Youth Fair Part 2

Oh my...what a morning!

Sean actually made his cookies last night and they turned out great!  We just had to get him up to drizzle them with chocolate this morning.

But, I guess I was a little stressed because I woke up around 4am wondering if there was something that needed to be done!  Then I went back to sleep and dreamt the craziest dreams about all the things that could go wrong. I could not even get out of the house because people kept coming to my door.  I kept telling them I had to leave to get to the youth fair but they all insisted they needed me to stay.  Crazy way to start out the day!  Thankfully, that was the most stressful part of the day.

Sean woke up with ease and finished his cookies.  We left with plenty of time to get there.  He even made it up the stairs without dropping his cookies!  Mission accomplished!  He did a great job presenting his coconut macaroons.  We had some good conversations with some of our friends to pass the time and then went up to hear the results.

Sean did not place but was given a white ribbon.  What I thought was awesome was that he did a great job of congratulating the others in the group.  He shook hands...gave high fives and hugs.  I was proud of him once again for being a good sport.

Joseph, one of the other members of our club, competed against him and won second place.  We were able to enjoy a sample of his cookies as we left.

Then we raced home to get finishing touches on Henry's entries for tomorrow's judging.  He entered a photo of a train in fine arts category.  He also entered a wooden washer game in woodworking.  We had to have the photo mounted on a matting board.  We also needed a photo book showing his wood work.  We got it all done just in time to get it to the show in the afternoon.

We will find out how he did tomorrow.  I will post pictures and an update in my part 3 to this week.

But the hard part is over and we survived the excitement.  I would also like to add that our little tag-a-long 4her was a real trooper...he never complained about sitting around in the cold waiting.  He just ate our friends out of snacks and played with who ever crossed his path.  He makes taking a little one to contests look easy! Thank you, Lord!

Youth Fair Part 1

Some might say that this is not a 4H related event; however, our members can only qualify for the youth fair if they attend 4H meetings regularly.  So, here I am to tell you about our day.


Thankfully, Henry made his cheesecake on Monday night so it could set.  All he would need to do is add a few finishing touches this morning.  He did a great job making a White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake.  Since he was being judged on Valentine's Day, he decorated the top with fresh raspberries shaped into a heart.  Then he had white chocolate shavings along the sides.

Edward entered in the Peewee division so I was able to help him through his recipe.  He made Blueberry Cream Puffs with fresh custard filling.  He really did a great job following the steps to create his masterpiece.  I did not need to help him very much other than reading the recipe.  This took most of the morning because there were several steps to the process and everything had to cool before filling the puffs.  We finished just in time to get everyone dressed nicely and everything out the door!

Of course then we played the hurry up and wait game!  LOL...what youth contest does not give us a lesson in patience?  The boys practiced what they would say to the judges.  I prayed for them to do well and tried to calm down from the morning excitement.

When they called everyone up to be judged, I was told I could watch Edward.  I thought it was so funny because Edward got so nervous that he forgot everything he practiced to say!!!  He fidgeted and got through the judging in less than a minute without saying much of anything!  Sweet boy!  We will need to work on presentation skills for next time!  But he did present his cream puffs and he was awarded a blue ribbon for his efforts.  I told him next year would not be so easy as he would be judged like the others next time.

Henry was one of the last to be judged.  That is what happens when your name is at the end of the alphabet.  He only had one other person competing in his age group, so he had a 50/50 chance of going to auction.  Although I was not allowed to staying the room when he was being judged, I could see him through the glass.  I could tell that he was having a good presentation but noticed he fed the judges wax paper from the bottom of the cheesecake and he did not have on his glove!  He confirmed this when he spoke to me later.  He said that not putting on the glove might be the deciding factor.  I think he knew at that point that he would need to try again another year.  He was right...he proudly walked away with second place!  However, I don't think he will ever forget to put on his glove and we will need to try harder to remove the wax paper from the bottom of the desert next year!  A hard lesson to learn.

Tonight Sean made his macaroons and we will decorate in the morning.  It will be an early morning as he needs to be at there by 8:30am.  I am sure he will be excited and wake up extra early!

