Another Day, Another Party

"Equal and Opposite Reactions"
               By Patti Liszkay
Only $3.99 on Amazon Kindle
      http://amzn.to/2xvcgRa

"Equal and Opposite Reactions is a rollicking good yarn about complex relationships and emotions in middle-class American culture. The author has created an incredibly funny romantic comedy, which transcends the ubiquitous romantic triangle and expands it into a quadrangle, complicated by the interweaving of relationships between the children of the principal characters.  Cleverly plotted, twists and turns, and exceptionally well written, this part drama and part slapstick comedy is a tour-de-force. Bravo Patti."
- R. Bruce Logan, "The Narrative Arc"

Another Day, Another Party

     ...Continued from previous post:
      Most of us were leaving Wickenburg for Phoenix the morning after the Quinceañera (see previous post), except for Claire and Miguel, who would be staying a few more days to visit with Miguel's family.
     However after those of us who were leaving checked out of the Best Western Rancho Grande,

...before heading out to Phoenix we first  headed  over to Miguel's family's house.

      Behind the house is a courtyard,

​...on the other side of which is  an outdoor kitchen,

...that Miguel's mother Lolita uses to prepare food for big events,

...such as was this day's event,  a birthday party for her two grandchildren, Quino, who'll be turning five,

​...and Memo - here with his cousin Brisa -  who'll soon be three.

     The yard was set up and decked out for the guests,

​...some of whom had already arrived by the time we got there around 11:30 am,

...and some of whom were were  dipping into Lolita's famous Menudo - also known as  "Hangover Soup" - made from beef tripe (which is cow stomach) and hominy. (Mayhaps for some the soup was needed as a curative for the previous evening's revels).

     We joined the guests,

...and though I bypassed the Menudo - all the more beef tripe for the hangover sufferers - I did have one of Lolita's delicious chiles rellenos,

...a poblano pepper stuffed with  queso fresco - a creamy white cheese used in Mexican dishes - then dipped in egg yolks and pan fried.

    Miguel's brother Juan Carlos and his wife Dulce.

​Claire, Miguel, and Dulce.

     There showed up among the guests a king snake, which set me to shrieking (like Indiana Jones, I, too, hate snakes) until it was explained to me that the king snakes keep the rattle snakes away. "Make him stay!" I cried, but, alas, I guess all my squawking sent  him slithering off  in search of a  quieter place.

      Tommy, Emily, Callie, Theresa, Tom and I left the party around 1:30 pm.
     Before we left I was able to get a glimpse of one of the birthday cakes made by Lolita, upon  which she was putting the finishing touches.

     Later in the day, as we learned from Claire and the Facebook photos,  the party revved up with the arrival of about 150 guests,

...a mariachi band,

...dancing,

...a piñata,

​...and lots of food.

    Meanwhile we were back on the road to Phoenix.