Felix

Spring                                           Mountain Spring Moon

A couple of weeks ago we stopped at the Simms SteakHouse after seeing the Red and Brown Water at Curious Theater. Found the Steakhouse unremarkable, but our waiter told a fascinating family tale. Obviously Mexican, Felix at first observed that he came from a family with 9 sisters so he always gave a woman options. Referring to something he thought Kate might want.

He went on from there to describe his extended family. He has 100 first cousins. When I asked him if they ever got together, he said yes at the patriarch and matriarch’s ranch in the panhandle of Texas near Amarillo. Grandma was the iron law of the clan. One of her rules was never take an argument to the table. “I can fix any argument with food,” Felix said, in explaining this. After the meal is over, the argument is usually forgotten or much reduced.”

Felix, his mother and his oldest sister are the triumvirate. His word. They handle a large family fund, created by donations from all the different family groupings. “We’re basically self-insured. If someone has an unexpected medical expense, repair, that sort of thing, and don’t have enough cash, we loan them the money and work out a payment plan.” This fund also covers the cost of family gatherings at the ranch.

Felix has a restaurant style kitchen in a large dining hall there and he does all the cooking. Before a gathering he announces a menu, the cost and the money flows before the event. At a family reunion, only parts of the family come at any one time, though every seven years they do have a whole family affair, a relative blocks out rooms at a local hotel. “Sometimes every guest at the hotel is a member of my family.”

They organize a shuttle between the hotel and the ranch. Others can stay at the RV park they have built on this 40 acre ranch.