El Ojo del Lago - July 2019 by El Ojo del Lago

Saw you in the Ojo

 D IRE C TOR Y  PUBLISHER Richard Tingen

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alejandro Grattan-Domínguez Tel: (01376) 765 3676, 765 2877 Fax: (01376) 765 3528 Associate Publisher David Tingen Graphic Design Roberto C. Rojas Reyes Diana Parra Morales

Index...

FEATURE ARTICLES

COVER STORY

Mark Sconce remembers one of the most outrageous moments in U.S. history when the incomparable Oscar Wilde embarked on a speaking tour across North America.

10 NOSTAGLIA Alice Hathaway remembers with great fondness and admiration the life and work of Neill James, today remembered as “The Godmother of Ajijic.”

Associate Editor Victoria Schmidt Art Critic / Contributing Editor Rob Mohr

12 PSYCHOLOGY Sydney Metrick, with a PhD in Expressive Arts Therapy, provides us with a crash course in understanding our dreams.

Theater Critic Michael Warren Book Review Panel Margaret Van Every Margaret Porter Clare Gearhart

Sales Manager Bruce Fraser Carmene Berner Office Secretary Rocio Madrigal ADVERTISING OFFICE Av. Hidalgo # 223, Chapala Mon. thru Fri. 9am - 5pm Sat. 9am - 1pm Tel. 01 (376) 765 2877, 765 3676 Fax 01 (376) 765 3528

Pag. 30 LAKESIDE LIVING

22 MESO-AMERICAN HISTORY Nancy Wolf reminds us of exactly what it was that caused the Maya people to finally abandon their nomadic ways: the discovery of corn!

COLUMNS THIS MONTH 6

Editor’s Page

14 Bridge by Lake 20 Profiling Tepehua 24 Welcome to Mexico

42 CHILDHOOD MEMORIES Marilyn Armstrong remembers a time when childhood still had a magical touch, when children played in the street. For some, that would be the freest some of them would ever be.

46 MORE HISTORY Rosamaria Casas writes about the nun who today is remembered as the greatest writer of Mexico’s 17th century.

Send all correspondence, subscriptions or advertising to: El Ojo del Lago http://www.chapala.com ojodellago@prodigy.net.mx Ave. Hidalgo 223 (or Apartado 279), 45900 Chapala, Jalisco Tels.: (376) 765 3676, Fax 765 3528 PRINTING: El Debate El Ojo del Lago aparece los primeros cinco días de cada mes. (Distributed over the first five days of each month) Certificado de Licitud de Título 3693 Certificado de Licitud de Contenido 3117. Reserva al Título de Derechos de Autor 04-2011-103110024300-102 Control 14301. Permisos otorgados por la Secretaría de Gobernación (EXP. 1/432 “88”/5651 de 2 de junio de 1993) y SEP (Reserva 171.94 control 14301) del 15 de enero de 1994. Distribución: Hidalgo 223 Chapala, Jalisco, México. All contents are fully protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the written consent of El Ojo del Lago. Opinions expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Publisher or the Editor, nor are we responsible for the claims made by our advertisers. We welcome letters, which should include name, address and telephone number.

8 Cover by Maureen Clark

Special Events Editor Sandy Olson

Roving Correspondent Dr. Lorin Swinehart

COVER STORY

VOLUME 35 NUMBER 11

El Ojo del Lago / July 2019

30 Lakeside Living 40 Ramblings from Ranch 50 Life Askew

Saw you in the Ojo

COLUMNIST

Editor’s Page By Alejandro Grattan-Dominguez THE JFK ASSASSINATION—Revisited

any years ago, the History Channel produced a six-part series on the above-mentioned matter, but was blocked by the Federal Communications Commission from broadcasting the series, threatening to take away the Channel’s federal license if it violated this mandate. Only fairly recently was the ban finally lifted, and one’s first reaction is to wonder why the FCC ever lifted the ban: the series is political dynamite, if simultaneously highly controversial! Containing many never-before seen interviews with a staggering variety of people, both prominent and ordinary, the series slowly but surely attempts to

tear to shreds the findings of the Warren Commission’s Report which once had been the “final word” on the 1963 assassination of one of America’s most popular presidents. That “final word” averred that JFK was killed by a single gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald, the motive for the murder unclear. There the matter stood until 1991 when the Oliver Stone movie JFK was released, causing a political uproar.

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Much of Stone’s movie was bitterly rebuked, and though it did draw some baseless conclusions, history has been kind to the film in that many of the main points it made have been largely re-stated by the History Channel’s ultracomprehensive six-hour series. For those old enough to have lived through the national trauma of the assassination of JFK, many of the initial “official explanations” rang hollow, e.g. Oswald did not seem to have anywhere near sufficient motive for committing such a horrendous crime; the trajectory of the fatal shot did not conform with the theory that the shot came from far above and behind the motorcade, and in the subsequent crime which involved the killing of Oswald himself, the motive given by the assassin, Jack Ruby, that he had killed Oswald to spare JFK’s widow the ordeal of having to testify at any subsequent murder trial involving Oswald was an assertion that was little less than laughable. Far from laughable, however, are the following conclusions the History Channel’s investigation reached: • Lee Harvey Oswald was indeed involved, but he was only the “patsy,” as he himself said repeatedly before he was killed. The main shooters were two expert marksmen-for-hire from the Marseille area of France, who were ahead of the Kennedy motorcade and hidden in a sunken drainage area. This conforms to the well-established projected path of the shot that killed the president, i.e., coming from ahead of the motorcade and from a lower angle. • The plot was financed by a few (named) billionaire Texas oilmen who had been deeply aggrieved by JFK’s announced intention to cut the oil depletion allowance in half, a move that would have cost them tens of millions of dollars. This meant a conspiracy, and money must have been Oswald’s only interest in taking part in the plot. • Deeply involved in the planning of the plot was the top leadership of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which had been marked for dismissal because of what JFK thought was its dismal planning and execution of the scheme to oust Fidel Castro in the monumental failure later termed “The Bay of Pigs.” • Also implicated: the longtime Director of the FBI, who had learned that Pres. Kennedy planned to “retire” him soon after the upcoming 1964 election, but not before due to possibly adverse political reactions. • Also involved was the head of the Mafia in New Orleans, who had a long list of grievances against both Jack and Robert Kennedy. • Included, as well, in the plot were a

few members of the top ranks of the American military who were aware that JFK planned to terminate the Vietnam War shortly after he won the upcoming presidential election in 1964. The president had concluded that the war was unwinnable from a political standpoint, but did not want to end it before the election, lest his upcoming Republican opponent call him “soft on Communism.” • Then add the Industrial-Military Complex, which was making billions of dollars off the unpopular war. President Eisenhower in his Farewell Address in 1959 had warned his country about this cabal, fearing that someday it might be too powerful for even an American president and/or Congress to control. • Most specifically named was the man who assumed the presidency after the murder of JFK, who continued the war in Vietnam until the domestic resistance to it became a political tidal wave that even he could not turn back. His personal motive for joining the anti-Kennedy cabal had been an urgent one: two separate criminal investigations were coming to a head, and only the presidency could shield him from prosecution and perhaps from serving time in prison. (Does this sound familiar?) • Finally, it was reliably reported that on the Thursday night prior to the Fateful Friday, many of those referred to above were in Dallas, attending a meeting at the palatial home of one of the aforementioned oil magnates. People say that “elections matter” and they do— but so do presidents. Surely most of the entire world came to miss the brilliance of America’s 37th president. Of far more serious consequence, however, is the many hundreds of thousands of people who died in the Vietnam War who might still be alive today if President Kennedy had not been murdered in Dallas in late 1963. The war would go on for another 12 years. Footnote: Though the History Channel, in the face of severe political pressure, had to recant some of its assertions, of the wide net of conspirators mentioned by name in the TV series, not a single defamation lawsuit related to this matter has ever been filed against the History Channel by any party or individual who might have had some stake in the matter. We urge our readers to draw their own conclusions. Alejandro GrattanDominguez

Saw you in the Ojo

The Wilde Midwest By Mark Sconce

My pen has lost its disposition To mar the fleeting page with verse; For other, colder dreams I nurse, And sterner cares now seek admission; And mid the hum and hush of life, They haunt my soul with dreams of strife. A.S. Pushkin Trans. James Falen I wonder what the farm wives told their husbands, fresh from the fields of Kansas and Nebraska? “Dear, we’re going to the high school gymnasium after supper to hear a famous fellow from England. They say he’s a very cultured Englishman, but the paper says his lines are Irish, like ours. Says he’s a poet and writes plays in London town. Put on your Sunday duds, Homer. And stop snapping your galluses.” And off they went that evening to the school gymnasium where a large crowd was gathering and dressed as though it were Sunday. Typically, the mayor or a local lady of breeding would introduce the honored guest. Tall (6’3”) with an aura of selfassurance, Oscar Wilde strode onstage holding a single white lily, symbol of his aesthetic philosophy. His wavy brown hair was parted in the middle and curled behind his ears. His oval, smooth-shaven face was marked by a slight Roman nose and certainly sensuous lips. Audience members could be forgiven for gawking at this fine fellow, a dapper dandy, wearing his favorite “Lincoln green, otter-lined, seal-trimmed overcoat with froggedclosures, extra wide cuffs and a deepnotched collar with a big black bow at the throat.” Knee breeches highlighted black silk stockings and patent-leath-

er slippers with bows. Whether that night he lectured on The House Beautiful or The Decorative Arts or The English Renaissance or simply recited poetry, he conveyed the central idea of his aesthetic view of life, namely, that beauty and pleasure in all aspects of life and art mark the exemplary life, a life well-spent. His famed wit was also on full display, beginning when he arrived in America, January of 1892. Asked at Customs if he had anything to declare, he replied, “Only my genius, sir.” He began his lecture tour in New York with stops in Philadelphia, Washington (which he hated), Baltimore, Albany, Boston and New Haven and more. Assuming center stage, he might be moved to quip, “I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.” Or offer his take on war: “As long as war is regarded as wicked, it will always have its fascination. When it is looked upon as vulgar, it will cease to be popular.” Or simply be moved to recite: “And down the long and silent street, The dawn, with silver-sandaled feet, Crept

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like a frightened girl.” Then, onward into the “cultural wastelands” of the American interior: Prairie, buffaloes, elk, Indians; Aurora, Peoria, Dubuque, Sioux City, Omaha, Fremont. He gave over 140 lectures and presentations! It seemed the only invitations he declined were those in Griggsville, Kansas where local worthies had invited him to lecture on aesthetics. Wilde couldn’t attend but cabled: Begin By Changing The Name Of Your Town. The other invitation he “postponed indefinitely” came from a gentleman in Ohio: “If Mr. Oscar Wilde will leave his lilies and daffodils and come to Cincinnati, we will undertake to show him how to deprive thirty hogs of their intestines in one minute.” Throughout his nearly year-long tour in North America, from sea to shining sea, from the Gulf of Mexico to Montreal, Wilde was mocked and ridiculed in the press, skewered by the likes of Henry James (“a tenth-rate cad and an unclean beast”) but fêted and received warmly by polite society, especially by ladies of fashion. Receptions and dinners in the most fashionable salons were given in his honor. Wilde’s social status increased considerably. Back in England, besides offering his views on America, he was at the top of his game with hit plays like Lady Windermere’s Fan, A Woman of No Importance and his last, most popular play, The Importance of Being Earnest, mercilessly exposing Victorian hypocrisies through biting satire. Alas, the good times came to an abrupt end. I wonder what the good wives of those prairie farmers back in the Midwest thought when they read in the papers that Oscar Wilde had been convicted of “acts of gross indecency in private with his own sex” and sentenced to two years hard labor for having been “the centre of a circle of extensive corruption of the most hideous kind among young men.” Or as his main lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, famously put it, “I am the Love that dare not speak its name.” To read accounts of the trials, for there were two, I come away realizing that Wilde’s behavior, cringe worthy though it was, would not convict him in a modern court. But 1897, Victorian England had other thoughts: “…some prostitutes were seen to kick up their skirts with glee at the news. “ ‘E’ll ‘ave ‘is ‘air cut reglar now!” shouted one onlooker, provoking a “loud chorus of

laughter and jeering from others.” The Crown established a link between aestheticism and depravity that proved persuasive to a jury, judge and the public. Prison was “hideous” to a sensitive soul confined to a solitary cell except when executing “hard labour.” With help from a friend in high places, Oscar was finally allowed to have pen and paper. It saved him from insanity. I know not whether laws be right, Or whether laws be wrong; All that we know who lie in gaol Is that the wall is strong; And that each day is like a year, A year whose days are long. I never saw a man who looked With such a wistful eye Upon that little tent of blue Which prisoners call the sky. Oscar Wilde was released from prison in May of 1897 having served two years to the day. By that time, his wife Constance and their two young sons had fled to Switzerland and changed the family name, never to see Oscar again. He lost his family, his career, his income, his reputation and his adoring public. He wandered around Europe for some years, poverty stricken, sickened both physically and spiritually. He came to rest in the shabby Hôtel d’Alsace in Paris where he died of meningitis at age 46. Even at the last, he gathered his wits and said, “This wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. Either it goes or I do.” Father Cuthbert Dunne administered Extreme Unction to an Irish son. Oscar rests in the same French cemetery as Albert Camus, the apostle of the absurd. Some would argue that Wilde’s incarceration produced two gems that we wouldn’t have otherwise: The Ballad of Reading Gaol, a scathing indictment of the Victorian penal system and De Profundis (from the depths), a letter to his erstwhile lover—the blame, the shame, the suffering. After that, he told a friend: “I can write, but have lost the joy of writing.” The reading and theatre-going public were thus deprived of his inarguable potential. He could have had 30 more years to create masterpieces like The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Importance of Being Earnest, Salomé , An Ideal Husband and many more. Thus, do the lurid details of his life vie with his considerable contributions to English Literature. The affair also teaches us the damage that orthodox zealotry can do... Mark Sconce

