Thursday, June 4, 2009

And the Winner Is...............

You didn't think I'd give you the name that easy, did you? I must discuss and digress, thereby making an entire post from one drawing!

I want to thank everyone for participating in the drawing and thanks also to Cindy LaFerle for generously sharing her talent with us. Not to worry if you don't win because her book is available on Amazon. All profits from the sale of her book are donated to homeless shelters in Detroit. That's what I like about Cindy, she puts her money where her mouth is. (Hmmmm, isn't that an odd phrase? But true.)

If you haven't participated in one of my drawings in the past, here's how it works. No stinking computer generated number with verifying codes. I'm old school.

I write out the person's name.



In cursive.

OK, here's the part where I digress. I've been following a discussion on one of the science blogs that I follow. A professor stated that for the first time in his 35 years of teaching, all the class evaluation sheets submitted by his students at the end of the semester were printed. Not one student wrote in cursive.

Huh? Do they teach cursive handwriting anymore? I spent many hours hunched over a desk practicing my handwriting lessons. Wasn't it the Palmer Method? Yes....there used to be methods to handwriting. I was fascinated with my attempts to get the shapes just perfect. So fascinated that when I was in my 20's I took a calligraphy class. At one point I studied under Tim Botts.

So, back to the drawing. I write all the names on paper with my Waterman fountain pen.

Here's where I digress again. I think I've told the story about writing a check for groceries with my Waterman pen. The young cashier suddenly stopped dead still and stared at the pen as if it was an archaeological artifact.

"What is that?" she asked.

"A fountain pen." I answered.

I could see the wheels turning. She knew what a fountain drink was, but fountain pen?

"Would you like to try it?" I asked.

"Sure!" she exclaimed.

She doodled away on a scrap of paper, obviously thrilled with the experience. Other shoppers were not amused but I felt like the Pied Piper of cursive handwriting with pen and ink.

OK, back to the drawing. After writing out all the names I cut them apart and fold them.



Not just any fold will do. I'm going to show you how to increase your odds when you enter drawings. Here's how you probably fold your entries, in half, straight across.



Years ago I worked with a woman who seemed to win everything. We asked her the secret and she said, "Fold your entry on an angle, created what I call a wing-nut fold. It increase the numbers of surfaces that can be grabbed."



There you have it. The wing-nut fold.

I drag out the official "bucket", which is a large 25th Anniversary glass brandy snifter. That would hold a lot brandy. I can't imagine celebrating that large.



All the wing-nuts go in the jar.



The Farmer is hard at work so I'm forced to draw the name.

And the winner is......



SUSAN #1. Otherwise known as Schnitzel. She lives with the Trout.

Since there were multiple Susan's, Mary's and Lori's I numbered them in order of when they appeared in the comments section.

Congratulations Susan!! Please contact me via e-mail so we can get this in the mail to you.

Everyone else needs to stay tuned because there's an exciting field trip tomorrow and ANOTHER GIVEAWAY!!

Hope I don't get writer's cramp on this drawing.

P.S. Although I paid close attention to my handwriting lessons, I slept through grammar. Please feel free to correct errant apostrophes (apostrophe's?) or shoot down dangling participles. Thank you very much.

12 comments:

Kitty said...

Congrats Susan #1! And I look forward to our Field Trip tomorrow.
I recently dug out some old fountain pens and started using them again. I don't know why I ever stopped using them years ago. As for the cursive writing--I admire anyone who has nice handwriting. Mine is awful no matter how much I practiced in school. I think I was supposed to be left-handed, but have a Mom who said "it's a right-handed world" so kept putting my crayons/pencils in my right hand. So much for the ideas of the 1950's. I've been printing for decades and now can't even remember the strokes for cursive. It's like trying to write a foreign language! Thanks for tip on the "wing nut" fold. Maybe it will boost my chances next time I enter a drawing.

Joanne said...

Thanks for the wing-nut secret, I'll definitely keep that one in mind! And congrats to Susan #1, too. I must tell you when I put that cursive post on my blog, I didn't think much of it. It didn't even seem to tie in closely to the blog theme. But it generated some of the most passionate responses I've gotten in a year, not to mention the most comments that any one post has received. I'm not sure why, but the readers are very sentimental about cursive, maybe that it's like a very individual art form? Definitely a fun post, though.

Rue said...

Suzanne,

You are just about the only one I know that can make the announcement of a winner interesting LOL

I print everything, because my cursive is awful, but I love calligraphy and used to do it quite well. I wonder why they stopped teaching how to write well? I suppose it went the way of everything else... outdated and not fast enough. The world is going to hell in a hand basket LOL

hugs,
rue

I missed you!

Schnitzel and the Trout said...

I am so excited. Thanks for picking this wingnut! Will email you quickly. And about the fountain pens...I just love them but will admit have not used one in years. That will have to be a gift to myself soon. By the way, I love your handwriting. Palmer Method and Cursive stand out. I am so looking forward to reading this book. Thanks again.

Jenni said...

Congratulations, Susan!

I print everything because my cursive is terrible and it just feels unnatural. However, I do connect many of my letters, making it look like a print-cursive hybrid.

When I was homeschooling my kids, I never put much emphasis on handwriting. We rarely got around to doing those handwriting workbook lessons. It just didn't seem that important, and it is a frustrating subject for me to teach. I figured as long as they wrote neatly (and they don't really), it would be okay. Now I wish I had taken 15-30 minutes a day for handwriting lessons. I hear that writing in cursive actually helps develop pathways in the brain that make things like learning spelling easier. Who knew? Certainly not me.

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

Congratulations to Susan # 1 - drawings are such fun - even when one doesn't win. Enjoy Susan #1.

Mogsie said...

congratulations Susan1 !!!

you know, I just realized that my younger two girls write ... well, illegibly. I wonder if I can fix this...

:D

Significant Snail said...

Love the pen. You have beautiful handwriting too!

Anonymous said...

I write in cursive quite often and remember my teen years when I played with my handwriting a lot... trying to make it attractive I guess. To this day it's not overly attractive but it is legible. AND you are so correct. Hardly anyone writes in cursive anymore... *sighs*

Di
The Blue Ridge Gal

Lori said...

Congrats Susan #1...I love the way you pick your winners. So old-fashioned. People do things to mechanical when things could be done so much simpler. Maybe that is why I crave living in a small country town compaired to the crazy city I am planted in now. I also must say I print EVERYTHING as my handwritting is just terrible. No one can read it. Now you think I would write more as my husband and son have a woodshop in our garage and they make the most beautiful fountain pens, pencils, and ball point pens made out of wood or acrylic. I use the ones they have made,with my church and bible study homework but never once do I use cursive. I look forward to your next blog in regards to your field trip. Take Care everyone.

dina said...

OH MY GOSH - you are totally right! My 6th grader has NEVER been taught cursive at school. NEVER! Horrors! The kid seriously doesn't know how! I've tried teaching - but ugh - I'm just not that gifted, and honestly my handwriting sucks. (Which is ironic since my Mom and Grandma - and even my husband - all had/have pristine penmanship!)

Total rant of mine!

Total gold star on even owning a fountain pen!

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Suzanne, for such elegant promotion of my book. I'm honored, and have to add that I'm also a cursive writing fan. I own several Waterman pens, too, and like to do my Christmas cards with those cool felt-tip calligraphy pens you can find at the drugstores. Thanks again, not only for your support of my book, but also for the joy you bring to all of us with your blog.