It’s six in the morning.

Why WOULDN’T you be setting off fireworks?

We moved here in November, and thought there were gun shots all the time. Until we learned it was all based on a Holiday called La Griteria. In December. That meant, every single day for a month before and after the 7th of December, people fired off fireworks at all hours of the day and night. No lie.

And what does that have to do with August? Basically back in 1947 the bishop in Leon advised citizens to organize “Griteria de Penitencia” to thank the virgin Maria because Cerro Negro, the volcano, was spewing ash but never really erupted. The local people here in Leon celebrate it much the same way as they do La Griteria, by setting up little alters to Maria,going house to house to visit these alters and pray and sing to her, and the owners of the house pass out presents.  Which is actually super fun and interesting!Oh ya, and of course, lighting fireworks. A few days before to practice ( I guess?) that day at noon, six and midnight, and the next few days when they inevitably have some left over.

Normally I would love to walk around and check this out. I do love learning about new traditions and holidays, and to go out and be a part of them. However, fireworks in the hands of just anybody freaks me out- or gives me the’ heebie jeebies’ s Chandler on Friends would say about the Lord of the Dance,  “because their legs flail about as if disconnected from their bodies”

That, and Brandon was out of town, so  there was no way in heck I was going to wander the streets with Eliana while kids lit up the streets! The next day, like any good party, there was remnants of the fun. So I snapped a quick picture while Eliana and I went for a walk. You know me, I want you to visualize.

This is one of the better ones. Big, huge, legit. They open up the gates and put out chairs for the celebration.

It feels like college all over again. I have a free evening, but it’s not really ‘free’ since there is a research paper due in a week and I haven’t even started, or an entire book to read and there are no cliff notes. In the back of my mind is school, always.

College=blog. Why you might ask? I don’t know. It’s something I told myself I had to do more of, and then because I made it something mandatory, I mentally checked out.

So I am behind, four days of trying to blog everyday. I suppose I have to laugh at the fact that I really just don’t have something interesting and fascinating to share everyday. I am actually laughing out loud as I type this, because who in heck does have something insightful and amazing to say every single day? Well, maybe Francis Chan. I think I’m putting too much pressure on myself. Of course I don’t think I have to always say something important or meaningful. But, when it becomes mostly ramblings, I feel sorry for those of you who came here looking for something else.

Promise me this then. Lower the bar. Go ahead. Inch it on down. There ya go. Let’s put it riiiiiight there, so you will be pleasantly surprised when you come to my blog to see what is going on.

 

Wow. I didn’t realize how many photos I was trying to put on here from our trip to California.  I split it up, so here is the second half of our stay…