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I had a weird childhood. Here's why.
Feb. 8th, 2006 02:09 pmSo, I was reading Running with Quills (http://runningwithquills.com/), and they were asking about people still using handwriting. Is it even still taught in schools, etc.
So I commented. "Yes, still taught in schools. Blah de blah blah..." and got into a long drawn out explanation of School Fair.
What's School Fair? Why, I'm glad you asked!
Every September, the students three elementary schools in the area I grew up compete in various categories. In June, we are sent home with booklets outlining the categories and rules. We also complete some projects at school, probably so that everyone has something entered.
At school we do art projects and handwriting samples to enter into the fair the following September. The school provides 1 packet of vegetable seeds and 1 packet of flower seeds for the vegetable and flower arranging competitions. Other competitions are prepared for over the summer with your family. One I always hated but did well in was the crop contest. We did the wheat contest (all our corn went to silage). Dad brought in a pail of wheat from the silo. I was expected to go through the pail, picking out the chaff and blighted kernels, putting the fattest and shiniest kernels in a Mason jar. Filling the Mason jar. To the top. It was a horrible experience. So freaking boring. Always did pretty well though.
We also competed in the hog competition. All it entailed was washing the pigs and delivering them to the pen at the fairgrounds (also known as the ball diamond). Easy peasy, and we always won that. When I was small, I showed calves, but I was awful at it. I was easily frustrated and very small for my age, so I kept getting dragged around the field until I cried. I think I showed for the last time when I was eight. We sold the Dairy herd and didn't have calves after that. Adam never showed that I can remember. I did get my picture in the paper with the best of my calves though. Her name was Pansy.
There were tons of other competitions - baking, pets (never take a barn cat to a pet contest), all sorts of stuff I don't remember.
The best part of it was the cash prizes. That's right; they actually gave us money for this stuff.
Anyway, that's School Fair. I'm sure I didn't do it justice (I never even mentioned the greased pig contest), but that is just one of the ways my childhood growing up on a farm differed from the childhoods of so many people I know.
So now you know why I'm so weird (or one of the many reasons). What's your excuse?
So I commented. "Yes, still taught in schools. Blah de blah blah..." and got into a long drawn out explanation of School Fair.
What's School Fair? Why, I'm glad you asked!
Every September, the students three elementary schools in the area I grew up compete in various categories. In June, we are sent home with booklets outlining the categories and rules. We also complete some projects at school, probably so that everyone has something entered.
At school we do art projects and handwriting samples to enter into the fair the following September. The school provides 1 packet of vegetable seeds and 1 packet of flower seeds for the vegetable and flower arranging competitions. Other competitions are prepared for over the summer with your family. One I always hated but did well in was the crop contest. We did the wheat contest (all our corn went to silage). Dad brought in a pail of wheat from the silo. I was expected to go through the pail, picking out the chaff and blighted kernels, putting the fattest and shiniest kernels in a Mason jar. Filling the Mason jar. To the top. It was a horrible experience. So freaking boring. Always did pretty well though.
We also competed in the hog competition. All it entailed was washing the pigs and delivering them to the pen at the fairgrounds (also known as the ball diamond). Easy peasy, and we always won that. When I was small, I showed calves, but I was awful at it. I was easily frustrated and very small for my age, so I kept getting dragged around the field until I cried. I think I showed for the last time when I was eight. We sold the Dairy herd and didn't have calves after that. Adam never showed that I can remember. I did get my picture in the paper with the best of my calves though. Her name was Pansy.
There were tons of other competitions - baking, pets (never take a barn cat to a pet contest), all sorts of stuff I don't remember.
The best part of it was the cash prizes. That's right; they actually gave us money for this stuff.
Anyway, that's School Fair. I'm sure I didn't do it justice (I never even mentioned the greased pig contest), but that is just one of the ways my childhood growing up on a farm differed from the childhoods of so many people I know.
So now you know why I'm so weird (or one of the many reasons). What's your excuse?