Saw you in the Ojo

Dust On My Heart By Neill James Book Review by Alice Hathaway (From the Ojo Archives)

ou might wonder who’d want to read a book about Mexico that was written more than fifty years ago. But if that book is Dust On my Heart by Ajijic’s own Neill James, you’d be surprised how many people want to get their hands on a copy. This book was originally published by Scribner & Son in 1946, the last in Neill’s “Petticoat Vagabond” series. Her adventure/travel books about native cultures in faraway places were best sellers during the Great Depression, when few people could afford to travel

around the world. Sharing her adventures vicariously through books and lyceum lectures substituted for the real thing. When World War II curtailed the globe wandering of single women, Neill settled for a six-month exploration of remote regions in Mexico. Research suggested several areas off the beaten track where she might need to travel by horseback, burro or

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on foot if they could not be reached by road or rail. She packed her sleeping bag, knapsack and notebooks and set out for Indian country to let the adventures happen. Meeting people, learning their history and taking chances provided the stuff for her wonderfully descriptive writing. I wished for a map as I read the chapters about the Otomie lndians who live in land without water. I had never heard of Orizabita or Espiritu in the state of Hidalgo, where “seven-odd thousand Otomies derive their livelihood from the cactus.” The average earnings of five families encountered at random amounted to 19 cents a week, less than ten dollars a year. (This was many years ago, remember.) Neill was surprised to learn that even such a meager sum was taxed by 53%, and little was returned to the community in the form of roads, schools or medical services. Always interested in schools, she recognized Mexico’s problem of educating the masses where the government had to deal with poverty-ridden, unlettered people steeped in 16th century European religious superstitions, who spoke a hundred languages and dialects. Their villages were situated at levels ranging from sea level to treeline at 10,000 feet. Neill James’ travel through the rural countryside showed that the Conquistadores who ravished the land in search of gold overlooked more mineral wealth than they took. She went to the mountains of Oaxaca where silver and mica were mined, to the Guatemala border in Chiapas, down to the coast at Veracruz, to Mitla and Monte Alban and back to Mexico City in November to join the Explorer Club’s winter climb of Popocateptl. That adventure ended in disaster for the author when she slipped on the frozen descent and tumbled down the icy slope with the speed of an express train. When she dug in her ice axe, the speed of her falling body jerked her arm from its socket. Only the quick ac-

tion of two young Mexican climbers stopped her near-fatal fall. They braced themselves in her path and caught her unconscious body against their rigid legs, risking their own lives in the process. After months in the hospital and a long convalescence at a mineral spa, Neill had recovered enough to go to the emerging volcano near Uruapan. The incredible birth of a new volcano in the cornfield of Dionisio Pulido, a humble Tarascan lndian, was a new wonder not to be missed by the intrepid “petticoat vagabond.” With scarred face, use-less arm and broken leg, supported by a crutch, she visited the exploding mountain on June 1, 1943, just 101 days after the advent of Paracutin Volcano. A shelter had been constructed near the blazing cone to shield scientists and photographers from falling debris. Neill and her companions photographed the fireworks shooting out of the crater, then went to sleep on petate mats in the shed. At three in the morning, the roof collapsed under the weight of sand and ash. The central beam fell across Neill’s body, cracking her pelvis. She spent the better part of a year in Mexican hospitals, unable to use a typewriter to complete the book she had come to Mexico to research. When she was able to travel, she sought a lower altitude and more salubrious climate in the little Tarascan village of Ajijic on the shores of Lake Chapala, where she found a few English-speaking artists and 2,000 Indian neighbors. There is an old saying that “when the dust of Mexico has settled on your heart, you cannot then find peace in any other land.” Neill spent the last fifty years of her life in Ajijic, contributing her time and attention to the village where she had come to recuperate and finish writing her book. She was much loved and revered as the patroness of schools, libraries and the embroidery/ weaving industries, all of which improved the lives of the native population. Neill James died just months short of her hundredth birthday. Republishing her fascinating narrative of Mexico is an appropriate tribute to her memory. Ed. Note: Neill James wrote several other books, all published by Scribner and Sons. Some of our readers might remember that this same firm published most of the work of Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and Thomas Wolfe. Our own Neill James was in pretty good company, and we are delighted that Dust On My Heart might soon be available to us again.

Saw you in the Ojo 11

Understanding Your Dreams By Sydney Metrick Sydneymetrick@Gmail.com

ave you ever wondered what your “weird” dreams might mean? Dreams are generated from your unconscious mind which speaks in the language of symbols. Dreams, daydreams, myths, fairytales, art…all come from the unconscious. By getting familiar with symbolic language you can look behind the symbols to discover the layers of meanings in the stories your dreams tell. The messages of night dreams and daydreams are expressed in personal, cultural and universal symbols. Working with symbols is process work. The value is in the journey rather than the destination. What is a symbol? “Basically, a symbol is something that represents something else.” You may be wearing a wedding ring or a religious symbol, or have a tattoo. These things are symbols that mean something more to you than the item or the image itself. Some symbols have only a personal meaning, others also have universal significance. The ring, a circle, universally symbolizes wholeness and perfection. There are a number of ways to explore what a symbol might mean to you. The most superficial way is to go with your first impression. You dream of a wolf and you assume it means something dangerous or possibly evil is lurking or chasing you. To delve more deeply into the meaning, you can imagine the wolf speaking to you and telling

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you who it is and what it wants to give or to get from you. Another option involves writing. Make up a story about the symbol’s childhood/future; e.g. Once upon a time –or—Long ago and far away. Then for those of you who are more adventurous you can try the two-chair technique. Set up two chairs facing each other. Sit in one chair and imagine the wolf (or whatever symbol you wish to explore) in the other. Initiate a conversation and ask a question such as, “what is your role in my dream?” Move to the other chair and answer as the wolf. Continue the conversation using the role play until you’ve gained helpful insight into the meaning of the symbol. If you keep a dream journal you may notice themes or motifs as well as recurring symbols. Years ago, I kept having dreams in which I’d accept a stick of gum and as I began to chew, the gum grew larger and adhered to my teeth and gums. I’d have to pull ropes of gum from my mouth and discretely dispose of it. This was especially difficult and embarrassing if I was in public. Finally, I realized it was a relationship I kept allowing into my life that was hard to end. When I finally did create a boundary, the dreams stopped. Once you have a relationship with the dream symbols you can use that for increasing meaning and growing in waking life. In the words of Emily Bronte: “I’ve dreamt in my life dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas; they’ve gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the color of my mind.” Bio: When I was a child my two favorite activities were reading and daydreaming. My love of learning led me to pursue non-traditional education. I earned an MA in Counseling Psychology and a PhD in Expressive Arts Therapy. Using rituals and symbolic systems have been a large part of my work. I’ve authored two books, Crossing the Bridge, and I Do, and the soon to be released From There to Here. I’m the coauthor of The Art of Ritual, and Rituals for Life, Love and Loss. SM

Saw you in the Ojo 13

COLUMNIST

BRIDGE BY THE LAKE By Ken Masson

n order to become a consistently good bridge player it is very useful if one is a pragmatist. By this I mean the game cannot be learned and played by rote, one must constantly be prepared to alter strategies as conditions change at the table. The diagrammed hand occurred in a matchpoint duplicate game where overtricks are invaluable and where

declarer was forced to find an alternative line of play when the opening lead was not to his liking. With East and West silent throughout, South dealt and opened 1 spade and North responded 2 diamonds which in their “2 over 1” system was forcing to game. South’s rebid of 2 hearts brought a 2 no trump bid from North which showed a balanced hand with clubs (the unbid suit) guarded.

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South felt his distributional holding favored a suit contract so he jumped to 4 spades to close the auction. West led a low trump and South paused to consider his options. The first thing he noticed was that, without a spade lead he could have played three rounds of hearts in an attempt to ruff a loser in the dummy. The opponents’ hearts were statistically more likely to be divided 4-2 rather than 3-3 so he could well have 2 losers in that suit if he couldn’t ruff at least one. The opening lead scotched that idea and it was time to change plans. South called for the spade 10 which was covered by the jack and king. He then played his solitary club towards the dummy and called for the queen. This was a relatively risk free move as even if the finesse lost he could later pitch one of his losing hearts on the club ace. However, the queen won the trick and now declarer looked around for more opportunities. He next cashed the ace and king of diamonds and crossed to the spade ace receiving the gratifying news that jack of trumps was falling. Now declarer called for the diamond 10 and got more good news when the queen fell, establishing the jack for another heart pitch from his hand.

Now all that remained was for declarer to return safely to his hand with the heart king, draw the opponents’ last trump with his spade 9, return to dummy with the heart ace and discard his losing clubs on the ace of clubs and jack of diamonds. All in all this partnership scored 710 points for taking all the tricks and a near top in duplicate comparisons. You will have noticed that scoring 13 tricks is the equivalent of making a grand slam but of course it was not biddable. In fact, bidding even a small slam would have been extremely risky and quite anti-percentage. North and South only held a total of 28 high card points, well below the recommended 33 usually accepted as the minimum requirement for contracting a 12-trick slam. But the beauty of the duplicate game is that the combination of a skillful declarer and a little luck in the distribution meant that this partnership received almost the same match point score as though they had bid and made the grand slam! Questions or comments: email: masson.ken@gmail. com Ken Masson

Saw you in the Ojo 15

Artists Masks Of Mexico By Andrew Fox

ne of the popular artistic manifestations of Mexico is in its masks. Every region has its own and from within the carved images, one can see two distinctly separate faces looking down on us. The European face reflects the history of Spanish Mexico. The other face is much older. It is an Indian face that somehow survived the centuries of acculturation and religious repression. Much of the symbolism and magical richness of the masks has already been forgotten, but there remain a few lndians for whom they still retain their mystery. In ancient times the mask was a magical means of covering one’s own soul and assuming the identity of a god in ritual dances. Transformation was a dominant theme in traditional Mesoamerican thought. It remains so to this day. Just below the surface here, overtly there or deeply buried as a kind of pan-Native ideological substratum, to which Indian Mexico belongs no less than do the native peoples of the Northwest Coast or Amazonia. On a purely physical level, masks are made to hide the real faces of their wearers and to substitute artificial faces drawn from tradition and from the imaginations of mask-makers, However, the act of covering the face is far more profound than a simple disguise; the face itself has a far greater

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significance than one’s features. While Mexico, like other cultures, has long equated the human face with personality and the “persona” in the Jungian sense, Mexican Indian groups have taken this symbolic process one step further: they directly relate the face to the soul. Historian Miguel Leon Portilla states that while the heart “symbolized the source of dynamism in human will,” the ancient Nahua people believed that beyond doubt, “face” referred to that which most intimately characterized the intrinsic nature of each individual. On a secular level, this concept of the face is equivalent to the European idea of the ego or the persona. However, such secular terms as ego and persona misrepresent the world concept of these Indian cultures, for theirs was a world where nothing was or could be separated from spiritual aspects, which survive among presentday Mexicans. Thus, the masks of Mexico are a record of its peoples, cultures, religions and history. In fiestas and tianguis masks peculiar to each region can be seen and often bought. Miguel Covarrubias, in his book Mexican Folkways states that “the Mexican mask-makers reveal the same plastic vigor which is to be found in African and Oceanic sculpture.”

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HAVE YOU SEEN—Your

doctor’s or dentist’s ad lately?

f you have, congratulate him—it means that they are upto-date with all licenses and permits regarding their practice here in Mexico. If you take a closer look at your medical practitioner’s ad, you will see the Coprisjal (Jalisco’s Health Secretariat Permit to Advertise) approval number somewhere in the advertisement: perhaps in very small lettering, but it is there. What this approval number means is that a significant effort was made by the doctors and dentists to update all permits and licenses and the establishment at which they work in order to prove to the public that they are licensed by the Health Authorities to practice in the state of Jalisco. Just as in the rest of the world, many self-proclaimed doctors/dentists are out there

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desperately looking for a quick buck, most of whom not only charge for their consultation, but also for the “miracle drug” that will alleviate all your present and future ailments. If all goes fine, the patient just loses some money to these charlatans, but if the drug is the cause of a greater sickness, you are on your own. Over a dozen deaths a month just in Jalisco are reported because of this very problem. So next time you visit your doctor or dentist at Lakeside or in Guadalajara, ask if he or she is up to date with all of Coprisjal’s regulations. Health is the most important thing you have, so asking for his/her credentials might help to save your life.

