Benito Juarez...

In the fourth grade, the study of history begins in earnest. What a great subject! I am afraid that I didn't learn as much in school as I could and should have, but as I have aged history has become so relevent and so interesting, or I should say that I have begun to realize how relevent and interesting it is. I want my daughter to enjoy it as much as I do which I think only requires a good story.
This book is a good story. This book tells a short synopsis of the life of Benito Juarez and how he became a hero in Mexico and why the Mexican people celebrate Cinco de Mayo. It is a story that includes several themes that I think are very appropriate for children: 1. Education is very important and you should educate yourself as much as possible. 2. Helping other people is the right thing to do. 3. One person really can make a big difference.
Enjoy!

The Illegal Immigration Issue...

In June of 2006, Robert Morison, the co-author of the book Workforce Crisis made an appearance on The News Hour with Jim Lehrer. This is what he said, "Don't let the current hubbub about illegal border crossing from Mexico give immigration a bad name. The U.S. economy needs immigrants, because the growth rate of the native-born workforce is slowing to a trickle. There will be a period during the next decade when all of our workforce growth will be thanks to immigration. We also need skilled immigrants, people who come to America either already skilled or seeking education. That's because the economy continues to add jobs requiring technical training or a college degree, while the aggregate demand for unskilled labor is nearly flat." (see the rest of Mr. Morison's comments here).

I would be interested to know what Mr. Morison would say today. Since June the un-employment rate has dropped again and crackdowns on illegal immigration have caused labor shortages in farm labor and other areas. The April 9, 2007 issue of Business Week reported, "In agriculture, the crackdown on illegal immigration has dried up farm labor so much that crops were left rotting in the fields last year. Even Michigan, which has the nation's highest unemployment rate, is reaching out to migrant farmworkers from Texas and, soon, Florida. Its slogan is "Venga a Michigan"--Spanish for "Come to Michigan." (see the full article from Business Week here)

"Come to Michigan," seems to be the only place where the welcome mat is still out on the porch, but what about The Statue of Liberty, you know the phrase, "Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free..."

There are groups in the news who like to loudly proclaim, "Yes, we believe in immigration, but these people need to come here legally." The reality of the situation is that we allow far fewer immigrants into this country than we need to support our economy. There is also the reality that some who come from Canada and Mexico have no interest in becoming U.S. citizens, they just want to be able to come here to work and then leave.

Dr. Wayne Conelius of the University of California was interviewed for a 60 Minutes story about illegal immigration at the U.S. / Mexican border. He said, "They can earn more in an hour of work in the United States then they could in an entire day in Mexico-- if they had a job. The government says crossing the border through the desert is breaking the law... The message that we're sending them is if you can get past the obstacle course at the border, you're essentially home free. You have pretty much unrestricted access to our labor market and there are employers out there eager for your labor." That story aired in December of 2005. Since then border control has been tightened and the need for immigrant labor and the opportunities available for those who are willing to take that risk have become better. (read the very compelling 60 Minutes report here)

It is difficult for anyone to see issue beyond their own perspective and mine is that of a mother. If I were living in poverty and wondering if I would be able to provide for my child the things that every child should have, would I be willing to break the speed limit, (illegal immigration is classified as a misdemeanor) the answer. Yes! Would I have the courage and take the risks that so many Mexican mothers have taken to give their children a better life? I hope that I would. Over eight million illegal immigrants live in the United States. We need them to be here. If we did not need them, there would be no work for them and they would not come.

There are those that claim that we need to build a fence across our southern border, and I have to say that I see something ugly in that. If we are not talking about racism, then why don't we build a fence across our northern border as well.

There is not a perfect solution to illegal immigration that I can see, but I believe in The Guest Worker Program as the only solution that has some humanity and fairness, not to mention responsible economic sense in it, and I pray for its adoption.

My sister-in-law once said to me, "When we lift anyone, we lift everyone," and that is something I truly believe. I also believe that we must spread liberty, we must promote freedom, we must share prosperity and freedom with others, or we must lose it.

Percy Lavon Julian... A Great American...

