Okay folks.
Before I get to the winner, you KNOW that I have to tell a story. With pictures. So settle down and drink your coffee or other beverage, have a couple of cookies, and read.
First, I counted up the entrants in this contest. There were 27 of you.
I had Alex write out all the numbers from 1-27 on some paper.
And - hang on - before any of you (JEN) point out that the number 8 is missing, don't worry, my son must have noticed it while he was cutting the numbers out, because - after the whole picking-of-the-winner was over, and I was uploading pictures, I noticed that the 8 was absent, so I went through all the little slips of paper - WHICH I KEPT JUST IN CASE SOMETHING LIKE THIS WERE TO HAPPEN - and made sure that every number was represented during the all-important SELECTION OF THE WINNER BY SCRATCHY.
And I took a picture:
And lo and behold, there's the 8, right between the 7 and the 9.
Thank goodness!
Okay, back to the beginning.
Alex cut up the numbers and Julia's job was to fold the slips of paper and put them in a plastic container.
That's her official Paper-Folding Tiara atop her head. And in the background? The mess that was my dining room this morning. I say "was" because even as I type this, the kids are sorting through their junk stuff to decide what to keep, and the rest will be tossed, and order will be restored for a portion of today.
Yes, Julia, ALL of them.
But it was too much for her. So Alex came in to help.
Eventually Julia kicked Alex out of the room, perhaps figuring that if she let him do too much, her title would be revoked and she'd lose her tiara.
Once all the slips of paper were folded and in the container, it was time to summon the judge.
Alex found him and brought him into the dining room where I permitted a break in the rules and allowed Alex to place Scratchy RIGHT ON THE TABLE.
I don't have a picture of that exciting moment because Scratchy has learned, really really learned, that he doesn't belong there. So, before anyone could say a word, he hopped down onto a chair, which is permitted territory.
Alex gave him loving scratches around the neck,
Why look. There's a pink, unwrapped lollipop on the floor. I really need to check for these things before I take pictures. Sigh.
Anyway, since working on the table was not an option, we moved Scratchy and the slips of paper to the floor.
He sniffed them.
And was completely NOT interested. He appeared to be heading toward his food and water dishes...
And then he changed his mind and flopped down, mentally exhausted, amid the folded bits of paper. Alex stood on one foot, anxiously awaiting the next bit of excitement.
But nothing happened. So I had Alex sit down with him and sort of shuffle the bits of paper around to make them seem more interesting to Scratchy.
It worked! I had Alex back off a bit, to allow Scratchy time to make his selection.
Yep. Come on, guy, just pick one...there's a good boy....
And then - with most of the family watching (Bill had joined us; Julia was totally over it.) - Scratchy picked the winning slip of paper:
I waited a moment, to see if this was his final decision, and when I was certain that he wasn't going to change his mind, I unfolded the paper to see what the number was.
(drum roll here would be nice)
And the winning number is...
Number 2!
And who was our second entrant?
Margie!
CONGRATULATIONS, MARGIE!
Now, so that I can get your book shipped out to you as soon as possible, please email your shipping address to me at jayne (at) barefootkitchenwitch (dot) com.
Thanks again to all of you who participated, and Beth, you know, maybe you'd increase your chances of winning if you actually invited ME to one of your fancy schmancy parties. Just saying. :) AND JUST KIDDING, EVERYONE! I WILL ACCEPT NO BRIBERY OR FLATTERY IN THESE CONTESTS! Scratchy, however, could probably be swayed by a lovely piece of wild salmon. Cats don't have the superior morals and ethics and scruples that I do.
Okay, that's it for now. I've got bread in the oven, I need to bake a pie, one of Julia's little friends is coming over in 52 minutes, the house is a mess, and so I've really got to stop typing now. Really. I do. Now. Okay, NOW.