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COLUMNIST

PROFILING TEPEHUA By Moonyeen King

President of the Board for Tepehua

moonie1935@yahoo.com

eligion and self-medication walk with poverty through the streets of the barrios. There is comfort and danger in both. Religion gives hope where there is despair. It brings a comfort zone that someone is watching over which also brings a false security and people tend to “leave it to God” as he will take care of their problems for them. It brings apathy, taking away the determination to fight the situation and even the playing field through selfaction. Studies have shown that in countries that are fighting poverty, religious activity is more pronounced, regardless of the religion, be it Christian, Buddhist or Muslim etc. That comfort zone is undeniably needed,

it fills the void and brings a troubled peace. An example of over dependency on religion is that of Mother Teresa. Her beautiful soul brought comfort to millions in places where death was

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the only future. She brought comfort and the promise of Heaven, she also raised millions of dollars. Instead of using it for the benefit of the people she served, it was sent to the Vatican to distribute. A statement that was attributed to her was “God knew what he was doing when he created the poor” or words to that effect. Those who suffered in this life are rewarded afterwards. What has self-medication got to do with Religion? Dependency. There are many over-the-counter drugs that the poor use to self-medicate. This is especially abused by women who self-medicate but also medicate their children. When it is a choice between a visit to the doctor or food on the table, there is no choice. When there is a choice between food or education, there is no choice. Confusion from lack of education is also a close friend of poverty; it tends to get people to rely on the information of friends, and witch doctors of the modern world and self-proclaimed healers selling herbal potions that do not work. Most ailments are accompanied by pain or discomfort, and opioids are a common prescription, not only by the cheap street vendors and over the counter, but also by doctors. So leaving it to God and dulling the pain

are the same dependency. The Tepehua Community Center is aiming at education in the barrios, and it is slowly releasing the inhabitants from total dependency to selfhelp through education. There are many organizations doing the same thing and it is working. The even bigger light is the fact that organizations are realizing working together brings more muscle to the cause and there is definitely strength in numbers. Education is not meant as a weapon to ween people away from either religion or self-medication, which sensibly used are the prerogative of an independent mind. The comfort provided by belief in God and the choice of self-healing can still be a great part of survival, but it is education that gives the key to knowledge which allows educated choices. Statistics show that more women are avid followers of their chosen religion than men, except in the Muslim world. Statistics also show that there are more men addicts to opioids than women, but women can become more dependent more quickly than men. Across the globe women and children are more deeply affected by poverty than men, so yes indeed, the “face of poverty is a woman’s”.

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MAIZE—Gift of the Gods By Nancy Wolf

aize was the grain (corn) that allowed the Maya to abandon their nomadic lifestyle and flourish to the height of their civilization. They, in turn, nurtured and venerated this amazing plant to the point that it decorated their myths, art, and landscape like no other food. Maize comprised 75% to 85% of the ancient Maya diet. It was grown in milpas, small plots, with beans and squash, forming the “Trinity of the American Indian.” Maize was ground into dough on a stone metate. Tortillas were made by placing dough balls on a warm banana leaf, which was rubbed with ash, pressed flat, peeled off, and then patted by hand into disks. They were cooked on a hot,

clay cornal, then eaten plain, with stews, vegetables, or meats. For 2000 years, the distinct, slapping sound of hands flattening tortillas has been heard throughout Mesoamerica. Pozole, atole, and tamales are ancient recipes of maize. The creation of the Maya people and maize is documented in archeological records and the Popol Vuh, one of the few Mayan documents to survive the decimation of the Spanish. The Popol Vuh, an epic written by an anonymous Quiché Maya, tells how the Earth originally existed only as a calm, empty sea. The sky was a vast expanse, void, motionless, and dark. Then, The Creator (Tepeu), The Maker (Gucumatz), and The Forefathers got together and divided

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the sea. Mountains, valleys and rivers were formed. The Earth came alive with plants and animals. This was the First Creation. But the animals could neither talk, nor worship their Creators and Makers, so it was decided to create men. The first were formed from mud, but the mud men crumbled and could not walk, nor multiply, nor honor their Creators and Makers, and they were destroyed. This was the Second Creation. The Creators and Makers tried again, carving the men from wood this time. These “looked like men, talked like men and populated” the Earth, but they had no souls, nor minds. The wooden men were destroyed by flood, and those who escaped to the trees became monkeys. This was the Third Creation. At this time, the two sons of the Creator and Maker, named Hun-Hunahpú and Vucub-Hunahpú, were playing ball one day, when their noise angered the evil Lords of Xibalba, the Underworld. The youths were summoned to come and play ball and they went. The Lords sacrificed the two and severed the head of Hun-Hunahpú, which they hung in a calabash tree. The head could not be discerned from the other fruits and the tree was forbidden by all. They buried the bodies of Hun-Hunahpú and VucubHunahpú in the ball court of Xibalba. One day Xquic (Lady Blood), the daughter of a Xibalba lord, ventured to the calabash tree. She stretched out her hand to a fruit, the skull of Hun-Hunahpú, which spoke to her, then spat in her hand. Lady Blood became pregnant. She was sentenced to death by her father, but escaped to Earth and gave birth to the Hero Twins, Hunahpú and Xabalanque. The Twins were playing ball one day when they, too, disturbed the Lords of Xibalba and were summoned below to play ball. The Youths went, but tricked the Lords, destroyed their Rulers, and vowed to venerate the names of their fathers. Hun-Hunahpú and Vucub-Hunahpú, the father and uncle of The Hero Twins,

were resurrected, and became the Maize Gods. They placed the three stones for the Hearth of Creation and the four cardinal points of the cosmos. They created the sacred ceiba tree, which formed the Milky Way and set the stage for the Fourth Creation on August 14, 3114 B.C., the end of the last Great Cycle. The Maize Gods remained in the ball court of Xibalba, where one must go to worship them and it symbolized maize, the seeds of which were “planted” in the Underworld, rose to Earth and nourished the next creation. The Hero Twins rose to the Heavens and became The Sun and The Moon. Under their light, the river at Paxil and Cayalá parted and the ears of maize sprang forth. The Creators and Makers took this maize and formed the shape of four men, who turned out to be “intelligent, good and handsome” and gave thanks for their creation. They were the Fourth Creation, the ancestors of the Maya. A new Great Cycle began, the current one, which, as foretold by the Maya, would be destroyed December 12, 2012. Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the origins of maize (Zea mays), but when and where cultivation began is still unknown. Maize is believed by some to be the domestication of a wild corn called teosinte, (Nahatl for “godly corn”). Cobs of this sort have been found in caves near Puebla dating 5000 B.C. Teosinte is found in the highlands of Guatemala, leading many to believe its domestication began in this area. The earliest evidence of domesticated maize has been found near Puebla dating 3500 B.C. The late Sylvanus G. Morley, author of “The Maya Civilization,” believed it was first grown by the Maya. For certain, the cultivation of maize coincided directly with the tremendous rise of the Maya civilization and was so esteemed by them that the foreheads of babies were lengthened to resemble an ear of maize. Men of maize or maize of men? This intimacy was a gift of the Gods.

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COLUMNIST

By Victoria Schmidt

Changes

idewalk repairs had today’s traffic in a snarl. I diverted my route and took the libramiento. I don’t drive it that often, and I was surprised to see all the construction projects on libramiento. I remember from 12 years ago when we moved to Mexico; then, the largest project we saw was the fraccionamiento El Dorado. They had just completed their first model unit. Now the Radisson in progress. Other buildings seemed to have popped up overnight. When we moved here, there was no mall; there was no Wal-Mart to block the view of Lake Chapala as we crested the hill. I don’t remember if the Pemex (now Amoco) station was there yet or not. It seems several new fraccs have been built more are in construction. Rumor has it there will be a hospital there soon. I began to reflect on how I used to feel driving the libramiento and appreciating the land and all of the wild life. I miss that. I believe that we are experiencing growing pains. There is so much traffic now that I can no longer tell the difference between high season and low season. I see construction booming to take care of the ever-increasing housing needs. And there are new businesses sprouting up to answer the needs of the people retiring here. I wonder. Are we helping or hurting the culture of Mexico? We are helping to create more jobs.

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But are we Anglicizing our community? There wasn’t a Wal-Mart here 12 years ago. No Subway, no AT&T, Dominos, Auto Zone, well, you get the idea. Mexico has been warm and welcoming, but are we being good stewards of the Mexican culture? We do bring a lot of people who do a lot of charity work, and that is a blessing, but the need never seems to end. Bless all of the people who serve. When most of us first arrived, we tried to “teach” the Mexicans our ways because we think our ways are better. Maybe some are. Or maybe some just don’t belong here. I have a friend who is in her 30th year here. She tells me of the time when you had to walk to the square to use the long distance phone. I mean the only phone. Home service was almost unheard of. She loved the Lakeside of those times, and is now moving to another country to live where she believes it is a simpler lifestyle. It’s just too modern here. With the world right now becoming more frazzled, and the issue of racism returning to the forefront, I begin to look at white entitlement. I sometimes feel ashamed when I see how rude and impatient we are as a race. In a world that is rethinking stands on immigration, I am an immigrant and I live as a minority for the first time in my life. I see things differently. I am so very grateful to live in a culture that has been more accepting of me than my own culture was in the USA. My eyes and my heart were flung wide open when I moved to Mexico and found the love of the people, their love of each other. The true difficulties they face daily, with humor and grace I have seldom seen elsewhere. Each day I learn something new about Mexico. I’ve grown to love it more and hope I can show to this wonderful culture how much I truly appreciate all they have taught me. Victoria Schmidt

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It’s Really Your Right Brain that Loves Mexico By Bill Frayer

o when someone north of the border asks you why you love Mexico so much, you’re likely to produce a predictable list: it’s cheap to live; the weather is nearly perfect; the expats are interesting (albeit, some are a bit crazy); the tacos are great; the tianguis is fun, the Mexican people are generous and kind, etc. True enough. But that list may not really explain why you are so captivated by Mexico. According to a fascinating new book by psychologist Ian McGilchrist, The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World, those may be specific elements of your experience of living in Mexico which you may find appealing, but they are simply details, noted by your left brain. It’s actually your right brain that creates the overall intuitive feeling which keeps you coming back to Lake Chapala. Most of us have an oversimplified concept of the right and left brain based on research from the 1960’s. The left brain is the logical, scientific, language-based side. Those with predominantly left brain strength become scientists, mathematicians, lawyers, physicians, etc. The right brain, so the trope goes, enables our creative, intuitive side. So those who are right-brain dominant tend to go into the arts, the helping professions, and other creative jobs. In fact, according to McGilchrist, it’s the right brain which creates meaning and drives our perception of experience. He has conducted research with patients who have lost right or left brain function due to a stroke or other medical condition. The left brain is good at collecting data on a granular level but cannot sense the overall meaning or experience which those detail help create. He draws the analogy of individual notes that make up a beautiful piece of music. When we hear a lovely symphony, we may think we are hearing individual notes, but we are actually hearing a continuous sound pattern in which those notes blend with one another in a particular way. We may understand the process musically, from a left-brain perspective, but we experience the piece as an overall, unified au-

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ral and emotional experience. As a poet, I have learned that you cannot really explain the meaning of a poem, entirely, to someone who has not developed an appreciation for a good poem. Jim Tipton, who mentored many writers here at Lakeside, understood that good poetry had to be experienced on an emotional, intuitive level. His poetry evoked feelings far beyond the individual words he used. So why do you love Mexico? Certainly there are elements you must put up with that might be considered unpleasant: dog turds on the sidewalk, slow service, misunderstandings based on language, litter and graffiti for sure. Some left brained sorts might notice these details and decide this place is not for them. But for most of us, Mexico is an overall right-brained experience. I remember vividly returning to our winter casita at Six Corners and walking into town. It was a very emotional experience: the Mexicans shouting at each other in Spanish, the smell of carnitas, stepping around the street dogs, the colors, the bougainvillea… I was glad to be back. Back in Maine, I cannot really capture my affection for Mexico for my friends. It’s a good thing I love Maine, not just for the snow, the good craft brews, the lobster, or the old friends, but for the entire Downeast experience! Albert Einstein may have summed up our left-brain bias when he wrote: “The rational mind is a faithful servant; the intuitive mind is a precious gift. We live in a society which honors the servant but has forgotten the gift.” Bill Frayer

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“Bridging The Gap” By Marilyn Thielking

he immortal Rudyard Kipling once wrote, in describing the huge chasm that existed between the culture of his own country and that of India, “East is east, and west is west, and never the twain shall meet.” Had Kipling amended this to read, “South is south, and North is north, and only occasionally do the two ever meet,” he might well have been writing about Mexico and the U.S./Canada. Mexican culture is both vastly older and substantially different from that of its two northern neighbors. What gringos living in Mexico have to realize is that the Mexicans are not going to change. Hence, if any semblance of harmony is to be achieved, it is this country´s guests, and not its hosts, who have to change. Here are several suggestions that might help make the transition less traumatic: 1. Learn Spanish/2. Slow your walk-

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ing pace/3. Patronize your local store. 4. Learn the names of your neighbors, your grocer, and every Mexican you see on a regular basis/5. Greet everyone you pass on the street/6. Drive carefully. Children use the street as a playground/7. Learn all you can about Mexican culture, values and history/8. Share your own by example rather than instruction. 9. Learn Spanish!/10. Practice patience daily/11. Always have a back-up plan/12. Volunteer for work with charitable organizations/13. Don´t refer to “Mexicans” as if they are all alike/14. Begin conversations with Mexicans by inquiring about their family/15. Offer rides to pedestrians, particularly those carrying packages or accompanied by small children. 16. Avoid excessive complaining about late-night music. Accept the higher noise quotient as part of the “Paradise Package”/17. Give yourself plenty of lead time, so that the “Manana Syndrome” does not totally unwire you/18. LEARN SPANISH! Finally, keep in mind the advice that could well be the Mexican motto: “Start slow and then taper off.” For one thing, you’ll live longer!

