MaryAnn's Maze

May 12, 2008

The month is almost half gone and still no warm weather and we had snow on May 10^th….enough already. It is time to get the windows open and washed and the flowers into the ground. I got a beautiful potted petunia plant at Highland School greenhouse and a couple of small geraniums that will be salmon in color when they start to bloom and will compliment my 3 large red geraniums that I brought in last fall and they have thrived through the window thanks to a green thumb of a nifty lady. Lots of graduation parties over the weekend and such fun to see everyone visiting and enjoying themselves. Crookston graduation is May 23….the seniors are done on May 15 with skip day on May 16^th…..so it is moving by fast…lots of college kids are done for the year also and starting jobs for the summer or still looking…..it is good to see them home. A long time country singer Eddy Arnold, died last week and he had many songs that we shall remember. I remember he used to have a show on the radio at 7:45 a.m. daily so I was always listening as we headed for school.

Representative Bernie Lieder of Crookston was honored last week at the legislature as Veterans were remembered on VE day….He was a World War II Veteran and served in Germany. His 3 daughters, Sue, Heidi and Jane surprised him for the ceremony along with other relatives…..so how nice was that….and very deserving.

Earliest average frost out date in Minnesota is May 19 and the latest average frost out date is June 10. Earliest average frost in date in Minnesota August 31 and latest average frost in date September 24. There are 2,400 different species of plants native to Minnesota. 191 plants in Minnesota are listed as endangered, threatened or of special concern. 24 plants are aquatic plants native to Minnesota and 98 wildflowers are native to Minnesota. 52 shrubs and trees are native to Minnesota. There are 7 public rose gardens in Minnesota and five public arboretums along with 4 public Japanese gardens and 16 historic gardens.

I wonder what makes a historic garden???????

A River Runs Through it, Crookston, Minnesota….that is what is on the cover of the new booklet recently printed promoting Crookston…it has a picture of the fall trees on the river on the cover……lots of beautiful pictures with the credit going to Rand Hughes,Jerry Knutson and Dave Emanuel. There are blooming sunflowers, bees on the flower petals, wild animals in the native habitat, scenes of winter, summer, fall and spring….Historical district pictures. A listing of attractions, entertainment and day trips. Annual events with plenty of pictures are noted. Map of the city along with places to dine and lodging. Everything is covered, retail, parks and recreation, business and healthcare. A lot of work went into the booklet and it paid off, Big time the latest addition of University of Minnesota alumni magazine has a feature with pictures by Annie Griffiths Belt, 1976 graduate, and they are of children from everywhere in the world. She is a National Geographic Society photographer and one of the pictures featured Hutterite children praying after a meal at the Forest River colony in North Dakota.

Speaking of North Dakota, The Department of Health allows mothers to bring their babies to work until they are 6 months old and right now they have 4 babies coming to work everyday. One of the mothers is Michelle Walker and her daughter Nora. Michelle is the daughter of Sue and Lee Sele of Crookston and a 1990 graduate of CHS. They will be featured in the People magazine issue on May 23rd in a story about this program….She is married to Fred Walker, nephew of Terry and Ray Dusek of Crookston. So take a look.

The strongest distance between two points is the punch in line of a cereal box.

Comments made in 1955, only 53 years ago!!!!!!!!!!

“I’ll tell you one thing, if things keep going the way they are, it’s going to be impossible to buy a week’s groceries for $20.00.

Have you seen the new cars coming out next year? It won’t be long before $2,000 will only buy a used one.
If cigarettes keep going up in price, I’m going to quit. A quarter a pack is ridiculous.
Did you hear the post office is thinking about charging a dime just to mail a letter.
If they raise the minimum wage to $1, nobody will be able to hire outside help at the store.
When I first started driving, who would have thought gas would someday cost 29 cents a gallon. Guess we’d be better off leaving the car in the garage.
Kids today are impossible.
Those duck tail haircuts make it impossible to stay groomed. Next thing, you know, boys will we wearing their hair as long as the girls.
How interesting where those comparisons to now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some information on the Food and Fuel debate from the CEO in Heartland Corn Products in Winthrop….Less than 2 percent of the US corn crop is used for human consumption in cereal grain. We use almost as much for pet food as we do for cereal consumption. About 6 to 7 percent of the corn crop is used to make fructose and sweetners. The corn to the ethanol industry only used the starch portion of the kernel. All of the protein, oil, fibers, minerals, vitamins, and other components remain and are available for utilization as food for either human consumption or for traditional use as livestock feed. This remaining portion is commonly referred to as DDGS. The World is not short of starch for human nutrition. The need is for proteins and digestible fiber. Soybeans traditionally carry a much higher value in the marketplace because they contain a much higher percentage of proteins and oils and a much lower percentage of starch.. Those are just a few thoughts on the debate.

Years ago when someone wore sneakers, it often meant that they couldn’t afford shoes. Today, if a person is wearing shoes, he probably can’t afford sneakers.

It’s a truism that people who seem to think they know everything are especially aggravating to those of us who do.

The Minnesota Sesquicentennial is underway in many parts of the state and a celebration was held on Mother’s Day at the state capital. Minnesota was admitted into the union as the 32^nd state in 1858 and away we went. The date was May 11, 1858. St. Paul was established in 1838, Fort Snelling 1820, Duluth, 1870. Some Minnesota Icons include: Pillsbury Doughboy came in 1965, Betty Crocker in 1921, Jolly Green Giant, 1921, Princess Kay Butter heads at the state fair in 1965,Hamm’s Bear commercials from 1953 to 1969.Spam because a luncheon meat in 1937. Pronto Pups were introduced at the state fair in 1947.

Lake Itasca State Park was founded in 1891. Those are just a few icons in Minnesota past 150 years. Will we make it another 150 years?

I had a laugh last week from one of the 5^th graders who on a field trip was at the Paul Bunyan Museum in Bemidji and was intrigued by the large finger nail clippings he had….he said they were as big as a hand. I’m sure he garnered other educational materials while on the trip also.

The nails on your fingers and toes grow very slowly, just over 1 inch in a year.

A man in India grew one thumbnail until it was more than 45 inches long.

The honey guide bird got its name because it guides honey badgers to where honey is stored in a bees next in a tree. The honey guide loves eating honey and even beeswax but cannot break into the nest on its own. Chattering loudly, the bird leads a honey badger to a nest. The badger breaks open the honeycombs and the bird and the animal share the feast.

A chameleon’s tongue is as long as its body. It shoots it our to catch flies.

Enjoy the week, stay warm stay safe and work for peace.
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Thanks for reading and you can reach me at (218)281-1140, P.O. Box 620 or 208 South Main, Crookston, 56716, or maryann_simmons@hotmail.com