I lost my Beloved Nana...

I'm so sorry for the delay in drawing winners for my contests.  We've had a really tough week.  My Nana has been very ill for several months with congestive heart failure as well as a very aggressive brain tumor.  Even though she was 90 years old,  I really thought we'd have her for a little longer.  She started declining quickly last week,  and passed away this Wednesday, with several of her kids surrounding her bedside.  It happened much too fast, and her passing has broken my heart.  I'm so thankful I could make a quick trip down there with my brother on Monday to say goodbye.  She was not concious,  but I believe she knew we were there. 

She is the one who taught me how to cook& bake.  She shared her recipes with me, and I loved sending her cookbooks! She has some from the church I worked at, and some that I found when shopping or traveling.  She taugh me how to can and preserve fruit.  It's funny, I just worked on two upcoming  blogposts for watemelon jelly and cherry preserves, both of which I made at Nana's several years ago while she made her famous Christmas Jam.  We loved canning together!  She grew up poor, was a single mom of 6 for a time,  but was the strongest,  most determined woman I ever met.  She will be greatly missed by her 6 kids,  10 grandkids, 20 great-grandkids, and 4 great-great grandkids....

Anyway,  I wanted to explain the delay.  I just drew the winner for the mealsbytheweek.com giveaway, and I'll do the same for Purex soon.  (Check the posts for winners)  Please bear with me - I've also got a few upcoming giveaways that will be a bit delayed.  And if you pray, please keep my family in yours as we travel for her funeral tomorrow, and adjust to life without the matriarch of our family.  She really kept us together.  I miss her so much already. 

xoxo ~