Oklahoma 4-H: Celebrating 100 Years

100 Years of 4-H in Oklahoma

Growing up, 4-H was a large part of our lives.

Throughout elementary, middle and high school we went to meetings

with friends and said the “head, heart, hands and health” pledge.

Each year my sisters, Pat and Gail, and I

sewed our required garments for the dress review,

created a demonstration or

speech for the speech contest,

twirled, danced, sang, or came up with a skit for the Share the Fun night,

canned, baked, and prepared projects for the county fair,

and attended camp.

At year’s end we put it all together in our Record Book

along with essays and answers to questions about citizenship

and what we had learned in the last year.

But I hadn’t thought much about 4-H in many years.

Until Friday night when I attended the 100-Year Gala Celebration

with friends Donna and Rodd Moesel. Rodd has continued to

stay active throughout his life. For Rodd, 4-H developed into his life work

in horticulture and his business – American Plant Products.

Many people at the dinner had three, four, and five generations

of their family who participated in 4-H.

For me it was eye-opening to see how vital

4-H still is in rural American and how it has grown and progressed

into the next century.

Congratulations Oklahoma 4-H on the last 100 years,

may the next 100 be even better!

 

Into the Wind

Some days
I love the wind.
For one thing,
jeans on the clothesline
dry in about 20 minutes
and they aren’t wrinkled at all.
For another,
the wind give trees
their full winter face
and winter’s song.
And red-tailed hawks get a fast ride.

Today,
I needed to walk into the wind;
feel its relentless
but friendly
force
and know that I could walk into it
and gain clarity
and maybe
a new song.

 

Peace Festival

Turtle Rock Farm Booth at Peace Festival 2008

It’s something we are really looking forward to,
having experienced it for the first time last year.
The Peace House in Oklahoma City
is holding its 24th annual Peace Festival,
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, November 14.
We’ll be one of 50 organizations
that have booths there
to help educate about
and raise support
for social issues,
including (here’s where we come in)
care for creation.
In addition to learning a lot about important issues,
meeting a lot of concerned citizens,
it’s a great place for meaningful holiday shopping
because each group offers homemade crafts, fair trade goods,
as well as calendars and books.
We’ll have photographs and greeting cards with images
from the prairie here at Turtle Rock Farm.
Proceeds help the various social groups in their peace and justice efforts.
There’s a supervised Children’s Activity Area too
with educational activities for children 2 to 12.
And live music.
And food is available.
At the Oklahoma City Civic Center,
Hall of Mirrors,
201 N. Walker.
Admission is free, as are parking meters on the street.

It’s a joyous day.
Plan to stop by our booth and say hello.