All New at 62: And The Winner Is... ME?

There is no greater thrill than hearing ones name called out at a raffle or an award dinner, a silent auction or these days, in print on a favorite blog site giveaway. I've never been one to buy a lottery ticket or throw a few dollars into a football pool. I think twice before putting my hard earned coins into a slot machine, despite vacationing near a casino, and I rarely enter contests or competitions.

It's not so much the risk that makes me hesitate, as it is the grave disappointment of not winning. The possibility of being a winner sets my imagination into such a frenzy of dreams and visualizations I am hopelessly lost in fantasy. Before I even buy a ticket or send in my entry, I have already spent hours envisioning my delight when accepting the award, or the ways I'll be spending my winnings, or exactly where I'll be placing my trophy. Silly me. I project so far into the future that there is simply no need to go through the actual event. It's a lot like dating. While the possibilities seem hopeful, the reality in the end is inevitable heartache.

"You can't win if your don't play... "

None the less, from time to time I throw my name into the hat, usually because the prize is some luxury I'd love to have but would never indulge in for myself. I remember years ago in the early 70's when my husband was stationed at Fort Rucker, Alabama for flight training, we were regulars at the weekly bingo games at the officer club. We didn't go because we loved bingo, but because the grand prizes were so fantastic. A Winnebago travel trailer, a Cessna airplane, a new car. Imagining what we would do with one of those incredible prizes was worth hours of entertainment, especially for a financially strapped young family anticipating deployment to Viet Nam. It was worth the investment just to get our minds focused on something so loaded with hope and possibility. Our lucky wasn't the best, but we did win an electric blanket on night. More recently, I put an extra high bid on a beautiful set of hand thrown pottery bowls at a silent charity auction, primarily because I believed in the cause, but also because I loved the bowls. Sadly for me but good for the charity, someone else loved them more.

Recently, I entered a weekly giveaway on one of my favorite blogs, My French Country Home. The site features enticing photos of the French country side, along with the author's finds at brocantes, markets and antique shops for her on-line store. It's one of my favorite daydreaming sites. This particular giveaway was for a pair of vintage linen pillow covers from Atelier Be , another favorite on-line shop and blog presenting a wonderful collection of vintage European textiles. Both sites are loaded with all the things I crave, but simply can't justify at the moment. When I read Sharon's post this weekend, I had to go back and read it a second time. There was my name, right there on the screen, announcing that I was the winner of the weekly giveaway! ME! I simply can't believe my good fortune.

Now I must choose my favorite two pillow covers from the Atelier Be collection! Pictured here are some of my preferences. But, I remain undecided. With so many to choose from, I've opted to let owner and artist Jess Chauvot de Beauchene surprise me. Now I can spend a few more hours imagining my wonderful prize and where I will display my new pillows. Take a look at the styles shown below and the entire collection on her website, and tell me which designs you would chose.

What fun it is to finally be a winner! I think I'm inspired now to try my luck with a lottery ticket...