annual February Music Motif Challenge. Jill made me do it...honest...I didn't want to...okay...I did, but she was really mean...okay she was okay, but I thought she might be mean...never mind.

 
(...By Jiminy) by Edeyn Hannah Blackeney

And we all have to remember...that dreams sometimes do come true. Wonderful dreams, and sometimes in ways we least expect. Thank you for such beautiful thoughts.
Reviewed Carla Ann

For this lovely story, nothing could be better than this...
Fate is kind...She brings to those who love
The sweet fulfillment of...Their secret longing..
Review by Lee Harline and Ned Washington

This is such a sweet story; it deserves the Walt Disney Couldn’t Have Said it Better Himself Award!
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Turn Me On ‘Mr. Deadman’ by Mea the Magnificent

The song parody left us breathless, because it smacked us in the solar plexus and knocked all the air right out of our lungs. Meaghan Tracey is brutally honest. Review by Angela Rasch (Jill_M_I)

To Mea the Magnifs goes the Dirty Harry Award for making our day. Also nominated for Best Adaptation by A Song that Shamelessly Promotes Another Story While Still Portraying A Tragic Existence in an Ironic Fashion that Jill Actually "Gets" the Author Award

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The Presence of Other by MonaLisa

A well written story; well put together showing the turmoil within Lily. The acceptance of Merri and the family was all that was needed to make a happy ending. Thank you so much for your warmth, feeling and empathy.
Reviewed by Alison Mary

This wish fulfillment charmer deserves the Louis Armstrong / A Kiss to Build a Dream On Award.

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Frosti the Snowgirl by mittfh

Anche la ragazza fatta di neve diventa
di indossare un reggiseno che non ᨠequo
(Even the Snowgirl gets to wear a bra...No Fair)
Review by Andrea DiMaggio

How could this sweet, but chilling, story win anything but the Back in the Saddle Again Award for outstanding lyric improvement?

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Traveling North by Dreammaker

Beautiful…and too sad.
Review by Andrea DiMaggio

The What Might Have Been Award for showing us how close two people came to discovering true happiness.
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Inventing Me by Jillian Marie

Want to start a club? The Fairly Successful At Dealing With What Is Rather Than What Might Be - Club? I feel like singing the old Samantha Davis, Jr. song? "I gotta be us?" Thank you for brightening my day by helping me know I'm not alone!
Review by Andrea DiMaggio

The Dis Cord Go Dar Award for putting into writing what so many of us feel.
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Always a Chance by Kristina L S

Wonderful ambiguity...the lover hazily described, coming to life through the words, emotional impact; the way being blindfolded can heighten the intensity of, uh, certain experiences. This is one you could really feel.
~~hugs, Laika

What do you get when you cross Kristina L S and Bonnie Raitt?
How about the Something to Talk About Award?
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Rhyme Stew - A Cautionary Tale by mittfh

This is way too much for me. I don't like to be contrary but I suspect that I might have trouble carrying the posies and the pail of water. Original and, if I'm not careful, sleep-inducing. You do realise that you might just have unleashed the BCTS pun machine again, don't you?
Review by Susan Heywood

This story deserves the Puppy Dog Tales Award for goosing a tired Olde Mother.
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Storm by Susan Heywood

Good Garth! This story was so Un-Susan Heywood-like. It read like one of your stories, until that pistol appeared. I actually spoke to my computer at that point. "What?!!!" Not that it didn't fit into the story, just I didn't see it coming in a Susan-story. This is my favorite entry so far in our contest. I feel so empowered as a judge for this contest, maybe even a bit like Ellen Degeneres.
Reviewed by American Idol Angela Rasch (Jill M I)

Sweet Sue turned up with heat and won an It Happened One Night Award for surprising us.

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Pistol Packin’ Mama by Laika

Okay, Laika You got me with that one.
Review by Susan Heywood

Although this entry was a non-entry, it deserves a Mr. Peabody Award for taking us WABAC.
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After the Fall by mittfh

After the fall is over,
After he broke his crown,
After his slight misgivings,
After his first blue gown.
Many a heart is aching,
If you could read them all.
Many the pains that have vanished
. . . After the fall.

This story reminded me of my first piano recital; thus it wins the Ebony and Ivory Award.

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Two Little. . .Boys? by mittfh

Okay, I don't know what to say, except I liked this little story.
Review by Janice Lynn

This marvelous story came to be golden when compared to the original song. Best Adaptation Award. Also recipient of the Geez You're Gorgeous...What Do You Mean You're My Brother… Wow...Dodged A Bullet on That One Award. Who isn’t a Rolf Harris fan?

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Fifty Ways by Jennifer Brock

Paula Simone Would Be Proud. I sit with my knees pressed tightly together, wondering. . . .
Review by Angela Rasch (Jill M I)

The Lever Brothers — Lever Lover Award for pure clean fun.