So...to be continued tomorrow with Sean showing his Creamy Coconut Macaroons and Henry will also be entering his washer game and a photo.

The Prize not Mentioned

Yesterday, I spoke about our Food Extravaganza.  Today, I realized what a toll it had on Sean.  Being the oldest it can be tough not doing as well as he had hoped.  In spite of his easygoing attitude yesterday, I realized he was in need of a little help today.  I first told him how proud I was of his hard work.  Then I gave him a little analogy that I thought I would share with all of you.

Going to a 4-H competition is kind of like going fishing.  You begin by gathering your equipment (in this case gathering information and experience).  Then you check to make sure everything is in working condition (practice and assess what needs improvement).  Then you go out and find that perfect spot to catch a fish (competition).

Sometimes when you go, you have many options and the fish are biting well.  On those days, you cast your line anywhere and get a catch (easy win without any effort).  Other days the chances are slim and you wonder if you will catch anything at all (days when you struggle).  On those days, you might even wonder why you tried at all.  So, you have to make a choice…are you going to give up and go home…or cast that line anyway.

Yesterday Sean chose to cast his line and try for the catch.  This was his first success.  He did not give up.  So now, he had another choice to make.  Was he going to bait his hook and cast deep or send out his line just to say he had gone fishing?  Sean chose to send out a line deep with his best bait.  He did his best and did not hold back in spite of his competition.  This was his next success.

Sometimes when we go fishing, we do not catch a single fish.  One might wonder why anyone would want to ‘waste’ the time.  Nevertheless, I have not met too many fishermen who would miss the chance to go out and enjoy the experience.  Sean took the chance, went out, and enjoyed the experience.  He learned from the experience, and he is a better person because of it.  This was his third success of the day!

If my children learn nothing else from 4-H, then they have gained the prize.  I have learned that as nice as it is to walk away with the ribbon or medal, the experience gained is just as important.  We can pray that our children always do well, but what I truly hope they will learn is that even in our failures there can be something gained.  It reminds me of Thomas Edison…he was asked why he continued to work when he failed so many times to produce the light bulb.  His answer was simple…I haven’t failed, I have learned 10,000 ways that do not work! 

So, to Sean and others who might not have done as well as they expected yesterday…I say cast out your lines again.  Never give up the joy of fishing!  There will be another day when the fish are biting and you catch the big one!  Yesterday, I hope you learned that it is not always the win that helps us to “make the best better!”

Food Extravaganza!!!

Do you know what I love about 4H?  I love how days like today that are crazy busy with events are still enjoyable because I can share them with good friends!

We started out our day at 6am...Sean was making a fresh broccoli salad for the food show that would begin at 10am.  He had never been to a district food show so he was very nervous and wanted everything to be just right.  I was so proud of him as he got everything together and practiced his speech.  He is a senior so he had to give a 5 minute speech on his recipe along with all of the leadership and service opportunities related to the project.  This is what he said about his recipe:

"This is known as my fabulous Broccoli Salad  because it tastes great and it is packed full of nutrients.  To begin with the main ingredient—broccoli, which has 19 nutrients found in its dark green florets.  There are also mushrooms, onions and celery that fall into the vegetable category.  As you can see, there are also mandarin oranges and craisins to add a little fruity sweet and tart contrast to the dish.  I added a little bacon for some extra flavor and pecans from the protein group for a nice crunch as well.  I combined all of these with a light mayonnaise and vinegar dressing to bring it all together.  And what a serving of goodness you will enjoy with 175 calories for each 1 cup serving.  You will have gained vitamins A, C, D, E, K and several B complex vitamins, as well as iron, calcium, folic acid, and fiber.  Even that bacon adds important Vitamin B to the dish! 

Now, when I am not making this great salad, I like to spend time helping my community.  I like to go to the VA clinic and serve lunches to the veterans.  I also provide snacks for care packages that are sent to deployed soldiers.  And, on Wednesday evenings you will find me at the SFA student center serving spaghetti dinner to the college students! 

