The gorditas may have changed me into a gordita.

This year was the 50th anniversary of the Labor Day celebration at St. Anthony's Seminary in El Paso, Texas. Having lived in El Paso all of my life, I decided it was time to finally find out what has made their celebration such a local tradition.

And I found out.  It was those famous gorditas. A gordita is a specialty snack, often served at church bazaars and other outdoor celebrations.  A gordita (which also means "little fat female" in Spanish- hope you caught the joke in the title) is made by forming a corn meal cake about the size of a hamburger patty, frying it, cutting it partially open, and stuffing it with cooked and seasoned ground meat, lettuce and tomatoes. 

Always concerned with my expanding waistline, I can usually discipline myself to pass up the gordita booth. But, this was a holiday, and after all, once in fifty years.....  

Wayne and I took our paper carton of gorditas, found a seat with other diners at a bench and table provided on a large, grassy rectangle, and enjoyed our lunch.  I was trying to be a dainty eater, but Wayne said, "Just let the grease drip on the grass."  So I did.

A variety of music was playing over loudspeakers, from old-fashioned rock and roll to Mexican favorites.This was a family affair.  I'll bet some families had been attending for several generations. One small boy near us was a two-fisted eater - an ice cream cone in one hand and a hot dog in the other.  He alternated bites without skipping a beat.

Our hunger satisfied, we were able to focus on the other offerings of the fair, which is an annual event to raise money for the seminary. Wayne bought a raffle ticket for a new Chevy, I checked out plants for sale, and we peeked in at the rummage sale, but it was quite crowded.

In another area, game booths for children were set up.  I saw my favorite from a long ago childhood - the fishing pond.  I could never win anything at those throwing games, but I think I remember that no child went away unhappy from the fishing pond.  Is that what you remember also?  Someone asked Wayne if he knew where the cake walk was being held.  That brought back memories of those luscious iced cakes waiting for a lucky winner.  Do you suppose  the cakes are still homemade these days?

Walking on the grounds of religious institutions is always a pleasure for me.  They often have beautiful landscaping and nooks with benches for quiet contemplation. I can escape from the modern world for a short time. 

I'm looking forward to next year's excuse to eat gorditas.  St. Anthony's Labor Day Festival is a super way to end the summer.