If you’re not already a fan, I run an incredibly successful Facebook page that was originally created to promote this blog. It is appropriately called “I Love New Mexico” and from October 2011, when it was created with about 200 fans, it’s grown of over 6,400 fans. The growth isn’t because I’m such a brilliant Facebook strategist. It’s attributable to the fact that lots of folks do actually LOVE New Mexico. And they love the images I find, from photos of dive bars south of Las Cruces to the breathtaking majesty of Ghost Ranch and Abiquiu. I seldom post an [ Read More ]
In 1990, when I was pregnant with Johanna and living in Kansas, we were avid fans of PBS. We didn’t have cable. But what we did have was the anticipation of Ken Burns’ upcoming documentary on the Civil War. Despite all our other differences, Johanna’s father and I were both history buffs (okay, fiends) who loved best the stories contained in American History. In the introduction to the Ken Burns Civil War documentary, David McCullough, the narrator says “The Civil War was fought in 10,000 places, from Valverde, New Mexico, and Talahome, Tennessee to Saint Albens, Vermont and Fernandina on the Florida Coast.” [ Read More ]
Repost in honor of National Pie Day. I wrote this for a good friend of mine. You might like to try it yourself. For good fortune in 2013, head for the Continental Divide and Pie Town in western New Mexico. If you don’t love pie, go ahead and shoot yourself, because there’s no purpose to life without pie (or so they say in Pie Town). In fact, if you don’t love pie, this fortune may be exactly what you need in 2011, because the purpose is to show you something new, exciting and unexpected. If your schedule permits, plan your visit to [ Read More ]
I’m reposting this to give you yet another look at one of my New Mexico Favorites. The 3 Bears Lodge really launched my blogging career by providing me with the perfect subject to convey my love of New Mexico. And then recently they donated a stay in the lodge to a benefit held in my honor. I can’t let that kindness go unnoticed. The bottom line is: if you’re looking for a fun, clean place to stay in Red River where the hosts will treat you like family, this is it. Here’s the prior post in its entirety: I’m a [ Read More ]
Thanks to all of you who commented or liked my post on Facebook about the Pick Up Sticks blog. We have three winners, drawn from the proverbial app hat. . . Drum roll, please! The runners-up are Vicky Terry Smith and Cydne Cochran! Please go to www. shop.pickupsticks.net and choose the style of initial you like best, the letter you prefer, and then provide that information along with your mailing address to this blog at ilovenewmexico1@gmail.com. We’ll ship your initial with a 20″ stainless steel necklace as soon as we have that information. The grand prize of a 36 ” [ Read More ]
The rules of blogging are very clear. Never, ever, ever apologize for not posting. But I have to say to those of you who are faithful followers of I Love New Mexico – Sorry. I’ve had some niggling health issues, and I’m working very hard on them, but that doesn’t keep me from being a devoted follower of everything New Mexican. I’m back, mostly, and I plan to get on track with posting about the things we love best here in the Land of Enchantment. I decided to create a new feature for 2013 – my list of New [ Read More ]
I wrote this three years ago, but still love to share my thoughts on the magic of Popejoy Hall during the holiday season. Enjoy! My 49th birthday was December 8, 2009, and my daughter, Johanna, a brand new freshman at UNM, bought tickets for the two of us to see the Nutcracker ballet performed by the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra and New Mexico Ballet Company at Popejoy Hall. I snuck into her dorm room with a sleeping bag and an armload of dress up clothes, we wandered down Central to dinner at Yanni’s, and then we walked across campus to [ Read More ]
I first posted this in November 2010, and have since posted it each Thanksgiving. It’s too delicious NOT to have on your table. This is the easiest cranberry salsa recipe in existence. If you’re a total purist, make your own cranberry sauce from the directions on a bag of fresh. If you’re in a hurry and have 22 other dishes to make (that’s me), use canned cranberry sauce. And this isn’t just a Thanksgiving recipe – make it and take to a potluck and you’ll be deemed brilliant and all the other guests will want your recipe. That’s why you [ Read More ]
Sometimes you begin a thing without knowing the why or wherefore. Your heart tells you to go in a certain direction, and you do it, not thinking about profit or recognition, but simply knowing that you have to follow your heart. That’s how this blog is for me. Several years ago, on a December night right after Christmas, I read an article about blogging for profit, and it talked about how the only way to blog was to write about something you love. I wasn’t expecting a profit, but I knew what I wanted to write about immediately. Thus “I [ Read More ]
I was in a nail salon in Santa Fe a couple of weeks ago, visiting with and becoming fast friends with the girl giving me a manicure. She was telling me all about how relocating to Santa Fe from Espanola had changed her social life and how much fun she was having. ”And then we went to the premiere of Bless Me Ultima at the Lensic the other night. . .” she chattered on, and I lifted my free hand. “Wait,” I said, “There’s a movie?” “Oh yes,” she said, “. . .and if you’re from New Mexico, you’ll love [ Read More ]
