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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.

Subscribe to my mailing list and receive a FREE RECIPE E-BOOK as a thank you!

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compassionatewomen

Compassionate Women
How my Sunday is going 🤩 . . . #beto #texas #te How my Sunday is going 🤩
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#beto #texas #texas🇨🇱 #texasgirl #democrat #democrats #politics #abortionrights #loveislove #pridemonth #pride #pride🌈 #democracy #election #sundayvibes #rally #womanpower #womensrights #futureisfemale #feminism #feminist #vote #votevotevote #veganlife #veganblogger #veganblog #vegansofig #texasblogger
It was fun having having a table for Juneteenth to It was fun having having a table for Juneteenth today! Janet Dudding, who's running for Texas Comptroller, stopped by to say hello. I took over as President of the Texas Democratic Women of the Brazos Valley when she resigned to run for office 💙💙💙
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#juneteenth #brazosvalley #texas #democrats #democrat #womeninspiringwomen #womanpower #womenpower #gotv #vote #femaleempowerment #feminism #politics #volunteer #volunteering #texas🇨🇱 #texasgirl #community #saturday #saturdaymood #saturdayvibes #photooftheday #photo #instadaily
Tried this vegan soup from Gardein for lunch today Tried this vegan soup from Gardein for lunch today. For being store bought (and vegan) I thought it was pretty good! Maybe needed a tad more salt and it wasn't super filling but I would buy it again! It's nice to have more vegan options! 🥣
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#soup #plantbased #crueltyfree #veganfortheanimals #veganlife #veganforlife #veganfoodlovers #veganfoodshare #veganblogger #veganblog #veganpower #veganeats #vegansofinstagram #vegans #veganshare #veganfood #vegansofig #vegansofinsta #vegan #veganaf #veganlove #vegano #healthyeats #foodblogfeed #foodgram #foodpic #lunch #lunchtime #foodoftheday #foodshare
Just a wee bit hot today, only 100 degrees or so 🥵 but managed to check out a garden maintained by my local university. I bet it's really nice in the spring! 🌸
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#garden #gardendesign #gardeninspiration #gardenlove #gardensofinstagram #greatoutdoors #scenic #plantlove #plants #summer #summertime #sunday #flowers #flowerstagram #flowersofinstagram #veganlife #vegansofinstagram #vegansofinsta #vegansofig #hibiscus #university #texas #texas🇨🇱 #texasgirl #texans #texasblogger #beautiful #nature_perfection #naturelovers #nature_brilliance
Can't stop impulse buying pitbull tshirts 🙈 but Can't stop impulse buying pitbull tshirts 🙈 but the last two benefit a local pittie rescue so.... 🥳🥳 
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#pitbulladvocate #pittie #pitbullmom #pitbullpride #pitbullsofinstagram #pitstagram #pittiesofinstagram #dogsofig #doglife #dogs_of_instagram #doglove #dogmomlife #dogstagram #dogmom #furbaby #animallovers #rescuedogs #dogrescue #pets #petlovers #petlove #petsofig #petstagram #dailydog #instadog #pitties #pitbulllover #tshirts #tiedye #dontbullymybreed
1 fresh pineapple, cut up - 1 can of coconut milk 1 fresh pineapple, cut up - 1 can of coconut milk - and I added about 1/2 teaspoon of an all natural coconut extract I have - blend until smooth. Perfect summer drink! 🍍🥥
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#pineapple #coconut #smoothie #tropical #healthyfood #healthyeats #healthy #glutenfree #recipe #drink #drinkstagram #veganlife #veganrecipes #veganblog #vegansofinstagram #veganshare #vegansofinsta #veganlove #vegetarian #veganism #vegansofig #vegan #foodblogfeed #foodgram #foodblog #foodpics #foodstagram #instayum #yummy #delicious
Vegan lettuce wraps with beyond beef, onions, mush Vegan lettuce wraps with beyond beef, onions, mushrooms, jasmine rice, organic butter lettuce and homemade peanut dipping sauce. So good! 💚
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#veganlife #veganfoodlovers #veganfoodshare #veganrecipes #veganblogger #veganblog #veganpower #veganeats #vegana #vegandinner #vegansofinstagram #veganfood #vegansofinsta #vegansofig #vegan #veganism #veganlove #glutenfree #healthyfood #healthyeating #foodblogfeed #foodlovers #foodgram #foodblog #foodstagram #foodpics #crueltyfree #dinner #whatsfordinner #yum
Found these at a different store than I normally g Found these at a different store than I normally go to. They are really good! 🍋
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#veganlife #veganfoodshare #veganblogger #veganblog #veganpower #veganeats #vegana #vegansofinstagram #veganshare #vegansofinsta #vegans #vegan #vegansofig #veganism #veganlove #healthyeats #healthyeating #crueltyfree #yogurt #glutenfree #veganfortheanimals #vegantreats #veganfoodlovers #plantbased #foodblogfeed #foodblogger #foodpic #heb
I get my nails painted professionally once or twic I get my nails painted professionally once or twice a year, if at all. I decided that today was the day! 💅
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#nails #nailsofinstagram #nailinspo #nails💅 #nailpolish #nailporn #nailpolish #nailsnailsnails #nailsoftheday #nailsalon #coral #color #pink #treatyoself #nailart #naillove #nailstyle
