Tuesday, November 27, 2007

A Picture is worth a Thousand Words

Here is Velcro, the "former" feral cat, watching Jeopardy. I swear she sits on the end of the bed every night and watches the whole show! The darnest thing I've ever seen...............do you suppose she was an "intellectual" in her former life?

Sunday, November 25, 2007

The City of "Fallen Women"

Yes, that's what they say about San Miguel - not because of our morals but because of our uneven sidewalks, cobblestone streets, gravel streets and missing parts of sidewalks. Oh, the other thing that "gets" you is when there is a teeny, tiny step down on a sidewalk, like 1 inch. It can really "throw" you - literally.
Well, it was the gravel road outside mi casa and it happened about 7:15AM Friday morning. I was carrying my garbage bags to the dumpster at the school across the road. The basura truck only comes to the school and very, very quickly and relatively early. So, I've learned that when they open the gates to the cans to rush over there with my bags.............would I have done this in the USA? NO WAY!
An old Mexican man came around the corner and as I looked up, yup, you guessed it, I hit an uneven patch and I SLID for about 3 feet.........on my stomach! The poor old man was saying "Oh, Senora","Oh Senora" and he came over, got the bags and put them in the cans! I finally got up and limped home to check out the injuries. Ah I decided nothing but two bloody hands - not bad - only a "4 point landing". BUT, the next day, when I got up I realized that my ankles, knees, wrists, elbows and shoulders were alllllllllllllll really hurting. I felt my age! So, I spent yesterday limping around and feeling sorry for myself - BUT, I'm back to my old self today. Whew!
I think after that episode I would rather be a "fallen woman" in the other way! HA!

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Thanksgiving Day

Well, the pecan pie is cooked and now the corn souffle is the oven - toaster oven - that is! Yup, I cook everything in an oversized toaster oven or microwave because there is NOT an oven in this house. Most Mexican food is cooked on a stove top and I DO have a 6 burner.
When I moved here this became part of the adventure.............what would I NOT be able to cook here in my little casa? Well, so far, the only thing has been a big turkey.
So today, I'm heading to son John and new daughter-in-law Lisa's house for Thanksgiving. All I have to bring is the pie, the souffle and the dinner rolls. Seems weird after having cooked BIG Thanksgiving dinners for at least 40 years.............but it's nice too.
I actually SAT down and watched some of the Macy's parade which in past years I never had time for...............hope all the grandkids saw the parade!
So, I hope wherever you are and whoever you are with that you're with friends or family and enjoying this great day that's set aside for us to count our blessings.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

"Surreal Eden"

This blog has opened me to a world of people that I would never have had any contact with in any other way. What a joy!
I received an email from Margaret Hooks. She is an accomplished author, art consultant and writer previously for Art News Magazine. She has published a book, "Surreal Eden" about Las Pozas and Edward James. It is available both in English and Spanish. One of the photographers in the Spanish edition is Robert Zibell who is an old-time friend from about 15 years ago who was responsible for me discovering Las Pozas in the first place. Talk about a small world.........
You can go to www.margarethooksbooks.com to read more about Margaret and the other books that she has published along with her myriad of accomplishments.
I'm ordering "Surreal Eden" and also a book on Tina Mondotti whose photography I have always loved on www.Amazon.com today.
I look forward to meeting Margaret in person, here in San Miguel, someday!

Monday, November 19, 2007

"Velcro" has a sweet tooth!

I've written about Velcro, the feral cat that now has become my lap cat. She has such a funny personality. She never meows unless she wants to come in or go out...........she doesn't like Costco roasted chicken BUT she loves homemade vanilla pudding............she has learned to throw her body against the screen door outside my bedroom to wake me up between 6:45 and 7AM EVERY morning so she can come in.............and she loves to jump out from beneath the bed's dust ruffle, which if I'm not paying attention ALWAYS makes me jump!
I was so sure I didn't want another pet after my dog Flash was killed three years ago by a bus and I fought the urge to befriend Velcro..............but I'm sure glad I did! She loves that I pet her and feed her and I love watching her antics. Oh, and I've put a collar with a tiny bell on her so she isn't bringing home mice and baby mice, lizards or birds anymore-whew!

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Sierra Gorda - Altars from Dia de los Muertos

Altars, altars everywhere! It didn't matter the size or location of the villages, somewhere and everywhere we saw altars. Some were part of competitions called "concursos" in the village squares and others were in stores or as in the case of the first photo in the regional museum in Jalpan. Oh my gosh, I would have loved to have brought this skeleton home to add to my folkart collection. And, if you click on this photo you can see the decorated skulls at the base. There was a huge altar display in the jardine next to the Mission of Jalpan. Noticeably to me, was the fact that many of these altars were being created by teenagers - aaah, the traditions being handed down. There were probably 20 to 25 altars in this display and as it got dark all the candles were lit and the square filled up with families strolling by and looking at the altars. Then a band began to play and as I was leaving at about 10PM it was getting really, really crowded. So different from Patzcauro and the State of Michoacan where it is more solemn and spiritual. The cemetaries closed at 6PM so this was THE celebration of the night.
This altar was in the lobby of the hotel we stayed in in Jalpan. It was close to the sign welcoming us to Jalpan. The cross is made out of salt which is one of the "key" ingredients that must be on the altar as well as water and light (candles). The symbolism is fascinating. Notice how they took cactus and sliced them and made a hole to turn them into candle holders! Clever isn't it?

Then as we traveled away from civilization, literally, and arrived in Tilaco, right near the Mission again, young teenage girls were making altars for a competition that night. I was amazed to see that they were making the altars out of banana leaves, marigolds and WILD ORCHIDS. IT WAS A SIGHT! I can remember as a little girl the first time I saw this exotic flower in a corsage that my big sister had for a prom. And I never tire of being somewhere where orchids are prolific and wild..............magnificent

The tradition of altar making is so different from one region to the next and in many instances it is using the indigenous materials that are available - palms, banana leaves, reeds from the river or whatever and then the other natural materials....................salt, water and light!






Saturday, November 17, 2007

Margarita Fick

Back in October in the post "Dia de los Muertos" I posted a photo of the work of Margarita Fick who is one of a very few artesans who continues to"work magic" with paper. I have never met her but admired her work for years. I had tried to reach her through her website but it no longer worked. Imagine my surprise when she posted on that blog with her phone number for me to call! I thought, how the heck did she know about this blog? So I called her while she was in Ajijic for the BIG artesan fair that is held annually - over 1000 people there this year - many buyers from the USA!
Well we met for comida yesterday and sat and talked for 2 1/2 hours. What an amazing woman! Here's her story...............she learned to cut paper as a child with her family while living in Zapopan, which used to be a village outside of Guadalajara but now is surrounded by Guadalajara. Ironically I was there one year for the procession of the Virgin of Zapopan - very touching........Anyway, in attempting to raise her children on her own, Margarita made and sold the papel picado and then moved into more elaborate huge pieces like the one I posted. At one time she lived in Houston, my home for 34 years, and taught workshops through the Mexican Consulate............how did our paths never cross? Anyway, it has happened now. She brought a piece that was about 3 ft x 4 ft for a client of the Virgen of Guadalupe. She laid it out on the floor for me to see. Absolutely BREATHTAKING! Her prices are more then reasonable.
Of course my mind is racing today with ways to promote her work with a workshop or a visit to her studio - both of which appealed to her! We'll see what happens.
I'm just honored to have met Margarita Fick!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

What a Funny Day today!

I decided on the spur of the moment to head to Celaya (45 minutes away) today with the main purpose of seeing if Home Depot had "paper whites" - narcissus - which I plant every year to fill the house with fragrance for the holidays. Nada, no bulbs to be found anywhere.......oh well, maybe I can twist someone's arm to bring some back from the USA. So on to Walmart, a store that has only been open about 6 months. The store was full of little munchkins (children) dressed in red and green along with a slightly larger person dressed as Santa. They were singing Christmas songs in Spanish and having a snack at the snack bar. Then the kids followed Santa through the store singing - I'm not sure what that was all about! I must admit the music was fun to hear in Spanish and at Home Depot they had a HUGE Christmas tree lot. Now, 7 years ago when I came here, you couldn't find but a very few scruffy trees for sale. Very few people put up a tree..........but now, Christmas is coming to Mexico instead of Feliz Navidad. Costco was stocked with all kinds of gift items and food items for the holidays also!
On the way home however, I returned to reality watching all the little stands set up along the road with blue tarps to protect those selling jicimas. Bags and bags of jicimas! Stand after stand.....Since Green Giant owns most of the farmland outside of Celaya, I assume that they grow the jicimas for export and these are the leftovers. Jicimas are very much part of the Mexican diet.........and I love their crunchiness.
A fun and funny day!

