It's Show Time

It is that time of the year when, as a child, I would be getting ready for the local Agricultural Show.

In the flower section, I would always enter a floating bowl and/or a sand bowl. Both were similar although, as the name suggests, one was a bowl of water and the other a bowl of sand. Into these flowers and other plant material (like leaves or seeds) were used to create pictures. Ideally I would also have a bunch of flowers as well - I do know that if you planted the sweet peas on Anzac Day (25 March) they were ready for show day (mid October) so that would have been an obvious choice and a few other floral arrangement-type projects.

My cooking entries varied over the years - from pikelets, to scones, to pumpkin cakes, to lemon butter to decorated arrowroot biscuits.

Then there was the entries that came in via the school - whether as an individual work or part of various displays.

Once all of that was done, it came down to deciding what to wear. Now as it was Show Day (or two days actually) there would be one new outfit plus a new look to an existing one (say a new shirt to wear with a skirt I already had). That obviously meant the sewing machine got pulled out. I know Mom made us outfits for many years but as so I was old enough - about 13 from memory - it was my turn to whip up something special.

So that was the Show - as well as friends, show bags, fireworks, carnival rides, side show alley, the animals, the craft, the vegetables, a Lion's club burger ... well it seemed like there was enough to entertain me for weeks.

I don't know whether it was that grand, or whether it is just the memory of a child, but I am not going to find out :-).