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Sandy Olson

Phone: 331-283-8529 Email: sandyzihua@hotmail.com

OPEN CIRCLE Sunday morning finds Lakeside residents at the Lake Chapala Society and Open Circle, a forum on a variety of stimulating topics. A social hour with coffee and snacks at 10 am is followed by an interesting lecture and discussion at 10:30. July 7 Encore! Encore! Presented by Lila Wells Back by popular demand, Lila will reprise last year’s performance of Dave Eggers’ “first person” account of the life of Steven, the Fast-Fast Dog. If you missed it last year, you won’t want to miss it again. To round out the program, Lila will read from the essays of E. B. White, who wrote over 1,800 mostly humorous pieces for The New Yorker magazine from 1925-1976. He is also the much loved author of the children’s classic, Charlotte’s Web. Lila has been involved in theatre for over 50 years. Since coming to Lakeside in 2015, she has performed at Lakeside Little Theatre (Nunsense), but has given most of her time to The Naked Stage and The Bare Stage Reader Theatres. She is currently writing with a group of local playwrights in preparation for the Lake Chapala 10-MinutePlay Festival, scheduled for 2020 at Lakeside Little Theatre. July 14 Exploring the Mystery of Poetry and the Emotions Presented by Michael Warren Poetry is a mystery. How is it that words on a page can move us to sing, laugh, or cry? Michael Warren will explore the connections within the brain of language and emotion and the music of words that a good poem exploits. He will speak about how he discovered that he is a poet and will give examples of poems that effectively work on the emotions. He went through the classic stages of grief after his wife Marianne died in 2004, and then produced a prize-winning sonnet that seemed to write itself. His book A Particular Blue was published in 2005. His poems also appear in the 2017 anthology Romancing the Muse (2016). For the last several years he has been writing the theatre reviews for El Ojo Del Lago under the title “Front Row Center.” July 21 Preserving the Sanctuary and Culture of Lake Chapala Presented by Noris Binet Since it was first inhabited by humans, Lake Chapala has been a source of life and a sacred place for healing, renewal and transformation through ceremonies and rituals honoring the life-giving force of the water. Ms. Binet will share how to reconnect with the sacredness that is embedded here, use it for our own wellbeing and for building bridges with the native cultures. Visual artist, poet, author, spiritual teacher and sociologist, Ms. Binet lived in Ajijic from 1982- ’89, appointed by the Department of Fine Arts in Guadalajara to manage the Auditorio de la Ribera, integrating locals and foreigners through cultural enrichment programs. She has studied with several indigenous communities inNoris Binet cluding the Huicholes. July 28 Bloodletting: Why Education Reform Is Killing America’s Schools Presented by David Ellison A passionate proponent of high standards, nonetheless during his 35-year career in education as a teacher, teacher-trainer, administrator, and education columnist, David Ellison has fought tenaciously against what has posed as education reform in the United States. Standardized testing, vouchers, charters, and even the more recent Common Core Standards are destroying public education because, like bloodletting, they fail to acknowledge, much less address the real maladies, what Ellison refers to as “Voldemorts,” those which must not be named. In his Open Circle presentation, Ellison will briefly review the motives behind the

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“reform” strategies, cite the data demonstrating their failure, dare to mention the real issues, and end with a bold plan for real reform. August 4 Leonardo da Vinci—A Tribute Presented by Ed Tasca Arguably the most fascinating mind the known cosmos has ever produced, Leonardo da Vinci was a major figure of the Italian Renaissance. This year the world joins in celebrating him on the 500th anniversary of his death. Ed Tasca will attempt to capture da Vinci’s essence but will certainly fall short. As of yet no historian, no biographer, no researcher has been able to come close because of the vast array of his achievements and the complexity of his creative genius. Ed Tasca is a writer, novelist, playwright, and essayist. Among his books is a collection of Leo’s fables,The David Ellison Fables of Leonardo da Vinci. Tasca’s works have been published in the US, Canada, England, Australia, Italy, and Mexico. He currently writes a weekly humor column for the Guadalajara Reporter and does some acting. MOVING RIGHT ALONG Come on Sunday, July 14 at 4 pm to a benefit at the new location of the BRAVO! Theatre. Entertainment will be furnished by both the Mariachi Real Axixic and the Children’s Mariachi. We hear they are fun, humorous and interactive. Celebrity bartender Timothy G. Ruff Welch will tend the cash bar, which starts at 3 pm. Tim promises that the drinks will be hand poured and generous. Founder Jayme Littlejohn said, “The theatre will not be finished but we are anxious to have people see what we have been up to and how wonderful the new space is going to be!” Tickets are $400 each and are available at Diane Pearl Colecciones, Mia’s Boutique and mymytickets@gmail.com. The theater is at 441 Hidalgo on the carretera, just west of S&S Autos. The Bravo! first show will be in August—Unknown Address—a fully staged reading with sets, costumes, lighting and sound. It’ll be directed by Jayme and stars Roger Larson and Ken Yakiwchuk. Dates will be announced soon. ABC The focus of the Ajijic Book Club is exclusively on nonfiction books. Members may review and discuss books on all subjects and for any time period. The club also provides members with opportunities for socializing. On Tuesday, July 30 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari will be discussed at 4 pm at La Nueva Posada in the private dining room. Anyone with interest is welcome but space is limited so they request an RSVP. The book selection for the August 27 meeting is Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea, and the discussion will be led by Lila Wells. The August venue has yet to be decided. Interested people can reach the club through the website at http://www.ajijicbookclub.com/contact. The three links at the bottom of the ABC home page are automatically updating to the latest content. This is a great way to follow the NY T times bestsellers list, also Goodreads and the Washington Post. John Stokdijk For information, contact John at abc.lakeside@yahoo.com SHE’S 97 AND STILL DANCING Check the photo below (on page 34). Left to right: Lani Ziegler, Fair Borkowski (age 97) and Father Danny Borkowski Fair and family members Kay and Father Danny Borkowski join the Lakeside Singers once a month at various assisted living homes at Lakeside. The group is an outreach of Christ Church Lakeside. The group welcomes all who want to join in. Lakeside Singers have no rehearsals, no membership fees, and a singing schedule from 4:30 to 5:30 pm one Wednesday of the month at a home announced ahead of

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time. Dawn Radel is the keyboard player. Their July outing is scheduled for Wednesday, July 24, at 4:30 p.m. at Ohana’s in San Juan Cosala. If you are interested in joining in, meeting Fair and want to be on the Lakeside Singers’ mailing list, contact Kay Borkowski at kaybork@yahoo.com. LLT NEW SEASON We hear from Lakeside Little Theatre about Season 55. It starts a bit later, on November 8, on account of construction and revision activities. Here is the lineup, plot descriptions and starting dates: Lunenburg, comedy/drama by Norm Foster. November 8-17 The Real Inspector Hound and After Magritte, two comedies by Tom Stoppard. December 6-15 20th Century Blues, comedy/drama by Susan Miller. January 17-26 My Fair Lady, musical by Lerner & Loewe. February 21-March 3 (Note: LLT is still waiting for rights approval to stage the play). The Actress, romantic comedy by Peter Quilter. March 27-April 5 Ticket prices are $300 for regular shows, and $350 for My Fair Lady. The price of this year’s season ticket will be $1300 for five shows, including a $300 theatre membership. Starting this year, you can now pay for show or season tickets (at the Box Office only) by credit or debit card. For season tickets, check tickets@lakesidelittletheatre.com and www.lakesidelittletheatre.com for information. A date, time and place for Season 55 Ticket sales will be announced closer to LLT’s reopening, possibly in September. GOLF AND BEER IN THE MORNING The Ladies Foursome by Norm Foster was the June Bare Stage production Now get a reservation for The Men’s Foursome on July 26, 27 and 28. Both productions are directed by Don Chaloner.

The cast line up for The Ladies Foursome: Peggy Chilton, Anne Drake, Kathleen Morris and Lila Wells. The Men’s Foursome includes Jon De Young, Graham Miller, Ed Tasca and Tony Wilshere

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The plot: Rick, Ted, Donnie and Cameron are home for their fifteen-year college reunion, a great time to go out for a game of golf and catch up on each other’s lives. Unlike their college days, the conversation doesn’t include talk of beer and final exams, but of colonoscopies, home-security systems, alcoholism, Buddhism and more. Bare Stage is holding a competition for best acting between the two groups. If you came to the June show you can cast a vote for which play you thought best. Winners will be announced in August. The theatre is at Hidalgo #261 on the mountain side of the carretera in Riberas del Pilar, across from the Catholic Church. Parking is available in the parking lot of the Baptist Church, behind the theater. Donation is $100. The Box Office and bar open at 3 pm. Show time is 4 pm. Seats are held until 3:50 pm. Reservations are by email at: barestagetheatre2018@gmail. com. For those who use Facebook, look for Bare Stage Theatre 2018 for breaking news and updates. NEWS FOR BALLET LOVERS We hear from Suzanne Salimbene, who tells us that if we want to be informed about ticket sales or the Ballet de Jalisco schedule, or Lakeside sponsorship of a dancer, to send her your email and specify your interest: salimbene.s@gmail.com. Here is the Jalisco Ballet schedule until the end of the year (all performances are at the Degollado): Carmen September 6 (8:30), 7 (7:30), 8 (12:30) CANCELLED Nutcracker December 12, 13, 18, 19, 20 (8:30) December 14, 21 (7:30) December 15, 22 (12:30) Swan Lake will be scheduled for some time in the fall before the Nutcracker. It will be performed at the Parque Metropolitan. FERIA MAESTRO DEL ARTE It’s not too soon to think about the 18th Annual Feria Maestro del Arte, held on November 8-10 at the Chapala Yacht Club. Returning and new artists from all over Mexico will demonstrate and sell their works. Buyers also travel from all over Mexico; we are lucky to have such an important event here at Lakeside. The very best of Mexican artesanía is represented in the fine handwoven carpets and rugs produced in Oaxaca, Mexico. Isaac Armando Martínez Laso, a third-generation weaver from Teotitlán del Valle, began weaving at a very early age. He won First Place for his creation, “Greca Frets of Mitla,” Although Isaac’s speciality is tapete (carpet) wall hangings, he and his family also make floor rugs. SUCH A DEAL Breaking Even goes Kindle! For the bargain price of $4.99 USD, you can enjoy this novel by our own Alejandro Grattan, Editor in Chief of Ojo del Lago. Here’s the plot: “This coming of age novel with Mexican-American roots and Hollywood ambitions follows 18 year old Val in his determination to search for his American father, providing Val an escape from a small West Texas town where life has been difficult because his unwed mother is Mexican, and where he is facing a forced marriage to his high-school sweetheart. The journey leads him to poker games in El Paso; a barroom brawl in Juarez, Mexico; blackjack tables in Lake Tahoe; and a high-stakes private poker party in Reno. Ultimately, the reunion not only gives him the father he’d thought dead but also a new-found pride in his Mexican heritage and the courage to follow his dream.” Alex got great reviews when the book was first published, like this one: The author is a master at developing characters and issues with which we can easily identify . . . Grattan shows great understanding of human nature, and of how one’s emotional history can affect future choices. —The Midwest Literary Review Check it out on Amazon and support our local authors!