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Metamorpho-sis (1st Song of the Kylie Warren Saga) Part 3 of 3 by Jennifer Sue

That there are people wise beyond their years - because they were forced by circumstances to grow up and mature earlier. And I think that maturity can also be described at least partly to knowledge, experience, and ability to use both to your advantage….
Review by Faraway

Obviously a Change — My Baby’s Got Me Locked Up in Change Award to bring out the Carole King in all of us.

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Solitaire by Misty Meenor

There's something of an adage or instruction for writers to show and not tell. What I really like about this piece is that you've done exactly that: you've shown us the relationship between David and his wife, and not merely told us about it.
Review by PS

Countin’ flowers on the wall, while awarding the Playin' Solitaire ‘til Dawn Award.

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Goodbye Sam. . . . by mittfh

Ben, you're always writing here and there
'Make me feel like I'm welcome everywhere
I just feel I must confess, You are very best
I just really never knew...you'd love to wear a dress
Review by Andrea DiMaggio

Outstanding Achievement in the Field of TG Awareness for Recognizing a Transgendered Meaning Where None Ever Existed.

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It’s My Life by Jengrl

This is a great heart-warming story. Maybe someday the rest of society will catch up and stop demanding that everybody live their life and realize that life we live is our own with our own unique dreams, goals, and desires. This is a wonderful story of love and acceptance as it should be in a Christian world. Thank you for sharing.
Review by Barbara Lynn Terry

This song had us in its simplicity and wins the Livin’ on a Prayer Award.

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Mother Nature’s Girl by Kristine Roland

Darling
I want to thank you
I want to thank you
Thank you, darling
Review by Sir Paul McCartney

You win the White Album Award for bringing back the fondest musical memory — pure Beatle bliss.

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Petra: I Will Survive by mittfh

Extra votes......for choosing a song with "I was Petra-fied" in the lyrics. I've always liked that song. Much better than "Do You Really Wanna Hurt Me?" or that age old anthem of doormats everywhere: "He Hit Me, And It Felt Like A Kiss". A fine sequel, and I can't wait to read PETRA: THE AFTERMATH. Be funny if they got Petra a sequined dress, brought in a karaoke disc of the song and acted out this whole number in front of Lydia, with Kim & Claire & Julie singing backup...~~~hugs, Laika

For doing a full (Gloria) Gaynor off the disco floor, you win the Sparkling Globe Award for casting shimmering light on the true meaning of this song.

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Let It Burn — Dorothy Colleen

This is a very honest verse. This tells of a soul in sadness and indecision, and that it must make a choice either for the good or for the bad, but whatever, the choice must be made. This is what we want in our lives, to make the choice to live free of the shackles our parents, and others around us have put on us. But it is easy to shake those shackles off today, if you remember to be honest with yourself and everyone around you.
Review by Barbara Lynn Terry

We have to give this the Unanswered Question Award (Will it really change me?)

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Loose Change — Randalynn

Truly awesome story.......I was pulled in at the get go; I was Sophie.... fear, anxiety, confidence, resolve, anger but especially love! I was fearful that what they had...that they tried to get back...was doomed, but the end? The Power of Love, indeed!
Review by Andrea DiMaggio

Hands down -- wins the How to Take a Simple Contest and Turn It into Something Magical Award.

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You fit me to a T — RAS

“This … could … work.” Yay! What's not to like about this one? First of all, it's a nicely written FtM story, something we see much too rarely; second, it has a happy ending that reduced me to tears; and finally, after that, an ending that reduced me to insane giggles. T for two, indeed!
Review by Athena N

Wins the I’ve Got You Under My Skin Award for Rash Writing.

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Tuned Out — a Musical Story Cycle by Theide
Includes, Nothing Else Matters, The Champions, and What About Love?

There's a line we draw in our heads that defines where we think we stand - often it is not drawn totally by ourselves but also by our peers and parents....Some of us have teetered on that line and seen awful things and done things we never thought we could. Some of us came through, some of us did not. None of us came through unscathed.
Review by Jenchris

You put us through an emotional wringer with your trilogy and have won the Maytag Washer Award.
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I Want A New Bra by Kristine Roland

Trust these two delinquents, Kristy and 'Drea to come up with something like this after "The Lingerie Shop"---you are an incorrigible pair but I love you both and your great sense of humour. Thank you both for a good giggle.
Review by Alison Mary

PLAY it again, TEX; might as well go on LIVING it up…BRAvo! The fact that this piece LIFTS the challenge to another level entirely is not lost on the committee; AND that alone SEPARATES this song from some other songs of this odd genre’, yes? This ditty earns our Oopsies We Didn’t Submit This In Time But It Was Too Good To Ignore Award

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A Boy Named Sue — Jill Micayla

Hey...how come I never went to a school like that…No fair!
Review by Sophie Bratkowski

The best for last. Jill, not everyone would match Johnny Cash with TG song challenge. You win the Black Humor Award and may your next LBD be darling.