Wednesday, August 15, 2007

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Dan occasionally says, speaking of New Mexico, "I really like it here, but I'm not sure you like it as much as I do." I wish I could put his mind at ease, because I do like New Mexico, even more than I thought I would before we moved.

Some things I like about New Mexico:

  • Beautiful and varied scenery
  • Hot air balloons
  • Four distinct seasons
  • Awesome sunsets
  • The combination of Hispanic and Native American cultures, arts and foods
  • New Mexico's rich history
  • Shorter travel distances to family
  • Albuquerque's good shopping
  • Abundance of cultural opportunities (concerts and other performances)
  • The new friends we've made

If we were to leave New Mexico, I would miss these things, and more. But that doesn't mean I don't miss some things about Oregon and Alaska. I think that is what is confusing Dan when he asks if I really like New Mexico.

Some things I miss about Oregon:

  • Pumpkin patches in the fall
  • Christmas tree farms, where we cut our own real trees
  • U-pick fields and orchards, where we could pick sweet corn, strawberries, peaches, apples, Marion berries, and on and on
  • Houses that are made out of something besides stucco
  • The Oregon coast - my favorite place for renewal
  • Camp Yamhill
  • Thick, lush green lawns
  • The smell of bark dust
  • Powell's Bookstore and Fred Meyer
  • Great Chinese restaurants
  • Teaching ESL classes at George Fox University
  • The old friends I left behind
Some things I miss about Alaska:
  • Fresh-out-of-the-water salmon, halibut and king crab
  • Cool summer temperatures
  • Long, long summer days
  • Deep snowfalls
  • The Northern Lights
  • The view we had from our condo (see the picture above)
  • Day trips on the ferries
  • The Permanent Fund Dividend
  • Certain smells that mean "home" to me: skunk cabbage, low tide, creosote on the docks, spruce trees
  • Up-close-and-personal encounters with black bears, eagles and whales
  • The old friends I left behind

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello Linda:
Isn't it delightful that no matter where God transplants us, we can find people, sights and smells that touch us; it's always the Lord setting the banquet table.
-Joanne

Linda Judd said...

Joanne? As in Joanne R.? How good to hear from you! Yes, He is good!

Anonymous said...

Indeed. The same.
Your photos are beautiful.
Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

My hunch is that most wives are far more complex than their husbands fully understand which is why they bless us beyond words.

Linda Judd said...

Hi Mike! :-) Nice to hear from you.

Anonymous said...

Usually, there's not much I can contribute to your high quality blog, so I just enjoy it. But, this time I figured an emale view might add perspective.