Everybody now knows I won along with Trusty Elf - he for the photo, me for the host duties.

Though following the class act job of Solly Mack and Circles is not easy, I will do it as well as I can. Even if I flub up at times I hope we all will, again, have a good time.

The wonderful thing about our group is that we are genuinely fond of each other and have each other's best interest and well being at heart.

We want every single one to succeed in learning and progressing and we want everyone to be happy to come here to participate or just to visit for a peaceful respite.

That said:

We're going to take a break of a few days.

Think in terms of a theme, should something be of personal interest to you, or if there is a theme you wish had been done and did not get enough votes.

I have a few suggestions to share when we start that are the ideas of the "real" host Trusty Elf, and we will take a look and expound on them after the break.

I plan to get going just before the turn of the month, moving briskly, in order to maximize the time for shooting.

But I had fun and everyone was kind and patient with me - that is what makes this group all the better. Great people helping each other and enjoying themselves in the doing.

A break? (YES!!!)

You really are a sweetheart!

But nobody better be around me when I have to post the preliminaries, specifically link them to each other.

To me the panic of it is hard to describe, and I'm in a cold sweat during the deed because every time some un-foresee-able thing has gone wrong.
I am clueless how regnaD kciN, or JeffR, you, and others do it with such ease.

That's where it is so wonderful to be able to count on a supportive and kind group, because ultimately it's just a hint of egg on your face that washes off.

You go rest.
Have some Jägermeister.

How is the voting progressing in Germany?
My Mom was not going to vote, but my brother insisted, and he dragged a guy from down the street to the polls, who had never voted before.
Now we're back to "genes".

:rofl:

I saved the prelims as documents and then did a copy and paste. I added entries as they were submitted. Kept places open for links. Stuff like that. Helped a great deal.

Thank you!

Possible themes? Sunshine, springtime, water, hiking, the great outdoors, nature.

interest in the replies to the preliminary threads.
I wrote to all that wanted to know how to participate.

The best recommendation is to spend a little time, read posts, see what we do and how we do it.
Your themes all have merit. We can't easily handle one as vast as "the great outdoors"...or "nature"..., or maybe that's just my opinion.
Water is one we did at the end of last year.

We'll get going in a few days with suggestions and voting on a theme.
Thanks for checking in, and we love to have you as participant, or as a visitor.

Be on the lookout here for our quarterly seasonal contest--Spring is next, so that is in addition to the monthly one, and thus wouldn't be a good topic to replicate. But you should consider entering a photo in the contest. Not sure when it comes around but keep checking back here.

Water made for a great contest a few months back. I agree with Mira that the great outdoors and even nature might be a bit too broad. I like the hiking theme! (even though the hiking I have done since getting a digital camera has mostly not been overly scenic).

I'll bet there would be a lot of dramatic entries for that combination.

So what format do we enter in? Is there a way to post entries directly off photos on our computer, or do you have to figure out some other program?

add it to the line up of suggestions. Then we vote.
===
Get yourself an account (free) at www.photobucket.com
see if you can maneuver your way around to post a sample photo for us.

I forget now how good they are at teaching you to do this. If it's too hard to figure out one of us here will help you learn.
It might even be me, when and if I'm awake.

Charlie Sheen would like your interpretation of "win".:rofl:

(the Power of Platitudes)

Thanks . . . I sure needed a laugh this afternoon! :)

But Flubbernutter is still one of my favorite sandwich spreds

dancing, parade, outside music event

if they have not been done before.

For Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter the theme is the season itself, and everything connected to it. So the Spring contest 2011 will be named and run just like the Spring contest 2010 was - the difference is it's THIS year's spring contest.

For the individual month contests, the host/hostess either stipulates a theme, or suggests a few which then get voted on, or solicits ideas for themes which then get voted on.

Your Ideas for "dancing, parade, outside music event" all would qualify as suggestions for a monthly contest once solicited.

The solicitations for the theme for April will start either tomorrow or the day after.
Keep your eyes peeled.

Sorry, should have been clearer.