A View From The Earth

Kizzy the calf lounging around at the Clayton County Fair It is Monday again and I'm taking a wee break between reports. The kids have a week to go before school starts again. My lovely wife is trying to finish up her final paper for a class she took this summer. To top it off, it is a very nice day out today. With all the conflicts in the world, Iraq, Afganistan, Sudan, and now Georgia, I am reminded of the first verse of Psalm 133 which says, Oh, how good and pleasant it is, when brethren live together in unity! My prayer for today is not necessarily of unity but of peace. O God, may peace come to those areas and peoples that are experiencing wars and conflicts that they may find peace not just for themselves but for their neighbors as well. Amen

The above photo is of the four Mulefoot piglets that my fifteen year old daughter exhibited at the Clayton County, Iowa Fair. These are the critters that she received a trophy for 'Best Overall Other Animal' exhibit. She is now up to two fair trophies. That is the number that I received for all of my years exhibiting at the county fair and she has three years left. Of course my thirteen year old already had two trophies so she will probably end up with more than either of us. The majority of my family is down in Des Moines, Iowa. My lovely wife had a educational conference there. Three of the kids and my mom went with her, they are staying at my brother's house where the youngest two can play with my niece's kids. My thirteen year old daughter and my nine year old son are lucky enough to get to stay with their dad for a few days. Well I suppose I should get back to working on another appraisal report.... Grace and Peace to all!

This past week was our county fair in National, Iowa. My wife and I are both 4-H leaders and four out of the five kids are involved some way in 4-H. The four year old isn't old enough yet to be an official part of it but she tries to help out with everyone else. If you don't know, 4-H is a youth organization that originally started out in rural areas but is now in both large and small places. In Iowa, the Iowa State University extension service administers the program. I think that 4-H is best summed up by the 4-H pledge that is said at every meeting. I pledge My head to clearer thinking, My heart to greater loyalty, My hands to larger service, and My health to better living, For my club, my community, my country, and my world. Our kids did well, they received some purple ribbons, mostly blue ribbons, and a few red ribbons. One trophy was won by the oldest daughter in the "Other Animals" category for the mulefoot pigs that she took. The fair is an event that the ...