AT NEW MEXICO MAGAZINE, we’re blessed with a talented staff devoted to bringing you the stories of our state’s people, places, and passions. By most any measure, our jobs are a treasure.
We get to delve into our past, envision our future, discover what’s new, and take fresh looks at what might seem familiar. Best of all, we get to hear from folks who love this state and all that’s enchanting about it. Then, just as we have for the past 100 years, we get to share it with you, our readers.
Yet there are times when an issue feels like a tiny miracle when it finally toddles off to press—and this was one of those. A few things went wrong. But within this issue, I found many things that filled my heart.
The priests, preservationists, pueblos, mayordomos, and communities who have rallied to re-mud walls, fix roofs, restore sacred relics, and enliven beloved spaces with prayer and music and hope. The volunteers, like those in the Galisteo Basin Preserve, who sacrifice their time and bodies to build and maintain trails for our enjoyment. Longtime restaurants like Nancy’s Silver Café, the Pie-O-Neer, and Plaza Café, which have weathered recessions, pandemics, and changing tastes to serve their own blend of homegrown hospitality. The shoppers who support local makers and small businesses at holiday markets and on Main Streets throughout the state. And the treasures of our land, like the cenotes, ciénegas, and caves of southeastern New Mexico, that beckon us to explore.
Living—or just visiting—here is full of gifts.
Seasons marked by the quivering of aspen leaves, fresh powder on the mountains, wildflowers in bloom, and the cleansing monsoon rains.
Sandhill cranes and snow geese lifting off at dawn from Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, and the sunset over the rugged Organ Mountains, lit up like a jack-o’-lantern.
The restorative waters of a hot spring, and the inspirational quality of the earth and the light that have fueled artists for thousands of years.
The scent of roasting green chile, how a bizcochito just seems to melt in your mouth, and red chile on everything.
I won’t try to count them all. But I hope you take some time this month, gathered with friends and family, to give thanks for the miracles all around us.