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SPREAD THE STUPIDITY —Just For Fun

Courtesy of Christy Wiseman

Only in This World do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front. * Only in This World do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a diet Coke. * Only in This World do banks leave vault doors open and then chain the pens to the counters. * Only in This World do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage. * Only in This World do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering. EVER WONDER? * Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin? * Why don’t you ever see the headline ‘Psychic Wins Lottery’? * Why is ‘abbreviated’ such a long word? * Why is it that Doctors call what they do practice? * Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dish- washing liquid made with real lemons? * Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker? * Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush

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hour? * Why isn’t there mouse-flavored cat food? * Why didn’t Noah swat those two mosquitoes? * Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections? * You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don’t they make the whole plane out of that stuff?! * Why don’t sheep shrink when it rains? * Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together? * If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress? * If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

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Breathless By Margie Keane

eremy and I had been sweet on each other since second grade and now, at 19 we were engaged— supposed to be engaged, that is. Just yesterday I was in town to do some shoppin’ and as I walked by a fence I heard familiar voices – the voices of my girlfriends, Anna Mae and Emily. They were talking and laughing about Jeremy and Sue Ellen! “Can you imagine?” gasped Anna Mae, “How do you think Sue Ellen must have felt being caught bare ass naked? She’ll never live this down!” “And what about Jeremy! Gig-

gled Emily. “He was only wearin’ his union suit and he was practically on top of her! And kissin’ her! I can hardly believe that, and I thought he was so shy! They’ll be the laughin’stock of the town forever!” “Boy, wait till Carrie Ann finds out,” crowed Anna Mae, “she’s been struttin’ around town showin’ off her ring, I would love to see her face when she hears about this!” I stepped around the fence and faced them. “Well, take a good look at me, you backstabbers! I turned and walked back around the fence and ran home. Later that day Jeremy came

a callin.’ I saw him comin’ up the road so I ran out to meet him at the gate. When he got there he was all smiles. “Hi, sweetheart,” he said leaning forward to give me a kiss. “Don’t you dare ‘sweet heart’ me! I yelled. You are a two-timin’ cheatin’ so and so!” “Whoa, wait a minute honey, what’s goin’ on?” “You know perfectly well what’s goin’ on – you and Sue Ellen! Jerrmy grinned broadly. “That’s what I came to tell you about, you see—” “You needn’t bother saying anything else. It’s written all over your face. And besides Emily and Anna Mae already told me how they found her naked and you in your underwear!” I turned and went back to my house, slamming the door behind me. “Go away!” I shouted. “No! doggonit,” yelled Jeremy, “You need to hear the truth! Either open this door or I’ll break it down! I saw him backin’ up, waitin’ then he came a barrelin’ forward so suddenly that I flung the door wide open and he ran right through and into me! We both fell in a heap on the hallway floor.

Jeremy picked me up and held my arms so I couldn’t get away (not that I really wanted to right at that moment}. “Listen, you crazy girl! Sue Ellen went skinny-dippin’ down in Miller’s Pond. No one goes there so she thought she would be safe but she got a cramp in her thigh and couldn’t move her leg to swim. I happened to be goin’ by because Mr. Miller wanted me to build some bird houses for him. I saw Sue Ellen in the pond, she looked so scared! She went down under the water, then came up and went under again and I knew she was in trouble so I took off most of my clothes and Jumped in and pulled her onto the bank. She wasn’t breathin! Remember the first-aid course we had to take in our senior year? The chapter about CPR? ( I did remember it.) “I wasn’t kissin’ her, I was tryin’ to save her life and I’m proud to say I did! The town has organized a special meeting for tonight. The Mayor is givin’ me a citation and the Kiwanis is givin’ me the use of a limousine whenever I want it and Harvey O’Toole of Harvey’s Steak House said after the ceremony he wants the two of us and our parents to come for a special dinner! That’s what I came to tell you! Our parents will meet us at the restaurant. I hung my head but finally looked up at Jeremy. “I hardly know what to say! Jeremy grabbed me to him and kissed me so hard and so long that I got dizzy! “Oh my, Jeremy, I can hardly breathe! You may have to save me a whole bunch of times.” Margie Keane

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RAMBLINGS FROM THE RANCH By Christina Bennett

o offense to the Chihuahuas, but I’m a big-dog kind of girl. The first time I went to The Ranch, I stepped out of my car and heard dogs barking. Lots of dogs. The dogs are ecstatic to see people—staff, volunteers, potential adopters. They know they will get personalized attention, petting, walks, treats, love, and lunch. So they bark, hollering, “Hey, look at me! Take me for a walk! Bring me a biscuit! I’m beautiful! Take me home! Is it lunchtime yet?” Sometimes, I think they holler other stuff, too, like, “I hate my kennel mate! He’s a big slob!” Or “Get these puppies out of my pen; they’re driving me nuts with all their pinchy-biting!” Or “That car ride yesterday was fun until we got to the vet and she took my stitches out! Ouch!” Don’t tell the other dogs, but I do have favorites. On my volunteer day, I say hi to all the dogs I pass, petting noses through the chain-link and giv-

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ing out biscuits. I tell everyone how GOOD they are, and how gorgeous. Then I grab a leash and head to my dearest ones for walkies. Wayne and Prieto have been at The Ranch for most of their 2-year-old lives. They are brothers, one black and one tan. Their mom and one more of their brothers are at The Ranch too. Wayne and Prieto, big and handsome boys, are a bit skittish. At first, when my husband and I

would enter their 20-yard-long dog run, they’d scoot to the far end away from us. Now, after much coaxing and treats, we’re greeted with wagging tails. If we don’t walk them the minute we arrive, they stare out at us, calmly, with disapproving looks. Some volunteers love the little guys and some love the puppies. It takes all kinds of people to care for and socialize over seventy dogs. Me? I like the big ones—the Shepherd Mixes, Black Labs, Huskys, Great Danes and the strong Pit Bulls with giant heads. They’re my people, in a manner of speaking. Sometimes they can yank me around on the leash, but I wouldn’t trade them for a fluffy puppy or lap-sized Yorkie mix. Each week, I return for my fix of big-dog love—dirty paw prints on the neck of my T-shirt, slobbery kisses, and good-humored struggles to determine who will win at leash-walking (I think it will be me). I hope they will soon go to their forever homes where someone will snuggle them and give them the big love they deserve. For more information on giving, volunteering and adoptions, visit our website at: www.lakesidespayandneuter.com or call 331.270.4447. Follow us on Facebook: Lakeside Spay and Neuter Ranch and Adoptions.

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Be Home When The Streetlights Come On By Marilyn Armstrong

hen I was growing up … and even when my son was growing up in the 1970s, kids went out to play. Alone. Unsupervised. Unstructured. Disorganized with not a single adult to keep an eye on us. We built “forts” and “clubhouses” out of crates and old boxes and anything we could find that mom wouldn’t miss. We played stick-ball with old pink Spalding balls that were often long past bouncing or even being “round.” You didn’t go and buy a “stick-ball set.” You found an old broomstick and someone had a ball, or what used to be one, or you all chipped in and bought one in the local toy store. There was Hide and Seek, another classic. Someone hid, everyone hunted. You had to be careful. If you hid too well, your friends might get bored looking for you and go do something else. But no one’s mother came to complain that you were being bullied. This was stuff you dealt with because there will always be bullies. Unless you were in real danger, it was better (then and now) to cope on your own. Much better than waiting for rescue. In the real world, rescue is rare, but bullying is not. Jump rope. There was always an old piece of laundry line somewhere. They actually call it skipping rope in other parts of the country. In the cities, the Black girls played a variation called “double Dutch” using two ropes. We all knew how to do the double Dutch

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ropes turning, but none of us ever mastered the technique of actually jumping. More like an intricate dance — and I also wasn’t ever much of a dancer. Klutz that I was and am, I was barely competent on a single line, much less two. I remain in awe of how incredibly graceful, athletic, and coördinated those girls were … and are. There was a feature about them on the news a couple of weeks ago and I am no less awestruck now than I was more than 60 years ago. Along with jumping rope came chanting. All those weird little ditties we sang as we jumped. They mostly were alphabetic and involved names and places. “I call my girlfriend … in …” when we were playing in a group. You could gauge your popularity by when and who “called you in” to jump in tandem. Looking back, I think the problem was not unpopularity, but being a

washout as an athlete. I was a slow runner, an indifferent jumper, and a terrified tree climber. On the other hand, when it came to derring-do, I was a champ. I could organize games of pretending – pirates and cowboys, outlaws and cat burglars. We burgled, but we never stole. We weren’t thieves, just little girls trying to prove we could do it. I don’t see kids playing outdoors these days. Almost never, except as organized groups with one or more adults supervising. Calling the plays with whistles and shouts. Children are not allowed to “go out and play” anymore. Everyone is afraid of something. Bullying, kidnappers, traffic, skinned knees. Unlike we kids who were always covered with scabs from a thousand times falling down on the sidewalk or street. Come home with a bloody knee today and they’ll call an ambulance. Growing up, unless you appeared to have broken something, a bath was the remedy of choice and usually, beneath the dirt, was an unbroken kid. It makes me wistful, thinking about it. My family was dysfunctional, but I could escape by going out to play. “Bye, Ma, I’m going out,” and off you went. It was the best part of being a child. Those months between school and hours after school (much less homework and we still learned more!) contained what seemed unlimited freedom. That was the freest I would ever be in this life. Once you were out of the house and too far away to hear your mother calling, you could do whatever you liked. You could be whoever you imagined. There was nothing you had to do, no place you needed to be. Until the street lights came on. You had to be home when the street lights came on. It was a fundamental law, the bottom line. Do what you will, but be home when the streetlights come on. In those warm summers of childhood, the days flowed in an endless stream. Darkness fell late. There was more than enough time.

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The Forgotten Village: A Community Development Project By Bernadine Janzen

utterflies en Mexico (BeM) has been involved with a pueblo for almost 3 years just 4 kilometers outside of Chapala. Most people don’t know where that is. We call it the Forgotten Village. We have committed 5 additional years to the community. BeM implemented the “Adopt a Village Model” almost three years ago. It is a long-term community development initiative which seeks to build capacity in the areas of health, shelter, literacy, nutrition, economic and community development in the village of Hacienda de la labor. Our number one survey was a needs assessment finding these areas: Shelter/Warmth, Nutrition, Medical Care and Work Skills. The number two survey consisted of twelve areas of capacity building available locally. The community narrowed it down to four: textiles, tutoring, providing

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childcare and small container gardening. We currently are working on our third survey. Number three will measure how satisfied they are with their current lives. The assistance of local businesses is one of working together. We want to thank our local partners who have continued to support us in our endeavors: Casa Bonita, Manix Restaurant, Costco, Casi Nuevo Bazar, Que Ganga Bazar, Terry’s Tianguis, Rotary Ajijic Club, Dr. Pinto, Dr. Hernandez and Dr. Leon. We invite you to our July 20th Ajijic Rotary Membership Drive and BeM Fundraiser for the community of Hacienda de la labor. No fee. Please call for directions to this beautiful, private home for an afternoon of fun: 387-761-0360. Be on the lookout for our Caribbean Pirate Raid event in October, 2019!

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“A Flickering Flame In The Dark Night” By Rosamaria Casas

or Juana Inés de la Cruz, the greatest writer of Mexico’s 17th century, has been described by a contemporary poet as “A flickering flame in the dark night of Colonial Times.” Her name was Juana Inés de Asbaje y Ramírez de Santillana, but upon entering the San Jerónimo’s Convent in Mexico City, she became Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. The writings of this passionate young nun have touched and influenced the minds of every Spanishspeaking person interested in literature. The world knows very little about the first years of her life, except the outstanding occurrences that speak of her genius. At the age of three, she taught herself to read, and when she was seven, she learned Latin in twenty lessons. Legend says that often she cut ten centimeters off her beautiful hair. If she didn’t learn the most difficult lesson of the week, she cut it again. In those days women always had long hair; therefore, Juana learned her lessons and thus avoided the self-

inflicted punishment of having her hair sheared. The Viceroy, Marquis of Mancera, and his wife heard of the talented child, who could write poetry of outstanding quality at age eight, and requested that she become a Lady-in-Waiting of the Vicequeen, the Marchioness of Mancera. By the time she joined the Court, Juana spoke Latin and Nahuatl, was knowledgeable in music and science, was

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beautiful and had a charm that left no one untouched, male or female. The Viceroy was obviously fascinated by Juana’s culture. When she was fifteen, he wanted to know if really this child’s mind was as advanced as he and wife thought. He invited forty wise men, from the church and the university, to test her scholastic achievements. Everyone was present for the occasion: The main doctors of the Royal Pontifical University, the wiser clergymen, the poets of the time, the outstanding judicial minds, the principal ladies and gentlemen of the court. One could imagine the mixture of habits, gowns, robes, farthingales, hoop skirts and bejeweled people that anxiously waited for the examination to start. No similar act had taken place in the Viceregal palace. It was going to be an occasion never repeated in the history of Mexico. Fifteen year old Juana, dressed in the style of the 17th century court, with jewels given to her by the monarchs, faced a unique ordeal. For several hours she was bombarded with questions that went from law to astronomy, literature, medicine, linguistics, mathematics and many other topics. Later the Viceroy said that the young woman defended herself from the inquiries of her inquisitors like a frigate against the fire of the enemy. And she finished the battle with flying colors, having defeated those who wanted to destroy her reputation or diminish the glowing sphere of influence she had with the Viceroy and his wife. In the Mexico of the 17th century, a woman, by the age of 18 or 19, had only two choices in life. Either marry or become a nun. Who could Juana marry? An illiterate military with a high rank but lacking a formal education of the mind? A rich criollo who would want her at home having children and not reading books all the time? A pedantic university professor who would be jealous of her knowledge? A man of science who would dispute her ideas on the subject? Obviously, there were no satisfactory suitors; therefore, Juana chose the con-

vent. She first entered the Carmelite Order, but found the austere discipline too rigorous and left to join the Jeronymite Order. She became Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. (Sister Jane Inés of the Cross.) The Convent of San Jerónimo in the outskirts of Mexico City (now surrounded by a chic residential area), was spacious and bright, with a church where nuns assisted in the religious ceremonies behind a wrought iron grill. Every nun had a large cell, and three or four servant maids who took care of their daily needs. In a city of 100,000 people, there were 29 monasteries and 22 nunneries. This meant that a substantial part of the population was secluded from the life of the city and dedicated mainly to scholastic endeavors. The beauty of Sor Juana was portrayed by the best artists of the time, and they show a young woman of black expressive hands. And a billboard under her chin. This outstanding young woman from age 19 on to her death respected the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience and wrote some of the best literature, prose and poetry in all the history of Mexican Letters. She portrays in poetry everything that life denied her and speaks of love as very few people have done. She does not speak to anybody in particular, but speaks of the love she herself felt all her life and was unable to give to someone. Her transparent style responds to the intensity of her feelings. She castigates the cruelty and arrogance of men and she appears before the imaginary beloved as a woman who only has her tears to show the essence of her passion. Eventually, a plague, which took thousands of lives in the city, entered the Convent and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and a dozen other nuns succumbed to it. Sor Juana died on April 17th, 1695, at the age of forty-three, but she is still very much in the hearts of the lovers of literature the world over, a flickering flame that has never been extinguished.