Forgotton Genius is the story of Percy Lavon Julian one of the most gifted chemists America has ever produced. His work with plant steroids made possible the synthetic develop of the cortisone that is used for arthritis and other kinds of pain even today. Before Mr. Julian developed the processes and made the discoveries that he did, cortisone was worth more than its weight in gold and even if one had wealth untold, it was sometimes still unavailable at any price because of the little supply. Mr. Julian helped to discover a way that it could be manufactured in very large quantities and made available to those people who were suffering pain and needed this drug desperately.

His contributions in the field of chemistry are vast and his desire to better humanity inspiring.

It was very moving to me to learn of the battles he faced to do his important work and the difficulties that he faced because of his race. Near the end of the program there was a statement that he made where he said something to the effect that he had done the very best that he could, but he had not had the kind of career and the kind of opportunities that he would have liked to have had. I wonder what a genius of this kind could have done if society had been color blind at the time; maybe no more than he did or maybe much more than he did. I think there is a lesson there for society today. We must open the way for those who are willing to work and willing to learn. We must be sure the opportunities to achieve are there when the next Percy Julian comes along. If we don't, we only rob ourselves. Learn about the achievements and the life of Percy Julian here and see bits of the Nova program here.

Don't Miss World Peace...

I am just telling you that if you miss out on Jenni's World Peace Cookies that it is not my fault. Oh my heck!!! (I hate to use a Utah colloquialism on you folks, but what can I say...) Well, the ineffable joy, the fireworks of happiness... the, the, the chocolate! "I will eat them in a box. And I will eat them with a fox. And I will eat them in a house. And I will eat them with a mouse (well... not that). And I will eat them here and there. Say! I will eat them ANYWHERE!" See Jenni's post here. Really people, try these!

Chocolate... High on the list of good things from Mexico...

Chocolate!!! First known to be used and actually developed as a bitter drink by the Aztecs of Mexico... (This bar is a new favorite, but it's from the slightly less exotic land of Pennsylvania.) Aztecs happened to often use chili with their bitter chocolate and it is a fabulous combo.. (they believed that chocolate had some kind of use as an aphrodisiac or was helpful with fertility or something) If you happen to ever find yourself in SLC at the Red Butte Cafe... don't miss the Aztec Chocolate & Chili Torte... delish! Eat it with a sweetheart, you never know, those Aztecs could be right! ;) See a fun history of chocolate here.

Silver...

It seems that yellow gold is making a big comeback everywhere, but I still love silver best. During the year 1993, (the most current stat I could find with almost no effort) Mexico was the world's largest producer of silver followed by the United States and Canada. Large amounts of silver are mined in Rocky Mountains of North America and the Andes in South America. Nevada produces the most silver in the U.S.

Silver has been found in the tombs of ancient Egypt and has been used to make all kinds of ornamental items for thousands of years. It is the metal used to make more coin more than any other in history.

The artisans of Mexico have become very skilled in making silver into every imaginable piece of art and their jewelry is particularly lovely. There are beautiful things made currently and very unique vintage pieces like the swan necklace above which I found by making a favorite search on Ebay which goes... Sterling Silver +Mexico +vintage -coin ... ( I just want to see the pretty jewels). Have fun!

Bouquets & Boxes...

I know it hasn't looked like it, but I have been painting quite a few boxes recently. I have just finished 20 of the 2007 Christmas design, but they are still a big secret. I might show them to just you guys, but not yet.

I have also been painting a few of these bouquet boxes. Two of them are already spoken for, but 3 are available still if anyone would like them personalized... you have to let me know by tomorrow night. I can only personalize them after they are paid for, for obvious reasons.. but if anyone is interested in doing this... this is the deal. You get 10 words inside the lid and 8 on the bottom. So inside the lid it could say, "Mother, I love you dearly, dearly, dearly and more dearly..." and on the bottom it could say, " Happy Mother's Day! May 13, 2007 Love, Tabitha"

If you want them on time for Mother's Day... I'm not really sure about that. I can have them ready at the soonest to ship tomorrow afternoon and I can ship Priority Mail, but it's risky... if you want one for your best friends birthday in June... it's a cinch. Ofcourse we will change the quote for your friend. :) So, that's the deal. They will be $19.00 in the Etsy shop if anyone is interested and if you'd like them personalized, you have to let me know by tomorrow. :) It sure is a gorgeous day here, I'd love to be outside, but since I am sitting next to an open window... I'm practically there! Have a happy day!

