A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....10-03-03....New Mexico ~ "The Land of Enchantment"

Mama_Bear

[Mama_Bear]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Mama_Bear, dansangel, dutchess, Aquamarine ~

Please join us for a cyber-tour of another great state in this Union of ours. As we discover and spotlight each of our 50 states we also salute the proud FReepers who call their state 'home'.

Over the coming months each "Finest" hostess will profile her own home state - I will be presenting all the other states in random order. Please FReepMail me if you would like to participate in spotlighting your state. I would love to have your input on what you would like to see highlighted.

These are the states that have been presented to date:

05-23-03 Alabama
06-27-03 Maryland
07-11-03 Vermont
07-25-03 Utah
08-05-03 Texas
08-22-03 Nevada
08-26-03 Washington DC
09-05-03 Tennessee
09-17-03 Florida
09-19-03 Minnesota

Today we shine our Finest spotlight on New Mexico and the 88 FReepers who hail from "The Land of Enchantment". Click on the graphic below to visit FreeRepublic's New Mexico message board.

The first observation newcomers make about New Mexico is its vast geographical openness. Whether on winding mountain roads, long stretching highways or out on the wide open plains, the blue skies reach into distant horizons. New Mexico is actually the fifth largest state in the United States with 121,335 square miles.

The vast tracts of land in New Mexico provide a wealth of natural resources for farming, ranching, and manufacturing.

New Mexico's economy is as diverse as its cultural roots. It includes hundreds of art galleries, challenging ski areas, a booming dairy industry, international trade with Mexico, and a proliferation of technological breakthroughs due to the presence of national laboratories in Albuquerque and Los Alamos to name but a few. New Mexico is also one of the largest energy producing states in the nation, ranking fourth in natural gas production in 1992.

New Mexico is a blend of ancient cultural traditions and striking environmental diversity. Its unique multi-cultural personality and character truly make it America's Land of Enchantment and a state worth further exploration.


A bit of history about Santa Fe,
the Capitol of New Mexico.

Thirteen years before Plymouth Colony was settled by the Mayflower Pilgrims, Santa Fe, New Mexico, was established with a small cluster of European type dwellings. It would soon become the seat of power for the Spanish Empire north of the Rio Grande. Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in North America and the oldest European community west of the Mississippi.

While Santa Fe was inhabited on a very small scale in 1607, it was truly settled by the conquistador Don Pedro de Peralta in 1609-1610. Santa Fe is the site of both the oldest public building in America, the Palace of the Governors and the nation's oldest community celebration, the Santa Fe Fiesta, established in 1712 to commemorate the Spanish reconquest of New Mexico in the summer of 1692. Peralta and his men laid out the plan for Santa Fe at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the site of the ancient Pueblo Indian ruin of Kaupoge, or "place of shell beads near the water."

The city has been the capital for the Spanish "Kingdom of New Mexico," the Mexican province of Nuevo Mejico, the American territory of New Mexico (which contained what is today Arizona and New Mexico) and since 1912 the state of New Mexico. Santa Fe, in fact, was the first foreign capital over taken by the United States, when in 1846 General Stephen Watts Kearny captured it during the Mexican-American War.


Read more about the history of New Mexico HERE.

A fact unrealized by many is that the great cowboy phenomena of the American West began in New Mexico more than four centuries ago when Spanish explorers and colonizers brought the first cattle and horses to the region in the late 1500s. The ensuing centuries saw the vaquero (cowboy) ranching lifestyle absorbed into the various Native American cultures and continued by Anglo settlers who came en masse after the American takeover in the mid-1800s.

The ethnic diversity of New Mexico's cowboy culture also included many African Americans who wholeheartedly adopted the lifestyle after the Civil War. The faces of the many authentic cowboys working in New Mexico today still strongly represent this historical mix of westerners.

It's been an obvious love affair between the cowboys and the land since the first cattle and horses were brought to New Mexico on Juan de Oñate's colonization expedition in 1598.

