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Making a Movie in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas

August 11, 2020 by Jillian Leave a Comment

making a movie in the rio grande valley of south texas
rio grande valley
rio grande valley
harlingen, texas

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.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Bits & Pieces, Tidbits, Travel Tagged With: blog, cinesol festival, compassionate women, crypto jews, documentary, femaledirector, femalefilmmaker, jewish people rio grande valley, jewish roots, jillian glantz, library of congress, rio grande valley, south texas, south texas research, travel blog, university of texas rio grande valley, womeninfilm

Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto & Historic Downtown Roma

January 15, 2020 by Jillian Leave a Comment

our lady of lourdes grotto & historic downtown roma

roma texas

pink flowers

In March 2019, I took a mini road trip to visit the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto in Rio Grande City, as well as the historic downtown district of Roma, both located in the southern tip of Texas at the border of Mexico. I had passed through Rio Grande City once before but never been to Roma. Both are known for their historic buildings, their rich histories that include the Civil War, as well as the Grotto and Roma’s scenic overlook of the Rio Grande River. So, despite the sweltering March weather of South Texas, I grabbed my camera and decided to check it out.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Bits & Pieces, Travel Tagged With: compassionate women, hargill first baptist church, hargill texas, historic buildings, historic towns, our lady of lourdes grotto, our lady of lourdes grotto & historic downtown roma, rio grande city, rio grande river, rio grande valley, rio grande valley civil war trail, roma texas, scenic roma overlook, south texas, starr county, Texas, texas history, texas travel, travel, travel blog, vegan blog

Don Pedrito Jaramillo Shrine in Falfurrias, Texas

May 26, 2019 by Jillian 2 Comments

don pedrito jaramillo shrine in falfurrias, texas

don pedrito jaramillo shrine

don pedrito jaramillo shrine

The Rio Grande Valley in South Texas, where I currently reside, is a very religious place. Historically, it was a Catholic region, due to the colonization that took place by Spanish conquistadors in the Americas. Here in the borderlands, curanderos (healers) played an important role in providing spiritual advice and remedies for physical and emotional ailments to people who could not afford to see doctors. Curanderismo is quite diverse, but traditionally incorporates elements of Catholic and indigenous medicine. The most well-known folk healer from this region is Don Pedrito Jaramillo, who was born in Mexico but spent the last quarter of his life here in a small town called Falfurrias.

My friend and I decided to drive up to Falfurrias and visit the shrine on a hot, sunny day in South Texas. It was a magical place, and here’s what I saw…

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Bits & Pieces, Travel Tagged With: catholicism, compassionate women, curanderismo, curandero, curio shop, day trip, don pedrito jaramillo, don pedrito jaramillo shrine in falfurrias texas, don pedro jaramillo, falfurrias, folk healer, rio grande valley, shrine, small town, south texas, starr county, Texas, texas travel, travel

Forgotten Small Towns in South Texas

November 25, 2017 by Jillian 10 Comments

forgotten small towns in south texas

old chevy truck

A year ago today I moved from Beaumont, Texas to the southernmost tip of the Lone Star state in a region called the Lower Rio Grande Valley. About a couple weeks into the new move, my friend asked me to tag-along with him when he went location scouting to some of the nearby small towns. He was trying to get a film produced in the area, and found a local retired teacher to give him a tour. Since I had my Nikon, my friend asked if I would take photos of the locations on the tour.

I remember I had to wake up super early, which made me really grumpy. Plus, it was cloudy and humid outside. But I love small towns, so I was excited to see what the day had in store for us. The teacher giving us the tour knew the history of each town we visited, and since he grew up in the area, he knew most of the local families that had lived there for generations.