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Turkey Time

I LOVE this time of year! From Halloween on it's about cooking, gatherings, family and all the stuff that goes on.........So, I dug out this turkey photo which isn't all that great BUT wait til you hear the story of how I got to take a photo so close up of turkeys!

My favorite little pension in Patzcauro is Meson de San Antonio. The Mexican man who manages and previously owned the property has been restoring the rooms one at a time and I think he is now up to eight or nine rooms. They all face an inner courtyard except for the three at the far back that not only face the courtyard but have a window into the back grounds. So a few years ago, I selected a room that had a back window instead of a window on the courtyard. Imagine my surprise and delight when I pulled back the curtains and THERE stood a BIG TURKEY! I was so amazed to watch as he pecked at my window! So cute, I thought. Little did I know that afternoon that turkeys "gobble gobble gobble" a lot - especially early in the morning............But, I adjusted (always carry my trusty earplugs) and stayed in that room.
My next visit was at a busy time in Patzcauro and, you guessed it, I got the same room. AND now instead of one turkey there were about eight or ten turkeys...............Lordy it was a lot of "gobbles".......and the BIG TURKEY was still there!

So, when I look at this picture, I chuckle and wonder how many turkeys are at Meson de San Antonio this year...........

Monday, November 12, 2007

A Wonderful Thrill

I write on this blog, mostly for my own enjoyment, but also, in case anyone is reading, to share with whoever you are!
Imagine my thrill last evening when there was a post from Margarita Fick. She is the amazingly talented papel picado artesan who I wrote about when I wrote about Dia de los Muertos. I have admired her work for years and even thought of driving to Ajijic last week for the big Great Masters Artisan Fair just to see her work, but didn't. She posted and gave her phone number and said she is going to be in San Miguel and wanted to meet for coffee. Of course I immediately called her and she was so gracious and sooooooooooo I'm going to get to meet someone I so admire - because of this blog site. Isn't that just so cool?

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Sierra Gorda - Favorite photos

These are an assortment of photos that I took that I like - not for their artistry but for the subject matter. The first is a house in Landa de Matamoros that when I saw it it reminded me of the houses in the countryside of England near Stratford-on-Avon. The undulating roof looks like the thatched roofs that were so prevalent in that part of the world. My curiosity made me want to open the door and see what was behind it................but of course, I didn't! I stood in the plaza in front of the church at Jalpan and watched this old woman deliberately sweep each and every leaf into the corner with her "trusty" broom. She was totally unaware of me and totally focused on her task. I think she is so beautiful!
Aah, and lest you think these brooms leaning up against this wall in Conca are just for show, look up at the picture of the woman and you will see that these are REALLY used. I took this photo a couple of days after seeing the woman and didn't get the connection until I was sorting through
the many photos I took! Darn I wish I had bought these brooms.................aren't they wonderful?
And the last photo of the Huichol Indian was taken because he is so out of his element here. The Huichols live in the highlands of Nayarit which is on the Pacific coast and they make a pilgrimage each year at Easter to Real de Catorce which is probably 12 hours by car apart.......they walk.......to smoke peyote, have ancient ceremonies and create the beautiful bead and wax creations of Jaguar masks and jewelry. He was in Las Pozas to sell his creations and probably to make money for his family on the other side of Mexico. It used to be VERY rare to see a Huichol but now they do come to the villages to sell their wares.




Las Pozas - The "surreal" world of Edward James

Have you ever been somewhere and wanted to share it with friends through words and photos but both were inadequate to describe what you have seen? Well that is my feeling about Las Pozas. Living in this surreal country of Mexico - this is the ultimate in surrealness! My photos don't do it justice - check out Billie Mercer's site - www.pbase.com/billie_mercer/xilitla and you will see PURE ARTISTRY of this place. Or, if you decide you want to know more, just put into your search engine - Edward James or Las Pozas Mexico or go to www.junglegossip.com Ok, now on to my attempt to share this incredible place with you. Edward James was an eccentric, extremely wealthy Englishman who discovered Xilitla and declared it the most beautiful place on earth after he had traveled extensively all over the world - I tend to agree with him. It has wild parrots, wild orchids, waterfalls, bromeliads almost the size of cars and zillions of butterflies among other things and luckily, it is still there! Edward wanted to be a surrealist and mentored and supported many surrealist, Dali, Millet, Leonora Carrington (who is still alive in Mexico) and many, many others. There was recently an exhibit at the Tate in London of his works and many other surrealists. Today Edward would also be known as an "outsider" artist.
He spent 30 years and close to $30 million US dollars creating this world that we now get to enjoy. His intention was to create places so wild animals could live on the grounds and to create concrete structures that looked like giant flowers so they would never die - a simplistic explanation. Smithsonian magazine did a fabulous article on Las Pozas and Edward James about 15 years ago which is much deeper in explanation...........Las Pozas was not finished at the time of Edward's death in the late 1980's but it HAS held up well to the encroachment of the jungle.

This was my second visit to Las Pozas and again, as I climbed around and through these structures and grounds, I felt like Alice in Wonderland. I must admit that 10 years ago I scampered, this time I walked VERY carefully. It is hard from the photos to get the scale of these structures so I have included this one picture that shows the people climbing on it. It must be close to forty feet high, if not more.

As you are walking through the jungle of Las Pozas, the sound of the waterfall is everpresent and adds another dimension to the experience. If this place were easier to get to and more readily accessible to the public, as Watts Tower is in LA, it would be probably have been destroyed by tourists.
So, Edward James was looking for paradise, and in my estimation found and enhanced it! I hope you've enjoyed coming along with me on this journey of discover and surrealism.




Saturday, November 10, 2007

Missions of The Sierra Gorda

The Missions of The Sierra Gorda are a testament to one man's vision, Fr. Junipero Serra who landed in Veracruz and went to Mexico City where he was charged with evangelizing in the indigenous area of the State of Queretaro. The Indians in this area were referred to as Chichimecas, which is another term for semi-nomadic and warring tribes. The tribes were actually made up of Pames, Otomis, Huastecans, among others. The five missions were built in a period of ten years in the 1700's - which I find beyond amazing. All of the labor, including the carving and masonry work was done by the indigenous people. Remember, the ancient tribes of Mexico were creating incredibly beautiful pottery, jewelry and pyramids before Christ.................they might have been "unlearned" but they were the premier artisans of the world! The indigenoius were very skeptical of Fr. Serra and the Franciscans because prior to this order they were mistreated (that's a mild understatement) by the Spanish. However, supposedly the Franciscans treated them fairly and taught them crops to grow, provided housing and set up schools.
In this region, especially around Mission Conca, there are miles and miles of tomato, orange, and banana plantations. When you get over near Xilitla in the more tropical area, there are many, many coffee plantations. You can smell the fragrance in the air! I bought a few coffee bean bracelets.
As you can see the exterior of the Missions are extremely elaborate with all kinds of symbology carved on the front of each mission. I have read extensively about the churches of Mexico and in my readings it states that the Indians would include many symbols (hidden in the carvings) of their gods..............Often these churches were built on top of their holy grounds and I guess they were bringing forth what they were able to, to keep their beliefs alive!
The first photo is of the Mission at Jalpan which is a town of 5000 people. Note the difference in the sky color in Jalpan from the sky color as we went into the more remote areas. This color is not "touched up" but is actually the color of the sky - it was magnificent. This next mission is Tilaco. You know the old saying "It's the journey and not necessarily the destination" - well that is ABSOLUTELY the case in getting to Tilaco. Once you leave the highway and get on the road to Tilaco it winds around the mountains for about 45 minutes with vistas that take your breath away. You see villages nestled in the valleys of the mountains (Sierra Madres). Upon arriving in Tilaco which is made up of about six streets, it seems like a mirage to see this magnificent Mission. The teenage girls were in the tiny jardine making altars for Dia de los Muertos out of wild orchids and banana leaves - another blog on altars to follow!

When I was here almost ten years ago there was a Franciscan priest who was in charge of this mission. His name was Padre Miracle, truly. He lived from 1927 until 2004 and spent over 50 years in this village. He was responsible for having the road built that we traversed on to get to the village. There are photos of him in Rome with the Pope and all kinds of cool things in a little building across from the mission.

The above photo is Mission Landa de Matamoros. I thought as we arrived that I wish that all the politicians and media and people that talk about how illiterate and ugly Mexico is could experience the beauty of this civilization! In this village as I sat on a stone wall in the sun waiting for the group to finish looking at everything a Mexican man in his pickup truck stopped in the middle of the street and came over to talk to me. He wanted to practice his English. He was delightful and welcomed me to "his" village and wanted to know if I liked the church. He then proudly talked in English - it soon became apparent that he knew key phrases (like me in Spanish) and if you strayed from that - we both became quiet. It was really sweet. He is a butcher and has two children. He said he learned English in the State of Tamaulipas-not sure of that spelling-and wanted to speak it more. There is always such a naivete and innocence in these people.........it so touches my heart. I must admit, there is talk in the media about the machismo of Mexico but I truly have NEVER experienced that or seen it. Another "urban myth" perhaps?

This is the Mission Tancoyol which is REALLY remote also. It took us three days traveling to see all these missions! Can you imagine without paved roads, and traveling by foot or burro? Wow! It is said that Fr. Serra walked from Mexico City to the Sierra Gorda and then when finished there he WALKED to California. It boggles my mind.
The streamers you see and the wrapped wreaths on the cross are from past celebrations, probably from the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel which is celebrated ALL over Mexico. The wreaths are made initially and covered with flowers which are held on with orchid paste.
Notice on the churches the geometric patterns painted on the towers on each side of the decorative entrances. I found that fascinating because I have never seen that in any other part of Mexico or anywhere else. You also probably notice that many of the heads are missing from the statuary. It is said that this occurred during the Cristeros War in the 1930's when the true separation of church and state occurred in Mexico. A LONG story.
As elaborate as the exteriors of the missions are, here is an interior view of the Mission at Conca. Actually these missions are really village churches that are used on a daily basis. In one mission, they were preparing for a Quincenario and the women and children were sweeping and arranging flowers in pink and candles everywhere. In another mission they were chanting the rosary. It was very touching to see the daily life of these humble people. I feel honored to be allowed this glimpse....................




Thursday, November 08, 2007

"The Zone of Peace" - The Sierra Gorda


It had been almost ten years since I had traveled to this area, and then, I had approached from Tampico and not from San Miguel. I wanted to experience the road through the mountains which I now know has 850 curves, according to someone on the bus.

I wanted to see if this Huastecan region was still as untouched as it was previously and I also wanted to see the Missions built by Fr. Serra as well as to visit Edward James surreal scupture gardens known world-wide as Las Pozas.

The bus ride was exquisite - you travel through semi-arid desert land until you reach the village of Vizarron, which is a marble carving village. We stopped there and saw amazingly beautiful statuary, tables, chess sets and zillions of other things. Now this town is about 4 streets and yet the craftsmanship of the products they export to the USA were of the highest quality. Also in Vizarron we saw a small flower market set up for the locals so they could make their altars that day for Dia de los Muertos. This scene was replicated in every village we traveled through. Even if we didn't see the flower market, we would see women and children walking along the side of the road with armloads of flowers to take to the cemetary or home for their celebrations.
As we left Vizarron we began to climb into the mountains and for the next couple of hours it was twisting and turning. At one point we traveled under a sign that said "La Puerta de Cielo" which translates to the Gate to Heaven - (I was hoping we weren't actually going there that day) And then all of a sudden, we were in pine forests and green lush vegetation. It was so surreal and the beginning of the surrealness of the Sierra Gorda.
This biosphere area was declared a "Protected Zone" by the Mexican government in 1996. The rainfall goes from 1500 meters in one area to only 350 in another so you can see the difference in the topography. The ecodiversity holds six different kinds of forests as well as 360 different types of birds, 71 reptiles and 23 amphibious species. I saw butterflies like I have never seen before along with a group that were lime green and huge. Spectacular.
We arrived in Jalpan, which is the first village to have one of the five missions bult by Fr. Serra in 10 years in the 1750's before he moved on and WALKED to California and built nine of the missions in California! We were here for four days and ventured out to the other villages in the next few days to see the other missions. I took so many photos that I'll post tomorrow with the story of the missions. And, in subsequent days on other things we saw.
Sadly I must confess that the area is no longer "undiscovered" and Jalpan and Xilitla have more then quadrupled in size. One of the treasures of my last visit was seeing the Huastecan women walking and dressed indigenously. They piled their hair high with red fabric woven through.......no more. It has become Westernized and I did not see one person dressed indigenously.
Aaah, but it was delightful to experience the warm, humid weather (not too humid) and to see hibiscus, crotons, bromeliads and other tropical flowers that we don't get to see in the high sierras of San Miguel. I am so NOT a shoe person so to have my sandals back on was BLISS.