Outside my Window: Now it is dark since I've been trying to complete this post for the past couple days and Blogger is being stupid. When I began there were blue skies, little white clouds, slight breezes, sun, and an empty pig pen.
What's on my Mind: Raising boys and the stupid things they do that blow my mind. You think you know a kid's character and then a behavior arises that you never expected. Not saying girls aren't like that too, but right now I'm dealing with boys.
Thankful for: A great week at the Eastern Michigan State Fair. The weather was fantastic with just a little bit of rain one evening and for a while one morning other than that the temperatures were tolerable which is not always the case with Fair week. Ethan did well in his first year showing rabbits, he needs to work on his showmanship (5th in age group) but his animals all placed well. His meat pen weighed in at 20.10 pounds and he got $9 per pound at the auction, donating $10 of his earnings to the 4H Feeds Families Committee. We have an appointment this week to take them in for processing, with small animals the sellers take care of the processing and deliver them to the buyer.
Ben did not get any ribbons this year, he was one out for placing in his showmanship age group and in his weight class. No worries, he's got a plan for next year and is looking forward to having another chance at it next year. I must admit it can be hard to compete against kids who come from large working farms. Zelda weighed in at 275 pounds and he got $2 per pound again at auction from the same buyer as last year. Fox held his own amongst some pretty seasoned showman but did not place, nor did he expect to. His pig Dagney received a 4th Place in her weight class, tipping the scale at 286 pounds and bringing in $2.20 per pound at auction. He donated $35 of his earnings to the 4H Camp Scholarship fund, which made me quite proud. I give Fox credit for stepping up and trying pig raising and showing to support his younger brother who did not want to be in the project alone but understand that it is not his "thing" and he will refrain from showing again. He is however going to apply to work at the Fairgrounds next summer since he'll be old enough.
Also, Ethan got the prize for getting the most sponsorships for the Swine Department for the second year in a row.... a nice fresh Benjamin! Cha-ching! He's already planning to go for it again next year.
My three Handicrafts-Paper Goods entries were the only ones in the category! My Wildflower Arrangement and Perennial Arrangement both got 2nd Place.
But these two Handicrafts-Other made from scrap tile and molding that I spent the most time and thought on didn't get anything. I was quite proud of how these turned out. Go figure.
Latest Project: Got the flashdrive of pictures from Ben's Space Academy week, put together a couple collages from the hundreds and hundreds of photos that their sponsor and the camp staff took. Very, very cool.
My 3 Sons: High School Football starts this week for Fox. Middle School Cross Country begins the last week of the month for Ben and Ethan.
The first Born: Officially engaged.
Employment News: Applied for another position in the Lapeer 4H Extension office, already spoke with the county coordinator, hoping to get a call for an official interview this week. Also going to be helping a friend out, well we're helping each other out, at his vineyard and honeybee farm during the fall picking season. Robert is also seeking employment after a devastating turn of events at his place of work. Yes, the fun never ends.
Hoping to Improve: My resourcefulness.....
Food for Thought: Dr. Miracle's approach was much less confrontational and more civilized. According to him, there are two selves in each of us: the one who wants to be slim and healthy and the on who wants something else. One sees the big picture -- well-being, self-esteem, fitting into the lastest fashions. The other wants pleasures aplenty, and now. One is Narcissus leaning over his pool; the other is Pantagruel leaning over his table. The key, he said, was not to conquer the second, but to broker a rapprochement: make friends of your two selves and be the master of both your willpower and your pleasures. That was the French way. ~French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure by Mireille Guiliano
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2 comments:
Congrats to Alex! Prayers for you and Rob, my friend! It's never easy, is it?
Thanks, Lisa. It'll be a few years down the road before an actual ceremony for Alex and Paul but I appreciate their commitment to each other.
No, it is never easy but it always works out in the end. Glad we've whittled down expenses in the past and thankful don't have huge bills but still I'm hoping not to fall behind. The boys have been very understanding all offering their savings and Fox pulled from his investment account to have more funds handy. Haven't had to use it and hope not to but happy my boys are willing to pitch in. :)
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