“Routine” By: Tony Staubach
There once was a woman,
who had lived through it all.
Lost the loves of her life,
but never her gall.

She woke up each morning,
a smile on her face.
Splashed it with water,
and then she would say…

I’m beautiful, I’m special,
I have purpose in life.
Make herself breakfast-
and live without strife.

There is a lot to be said about a routine. Caregivers of all kinds know this to be an essential part of any relationship. Teachers establish routines to create safety and order, Pet owners and farmers know that animals get wiry if their feeding schedule is off. Parents learn quickly that their children develop a need for a schedule. There is always a cause and effect.

To manage that cause and effect is essential to future success. Every person must come to understand how they react to the elements in their world. For me, routine sets the tone for the day. After I open my eyes and do the autonomic morning activities- I brush my teeth. I look in the mirror and I brush my teeth. I look in the mirror, brush my teeth and look into my own eyes. I check to see how I look that day. Is my skin pale, are my eyes bright? Do I look happy? On days when I’m the most successful I hear the words of affirmation. I hear my friend telling me I am worth it. That I am an engaging and kind person. That my positivity is infectious. I hear a voice of praise.

But, on that day that I experience failure, the morning begins with words of doubt. Rarely do those come from external sources. My doubt certainly comes from within. That little voice telling me that I’m not good enough, or that I don’t matter or worse- that I don’t make a difference. That’s the little voice I need to get rid of because, on days when I hear that voice I fail.

I used to dream about changing the world but as I’ve gotten older I know that all I can do is improve my own world and hope that like a communicable disease, others are infected with my mantra to help good people do great things!

Events: Check out our Hamilton County 4-H 2020 Calendar Here!

Partner Highlights:
Gorman Heritage Farm: Gorman Heritage Farm offers a variety of summer day camp sessions on our 122-acre historic farm, forest and fields.  The farm is our landscape, as we care for farm animals, harvest fresh foods, play games, and explore this hidden gem. To find out more about our Summer Camp offerings, visit here: http://gormanfarm.org/summer-day-camp

Cincinnati Museum Center: Discover the science behind the foods we eat in our brand new Kitchen Lab at Cincinnati Museum Center. Upcoming programs include:
Foods Up Close
November 3, 2019 at 3:30 p.m.
December 28, 2019 at 3:30 p.m.
February 22, 2020 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m
March 15, 2020 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m
April 11, 2020 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m
Can you guess what foods you are looking at under a microscope? Discover some of the foods we eat on the cellular level, and compare the make-up of healthy and not so healthy fruit.

These programs are free for CMC Members or included with a Discovery Ticket. https://www.cincymuseum.org/sciencemuseum/stem-lab/

Hamilton County Farm Bureau: Hamilton County Farm Bureau has multiple scholarship opportunities for students pursuing post-secondary education including FFA students. Application Deadlines:
• Active Member Agricultural Scholarship – April 1, 2020
• Community Member Agricultural Scholarship – April 1, 2020
• FFA Scholarship – April 1, 2020
If you have any questions, contact our office at 513-831-5870 or via email at hamilton@ofbf.org.

Hamilton County Community Fair: A Thank you must continue to be extended to the Hamilton County Community Fair for their ongoing support of Hamilton County 4-H. Hamilton County 4-H has removed the county wide membership fee. 4-H members interesting in exhibiting at the Community Fair will have the choice to purchase a Community Fair membership which will admit them to the fair every day and provide them with other benefits throughout the year. Be on the look out for more info soon!

Volunteer Needs:
Looking to volunteer with Hamilton County 4-H. We are looking for adults to serve as club advisors at our afterschool sites. Click Here to check out the job description.

Chick Quest:
It’s that time of the year. Classroom Teachers can sign up for ChickQuest. This year we are asking for a $25 donation (or whatever you can afford) to support the program payable by cash, Credit Card or Check to OSU Extension, Hamilton County. The basic kit includes, eggs, incubator, teacher manual, a cardboard brooder box, and a light. Workbooks for students cost $5 each or $50 for 25 books.

Eggs will go out the first Wednesday of each month beginning in February and continuing through April.

To learn more or to sign up click here.

Donate: Thanks to the generosity of Dr. Nancy and Colonel David Bull, we can enhance the impact of the 4-H program for generations of youth to come through the establishment of an endowment to be used exclusively for 4-H programming in Hamilton County. Nancy and David Bull have a deep sense of the community of philanthropy. They would like to leverage their gift of $50,000, half the amount needed to fund the $100,000 endowment, as a challenge gift to other donors who are interested in establishing support of Hamilton County 4-H. Their gift will match dollar-for- dollar to the first $50,000 raised to establish the Hamilton County 4-H Endowment. To donate click here.