October 7 is considered the birthday of Nuestra Señora del Rosario (the Virgin of Talpa). The six o'clock morning mass is dedicated to the Virgin, then she begins to receive her well-wishers. This is a very organized neighborhood-by-neighborhood pilgrimage to the church. Every pilgrim has a gift in hand. By 5 o'clock the holy carpet is ready, church bells begin to chime, and The Lady walks. read more

End of year holidays in small Mexican towns have a very special meaning. Folks come home. Milking cows and growing corn or coffee isn't everybody's idea of making a good living, so they try to realize their golden dream and head for the cities, but Christmastime and Mother's Day call them back home. read more

Beginning on December 16, Mexican children have their nine days of posadas before Christmas. Two are chosen to dress up like Joseph and Mary and lead the other neighborhood children from house to house singing a request for a place to rest. There are singers inside the houses they pass who are programmed to sing a refusal of lodging. Finally, they arrive at a house where they are received and refreshments are served. read more

Life in the mountains may be the secret of longevity. It is not uncommon for mountain folks to live past their nineties and complete more than a century on this earth. Country folks usually eat what they grow on their ranches. Corn plays such a fundamental role in the Mexican diet, as well as beans, chilies, tomatoes and onions. read more

As in so many Latin American homes in the 1800s and on into the nineteenth century, at least one daughter in the family stayed home and never married. That daughter's responsibility was to cook and care for the parents as they grew older and infirm. Toyita chose to play that role in her family. read more

In Talpa de Allende, there is a neighborhood girl who calls me her quasi-godmother. We have studied English together for the past few summers, but I find her attention span jumping about like a monkey.... read more

In Talpa, we have tianguis or street markets. Every two weeks, venders come from Guadalajara with their trucks loaded with fresh vegetables and fruit, herbs, ornate plants, cell phones, hair dryers and CD players. We can buy a galvanized milk can or rubber boots to wear in the milking lot. There are clay bean pots, stone metates for grinding the spices for savory salsas and machetes to clear the path through the woods. read more

Quite by accident, I recently ran across a website that lists Talpa de Allende as a sacred power place. Martin Gray spent years visiting and photographing every place he heard was a sacred site, and one of his pilgrimages brought him to Mexico. Apparently, there are different types of sacred sites. Martin classifies Talpa as "miracle-work site." read more

I shall never forget the two trips we made to the seashore from Talpa. read more

She talked about the Cristero War (1926-1929) as if it were yesterday. read more

New Year's Day, 1910 was colder than ever.

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In 1985, there were four Americans living in Talpa. Guy and Bill invited a small group living in Puerto Vallarta to share a weekend with them. The flight usually was about eighteen minutes long, but when folks used to ask me about the flying time, my answer was, "Long enough to say ten Our Fathers and fifteen Hail Marys, if you pray fast." read more

When he took the first sip of his nectar, Guy thought he could hear the angels sing. read more

There are secrets to all this pageantry that everybody doesn't know. read more

Many of you know August is the month when Talpa de Allende's image of the Virgin begins walking the back roads, visiting and blessing the ranches, cattle, crops, ponds and creeks along the way. She is accompanied by her devotees for six weeks on this summer trek.< read more

El Bramador is not the bustling, mining village it must have been in the 1860s, but the old mine shafts are still there. It is a ten-minute donkey ride up the mountainside from what was once the town's main plaza. Sidewalks are laid with flat stones that could have been slate dug from the surrounding hills. Red dust covers the streets, but the houses are clean and appear to have been recently painted. read more

Families in Mexico tend to be numerous. I know about big families. I come from one. read more

What no one was aware of was that, subtly, Guy and Bill were changing the ideals of the future leaders of a Mexico mountain village. Try Guy's Guy's Gringo Chile Relleno Casserole recipe. read more

Wedding traditions vary all over the world and Mexico is no exception. Canada and the United States are such international melting pots that we may see Asian, African or English customs demonstrated in the same ceremony. The same is true in Mexico. Margarita wore her wedding veil over a large white velvet sombrero. read more

If you have something in your eye, take a hair from the tail of a live cat .... read more

I'm constantly amazed how far Mexconnect reaches out -- from little Talpa de Allende, Jalisco, to the direct descendant of a Nobel winner in Germany. read more

A Mexican pig party plus my recipe for Mexicanized Mexissippi style crackling cornbread read more

The charro wears a special suit, like none I've ever seen on Billy the Kid or John Wayne. The escaramuza wears her own beautiful attire; she rides and performs side-saddle. read more

There was no human intervention in the restoration of the image and, if history can be believed, the transformation had to be supernatural, divine or spontaneous combustion mixed with staunch faith. read more