Children’s chorus fills Angela Peralta Theater

Singing children are the angels among us
By Elsmarie Norby

The success of the Boston Children’s Chorus events here in San Miguel last Thursday and Friday was due to support from many groups and individuals.

ANYÉL, a nonprofit organization that offers free music programs to hundreds of San Miguel children, brought the Boston Children’s Chorus to San Miguel in partnership with ACFEA, an organization that provides international tours for performing groups such as choirs, orchestras, dance companies and so on.

The Boston Children’s Chorus is a multicultural, multiracial group, founded in 2003, whose mission is “to maximize the power of music to create social change.” There are 200 children, ages 2-12, in seven choir programs from 59 neighborhoods in and around Boston, providing all children with “the opportunity to experience the life-changing power of music…enriching the quality of their lives.” Because their mission is so like the mission of ANYÉL here in San Miguel: “we decided to bring the two groups together for more than a concert.”

The Angela Peralta Theater was full and it was the first time for this kind of event, with many Mexican families and lots of children. The concert was breathtakingly beautiful and included 52 children from ANYÉL choruses at Casa Hogar Sta. Julia,

Casa Hogar Mexiquitos (orphanages for girls and boys), and children from the SM Choir also sang two pieces. 

A profound and heartfelt thank you to all of those who made this wonderful endeavor possible. You know who you are!Viva la música!

A gourmet treat for the Red Hatters
By Beverly Russell

They looked like a bouquet of flowers arriving at Sazón. Nine members of the Red Hat Society of San Miguel, in a swirl of purple clothes and red hats, flew into the tableware boutique and cooking school on Correo.

Queenie Jeannie (Jeannie Schnakenberg), presides over the local chapter of this international society which was founded in the belief that there is fun after 50 for women of all walks of life.

The group was there for a private, curatorial tour of the store led by Rhonda Roberts, the store manager. They were given the background stories of many of the artists and artisans whose work is exclusive to Sazón. Gorky Gonzales, one of the Mexico’s most prominent artists, is credited with the revitalization of the traditional potteries of Guanajuato. He is best known for rescuing the lost art of traditional majolica designs from the Spanish colonial period in Mexico.

The intricate ceramic work of Jesus Guerrero Santos was also display. Considered a national treasure, Santos has created honorary gifts for visiting dignitaries to Mexico, including Pope John Paul II.

The strikingly modern vases and bowls by Adrian Guerrero who shares a studio with his father and works with the same secret blend of ingredients. His crackle-glazed ceramics are adorned with silvery butterflies and other insects fancifully poised on the curving lines of the vase or bowl.

Another favorite artisan at Sazón is Esteban Valdez, a self-taught potter who lives with his twelve grown children and 60 grandchildren in the small brick-making village of Charco de Pantoja, Guanajuato. Juan, as he is called, uses traditional methods to make beautiful bowls, which are shown in many regional and folk art museums, including the Smithsonian Collection in Washington, DC. They are made of red clay from the lake’s edge, painted with primitive figures and animals, using a burro tail brush and glazed with a honey-colored, low-fire glaze. Juan makes the bowls by holding a mushroom shaped form by the stem in his left hand and turning it as he slaps on clay with his right hand. He then trims the top edge of the bowl by holding one end of a string in his teeth and the other end with his right thumb and index finger while continuing to turn the bowl. The pieces are stacked in a mini kiln built into the hillside, covered with tin and fired with small twigs of hand-gathered mesquite wood. Many of the bowls 
have hand-painted words describing the drawing, with EV painted onto the bowls as the artist’s signature.

A popular tableware series is the Mesa Blanca Dinnerware, with a white Alcatraz glaze applied over dark clay. The plates and bowls are decorated with various plant embossed patterns, some come with scalloped edges, some square, some rectangular and others traditionally circular. They are meant to mix and match on the table.

The first blue and white earthenware jars came to Mexico from the Far East, hence the Chinese motifs that are still prevalent today. Sazón has antique jars from Puebla that were used to store cocoa beans, the currency of 17th century Mexico. The jars had iron collars with padlocks for security.

The group also visited the kitchenware area and enjoyed browsing the cookbook and artwork sections of Sazón. Then it was on to the cooking school, where chef Montserrat Castro had created a special buffet brunch.


Beverly Russell, author of Women of Taste, Recipes and Profiles of Famous Women Chefs with an introduction by Julie Child, and other books on the arts, came to live in San Miguel in 2006.

CASA’s contributions to childbirth 
By Alison Bastein

When Diane B. wanted to try having a vaginal birth after a previous cesarean birth, she came all the way from Texas to birth at the CASA clinic. When Maria S. wanted to have her labor and delivery in the same bed in a private room, and not be whisked off in the pushing stage to a “sala de expulsion” on a metal gurney with her feet in the air in stirrups, she came to the CASA clinic. When Ana G. chose to have her baby at her own home, she came to the CASA clinic to hire one of the CASA midwives, because she knew they also came with the full back-up of the obstetrician, anesthesiologist, pediatrician, laboratory, surgery room and clinic, if for any reason any of them were necessary.

When Maria E. wanted a low-cost option and not a lot of fuss for the birth of her seventh baby, she came to CASA as she had six other times. And when Silvia and Juan wanted a water-birth, that is, to be in a big warm bathtub during labor and possibly delivery as a means of remaining relaxed and instinctual during birth, they came from Mexico City to CASA.

