Not sure if I mentioned it before, but I had been mulling over sending in a little piece to a certain ladies magazine. They have a section called "It Happened To Me." The story has to be "true" around 1000 words, and if they choose yours you get $1000. Being in a magazine will be the coolest part though!

So I began mulling over my adventures, seeing if I had done anything that I could dramatize enough make it interesting, yet something that wouldn't get back to the Feds. I figured I could come at it from at least 3 angles. 1) The topical, timely angle--"I'm a blogger, here's what I do." 2) The Kleenex Fest--"I lost my Dad suddenly and it changed who I am" 3)The humorous, cynical, witty angle.--I went with this, so I'm not going to tell you what I wrote about. I'm silly, but protective.

I started with something I had written up maybe a year ago, and expanded and refined it. It was only about 500 words to start with, and it was hard work to stretch it out without making anything sound "tacked on." I was pretty pleased with the result, but I put off sending it. I gave it to a few people to look at, got a few suggestions, ignored them all...and still put off sending it. I didn't even look at it for a few days.

Finally, yesterday, I made up my mind that it was time. I read it once or twice more, tweaked a few words here and there, and then cut and pasted it into the body of an email and sent it to the address they listed. I'm not sure if they will acknowledge receipt or only contact me if and when they get to my story and decide they like it. I probably should have written from all three of my angles and sent them all in, huh? Well, the baby is out there, and we'll see. I'll keep you p