Happy Valentine's Day!

Here are the stories entered in our Daylily Tales ~ 2016 Story Contest!!!!

A brief recap --
Write a story with the theme of "Valentines" between 150 and 500 words, using daylily names as the majority of the text.

Here is a link to the thread with the full set of rules about the contest.
The thread "DAYLILY TALES ~ 2016 Story Contest!" in Daylilies forum

I will copy and paste each story to a separate post, as written by each entrant with no editing.

See the last post in this thread for how to vote for your favorite stories!

FIRST PLACE: 150 ACORNS
SECOND PLACE: 100 ACORNS
THIRD PLACE: 50 ACORNS

Please do not give thumbs to stories before voting is finished! Thanks!

From Blue23Rose (Vickie) - FIRST PLACE WINNER
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ALWAYS AND FOREVER

Thinking back to that cold February 14th morning in 1855, MARGARET can REMEMBER feeling as IF she were walking on CLOUD NINE that day. It was AFTER ALL, her WEDDING DAY. She and VICTOR, the LOVE of her life, stood SIDE BY SIDE at the altar and pledged their troth to each other. It was a BLISSFUL BEGINNING to a TIMELESS ROMANCE.

A faint smile crossed her lips as she remembered that FATEFUL ENCOUNTER that had brought them together so MANY MOONS ago. MARGARET had never believed in LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT until that FLEETING MOMENT when Victor’s eyes met hers on the FOREST PATH one sunny JUNE afternoon. CUPID’S ARROW had struck them both with TRUE LOVE that day. It was that moment when MARGARET realized that LOVE COMES QUICKLY to those who are willing to take the LEAP OF FAITH.

VICTOR was a doting husband and showered her with STRAWBERRIES AND CHOCOLATE to celebrate every VALENTINE ANNIVERSARY. One of her FAVORITE THINGS was when he would quote verses from love poems to her. She never tired of hearing him say, “How do I LOVE thee? LET ME COUNT THE WAYS.”

She reminisces about all the JOY AND HAPPINESS they shared THROUGH THE YEARS. INTIMATE talks, trips across the COUNTRYSIDE, and afternoon strolls HAND IN HAND through their BEAUTIFUL garden, are all just TREASURED MEMORIES NOW. Their LOVE and ADORATION for each other grew with each passing year.

The years flew like QUICKSILVER though, and AFTER more than FIFTY YEARS OF LOVE, VICTOR was suddenly struck with a grave illness. Nothing COULD BE done to save him. With his dying breath he said, “SWEETHEART, you have ALWAYS been my ONE AND ONLY VALENTINE. I will be WAITING FOR YOU and we will be TOGETHER AGAIN some day.”

The snow is gently falling NOW as MARGARET sits and stares out the window. Without her ONE TRUE LOVE, LIFE’S JOURNEY here on earth had lost its JOY. So she waits for A GATHERING OF ANGELS to take her to PARADISE. Then, ONCE AGAIN she will be on CLOUD NINE and her eyes will gaze LOVINGLY into Victor's as they stroll HAND IN HAND through the ETERNAL garden of HEAVEN, ALWAYS AND FOREVER.

From Dennis616 (Dennis) - THIRD PLACE WINNER
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My Valentine’s Day Destiny

I WISH, a LITTLE BIT, this COULD BE JUST ANOTHER HAPPY VALENTINE DAY. But even AFTER ALL THE YEARS with MY GIRL FRIEND I cannot ESCAPE REALITY. Her IMPETUOUS FIRE, her STRENGTH AND BEAUTY, have become FADING EMBERS and my VOLUPTUOUS MISTRESS lay dying in her BEACH HOUSE.

In TRUTH, there is NO DOUBT that to LOOK AT HER is an ACQUIRED TASTE. And only RARE DAYS with her have PEACEFUL SERENITY. And her THUNDERING VOICE quickly pushes me OVER THE EDGE-- the EDGE OF INSANITY. Her MOVING ON would be my DREAM ESCAPE and my OBVIOUS CONCLUSION is “WHAT A RELIEF that it’s her TIME TO GO”.

Still, PRECIOUS MEMORIES of SEASIDE ROMANCE had pulled the STRINGS OF MY HEART and I WANTED to bring her COMFORT AND JOY on this her DAY OF RECKONING. So I had made a MASTER PLAN for a SHOT GUN WEDDING, and now in the UPPER ROOM of her house I ask her “WILL YOU MARRY ME?”

She does SAY YES, and with a FAMILY CIRCLE forming a RING AROUND us, a CIRCLE OF FRIENDS surrounding us, we each speak a WEDDING VOW. I LOOK AT HER PALE FACE and it is a sad DISPLAY of weakness. She can barely SPEAK SOFTLY-- only a SOFT WHISPER. I have THAT CERTAIN FEELING she’ll be dead in a NANO SECOND. I lift her PALE HANDS, pick one of her ICY FINGERS and PUT A RING ON IT saying “WITH THIS RING I thee wed.”

