Voting Day 7/5

I woke up today around 9 am, my usual time in Houston. However I had gotten less sleep than usual because I think I fell asleep around two in the morning. This morning I found out that my uncle and his family were coming down. I was like okay I can put some of those kids to work through “play.” Its called lets pick up all the oranges that have fallen from the trees in the backyard. Hehehe….

So I tried to pick up here and there around my grandma’s house although she wasn’t having it. She doesn’t want me to do any work around here. She says its nothing but dirt out here and doesn’t want me to work. I told her that I am 26 years old and that I can work and besides what am I supposed to do out here for one whole month!? So she said I can help too and believe me I have plans. The house looks like a its been thrown inside out because of the remodeling. I went all around and peeked and poked around here and there. She opened this one room and inside we found her metate I think this is how its spelled, its what you use to grind maiz.

Then in the afternoon we went to go vote in the old school house. We wanted to go earlier in the morning but the neighbor told us how the line wrapped around the school to I don’t know where. When we went there was no line and my grandma was done in like ten minutes. The voting system is not as advanced technology wise. People here still mark they’re votes on paper and when done place they’re vote in a box. The polls close at six and what I found most interesting is that in Rayon no stores are allowed to be open, even more liquor places cannot sell on this day. Maybe its because they want everyone to vote. This experience also made me hear my last name so much, I thought it was funny because this is a rare occssion. There were so many Izaguirres here but they were not any of my relatives they were just different Izaguirres. From the school house I could see my grandma and my aunt’s house directly across the street. My grandparents are not here yet so I went to visit my aunt Lupe for a little bit to let her know I was here.

I wish yall could see what I see every day. There are cerros that surround all of the rancho. It is so green and fresh and most of all so fruitful. In every house there are fruit trees everywhere and all sorts of other plants. My grandma has mandarinas, oranges, pears, limas, tunas, nopal and soon she will be planting some calavaza. Everywhere you go people know you, so you must stop and greet them. It’s a real community over here at its natural. Since everyone knows one another people go over to one anothers house to chit chat and talk about anything. As we were walking to the school house we stopped to chat at one house then another neighbor gave us some mangos to eat on our way. When we were coming back we met up with other family from Houston that I had not seen in a while.

I hope to really make the best of my time here. Today my grandma taught me how to make carne de puerco in a chile sauce and I made the rice.

I’m also now reading Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams, its pretty good so far anyone read this already? Well this is all for today have a good day and keep posted for new updates.