This fall our club hosted Dustin Ellerman at our club meeting and we invited the entire community to come listen to him.  My family decided to make this a community service opportunity.  We asked everyone to bring 5 cans of food as an admission price.  We collected over 500 items that were donated to the local homeless shelter.  At our county food show, I greeted the contestants and visitors as they entered the building." 

He said this speech a dozen or more times as we made our way to the contest and as he waited for his turn to present to the judges. Parents were not allowed in the judging area but I could beep through the blinds to see him.  He was obviously the youngest one in his category as I recognized the others from past years.  He would have tough competition, but I hoped he would enjoy the experience.

In the mean time, four of our other club members were also presenting to judges.  There was also a group of 14 who would be united into teams at the last minute to compete in a Texas Ag ID contest.  Sean would later join the group as well to compete in this contest.  The members were shown 20 products from Texas and asked to identify and then answer a question related to the product.  

Here are a few examples of the questions they would answer:

The parents all gathered around wishing we were the ones being tested as it was so hard to watch them all go into the rooms awaiting their fate.  We spent most of our morning holding our breath in anticipation. So glad I was not the only one there as we were able to talk and try to take our minds off the other.

We had staked our claim on a small area near the contest rooms early in the day.  I felt as if we had moved in as we had computer to allow younger siblings a chance to watch a movie.  We had our lunch in ice chests and  extra clothes to change into for the afternoon (oh yes...there is more!), not to mention the extra supplies to be mentioned later.  We even had a couch and chair to share between the group of us!  

Our children slowly emerged from their various rooms and we grabbed them up to hear details about how they presented.  Of course they all thought they had done the best job, so we continued to wait for the awards ceremony...and waited...and waited!  LOL...again so glad we were all together to share talk and food.  Katy (our resident artist) even drew portraits of the others on a chalkboard found in the hallway.

The award ceremony took place and the results were as follows:

Food Show

Tori-first place for her nutritious snack!

Taylor-third place for his fruit/vegetable recipe!

We also had Sean, Jaron and Becca compete from our club.  

Ag ID

Senior Team placed 4th

Intermediate Team placed 1st, with Henry placing 2nd as an individual

Sean said he was glad to see the others win.  One of the judges came up to me later and told me that he definitely knew his information but the others competing in his category had been doing this for years and he should feel like he did his best.  What a nice thing to say to a mother!  Sean did well and had a chance to speak in front of strangers and did not stumble...I am so proud!  That is why I like this contest so much...it gives our children a chance to have an interview situation in a low key situation.  It will help them later in life, I am sure.

However, as I hinted at earlier...we were just getting started.

We rushed out of the award ceremony changing clothes as we headed to the next part of the extravaganza!  And grabbing up supply boxes full of kitchen utensils and such!  The afternoon would entail a contest known as Food Challenge.  In this contest, the members would work in teams with various ingredients to create an impromptu recipe and present it to the judges.  The team would work together to let the judges know about their creation, including preparation, nutrients, placement in food groups, safety, and cost.  They showed their team spirit in different ways.  The senior team (Treyton, Katy, Caleb, Justin, David) dressed up as WWII heroes.  The intermediate team (Henry, Brianna, Sarah, Becca, Tori) dressed in Lone Star aprons and wore jeans.  The mixed team (Sean, Naomi, Caitlin, Taylor , James) were known as the Hawaiian Bunch.

And yes, the parents again waited for the teams to go behind closed doors to compete.  They were the last going in to contest and the last to come out!  This time our wait was spent a little more leisurely as we had done all we could to help at this point.  We were sprawled in our area even taking up space on the floor as we talked about anything from new homes to past experiences.  And the younger ones got a little wilder in their play time and thought about how their lunch was not enough to make it until the day was done.  So, we began to think about enjoying dinner together!  

The teams were released from their rooms and we saw their creations...what fun to see the various adaptions to the same ingredients.  Our Intermediate team created a pizza salad.  It smelled great and the team considered eating it...It did look good but I really think they were just hungry!  

Then out came the Senior team  with a very interesting concoction made with jicama.  Never heard of it?  Neither had they but they did a great job of scooping out this starchy tuber to create a bowl.  They used this along with other ingredients to make a dip and then had other vegetables to dip.  I thought it was very creative!  

