This altar is in homage of my beautiful Grandmother, a very loving and strong woman. She held her family together through tough times and taught us to respect our culture and traditions. It was important to be good citizens, to believe in ourselves and follow our dreams. She was glamorous; complex, yet simple. She was the matriarch, the queen of our family, and loved eating biscotti and chicharonnes!

 

Her life was full of joy and she constantly made the best of any situation. In the Great Depression, she always made sure there was food on the table. She was a woman of integrity, a diplomat and a 5'1" spitfire! She believed in endless possibilities and had passion for whatever she did. She sewed beautiful Méxican costumes so her family could wear and created magical piñatas for all the Olvera Street festivities. She loved to cook and always made visitors feel welcomed. People would line up just to get a bite of her tasty "gorditas" as her puesto. She taught dance for free and danced with Rudolf Valentino in a couple of silent movies. She was a businesswoman and loved investing in property. She was self-taught and gladly tacked any challenge as she delighted in problem-solving.

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