I used to think that it would get easier to send your kids off to college, each year that they went away. You know, you kind of get used to the coming and the going, right? Well I’m here to tell you – you might get used to it a bit, but that doesn’t make it any easier. It was just as hard to say goodbye to Knitting Daughter for her Senior Year as it was for her Freshman Year! Or maybe I’m just a sentimental sop. That’s probably more likely. I did feel strange making my last ever batch of “first day of school chocolate chip cookies“. I started the tradition while Web Guy was off to his first afternoon of Kindergarten, and have enjoyed making them on the first day, ever since. When they went off to college, I just made them ahead of time and sent them along. That means it is a 20 year tradition in our household! What I’ve found is that even though the first day of school events are done, the desire for chocolate chip cookies never goes away. They’ve assured me that I can make up a batch for them any time. 🙂
On our way home from Indiana yesterday, we stopped at a place we’ve known about for a long time, but never visited. You don’t travel that stretch of road without seeing the “foot high pie” billboards for Blue Springs Cafe in Highland, IL. And now the billboards read “as seen on The Food Network”, but I have no idea when that aired. They make 20-40 pies per day (way more at Thanksgiving and the waiter said 
“of course she’s cranky as can be back there in the kitchen during the Thanksgiving pie making” and I’m assuming he was talking about grandma, the baker.) They truly are a sight to behold, so if you’re ever in the area, pop by and have a slice. They have lots of flavors to choose from.
We have Fifth Anniversary Contest Winners to announce! Thank you to everyone who participated in our blog contest, and thank you for your anniversary wishes, comments and emails. It’s fun to celebrate with you! I’ve emailed all of the winners. Each one of these people won a $50 gift certificate to The Loopy Ewe. Congratulations to Deborah from MI, Sue from IL, Loraine from MI, Caitie from VA and Traci from NV.
I’m back in St. Louis working in the shop for a few days. I promised myself I would work all day long before walking around the shop and filling up a basket of yarn to take back to Colorado. I’ve missed being surrounded by yarn every day! If you haven’t been here to shop in person, you just need to pop in. (Road trip, anyone?) I overheard a shopper today tell her friend, “It’s just like fantasyland in here, isn’t it?” It’s good to be back here in the midst of the yarn fumes.
Sheri lorna’ssolemate,madtoshpashminaandmadtoshsport
areallonmyshoppinglisttoday
Now I want chocolate. 🙂 Mmm…chocolate. *drool*
I just love the picture of the pies and the description of the baker – I know as much I love Thanksgiving, it is a challenge to not get cranky and just live in enjoying the moment.
There is a great pie place here too, called Wimberly Pie company. Here I was telling you about Texas bbq and now pies. Eventually, I’ll talk you into making a road trip to Texas! Come down for the Hill Country Yarn Crawl – at least it won’t be 103 then.
Love the idea of the tradition of the cookie making – those of the things that the kids always remember – I should start that myself while the kids are still little.
Hope you have a great day. Congrats to the winners. I’m enjoying working on my project III.
Any excuse for making chocolate chip cookies is a good one!
Have fun in Loopyland!
Sheri, My eyes went right to the picture of the pies before reading the post. All I could think was “Lord, she is ambitious to make 10 lemon meringue pies!”
Thought you would get a chuckle from this.
Maybe Knitting Daughter will go to graduate school and you won’t really be done with first day of school cookies.
Madelinetosh Pashmina! My new favorite thing…scrumptious.
My mom also made homemade chocolate chip cookies on my and my brother’s first days of school. This year, to continue the tradition, I was at my brother’s new apartment in Wisconsin, where he’s in graduate school. I wasn’t there for the first day of school, but he wanted me to make chocolate chip cookies first thing in his new apartment as a homage to the old tradition. You’re right: chocolate chip cookies are good anytime!
Maybe your daughter will go on to Graduate school and you’ll have another chance at those cookies!!!
I thoroughly enjoyed inhaling those yarn fumes when I made my first visit to your store in July. Even though I took a couple of photos, they don’t truly show the amazing amount of yarn in that one place. Enjoy!
ok.. that pie looks amazing!!!!! I want to eat all that meringue. If you want, next year you can send me chocolate chip cookies and start a new tradition 🙂
LOL, I was just thinking what Marji said… maybe knitting daughter will go to graduate school and you can continue the tradition 😉 My kiddo started his senior year of college last week, so I KNOW how you feel ♥
Let go of your children NEVER gets easier. Is heartbreaking at any point in their life and you are not alone in those feelings.
