Week 8: Carmen Lomas Garza

Hola Carmen Lomas Garza,

I instantly resonated with your painting that I posted on the left because the woman reminds me of my mother and how she would go in the backyard of our old house to cut the nopal for dinner. I loved how she would cook nopales con huevo, tomate, cebolla, y cilantro. She came alive in the kitchen cooking this wonderful combination of food wearing her apron like the woman in the image. Nopales remind me of home and how my mother nurtured me with them. I also remember trips to Disneyland with my mother and sister when we ate her nopales for lunch instead of buying an expensive meal at the park.  I love how this image captures the woman in the act of cutting the nopalitos and using her fork to capture the nopal. Your choice to use a fork delights me because it speaks to how nopales are eaten in our homes. This succulent that is native to the Americas had been living with my ancestors and its importance in my life (providing nutrition) makes me feel grounded and tied to my heritage. I want to thank you for the stroll down memory lane and the reminder of how important nopales are in my life.

Con amor,
Janel Preciado