We met up with the teacher, climbed into his pick up truck, and set off on a maze of small towns in the Rio Grande Valley. We mainly focused on the towns of Delmita, McCook, and San Isidro, but saw a lot of cool places in between. Many of these towns were so tiny that you’d miss them if you blinked. Some felt like ghost towns. Others were a mixture of historic and modern. But all the towns contained beautiful, old, abandoned buildings. Here are my favorite photos from our tour!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Bits & Pieces, Travel Tagged With: abandoned buildings, abandoned churches, abandoned houses, compassionate women, day trip, delmita texas, forgotten small towns in south texas, lower rio grande valley, mccook texas, old churches, old movie theater, old well, rio grande valley, san isidro texas, small towns, south texas, Texas, travel, vegan, vegan travel, wind turbines

Yaqui Animal Rescue

October 11, 2017 by Jillian Leave a Comment

yaqui animal rescue

yaqui animal rescue

wilbur the pig

I first heard about Yaqui Animal Rescue while walking through one of the buildings on my university’s campus. I noticed handmade signs directing people where they could drop off donations for the group. I soon found an event that Yaqui was having near campus and decided to go check it out. After meeting lots of cute dogs at this event, I learned that the group rescues all kinds of animals: horses, donkeys, bunnies, cat, pigs, chickens, geese, and more! When they invited me to visit the ranch, I immediately said yes!

The Yaqui ranch is located in Sullivan City, a small town in South Texas. The founder of Yaqui, Sonia Venecia, purchased the property in 2004 for the sole purpose of using it as a no-kill shelter for animals in need. It once belonged to her grandparents and was a working ranch. Sonia decided to name her new rescue group after her grandmother’s ancestors, the Yaqui Indians.

I brought my camera along to observe life at the Yaqui ranch. It’s pretty much an animal lover’s dream. For me, there’s nothing better than being able to watch animals be animals without the threat of harm or exploitation. I wish all animals could have such a peaceful experience on this planet.

Check out the photos from my recent visits to this awesome rescue ranch, plus a short video (directly below) detailing daily life for the beautiful creatures that reside at Yaqui Animal Rescue.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Animals, Bits & Pieces Tagged With: adopt don't shop, animal lover, animal rescue, animal sanctuary, animals, bunnies, cat rescue, compassionate women, dog rescue, donkeys, geese, guinea hens, no-kill shelter, non profit, rescue chickens, rescue dogs, rescue group, rescue horses, rescue pigs, rescue ranch, rio grande valley, south texas, sullivan city, Texas, vegan, vegan blog, yaqui animal rescue, yaqui ranch, yaqui rescue

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HEY THERE! I’M JILLIAN.

I live near Houston, Texas with my rescue dog Stella! I create cruelty-free recipes that are delicious, to demonstrate that it's easy to follow a plant-based lifestyle. Not only are the health and beauty benefits noticeable, but it creates a more sustainable planet and keeps our animal friends safe & happy. In our spare time, Stella and I also love watching movies, reading, snuggling, and taking long walks! LEARN MORE…

SHOW YOUR PITTIE PRIDE! This design was inspired by own rescue pittie, Stella, who defies pit bull stereotypes every day.

pittie power t-shirt

Pittie Power T-Shirt

Watch My Documentary!

remember my soul

Feature-length documentary that uncovers the Jewish history of the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas and the customs & traditions the Jewish people there have contributed to.

