Lots of things come full circle when you live in the same place for most of your life and are lucky enough for some of your kids to live nearby. And we are doing some circling up this week!
This time, it is all about 4-H, which is all about family and community members.
The Hidalgo Helping Hands club and our leader, Ella Lee, played a huge part in my formative years. Brad's family supported the activity in a big way, as well . His dad led his club and spent hours on it, I'm sure. My parents, mom especially, spent hours supervising our sewing and other projects, making cookies and costumes for Share the Fun, and hauling us all over kingdom come to events. I'm so glad so many adults were willing to give their time, wisdom, and knowledge to help. It was so good for me!
- make bread
- bake yummy desserts
- plan a healthy menu and prepare the meal
- create pretty (!) projects with my own two hands and the satisfaction it brings
- follow a pattern and sew my own clothes and home decor
- make a speech without vomiting from nerves
- do a demonstration in front of a large crowd of peers and adults in my county and then at the State Fair
- go the extra mile
- plan events
- lead others
- meet new people and to enjoy camping with a cabin full of squealing girls, first as a camper and then as a counselor
- throw in the towel when something is just not my cup of tea....Can you say cattle show?
- complete project records
- finish what I start (confession: I'm still learning that one!)
- invest my adult life in helping others
Our boys were in 4-H, too, but I don't remember that time so fondly. It was a time of STRESS for us as parents. The County fair week was always a very inconvenient time when gobs of things needed done on the farm, and Brad, who was also a banker, was worn completely out.
By the time the 4-H shows rolled around, we had already spent hours of the summer at the ballpark and just wanted to stay home-at least Brad and I did!
I remember flaring tempers because I wouldn't let the boys stay at the fairgrounds 24/7 "like all the other kids" and embarrassment on my part because the other moms all seemed so much more "farm-capable" than I was when we went to take care of the livestock each morning.
And mud.
And flies.
Thankfully, our kids remember the good times, not the bad! Now, we all laugh about our fair exploits, especially the year they decided to ditch showing hogs for showing sheep. That pleased me because, come on, white and fluffy and docile.
We were total novices and didn't really bother to read the project manual, so what a shock when the boys led their clean, white, beautiful sheep into the show ring and discovered by looking at the brown, dirty animals around them that sheep aren't supposed to be washed before the sheep show.
Trust me. There was giggling at our expense that day!
Now, we are on the other side, and it is a JOY to attend the fair and see all the projects completed by the kids in our county. We don't know the behind-the-scenes angst, so we can clearly see all the benefits of the 4-H program again. Kids are learning amazing things and are capable of SO MUCH besides messing passively with technology.
I love the 4-H slogan....
Learn by Doing
What a fantastic organization to be a part of. "Learn by doing" is the best way to learn!
ReplyDeleteHi Susan, it's so nice to meet you! Thanks for visiting my blog (via Blondie) and for becoming my newest follower. You asked about my hummus recipe...it was actually in the hyperlink for the word "hummus". Going back to my blog, I realized it wasn't evident, so I edited my post to make it moreso. Here's the direct link to the recipe:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.inspiredtaste.net/15938/easy-and-smooth-hummus-recipe/
Hope that works! If not, come back to my blog and look at the post and click on the hyperlink for the recipe. Anyway, 4H...wow, that brings back some memories. Three of my high school years were spent in KY and they had 4H down there though I didn't belong to it. Great organization!
I love this Susan! I have great memories of being in 4H myself. It is still very active here in our rural community and most from 4H end up in our high schools award winning ag program where many of those skills are taken to another level. My most vivid memory involves my best friend and I demonstrating how to cook french toast and having a slight collision and one piece ending up on the floor...you made me laugh today with the memory : )
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post!! The closest I get to the 4H kids is at our county fair in Michigan. We go every year for the elephant ears, cotton candy and 4H kids and their animals. I can see that all of you have great stories to share...isn't life great that way?!! :)
ReplyDeleteXO,
Jane