TMCnet News
CMS teacher in running with lost lunch taleCOLUMBUS, Dec 14, 2012 (Columbus Telegram - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- An embarrassing situation could net a local woman the top prize in a writing contest. Susan Donoghue wrote about a mishap for Nebraska Farmer magazine that occurred 15 years ago when delivering her husband's lunch to him while he was working on the family farm. The contest asked readers to submit a story, photo or video that fit with the theme of "My Harvest Story." Donoghue, a family and consumer science teacher at Columbus Middle School, noticed the contest while flipping through the magazine. "I've always liked to write and just thought I would try it for fun," Donoghue said. There were about 250 entries, and hers was chosen as one of the 15 finalists. The Donoghues live in Columbus, but her husband, Dan, farms land about seven miles northwest of town. Her story, "Where's My Lunch ", tells of her misadventure trying to bring sandwiches to her husband. Donoghue, who said she has a severe case of "directional disability," had never spent a lot of time on the farm. She always dreaded phone calls from her husband asking her to bring his lunch. Though it was a reasonable request, Donoghue was taking care of two young sons at the time and had a penchant for getting lost on the dirt roads. This day, her husband assured her that he could be easily found in a combine by his brother's home. She packed a lunch and loaded her boys in a van and drove off. On a county road, she spotted a combine and vigorously waved it down happily thinking she found her husband and broke the curse of being directionally challenged. But that didn't turn out to be true as she noticed the man driving the approaching combine wasn't her husband. It was a neighboring farmer who smiled and pointed her in the right direction. Embarrassed, Donoghue got back in her van and drove off. Donoghue said she still gets flack about the incident from her husband. All of the contest submissions are posted at www.farmprogress.com /myharvest story. Readers are asked to vote for their favorite. The top vote-getters will win a John Deere utility vehicle and $5,000 credit for corn seed. Submissions have come from Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois. Donoghue and another Nebraskan are distancing themselves from the pack, vote-wise, with more than 400 votes each. Readers can vote once per day until the contest concludes Dec. 31. ___ (c)2012 the Columbus Telegram (Columbus, Neb.) Visit the Columbus Telegram (Columbus, Neb.) at www.columbustelegram.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |