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Joe Byrd Prison Cemetery in Huntsville

January 24, 2021 by Jillian 2 Comments

joe byrd prison cemetery in huntsville

joe byrd prison cemetery in huntsville

joe byrd cemetery

Huntsville is a Texas town just north of Houston and is home of the Texas State Penitentiary. The Texas Prison Museum sits on the side of the highway greeting drivers, and the elementary and high schools are next to two prison units. Nestled in between college housing for Sam Houston State University is a quiet patch of land that serves as the final resting spot for inmates within the Texas prison system whose bodies are not claimed by their families. I stumbled across this little treasure of a place when I was looking for interesting things do in Huntsville and noticed the cemetery on Google maps. Curious, I looked it up and was instantly intrigued. This cemetery has a rich history and what follows are photos I took on my visit, accompanied by what I learned in doing some research on the Captain Joe Byrd Prison Cemetery.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Bits & Pieces, Travel Tagged With: buried inmates, cemetery, chief satanta, compassionate women, day trip, east texas, henry lee lucas, huntsville history, huntsville texas history, huntsville tx, inmate cemetery, joe byrd, joe byrd prison cemetery in huntsville, kenneth mcduff, kiowa chief, lee smith, prison, prison cemetery, prison history, prison rodeo, sam houston state university, satanka, serial killer, Texas, texas history, texas prison, texas prison museum, texas state penitentiary, the confession killer, travel, vegan blog

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

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

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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
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
Pretty little lithops bloom 🌼 . . . #bloom #blo Pretty little lithops bloom 🌼
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#bloom #blooming #lithops #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantlady #plantmama #plantaddict #plantcollection #plantlove #plantlover #plantmom #plantsofinstagram #plantparenthood #plantlife #plantas #plantlovers #plants #plant #plantaddiction #houseplant #houseplants #flower #flowerstagram #flowers🌸 #nature_brilliance #nature_perfection #nature #pretty #cute
Plant parent things 🪴 I bought this beautiful r Plant parent things 🪴 I bought this beautiful red emerald philodendron, proceeds benefitting Ukraine; finally have all of my hanging plants up; saved this little alocasia corm a few days ago and she's already sprouting a leaf?? 🤞; bought terrariums for my humidity loving plants like this African Violet; a new pepperomia; also got some living moss to experiment with; and some new bamboo hoops to help my plants climb 😍
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#plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantlady #plantmama #plantaddict #plantcollection #plantlove #plantlover #plantmom #plantsofinstagram #plantparenthood #plantlife #plantas #plantlovers #plants #plant #plantaddiction #crazyplantlady #houseplants #houseplant #crazyplantpeople #flowers #alocasia #philodendron #nature_perfection #nature_brilliance #vegansofinstagram #vegansofig #terrarium #hangingplants
I don't know if this is a White Ghost cactus or a I don't know if this is a White Ghost cactus or a variegated Gray Ghost but she's pretty! 🤩
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#cactus #cacti #cactuslover #cactus🌵 #cactuslove #cactusclub #cactusysuculentas #whiteghost #grayghost #plants #plant #plantmom #plantsofinstagram #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantlover #plantlife #plantlove #plantlady #plantaddict #plantas #plantaddiction #plantcollection #plantparenthood #plantlovers #plantmama #naturelovers #nature #beautiful #nature_perfection
Was waiting in line at Walmart when I saw this Bey Was waiting in line at Walmart when I saw this Beyond Meat jerky. It's been probably a good decade since I had regular jerky, but this tasted pretty legit. However, don't eat an entire bag at once as a substitution for actual lunch bc you'll probably get a stomachache like I did 😝 
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#vegan #veganfood #veganlife #vegansofig #veganfoodshare #veganism #vegansofinstagram #veganeats #veganfoodie #veganfoodporn #veganlifestyle #veganfoodlovers #glutenfree #vegansnacks #food #foodstagram #foodblogger #friendsnotfood #crueltyfree #vegancommunity #yummy #veganpower #vegans #veganlove #healthylifestyle #veganprotein #yum #snack #eeeeeats #foodpics
A few of my new planties 💚 . . . #plantobsessed A few of my new planties 💚
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#plantobsessed #plantporn #plantstrong #plantcollection #plantlove #plant #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantas #plants #plantparent #plantlife #plantmom #plantlady #plantaddict #plantsofinstagram #plantlover #plantlovers #plantstagram #houseplantclub #houseplants #houseplantcommunity #houseplantsofinstagram #pothos #venusflytrap #cactus #succulents #cactuslover #cactusclub #succulentsofinstagram #cactuslove
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