Some of my earliest memories are from 184 S. Mauer playing under a lemon tree at grandma's house with Sophie, Adrian and Carla and Annette (if they felt like it). Grandma would sit in her kitchen and smoke all the while keeping a close eye on us through her blinds to ensure that we didn't ruin any of her pristine flower beds- afterall, she new Bear, her German Shepherd was on duty. Eventually she would come out and sit in her metal wicker(esque) lawn chair and feed us all the kool-aid (pronounced koolay) we could drink. After hosing us down and letting us dry like the ever-present laundry in her backyard, we were allowed to sit at her table for lunch strictly if we were dry enough to not leave footprints on her floor. She made us her famous recipes including sopa with conchitas, chicken and ginger soup with tortillas, pork chops or any other number of delectable meals and always with an array of side salad and cucumber or nopales. I have vivid memories of napping on the floor LOL not on the bed lest we ruin the hand paved perfection of her sabanas :) We would all settle in together and sleep in the splendor of the swamp cooler in her back room. Grandma's refrigerator was always full of jicama marinated in salt and lemon or the very popular bowl of freshly seeded pomegranate that was up for grabs (when Carla was done) :). I'll always remember our hike to the grocery store over a seemingly tortuous hill in the blazing California heat but it was ok... once we saw 8-10 market we new we were in the homestretch. We would never stop and sit during our trek over the foothills for fear that the lizards... nah nevermind. Grandma taught us to be tough but also to appreciate the world around us. She taught us to fear God and to thank him everyday for anything and everything. Grandma did her best to prepare us all for her passing (I had 25+ years of warning), however it never makes any of this easier. The smell of magnolia and orange blossoms, canela, and atole will stay with me forever. That is a picture of one day in my childhood with such an amazing woman. She always said that we should not cry when she died- rather that we should smile and thank God for all the time we had together. I miss you Nana, I love you, thank you for everything.
Panchito
Viewing instructions: For the top photo... imagine a picture of a baby sucking his thumb with his head on the right and his right hand up towards his face.