The Chili Harvest

September is one of the best months of the year in my opinion, the air is crisp and the changing colors of autumn mean its chili harvesting time. It’s not about the chili itself but the smell of freshly roasted chili. It always brings back a rush of memories. I close my eyes and take it in, the unmistakable scent sends me back to my childhood and a time of my life that always make me smile.
    
From the late 1970’s to early 1980’s, my family would get together at my Gram’s house to roast the fresh green chili they had purchased from the local farms. It was a carefree time when Grams house was filled with chatter and laughter. I always felt so content surrounded by so many people I loved. That decadent aroma filled the air as the adults gathered in the kitchen peeling the roasted skins off the chili and separating it in bags. I’d play out in the yard with my cousins. All the grandkids made Gram’s backyard look like a crowded playground. We played, we fought, and we looked out for each other. We were not only family but best friends and playmates.

I spent a lot of time at Gram’s house while mom and dad were at work. I remember the sounds of Tejano and Country music playing on the radio in the kitchen as she did chores. Sometimes I even heard her singing along with the music. She never seemed to sit still she was always doing something. She taught me to play cards and checkers and no matter how many times we played, she always won. Life was good and I wanted things to always stay the same.

The steel mill was the hub of our city and the noon lunch horn could be heard for miles around. As kids, it was our signal to stop playing and go inside for lunch. I remember passing by “the mill”, as we called it, on the way to Gram’s house. The plumes of smoke rose high into the air forming billowy white clouds in the sky. It was fascinating to watch all the machines and coal rail cars from the window of the car. Then one day the machines stopped and the smoke was gone. I heard the adults talking about President Reagan and people losing their jobs. They even blamed him when they would complain about the high gas prices; Back then I  didn't understand what that meant. The one thing I did know was things were starting to change.

Over the years we didn’t get together for the chili harvest anymore. Gram always seemed so vibrant and healthy right up until the last few years of her life when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. When the family made the difficult decision to move her into a specialized nursing home we visited her house once more to clear out the last bits of boxes and furniture. Going through each box we revisited a part of our history. She saved everything from pictures, school awards, greeting cards, old baby shoes, and letters. As we packed e

verything up for storage we sat together reminiscing the good times we spent there.

Gram lived to be 87 years old. She may not have been able to remember everything at the end of her life but we will hold onto the pieces of the past she left. The last few years I have gone home to my parents’ house during the chili harvest festival in Pueblo. We don't roast the chili at home anymore but it is still time I spend with my family with the wonderful aroma filling the air. I close my eyes take it in and look over and smile at my mom. She seems to be thinking the same thing. We’ll always remember the wonderful times we spent with Gram and how she brought us all together in her own special way.