I made a quick road trip to South Texas to give a I made a quick road trip to South Texas to give a presentation on my documentary. I stopped in Bastrop on the way there and got a giant soft pretzel 🥨 with vegan butter and salt at a vegetarian/vegan cafe. Found some vegan unicorn gummies 🦄 at the Sprouts in McAllen (they were really good!), a big succulent, and visited the Callandret Museum in San Benito, which was the Black school there in the early 20th century. I brought Stella along for the ride, so she could visit the RGV 💜 It was a little bittersweet being back there for the first time because it's where Stella was from. But I got to my visit my former foster girls aka Stella's foster sisters, and I was soooo happy when they remembered me right away! 💗 On our way out, we stopped at La Sal del Rey, one of my favorite places. We were the only ones there and the salt water was fun to wade in 🌊 Wish I could've stayed longer! 
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#vegantreats #veganlife #vegantravel #veganblogger #veganblog #veganpower #vegansofinstagram #vegans #vegansofig #vegan #vegansofinsta #veganism #veganlove #southtexas #texas #texasgirl #roadtrip #roadtrippin #succulent #dogmomlife #dogmom #rgv #vegana #travelgirl #traveldiaries #travelpics #pretzels #texas🇨🇱 #ontheroad #unicorn
I made tofu Panna Cotta with a coconut mango puree I made tofu Panna Cotta with a coconut mango puree 🥥🥭 I loved the Panna Cotta part - it set well (first time using agar agar), tasted very fresh, and had the perfect hint of almond. The puree tasted good but I should've strained it - it had those stringy bits of mango which I don't like - so Cece enjoyed all the puree 🤪
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#veganfortheanimals #vegantreats #veganlife #veganfoodlovers #veganfoodshare #veganpower #veganblogger #veganblog #veganeats #vegana #vegansofinstagram #vegans #veganfood #vegansofinsta #vegansofig #vegandessert #veganaf #veganism #glutenfree #crueltyfree #desserts #foodblogfeed #foodblogger #foodlovers #foodstagram #foodshare #plantbasednutrition #healthyeating #healthyfood #foodpic
Are you really vegan if you don't saute extra vegg Are you really vegan if you don't saute extra veggies to put on your frozen vegan pizza? 🍕
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#veganfortheanimals #veganlife #veganfoodlovers #veganfoodshare #veganblogger #veganblog #veganpower #veganeats #vegana #vegans #vegansofinstagram #vegansofinsta #vegansofig #vegan #veganaf #glutenfree #crueltyfree #veganpizza #pizza #veggies #veganlove #veganism #dinner #foodblogfeed #foodlovers #foodgram #foodstagram #foodshare #yum #foodblog
Found this vegan jello at my local health foods st Found this vegan jello at my local health foods store. It's pretty good! 🍓
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#veganlife #veganfoodlovers #veganfoodshare #veganblogger #veganblog #veganpower #veganeats #vegana #vegansofinstagram #vegans #vegan #vegandessert #vegansofig #veganlove #jello #dessert #crueltyfree #healthyeats #healthyliving #healthyeating #glutenfree #foodblogfeed #foodblogger #foodlovers #desserts #foodgram #foodpics #foodstagram #yum #veganfortheanimals
I love taking care of rescue donkeys, even when I I love taking care of rescue donkeys, even when I find snakes under their water buckets, which is what happened yesterday (baby copperhead we think) 🐍 He was safely relocated and donkey cuddling could commence! ✨
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#donkeysofinstagram #donkey #donkeylove #donkeys #animallovers #animallover #animalsanctuary #animalrescue #animals #rescueanimals #rescue #volunteering #volunteer #greatoutdoors #ranchlife #texasblogger #texasgirl #texas #veganfortheanimals #veganlife #veganblogger #veganpower #furfriends #furbabies #friendsnotfood #farmlife #vegansofig #veganaf #weekend #cuteanimals
Made a vegan chocolate chip banana bread cake toda Made a vegan chocolate chip banana bread cake today 🍌🍫 
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#baking #cake #crueltyfree #dairyfree #veganfood #vegansofinstagram #veganlife #vegan #vegansofig #vegans #veganism #veganfoodshare #vegandessert #vegancake #veganbaking #veganblogger #veganfoodie #veganlove #veganfoodlovers #veganpower #foodpics #foodstagram #bananabread #foodlovers #foodgram #delicious #foodblogger #dessert #cakestagram #yummy
I spent Earth Day weekend camping for the first ti I spent Earth Day weekend camping for the first time! 🌎 But not by myself -- with 11 other women from all over Texas for a yoga & hiking retreat that I decided to organize because I thought it would be fun ⛺️ We were all strangers and yet we got along great, and I admire their adventurous spirits! Cece had a lot of fun too. This was a completely new experience for her as well, and I think she did great considering she was totally out of her comfort zone. Already starting to plan my next camping trip! 😃
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#camping #campinglife #campvibes #hikinglife #hikingtrails #hikingwithdogs #hiking #hikingadventures #hike #hikersofinstagram #greatoutdoors #nature #retreat #yoga #yogagirl #yogalife #yogalove #yogadaily #texas #texas🇨🇱 #texasblogger #texasgirl #outdoorliving #outdoors #scenic #naturegram #naturelovers #veganlife #veganblogger #veganblog
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