On Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:20:22 -0500, Melba's Jammin'
> wrote:

>Ribbon Sluts of the country, rise up!
>
>The Great Minnesota Get-Together began its 12-day run this morning at
>0600.
>
>Several years ago they started making competition results available
>online so that interested parties don't have to drag their sorry
>carcasses to the fairgrounds at 0900 to check The Lists when the
>buildings open. The Lists list the winners in each lot for canning and
>baking. Chris and I used to be there when they opened the building
>doors at 9:00 a.m. Now we can be more relaxed about our arrival and I
>can know the proper demeanor to effect, jubilant, reserved, or pouty.
>:-) Jubilant is way out in front.
>
>Cutting to the chase, I entered the maximum number of canning entries,
>20.
>
>Gentleones, the envelope please.
>
>Blue ribbons (first place) for Blackberry Jelly, Blackberry Jam, Stewed
>Tomatoes, and Tomato Juice. The tomato products have won their lot for
>three consecutive years each, thus prohibiting me from entering those
>lots for two years. Well, FINE, then!
>
>Red ribbons (second place) for nothing. Weird, but that's how it shook
>out.
>
>White ribbons (third place) for Plum-m-m-m Jelly, Raspberry Jelly,
>Strawberry Jam (berry-smashing aided by the Blue Ribbon Grandchild),
>Bread & Butter Pickles,
>
>Pink ribbons (fourth place) for Crabapple Jelly, Pickled Boiled Dirt
>Chunks (yeah, that's what the label said‹with the entry booklet name
>following it),
>
>No ribbon, but fifth place for Watermelon Pickles.
>
>and a Gedney prize for Best Cucumber Pickle with Balsamic Vinegar.
>
>Bombed in Grape Jelly (wild grape jelly, see my web site blog about that
>one), Mint Jelly (It's lovely, but puny in flavor ‹ see my website blog
>for that one), Strawberry Jelly (it vas so-o-o pretty, too), Peach Jam,
>Raspberry Jam (harrummpphhh!), Rhubarb-Orange Jam with Candied Ginger
>(some people don't know what's good), and Lemon-Apricot Jam (a reduced
>sugar recipe that may be the best thing I've made all summer
>long‹skroom!), Corn Relish (I don't get that either‹maybe somebody's
>using the recipe I've published so many times and doing it better than I
>do it‹fair enough‹or maybe they are not. Interesting, though.), and
>H-hot Ch-cherry Blackberry Relish (OK, so it sounds weird and it looked
>mooshy rather than relishy, it was still good, dammit).
>
>Then there was the baking. . . . The most gorgemous loaf of plain white
>bread I've ever baked came in‹somewhere in a galaxy far, far away; it
>didn't place. It has won first; last year it beat out the White Bread
>Queen's loaf, and this year? Bupkes.
>
>Boy and Girl brownies? Bupkes. Zip. Both have won blue ribbons in
>other years, though with not necessarily these recipes.
>
>Banana Bread that needed its bananas to rot for another two or three
>days I didn't have to be good? Fourth. A ribbon. Go figure. The
>streak continues.
>
>This is why I have so freakin' much fun doing this, even though I am
>ready for a rehab unit somewhere warm with scantily lad handsome and
>youthful men to minister to my aching bones and muscles and stuff ‹ it's
>always a crapshoot.
>
>Because of what began with some nasty words about fallen plums, I've had
>my moments in the sun and expect a few more. I clean up nice and
>generally show well. A basket of my stuff ‹ stuff *I* made‹ brought
>$650 to a great charitable foundation last week. How good is THAT?
>
>I'm scheduled to do an interview tomorrow morning for NPR's All Things
>Considered (don't know when it will be broadcast, this weekend or
>next?). I've been interviewed for a story in the New York Times. The
>NEW YORK TIMES, fercryin'outloud! How much fun is THAT? Last Sunday I
>got to encourage a little girl to learn to do what I can do. Sweet
>girl. I hope she needs to call me for help; I would love nothing more.
>Chris son has been emailing to his AZ friends all day; recipe requests
>have already come in from a couple of them. What? Nobody's got a good
>banana bread recipe except me? Unlikely.
>
>It's the Great Minnesota Get-Together and as it is with so many things,
>your interest and joy increases with the level of your involvement.
>I'm involved. My interest is way up there. :-)
>
>Somebody call Letterman or Craig Ferguson. Please. :-)
>
>The beat goes on. (Shut up, Bubba!!)


Congratulations. You did good.

I need to get started on figuring out what to enter this year. First
I have to find the book and entry form. Maybe I should check to see
if I can enter online.