Fair 2010 is a thing of the past. And what a year. Five new belt buckles found a home here at the Egbert house, including Kodren's first buckle ever. Malachi was the shocker. My shy little boy has suddenly become a quiet, but confident, young man. Yes, there were tears when he won two grand championships in showmanship. All of the buckles this year came from showmanship. So, this year, it was the kids who made the grade and not the animals. I am okay with that. In fact, I am so proud that I could burst. It was a difficult year. Telling this program goodbye is proving very difficult for Michayla. I wish that she were less prone to cling to the past and were more willing to throw herself out to the future and new possibilities. She is so much her daddy's girl. But I do love the fair and the 4H program. I so love the people that we get to associate with here. There are so many great folks that we would never have met if our friends, and neighbors, the Bowsers had not talked us into that first pig and chicken. I am indebted to them, forever.
Part of the Thomas Jefferson Education is what is termed "georgics". This term has a variety of meanings, but it essentially means, for education purposes, working the land in some form, taking ownership of land and stock. I have come to have a real testimony of the importance of georgics. I have seen how such ownership has given my children such a rich sense of true responsibility. I wish that more young people today could have a similar experience. I do not think that every child should raise a farm animal, but every child should have some true ownership in something that matters. I just do not know how to make this happen in the world.
In addition to the livestock, this year, we all entered other projects into the fair, in the open class divisions. It is now a proven fact that Karl is in a class by himself. He entered the four cartoons that he drew for the kids as Christmas gifts. There was not an art class that really fit his work so they made one. If he is feeling up and you ask him about this, he will tell you that he won first place, if he is not so optimistic in his outlook, he will tell you that he came in dead last. Malachi came in second and third with his pencil sketches of outdoor life. Michayla and I both came in fourth, she in photography and me in counted cross stitch. But Kodren did well. He took reserve grand champion with this "Winter Aspen" photo. I am glad since this is truly a passion for him.
Radishes were our other entry. There were two radish participants, and we came in fourth. Now that is a feat! There is such a great story behind the radishes. Last year, another livestock dad, who is very funny and full of life pulled a hilarious stunt. He wandered into the extension office and was looking around and asking questions about the entries. The woman inside told him that it was not too late to provide an entry. So, he walked outside and went to the back of the building where the remnants of an earlier plant sale had been tossed. He pulled out a half alive pansy and took it in and submitted it, without anyone noticing. He came back down to the barn laughing and he and Karl were soon rolling at this prank. They kept sending me up to the building to see what the results were. Finally, the judging was done and the judge saw me studying the entrants. When I came to Brian's entry, she came over and whispered, "I am pretty sure that this one was entered by a special needs person. I gave them a participant ribbon and wrote them a letter with pointers for trying again next year." It took EVERY bit of my acting ability not to burst in to gales of laughter when she said that about the special needs person. I managed to keep a straight face long enough to finish a discussion with her (I knew the judge from my time in master gardener training) and to saunter out of the building. Once outside, I promptly lost it and had to stop at the bathroom on my way back to the barn because I was laughing hard enough for an accident. When I got back to the barn and told Karl and Brian the story we all laughed so hard we were crying. That is when Brian decided that we should all grow something for real and submit it in 2010. We decided on radishes. So, that is what we did. Through a series of mishaps, our radishes did not get shown in their best light. Brian brought a beautiful, huge horseradish and some tomatoes as well as extra radishes. He gave the extra radishes to another livestock dad who submitted him in his name and he ended up winning, with Brian's radishes! So, in the end, we came in fourth behind two bunches of Brian's radishes and a horseradish. Good times!
Sunday was the fun day at fair as usual...well..after the anguish. Sunday morning is that awful time when the kids have to put their animals on the truck and say that last goodbye. After that, it is time for clean up and cowboy church. Pastor Ed gave a beautiful sermon this year that really touched my heart. He based it on Proverbs 18:21. It speaks of death and life both coming from the fruits of the tongue. He challenged us to use words of affirmation when we speak to ourselves and in our prayers. He gave me much to think about and I came away grateful, as always for his friendship and example. After cleanup and a sermon we hit the fun. It began with catch a calf contest. Malachi and Kodren both entered, Kodren caught one. Then we had the kiddie rodeo and then the mutton bustin' and then the older kids rode some wild heifers and we had few injuries this year so it was all good. Then it was time for the greased pig contest. I love watching those little kids chase the piglets. It was adorable. Seviah is still too girly to get in there, like Michayla once did and catch that messy thing. This year we had a new event. We had a full grown greased pig contest with the adults, in teams of two. It was intense, to say the least. They nearly killed that 260 pound hog and got so filthy. And the pig was not the only thing dirty. Those guys pulled out all of the stops. There was biting and licking and throwing and everything in between as they fought to get their hands on that stupid pig. It was a great way to finish everything off. Then there were the hugs and tears and goodbyes, until next year!
Just a few more things...you see...my fair experience was slightly different from the rest of the family...they stay up and camp out, I drive home each night. Thursday night was quiet, although I did not get home until late from being down, helping with the business. Friday, Seviah and I got up and headed to Fairplay and spent the day and watched the pig show and headed home afterwards. Seviah fell asleep immediately and missed the accident caused by stupid flatlanders that closed the road and caused us to not get home until after 10. Just before I got home, I felt the stirrings of a problem. The carnival food that I ate did not sit well, in fact, I was seriously in trouble. Then I got home, put Seviah to bed and dragged myself to bed, but not for long. The donkey started braying, and I do mean braying and he would not stop. This got the dogs riled up and I had to get them both stopped before neighbors got angry. So I walked out to the barn and as soon as I walked in he stopped and settled down. But as soon as I left, he started up again. So...I decided to stay in the barn and just run into the woods to throw up, as needed. Then the donkey started in again...but he would stop if I was talking. So, I finally got the books on philosophy that I have been studying and read them aloud in the barn to the donkey. It was an interesting evening to say the least. I think that both Barney and I learned a great deal! It took me some doing to get going that next morning but get going we did. Seviah and I fed everything and ate and went to fair. I learned that prayers do work. I did not think that I could physically make it through what I had to face on Saturday, but I did and few people knew how ill I had been and that I had had no sleep. Although I did tell a few good friends about my night, and one of them wants to come and get a photo of me reading philosophy with the donkey. And it was a good day. I headed home alone on Saturday night and actually got some sleep, the donkey only went off twice and so all was well. And while I had a small relapse of my illness on Sunday, I ended the fair well. As I was driving up and down and spending time alone with my thoughts I really had some powerful moments of gratitude and peace. Each time I passed the place where Kjersti died, I realized how much I have to be grateful for and how much I have learned over the past 4+ years. I am most blessed. I am sorry to the Lord that I have to be reminded of this so very often, but I do know this and I am indeed grateful. Thus ends Fair 2010.
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