FAIR EXHIBITS AND FOND MEMORIES

Today was a big day for me! After I finished cleaning the church for Rhiannon who is working alot of hours (!!!), I came home and got all my projects ready to exhibit at the county fair. I've been doing this for the better part of 40 years. I won't say exactly how long, 'cause if you know the age that kids can join 4-H, you could just about figure out my age! Oh, well, you probably can anyway!

I couldn't think of anything except three items that I'd finished this year.....until I got there. I promise this happens every year! When we lived in Centreville, just two blocks from the fair grounds, it was no big deal. Just walk back down with the extra stuff. But now I'll have to go back tomorrow. Today I entered Emma's placemat pantsuit, her knitted smock, and my knitted lace shell. On the way out of the grounds I stopped by to see my friends in the spinning and weaving guild. They were hanging up their lovely knitted and etc., creations. Instantly I started talking about shawls with one of the gals and remembered I had knit an alpaca shawl this year. First item to go back home for! On the way home, I thought of some other stuff. I decided I could make a tatted cross bookmark quick, so I did. Then I did two pressed flower pictures. I like these two so well, I doubt I'll ever sell them. Plus they are in frames that belonged to my grandma, so I think they're here to stay after they spend a week at the fair. You have to enter two for some reason; I've never understood that, but that's the rules. I then opened my closet and began going through my clothes to see what I'd made this year. The items are few and far between, but then I spotted the 70's dress (picture on a post back in May or June!) so that's going. I found a knitted handbag that I designed and then felted. That needed some new drawstrings and I quickly crocheted them and so that's now on the table ready to head out in the morning. Mom put the oasis foam in a carnival glass dish in which I'll do a flower arrangement in the morning. Two years ago I did one in this dish and picked up all the colors of the dish. They said I'd have gotten the blue ribbon hands down except all I had was styrofoam and my flowers dried up before judging. They looked so cool even dried. It made a great dried arrangement, but they wanted fresh! My gardens are currently so depleted it will take nearly every flower out there to fill that bowl, but I'll try.

Also heading to the fair tomorrow will be the antique twisted wire fan that I bought last year. It is designed to hold postcards or Christmas cards. It's a very unique item and I will take some turn of the century postcards in it. Also I went to the basement and got a jar of wild black raspberry jelly to enter. I found a lovely cross stitch jar topper down there that was on some jelly someone gave us. Guess what? It's now on mine!

It's more important to take extra entries this since a budget cut will cause 70% of the listed premium prices to be paid. Each ribbon is worth so much and you get a check at the end of the week for the total of your ribbons--called a "premium." Some items are a small amount depending on the materials that go into them, etc. So if you drew a third place ribbon in a certain category, it might pay only $1 (.70cents). So that cuts the profits right down if they are only able to pay 70%. That motivated me a bit more to find things around here to enter.

I hope to post pictures of my items at the end of the week. If I get ribbons, I'll give you all a rundown of the awards! Here's hoping for the best! One year I got 1st place judge's choice over the entire needlework building. I was floored! I never expected that in a million years, especially since I didn't even know they had such a thing until I won it. It was for a very detailed embroidery picture of 6 floral bouquets surrounded by candlewicking that looked like lace. I completed it (framed it) the day before the fair and just took it on a whim.

When I was about a 5th grader, my best friend held a sleep-over party for her birthday. After the regular party on a Saturday in September, (about this time!) she was allowed to have one friend stay over. I got chosen. I looked forward to this for a long time. I also needed to have cookies ready to go to the fair for 4H on that same Saturday. At the time, my cooking instructor was a junior leader--a high school girl. I went to the birthday party, played all day and was riding bikes around town with the girls, when my dad and mom drove up. They stopped me and asked if I happened to remember that I needed to bake cookies this afternoon and get them over to the fairgrounds. My leader had called to remind all the girls. Ooops!!!!! No, I had not even given it a thought. I guess at that time I had been acting quite irresponsibly over many things and mom and dad were not pleased. This was the final straw. They told me to get straight home and get the cookies done since it would reflect poorly on my leader if I didn't show up with an exhibit. I rushed home and did the cookies that I had planned to do--molasses crinkles. They were supposed to chill overnight before baking. No time for that. We chilled them for probably 1/2 hour and then had to bake them. Rushed a plate full over to the fairgrounds and all is well, right? NOT. I was told I could not go to the sleepover as a reminder to pay attention to my committments. I was not happy. Taught me a lesson, though.

But lo and behold, on Tuesday, the traditional kids' day when all the schools dismissed at noon so you could go to the fair; I was standing in a huge line of people waiting to get on a ride when a friend from my class walked up. He announced to me that he just saw my TROPHY in the 4H barn. I didn't believe him at first. But I won a second place trophy after all that! Fun fair memories. This year is Emma's first time to really enjoy the fair. More family memories being made. Clint and I will take our turns working in the Miracle of Birth tent and the Jail Chaplaincy booth. It will be a busy week.

So much more to say, will save it for another post. Blessings, LORI