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compassionatewomen

Compassionate Women
First banana nice cream of the year! 🍌 I made a First banana nice cream of the year! 🍌 I made a chocolate peanut butter flavor with chocolate flakes, topped with organic strawberries. And Cece got her own little side of nice cream minus the chocolate! 🍨
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#nicecream #icecream #icecreamlover #glutenfree #plantbased #crueltyfree #dairyfree #veganfood #vegansofinstagram #veganlifestyle #vegana #veganeats #veganfortheanimals #vegan #veganlife #vegansofig #vegansnacks #veganism #vegans #veganfoodlovers #veganfoodshare #vegan #vegandessert #healthylifestyle #healthyfood #healthyeats #homemade #dessert #foodstagram #yum
It was a beautiful day at the park. Lots of turtle It was a beautiful day at the park. Lots of turtles! 🐢 And a photograph project taped to a tree 🤔
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#park #parks #nature #naturelovers #naturephotography #nature_perfection #walking #stroll #turtle #turtles #pond #greatoutdoors #trees #dogsofinstagram #dog #dogs #dogmom #doglovers #rescuedog #pets #dogsonadventures #pitbull #pitbullmom #texasgirl #texas #photooftheday #photos #photographylovers #photogram #furbaby
My favorite place on Earth. Got super sun burned b My favorite place on Earth. Got super sun burned but totally worth it! 💗
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#rescueanimal #rescueanimals #rescuedismyfavoritebreed #ranchlife #ranch #animalsanctuary #animalrescue #animalovers #animalsofinstagram #animallovers #animalfriends #animal #animals #equine #furbabies #adoptdontshop #donkeysofinstagram #donkeylove #donkey #donkeys #horses_of_instagram #horselife #horse #horselover #horseoftheday #horsestagram #horsesofinstagram #horses #texasgirl #farmlife
Some of the beautiful horses of Miracle Ranch Resc Some of the beautiful horses of Miracle Ranch Rescue at sunset, although they are stunning any time of day 🐎
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#horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #horselover #horselove #horseofinstagram #horseoftheday #horsestagram #horseaddict #horses_of_instagram #horselife #rescueanimals #reels #rescueanimal #animalovers #animalfriends #animallovers #animalsofinstagram #animallover #animalsanctuary #animalrescue #animalrights #animals #ranchlife #video #videooftheday #veganfortheanimals #furbabies #cuteanimals #texaslife
Some of my newest plants! And new booty pot 🍑🌱
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#plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantlady #plantaddict #plantsofinstagram #plantlife #plantas #plants #plantaddiction #plantmama #plantcollection #plantlove #plantlover #plantmom #plantparenthood #plantlovers #plant #houseplants #succulents #cactus🌵 #lithops #carnivorousplants #ivy #cactusysuculentas #cactuslover #nature #nature_perfection #houseplant #veganlife #vegansofig #plantbased
Gluten free (and vegan) sourdough bread from a loc Gluten free (and vegan) sourdough bread from a local bakery. It's been so long since I've had real sourdough, it was very flavorful 👅 Cece gave it 2 paws up 🐾
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#sourdough #sourdoughbread #bakery #bakedgoods #homemade #homemadebread #bread #breadlover #glutenfree #glutenfreevegan #glutenfreebaking #veganfood #vegansofinstagram #veganfortheanimals #veganeats #vegan #veganlife #vegansofig #veganism #veganfoodie #veganfoodlovers #veganfoodporn #veganfoodshare #veganlove #vegana #healthyfood #healthyeats #healthyfood #delicious #foodstagram
🕸️🕷️ . . . #nature #nature_brilliance #n 🕸️🕷️
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#nature #nature_brilliance #nature_perfection #naturelovers #spiderweb #spiderwebs #spider #greatoutdoors #thegreatoutdoors #walk #photooftheday #photographylovers #photo #photogram #veganlife #vegansofig #animalovers #animallovers #animallover #bugs #beauty #beautiful #texaslife #texas #texasblogger
Cece thought my groceries from Target were for her Cece thought my groceries from Target were for her 🥹🥹 I'm excited to try some of Tabitha Brown's new vegan items and I hope the vegan peach rings are good 🤞🍑
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#veganpower #veganfood #vegansofinstagram #vegancommunity #veganlifestyle #veganfortheanimals #veganeats #vegan #veganlife #vegansofig #vegansnacks #veganism #veganprotein #vegans #veganfoodie #veganfoodlovers #veganfoodshare #glutenfree #healthyfood #healthyeats #healthyfood #plantbased #crueltyfree #snacks #target #popcorn #candy #vegana #veganfoodporn #yum
