Lavender & Wings

The last two things that I acquired before packing my bags and leaving the States for Mexico were a silver necklace with a small pair of wings and a bottle of lavender oil.  The necklace has become a constant reminder of my mom as my guardian angel, I never take it off.  The lavender oil, well it was to add to my bath water for relaxation.  Little did I know when I placed the necklace around my neck and the bottle of oil in my bag how much I never knew that I was always meant to be here in San Miguel...

The message on my necklace's card read this: 'Make a wish and put on your necklace. You are never alone! Your guardian angel is always with you. Think of them as your own personal celestial bodyguard. Wear your necklace as a reminder to believe in angels!' 

For intimately personal reasons, I do believe in guardian angels and I believe they are closely watching over me.  Even when I'm afraid and I don't understand why I am where I am, doing what I am doing, or why I am the way that I am, it is a great comfort to remember these guardian angels.

It is common here to see corazones (hearts) with wings.  They are made of wood and tin and sometimes appear as a logo for San Miguel.  This art and these images serve as a constant reminder for me that I am spreading my wings and taking flight...

Lavender is part of the mint family, a group of soothing herbs.  In various courtyards, shops and in the Jardin, there are lavender plants.  Laundromats much like the one where I did a recent photo shoot with Rachel are called lavanderias.  In Spanish, to wash is lavar.  In a way, I came here to wash and soothe my soul.

There are fields of lavender that are helping to give rural women hope.  The fields, known as the Lavender Project, are not in bloom right now.  It took a while driving down dusty dirt roads to find the lavender hidden amongst the rows and rows of cacti.  Even without the presence of flowers, the fragrance immediately struck me as I got out of the truck.  Suddenly there was silence and only the sweet smell of inspiration.  I have mentioned this feeling before here in my blog, the feeling of God's omnipresence.

From the Album "God's Project"

Feeling uninspired tonight so I thought I would share this song with you.  I fell in love with this song the first time Alex put his iPod next to my ear and told me to listen to it...

(click here for translation)



Alex Loves to Look at Himself in the Mirror



Aventura - Un Beso

Count Your Blessings

Just outside of the quaint cobblestone streets of San Miguel, there are dusty roads that lead to villages in various stages of disarray.  There are people walking to and from, mothers pushing their children in wheelbarrows, rubbish strewn here and there, malnourished and seemingly wild dogs and there is inevitably a tienda advertising Corona and Coke...Next month I will be leaving Mexico and returning to the States.  I will choose to keep these images in my mind so that everyday I can count my blessings.  I wonder, how does this happen?  There is no welfare in this country aside from begging on the street.  The stratification of social classes is clear.  The middle and upper classes strive for more, while the poor merely survive...

Juxtaposition

In a word, this is how I would describe Mexico.  The random juxtaposition of the architecture, the people, the food, the cars...everything.  Yesterday I traveled by bus to a neighboring city.  On the way home, staring out the window, I saw haciendas surrounded by virtual shacks, clothes hanging on the lines to dry, graffiti, street dogs, taco stands next to upscale restaurants and old VW beetle bugs driving alongside of BMWs.  The colors of Mexico are amazing.  I see a faded terracotta building, then a bright pink casita with turquoise trim, white horses against green cacti fading into dark mountains.  My pale white skin next to Alex's brown skin as we hold hands on the ride home.  My hazel green eyes in a sea of deep brown eyes...

This I Know for Sure...

There are certain constants in life.  A new year will come, the sun will set, there will be wine, flowers will wilt and I am not photogenic...Mama came to San Miguel and there was shopping, there were desserts, and there was Mr. Mexico. 

I have been here for almost three months now.  I hope that in the next month I will be visiting sunny beaches so that I don't look quite so pasty white.  My plans are unclear.  Possibly more time here in San Miguel.  I am taking baby steps to launch my own business...it will be called Pink Antler, a homage to all things girly and my Midwest roots.