Marta, Mena, Dee and Aurelia

Good Morning,

I feel good spiritually and physically; I have been putting up the Christmas Tree or decoration one week before Christmas and taking it down January the second. That is Traditional for me. We did that at my mothers home in Pasadena; actually the families would drop off the kids during those two weeks and the kids would have the run of the home during those two weeks. Some would stay a week, some 2 or 3 days , some would stay just one day but someone or some kid would be there during those two weeks. Grandmothers sister Mena would come by and help grandma in the kitchen (grandma and her sister both had long hair braided down their backs and looked very much like American Indians). Aurelia and her sister Mena would make Bunuelos (Bunuelos at left) every year at Christmas. A large tub of tamales would be available to anyone visiting those two weeks and cold beer would be outside in the garage where the men would gather and tell their stories. A Douglas Fir Christmas tree would be shipped in by rail from up north compliments of Betty Arrellanes (Dee's Dee Goodfellow Mom) mother. Betty was married to my uncle Danny who was a High School Principle in Pasadena.

Dee and Kirk Goodfellow

It was my job to water the tree and help put it up. Each piece of tinsel would hang down and not thrown at the tree; my aunt Marta was very meticulous when putting the tinsel on the tree. We had a least a dozen Christmas Carol books that we passed out from time to time to sing Christmas Carols.
Because of the cats here at home we have avoided putting tinsel on trees; tinsel is so much fun for a cat for the holidays.

I was told that my grandmother Aurelia Chavez in Pasadena and her sister Mena Chaves grew up in a convent in Texas.
My grandfather was born in El Paso, Texas so it is possible that grandma and grandpa met at school in El Paso. This is only an assumption on my part.
All the time I lived in Pasadena Mena Chavez was a Nun but she came every Christmas and cooked with her sister Aurelia Chavez Arellanes (my grandma). I do not know her name as a nun. I think there was a picture of her or their mother (Aurelia's mom) in the small foyer (looking straight ahead there was a piano blocking a sliding door in another apartment), to the right of the piano on the wall was a photo of Mena or their mom with braids (oval Frame).
(Pictured)   Marta Arellanes Calzada, 95, of San Clemente, died 12/27/2015.