Head, Heart, Hands, and Health
February 26, 2009 by Kailani
Filed under guest post
Written by Guest Blogger, GroovyOldLady of Groovy’s Ruminations
When I was a kid I loved the book Follow My Leader by James B. Garfield. Â The story was bout a young man who becomes blind due to an accident with firecrackers. Â It was that book that introduced me to the whole fascinating world of training dogs to guide the blind.
Sadly, I grew up in apartments and trailer courts. Â Small pets were all we could have, so my parents rerouted my desires to girl-scouting. Â And that was the last I thought about 4-H.
Until recently…
Two years ago, my little girls (back then they were 5 and 7 years-old) were actively involved in a homeschool group at our church. Â Most of our church/home school friends were also involved in, you guessed it, 4-H. Â It seems one of the moms helped run a dairy goat farm. Â Her home schooled girls had been in 4-H for years and she had started a “goat club”. Â My girlies and I toured their farm and we were sold. Â We joined 4-H.
We were still a little shaky on what 4-H actually was, but we were working with goats on a weekly basis and having a blast – so who cared! Â Each of my daughters got to “lease” a kid in exchange for farm work. Â Each week we’d go to the farm, do chores and then spend time grooming, socializing and training baby goats. Â That way, when fair season came, the babies would be well behaved and ready for showing.
That first year, Girly-Girl showed her lamancha at a few of the local fairs and won several awards, ribbons and premiums. Â Yes, she won MONEY!
Silly-Head wasn’t interested in showing, but she had fun loving on her goat and both the girls learned about goat breeds, goat products, goat care, goat feeding, and goat breeding. Â They helped shave goats, feed goats, brush and wash goats. Â They helped trim hooves, give shots, and diagnose for worms.
It was awesome!
Unfortunately, last year that club started to fall apart. Â The leading mom had several health issues and family emergencies and some of the 4-H guidelines changed. Â According to the new guidelines my girls were “Cloverbuds” and as such, weren’t allowed to focus on just one project – like goats. Â The 4-H chief-high-muckety-mucks decided it was healthier for the younger children (up through age 9) to dibble and dabble in a wide variety of interests and activities instead of getting immersed in one intense topic.
At first we railed against this decision – mostly because we’d already been showing goats and loved them. Â But after listening and thinking, I’ve come to realize the wisdom of the change.
So now we’re in a new club. Â We’ve studied migration and hibernation. Â We’ve learned about recycling. Â We’ve rang the Salvation Army bells in the freezing cold while exuberantly singing Christmas carols. Â We’ve made crafts and birdfeeders. Â We’re preparing to learn knitting and plan a play for a local nursing home.
And we still have goats. Â Our new leader also has goats and they’ll be kidding in February and/or March. Â We’ll be leasing some! Â Silly-Head is still not old enough to show, but I imagine Girly-Girl will be in the ring beaming at the judge and holding her goat’s head high.
And I’ve just completed my training to be a 4-H volunteer. Â Did you know that 4-H is the youth branch of the University Cooperative Extension program? Â The 4-H’s stand for Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. Â All the activities we participate in are geared toward helping our kids (that’s people kids, not goat kids) to grow and mature in those four areas.
Much of what we do is related to agriculture – raising stock and better farming practices. Â But 4-H is MUCH more than that! Â It’s a club atmosphere where kids can learn leadership skills and service, drama, teamwork, conflict management, business principles, arts and crafts, science, cooperation, decision making, setting goals and keeping records. Â It’s a wonderful avenue for learning and growing!
If you are interested in learning more about 4-H, contact your local University Cooperative Extension. Â You can find it quite easily by just googling “[your state] cooperative extension”, then search for “4-H” on their homepage.
If you’ve never looked into 4-H for your kids, please do. Â It’s a wonderful way to help them grow!
WW: The Reason I’m So Behind in Blogging
February 24, 2009 by Kailani
Filed under wordless wednesday
The Island News
February 24, 2009 by Kailani
Filed under Uncategorized
On occasion I receive emails from various companies and organizations asking me to forward their messages on to you. So, here they are in their own words . . . well, mostly.
