Three Tune Tuesday - County Fair Edition
All photos in this article were taken by the author. Woodworking project by my great nephew that is going to state fair.
I drove the hour each way to go to my hometown county 4-H fair tonight. My oldest great niece and great nephew were both exhibiting projects this year, including my great nephew’s first year in woodworking which resulted in the beautiful candy dispenser pictured above which will soon go on display at our state fair.
What is 4-H?
The first of two of my great niece’s “mini” 4-H projects. This one was her photography project.
If you’re not familiar with 4-H, it is a youth development organization. The 4 H’s in 4-H stand for head, heart, hands and health. The organization has deep historical connections to agriculture and homemaking but it has tried over the last few decades to try to remain current with the times. 4-H clubs across the United States receive support from land grant universities through cooperative extension offices located across the country. The national headquarters for 4-H is housed inside of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture which is a part of the United States Department of Agriculture.
What else do you do at a 4-H fair?
The second of my great niece’s mini 4-H projects - her cake decorating!
You eat food that is truly terrible for you and devoid of all nutritional value. My dad, sister, two younger great nephews and I split a giant tenderloin, fried pickles, and an elephant ear. We did at least wash it down with water instead of a lemon shake up. I refuse to pay $7 for a lemon shake up. That’s robbery on the food midway in my opinion. My great nephew had the quote of the night - “Sugar is my favorite snack!”
My dad takes a look at his great grandson’s gun safety and shooting skills project.
How does #threetunetuesday go with a visit to the 4-H fair?
First, if you don’t know what #threetunetuesday is, check out this description from its founder @ablaze in his current post about this endeavor.
Every Tuesday I'm going to share 3 songs which I like to listen to and I invite your feedback in the comments below. Better still, why not have a blast of your own Three Tune Tuesday and mention me in the post and I'll come and find the post and upvote it. If you could also use #threetunetuesday tag that would be great, as that is what I use when sifting through all the entries every Wednesday. It'll be a sweet way for us all to discover new music. You'll also be in with a chance of winning the prize - more on that later.
The County Fair is also a place for lots of concerts and other events like a demolition derby (don’t be jealous!). Here are a few of my favorite songs from my childhood days growing up on country music and songs that make me think fondly of those days.
American Kids by Kenny Chesney
https://youtu.be/de1aPKXBdAE
Way back when, I went to a Jazzercise class at 5:00 a.m. every morning. I really loved the dance to this song and I fell in love with this song too because it felt so much like home to me.
Sin Wagon by The Chicks (formerly known as The Dixie Chicks)
https://youtu.be/I-MW6lQcnUg
I had no idea The Chicks had changed their name so I learned something tonight. This has been one of my favorite songs for many years. It doesn’t describe my life at all but it is fun to think about!
Take It Back by Reba McEntire
https://youtu.be/J5jnu6oKV_o
Reba McEntire is one of my absolute favorite artists. She is the easiest gateway to help someone appreciate the finer points of country music. I gained new respect for this specific song when my best friend who abhorred country music learned every single word of it! So, thank you Reba for helping me introduce my bestie to the joys of country music.
Bonus Song: Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy by Big and Rich
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HflDc7PUT2g
Since I had to ask the bestie which Reba song it was she liked it so much she had to add her suggestion for another country song that should be included in any references - Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy.
What genre(s) of music define your earliest memories? How does it shape and influence your musical tastes today?
I used to be in 4H. My mom was our leader. We did all kinds of crafts. Do they still get money based on the color of ribbon they are awarded? I feel like purple was the highest back then and you got like $5 for purple ribbons. $3 for blue, $2 for red. Something like that. I used to rake it in during the fair with all of my projects. It was pretty amazing for a little kid. Great post, good tunes, good memories, and best of luck to your great niece and nephew!
OMG - I never made money at 4-H. You were definitely lucky! I loved 4H as a kid and had loads of great leaders. My mom HATED anything that made a mess but I could get away with anything in the name of a 4H project.
Oh, that is too bad. Like I said, they used to have dollar amounts tied to the ribbons so you could easily make twenty to forty bucks or so depending on how many things you submitted. In the 80's that was some pretty decent money.