Finally, at long last...the mixed team emerged with....??  We don't know exactly...they dumped their creation before leaving the judging area. LOL!  Oh, to our disappointment we never saw what they made but the members were not impressed with their ingredients.  They were asked to use scallions, white grapes, soy milk, and almonds to make a dish that would "go down smoothly."  Can you believe that?  We actually found the recipe online when we got home (actually another parent found it).  They were supposed to make Smooth Grape Gazpacho.  And believe it or not that is what our group made but they would not even taste their own recipe!

So we waited a little longer and the results came in for this second round of fun:

Senior Team-placed 2nd

Intermediate-placed 5th

Mixed team did not place!  But once I saw what they were supposed to make and how close they had come...I could not have been prouder of them!  

We took lots of pictures and planned where we would celebrate with MORE food to end our Food Extravaganza.  We ended up at a local place to enjoy a sit down meal together before taking our weary crews back home to recover from the events of the day.  

It was a good day and I hope they all learned from the experience.  I love 4H...even on exhausting days like today.  Who could ask for anything more than a great day with friends...memories that will last a life time!  I know that it made a cold day in February a day to "make the best better!"

Long Overdue

Just as the title says, this new post is long overdue.  The family and I got back from our vacation and fell back into routine just in time for the holidays.  Then I got sick after the new year and I am just starting to feel human again!  YAY!  Actually, I was sick during the entire time we were on vacation but that was because I was having morning sickness.  I know not really 4H news but it will affect the way I continue the remainder of this 4H year and probably the next so I thought I would tell you all now.  Besides, I don't want to think I got fat over the holidays when I start showing you pictures!  LOL!  Then after that stage of fun was over I REALLY got sick!  So needless to say, I have an excuse for not sending out my usual zany posts about 4H.

Now with all that said, I must say that does not mean we have not had 4H events!  Thankfully, my dear husband came home in time to help me with projects.  And the Christmas break sure helped me out also.  So, now that I am back I wanted to give the highlights of the last month.  This will get me back on track I won't leave any of the events out.  This blog was intended to help me keep track of our 4H year after all!  So let's do the time warp thing and zip back a few weeks to the second week of December!

 The family and I arrived home as scheduled and we enjoyed a day of rest before our first ever Computer Science project meeting.  Michael is our computer guru so I begged him to take this on.  He is only home for a short time so we are fully taking advantage of his expertise.  The first meting (December 13) Michael talked to the 4Hers about the basics of the computer.  We had a good group of 4Hers attending so it made it more interesting for everyone to share what they knew and Michael was able to guide those in error in the right direction.  He is great at this and doesn't even realize it!  So we had the first meeting to see how it would all work and then made our plans to meet again after the holidays.  We have now met two other times with the joy of taking a computer apart on one occasion.  We now have 5 regulars who attend meetings but others are welcome at anytime.  We are hoping to have the group do a power point presentation of all they have learned for a meeting before the end of the year.

 Then, our club met on December 15th at a local nursing home.  We sang carols in the dining room and then wandered from hall to hall singing carols and passing out Christmas cards.  What a wonderful way to spread some cheer.  It was meant to be a community outreach and service opportunity, but I think we were touched by their remarks to us more than we could ever imagine.  It was just a good experience for everyone.  I hope that we are able to work more with the nursing homes.  The elderly need us to show them we care and we learn so much from them in return.

After the holidays, we began another new project.  This was relates to our efforts in Wildlife. This project is called Wildlife Habitat Education Program (in further postings will be called WHEP)  Last fall when I  posted all the animals and plants, this was an FFA contest that 4H was allowed to participate.  However, this new project is strictly a 4H project and it shows.  The material is much easier and direct to the subject.  There are also divisions for ages, so the younger 4Hers do not compete with the older members.  The information becomes progressively more challenging for the different age groups.  We have really enjoyed learning a new approach to wildlife and are looking forward to a contest in March.  I will post more on this when we begin work on specific animals next week.  We have had a great advantage as Katie's grandmother has generously taken the time to create lessons for us.  I am so thankful for her help!

