We have a WINNER!!!!!

Last week, I spent all week at Mayo Clinic helping a friend of mine staying there who was beginning her chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

What a fabulous place full of caring people! (More on this later on another blogpost).

While there, I stayed at Hope Lodge, which is a place for cancer patients and their caregivers to stay while they go through weeks of treatments.

I thought: "What better people could I pick than three of these wonderful, brave patients to become judges for my photography contest?"

So I asked three and they were happy and thrilled to be able to do this for me and all of you!

I took them all separately, one at a time, into the room with a computer to look slowly at each and every one of the 11 entries. I stayed silent while they looked, saying nothing and giving no facial expressions to their comments.

Then I asked them to look at all of them a second time and to name their FIRST choice, which they each did. I told them not to talk to the other judges until after I showed all three and they all had the chance to pick their number one photo out.

Then, I asked them if they had to choose a second choice for a picture, which one would it be.

And they told me while they were alone with me. Again, I told them NOT to tell the other judges until we all got together again.

They were terrific.

They were excited to do this for you.

They smiled (maybe for the first time in a few weeks) and it gave them something fun to do other than to think about their situation, their horrible cancers, their sadness.

They enjoyed it.

You can be proud of making their day and giving them joy by your beautiful photos.

Of the three judges' picks...here's how it went down:

TWO of them picked the SAME photo as the winner.

Therefore, we had a winner (because two out of three picked the same top photo).

These SAME TWO judges also picked the same picture as their number two favorite photo, which I found fascinating.

The THIRD judge picked their number two photo as his number ONE photo and the winning photo as his number two photo. (Isn't that interesting too?).

All three judges picked the SAME third picture as their next favorite photo, too.

But, without further delay....

DRUM ROLL PLEASE>>>>>

Here is the January 2010

winning PHOTO

for the theme of:

"Something Rusty"..............

Congratulations to Kim!!!!!

Her blog is called: "A Parent's Life to Behold, Through the Eyes of Insanity and Bliss."

As the winner, Kim will receive a widget button that states she is the Jan. 2010 Photography Contest Winner to display on her blog, and she will automatically be put in the contest as an entry trying for the 2010 winner of the year, (as will all the upcoming monthly contest winners). Because I am NOT good at creating my own button, I have contacted another blogger to do this for me..so it will be a few days before I get it to Kim to put on her blog. But as soon as I get it, she will get it!!

Kim will also get a certificate in the mail showing that she won the photography contest (if she desires to have one from me). She can enter future contests, as all the monthly winners can also try each and every month to win again.

Great job, Kim!

Oh, and the SECOND place winner (which has no prizes to go with it, but an Atta Girl!) was the picture of the chains (click HERE to see the blogpost with it in it) by Judy/SquirrelQueen.

And the third favorite of the judges (which also has no prize to go with it, but gets another ATTA Girl!) was the lantern (click HERE to see the blogpost with it in it) by Jientje.

Once again, I would like to thank every ONE of you that entered the contest...and encourage you to keep entering photos for each month. We love your photos and it is such fun to see what everyone enters.