Monday was the first day of school for the girls. So I cried just a little bit. Monday was probably the last time I will take a picture of Syd in front of our house - a yearly tradition. It was the last first day of school that she would drive Erin to school. They are both taking the 00 period of Seminary, so it was still a little dark when they left. But I did get up early and make them breakfast. Worthy of mentioning since I don't do that every day. I admit, I am not a Martha Stewart, nor does she live at our house. It was also Erin's first day of high school. She made it through just fine and yesterday announced that she can now find her locker without getting lost in that maze they call high school.

We got our first tomato yesterday! I cannot believe August is almost over and we have only had one tomato. These plants are huge, with lots of little green tomatoes. Today I'm going to search hard for more red ones. I also picked more green beans to freeze, a squash, and a cucumber that had been overlooked.

The Wool Contest is Over

The Make It With Wool Contest was held today. All those weeks of knitting and sewing for Syd are behind us. She had never participated in this contest, and so it was a learning experience for the both of us. The girls (and women) model their garments in the morning for the judges, and then later in the afternoon for the public, where the prizes and ribbons are awarded. Everyone did such a wonderful job. There is an amazing amount of talent these youth have. There were times when I thought I was more nervous than Syd was. Poor girl, she didn't finish knitting her sweater until 4:30 this a.m., then had to get back up at 6:00 a.m. to get ready for the judging. All the girls were awarded gifts, which came as a pleasant surprise to us. Congrats, Syd!

Right before modeling in front of the judges.

Close up of the cable work on the sweater

All the prizes - including those awesome Fiskars scissors (that I may steal), and a $35.00 gift certificate to a local fabric store. That is one tired girl!

Busy Day

Hard to believe that school starts in a couple of days. I took the girls school clothes shopping today. Hey, nothing like waiting until the last minute. We decided on a whim to have Erin's hair cut and add color to it. She's been wanted to add color for a while. What a change! But I like it - it's so her.

Tonight Syd is frantically getting ready for the Make It With Wool Contest which is tomorrow (Saturday) morning at the State Fair. Yes, one more trip to the fair. She is finishing up a skirt she made, and a sweater she knit. The two pieces are gorgeous; she is more than a little nervous, and then being really tired on top of it doesn't help.

Quick Dinner Recipe

Found this great mix. Just made the Chili Tomato Macaroni recipe, and it was a hit with the family. I've posted the mix recipe here, and you can get recipes for the mix at this website.

Hamburger Helper Seasoning Mix
1 1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
1/3 cup instant onion
3 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. salt
1 2/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder
3 1/2 Tbsp. beef bouillon granules
Yield: 5 1/2 cup servings

Beans and Rice vs. Taco John's

Today I drove right by Taco John's on my way back to work from my lunch hour. Taco John's was practically screaming my name out loud. Oh, how a taco bravo and potato ole's with cheese sounded sooooo good. I knew that I had packed my lunch this morning, and that I had vowed to eat a healthy lunch, but it's so easy to pull into a fast food drive in. My willpower was strong enough today that I passed it. So now here I sit at my desk staring at my green beans and wild rice. Oh joy.

For the first time this summer, we had green beans from our garden. With the hot weather we've been having for so long this summer, I really thought we would be having a big crop. So far I've only picked a couple of zucchini, a couple of yellow squash, and these beans. We do have a pumpkin growing, and lots of little green tomatoes, but by this time I thought we'd have squash coming out our ears. But the beans were great!