Then WHAT A SURPRISE, I swear IT’S A MIRACLE! That ring must have HEALING POWER BECAUSE there is a SUDDEN CHANGE and she is LOOKING FINE. It is SIMPLY STUNNING to WAIT A MINUTE and see her face ALMOST BLUSHING with LIVING COLOR-- looking BETTER THAN EVER! This is SHOCKING and just PLUM CRAZY! BEWILDERED I mutter “EXCUSE ME, RAIN CHECK” and am READY TO RUN…

“STAY YOUR COURSE!” she cries out. “Don’t TRY TO RESIST, you are now CALLED TO SERVE! To be the MONEY MAKER and MISTER FIXIT! LET IT BEGIN with the PAINT JOB and TRIM WORK in this house-- and KEEP IT CLEAN! And always keep EVERYTHING NICE AND NEAT, and keep me in my COMFORT ZONE, and keep me ADORNED WITH JEWELS…” Thus began the RELENTLESS DOMINATION of the JOB CREATOR, my COMMANDER, SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED-- MY WIFE JANE. In an INCREDIBLE TWIST OF FATE it had become MY DESTINY to ALWAYS AND FOREVER experience the ENDLESS REWARDS of WEDDED BLISS!

From LarryW (Larry) - SECOND PLACE WINNER
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VALENTINE HEARTS
WAY BACK WHEN, I was BORN IN CALIFORNIA, SAN JOSE to be exact, so could be called a CALIFORNIA KID. She was an ARKANSAS RAZORBACK who came to CALIFORNIA from MINERAL SPRINGS to visit her BIG SISTER.
She was more like the GIRL NEXT DOOR than a BROADWAY SHOWGIRL, but she had that special FLAIR. GOOD LOOKING? Absolutely! FLASHY ‘N SMART at the same time. Was it LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT, or was it ONE LONELY HEART meeting another? We acted like CRAZY KIDS, but our responsibilities were NOT FORGOTTEN – four children, two were mine and two were hers. We couldn’t wait, so it wasn’t long before our WEDDING DAY. We had our HONEYMOON in CARMEL, but knew that we would be COMING HOME to find the difference BETWEEN DREAMS AND REALITY. It wasn’t JUST THE TWO OF US, we were OUTNUMBERED from the start.
When we moved to GEORGIA, we might as well have moved ACROSS THE UNIVERSE. We knew no one, but at least we did not have to explain our COMPLICATED FAMILY TREE. We began a FAMILY TRADITION, then another one. We grew together and tightened our FAMILY TIES.
You know, there must have been PANIC IN PRESCHOOL when our two-year old twin boys arrived that first day. They had BOUNDLESS ENERGY. The younger daughter went with her brothers, the older one went to FIRST GRADE. Soon it was a BARBIE DOLL and a L’IL RED WAGON. Then it was BALLET and BASEBALL. Often they were ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES. It seems like only a few years later when there was a LINE DRIVE to right-center, part time jobs, a VARSITY CHEERLEADER and a HOMECOMING QUEEN. Then it was GRADUATION DAY. I felt like a LOTTERY WINNER when Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship came along to help with college tuition.
Then they were ALL GROWN UP, and soon we watched one girl walk DOWN THE AISLE to start her own family. Years later, the other daughter flew off for an HAWAIIAN HONEYMOON. Then it was time for the boys, one wearing a TUXEDO at his AFTERNOON WEDDING, the other flying off to exchange vows in the CARIBBEAN.
We now live near AUGUSTA. We look forward to a FAMILY REUNION which could be a CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION where we can enjoy OUR GRANDCHILDREN or perhaps a GULF COAST SUMMER VACATION where we can see how big they’ve grown - - as long as we’re not SWIMMING WITH SHARKS!
When you are young, some tell you that life will not be a BED OF ROSES and that YOUNG LOVE is not enough to see you through. MAYBE SO. I think we BEAT THE ODDS. Sure there were HARD TIMES, but by COMING TOGETHER we could make it through. I am FULLY BLESSED. I hope you can tell that my wife is a VERY SPECIAL person . She is MY BEST FRIEND and MY DELIGHT. Truly, MY CUP OVERFLOWS. ONE DAY SOON I will be LOOKING INTO GOD’S EYES and I will sing Him a HYMN OF PRAISE just to say THANK YOU for sending her. She is still MY VALENTINE.

Thank You and Good Luck to all who entered! Now, you get the fun of voting for the winners!

Here is how you can vote for the winner:

• All members of ATP are invited to vote by sending a tree-mail to Char or daylily . To vote send a tree-mail to Char or daylily listing your favorite stories by their titles in order for First, Second and Third place.

• Voting will close at 9:00pm Eastern time on February 19th 2016.
Votes will be counted and the winners announced on February 21st 2016.


Until voting is over -- please keep secret which story you wrote!

***Comments or discussion about the stories can be posted here ***
The thread "DAYLILY TALES ~ 2016 Story Contest!" in Daylilies forum

We have posted the Winners!
A special Thank you to the writers and to all who tmailed their votes.
The winning stories in order….

FIRST PLACE 150 Acorns: Always and Forever by Blue23Rose (Vickie)
SECOND PLACE 100 Acorns: Valentine Hearts by LarryW (Larry)
THIRD PLACE 50 Acorns: My Valentine’s Day Destiny by Dennis616 (Dennis)

Congratulations Vickie, Larry and Dennis!