MUGI – My Unique Gift Idea

I was on vacation in New Mexico last week. It was my quest to find the best possible South-Western food and artwork.

Hungry on afternoon two, I went to a little Native-American hole-in-the-wall type joint, in a small town, some exit between Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

I ordered beef tacos, (no not buffalo!) a chicken burrito, and two Dos Equis’. The meal was out of this world! So good, I wanted to cry. When the waitress came over, a young Navajo girl, I asked her to give my compliments to the chef. She smiled and invited me to come in the kitchen to meet him.

Coda, the chef, was taking a break, sitting on an over-turned carton in a little room with a fan outside of the kitchen. There on the wall, behind him hung something very beautiful. It was a splendidly crafted cross – different than the ones I had been seeing during the whole vacation. There was turquoise of course, joined by copper, brass and what seemed to be Swarovski crystals. I was amazed. I asked Coda, besides for a taco recipe, from where was this amazing cross?

“Thank you friend, I am glad you loved the tacos. The recipe, though, I could never share with anyone outside of my family. My grandmother made me swear to never give eet away. I am glad you like the cross too. Actually, eet’s not even from Santa Fe. I found eet while e-shopping. I think the name of the store was, AmuletGifts.com.”

I laughed so hard when I heard that! AmuletGifts.com? I know that site well!

Me, a professional web-surfer and shopper, came all of the way to New Mexico, to find the loveliest turquoise cross I’ve ever seen, purchased by a Navajo culinary genius, online!

Anyway, I logged onto the site and bought seven of them to give as gifts throughout the year.