Juan of Words

Chicas de Calendario: The Golden Age of Mexican Calendar Art, 1930 – 1960

At the meat market, from insurance companies, at the local grocery store, one way or another we’d always end up with at least one or two Mexican calendars at our house.  We’d pin them in the living room, in the kitchen, somewhere noticable, where people could appreciate their beauty.  A fine piece of art amidst our otherwise chaotic decorative style.  Think mismatched, patched-up sofas, pliers on the television set, curtains separating living room from dining room, and all of the mugrero seven kids could make in one house anywhwere and everywhere.

What I never knew was how important and beautiful these calendars really were.  I admired their colors, their presentation, so relatable, the women with their rebozos and simple dresses, always doing something all Mexican women did – making tortillas, collecting water in jarros, dressed for a jaripeo, looking beautiful, like the women in my dad’s mini novela books, just not as scantly clad.  Only recently, by curiosity, reminiscing, musing and researching, did I discover the actual significance of this popular Mexican advertising art made so glamorous and famous by so many unknown artists from the 1930s to the 1960s.

Author Angela Villalba spent four years of her life researching and collecting these works of art and in her book Mexican Calendar Girls offers one of the most expansive collections of this artform (over 150 color images with titles and descriptions).  Here an excerpt from the book’s website:

A truly popular art form, the glamorous paintings of Mexican calendar girls have a long and fascinating history—as advertisements, promotional gifts, and emblems of Mexican cultural heritage and pride. The result of years of research, this exciting and informative book shares more than 150 vibrantly colorful calendar images, plus archival photographs and other materials that illuminate their creation. A fully bilingual text gives an overview of the calendars’ social and cultural history, along with biographies of the unknown talented artists who painted them. Also including a foreword by the renowned Mexican cultural critic Carlos Monsiváis, Mexican Calendar Girls presents this popular and delightful art for the first time.

Personalmente, I thank the author for this masterpiece of culture and history, and now can’t wait to start my own collection of these images.  For more information about Villalba, her book and the art of Mexican calendar girls click on the image below:

The Wedding: La Boda

As promised, pictures from my sister’s wedding!  The ceremony was beautiful.  The reception and party, intimate and fun.  After four days of recuperating from all the celebration, we’re almost there.  Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for the well wishes and participation in my last post.

I hope you enjoy these next couple of pictures from me to you:

Fotr even more pictures Click Here.

Hermanita: Un Regalito De Boda En Puras Palabras, Sabias

Little Sister: A Small Wedding Gift Of Pure Words, Wise Ones

Always the patient one, the disciplined one, the one we ‘never had to worry about because we always knew she had her feet solidly planted on the ground, and her heart sitting in the right place.’   Irma Linda Alanis, named by my sisters, despite her objections years later…far too many later to have any impact on my mother’s decision to allow all of us the opportunity to name our new baby sister.  Delicate, petite, bien fina, what people used to say.  Then one day she showed up pelona, no longer the thick, long, black hair we all knew her by – “I’m going to be a mechanic she announced!”  Irma, Linda, the violinist, the writer, the straight A student, a mechanic?  We were dumbfounded.  Despite our pleas, lectures and protests, she was determined, to follow her heart.

And it was only her heart that pulled her out from under the hoods of cars and into the classroom of ‘special’ children, kids with special needs.  A woman now, one day away from the sanctity of marriage, I look at her and remember the purple violin, the long dark trenzas on each side of her head, the silliness of a sweet girl, the wisdom of her kind words, her embraces, her quiet self confidence, and the millions of other memories we’ve shared together.  I’m not ready to let go.  I don’t think I’ll ever be.  But knowing she can change her own oil and repair her own transmission gives me comfort.

Irma, my gift to you, the wisdom and words of so many I’ve met through my writing:

Wally Crow – Install spyware on his computer

Rich Reyna – LISTEN TO YOUR BROTHER

Celia Valles – Keep Girls night out. So when he wants to go to any sporting event that u don’t care to join him you have the gals to turn to

Lorraine Diaz – Respect eachother…once you lose the respect there is nothing left.

Juanita Cruz - DON’T DO IT!!!! LOL, en serio!!! Mi abuelita decia que de la puerta de la iglesia se arripentian so tell her it’s not a big deal!! Just kidding…best wishes to your sister.

Juan Alejandro – The best of health, wealth and happiness

Esme Bernal – Marriage is a blessing. May your sister have a wonderful marriage.

Frances Morantes – Never go to Bed Mad!Always Make up with One Another.

@Cali4niaLily – Remember nothing’s as bad as it seems @ the moment. The only thing not conquered by any man/woman is personal death. All else is fixable

@ergeekgoddess – Congrats!  Don’t have children right away – take he time to enjoy and bond as a couple.  Whatever she does, she should have a life of her own. Her man will love her more for it.

@CraftyChica – Exciting!! Enjoy every moment…don’t get caught up on the minor details!  Time goes by too fast!

@emoticomma – Love ur partner in this life for who he is (not just 4 the person u want him 2 b). Support ea. other+ work extra hard during difficult times

@moondustwriter – Hmm, never go to bed angry and you are always there for her but your will send her back to make up with her hubby

@customcreative – Hmm, well I’m single but I’d tell her to never take her husband for granted.  Always kiss hello & goodbye & that it won’t always be easy… but to always work to build the relationship they want. My parents have 39 yrs married. It wasn’t always bliss, but they made it work. Last but not least: if they believe, God should be central in their partnership everyday. He gives strength when we have none. And of course, tell her congratulations! May the happy couple be blessed all the days of their lives…

@SimonCLarter – Advice? Me? Seriously, tho, make sure it’s a partnership, and not just one person in charge. Share the responsibilities. That’s it!

@SheilaAtwood – Just like anything else, you have to create a marriage. You might as well create a really fabulous one.

@broncofashion – Tell your sis: enjoy your similarities but celebrate your differences. If two people are the same, one of them isn’t necessary.

@hedgehognrabbit – Besides “don’t do it”? Well, communication is key. Don’t ever think you have to lie. Your husband should be the 1st person you’re honest w/. Also, my huge pet peeve, he doesn’t have to get rid of his toys when you have kids. He can keep the motorcycle and the guitars.

@asthevinylspins – Her? More like HIM. Happy wife, happy life It’s worked for my husband!

@NikkiCrick - Love each other for your differences, do something everyday to say I love you. Make time for dates. Be happy!

@KCLosangeles – That no matter what dramas may unfold, ignore them & make sure she has fun on her wedding day!

@Latinaish – My consejo is that all the consejos in the world won’t keep you together – only the two of you can decide that. Marriages is blood, sweat and tears – some days more than others. Nobody tells you that it isn’t easy – and if they do, you’re too blinded by passion and you’re own feelings of invincibility to think otherwise — But marriage isn’t easy. Life isn’t easy – but if there’s anything worth fighting for, it’s love.  Lucha. Cada día, Lucha por amor …y siempre recuerda, en este campo de batalla, ud y su marido están destinados a ser aliados, no enemigos.

These ‘consejos’ were solicited from friends and acquaintances of your big brother on the social network sites Twitter and Facebook.  Some of them made me laugh, others I’ve also saved for myself, and I hope they will be as enjoyable for you as they were for me.  Those who submitted the love, gracias!