Preguntas para mi Abuelita (Questions for my Grandmother) and a lovely conversation

So I went to my first vendor’s market place at a fundraising event to sell
my calendars and cards. I was lucky enough to be at a table right next to
a woman from India (Uma). I was admiring her lovely jewelry
https://www.facebook.com/TruKreations but feeling shy because the place
was very crowded which I find overwhelming with my limited vision. And
quite honestly because I ride that line between introvert and extrovert.

When the show started and things quieted down Uma and I started talking
about culture, traditions and child rearing. She was telling me about how
she has lived in the United States away from her family long enough that sometimes her daughter
has questions about their background that Uma does not have an answers
for. Her daughter Tara (I did not confirm the spelling) has a special time set aside every week to have a
conversation with her grandmother back in India. When Tara has one of
those questions about their background Uma encourages her to talk with her
grandmother.

I was so excited about hearing this story because in my family we have
lost so much cultural knowledge. My mother’s parents both died when she
was very young and she was brought up in foster homes where they knew nothing
of my mother’s culture. I named my art piece “Preguntas para mi Abuelita”
(Questions for my Grandmother) because as I was creating it I was
wondering did my family participate in Dias de los Muertos.

The little town of Tierra Amarilla in New Mexico where as you may remember
my mother was born is in a region which celebrated Dias de los Muertos. I
know my grandmother would have been able to provide me with a lot more
information so instead of naming this art piece after the Days of the Dead
I named it what it really is for me. A desire to have those conversations
that Tara is lucky enough to have with her grandmother.

OK, I have to give one more shout out to Delight of Africa
http://delightofafrica.com/
Uma in her generosity shared some of her vegetarian hand pie from Delight of
Africa with me and the flavor was simply amazing. I have been wanting to
try some African recipes to find something for next years calendar and now
I know where to take a West African cooking class.