Why I love New Mexico

The sun in New Mexico starts shining first thing in the morning, and shines all day. Here at Guajome, four or five miles inland, the sun finally broke through the fog about 10:30 a.m. yesterday. It’s now 9:30 a.m. on Sunday and no sign of the sun. And it is chilly and damp – 67 percent humidity. Oh, give me the New Mexico sun!

Let me back up a couple of days. My country/western dance friends Diane and Wayne Crawford picked me up on Friday evening and took me to the Elks Club where we joined other dance friends: Kathy and Bill Harrod, Joyce and Wayne Ford, and Rita Jones. Since most, if not all, country western dance places have closed or changed to other types of dancing, the group of friends joined the Elks. A two-person band played country-western songs and there were lots of folks on the dance floor, many doing line dances. I recognized a bunch of them, but I’ve been away from dancing a long time.

Yesterday was the reason I stayed longer in the San Diego area – Granddaughter Danielle was participating in a major cheer competition at the San Diego Convention Center. After cheering for several years in Pop Warner Football, she auditioned and was accepted by the California All Stars. This is “serious” cheering – actually choreographed dance and tumbling. This event is their tune-up competition before heading to Dallas, Texas, next weekend for the very-major “super cheer competition.”

Rick picked me up (note, the sun was out at Guajome at 2 p.m.) and as we headed to I-5 that parallels the coast, we drove back into a hazy fog.

I could hear the competition “music” long before actually entering the arena. They play it LOUD. Teams in several divisions and from various parts of the country competed. Each routine is 2 ½ minutes long, and there is a lot of action, including tossing and catching petite girls (called flyers). In spite of the loud noise – music and excited parents, grandparents and friends – I enjoyed the evening. Here is a picture that includes Danielle. (go to the girl standing on the right in the back, then look down and a bit to the right – that’s Danielle, she’s on her knees) NOTE: the “people” behind the squad in the red are painted on the wall behind them, not part of the squad.










I’m sure enjoying the birds outside. I have two bird feeders – the white one holds thistle seed that is a favorite of finches and the other has whole, in-the-shell sunflower seeds being enjoyed by sparrows, dove, thrashers, and grosbeaks and a few other LBBs.

In the evenings I’m reading Journal of a Solitude by Mary Sarton. It is kind of slow reading because she gives so much to think about.

“I have time to think. That is the great, the greatest luxury. I have time to be. Therefore my responsibility is huge. To use time well and to be all that I can in whatever years are left to me.” May Sarton

And in her book she quotes another writer:

“There is nothing that will bring us such abundant returns as to take a little time in the quiet of each day of our lives. We need this to get the kinks out of our minds and hence out of our lives.” Ralph Waldo Trine

Now, go find some solitude and enjoy it.

Tomorrow morning I head north to I-10 and then east. I’m planning on taking two days to get to Apache Junction (Arizona) where I’ll spend from Feb. 8 to 15. I hope I’ll be able to find convenient wireless Internet access.

NOTE: I keep forgetting to give you the Internet link to the weekly food column I write for the North County Times (San Diego County). It is www.nctimes.com/news/columnists/anderson

To write to me, please send email to:
http://carolinnewmexico@azulstar.com