The state capitol building was dedicated on December 8, 1966. Its design is a New Mexico territorial style. This type of architecture is of Pueblo Indian adobe, an adaptation from the Greek revival period. The capitol building forms the shape of the Zia Indian Sun Symbol, which appears on the state flag below.

New Mexico's distinctive insignia is the Zia Sun Symbol which originated with the Indians of the Zia Pueblo in ancient times. Its design reflects their tribal philosophy, with its wealth of pantheistic spiritualism teaching the basic harmony of all things in the universe.

Four is the sacred number of the Zia, and the figure is composed of a circle from which four points radiate. These points, made of four straight lines of varying length, personify the number most often used by the giver of all good gifts.

To the Zia Indian, the sacred number is embodied in the earth with its four main directions: in the year, with its four seasons; in the day, with sunrise, noon, evening and night; in life, with its four divisions--childhood, youth, manhood and old age. Everything is bound together in a circle of life and love, without beginning, without end.

Points of Interest in New Mexico

If you are fortunate enough to be able to spend some
time in this beautiful state, be sure to visit...

• The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.
  (but hurry, it starts tomorrow!) 
  
  
  
• White Sands National Monument.
   
• ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO: UFO Festival.
  
   
• New Mexico State Parks.
   
• Carslbad Caverns.
   
  
• New Mexico National Parks.
   
• Billy The Kid National Scenic Byway.
  Read more about Billy the Kid HERE. 
  

***********************

Thank you to the following websites
for information and graphics...

New Mexico Cowboys
Oldest U.S. Capitol
Origin Of The Flag Of New Mexico
New Mexico's Land and People

Thank you for joining us on our cyber trip to New Mexico. I am sure I have overlooked many interesting facts and points of interest, so please help us celebrate New Mexico by joining in and posting what you know and love about this Fine state.



Have a nice FRiday and a great weekend!

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 09-29-03 Military Monday 09-30-03 Hall of Fame #5 10-01-03 Muscle Car Mania! 10-02-03 John's Two Cents

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me a FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

Click on the photo to view the album. To
submit your photo, please contact danbh59@yahoo.com
and include Freeper Photo Album in subject line.

[Mama_Bear]

I bet you want to go to Baker's Square in Fresno.

Wow, you're right!!! After all these years, you still continue to amaze me! (You must have gotten Amy's freepmail. LOL)

[The Mayor]

Thankyou all for your kind words, Yes Jacob is a great son.

To update you to what we know at this point.
Russ is in Intensive care and in Critical condition.
He is very much touch and go, we don't know if he will make it.
As soon as I know something I will let you all know.
Thankyou for your Prayers, Russ is in the hands of the Great Healer now.
If he doesn't make it I feel comfort that he is in the Prescence of the Lord.

I will pass these Prayers on to his wife and children.

[Mama_Bear]

Hi, Colleen. Isn't that touching about our Mayor's son? Almost made me cry.

[The Mayor]

Thank you

[Billie]

That's so sad, Rus; I ache for his family, and how difficult it will be for him to come through this and be paralyzed for the rest of his life. Please do keep us informed; our prayers go out for all of you who call him your friend and loved one.

[Mama_Bear]

As soon as I know something I will let you all know.

Thank you for the update.

Russ is in the hands of the Great Healer now. If he doesn't make it I feel comfort that he is in the Prescence of the Lord.

Yes, and Amen.

[The Mayor]

My wife just pulled in the driveway so she may know more.

We will call there again and check on them all. I promise to keep you informed.

[dutchess]

billie and Lori???? Here at the same time? We made it safe and sound...but sunny turned into major rains and wind....It's cold and wet with two fireplaces going just to warm us up (Giz is sleeping in front of one)

Figures...finally got on FR after lots of glitches...and "mothers calling".... See you all later...

