Santa's Boots

The cracked hands show decades of use creating pottery. Clay doves, jaguars, pots, pitchers intermingle with the farm animals- one hen has roosted inside of an over-turned pot ready to fiercly protect the eggs inside.

The over shows years of disuse. To fire the pots a huge bonfire is created around the works of local friends, family, and neighbors.

I lose count of the generations of women here after four. There is a timelessness in all of their manners from the youngest around seven to the eldest, somewhere in her 80's. I'm here with a local researcher, Maria Elena, not to conduct interviews, but just to visit and pick up some pottery.

Maria Elena stopped in Teopisca on the way.

"This place specializes in sausages, tamales, and tostadas. We'd better pick some up."

We sit in a circle eating tamales. Sweet and tender like when someone puts fresh corn in cornbread. We sit for a long while sharing tamales, laguage, and stories.

"The govenor bought everyone red socks and shoes. They looks like Santa Claus' boots!" the oldest women tells us.