People come from near and far for the unique experiences CASA is able to offer women during childbirth. And young women come from all over Mexico to learn to become the midwives to attend them. The CASA school has over 25 students involved in its three-year program, who then serve an extra year of social service in the government health care sector. Most of the students come from rural areas, have a secondary education and receive full or partial scholarships to earn their credential as a licensed professional midwife. The CASA clinic serves also as a teaching institution for these students. It is a challenging program in many ways, not only because it is rigorous and intense by nature, but also because the unique model at CASA enables these young women to learn to become both independent practitioners as well as interdependent parts of health care teams. They become proficient in IVs and emergency measures, as well as in homeopathy and alternative therapies. They work with underserved women with very little 
resources, both emotionally and physically, as well as with foreigners and women in special circumstances.

This year, the 25th anniversary of CASA, the public is invited to an open house on August 5th at the CASA hospital in the Colonia San Rafael and to visit the school installations and child care center in Sta. Julia (there will be more detailed information on this in the next Atención). The CASA hospital is pleased to share its new renovations in the birthing rooms as well as the inclusion of a new prenatal education center where there are classes in birthing, lactation and parenting.

CASA always welcomes donations to help finance the scholarships for tuition and housing of our midwifery students, among other projects. If you would like to visit and/or help out, please contact Elsbeth at 152-2813 or email her at elsbeth@prodigy.net.mx and /or visit the CASA website at www.casa.org.mx 

Mujeres en Cambio Luncheon

Thurs, July 26, 2pm
Hacienda de las Flores
Hospicio 16
120 pesos
152-2820

New season of Mujeres en Cambio fundraisers
By Joan Strouse

After a brief respite earlier this summer, Mujeres en Cambio (Women in Change) is pleased to announce our upcoming luncheon scheduled for July 26 at Hacienda de las Flores. 

Mujeres en Cambio is an all volunteer, nonprofit organization dedicated to providing scholarships to enable young rural Mexican women to stay in school and continue their education, which fosters their self-sufficiency, self-esteem and self-respect. Substantial evidence from around the globe shows us that educated girls, especially those who have completed secondary education, are less likely to marry young, to have an unwanted pregnancy or to engage in high-risk behavior.

There are currently 150 scholarships recipients from rural communities surrounding San Miguel. They are offered to young women who show promise of continuing their education and are recommended by their school’s principal and teachers. The continued support of a scholarship is dependent upon maintaining a strong academic standing. Many of the students graduate from high school and continue on to college, technical school or university. Mujeres en Cambio continues to provide financial support to these students to help them meet their educational goals.

Though primary education in Mexico is free, the family still needs to come up with the funds for school and physical education uniforms, transportation, and school supplies. This sum is prohibitive for many families. Too often they are forced to make the tough decision to have their daughters leave school. Middle school, high school and educational opportunities beyond high school are not free and out of reach for many young women. The Mujeres en Cambio scholarships given to each girl helps her stay in school and increases the likelihood that she will have better economic opportunities in her life.

One current Mujeres en Cambio scholarship recipient is Belen (not her real name), who lives near Corral de Piedras, a 25-minute drive from San Miguel. Belen is a junior at the Videobaccilerato (VIBA) in Corral de Piedras where she has maintained excellent grades throughout her high school studies. A total of 11 family members live in Belen’s home (which lacks running water, an indoor toilet, a phone, electricity and has a dirt floor). Several members of the immediate family have had to leave her community to find work in the US. Belen comes regularly to her classes and has a “can do” attitude. She hopes to attend the university in Celaya to study accounting after she graduates next year. She is the first in her entire extended family to have studied beyond primary school and is proud to be a role model for her younger siblings and cousins

Our next regular lunch, at Hacienda de las Flores, is on Thursday, July 26. The guest chef is Guadalupe Heck from Barbecue Bob’s. Guadalupe is preparing a tasty Thai chicken satay and there will be a wide selection of delicious salads and tempting desserts prepared by the core members of Mujeres en Cambio. Please join us in a beautiful environment to share a divine meal, meet some very interesting people and learn more about our programs to provide educational assistance to rural Mexican women. Everyone is welcome! Please plan on coming and bring a friend along, too.

Attendance at the lunch is limited to 50 people and is by pre-sold ticket only. Tickets are 120 pesos and are on sale now at Casa de Papel, Mesones 57A (the China Palace building). Please purchase your tickets early as they sell out very quickly!

If you would like more information about our organization, please visit our website www.mujeresencambio.com, or call Joan Strouse at 152-2820 (please note that no phone reservations can be taken). We welcome new members—please come join us!

Joan Strouse is Professor Emerita at Portland State University and a San Miguel resident.


Here are the dates for future Mujeres en Cambio luncheons:

August 23: Luncheon at Hacienda de las Flores

September 27: Luncheon at Patsy’s Place in Atotonilco

November 1: Day of the Dead Afternoon Tea at Casa de la Cuesta


November 15: Luncheon at Hacienda de las Flores

December 13: Holiday Luncheon at Hacienda de las Flores






Bringing down the house to build some homes
By Atención staff

Two sold out and sensational concerts by musicians Doug Robinson and friends raised an impressive US$25,000 for Casita Linda, a sum that will allow the group to build an additional 16 houses. Founded in 2001 to provide simple, decent housing to the most disadvantaged, Casita Linda provides the materials, the volunteers and manages every aspect of construction with participation of the families involved.

Robinson and musicians Guillermo Blanco, Rio Negro Trio (Beto, Federico and Camille), Ian Hoffman, Ken Bichel, Ken Basma, Mark Young, Antonio Lozoya, Hopalong, Michael Hager and singers Glenda Robinson and Wendy Bichel played to packed houses and clearly touched people’s hearts. 

Jean Gerber, head of the Casita Linda volunteer team, said they all wished to express their gratitude to the people of San Miguel for giving so generously to this cause and believing that shelter is a basic right of human beings. In addition to the donations, much needed volunteers were recruited to help with the construction. 

For more information on Casita Linda please contact: jean@casitalinda.org.  or visit www.casitalinda.org.