Sean attended the County Council meeting.   He is very excited because next month he is in charge of taking snacks for the group...food is very important for a teenage boy!  He is doing such a great job of getting the information to the club...he takes his job very seriously.

Speaking of food...We also began practicing for the Food Challenge that will take place next month.  If you have never heard of this contest, it is probably because it is a recent addition to what we now call "Food Extravaganza."  Just as it sounds, we try to place as many food & nutrition related contests all on one day.  I am sure someone higher up thought this was a great idea.  When I post on it later you will see that it is quite exhausting!  In the Food Challenge, the 4Hers are given a list of food and a clue to the recipe they are supposed to create.  They are in teams of 3-5 members and they must make their creation and then present it to a group of judges.  They must also present themselves to the judges as a group, know the cost per serving, nutritional value and preparation including safety.  The entire groups must work together to present (no slackers in this contest).  They are also judged on their creativity.  It is also a good idea to try to match the original recipe but not necessary.

We had our monthly photography meeting at the park this month.  We learned about taking nature shots and headed out into the park to try our skills.  It was a fun way to spend a nice Texas winter day!  The overcast weather made for some great shots.  We also showed off some great train pictures which was the assignment given to the group last month.  This was to encourage the members to enter the District and State contest at the end of the month.  Looking forward to seeing how the judges like their artwork.

Last week we ended with our monthly club meeting.  It was a short one, which was nice since I was feeling so sick.  The boys did a great job presenting project reports.  Katie also gave a great presentation about free gifts to be given out to better everyone.  Henry followed this up with a game we call, "Kindness Bingo."  The free gifts found on the board included:  smile, helping someone, bringing snacks, etc.  The person with a bingo was awarded with a prize.  The members seemed to enjoy going around giving free gifts to all who remained at the CEO.

So as you can see, we enjoyed another month of 4H.  We are looking forward to what this new year brings.  There are many contests to prepare for in the next two months.  I am back and ready to share our further adventures to "make the best better!"

Honoring Those Who Served 70 Years Ago

Sometimes being a good citizen is listening to other good citizens.  Over the last three days, we have had that very opportunity.

We have heard the stories of Pearl Harbor survivors and veterans from World War II.  What a wonderful example of living history.  Our first day, we were at Pearl Harbor and met with six survivors and we felt so blessed to hear their stories.  The next day we headed out for a small museum that was written up in an old tour guide book.  We thought we were heading to a place to learn how to make leis and other Hawaiian crafts.  When we arrived at the exact address the museum had closed several years ago, but to our surprise we found Pearl Harbor survivors sitting out in a lounge area to a hotel talking with passers-by.  We were so excited to have these men to sit and chat with as if we were in our living room!  Then tonight we watched the same men as they drove by on parade floats!  The boys were so happy to hear these men call out to them as if we were old friends!  This was like no other parade we had ever been to in our lives.  The people were cheering...the parade participants were coming right up to us...everyone felt like they were a part of the event.  I wish I had gotten a picture of the 90yo veteran who danced down the street to begin the parade...he must have been thinking about his heyday back in the 1940's!

 
Here are a few of the stories, I was able to jot down when I returned to the hotel:

Pat Duncan was only 18yo when he boarded the USS Raleigh as a bugler.  He is convinced that they were the first ship hit as he watched the USS Utah (historically known as the first ship hit) attacked after he was asked to sound the alarm.  Unfortunately, his bugle had been filled with water as his ship was tipped up on its end.  They were first hit by a torpedo and then later hit by a bomb.  After Pearl Harbor, he remained in the military as a quarter master.

John Tate was on the USS St. Louis.  He was originally from California.  He was sitting with Harold Mayo who was at the Marine base, Kanoehe, as an A&E mechanic.  He said the Japanese were hitting the planes before they even realized what was happening.  He was from a little town of Gloveland.  They described it as big city met small town USA...but both of these men were faced with the same tragedy and had to cope with the reality of war.  Neither of them had come back to Pearl Harbor, visiting for the first time in 70 years.