HEADLINE NEWS
Stop by An Island Review where we’re featuring Connie of Brain Foggles as Review Blogger of the Week!
Agro Labs, the leader in liquid nutrition, offers various products to promote health and well-being. In Naturally Acai Extra – the main ingredient, the Acai berry, has recently received the stamp of approval from Oprah! In addition, Agro Labs offers Peaceful Sleep to help give you a good nights rest, as well as Green Envy Daily Detox, Superberry Upgrade, and so much more!
With cold and flu season in full swing, Greenpeace is releasing its Recycled Tissue and Toilet Paper Guide, a credit card-sized shopping guide that helps consumers find the greenest household paper products. In the guide, Greenpeace gives a thumbs up to various brands including Green Forest, Natural Value and Seventh Generation.
In the current economic climate, Americans have the economy on their minds and how they can maximize their savings.  In a recent survey, Citibank found that 84 percent of Americans view making a change to their personal finances as a priority for 2009, and more than 75 percent said increasing their savings is the top change they are looking to make.  A rewards program, like Citibank’s ThankYou Network can help consumers achieve those goals.
ENTERTAINMENT
To be a bee, or to be the bee: that is the question. But not for Bessie Higgenbottom. This determined, imaginative, and compassionate gal just wants to grow up to be a hero (of the super kind). And for this dedicated member of Honeybee troop #828, that means becoming the mighty bee! In this buzz-worthy collection of hilarious episodes, get stung by the laughing bee while you catch Bessie rockin’ out, goin’ overboard on the party circuit, bravin’ the great outdoors, and more. The Mighty B!: We Got the Bee is being released on DVD February 24th!
“Special Agent Oso,” a new animated television series starring Academy Award-nominee Sean Astin as the voice of Oso, a fuzzy, lovable, bumbling stuffed panda bear who is a special agent-in-training, premieres with two consecutive episodes SATURDAY, APRIL 4 (8:00-9:00 a.m., ET/PT) during Disney Channel’s learning-focused Playhouse Disney programming block. The interactive series, which emphasizes discovery, humor and organizational skills, calls upon viewers to help accomplish special missions by breaking down everyday tasks using three simple steps, just as Oso does.
Although times are tough, there are tons of great ways to keep your entertainment intake high with free games from GameHouse, the online portal for every game that matters—the fun ones. With a free game-a-day, you can experience the luxury of the latest (and most addicting) games, like Super Collapse and Little Shop of Treasures, without breaking the bank!
SHOPPING
TCBY is running a great new promotion – 1/2 Priced Smoothie Happy Hour! Every day from 5-6PM, participating locations of TCBY are celebrating happy hour and offering their delicious Beriyo yogurt smoothies at half price. Savings never tasted so good!
We are now offering a discount for ELSPETH. ELSPETH new york, a premier handbag line know for its luxurious materials, vivacious colors and impeccable quality is proud to launch it’s new online store (www.elspethnyc.com). In honor of this, the designer – Elizabeth Phillips is offering 20% off of all purchases made online. This offer is for a limited time only.
What’s Your Ring Tone?
February 22, 2009 by Kailani
Filed under random thoughts
During boarding, there was this young guy sitting in first class. He was big and gruff and quiet.
Then his phone rang. His ring tone was Helpless When She Smiles by Backstreet Boys.
I had to turn away because I couldn’t stop laughing! It made me wonder why of all the thousands of songs now available for ring tones did he choose that particular one. Did it have a special meaning? Was it his girlfriend’s phone?
Of course, this started a whole conversation among my crew members about why we chose the ring tones we did. I have the theme song from Sex in the City which replaced my original one, I’m Yours by Jason Mraz. I originally chose I’m Yours because it’s so light and carefree that it reminds me of driving through the country with the top down. As for Sex in the City, I absolutely loved the series and the movie.
So what about you? What’s your ringtone and why did you select that particular one?