Lori...I will probably pop in around 8:00 your time if I can coax the folks to bed by then LOL!

[The Mayor]

This E-mail just came moments ago..

Russ is stabalizing nicely and they have decided to go in and remove the L1 section of his spine. They will implant a metal box there where it can begin to re-generate and hopefully he will have some movement from this area. the L1 area controls everything from urinating to walking, there are no guarantees how many functions he might get back. His brain activity went from 4 to 7 today (14 is the highest). He is able to take food intrav. which is surprising, most head traumas like his go 4-5 days before the body will take the food.

The outpouring of emotions and prayers is moving. Please do not be offended if I do not return a phone call or email. Between the hospital and the kids I don't have enough time.

The kids are doing OK. Danielle knows that all of this is serious but does not realize how life and death all of this actually is. I told her that she probably saved Russ' life b/c she was the one who heard him outside. She is holding on to that and thankful that he is alive. Rebekah is carrying around a shirt of Russ' that smells like him and takes it everywhere. She swings between being a happy 4 yr old to crying that she misses Daddy. Noa is not as emotional as Rebekah, but misses prayer time with Daddy at night and I think she senses that something serious is going on.

Our pastor has informed me that the Charismatic Episcopal Church is getting together a fund in Russ' name and that is being arranged by the Bishop and Patriarch of the Church. Also I have heard that some dear friends of Russ' are planning a benefit. Words can not express how much I am touched by all of this.

I am comforted by the fact that my heavenly Father knew when he created me and Russ what was ahead of us. And he designed us able to handle what we need to. The balance of what we need comes in the free gift of grace, for which I am exceedingly thankful. Russ has a foundation of faith the God could put a building on and for that I am relieved.

God is good and I am standing on that.
Under His Wing,
Dawn

[LadyX]

Dear Lord, please embrace Dawn and Russ and their children this very moment and fill them with Your Love and Grace and healing power...

We realize all the more how relentless the evil one is in trying to bring down those who are close to You, and that we must appreciate that each moment is to be lived fully, in step with You.

You are indeed The Way - The Truth - and The Life.

Amen.

[Mama_Bear]

Hi dutchess, sorry I missed you again....and, if you come back at 8:00 I won't be here then either. We are going up to Fresno tonight. After we get home, I will come back and say good night to everyone.

I am picturing Giz layed out in front of the fire. I hope you have a wonderful weekend with your folks. :-)

[Mama_Bear]

Thank you for passing on this e-mail. I can't imagine how hard this must be for those who love him. My heart goes out to them. I will continue to keep your friend and his family in my prayers.

[Aquamarine]

Thanks for the update. Still praying.

[deadhead]

My Thoughts and Prayers are with Russ and his loved ones.
Thank You for the update, Mayor.

[firewalk]

Hello LadyX (-:
always wonderful to "see" you
hope you're having a good night

[LadyX]

So good to have you report..:))
Hope all of 'yours' are doing well, BIS...keeping them in my prayers still...
Just coming back to say good night to everyone.

Colleen, will look for a Progress Report on Miss Lucy tomorrow. Do hope she improves every day.

Nan - better have a Sistah Report tomorrow, too...:))

[firewalk]

Good night
You & yours are in my prayers also.

[GailA]

Super Pets had them HALF price today...44 cents, I stocked up..got 10 of them. I look for the biggest ones I can find, Rocky may be a mini poodle but he sure can pack them pigs ears away. Got him a bulls snout for Christmas and it took him several months to go through it.

[Mama_Bear]

Thank you all for joining us today for our visit to New Mexico. And a special thank you to those who shared links, tidbits, sound files and information about our featured state. Your participation is very much appreciated. :-)

[MeekOneGOP]

:O)

Playing catchup. My buddy found me another car yesterday so I had to run
over there to check it out. I bought it, a 1997 Taurus for $1700.

Anybody wanna buy a 1991 Lincoln Town Car with a blown motor??, lol !!