Thanks so much to This Little Piggy Sanctuary for Thanks so much to This Little Piggy Sanctuary for letting me visit today! 🐽 Pigs are so full of personality, intelligence, and a lot more work than most people realize. These pigs (and resident ducks) are now living the good life in a safe, loving place! 🐷
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#pig #pigs #piggy #piglife #piggies #piglove #animalovers #animalrescue #animallovers #animalsanctuary #animalrights #animals #animal #animalfriends #farmanimals #friendsnotfood #animallover #animalsofinstagram #veganpower #vegansofinstagram #veganfortheanimals #vegan #veganlife #vegansofig #veganlifestyle #veganism #rescueanimal #rescueanimals #texaslife #texasblogger
New Years resolution... Spend more time with donke New Years resolution... Spend more time with donkeys! 💙
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#donkey #donkeys #donkeysofinstagram #donkeylove #ranchlife #ranch #farmlife #animals #animal #animalovers #animallovers #sanctuary #animalrescue #animalrights #animalsanctuary #cuteanimals #veganlifestyle #veganlife #vegansofig #veganfortheanimals #equine #photooftheday #vegansofinstagram #veganpower #vegancommunity #vegana #friendsnotfood #sweetanimals #animalfriends
Trying my hand at aquatic plants 🌱 . . . #terra Trying my hand at aquatic plants 🌱
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#terrarium #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantlady #plantaddict #plantsofinstagram #plantlife #plantas #plants #plantaddiction #plantmama #plantcollection #plantlove #plantbased #plantlover #plantmom #plantparenthood #plantlovers #plant #waterplants #houseplant #houseplants #vegansofig #veganlife
I literally got the last bag of Beyond Steak Tips I literally got the last bag of Beyond Steak Tips left in town and I'm glad I did bc they're so good! Paired with gold potatoes, broccoli, and veggie gravy 😋😋
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#veganpower #veganfood #vegansofinstagram #veganlifestyle #vegana #veganeats #vegan #veganlife #vegansofig #veganism #veganprotein #vegans #veganfoodie #veganfoodlovers #veganfoodporn #veganfoodshare #veganlove #healthylifestyle #healthyeats #healthyfood #vegandinner #foodstagram #foodblogger #foodlover #foodpics #delicious #dinner #foodphotography #yum #plantbased
My Thanksgiving cactus is blooming! 🌸 . . . #ca My Thanksgiving cactus is blooming! 🌸
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#cactusclub #cactuslover #cactus🌵 #cactuslove #cactus #cacti #blooming #bloom #flowers #flowerstagram #flowers🌸 #flower #houseplant #houseplants #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantlady #plantaddict #plantsofinstagram #plantlife #plants #plantaddiction #plantmama #plantcollection #plantlove #plantlover #plantmom #plantparenthood #plantlovers #beautiful #nature_perfection
I made sure to stock up on vegan supplies from Tra I made sure to stock up on vegan supplies from Trader Joes when I was in Austin last weekend. The salmon spread and ginger brew are *chef's kiss* 😘😘 I haven't tried the chocolate yet but I have high hopes for it! 
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#veganfood #vegansofinstagram #vegancommunity #veganlifestyle #veganeats #vegan #veganlife #vegansofig #vegansnacks #veganism #vegans #veganfoodlovers #veganfoodporn #veganfoodshare #veganlove #traderjoes #chocolate #foodstagram #foodpics #foodlover #foodlovers #yum #veganpower #veganfoodie #yummy #healthyeats #vegana #snacks #foodblogger
From my first conference as a grad student this pa From my first conference as a grad student this past weekend in Austin! It was a great experience, especially having fellow students from my department there. The pollen in Austin tried to take me down, but did not succeed! 🤧
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#gradschool #gradstudent #gradlife #conference #symposium #texasgirl #texas #texasblogger #texashistory #history #historical #borderlands #austintexas #austin #presentation #vegansofinstagram #vegan #veganlife #vegansofig #phdstudent #student #photos #photogram #photooftheday #texaslife
My wall of historic photos from the Rio Grande Val My wall of historic photos from the Rio Grande Valley, courtesy of the public library in Raymondville, TX 😊😊
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#photowall #photo #photogram #photos #photoart #photographylovers #photographs #southtexas #riograndevalley #wallart #diy #blackandwhitephotography #blackandwhite #oldphotos #historical #history #homedecor #homemade #texas #texasgirl #vintage
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