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THE SPIRIT OF ’76—Persecution, Slav-

ery, War and Genocide in Revolutionary America By Dr. Lorin Swinehart

ny cataclysm, like a war, brings out the very best in some, acts of courage, kindness, forgiveness and self sacrifice, while causing the very darkest of traits to surface in others. As we have all too often observed in our own time, whenever the rule of law breaks down, the mob replaces it, looting, and burning, vandalizing, lynching. As the eighteenth century wore on, resentment of the citizens of the American colonies toward British Rule increased to such an extent that many began to speak of independence. The issues were many, including the oft stated objection to

taxation without representation, that taxes and trade restrictions were determined by a distant parliament in which colonists had no say. Angered by the tax on tea and other unfair taxes, a gang of one hundred men stormed aboard three British ships anchored in Boston harbor on the night of December 16, 1773, dumping forty six tons of tea into the water. In retaliation, Parliament passed a series of what became known as the Intolerable Acts. Rather than weakening American resolve, the detested policy strengthened it. The Royal Navy’s nine hour bombardment of the seaport city of Falmouth, Massachusetts, during which 3000 rounds were fired, leveling the town, made any possibility of meaningful negotiations nearly impossible. Anger toward Great Britain morphed into hatred, and anyone aiding the British or even suspected of harboring pro-British sympathies became targets. This included the thousands who did not share the enthusiasm for independence, perhaps as many as 1/4 to 1/3 of the population. It was not safe to be a Loyalist. As 51-year-old John Malcolm, a minor customs official, made his way home from work on the morning of January 25, 1774, a small boy rammed him with his sled. Malcolm responded by cursing and threatening the boy. The citizens of Boston constituted a violent, out of control rabble, fuming with anti-British hysteria, on that freezing winter morning. All that was needed to touch off the simmering powder keg was one

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minor incident. Malcolm provided it. When a bystander, a poor shoemaker, intervened on behalf of the boy, Malcolm struck him with his cane, knocking the man unconscious. Malcolm had led a less than exemplary life up to that point. He had a history of counterfeiting and refusing to pay his debts. In his earlier position as a comptroller, he had been fired for extortion and malpractice. However, nothing damned him more soundly in the eyes of his fellow citizens than his role in suppressing the 1771 a revolt by North Carolina back country farmers in opposition to colonial taxes. Whatever Malcolm’s offenses, nothing could have caused him to deserve the ordeal he was about to endure. That night, a mob estimated to consist of up to 1200 persons dragged Malcolm from his home, stripped in the freezing air, and proceeded to tar and feather him. Being tarred was an excruciatingly painful form of torture, causing severe burns from head to toe. After failing to set his feathers on fire and determined to sate their sadistic impulses, the mob continued to parade Malcolm around the streets of Boston in a cart, beating and torturing him. This continued for an estimated five hours until he was rolled out of the cart in front of his house. For the most part, the American Revolution has been regarded as a relatively benign affair, a gentlemen’s war fought among fellow Englishmen with differing political philosophies, far less vitriolic than, for instance, the French Revolution with Madam la Guillotine being fed a daily diet of Aristo heads or the Russian Revolution with thousands being shipped off to snowy deaths in the Gulags. Upon closer examination, far more bloody truths emerge. Malcolm’s case was not unique. Those remaining loyal to the Crown, as well as Native Americans, enemy POW’s and those freed slaves who fought alongside the British were subjected to torture and subhuman conditions of incarceration. Pro-British printers, pamphleteers and publishers, and Anglican priests became targets of harassment or worse. There were book burnings, and freedom of the press largely vanished. Countless numbers of Loyalists were expelled from their communities, marched for miles in heavy irons, imprisoned and beaten by guards after being paraded through the streets toward filthy prisons where many died from diseases like typhoid. With limited manpower at their disposal, the British sometimes recruited and armed freed slaves into

their ranks, promising them freedom in return for their service. Lord Dunsmore formed a unit of free black men called the Ethiopian Regiment. This fostered a wave of cruel retribution throughout the southern colonies. Black men who were even suspected of aiding the British were brutally executed. One black man Thomas Jeremiah was hanged and burned because of suspected British sympathies. A young girl fleeing to Dunsmore’s lines was given 80 lashes and had hot coals poured onto her wounds as a warning to others. The British pointed to the hypocrisy of the Patriots preaching liberty and equality and other Enlightenment values, all the while either owning slaves or acquiescing in slavery. Looting and plundering were common practices among soldiers on both sides during the Revolution. To his credit, George Washington, ever conscious of the rules and obligations of gentlemanly warfare, strenuously attempted to solve the problem, meting out severe punishments for such behavior, including the requisite 49 lashes with the cat o’nine tails. And yet, the thievery continued. Looters stole not just food supplies and other necessities but whatever they could lay their hands on. Five of the Iroquois Confederacy, led by Joseph Brant, sided with Great Britain. Following an Iroquois raid upon the hapless settlement of Wyoming, Pennsylvania, George Washington ordered a retaliatory invasion of the Iroquois nations. While atrocities were committed by Native troops, they were hyped up by none other than Benjamin Franklin, who, among his many talents, was a master propagandist. Franklin created images for children’s books of bloodthirsty savages, scalping and torturing their victims. For all his virtues, Washington earned the Algonquian epithet “Conotocaurius” (Town Destroyer) because he ordered invasion of the Iroquois homeland in language that would have warmed the cockles of Heinrich Himmler and Pol Pot. “Total destruction and devastation of their settlements and the capture of as many prisoners of every age and sex as possible. It will be essential to ruin their crops now in the ground and prevent their planting more.” Throughout the ensuing invasion, Patriots gobbled up as much of the Iroquois food supply as they could hold, then destroyed everything else, slaughtering livestock, burning fields of corn and produce, as well as homes and barns. Some Iroquois women were raped. Men, women

and children were massacred. The slaughter of the Iroquois was labeled extirpation. Today, we would use the more sinister term, genocide. While atrocities were routinely committed by those on all sides during the Revolution, few could surpass the barbarism attributed to British Colonel Banastre Tarleton, commander of the 1st Dragoon Guards, who either ordered or condoned multiple war crimes. Tarleton ordered a woman named Mary Carey Richardson flogged for failing to reveal the location of Francis Marion, the famous Swamp Fox. He then ordered the body of her dead husband dug up and exhibited to her young children. He at least acquiesced in the bayoneting of numbers of prostrate Patriot POWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, members of Colonel Abraham Bufordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Continental force who had surrendered. In his search for Marion, he ordered 30 plantations burned, and at Monckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Corner, his men raped several women. Tarleton became known as Bloody Tarleton and The Butcher and forever lost the respect of his fellow British officers, although, to this day, he retains his apologists. Following the defeat of the British at Yorktown and the subsequent Treaty of Paris ending the war, the

thousands of loyalists became fair game for Patriot vindictiveness. Those who had fought for the British or who were even suspected of British sympathies saw their homes and property confiscated and were often beaten, tarred and feathered, even hanged by lynch mobs. Thousands sought sanctuary in either the UK or northward in Canada, particularly Nova Scotia. While Washington and Alexander Hamilton struggled to prevent anti-loyalist atrocities, wishing for reintegration and fearing that a Loyalist diaspora would cause further economic upheaval and endanger vital future trade relations with the mother country, it was years before neighbor forgave neighbor and peace resumed. History is history, seldom pleasant or reassuring, almost never affirming our sunny presuppositions. Propaganda, on the other hand, feeds the frenzy of mobs, the egos of the insecure, and the biases of the ignorant. As with all such upheavals, the American Revolution has been passed down to us in the form of both myth and historical accuracy. Lorin Swinehart

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COLUMNIST

Life Askew By Julia Galosy The Writer’s Corner

he most powerful relationship in fiction is between writer and reader. The writer can only progress to a certain point while presenting a fictional world, the imagination of the reader completes it. Over time fiction has become more sparse and readers’ imaginations have flourished. Enter Flash Fiction. Where there used to be novels, short novels, short stories and short-short stories there is now Flash Fiction. Flash Fiction enables tales to be told in the shortest space possible, the remainder of the tale then conjured in the imagination of the reader. Long descriptions and character development, and even plots are replaced by more visceral writing, leaving the “story” to be written by the imagination of each individual. Flash Fiction contests are prolific with challenges and word count strictly enforced. Consider these: Challenge: In fewer than 250 words use the Einstein quote. The winner: It’s All Relative: “When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That’s relativity.” Fat lot of good that does me now. A head full of quotes doled out to the unwashed and uninterested seems like a pretty wasted life. Doesn’t matter, does it? Everyone’s life is wasted in the end, isn’t it? We all come to this. Time has slowed down now. The preparations are taking place. Ah, so that’s why that quote just popped into my head. Freud wasn’t so far wrong, the old unconscious works overtime. The bitch had it coming anyway. Sitting there crossing her legs all Basic-Instinct style with those tight short skirts and that smirk. She knew just what she was doing. Those little gropes in the hallway and then the big number on that old couch in my office; dust leaping from it as we rutted away. The blackmail. My reputation. My marriage. My tenure. Bitch. I could’ve done a better job of it if I’d planned it. How could the jury think

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it was first degree, couldn’t they see a man like me would’ve planned it a lot better? Stupid pigs. My peers, yeah that’s rich. How bloody long does it take to put on three straps for gods sakes? Seems like forever. I guess it is, isn’t it? Hah! A joker till the end. Put the damn needle in will ya’? Challenge: In fewer than 150 words write a story about a different epoch. The winner: The Queue: I had on all of the clothes I had brought and still the wind chilled me as it whistled through the cavernous building sending the black and brown scarves of the hundreds of people in line twirling. We shifted position backing away from the wind but careful to maintain our places in the queue. Two weeks at sea to get here. The pungent vinegary smell of urine still clung to our muddy shoes. No one smiled. After all this time we were still not here. Those at the front got dismissed for reasons none of us behind could fathom. I inched closer watching the doctors chalk “L” on the people being turned away. I pulled my shawl closer, holding off the organisms that might return me to the horror of life outside of here. The stethoscope was freezing through my blouse. The doctor nodded. I was free. The reader pictures the protagonist, the surroundings and even the back-story. The most famous Flash Fiction, whose authorship remains in dispute, is six words: For Sale. Baby Shoes. Never Worn. A special thank you to readers everywhere for accompanying us on our journeys. Julia Galosy

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The Ojo Crossword

ACROSS 1 Jargon. 6 Concord e.g. 9 Money 13 Grains 14 British drink 15 Reward 16 Civil Rights Group 17 Alphabet 18 Alpha´s opposite 19 Canal 20 Long loose overcoat 22 Neither´s partner 23 Cozy room 24 Noah´s boat 25 Dregs 27 Wilting 29 Slipped by 33 North northeast 34 Ship initials 35 Jellystone´s bear 36 Gush 39 Mr..´s wife 40 Rulers 41 “no__luck” 42 Term of affection 43 Wok 44 5th Greek letter 46 Piano-like instrument 49 Farm building 50 Status __ 51 Pen brand 53 African antelope 56 Pauper 58 South of the border crazy 59 Speculative 61 Gnawer 62 Assistants 63 Asian nation 64 Wing 65 Aquafresh rival 66 Marrow 67 Impair 68 Ziti

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DOWN 1 Blemished 2 Made a menacing noise 3 Granular 4 One time 5 Cooking measurement 6 Hunt 7 Southeast by south 8 Brash 9 Chicle 10 Adam´s garden 11 Company symbol 12 Despot 15 Asian nation 20 Goad 21 Snaky fish 24 Green Gables dweller 26 Undercover work 28 Herein (2 wds.) 30 Male offspring 31 Chicken creation 32 Speak disrespectfully 34 Vase 36 South southeast 37 Baby dog 38 American Cancer Society (abbr.) 39 Initials design 40 Corn syrup brand 42 Sock´s wound 43 Flow in a steady stream 45 African nation 47 Homes 48 Friendliest 50 Asian nation 52 __Rica 53 Stern 54 After eight 55 U.S. Department of Agriculture 57 Joyful 58 Italian money 60 Candy bar brand __kat 62 American Collage of Physicians (abbr.)

