Sunday, May 10, 2009

Happy Mother's Day!!




On our little block any day is a good day for a party. Mother's Day is a very good reason. :) Carmen our social coordinator, was around earlier last week to collect the needed signatures for the permits to close off the block and have a band in the street, and to collect table and chair rental orders. Around 8ish PM give or take and hour or so the band arrives and people start setting up their tables.
In the US Block, work, church, social get togethers that involve meals are generally pot lucks. Everyone brings something to share, it all goes on the communal table and each person helps themselves. Here the pot luck concept isn't practiced. Each family fixes their entire meal, it's brought out to their table and served to their invited guests and family.


Don't get the wrong idea it's not that anyone of our neighbors wouldn't share their last tortilla with you. It has more to do with being able to take care of, feed and love your family. Each women knows what is best for her family, no one can cook as well as she can, no one knows just exactly how you like your meat spiced, etc etc... In this culture a women's value to her family, community, and herself centers around her ability to care for and feed her family. If the concept of a pot luck was presented to my neighbor ladies the first thing out of their mouths would be " what you don't think my cooking is good enough, you have to eat Senora..... chicken and rice?? Does she know how to peel the skin off or salt it just the way you like it?? NO, you will eat right here, I will cook for you."

Each family's table is set up next to their neighbors but each family brings their dinner from their kitchens and sits down together to eat. Now when you start visiting from table to table rest assured that every table you stop at will insist that you have something to eat :) It's that old unwritten competition thing again. To refuse is to insult, to eat to much or enjoy someone else's food is a guaranteed insult to the women of your family. Feeuuu!! who knew life could be so complicated!! :)

The street being set up just before the music arrived.


Boys are boys the world over!!




This is our little table. Because it was 10pm when most people sat down to dinner LW and I ate much earlier in the evening. We had planned to have desert and champagne when everyone else had their dinner. Hmmm that looks like tuna salad and beans not desert to me. Yep remember that who thing about being offered food??? :)



I've decided that it just must be unmanly for men to dance in public once they reach a certain age. But it's not unwomanly!!!!!




That is until you have loosened your joints up with a goodly amount of cervesa. Then to heck with this unmanly business :)



Once again that special little block on Bernardo Vasquez had a wonderful fiesta and it was very quiet on our block until sometime late in the morning :)



Have a most audacious today or tomorrow depending on where in the world you are ;)

7 comments:

Olde Dame Penniwig said...

I think you have just shed some light on a curious trait of my husband's! I have always found it uncomfortable that he seemed to be "in competition" with me, cooking-wise. Even my very best dishes he'd just pick at...but he was SO pushy with HIS dishes...hmmm...guess he noticed this growing up...!!!

Your block party sounds so strange to me! But it's probably a blessing to have the food separate like that -- after all, think of all the potlucks where you have to choke down something like tuna aspic with olives or suspicious-looking tapioca pudding just to be polite...

Tristan Robin said...

hah hah - great post - isn't it amazing how far we've progressed (or digressed as the case may be) as a species, when we have such strange petty competitions and tests?! LOL

happy mother's day

Charmingdesigns said...

Sorry I'm late to the party...Happy Mother's Day to you dear friend!! Laurie

xashee's corner said...

what a WONDERFUL celebration! thank you soo much for sharing! :) Have a GREAT day!!

Linda Vincent said...

Sounds like you had a great time Pattie. Champagne and dancing...my kind of evening!!
XX

LuLu Kellogg said...

Ohhhhhhhhhh looks like you and LW had a wonderful time! I love watching people so this would have been my kind of frivolity!

Are my emails getting through?
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Love,
LS~*xoxo

The Feathered Nest said...

Hi sweet Pattie!!! I'm so very proud of you improvising with the white glue...I love doing that...I'd hate to think that someone wouldn't try a project just because they don't have the exact materials. Art is about improvising, using what you have, making do and making it beautiful! xxoo, Dawn

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