OPPOSITES ATTRACT

My niece-in-law (my husband's niece) is from Alaska. I am an Arizonian - at least for the past ten years.

So we are discovering an amazing amount of contrary realities as we are spending time together in Oregon

Alaska is the nation's most northern. Mine is far south - as long as you forget about Hawaii, Florida and quite a bit of Texas.

But I do live three miles from Mexico, so at least we both have international boundaries (Canada is still a foreign country, isn't it?).

An Arizona senator teamed with the Alaskan governor to lose the presidential bid in 2008 - but that has little to do with anything except to promote Sandra Palin's book, and I am NOT trying to do anything like that.

But perhaps just mention that a native Alaskan would like to be quoted as saying, "We couldn't stomach the wench" - I am slightly concerned about her still trying to run again in 2012, since we as a nation rarely learn from our past.

From an Alaskan viewpoint, the Oregon soil here is so DRY. And of course, to someone coming from Arizona, the ground here is green and squelchy and MUDDY.


The Oregon sun rarely is visible, which seems okay to an Alaskan - I am rapidly succumbing to S.A.D. from not having constant, bright sunshine every day.

The highways here are plentiful, broad and well maintained - when you are coming from Juneau.

And actually, they are pretty good compared to the dirt road I live on.

But Stefani has a beautiful, smooth and clear complexion without having to worry about sun screen - I am freckled, wrinkled and dried out.

She grew up on an island off the Alaskan panhandle - I grew up in the middle of Los Angeles in the years before sunscreen was used by anyone except nervous little old ladies who didn't want any more wrinkles.

Perhaps if I had a chance to do it over again, I might start out just a little farther north.