CHURCH DIRECTORY ALL SAINTS LUTHERAN Church Worship Service and Sunday School at 11:00 am 4600 Avenida Tepeyac, Guad. Tel. (01 333) 121-6741. ABUNDANT LIFE ASSEMBLY OF GOD Carr. 140 next to Mail Boxes etc, Tel: 766-5615. CENTER FOR SPIRITUAL LIVING CELEBRATION SERVICE 1st Sunday of each month, Nicolas Bravo #17 Ajijic. Tel: (376) 766-0920 or tim@revdoctim.com CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS Services in English and Spanish, 10 am, Riberas del Pilar Tel. (376) 7657067, President: Pedro Aguilera. Recidence (376) 762-0299. CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Services Sun. 10 am, Alvaro Obregon 119, Chapala. Tel. (376) 765-4210. CHRIST CHURCH LAKESIDE Eucharist for each Sunday 11:00 am. La Huerta Eventos Center in West Ajijic. Rev. Danny Borkowski at (376) 766-2495 or Jim Powers (387) 761-0017. HOME CHURCH INT’L Locations by calling (332) 242-8648, or email yeshuapfa@gmail.com JEWISH CONGREGATION Santa Margarita 113, Riberas del Pilar, Tel: 766-2668. lcjcac@gmail.com for information and service times. Web site: www. lakechapalajewishcongregation.com. LAKE CHAPALA BAPTIST CHURCH Sunday Bible study at 9:45 a.m.; Sunday worship at 11 a.m. at Santa Margarita 147, Riberas del Pilar. Eddie Garnett, deacon. Tel. (331) 608-0856 LAKESIDE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Worship-Sunday 10 am; Bible Study-Friday at 9:45 am; San Jorge 250; Riberas del Pilar Church Office at 376-106-0853. Website at www.lpcchapala.org LITTLE CHAPEL BY THE LAKE Sun. services 11:15 am, Chula Vista,. Jal, Tel. (376) 106-1199, 766-4409 SAN ANDRES CATHOLIC CHURCH Services 7:00 am. Ajijic, Tel: 766-0922. SAINT ANDREW´S ANGLICAN CHURCH Calle San. Lucas 19, Riberas del Pilar, Worship begins at 10 a.m., and the bilingual children’s Sunday School starts at 9:45 a.m. “Coffee Hour,” a time of fellowship and welcome. Tel: 765-3926. www.standrewsriberas.com. ST. MARK’S ANGLICAN GUADALAJARA St. Mark’s is at Chichimecas 836 in Colonia Monraz. THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST The Unitarians meet Sundays at 10:30 am. Hidalgo #261 Riberas del Pilar. Fred 376-766-1458.

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NON PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

(NOTE: If there is any change, please advise us so that corrections may be made. Call Rosy: 765-3676) AJIJIC SOCIETY OF THE ARTS (ASA): www.ajijicart.weebly.com Provides local artists an opportunity to meet, demonstrate techniques and organize art shows; and provides assistance to young Mexican artists to learn and show their work. Deena Hafker 376-766-2249 or oliodee@hotmail.com AA LAKESIDE: Alcoholic Anonymous group. Meets Monday & Thursday from 4:30-5:30 PM at the Lake Chapala Society. Ian Frasier 376-766-4990 iandavid81@gmail. AL-ANON: No website or face book. Monday 10AM at Club12- Men’s meeting. Monday 10:30AM at Little Chapel-Open meeting. Saturday 10 AM at Club 12-Open meeting. Information: Call 376-766-4409, Cell 333-480-7675 AL-ANON (IN SPANISH): Mondays 6-7:30 & Wednesdays 5:30-7:30. Meets at the Lake Chapala Society. Ericka Murillo 376-766-1788 erickamurillo2000@yahoo.com.mx AJIJIC QUILT GUILD - Meets second Tuesday monthly at 10 am. Guests & New Members Welcome. ajijicguild@gmail.com AJIJIC WRITERS’ GROUP- Meets 1st and 3rd Fridays at 10 am. Nueva Posada. Coffee. Meeting followed by lunch at the Nueva Posada. AMERICAN LEGION OF CHAPALA POST- #7: General Membership meets 11 am 2nd Thursday. Tel: 765-2259. AMERICAN LEGION, FRANK M. VALENTINE POST 9: (Fito’s Restaurant in Riberas Del Pilar) 3rd Wednesday. For meeting times and information call Perry King at 763-5126 or Al King at 737-0859. ANCIANITAS DE SANTA CLARA DE ASIS: Web site : https://rudiselj.wixsite.com/ancianitaslagochapal . Lisa Le :387 761 0002 - lisale888@gmail.com AXIXIC MASONIC LODGE #31- Meets 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month at Hotel Perrico at 3:00 pm. The address is Libramiento Chapala-Ajijic #2500. Contact Sheldon Stone at (376)765-3306 or stoneshel@gmail.com. BARE STAGE THEATRE: Hidalgo #261 in Riberas del Pilar, barestagetheatre2018@gmail. com. BRAVO! THEATRE: www.facebook.com/Bravotheatre (unofficial) Semi-professionsal theatre with live theatre and ongoing adult arts education in dance and theatre. Jayme Littlejohn 331-045-9627 mymytickets@gmail.com BRITISH SOCIETY: Assist the British Community facilitates the transmission of information with The British Embassy in Mexico. Meetings are the 1st Saturday of the month at Manix restaurant for lunch and speaker. Sue Morris 376-766-0847 /331-156-0346 ibbocat@gmail.com CARD & DOMINO CLUB- Wednesday, Friday & Saturday. Call for times. We will teach; make friends! Tel. 766-4253, Cell: (045) 33-1402-4223. CANADIAN CLUB OF LAKE CHAPALA: www.canadianclubmx.com Club Objectives are: 1. To promote fellowship among Canadians and friends within the Lake Chapala area. 2. To encourage a cultural exchange and foster friendly relations with all residents. 3. To be a centre for providing current Mexican and Canadian Information. 4. The Club shall be non-profit, non-political and non-sectarian CASAS CARIÑOSAS, A.C.: www.abbeyfield-ajijic.org As part of the world wide non-profit organization of Abbeyfield, help an increasing number of older people enjoy a high quality of independent living provided through a range of services, including housing, support or care, with local community involvement. 376-766-2045 info@abbeyfield-ajijic.org CASA DEL LAGO (CASA DE ANCIANOS) CHAPALA: Provides support for local area elderly citizens through a residential home in Chapala. Ana Luisa Maldonado 376-765-2497 adultosdellago@gmail.com CENTRO DE DESAROLLO JOCOTEPEC, A.C.: www.cedejo.org Improve the quality of life for Lake Chapala families with limited resources through promoting the health and well being of the family. Calle Ocampo # 45-A. 376-766-1679 CHAPALA SUNRISE ROTARY CLUB: www.chapalarotary.org Participate in activities that will support lakeside residents. Provide assistance to international projects and meet with other like -minded Rotarians to build friendships. Meetings: Thursdays 10AM Monte Carlo Hotel CREM: AJIJIC MUSIC SCHOOL: www.cremajijic.com For 24 years this school has provided music education to children at lakeside. Students are taught to play an instrument and participate in the orchestra or the choir. There are 43 students and 8 faculty, all university graduates. Scholarships are offered to students from low-income families. 333-496-8976 cremajijic@gmail.com CRUZ ROJA MEXICANA DELEGATION CHAPALA: www.cruzrojachapala.com Offers clinical, ambulance and other emergency medical services to all Lakeside residents and visitors. Yolanda [Yoly] Martinez Llamas Consejo President 766-2260 consejochapala@ gmail.com CULINARY ARTS SOCIETY OF AJIJIC: www.ajijiccasa.org Provides CASA members, Associates and guests a monthly forum to share foods, learn new preparation techniques, stimulate culinary ideas, meet new people and enjoy the world of food: in a competitive atmosphere that encourages creativity and rewards excellence. CASAlakeside@yhoo.com DAR: (At Lakeside) - THOMAS PAINE CHAPTER meets every 3 Wednesday at 12:30 noon at the Janelle´s Restaurant in Ajijic. September thru June. Tel: 766-2981. DAYS FOR GIRLS: www.daysforgirls.org, www.daysforgirlslakechapala.org A group of women working together giving days back to girls through access to lasting feminine hygiene solutions. This results in a more dignified and educated world, for the girls of the Lake Chapala area. We create hand made menstrual kits and distribute them along with education to empower, enlighten and strengthen the young women receiving them. All this because of access to these products and taking responsibility of ones menstrual situation, sexuality, pregnancy planning and hygiene. Darlene Macleod 387-761-0175 darma-

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cleod@gmail.com DEMOCRATS ABROAD MEXICO/ LAKE CHAPALA CHAPTER: www.democratsabroad.org, www.facebook.com/DemocratsAbroadMexico Official arm of the Democratic Party of the United States, working as a state party for US citizens living abroad. The mission is to represent and serve American citizens living outside the United States who support the principles of the Democratic Party. Larry Pihl, Executive Chair 376-766-3274 larry.pihl@gmail.com, da_ mexico@democratsabroad.org ESCUELA PARA NINOS ESPECIALES (SCHOOL FOR SPECIAL CHILDREN) : www.schoolforspecialchildren.org The mission is to improve the educational opportunities for children with a wide variety of disabilities and in doing so, increase the probability that they might enjoy a brighter future. Mission is accomplished through provision of a clean, safe physical environment and improved nutrition during the school day. Working closely with the Mexican school board and teachers, we help support the educational programs for the children, young, adults and families. 387-763-0843 FERIA MAESTROS DEL ARTE: www.feriamaestros.com & www.mexicoartshow.com To preserve and promote Mexican indigenous and folk art. We help preserve these art forms and the culture that produces them by providing the artists a venue to sell their work to galleries, collectors, and museums. In collaboration with Mexican government agencies, we promote regional and international awareness to the plight of these endangered arts. Marianne Carlson, mariannecarlson@gmail.com or Rachel McMillen rjmcmillen@shaw.ca. FRENCH CLUB (LES AMITIES FRANCOPHONES). A social gathering for people who speak French fluently (and their spouses & guests). The group meets once a month (either a pot luck or at a restaurant) on the 3rd Saturday for a late lunch, good conversation, some drinks and more than a few laughs. For more information contact Jill Flyer, fotoflyer2003@yahoo. com. FOUNDATION FOR LAKE CHAPALA CHARITIES: www.lakechapalacharities.org The prime purpose is to attract money for the charities around Lake Chapala, Mexico and to allow those who donate to claim U.S. tax deductions for their gifts to those charities. The Foundation will also accept “endowments” and “memorial support” for any of the charities and will provide free Mexican legal assistance in setting up those endowments and memorials. 376-766-2606 or cell 331-260-7123 Admin@LakeChapalaCharities.org GARDEN CLUB- Meets the 3rd. Wednesday 12:00 noon at La Nueva Posada. GERMAN CLUB: Provides social opportunities for German-speaking residents. The group meets 2nd Thursday for lunch at 1PM. One does not have to be German but must speak German. Ing. Javier Aguilera 387-761-0777 javier.aguilera@mudanai.com HASH HOUSE HARRIERS: International running group with local chapter walks on Saturday morning, 8:30 AM, La Nueva Posada Hotel with goals of getting exercise, having fun, and enjoying breakfast. Denny Strole 376-766-0485 dstrole@gmail.com HOPE HOUSE: www.hopehousemx.org The Hope House is a safe shelter for boys ages 8 to 18. Our vision is to develop character, provide love and impart tools to be a successful part of society. Rodney Drutos 376-762-0032 oficina@casahogarmexico.org HAVE HAMMERS WILL TRAVEL: www.havehammer.com The mission is to provide learning and social experiences within a safe, supportive environment so that our students acquire: basic woodworking skills for exploration of career pathways (Level 1: ages 10-14) intermediate woodworking skills for entry-level employment (Level 2: ages 15+) advanced woodworking skills for professional employment, incl. coops (Level 3: ages 21+) skills to maintain a well equipped woodworking shop Tuition $400 pesos/month limited scholarships available Information: hhwtchapala@gmail.com. Office 376-766-4830 Richard Thompson 331-895-6866 rctinmx@yahoo.com, rcteaz@yahoo.com JALTEPEC CENTRO EDUCATIVO (FORMERLY CENTRO DE FORMACION JALTEPEC): www. jaltepec.edu.mx. A Tecnico Universitario en Hoteleria, providing education in hotel & hospitality management and an entrepreneurial program. 387-763-1781 info@jaltepec.edu.mx. LAKE ASSISTANCE: www.facebook.com/ LAG Importing equipment for firefighters and police and to distribute around the lakeside fire departments. John Kelly 331-758-0676 jkelly203@gmail.com LAKE CHAPALA BIRDERS: www.chapalabirders.org Encourages bird watching; organizes bird walks, bird trips and the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. John & Rosemary Keeling 376766-1801 chapalabirders@yahoo.com LAKE CHAPALA GARDEN CLUB: www.lakechapalagardenclub.org Promotes an interest, appreciation and better understanding of botanical subjects including but not limited to all plant materials, their care and use in the home and garden. Meetings explore the many garden species and practices unique to this area of Mexico. Open to all interested in gardens and their care. Supports lakeside organizations with beautification and educational projects. LAKE CHAPALA GENEALOGY FORUM: A group of family historians meeting once a month to share ideas, methodologies and topics of interest for genealogy enthusiasts. Meetings are the last Monday of the month at the LDS Church and Family Center in Riberas del Pilar. Marci Bowman marci452@yahoo.com LAKE CHAPALA SHRINE CLUB: www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org & www.shrinersinternational.org www.facebook.com /pages/Lake-Chapala-Shrine-Club/757185090966972 Physical examination of lakeside children to determine if they qualify for treatment locally or by Family trips to the Mexico City Shrine Hospital the cost of which is financed by frequent Fundraisers such as Dine With the Shrine, Rib fest and tax deductible donations. David Eccles, President 331-017-1724 davideccles@hotmail.com Perry M. King 376-763-5126 pking1931@ gmail.com LAKE CHAPALA SOCIETY A.C.: www.lakechapalasociety.com The mission is to promote the active participation of Lakesides’ inhabitants to improve their quality of life. By making this commitment we signal to the community that our focus is based not just on ex-patriots,

