But a Saturday the day we celebrated so many things. My nieces 2nd birthday for one. She was adorable after the party I went back to my hotel room in Fargo, ND to pack to go home on Greyhound of course as I wont make the mistake again of using my frequent flier miles to come back to MN. Eh when I got there I had two surprises for me. My books from Ebay were on my front hotel door and no one stole them. My mom got them for me from my old address in Minnesota at the post office and left them for me to take home with me along with a letter from a publishing company. I opened the letter. I won 1st prize that is my poem did win. I got a chance to publish all my other poems in a book too. My Chapter book of poetry. I got a thousand dollar check in the letter too. The prize includes a trip to NYC to meet with the publishing company and meet with an agent too. I get to speak if I want to at a conference award ceremony for other writers while they give me a plack with my name on it. I will be there for three days to three weeks depending on what the agent and publishing company wants of me and the 9 other winners. I was number one winner though. I was estatic and called my aunt and cousin in Texas right away using a prepaid calling card of course telling them of my feat. My cousin is a writer too. He is really excited for me. I have to get several dress outfits and comfortable clothes for 1st week of May when the award and contest winners must meet in NYC. I also get royalties off my poems too, since I published other poems that won merit only, but it shows I am established poet deserving the royalty from the sales ahead of the sale. I get my airfare and hotel and transportation paid for when I get to NYC. I am so excited the next couple of uncomfortable days on the bus will fly bye and I wont notice, because I am on cloud nine.  Yes I am still taking the bus. I am saving the thousand dollars for my trip to NYC for tourist sight seeing. I will be taking my cousin and my mom with me. I will be joining them in Texas since my mom will be down there as my cousin lives there. This makes more sense. My whole day and stay has been totally overwhelming for me. I don't know what to say. Alright not even my sister's in-laws cutting remarks to me, because I am poor and my lifestyle how I live fazes me now. What a stay. I hope it gets better everyday. Well its freezing here so I am going to the heated pool to warm my aching bones. It's nice to know the Universe loves me, if not anyone else, but strangers and my niece. Well bye for now.

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Today is starting out slow and it is cold outside this morning, but warming up here in Arizona. I went to a local store and just got back home and had to tell you my friends at thrifty fun what my five minute run to a clothing outlet down the road from me got for the money. They were open at 8 am. I went strait to the dollar discount rack. I saw pants there some were for $5. others were for $9. I searched thru to find my size 24w when I saw a tag that said 24w. I looked and couldn't believe the price. I only had $5 and change to my name which is what some of them cost, so I was hoping to snag a the five dollar ones. They were dirty from being on the floor and run over by carts I would guess. I took them anyway as they were the only ones with my size and I was freezing as it is with the weather and my arthritis. Who knew it could be cold here in Arizona near Mesa not me. Anyhow they looked like they would last a year at least. I went to the register and dug in my purse for the right amount of tax for clothes. My luck the manager was at the till working, She saw what I was wearing and guessed why I was buying the clothes. She asked if I was new to the area. I said yes. Then asked why. She said and I quote. "because if you weren't new you would know our store doesn't sell damaged goods. We throw them away, and I must have beaten the stocker to the clothes rack. She told me I could have them for free. She also told me that it gets cold in the morning so wear warmer clothes when going outside." I told her thank you and I took the clothe item out of the store after she removed the tag. I put them on and they fit perfectly. I put them on over my clothes I was wearing. I went down to the next door Wal-Mart a mile away. I got groceries with the money I never spent at her store. Milk, bread, Sam's soda 2 liter bottle of Dr. Thunder my favorite, and a can of food for todays meals. I also got tuna for my cats at 50 cents with the change after I paid for the other items. I am not good at totaling things in my head, so I wasn't sure I could afford the tuna and waited till after so to speak. I have 6 cats now and four dogs. I cook for all of them. I got my dogs down here from Minnesota this month. Oh boy we were all happy to see each other. I will never let them out of my sight again. My babes all get along too now. They are all sitting around my computer waiting for me, so I must go. I will blog the picture of my niece today in my Photo album online here.

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