I had a weird childhood. Here's why.

[garnigal]

So, 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?

Comments

[whatawookie.livejournal.com]

I have such a clear mental image of you being dragged around by a cow on a rope. It's pretty funny. Honestly, if a cow wants to go somewhere, how the f*ck are you going to stop it?

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

To be fair, it was a very little cow.

Theoretically, you are supposed to be able to train the calf to respond to your commands. However, it helps to work with the calf at least an hour a day, and I was a terrible procrastinator. Hell, I was two weeks late for my own birth!

I'm sure Mom still has the photo of me and Pansy from the newspaper. You should see it. I'm nothing but eyes and Pansy looks really bored.

[clama-ne-cesses.livejournal.com]

So, I had "East Wawanosh Public School" listed as a school I attended, on my userinfo.. and at the time I was the only one. But then I looked today and found that I'm not! WOW! Anyways, in summary: school fairs rock my socks, and I definitely know what it is to be disappointed when your squash isn't the prettiest. Also, to your original point: I'm one of the ONLY people I know who still writes everything in cursive, and I'll support you in attributing that to the yearly pitting-us-against-each other. :)

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

LJ is the coolest thing - where else are you going to find that kind of connection?

I handwrite more than anyone I know also. Though, I seem to be getting out of the habit, now that I have my new laptop.

I was checking out your user info, specfically the years. You don't have years for East Wawa, but you have years for Madill, and you are quite a bit younger than I am. Would you have have been at East Wawa while my cousins Paul or Michael Garniss was there?

[clama-ne-cesses.livejournal.com]

yep, I know those two.. they're both few years younger than I am. I don't remember you per se, but I think you were in the same year as my older brother.. Aaron Barnes? You may also remember Ben, I'm not sure. :)

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

I'm in between Aaron and Ben. I doubt Ben would remember me, but Aaron will. We hung out in university, since he and Rowen Kerr were friends with my boyfriend. Aaron is only a year younger than me and we were on the same bus. I was up on the 2nd of Morris, next door to the other Garniss's. :)

So you'll be between Paul and my brother Adam?