COUNTY LIFE
European teens experiencing lots of ‘firsts’ during exchange student year in Texas
By BARBARA GREEN
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Both Mia Back and Kaya Feldthaus wanted to experience something different in their young lives, and they are finding an exchange year in Texas is full of firsts and a whole different culture than their European roots.
These two 16-year-olds are living west of Bowie with their host parents Michelle and Randy Hanson and their family in a country setting. They are attending Bowie High School in the eleventh grade.
Mia is from Erlach, Germany, and her parents are Daniela and Christian, plus one little brother age 14. At home, she is in eleventh grade and the school she attends has 12 grades. There are other schools that have different grade compositions.
Kaya hails from Tisvilde, Denmark. Her parents are Thomas and Christian and she has a 19-year-old big brother. At home, she attends a 0-9 grade school, and she graduated this past summer. She explains there is a grade 10 you can attend or you can take a “chill year” before going to university, where the classifications are first, second and third grade.
The young ladies arrived for their year in Texas as the school year opened. Neither one had ever really considered taking part in an exchange. Mia saw it on YouTube and thought it was “cool, something so different than my life in Germany.”
Read the full feature in your weekend Bowie News.
It has been quite a busy few days at the Montague County Youth Fair with schedule changes, juggling of events and trying to cope with the unexpected snow storm. However, the youth fair always rolls on thanks to the dedicated volunteers, coordinators, parents and students.
Friday the rabbit how starts at 10 a.m., with heifer and steer show at 2 p.m. Ag. mech. check-in at 6 p.m. with that show at 9 a.m. on Saturday. Swine will move into the barn later today with its show at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Saturday the home economics silent auction will start at 6 p.m. and run to 9 p.m. in the show barn. Showmanship buckles will be presented at 6 p.m. in the barn followed by leadership day awards. The premium sale is at 6:30 p.m. Make plans to come out and support these hard working kids and families.
See all the winners in the Thursday Bowie News.
Top photo – Poultry show photo taken by Rashonda Hobbs of Unfazed Creations, official photographer for the youth fair. Make sure and check out her photos.
When we were going through my grandmother’s house in Nocona after it sold, I found a few neat keepsakes, but the biggest treasure I thought I had found was her biscuit cutter. I was so excited to show my mother (her daughter) and just knew she would be happy it was found and would still be used after all this time.
My mother, however, had a different thought about my precious biscuit cutter. She said, “Suzanne, you know that biscuit cutter is just an old tomato paste can that has both ends cut out.”
I was still no less delighted with my cutter. I continue to use it today. My husband has bought me vintage, new and fancier cutters, but this cutter is something I go back to time and again.
My Memaw was recruited to be a lunch lady from 1952 to 1958 at Nocona Elementary, back when lunches were cooked, not “fixed.” Lenora Brown Burnett was an excellent cook and everyone knew it. She went on to work at the Nocona Major Clinic kitchen from 1958 to 1969.
You could only use shortcuts if you knew how to do it the long way. That is how I still approach cooking. You can only use a cake mix if you know how to make a cake with lots of ingredients, time and effort.
Read Suzanne’s Love & Luck column in the Thursday Bowie News on the On the Table page.
Top photo – Grandmother’s biscuit cutter and hand written recipes. (Photo by Suzanne Storey)
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