.png)
New Mexico – Land of Enchantment, Land of the Weird
CLICK ABOVE TO PLAY MUSIC
Music – “Being Weird Is Cool” from Community Rocks!: The Honeybabes & Please Stop Complaining by Sara O’Brien & The Community Rocks! Kids. Released: 2014.
De Na Zin Wilderness, New Mexico (Photo by Sue Jimenez)
New Mexico is known as the Land of Enchantment for good reason. The culture, the geology, the landscape and the food all come together to fascinate, thrill and delight tourists and residents alike.
Shiprock, New Mexico (Photo by Sue Jimenez)
Cabazon Peak, New Mexico (Photo by Sue Jimenez)
The official state question is “red or green?”, of course referring to your choice of red or green chile on your food. If you’re really in the know, you can ask for “Christmas” and get a little of each.
The Official State question in New Mexico is “red or green?” (Photo Credit: http://www.mjskitchen.com)
The official state bird is the Roadrunner, the cute little guy always being stalked by the evil Wile E. Coyote. Wile E. Coyote is not on the official state list.
The Roadrunner is the Official State Bird of New Mexico (Wile E. Coyote is not on the list) (Photo Credit: http://www.cliparthut.com)
The bizcochito (or biscochito) is the official state cookie, the official state flower is the yucca and turquoise is the state gem.
Biscochitos are the Official cookie of New Mexico (Photo Credit: http://www.rgcdc.org)
Yucca is the State Flower of New Mexico (Photo by Sue Jimenez)
Of course, turquoise is the official state gem (Photo Credit: http://www.en wikipedia.org)
However, of late, New Mexico is becoming the “Land of the Weird“. I have to say that apparently I have been a significant contributor to this attitude change. You see, earlier this week I was contacted by a reporter at one of our local TV stations. She had just recently heard of my cookbook collection and asked to see it. Naturally, I obliged and a small snippet of our interview was run on the 5:30 newscast last Monday.
Chaco Canyon, New Mexico (Photo by Sue Jimenez)
I must say that I was surprised to hear the news anchor describe my collection as “the weirdest” collection in New Mexico. I have been described by the Guinness Book of World Records as “Officially Amazing“, and “interesting” by some, but this is the first time I heard that I was “weird” and felt a slight twinge of embarrassment. Now according to most dictionaries, “weird” is described as 1) “involving or suggesting the supernatural: unearthly or eerie“, 2) “fantastic, bizarre“, etc. To the best of my knowledge, I am definitely not unearthly, so I must fall into the realm of the “fantastic and bizarre”. OK.
Ah, New Mexico. Land of Enchantment and Land of the Weird
The last thing I would want to do is to embarrass the State of New Mexico, by being demonstrably “weird”, but apparently I have been branded so.
Nonetheless, the TV anchor may not have been aware that there is another “weird” person in New Mexico, who has recently obtained the Guinness World Record for her collection of Slinkies. I make no comment but ask the readers to decide which collection is the weirder. At least I can read my books, use them to cook from, write about them and much more, but other than the obvious, what can you do with a bunch of Slinkies? Perhaps I should petition Governor Susana Martinez to be designated as the State of New Mexico official Weirdo.
You may judge for yourself. Just click on the link below:
Comments