Cookie making is a great tradition, mine is cupcakes. Even now that my son is 29, married with one baby boy, every time I visit is a must to make them. This was not by far the last time, just wait and you will see. Take care and pamper yourself with lots of yarn. Best medicine ever!!!
My favorite thing about working at yarn shop is opening the boxes and putting up stock when the new yarns/colors come in. We got our fall yarns in last week and I went over to help stock. (Really wanted to get first pick of new colors) When I got ready to leave, shop owner looked at me and said “Guess I won’t need to write you a check.”
Oh, my. You were ten minutes away from my daughter’s office where we slave away taking care of sick people and wishing we had more time for knitting instead! Those pies are yummy and you reminded me that it’s been years since we went there.
We did go to the Loopy Ewe last month and now we are in withdrawal again.
The part about missing the kids. It never gets easier and then there are grandchildren….
Chocolate chip cookies AND pies…you are such an enabler…not to mention yarn. My shock in this email is…how did it get to be Knitting Daughter’s senior year in college? I’m sure she is doing well and likes the career path she has chosen. I know you previously she is attracted to Colorado so maybe she will move closer to your new home after graduation. Now, wouldn’t that be nice? Having both Web Guy and Knitting Daughter close again. Yummmm…I smell batches of chocolate chip cookies now.
when my daughter started school in 1982 I made cinnamon rolls (the Pillsbury canned ones for breakfast that morning) chocolate chip cookies for when she came home, and a full on Thanksgiving dinner for supper==that tradition saw us all the way through the baby graduating college in 2003—I miss it very much and talk about it all of the time, I was even written up in Taste of Home Magazine once (I used to be a field editor) for that tradition!!!
You must miss being so close to your yarn!
I know what you mean this is my last year for first day of school pan brownies. After 25 yrs. Sob, sob, I love Blue Springs pies but there is a really nice family restaurant just east of there called Niemerg’s Steak House in Effingham, IL that we love to stop at and they also have gorgeous pies.
That is such a lovely tradition with the chocolate chip cookie making.
I love the Solemate yarn. I have had the opportunity to knit a bit with it and it is great! Will you be getting it in the shop in what my husband calls “not pretty” colors so that I may make him socks with it? He will wear varigated or semi solids, just not ‘pretty ” colors. I told him they won’t show in his boots but noooo, that won’t do. so picky…
congrats super lucky winners!
Not to rub it in but i am doing the happy dance. Daughter moved back home changing from her out of state college to a local college. Of course she also changed her major (she was in year 3 of 5 for elec engineering and now is switching to nursing going for her rn) but she is home and i am enjoying it much more! 🙂 Of course hubby jokes that he can’t hang naked in the house anymore, lol…. the sacrifices!
It’s that time of year, isn’t it? I get all soppy seeing the school supplies and my youngest is 26(!) It has to do with the change in sunlight, etc. Just a sentimental time.
On my latest Loopy trip I bought MadTosh Pashmina in Fragrant and am 3 rows from finishing a simple but amazing “long ways” scarf. What great yarn! And this comes from a Wollmeise-aholic.
Soft enough that may hands don’t weary from working with it.
This yarn is especially lovely and forgiving when stitches need to come out. Excellent definition and drape. I cannot wait to make some socks with it. And a sweater. And a hat.
Will post on the site once the scarf is done.
I think I cried more after dropping off my daughter for her senior year in college than I did for her freshman year. I think it was the realization that this was it, I was sending her off for the last time. I had done my job well all those years and she was starting her final year of college before going out into the big world on her own. Does that make sense? I’ll always be her mother and she’ll always be my daughter but…..my baby was just about all grown up! She’s 30 now, married with a 22 month old, and is one of the most wonderful people I know!!
Didn’t know we could still shop in St. Louis store…will be there in Oct on our way to Kansas….yipee!!
It is really hard to take your student back to college, I agree! We took my youngest son back on Aug 10, for Orientation Team Leader training, etc. He’s a second year chemical engineering student, at Michigan Tech, in the UP, 450 miles one way from here, sigh! He will be home for Thanksgiving week, but until then, it’s communication by instant message, text message, and the occasional phone call, sigh!
Those pies look awesome! A coconut cream pie would be wonderful about now! 🙂 I have never tried pineapple – do they have pineapple? That could be really good, too!
It seems like your daughter just started college, can’t believe she’s a Senior already.