Today we celebrated Cristina’s birth and what would have been her 71st birthday. Of course, we gathered at Nick’s Pizza — her favorite restaurant — with her children and good friends. The photo in the back is one recently discovered from your 33rd birthday.

JoAnne, Steven, Anna, Walter, Adri, David

Anna presented a beautiful hand-crafted birthday card with a fun story.

Apparently a few years ago, you and Anna and Walter went browsing through a nursery in Seal Beach. You and Walter were sick of waiting for Anna to pick out some plants, so you ducked into a hat shop next door and tried some of the more Kentucky Derby-esque ones.

Anna’s sisters in Argentina (whom you met when you had them over for afternoon tea many years ago during one of their visits to California) also sent you well-wishes on your birthday:

“Anny decile a los hijos de Cristina que la recordamos mucho, y vamos a hacer una oración por ella, les mandamos un beso para ellos, y otro especial para vos de Silvia, Cristina, Daniel y Laura. […] Any que lo pases bien y saludos a los hijos de Cristina y un beso grande para vos […] Me uno a los saludos para Cristina y un fuerte abrazo para vos, Anny”