Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Our County Fair

Fair food bits and grimy dust stuck to my tired kids faces as they leaned against Mawgs and Pops--trying to get comfortable on the metal bleachers. Emma kept reaching for more slushy and sloshing it all over her tummy and my hands. The wind blew just enough to carry the happy sounds from the 4-H Pavilions and Farm Bureau hamburger stand into the grandstand where 3 oldish men sang in sweet harmony. The ranchers from Yost sat quietly in the heat with their cokes, hiding under their unshaved beards, and left me wondering how old they really were. A couple of dusty kids jumped down to dance on the stage, and old women in stretched-out knit t-shirts sang along with the hazily familiar songs. The afternoon sun softened the dust and almost made it misty. Shouts and songs from the carnival mixed in with the music and I almost cried those silly nostalgic tears that add a sweet tenderness to life.
Fair time is good time--the best of times. Summer's sweetness lingers through those last weeks of August. School, though just days away, might as well never come. Who cares about routine and lessons when all that's perfect is at our fingertips--
The perfect loaf of bread, the perfect pumpkin, the perfect quilt, the perfect bottle of peaches, the perfect painting, the perfect fowl, steer, lamb, or hog. Yes, fair time brings out the best of our lives. Blue ribbons attest to our hard work and somehow that little piece of fabric allows us to take a relieved breath.
In the wholesome daylight, our fair is a great county fair. As I walk through the pavilions, reaquainting with friends and neighbors, I again think how lucky I am to live here. Tomatoes and peaches, cowboyed-up county commissioners, FFA jackets, 4-H clovers, and two dirty little boy hands and a sticky, kissable baby face make me a pretty happy woman!

9 comments:

~Jake, Brianna, Jocelyn, and Carter~ said...

Yay! Welcome to the blogging world, Sue! You were made for it, you writer you. I'm going to love kicking back and enjoying your posts. All is right in the blogging world now that you have joined.

Thank you for the welcome back to the U.S.A. I almost misted up when we got back. We are very blessed to live where we do. The trip was wonderful, though, and we will have to show you our pictures soon.

Bye for now!

Karen said...

Hope you don't mind, I found you on Sondras blog! You need to write a book, you could keep up with the best of them! Your blog is wonderful, your family looks great and I want to offically welcome you as a neighbor, which I just haven't seemed to get to. (Not because we aren't excited, just because I am not on the ball anymore!) Hope you like it here.

Cristi Lou said...

Sue a roo from timbucktoo! Hello there my old friend. I found your blog on someone else's blog and was very excited to be able to see the fun pictures of your beautiful little family. How are you doing? I just started a blog myself recently. Take a look at it. It is reidandcristi.blogspot.com. Take care. Your friend, Crustface.

Charee B Mcclellan said...

hey sue a roo, i just found your blog on cristi's and thought that i would send my love. love the blog, keep it updated...so i can see your dang cute kids often. hope you are doing well...take care!

Miriam said...

Hi Sue! Your post is so beautifully written...I can hardly bear to read it! It gets me too sentimental and wishing for home. I emailed my mom to tell her she should come on a read it. You really do have a gift with words!

Cristi Lou said...

Sue,
I got your message on my blog yesiree!! Thanks for writing. You heard a rumor about me eh? It's true depending on what it is. he he. Yep. We're expecting again and very excited about it! Good to hear from you!

Kate said...

Sue,
So glad to see you started a blog! Check out mine at dkdesmondfamily.blogspot.com
Kate

Olsen's said...

Sue~Welcome to the blogging world!! Yeah! I hope you don't care if I link you from mine?!
~Ashley

Karen said...

Thanks you for the cookies! I'm sorry about you being somewhat forced into doing that. Curt thinks it's funny, but you wouldn't believe how many cookies he's gotten over the years!!! They were delicious. I hope the sod works out!