One of the things I enjoy about living in Mexico is the plethora of Shrines. I am not a religious person, but I am a lover of myth, symbols, and ritual. Altars and shrines seduce me, like shoe stores enthrall others, (ok, I am very fond of shoe stores too). I also appreciate Mexicans devotion to their personal female deity La virgin De Guadalupe. I know Catholics would dispute that they worship Mary as deity but I think it is impossible not to see Catholicism as more than just a little bit pagan and pantheistic.
I like to call the altars to Mary– Roadside Marys and as a holiday season celebration I will share some of my favorite Marys with you over the next few weeks.
The relationship of opposites is a theme in my search for meaning. I explore these ponderings frequently in my art work. One of my favored motifs in this vein is the marriage of sacred and profane.
This Mary beautifully represents that idea; she graces our new gas station at the entrance of Tilzapotla. I admire her placement, hovering of the sump pump and mop bucket, and her utilitarian Styrofoam vases. 
May we maintain our personal Sacred in the dust of our daily lives.
Happy Thanksgiving Dear Readers, I am thankful for your time.
VSVEVG (very simple very easy very good) 
I am also a fan of shrines – seeing them in markets, bus stations, roadside, and with private residences is one of the special aspects of time in Mexico. I painted a hotel scene from Merida, where there is a small shrine up in a window, with marigolds in a couple of pickle jars, and sharing the space with a fire extinguisher… http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/stanwolf/MeridaHotelLobby.jpg
Wow,I love your painting Stan, thanks for sharing it! I want to warn you since I know what a dog lover you are, that tommorrows post is very sad, we’ve lost Elvis. You may want to skip it. take care my friend, a.
Hello, i read your blog occasionally and
i own a similar one and i was just wondering if you get a lot of spam remarks?
If so how do you prevent it, any plugin or
anything you can recommend? I get so much lately it’s driving me insane so any assistance is very much appreciated.
wordpress has a spam program that manages them for me, all I have to do is remember to look them over so I dont miss something I want
Have you ever thought about publishing an ebook or guest authoring on other sites?
I have a blog centered on the same topics you discuss
and would really like to have you share some stories/information.
I know my viewers would appreciate your work.
If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to shoot me an e mail.
Hello, I have just checked my spam and find there are several messages here from you. Sorry I didn’t notice them earlier. I have thought of epublishing, at present I am negotiating a book sale with an agent, but if it doesnt work out I will likely epub it. In terms of guest authoring, I would be happy to. Please send me your blog address, thanks alot for visiting vsvevg, your next message should come to my comments now that I have selected your message from spam and i will responded in a more timely manner, paz Abby
Hello, please send me the address of your blog, I would love to stop by, paz Abby
Among the principles shrines in Europe, the shrine at Walsingham constitutes the most excellent place of Marian devotion in the land of Britain. According to tradition it was founded by a certain dame Richeldis in 1061, who in a dream was ordered to build a chapel as a copy of the Holy House in Nazareth. The chapel when the devotion developed, was enclosed in a sumptuous gothic church. Following its destruction, in 1538, only in 1934 did Walsingham see the reconstruction of a shrine within which was enclosed the Holy House. In the same year there was the inauguration of a Catholic shrine in the former Slipper Chapel, where traditionally pilgrims would leave their shoes to walk the last mile barefoot.
thank you that was very interesting, Slipper Chapel,I love that 🙂
thanks for visiting vsvevg, paz Abby