but everyone living at lakeside. For the Mexican community, provides English as a second language, remedial tutoring, student financial aid, Wilkes Education Center and Biblioteca at Galeana #18 and free medical checks. Ben White president@lakechapalasociety.com Terry Vidal 376-766-1140 executivedirector@lakechaplasociety.com LAKE CHAPALA SOCIETY CHILDREN’S ART PROGRAM: www.lakechapalasociety.com “A visual arts program free for all lakeside community children aged 3 to 17 that provides them an opportunity to explore their creativity. A Neill James legacy program that began in 1954.” Danielle Page childrensart@lakechapalasociety.com LAKE CHAPALA SOCIETY STUDENT AID FUND: www.lakechapalasociety.com Provides financial support to qualified area students to enroll in university, vocational and high school programs. directoreducacion@lakechapalasociety.com. Alfredo Perez 376-7661140 apoyoeco@lakechapalasociety.com LAKE CHAPALA SOCIETY WILKES EDUCATION CENTER (BIBLIOTECA PUBLICA): www. lakechapalasociety.com Provides classes in language and other topics for both Anglo and Mexican community Alfredo Perez 376-766-1140 directoreducacion@lakechapalasociety. com LAKESIDE FRIENDS OF THE ANIMALS, A.C.: www.lakesidefriendsoftheanimals.org Provide funding for spay/neuters, emergency care and operations for pets of Mexican nationals of limited means. Assists in providing humane education programs in the local schools, and fund a feline leukemia testing program. Operate the pet store/shelter in Riberas del Pilar. Sue Hillis, President 376-765-5544 hilliss@yahoo.com LAKESIDE GARDEN GUILD: www.gardenguild.weebly.com Limited membership gardening group promoting the interest in the development of local gardens with an accent on the exotic species available in central Mexico. Presents annual Floral Design Show, supports local projects for community improvement and beautification such as Wipe Out Graffiti project in Ajijic. LAKESIDE LITTLE THEATRE A.C.: www.lakesidelittletheatre.com To provide theatrical entertainment to the residents and visitors of the Lakeside community: to nurture and develop existing and new talent in every aspect of the performing arts and technical support areas: and to maintain and preserve the theatre facility and properties. Tickets: tickets@lakesidelittletheatre.com 376-766-0954 lakesidelittletheatre@gmail.com Peter Luciano drpeterluciano@icloud.com LAKESIDE SPAY AND NEUTER RANCH & ADOPTIONS, A.C.: www.lakesidespayandneutercenter.com Provides shelter and helps curtail the over-population of animals. Syd Sullins 376-766-1411 or 331-270-4447 adoptaranchdog@outlook.com LAKESIDE WILDLIFE RESCUE & REHABILITATION: Promotes the rescue and rehabilitation of wild animals, trees and plants around Lake Chapala. 376-765-4916 LAKESIDE YOUTH PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA: orquestainfantildechapala.mx Golden Strings of Lake Chapala, A.C., training disadvantaged kids between the ages of 8 and 18 years who want to learn a musical instrument with the possibility of becoming a member of the “Lakeside Youth Philharmonic Orchestra”. Coco Wonchee 333-200-5563 soco.wonchee@gmail.com LA OLA/CASA HOGAR, A.C.: www.laolacasahogar.org La Ola Casa Hogar is a children’s shelter. We are an interfaith children’s ministry. Our scope is more than that of an orphanage in that we care for abandoned and abused children as well as orphans. 376-688-1005 laola@ laolacasahogar.org Becky Plinke 332-312-7756 bgnickel@yahoo.com LCS EDUCATION CENTER- Provides classes in language and other topics for both Anglo and Mexican community. Calle 16 de Septiembre # 16-A Ajijic. 766-1140. LCS STUDENT AID FUND- Provides financial support to area students to enroll in university, vocational and high school program. Calle 16 de Septiembre # 16-A Ajijic. 766-1140. LOS CANTANTES DEL LAGO: www.loscantantesdellago.com A community choir striving that is for artistic excellence in choral singing. We encourage members to improve their vocal skills and to work continually toward greater skill through rhythmic and note training in order to become more literate musicians. Our principal objectives are the support of young musicians, the performance of works of Mexican composers, and sharing our music with the Mexican community. LOS NIÑOS DE CHAPALA & AJIJIC A.C. (NCA): www.lakesideninos.org Provides financial support for the educational, nutritional and social development of local area children. Office 376-765-7032, info@lakesideninos.org LOVE IN ACTION- Shelter for abused and abandoned children. For volunteers and donations. Anabel Frutos 765-7409, cell: 331-351 7826. LUCKY DOG: www.luckydoglakechapala.com www.facebook.com/LuckyDogLakeChapala/ To provide shelter to rescue dogs, socialize them and restore them to health, and adopt them out to good homes. To work with other animal organizations to promote spay and neuter. 331-300-7144 luckydogchapala@yahoo.com MARIPOSA PROJECT: BUTTERFLIES EN MEXICO: www.gomariposa.org Objectives: Provide options for how youth can make sustainable changes and provide opportunities for change. Mac Whyte 387-761-0360 ravensmac@gmail.com MEXICAN ASSOCIATION TO EMPOWER WOMEN FOR FAMILY INTEGRATION, AMSIF: amsif.org.mx To work with the poor, mainly women, to transform the family values in the community. Educate women so they can have a critical mind and thus liberate themselves and become agents of change through a liberated and integral education. A method of education used where they can “see, judge, and act”. MEXICAN NATIONAL CHILI COOKOFF: www.mexicannationalchilicookoff.com The Mexican National Chili Cookoff is the largest fundraising organization Lakeside. For more than 41 years the event has raised funds to support local charities in their work. The 3 day event, always held in February, features hundreds of vendors of the finest Mexican handcrafts, on-going hourly entertainment, and a variety of food and beverages. The event is held at Tobolandia Water Park in Ajijic. The organization currently funds 9 IJAS approved charities and in the latest year made donations of 60,000 pesos to each participating charity. Jacques Bouchard 376-766-4350 jacqueandcarol@hotmail.com MUJERES APOYANDO A MUJERES: Mezcala jewelry collective with the focus to create a cottage industry jewelry making project that will give the women of Mezcala and la Cuesta a means of economic independence. The jewelry is being sold at Cugini’s and Diane Pearl in Ajijic. Doris Wakeman.

NIÑOS INCAPACITADOS DEL LAGO, A.C.: www.programaninos.com A non-profit, all-volunteer organization that helps low-income Mexican families pay medical expenses for their children with disabling or life-threatening illnesses. Email: ninosincapacitados@programaninos.com Dave Pike, President 376-765- 3137 dave.ppni@gmail.com Carol Antcliffe carol.ppni@gmail.com “NO GRAFFITI AJIJIC” GROUP: Group of residents, who remove and cover graffiti. Paint donations appreciated. Contact with details. Email Dan Houck with graffiti reports. Dan Houck 376-766-3225 houck1022@gmail.com NORTHERN LIGHTS MUSIC FESTIVAL: Provides young talented Canadian artists exposure and experience on the international concert stage and provides the community with a wide range of classical music venues including concerts and demonstrations to young Mexican students and musicians through an annual music festival. NSDAR CHAPALA THOMAS PAINE CHAPTER: www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mextpdar/ thomaspainedar/Goal is to make education available to deserving students and to help the community. Contribute to scholarships for the Technical School and students in Ninos de Chapala. Contribute to Hammer Hammer Will Travel and to Needle Pushers and the Lake Chapala Society Wilkes Education Center. Lorene Fields 376-766-1658 ltfields@hotmail.com OPEN CIRCLE: www.opencircleajijic.org Provide a supportive environment for social interactions. Presentations span a wide range of intellectual, cultural, physical and spiritual topics. David Bryen 376-766-4755 opencircleideas@gmail.com, Margaret Van Every 376-766-2092 OPERACION AMOR: www.facebook.com/chapala.operacionamor Our mission is to provide free spay/neuter services for cats and dogs of persons of limited means in the greater Chapala area. 331-872-4440 cgcothran1@yahoo.com Amalia Garcia, Co-leader 376-763-5597 amgarciao10@gmail.com Cameron Peters Co-leader 376-766-4341 zo-onna@hotmail.com OPERATION COMPASSION MINISTRIES: Feeding the hungry a comida meal in San Antonio, Monday to Saturday at Jesus Garcia #4. Tom Music 331-547-2726 tmusic3856@yahoo. com OPERATION FEED: www.operationfeed.weebly.com Our mission is to increase self-sufficiency by providing weekly despensas and supporting other educational and income opportunities for people of limited resources in San Juan Cosala. OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS: www.OA.org Monday 12PM and Thursday 10:15AM. Lakeside Little Chapel, Carretera Ajijic-Chapala (next to Chula Vista Country Club). Information: 376-766-4409, email Sugarfreeme@hotmail.com ROTARY CLUB OF AJIJIC: www.rotaryajijic.org Within the community and Rotary International, The Rotary Club of Ajijic serves as a model providing humanitarian serviced to others while maintaining high ethical standards. Rotarians develop community service projects that address many of today’s most critical issues, such as children at risk, poverty and hunger, the environment illiteracy, and violence. They also support programs for youth, and for educational opportunities. Meetings: Tuesday 1PM Hotel Real de Chapala ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION: https://www.rclchapala.com/ To provide assistance to veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces, including veterans of Commonwealth Forces and, in some instances, U.S. veterans and Mexican veterans living in the Lakeside area. Being a Legion member is not required for assistance to veterans who meet the criteria. This is done through our Poppy Fund Campaign. To support the local community by providing money and assistance to specific projects as designated by our members. John Kelly 331-758-0676 jkelly203@gmail.com SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, MEXICAN SOCIETY: Lineal descent from a Patriot of the American Revolution, not necessarily a soldier. Kenneth Loridans 376-766-2981 SoTouch@prodigy.net.mx ST. ANDREW’S OUTREACH PROGRAM: www.standrewsriberas.com Provides financial support to selected local charities from activities organized through this Anglican Church parish at Lakeside. The main fundraising event is a huge bazaar (Regalorama), which is held on the first Saturday of December, and is supported by the whole community. 376-765-3926 Laura Foster, Outreach Information foster312@earthlink.net TAILS OF MEXICO: www.spayneuterlakechapala.weebly.com Tails of Mexico’s mission is to provide free spay/neuter clinics in the municipality of Jocopetec, Jalisco Mexico to poor Mexican families, street dogs, and others of limited means in order to reduce animal suffering and help the communities in which we work. Another program is to relocate dogs to specific rescue organizations and shelters North of the Mexican border. Dee Mistrik 01-387-761-0041 deemistrik@gmail.com Linda Rudisell-Hines, Communication Lead 01-387-761-0688 rudiselj@yahoo.com TEPEHUA CENTRO COMUNITARIO, A.C.: www.facebook.com/tepehuacommunitycenter. org A center helping a village through education, counseling and social functions. President: Moonyeen King 376-763-5126 moonie1935@yahoo.com TOASTMASTERS: Weekly meeting of bilingual Lake Chapala Toastmasters. Open to all interested in learning public speaking. Tim Schubert 376-766-0920 revdoctimothy@gmail.com U.S.A. THINKING TEAM: www.usathinkingteam.com Office is in Ajijic for 12 years. Supported by Grandparents for a Better World. Support programs for charitable organizations in Ajijic and includes concerts with That’s Entertainment, speakers and radio shows. Contact: mexicosydneygay@yahoo.com UVA [UNIVERSITY & VOCATIONAL ASSISTANCE] SCHOLARSHIP FUND, A.C.: www.uvalakeside.org Founded in 1976, provide university/technical scholarship assistance to qualified Lakeside students. Monitor and verify the recipients’ qualifications for scholarship assistance (maintain a GPA of 8.5 or better each semester). Assure that 100% of donations for students are distributed to students. Operate as an independent charity and cease to exist if and when support of the charity no longer exists. Sue Torres 376-766-2932 mst0414@hotmail.com VILLA INFANTIL ORPHANAGE: www.villainfantil.com.mx Facebook: Villa Infantil Guadalupe y San Jose Provides care and financial support for 30 children under the care of the Catholic Sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Joseph. info.villainfantil@gmail.com VEGGIE GROWERS CLUB: Meetings are held at Huerta Organic Café, Hidalgo #212 in Riberas del Pilar on the second Monday at 10AM. Discussions on problems with growing vegetables at lakeside, local pests and how to treat them, composting and all matters related to growing vegetables. John McWilliams 376-766-0620

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