Howard County Fair time is almost upon us. As with many of our neighbors, I'll be practically living at the fair. The first Sunday of the fair is always a great day to go. Even though it's usually sweltering hot, the fair officially opens with a parade.

In the afternoon, there's a 4-H fashion show, where the 4-H'ers show off the outfits they made this year. The fashion show usually occurs during the intermission of the Farm Queen contest. That's a great event to attend to see our local young ladies speak about Howard County so articulately.

After the Farm Queen is crowned, the baked good auction takes place. All the champion baked goods are auctioned off. It's quite an exciting time. I especially enjoy watching the 4-Hers who are having their cake auctioned for the first time. The kids get half the proceeds from the auction and the other half goes to the 4-H scholarship program.

Auction sales have been down for the past couple of years, so if you own a business or make a lot of money and need a tax deduction, come to the auction and bid on their delicious items. I keep saying that 4-H is not just about animals.

If you get to the fair, take the time to check out the 4-H indoor buildings. I've been working with these 4-H'ers for 18 years and am still amazed by the quality of work they do.

My parents were much older when I was born. They were born around the time of World War I. They were young adults during the Great Depression and my father was a Merchant Marine during World War II.

Before my mother passed away, I asked her to write down the stories of the times of her life. She thought that was a foolish request, so it never happened.

If you're interested in your family's history, the Glenwood Senior Center is offering two classes on genealogy. The first is an introduction to the computer software program "Family Tree Maker." The class will be held Aug. 12 and 13 from 10 a.m. to noon and will cost $30.

The second class is "Genealogy Surfing on the Internet." This class will be held Aug. 19 and 20 from 10 a.m. to noon, and also at a cost of $30. Here I go again. Work is just getting in the way of all the things I'd really like to be doing!

These computer classes at the community center are just too much. Another class I'd love to attend is "Buying and Selling on eBay." For more information on this class, call the Senior Center at 410-313-5440.

My sister-in-law, Linda, and I attended a wrap up meeting for the recent American Cancer Society Relay for Life that was held in June at the Western Regional Park. We found it very difficult to get donations this year due to the economic situation. But as always, our community came through.

The Relay raised more than $93,000 and the money was still coming in. Many thanks to all who organized and participated in the Relay. I'll make another pitch for money. There's still time to make a donation as part of the Relay. Just go to the American Cancer Society Web site at www.cancer.org and donate.

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