Blanca Iris Mendez, My very lovely and very much remembered Aunt, not that she's dead yet. She has an illness you see; its called Alzheimer's, a disease that strikes a deathblow while you are still alive. Death to your memories, death to your essence and sense of whom you are. To your dignity as a human being, to everything we hold sacred. We don't know very much about Alzheimer's disease right now. I do hope they find a cure soon, but I fear it will be to late for my Aunt Blanca. This fragile, lost, confused soul I behold is not My Aunt Blanca, At least not the one I remembered. The Blanca I remember was the one who read bible stories to me, the one who taught me how to read and write Spanish, The one whose nieces and nephew would good- naturedly kid about, around Christmas time, because we all knew what we would get from her (Underwear and socks), but all of us pretended to be pleased and surprised. I can still see in my mind eye those pretty panties with all the days of the week printed on them. She taught me to make yarn roses and yo-yo material circles to make blankets from, A skill I am happy to say I have passed on to my daughter and niece. She's another colorful character of the Mendez clan and one out of three left from the original thirteen. My Aunt Blanca was the spinster Aunt who visited everyone, kept everyone informed of one another and who the nieces and nephews took turns going out with on special occasions and summer vacations. Imagine our surprise when later in life she decided to marry. She was so clean, so fastidious, Whenever any one in the family wanted to impress you with the fact that someone they knew was clean and some one to be in awe of they would say she is just like Blanca and everyone knew what that meant. Off course there are many hysterical moments too. We all remember, times when Tia Blanca got mad and she would scream and pull at her hair, or shush you up and spoke so quick you wondered if she knew what she was saying. And although it may seem bizarre to other people it was perfectly normal to us that was just Tia Blanca caring, funny, hysterical, and emotional and dare I say, it very Latin. I remember times when I would visit her church with her and wonder why she was protestant and I was catholic, it was not until much later I learn the whole family originally where Protestant very unusual for a Latin family And I was Catholic cause the church was across the street from where we lived and my mother thought any religion was better than none. She was a fabulous cook, they all where. Nobody made lasagna like her though, Boy oh Boy that was Italian! She never had a surplus of money but she would always find some little doodad or a dollar or two to give you for your birthday. And she always greeted you like it was a lovely-unexpected surprise to see you. We all treated her with great respect and we all loved her. Later on in life when her behavior really became bizarre we all wondered, but we attributed to old age and temperament, never realizing it was Alzheimer's. Her name means (White Iris) Blanca Iris and that's what she reminds me of a beautiful white, delicate flower that you love, admire and who brought joyful moments into your life But all to briefly left. All our love goes out to you Tia Blanca even if you don't remember us, we remember you. Gods speed Blanca Iris, and may he protect you and keep you close to him. August 6,1999 (Today was five years since our mother, Irma, Blanca's baby sister passed away. We love and remember you too mother)