You are sitting on a dusty adobe step in the full sun with all your town's grandads and great-uncles. You listen as they greet each passerby, many of whom they have cradled as newborns, with a joke. You laugh with them about the family politics, the hard work, and the ever-watchful eye of God on all of you. Concerned that you may not have such an adobe step, or such grandads and great-uncles, Garcia has gathered what the elders of Hispanic northern New Mexico and southern Colorado can tell you about facing life and death with humor, sometimes biting, mostly gentle. They offer a wide variety of advice, ranging from why you should be careful when you feed the king's mother blue corn gruel to how you should embrace the lifestyle of a gay rooster. Garcia includes English translations and commentary. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)