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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

Old Hidalgo Pumphouse & World Birding Center

December 24, 2018 by Jillian 1 Comment

old hidalgo pumphouse & world birding center

old hidalgo pumphouse & world birding center

old hidalgo pumphouse & world birding center

Last June I visited the Old Hidalgo Pumphouse in Hidalgo, Texas, a town that lies right on the border of Mexico in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley. Reynosa sits just on the other side of the Rio Grande River. Hidalgo was founded in 1852 and was first named Edinburgh, after the birthplace of Hidalgo’s founder. It became the county seat and the name was later changed to Hidalgo, which literally translates to “son of something” or loosely, “gentleman,” because it referred to someone of noble rank. The Hidalgo Pumphouse dates back to 1909, when it was built to service over 40,000 acres of land that needed irrigation, and was in operation until 1983 when a newer pump plant was opened nearby.

I went to visit the Old Pumphouse on a hot Thursday afternoon. It has been converted to a museum, and like the other parts of the lower valley, attracts birds because of the tropical climate, so it also functions as a birding center. I was the only visitor there, so it was quiet and peaceful, and I was surprised by just how beautiful it was. History and nature are two of my favorite things, and being able to combine the two is even better!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Bits & Pieces, Travel Tagged With: amphiteater, birding center, compassionate women, explore, flowers, garden, hidalgo pumphouse, hidalgo texas, history, international bridge, museum, nature, old hidalgo pumphouse, old hidalgo pumphouse & world birding center, pumphouse museum, reynosa, rio grande river, south texas, Texas, texas history, travel, vegan blog, world birding center

The Garden at La Posada

April 28, 2018 by Jillian Leave a Comment

the garden at la posada

garden

seedling

I’m really bad at gardening. I can’t even keep house plants alive for more than a couple of months. So I started buying only cactus in the hopes that they are low maintenance enough for me and my gardening deficit. Plus, my compost pile has been sprouting new fruits and veggies, which was unintentional on my part!

I have a friend that volunteers bi-weekly at an apartment complex called La Posada that is part of my city’s housing authority. One of the volunteer programs she runs is the communal garden at the complex. Yesterday she gave me a tour, and I was so impressed with all of the beautiful things growing there! Luckily, I happened to have my camera with me and took photos.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Bits & Pieces, Tidbits Tagged With: children's garden, communal garden, community garden, compassionate women, environment, environmentally friendly, fruits & veggies, garden, garden photos, gardening, grow your own food, housing authority, nature, south texas, the garden at la posada, vegan, vegetable garden, volunteer

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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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