RUIZ Cousins and a slow day

 My day started slow and easy, which was Roberto’s mantra for me when in Spain.  Today, I listened.  Trying to carry my own weight here, I swept up debris and then grabbed my book.  Neatly  ensconced next to the swimming pool, I slipped on dark glasses and readied for a nice long read in book #3 since I arrived.  Yes, slow and easy is good.  A few chapters later plus a few naps and swishes in the pool, it was time to drive down the road to my cousins.

There was Juani Ruiz and Mari Fernandez and their children whose surnames were RUIZ Fernandez: Angela and José María, Margari and Antonio, Juan Jose and Maria plus six grandchildren.  It was time for almorzar, sweets and coffee mid way through the day before the late evening meal.  When Margari unwrapped the bakery papery, my eyes did a jig.  Lovely.

Over coffee and postres, I kicked my Spanish into second gear and we pulled out the cell phones to look at the translation APPS.  I learned that chumbos were fruits from pear cactus.  Angela cut one open and gave me the first piece of fruit.  I was hesitant and I could see she was surprised since she knows I’m an adventurous at heart.  So, I popped it into my mouth.  Yum!  I explained that my pear cactus at home had attacked me and I was still trying to pull out the stickers, which Spaniards call pinchares, not necessarily how it’s spelled, only how it sounded today to me.

I learned that Antonio and José were cousins who married these sisters, Angela and Margari.  Then, I told them their name, Nadales, was one of my family ancestral names.  Everyone had a laugh.  Juani told me he had chickens to make eggs, and roosters in “El campo” which is an adjacent plot of land where he grows about 100 olive trees, pear cactus and other trees I can’t remember.  His eyes light up when he speaks of the farm.

The baby of the family is Aurora below in the red fiesta flamenco dress.  Loved it.

The next generation of cousins were fun to watch and very well behaved.  Ages from two to nearly thirteen.  One girl, María, I’d met in 2012 when she was a shy tiny girl of five.  Now, she is up to my shoulder and her grandma Mari, was painting her fingernails she when I arrived.  The children are all beautiful: Ruben, Ivan, Maria, Valeria, Antonia and Aurora.

The family seemed to meld together as one, joking with one another, each filling a part of the Ruiz family puzzle.  I was astonished at the way the children played together and chatted quietly. I did laugh when baby Aurora had been told to kiss Patrícia goodbye by her mother, Margari and then about ten minutes later, the group was still getting things together to exit the party.  At last, the child was picked up by daddy Antonio, who admonished Aurora to kiss Patrícia goodbye.  She didn’t argue, marched over and smooched me and then headed for the door, saying, “vamos ahora!” ( Let’s go now.)  still makes me smile.