39 Years of Loy Lake

The next 10 days are going to be very busy. Everyday is an eventful day with something major going on from Jerry coming in from China, Keylyn's second birthday party, and Redneck weekend. However, Wednesday is a very special day. Diana and I get to judge at Loy Lake. It is not the judging that makes this day so special, it is what Loy Lake means to me. I counted up that I have been involved in Loy Lake for 39 of my 51 years.

Loy Lake represents 4-H and FHA - two very important events in my life. When I was 9 years old I got to join 4-H. This was the beginning of things that became very important to me - cooking, sewing, and crafts. My mom was determined that we would learn to sew. There were several people very instrumental in teaching us how to sew - Margarete Hunter, Jackie Barrett, and Jean Norman. Margarete was also responsible for our crafts and needlework . She taught me to knit, crochet, and embroidery. Mother took care of teaching us to cook and can. Then when we got to high school, Ann Black, our homemaking teacher, continued to reinforce these valuable traits. Ruth Massey and Aurelia Holcomb were two other ladies that were very instrumental in this learning process through the 4-H club.

Now there was more to Loy Lake than just this. On Wednesday of the designated week, your projects would be entered. You would wait and wait and wait and wait to see what ribbon your projects would get. If you were really lucky, you might get a Grand Champion or Reserve Champion ribbon.  I do remember some of my projects that got the big purple rosette - an Easter Egg tree made out of blown egg shells, a set of crocheted beaded jewelry, a kerosene lamp with a flower arrangement around it, several dresses, and a suit.

Thursday was equally exciting. Jack Harris used to drive the school bus with any of the middle school through ninth grade students or older that wanted to go to Loy Lake about 5:30 in the afternoon. There would be a BBQ dinner and a horse show. This was really big. Then when you got dating age it was a big thing who would invite you to go to Loy Lake with them. Yes, I do remember who I went with my first year.

Because of the positive experiences I had through these years is the reason that I went on and got my degree in homemaking. I started teaching in Van Alstyne, and I started reliving the Loy Lake experience through my students. I was really fortunate to have great students for many years of homemaking. As a teacher, I always took many projects to Loy Lake and would have success with the projects. I took students with me to work the show and enter projects. I would spend three days out there.  Many memories were made.

After I went into another area of education, I was then given the opportunity to judge the crafts. Although I have seen many changes through the years, it is always great to go back out to Loy Lake, if nothing else just for the chance to go back down memory lane one more time.