farm fair

First of all, thank you to everyone for my overwhelmingly full inbox stuffed with birthday wishes. It was a wonderful treat. And if you're waiting to find out if you're the lucky winner of some fabric, I'm sorry but you'll have to wait just a bit longer. I'll draw the names tomorrow, and announce the winners on Monday. Things have been summertime-busy around here, and I just haven't taken a moment yet to write out all the names and do our official fabric drawing. But thank you again for your lovely birthday wishes and thoughts on my "30"....and I never thought that I might actually be shaving off my tan every time I shave my legs. hmmmm.....hairy and tan or smooth and pasty? something to think about.

This week was the county farm fair here in Maryland. Visiting the fair always brings back lots of wonderful memories for me. My time showing animals and home arts projects was so shaping to me as a child. I used to love being at the fair, feeling in charge of my animals, knowing my way around, being the one in the show ring while others watched, or wearing the crown of fair royalty. It gave me such confidence and courage. Sometimes I walk around and look at the new generation of 4-Hers and I wonder if they feel like I did...that excitement and energy...

Of course the day we went was uncomfortably hot and it zapped my children of all their energy and interest in all things fair-ish--which is quite obvious in this picture:

And I spent more time carrying around a crabby, sweaty two year old than really enjoying the fair, but we still managed to see a few sights of the fair.

And the girls  took full advantage of the wonderful freebies that can be found at different booths around the fair--they came home with a bookbag (also free) filled with cow and milk bottle-shaped erasers, a thermometer, a rubber disc for opening jar lids (for me, of course), pens, pencils, pamphlets, key chains, dog toys, and most importantly tatoos: