Monday, November 22, 2010

A Winner, Some Wins, and Happy Anniversary, Walter

Thanks to all my visitors who took time to leave a comment last week about my giveaway in honor of veterans.

Drum roll, please . . . The winner of the copy of A Cup of Comfort for Military Families, which includes my true story "Welcome Home," is . . .

ALICE. Please e-mail me at dvolkenannt (at) charter.net to make arrangements for me to get the copy to you.

Speaking of winners, I was happy to find out three of my submissions won awards in the Ozarks Writers League (OWL) writing contests. The awards were presented during the First Annual Hillbilly Formal last Friday evening in Branson, MO. Although I wasn't able to be there, some of my writing friends called, e-mailed, or posted the good news about my wins on Facebook.

My non-fiction article "Nicholas Cage and the Magic of Writing" won first place in the Storyteller Magazine contest. A short story of mine, "The Window Washer," won second place in a short story contest sponsored by High Hill Press. Last, "Criminal Minds," a short story that has recently been published in Hot Flash Mommas: A Shaker of Margaritas, won honorable mention in the Mystery/Suspense/Paranormal short story contest, sponsored by OWL President Delois McGrew. Several of my writing pals also were big winners, including Linda Fisher, Judy Stock, Bill Mueller, and others I'm hoping to hear from soon. Congratulations to all!

Saving the best for last: Happy anniversary to my husband Walter, who became a United States citizen on this date in 1968, a little more than six years after he emigrated to the USA from West Germany. Walt was in the US Air Force at the time stationed at Scott AFB, in Illinois, which is where we met.

We had been married only four months, and I remember him studying for his citizenship test at nights after he got off work. For almost a year a captain at the base had tutored him on the constitution and American law.

The day Walt became a citizen, the judge at the courthouse in East St. Louis, IL, gave him his citizenship test, which was not about the Constitution or laws, but to write in English this sentence: "It is a fine day."

Walt passed with flying colors. And, for us, it was a fine day!

9 comments:

  1. Congratulations on all fronts, Donna. It is indeed a fine day. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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  2. Congratulations, Donna, on all your good news and good fortune! Enjoy it all and celebrate! :)

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  3. I'm very proud. Congratulations on your winnings. I missed seeing you at OWL. Neither of us seem to get there much anymore but I know your heart is there as is mine.

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  4. Congrats to you Donna. Today we had DH checkup in Springfield and made fast run in B and N. Due to my own puny state and shortage of time, we were not there long, but I saw 2 books with things penned by you. How fun to see stories by the Donna I "knew"!

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  5. What a lovely post about your husband. It must have been an emotional day!

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  6. Congrats on all, Donna! And Happy Anniversary to Walt! That is funny about his "test"! Here's a funny little tid-bit...in 1968, I lived in E. St. Louis!

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  7. Congratulations, Donna. It's great to get recognition for all your hard work. And it is hard work. Well done!

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  8. Hi Donna - What a wonderful, positive post!

    On your writing awards--wow! What great recognition of your talent. Huge congrats!

    Congratulations to Walt. First, God bless him for his military service. Second, happy anniversary to him. Perfect time of year for such a celebration.

    Wishing you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

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  9. Okay, I'm just catching up here and had to add a big congrats! CONGRATS!

    And Happy Anniversary to Walt! (P.S. I'm part German, too. Actually, a lot German. Just another little thing we share :-)

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