(boxes are now listed and ready to go.. see them here...)

Esperanza Rising...

Esperanza Rising is the semi-autobiographical story of the author's family who came from Mexico to the United States as farm workers during the very difficult depression years of the 1930's. The book details Esperanza'a days of picking the different crops that must be harvested and taking care of her mother who becomes very ill and Esperanza's efforts to become educated and to maintain some kind of gracious life even while the family suffers extreme poverty.

The book covers political issues that face our country even today, while at the same time being a very personal story of the author's grandmother and inspiring in the way that so many immigrant stories are.

I love this book. It is a beautifully written tribute to the author's grandmother. I also think it is an important book, one that can open not just the eyes of children, but our own eyes to another world that exists here in our own country. I would recommend this book to children over the age of 8.

Cinco de Mayo...table...

I always use this serape that my friend Brooke brought home from Mexico and gave me as a birthday gift one year as my Cinco de Mayo table cloth. It is wool, but it washes up beautifully. I never put it in the dryer however. On the menu was the chicken enchiladas below, corn bread, green salad and lime rice and limeade. Not on the menu but very much missed was our favorite roasted chili salsa from Que Pasa and their homeade (actually restaurant made chips). :( If we had been able to, we also would have loved to have had some baked butternut squash with sea salt. Yummo. :)

Chicken Enchiladas...

Chicken Enchiladas

8 tortillas

1/2 cup chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

1teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream

1 14-ounce can chicken broth

1 4-ounced can diced green chili peppers

1 cup shredded Monteray Jack cheese

1 pd grilled chicken shredded

sliced pitted olives (optional)

chopped tomatoes (optional)

sliced green onions (optional)

In a saucepan cook onion, garlic, coriander, and pepper in butter till onion is tender. Stir flour into sour cream; add to onion mixture. Stir in brith and chili peppers all at once. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese.

For filling. Pour half of the filling into a bowl of shredded chicken. Stir. Then, in a lightly greased 9X13 fill each tortilla with about 1/2 cup chicken concoction. Once the pan is full pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and bake at 350 degrees for 35 min. Then cover with remaining cheese and return to oven for 5 min. Garnish with olives, tomatoes and green onions.

This recipe was originally published in the 1989 edition of Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. The above recipe reflects only a few minor changes. It is not necessary to grill the chicken, it just tastes extra good like that. Also, I have made this recipe gluten-free using just corn tortillas instead of flour and a bit of corn starch to thicken the sour cream rather than flour. They are delish this way as well.

Viva Mexico!

I have never been to Mexico and it is one of the places that I would dearly love to visit. My husband served his LDS Mission there and passed to me a great affinity for Mexican food, culture and people.

I made these boxes several years ago and they are the boxes we set out for our Cinco de Mayo celebration at home. Inside the lid of the large one is a portion of a favorite poem by the poet Francisco De Quevedo, "My soul won't leave its memory of love..."

The second box has a quote by Benito Juarez, the man who led Mexico to independece from French occupation... the reason Cinco de Mayo is celebrated, "Respect for the rights of others is peace."

During the coming week, I would like to share with you a few of my favorites from Mexico...

Cherry says something exciting makes a comeback...

Cherry.

Kipper My Love...

I love Kipper. What a lovely little dog he is. I am one of those people who feels strongly that media very much influences the behavior of children. I am often disturbed when I see that some children are learning their etiquette from Bart Simpson rather than their parents. I believe in the Eliza Doolittle concept; you are a princess when you behave like one.

This is why I give Kipper videos as baby gifts these days and for birthdays through age 6. Kipper is a prince because he behaves like one. Exposure to Kipper is a wonderful influence on a small child. If your child takes to watching Kipper like mine did, you might find them speaking with a bit of an English accent... but it sounds just lovely especially when they are using words like "please" and "thank-you."

Light From Heaven...

