IT’S OVER :(

FINALLY, IT’S THE LAST DAY. TODAY IS PICK-UP DAY. THE LAST DAY I HAVE TO TRAVEL UP THE ROAD. I HAVE TO ADMIT I’M TIRED, THIS WEEK I WISH THAT I LIVED CLOSER TO THE FAIR INSTEAD OF 45 MIN. AWAY. THIS IS THE REASON THAT I USE A VACATION WEEK FOR THE FAIR. IT IS FUN AND I TRULY ENJOY EVERY MINUTE OF IT, BUT THE HEAT AND THE TRAVEL MAKES FOR A VERY TIRED GIRL!  YESTERDAY WAS THE ANTIQUE TRACTOR PULL IN THE ARENA. MY STEP-SON WAS COMPETING SO WE HAD TO BE THERE. IT IS AMAZING TO WATCH THESE OLD TRACTORS PULL AND THE LENGTH THAT THEY GO. KEITH DID PRETTY GOOD CONSIDERING THAT HE IS NEW TO THIS.

HE IS DRIVING A 1939 FARMALL H THAT HE HAS RESTORED. LOOKS GOOD. 

THIS IS THE SAND CASTLE THAT WAS IN THE MAKING ALL WEEK. AMAZING! EVERY DAY THAT I HAVE BEEN THERE HAS BEEN SOMETHING NEW TO SEE. I LOOK FOWARD EVERY YEAR TO GOING.  NOW IF I COULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO DOWNLOAD THE PICS FROM MY CELL PHONE, I COULD POST THE ONES FROM UP TOP OF THE FERRIS WHEEL! BEAUTIFUL SIGHTS!

WELL I OFF TO PICK UP MY THINGS, NOW I’M THINKING WHAT FAIR IS NEXT??? LOL!

POSTSCRIPT: HERE IS A PIC OF MY ENTRIES AND I’M SATISFIED BUT SUPRISED. MY STRAWBERRY JAM WON 1ST PLACE-BLUE RIBBON. I CAN’T BELIEVE IT BEAT OUT MY BLUEBERRY JAM IT GOT 3RD-YELLOW RIBBON. WITH MY NEW PINEAPPLE-PEACH JAM WINNING 2ND-RED RIBBONS. GO FIGURE!  LOL!  THE BEETS WON 2ND. I NEED TO WORK ON GETTING THEM DARKER LOOKING.  OTHER WISE I AM HAPPY

HOT HOT TIME :(

Out of all the times I’ve been competing at the Delaware State Fair, this is the first for it being toooo HOT! I’ve been spoiled by the previous years being nice and pleasant, even last year I took my grandaughter with me and even went on some rides with her. It wasn’t this hot.  But this year it has been kinda hard. The competition went ok, I think some of my things should have done better, but you never know what the judges are looking for. Even so, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I enjoy meeting the people there and have come to know some of them. There is always something to look at, a competition to watch or a demonstration of a product to buy ( I need to stay away from a certain vendor! LOL!) Last year on governor’s day there is a grand harness race for the governor’s cup. Hubby watches that and I take off on my own; that’s when I got into trouble?! You see we have been using his/mine/combined cookware for 7 years now and it is looking bad. I was so impressed with the cookware (Kitchen Ware) that I bought the whole set. When I returned to the races, Hubby asked where I have been, I replied,” I’ve been shopping”. He looked at me puzzled: “What in the world can you buy here?” “Oh just some cookware.”  “Good he said we sure do need some”. Little did he know that I was gonna throw all of our old away for this!  When 3 big boxes arrived in our porch the next week, he was surely surprised!  We have had this cookware for a year now and even hubby says it’s the best he has ever used. Boy and I glad!  Tomorrow is Governor’s Day, and we will be going again. The only thing is, I need to stay away from the demo booth or I just might see something I missed last year?!!!!    Saturday is the big antique tractor pull at the fair. Hubby’s son will be pulling so we will be back for that.  That is the last day of the fair. The only bad thing is: I have to go back up Sunday morn. to pick up my ribbons and my jams, etc.  The gas is really hitting hard.

The next fair is in my hometown of Snow Hill, and I am getting ready for it now. Wicomico and The Great Pocomoke Fair are around the corner. This really keeps me busy.

HOLIDAY’S OVER

Phew, it’s time to go back to WORK! I am so ready. That’s not really my line, usually I’m wanting more time off, but not this week. Granted I have had off 5 days this time due to the holiday, but I need a break. LOL Needing a break by going back to work?!? Yea.

I have been working like mad getting ready for the fairs that are coming up. Monday I put up a dozen jars of strawberry jam. Today I put up a batch of pickled baby carrots( my, my do they look pretty and yummy). A few days ago I put up 24 jars of small whole pickled beets, and made blueberry jam. Sheees I am tired! The only thing I need to do now is my peach jam, but the peaches I want are not on yet. Bennett orchards told me that they may be ready by the weekend, so I will probably be doing jam again this weekend. It is alot of hard work but I love every minute of it, plus I love going to the fairs and seeing other entries and meeting other canners! I guess you can say the bug has bitten hard.

Hubby wisked me away for a weekend gettaway for the fourth. He said that I needed it. It was so fun. We attended an Ice Cream social at the horse auction in New Holland on Friday. I was not prepared for the sights that I saw. When we drove up into the parking lot all you could see were strawhats and buggies with horses. This is the highlight of the Amish summer. Ice cream was free and was it ever being eaten(mostly by the small children-you could tell by the drippings on their clothes!) I have never been in the company of so many Amish families in my life. The auction part was so crowded that you couldn’t even get in the place. It was alright though, outside was just as interesting, venders lined the streets and the young Amish boys were racing the horses up and down the street showing them off. This went on all day Friday into the night and then Sat. too.

Now when we went back Sat. We were able to get inside and watch the auction. Some of the racing horses went for thousands of dollars. I guess their retirement will be pulling the buggy for the Amish family now.  The cutest thing was the miniature ponies and colts that were sold , I fell in love with this little guy. “Can’t I take him home honey? He can fit right in the back seat please??”

REMEMBER WHY WE CELEBRATE

This is really what the fourth of July is all about!

OUR INDEPENDENCE

IT’S ALMOST FOURTH OF JULY, AND WE SHOULD

                                                   HAVE OUR MINDS ON THANKING OUR BOYS FOR

                                                   KEEPING IT OUR INDEPENDENCE DAY.

                                                    THANKS GUYS

IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN! YA YA

Today is the count-down day. Only 16 more days…..how did it come so quickly? I’ve know all year that July was count-down month, but other things always slip in ahead and I am left looking at the calendar and wondering……AM I READY?! 

The Delaware State Fair begins on July 17 and I better get kicking! I have been working on my entries like mad!; getting them made and then deciding on which one gets the privilege of showing at the fair. It’s a madding decision trying to see my entries through the judges eyes. Will they think it looks good, and then the most nerve wracking thing, the tasting!  Last year one of the judges decided that my strawberry JAM was really strawberry PRESERVES! I beg your pardon, I don’t think so. Had she been handy when I reviewed the judge’s decisions, she and I would have had a long discussion on the difference of JAM OR PRESERVES!!!  You gotta laugh it off, because really it is in the eye of the beholder or the taste of the beholder.

So I am off to compete with hubby in tow. He is my taste tester, my critic, my loader, my handler (making sure the cargo is safely stowed for transportation-heavens no breaking allowed!), my driver, and best of all my cheering squad!!   Wish me luck