Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft

Here in the United States, peanuts are generally associated with the South.  Peanuts originated in South America but came to North America via Africa.  In the 1890s, George Washington Carver began to promote the peanut as a replacement for the cotton crop (which had been decimated by the boll weevil), and by 1903 he had developed hundreds of uses for peanuts in recipes.  Georgia is the leading peanut producing state in the US.  Approximately half of all peanuts produced in the US are grown within a 100 mile radius of Dothan, Alabama, which is home to the National Peanut Festival, established in 1938 and held each fall.

It comes as a surprise to many people that peanuts are a big crop in eastern New Mexico, where growers harvest approximately 46 million pounds of peanuts from 20,000 acres.  The hot, dry weather brings the best yields, and the dry climate and elevation of more than 4,000 feet creates low humidity and low night temperatures, which result in fewer diseases.  And while it sounds like a lot, 46 million pounds is only about 1 percent of all peanuts in the nation.  It is, however, 90% of all Valencia peanuts grown in the US, which make for superior peanut butter than their larger Runner or Virginia counterparts.

A previous employer used Valencia peanuts for the peanut butter they manufactured, which resulted in my traveling to eastern New Mexico on a semi-regular basis.  One trip had a rather long period of time between runs, which was just enough time to visit the source of another of New Mexico's cash crops, Roswell.

The highlight of the trip was visiting the UFO Museum, which opened to visitors in 1992 to educate the general public about all aspects of the UFO phenomenon.  Exhibits include information on Roswell, crop circles, sightings, Area 51, government cover-ups, and alien abductions.  A word to the wise: this is not high tech at all.  Photos and articles from newspapers pepper the walls, along with love notes from those who have disappeared and witnessed UFOs.  It was worth the five bucks just to say I had been there, since, strangely enough, it is really the only thing in town dedicated to UFOs, unless you count the McDonald's in the shape of a saucer or the streetlights shaped like alien heads.

The high point of the trip?  Eating at the Cowboy Cafe; good home cooking, a friendly atmosphere and great biscuits and gravy.

Elvis, it has been said, was fond of a peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwich.  Elvis, it has also been said, was connected to aliens.  However you look at it, New Mexico has a strong Elvis connection.  All you have to do is believe.

Child of Vision

During World War I, Pope Benedict XV made repeated pleas for peace. On May 6, 1917, he made a direct appeal to Mary to intercede for peace in the world. A week later, on May 13, 1917, the first of six appearances by the Blessed Virgin Mary as reported by three shepherd children occurred at Fátima in Portugal.

Do you believe in this? That, of course, is entirely up to you. What is important is that you believe in something. The mental attitude that some proposition is true is a belief.

For each given proposition, individuals either have or do not have the mental attitude that it is true. Belief is different from judgment, which is the evaluation of a proposition as reasonable, misleading, etc. It is up to you to decide what to believe in. It is likely that facts, experience and the opinions of others contradict what you believe. That's why it is called a belief.

"Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good. That honor, courage and virtue mean everything; that power and money ... money and power mean nothing. That good always triumphs over evil. And I want you to remember this.... that love....true love never dies! Remember that boy ... remember that. Doesn't matter if it is true or not, a man should believe in those things , because those are the things worth believing in...... got that ?" - Secondhand Lions (2003), written and directed by Tim McCanlies.

There comes a time in the journey of life when you need to rise and face the challenges in front of you. It is important to believe in yourself and in your ability. If you don’t believe in yourself, you can't expect others to believe in you; if you can’t convince yourself, you can't convince others of your abilities. Do yourself a favor: believe in yourself. 

Teacher, Teacher

There have been many teachers in my life.  Some taught school, others taught life, and a few taught both.  It was Dorothy Wagner in 8th grade who helped me understand that what sounded like a squeaky voice in my head could be a formidable force that I needed to learn to utilize.  Later, in high school, it was Shirley Alvord who convinced me I could do anything if I put my mind to it.  In college, Klaus Wills cemented my love of science and showed me being a little crazy was okay as long as you were smart about it.

There is only one teacher, however, that I wish I could better emulate.  That person is my sister, Julie Grimes.  Julie has taught hundreds of children and made a difference in every one of their lives.  While I hope to have passed something on to future generations that may make for a better world, I already know Julie has.  She was recently honored by her school, her peers, her friends and her family.  Here is just a brief portion of that they had to say: 

"The La Cumbre Junior High School Foundation is honored to present...to Julie Grimes the La Cumbre Junior High School Teacher of the Year Award.  She has exhibited during her 11 years at La Cumbre Junior High School as a Special Education Teacher the love of her students while at the same time demonstrating a "no nonsense" attitude that students and their parents have come to both admire and respect.  La Cumbre Junior High School, acclaimed as one of the top performing schools in Santa Barbara County, has accomplished this distinction due in part to the exceptional commitment of its teachers and the leadership team established at the school.  Julie exemplifies every day this extraordinary commitment to excellence and dedication in her classroom.  Thank you Julie, for inspiring your students for not wanting to settle for less and for acknowledging the greatness that is in each of them. May your light continue to shine in the hearts and minds of your students."
To my favorite sister...stop crying already!