It's over... right people.. There are no more books in this series? Oh sadness. I truly loved it. These books were just very sweet. I loved the ending, but I won't spoil it just in case I am not the only person in the world who hasn't read these books.

I purchased a souvenir. I bought the book Patches of Godlight, Father Tim's Favorite quotes...

"Why don't you get a haircut? You look like a chrysanthemum." P.G. Wodehouse (love him!)

"What you do when you don't have to, determines what you will be when you can no longer help it." Rudyard Kipling

"Lord, purge our eyes to see within the seed a tree, within the glowing egg a bird, within the shroud a butterfly. Till, taught by such we see beyond all creatures, thee..." Christina Rossetti

By the time you get to book three, Father Tim is a close friend... if you haven't read these books... don't miss hanging around with him. :) This is actually the only long series like this that I have ever finished...

Alison Krauss...

Do you ever have to listen to a new cd for awhile before you get to really like the songs? I always do... except when there is a new Alison Krauss cd. I always like her music from the first hearing. This cd is no exception. I love it!

A House of a Different Color...

These will both be available today in the Love Boxes Etsy Shop...

Thoughts on Faith...

Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings while the dawn is still dark. ~Rabindranath Tagore

I think faith must be part of the learning requirement to pass through this life. We are born not really mobile, we must learn to roll over, sit, stand and walk independantly. As a new mother, watching my child learn to do these things was very moving to me. She fell all the time learning to walk, but there was never a hint of discouragement, she had faith that she could do it.

When we marry someone, we walk into the unknown... we must have faith in ourselves and faith in our mate and we must remain faithful... part of faith is loyalty.

When we try to overcome those things that set us back and keep us down, we must have faith. I love this verse from Ether 12:27..."And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then I will make weak things become strong unto them."

Emily Dickenson spoke of faith in this way...

I never saw a moor, I never saw the sea;

Yet know I how the heather looks, And what a wave must be.
I never spoke with God, Nor visited in heaven;

Yet certain am I of the spot As if the chart were given.

There is one other bit of wisdom on faith that I truly love... There is a little speech given from uncle to nephew in the movie Secondhand Lions, that goes like this:

"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 ? "

Faith is, in my opinion, a spiritual gift, but it is also a choice. In the book of Malachi the Lord says, "...prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Can that be anything but an invitation to choose faith?

Whether choosing to put faith in a person or a church or in diety..to put faith in the things, people and doctrines that are worth the effort, worth the sacrifices, worth the patience required seems like wisdom to me.

*not my image above

7 Wierd Things About Me...

I was tagged by Dolly... Hi Dolly!!!

1. I love sharpie pens... oh how lovely they are.

2. I am obsessed with bright colors... brown makes me a little sad.

3. According to C, I share a strange undocumented sign language with my family that few others can comprehend. (he's learning)

4. I try not to buy books, I try to go to the library a lot... but I cannot help my-self.

5. Books on tape from the library are one of life's greatest things... how wonderful to have someone to read you a story...

6. I get car sick, if I'm not the person driving.

7. The cute little furry pet that you likely have... yes, I'm terrified of it. If a sweet kittycat or even a cute little doggy rubs against my leg, I am likely to climb the wall boards with my finger nails.. Due to allergies I think. I often have nightmares where cute fuzzy creatures try to get me. It's very embarassing.

I am supposed to tag seven people so I tag... Rachel and Aunt Jackie, Shelese and Jenni and Janice and Natalie and Lindsey...

May Flowers...

May is here and that gets me to thinking of May flowers. Little c told me a joke yesterday... what do April showers bring.... May flowers.... what do May flowers bring.... pilgrims... ha! ha!

I really enjoy all the books of Barbara Milo Ohrbach, but since I adore quotes... I love these tiny gift books she does best of all.

"Lastly, love your flowers. By some subtle sense the dear things always detect their friends, and for them they will live longer and bloom more freely than they ever will for a stranger."

Julia S. Berrall

"Die when I may, I want it said of me by those who know me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow." Abraham Lincoln

"Green fingers are the extensions of a verdant heart." Russell Page

Alexandra...

The May Newsletter is posted! See it here.