A Blue Ribbon Day!

     It is the 19^th day of the Ultimate Blog Challenge and I have to admit I am sliding in at the last possible moment with a post because today was the very first day of the ElkhartCounty 4H Fair and my family and I were there despite the heat.  Instead of sitting in front of a computer typing away I was wandering through the 4H exhibits, gathering free items in the commercial buildings, and snapping pictures of random tractors, animals, and the like.

      You never know where they are going to put your kid’s projects.  So you burst into a crowded building and rush to and fro searching among the exhibits until you find the familiar because you simply have to know what ribbon they won…NOW!  I am very proud to report that both my daughter and my son won first place for all their entries.  They were thrilled as was I.  We can now breathe easier because the worry, the anticipation, and the wondering are finally behind us for another year.   We know the outcome, and it is awesome news.

       My daughter placed first for her sweet braided pretzels, her frozen broccoli cauliflower blend, her wildlife poster, a drawing of an eye, and an afghan she crocheted.   This was my son’s first year in 4H.  He was in Exploring 4H this year and made two non-bake cookies for his foods project.  He also won a blue ribbon.

    

      With all the blue ribbons there is a celebratory atmosphere at my house tonight.  We are tired from trekking all over the fairgrounds but happy with the winnings and spoils we acquired.  

Lessons Learned

It is day 18 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge and NaBloPoMo.  Today's post is in response to this week's blog hop prompt from the Writer's Post host Suzy Que of Reflections of My Soul.

    Over the years I have learned some pretty important things about myself.  I don’t handle heat well and I must drink water.   With the Elkhart County 4H Fair starting tomorrow and the happy weather man threatening over 100 degree heat indexes you can bet I am guzzling water, and have been.

      I go to the fair every year and have my whole life.  I was a 4H member, and now both of my kids participate in 4H.  Not going to the fair is not even an option for me.  I have to go.  I have to know how the kids did on their projects.  Forget that the fair comes at the hottest time of the year.  Forget that a couple years ago I went toe up while at the fair from heat stroke and dehydration.  I learned it is not fun to be vomiting nonstop anywhere but at home.  Not that it is fun at home, but it is a nightmare to be in a medical building at the fairgrounds wondering if you are ever going to stop upchucking and be able to go home.

     Since then, I approach time at the fair with a sense of fear and trepidation.  I don’t want to ever experience what I did again.  So I drink tons of water.  Because I love my kids and want to see their projects first hand, I put aside my fears and go.  I learned an important lesson from that experience.  No matter how much I love to drink soda pop or anything else, water is essential to good health.  It makes up 60% of your body and helps everything in it function properly.  Without it, your body begins to shut down.   A little dehydration can lead to difficulty focusing on small print, trouble with basic math, and completely screws your ability to remember things.  Feeling a bit loopy, drink some water!!  It lubricates the joints and keeps blood flowing for proper circulation.    With the human brain made up of 95% water you can just imagine what happens if you are dehydrated.  Everything goes to hell in a hand basket in a big ass hurry.

 
       I felt like I was going to die that day.  I was weak and fatigued and could barely summon enough energy to walk, nor did I want to.    With the heat topping out in the 100’s, it makes dehydration even more likely and serious of a business.  So I lived to tell the tale, and I learned to drink more water.   I still am terrified of going to the fair because of what happened but I refuse to live in fear.  I choose to combat the heat staying hydrated, using the brains the good Lord gave me, and live my life to the fullest one day at a time.