The Fabulous Faces of Feske

I adore this girl.

She's one of my longest friends.

She just got a fabulous new librarian job in a big town in southern Wisconsin.

She is moving away.

I am soooooooo happy for her.

But I'm gonna miss this face.

I only just got it back....

Cheers,
A

Test You're Grammer Knowlege! : Answers (and Winners) Edition

This quiz was so much fun to write, and to grade! I loved every single minute of it.
Two people managed to achieve the elusive Grammar Nirvana, and being the giver that I am, I feel they should both win.  So, without further ado, congratulations are in order to Kristi Ryman who is the winner of the photo session with Athena Pelton Photography, and Faith, who is the winner of a hat (or, being that you are also a knitter, I'd be happy to upgrade you to an apron!) Both of you lovely ladies, email me at athenapelton (at) gmail (dot) com to claim your prizes!


And now, by popular demand, the answers:

1) ______ so kind for letting me use ______ unicorn bicycle.
a) Your, your
b) You're, your
c)You're, you're
d)You're, youre

2) I promise, ________ I am finally going to read James' first draft. Maybe.
a) tommorow
b) tomorrow
c) tomarrow
d) tommorrow

3) I wish _____ house wasn't all the way over ______. 
a) they're, there
b) their, there
c) there, there
d) they're, their

4) It's just ___ far away.
a) to
b) too
c) tooo

5) I've lost so much weight all my pants are _______. And I live in a land of make-believe.
a) lose
b) loose
c) still way too tight because I'm still jiggly and won't buy bigger pants. (I will accept this answer as well. Jerks.)

6) Which is correct?
a) For all intensive purposes.
b) For all intents and purposes.
c) For all in tents with porpoises.

7) My patience for insufferable Grammar usage lasted ________ 2.7 seconds.
a) less than
b) fewer than
c) less then
d) fewer then

8) Which is correct?
a) Lay, lady, lay.
b) Lie, lady, lie. (Bob Dylan has been released on probation after serving his sentence in Grammar Prison)

9) I _________ need to have more quizzes.
a) definitely (Tip: There is definitely no A in definitely.)
b) definately
c) defanately
d) defenitely

10) That lady I sit next to on the bus is so ______. In a good way. Sort of. Maybe.
a) wierd
b) weird (Tip: WE are all weird.)

11) The _____ my liberal vitriol has on my father in law's patience _______ my ability to keep a straight face. 
a) affect, affects
b) effect, affects (Effect is to a noun (thing) what Affect is to a verb (action).)
c) effect, effects
d) affect, effects

12) The opposite of "on purpose" is:
a) by accident 
b) on accident

13) _____ should we invite to the party? 
a) Who
b) Whom (Tip: If you can answer the question with 'him,' use whom. "We should invite him.")

14) It depends on _____ is going.
a) who (Tip: If you can answer with 'he,' use who. "He is going.")
b) whom

15) We _____ going to read Himbokal's blog, but _____ too bored by its content to bother.
a) were, were
b) we're, were
c) were, we're 
d) we're, we're

16) Which sentence is written in the second-person narrative?
a) If you think this quiz was fun, you're obviously delusional.
b) I think this quiz was fun, and am obviously delusional. (First Person)
c) DRL thought this quiz was fun, and is obviously delusional. (Third Person)

17) _____ cheat on this quiz?
a) May I 
b) Can I

18) I'm so _________ that I didn't post this at exactly 7:30.
a) embarrassed
b) embarassed
c) embarrased

19)  ______ you sure _______ answers are correct?
a) Are, you're
b) Our, your
c) Are, your
d) Our, you're

20) Which is correct?
a) I can run farther than you.
b) I can run further than you.
c) I cannot run at all. I hate exercise. Duh.
d) Both a and c (I will accept this, too, because, duh. I hate exercise.)
e) Both b and c

Good Luck!

EXTRA CREDIT:
Correctly retype the title of this post. Test Your Grammar Knowledge!


Thank you, all of you, for playing along and taking the first ever Family Pelton Grammar Quiz. As a token of my appreciation I am going to give away another session with Athena Pelton Photography. 
I have selected the winner from all who played using the random number generator at random.org. 
***drumroll please*****
The winner is:
Amanda Renner!
Contact me at athenapelton (at) gmail (dot) com to claim your prize! 


Cheers!
A

A Grammar Quiz! Pre-Study

I hope you've studied.

Brushed up on your participles, conjunctions, and spelling.

If not....

crack those books, kids, it's (almost) time for the first ever

Family Pelton Grammar Quiz!

But before I test your smarts, 

which will happen at 7:30 pm tonight (set your clocks!)

I thought it best to go over the rules.

They are as follows: 

The quiz will be open until midnight tomorrow (Thursday) and the winner will be announced on Friday! Submit your answers using the comment form (only one entry per person).

The PRIZE:
Is unprecedented at TFP.

It involves me, my camera, and you.
That is to say, the winner receives a photo session (up to one hour) with Athena Pelton Photography.

But if you're not in my area and want to play, don't worry! Your prize involves me, my knitting needles, and your hat-less head.
That is to say, the non-local winner receives a hat from Athena Pelton.....Hattery? Knittery? Yarngoods??
....

How to Win:

Answer all the questions correctly. I will randomly draw the winner from those who achieve Grammar Nirvana. 

Caveat:
If no one answers all the questions correctly, I will randomly select a winner from all who play.

Which means:
any way you slice it, someone is going to win on Friday.

Which really is the best way to slice it, if you ask me.....

Happy Studying!

A

Tomorrow...

Or at some point this week, 

there will be a grammar quiz on this here blog.

You're.

Your.

It's.

Its.

Commonly misspelled words.

Affect.

Effect.

Use of hyperbole.

How to correctly spell tomorrow.

The usual offenders.

My big peeves.

I'll announce the particulars on the day of the quiz,

but the prize is going to be big.

It's not a hat.

Or an apron.

Or anything handmade for that matter.

It's way better....

Study up, friends!

Cheers,

A

Going Home

I haven't been very good about blogging lately.
Or  taking pictures,
returning phone calls,
emails,
or text messages.

I've been...

...otherwise engaged.

Packing.
Cleaning.
Loading.
Driving.
Unloading.
Cleaning.
Unpacking.
Organizing.

Life-ing.

We are here: Minnesconsin.
The move went well,
uneventful.
Easy.
We have officially traded 2400 square feet of house for a 15x24 foot studio in my mother's basement.
In the name of family.
Friends.
Dream chasing.
Life-starting.

Crazy as it is,
crazy as it sounds,
it's exactly right.
The refrigerator across the room from my bed,
the shoe rack next to my flat screen tv,
my laptop set up on a child size play table.
Comfortable.

It's not forever,
it's for right now.
And no matter what "they" say,
you can go home again.

You can always
go home.

Cheers,
A

Dear Texas:

Goodbyes are always hard.
Even when you're prepared to say them.
Even when "goodbye" is what you've been working toward....

In 24 short hours I will back out of my driveway
in the city that sounds like phlegm
one final time.
I'll whiz through the toll lane,
and I'll watch the hill country disappear in my rear view mirror.

In 72 hours I will hear gravel crunch beneath my tires
as I pull into my childhood home.
I'll smell rain on the breeze,
and the promise of fall.
Friends.
Family.

Home.

Texas has been good to us, this past year and a half.
Well, except for the fire ants.
And the excessive heat.

We have seen the pink quartz of the Capitol building,
played at Zilker Park,
had lunch at the Trailer Park Eatery,
dined on the finest BBQ in the nation,
(that would be Salt Lick BBQ for those who aren't familiar).
We have driven past the sign for Luckenbach
and out to Fredericksburg.
Shopped the outlets at San Marcos,
and watched Shamu's show in San Antonio.
I even looked for the basement at the Alamo.

We have swam, outdoors, in December
and built snowmen in February.

I am going to miss this place.
Crazy politics and even crazier driving and all.
It is not home,
I do not believe it ever pretended to be,
but it sort of fits.
Like a pair of perfectly worn cowboy boots.
The ones that sit in your closet most of the year,
untouched,
but when you need them
they are there.
Ready.
Molded to every curve of your foot.
Perfect.

Thank you, Texas.
For being wonderful enough for us to enjoy our time here.
I'll see you again in December.

Cheers,
A

Unusual Circumstance

Four short days from the big move.
My mind is a whirlwind.
Excitement. Sorrow. Fear. Apprehension. Joy.

I feel like there is so much still undone here in Texas...
but so much more to do back home.

It's a strange circumstance, really.
But a welcome one.
.....

One cannot discover new oceans 
unless they have the courage 
to lose sight of the shore.
                                    ~Gide
.....

We're embarking on familiar,
yet uncharted,
waters, the girls, DRL, and I.

As terrified as I am for what lies ahead
given the uncertainty and the risk
I'm horridly excited. Giddy, almost.

And the girls?
Can. Not. Wait to be back in Minnesconsin.

I'm kind of right there with them.

Cheers,
A

108

That's the temperature today.
Actual air temperature.

Heat index adds about 5 more degrees.

The noon sun adds about a gagillion.

You'd think the fact that I'm moving to temperate
snow-in-the-middle-of-june
land of ten-thousand-weather-changes
Minnesconsin
would make the heat easier to take.

But it doesn't.
It sucks.
A lot.

I hate it.

I'd like to trade it in, please.
For one of these:

Size: Extra Freakin' Large.

Cheers,
A