blog Archives - Compassionate Women

Making Coffee with a Moka Pot

June 20, 2021 by Jillian Leave a Comment

Hello, Coffee People, and anyone else who may be reading this out of curiosity as to what a moka pot is! A moka pot (pronounced like “mocha”) is a coffeemaker that you use on the stove-top. The coffee gets brewed when the boiling water in the bottom portion of the pot is pressurized by steam and pushed through the filter containing ground coffee and into the top portion of the pot.

Compared to a regular coffeemaker, the moka pot makes more flavorful and stronger coffee. It takes a couple of extra steps and only makes one serving, but is definitely worth it in my opinion. I made a short tutorial video on how to use a moka pot. Check it out!

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The Healing Properties of Crystals

January 4, 2021 by Jillian Leave a Comment

When I was about eight, I remember going on a school field trip to a natural site in Oklahoma to learn about geology. My mom was one of the chaperones on the trip and she allowed me to buy a purple amethyst crystal as a souvenir. I still have that amethyst, in fact, it is currently sitting on the side table next to me.

I have always been interested in crystals, and have friends that swear by them, but never took any time to learn about them until recently. I was at a museum in Huntsville, Texas and could not resist bringing home some of the exquisite crystals and stones from their gift shop. I looked up each individual one when I got home and discovered a plethora of information on them! Not only are crystals beautiful and diverse in appearance, they are incredibly healing because they have spent thousands of years forming within the earth’s surface and retain the earth’s energy. Therefore, you can benefit from this energy by keeping them close to you.

In this post I have compiled information on 7 different crystals with a focus on their physical, spiritual, and emotional healing properties and simple tips on how to use the crystals for these purposes. Enjoy and happy healing!

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Making a Movie in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas

August 11, 2020 by Jillian Leave a Comment

I moved to the Rio Grande Valley of South in Texas in late 2016 because there was just something magical about it and I knew I wanted to film a movie there. I had a dramatic thriller in mind, with a strong female lead and tight-knit plot full of unexpected twists and turns…

Well, I did end up filming a movie in the RGV, but it was nothing like what I originally planned. From 2017-2019, I worked tirelessly on my movie, which ended up being a documentary project on the history of the region. The seed was first planted when a friend who grew up there clued me into the little-known Jewish history of the Valley. He suggested I look into it for myself and the deeper I looked, the more I found.

Thus began a long but rewarding journey that ended with a feature length documentary I directed called Remember My Soul. The film investigates how the Sephardic Jewish diaspora in 1492 set forth the practice of crypto-Judaism in colonial Mexico, and how these invisible Jewish families settled the Rio Grande Valley and contributed to traditions of borderlands culture. In this post, I share how the project came together, what it was like filming in the Valley, and the many photos I took during filming that reveal the marvelous landscapes there.

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Cozying Up in Austin for the Holidays

January 10, 2017 by Jillian Leave a Comment

During the Christmas/Hannukkah/New Year’s holidays I spent two weeks in Austin doing what I do best – house & pet sitting 🏡🐕

Well, it’s not that difficult really, just super fun and you get to hang out with fur babies all day! I also got to spend lots of time doing my favorite things, including plenty of photography for my blog. The days in Austin leading up to my trip were super cold, so I was worried I was in for a chilly time, but upon my arrival the weather warmed up and I got to enjoy some very beautiful days.

I decided to write about my time spent in Austin over the holidays and post my favorite photos from the experience. I hope you enjoy it!

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2016 Wrap Up

December 20, 2016 by Jillian 2 Comments

This little guy was definitely one of my best memories from the past year.

And traveling.

And food of course!

Wow. 2016 has been an interesting year for me both personally and professionally. I spent most of it in Beaumont, a small town in southeast Texas near the Louisiana border. It provided me with a bit of culture shock to say the least. I’ve lived mainly in Austin and Dallas where people are very health conscious, animal friendly and open minded, so being thrown into a southern town where most people are behind in these areas was quite an adjustment.

But I survived! …and in the process, learned a lot about myself and others.

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