Ray Garland was also in the Marine Corps serving on the USS Tennessee.  He was a quiet man who did not like to tell his story.  He told us that he saw the planes coming into the bay but there was not enough time to act before they were hit.  He could not believe how many planes came into the bay to attack. 

Jim Doyle was an aerial photographer on the USS Lexington at the time of the attack.  He continued to take photographs until one day he went out on a mission and woke up in an Australian hospital with a hot rag on his brain.  The swelling was so bad that the doctors could not operate.  He was relieved of duty at this time.  You could tell by the way he spoke of this that he had not wanted to give up the fight for his country.  He was a very strong man even at 90yo.  He was remembering those days as if they were yesterday. 

Frank Mack was at Hickman field during the attack.

Stan Swartz was at Wheeler Army Airfield.

Andrews was a young man of 18yo from Pennsylvania when he came to the islands as a mule driver.  Less than a year later, he found himself moving about 2000 animals around the island.  Then all of a sudden, he went from mule driver to body recovery detail.  He said the first day the bodies were covered with sheets, however, the second day he was told to recover bodies from the bay.  He is now 89yo and hoped that he would die soon because all of his loved ones had passed on.  We told him that he must still be alive to tell the story.  I think he appreciated that because he walked away a little prouder.

We also spoke to three other men who were in a historical book.  They were autographing books and we have their stories written.  If you would like to hear more, send me a note and I would be glad to share.

We are so pleased that we were a part of this day in history.  They say these men are in the sunset of their lives.  Even a sunset has a story to tell in the colorful beauty that exists in the sky.  These men had their own colorful stories to tell.  Not only the story of Pearl Harbor, but how they continued in the military and then adjusted back to civilian life after the war.  It also helps us to prepare for the next day to come as it soothes us into a calming rest.  The stories they were able to tell, not just of that day 70 years ago but the stories of hope after this attack, help us in our own lives.  It will be a day we will never forget.  May we all remember what war brings to the world and that the answer is peace.  Just as the cranes presented by these Japanese women symbolize. 

The Moment You Have Been Waiting For

Well...maybe not...but I thought you would like to know our trip has led us to the Hawaiian island of Oahu.  We have been planning this trip for a couple of years.  Once the plans began to form this summer, we realized we were going to be here for the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.  There are many veterans here roaming the streets with us.  We feel quite privileged to be a part of this amazing time in history. 

We arrived yesterday and headed straight to the beach.  The boys could have spent hours there.  We also walked through an International Market place full of an assortment of items to buy.  We have little gifts for our favorite 4H members.  Then we went to a hula dancing demonstration.  A great way to spend our first day on the island.

Today, we woke up early so we could catch a bus to a famous scenic lookout.  It was a hike up to the top of Diamondhead Crater.  We started at 200 feet and ended close to 800 feet.  We were exhausted by the time we got to the top but were able to take some great pictures!    This was once a strategic lookout for the military because you can see for miles in all directions.  The pictures we took do not begin to show the beauty of the area. 

Then we were off to the Waikiki Aquarium.  We had to maneuver the bus system and take quite a walk to get there but the animals we saw in the aquarium were worth the trip as well.  The ocean has such a vast array of animals and such colors!  We were amazed by all that was explained in this little aquarium display. 

And, I must tell you that on our journey around the island we will be enjoying great foods influenced from around the world and given a Hawaiian twist. Before we came to Hawaii, I found a great website that showed where the locals eat.  No fast food or chain restaurants for us!  Yesterday, we ate at a Chinese restaurant called "Fatty's Chinese Kitchen." The food was so good!  Today, we walked to a surfer spot (Southside Surf) that served wonderful fish and coleslaw like nothing we have ever had before.  I would love to have this recipe!  We have also found a nice bakery with yummy treats and sandwiches made fresh every day right beside our hotel!  The boys are getting a good education in foods for our food project. 

Tomorrow we hope to take more pictures as we drive around the outskirts of the island and go inward to the Dole Pineapple Plantation.  We will continue to take lots of pictures hoping to find that great shot!  Lots of possibilities along the way.

I had to post this last picture.  Henry took this because the jelly fish reminded us of our 4H friends.  If only the lighting were green!