How I celebrated the 4th of July.

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I ended my lessons yesterday with an hour-long session. My student was Kate, my guitar player who has been with me for three years or so. She's the Russian-American girl who rarely smiles. Her 16th birthday is approaching. She is actually a really good student, and we do everything from Jesse WInchester folk songs, to John Prine's Christmas in Prison (she really likes that one) to Forked Deer (bluegrass) to jazz tunes with a bunch of major seventh chords in them. She is off to Mexico on vacation with her family, so I won't see her next week. Anyway, after our lesson, I chilled with Kitty (it was too cool for swimming), and then drove into the "Barrio." I have had a "Jones" for Mexican food for several days. I got a pollo (chicken) burrito with everything on it. It was good. Only this morning did I realize that I had made a bit of a "political statement" By patronizing a Mexican establishment on the 4th of July. Mexicans, and Mexican-Americans, have been a part of California culture (and our economy) for decades. Or longer. Maybe I'll teach Kate Woody Guthrie's Deportees when she gets back. It's a classic. How did you spent your 4th?