Ojo del Lago - July 2018 by El Ojo del Lago

Saw you in the Ojo

z D I R EC T O R Y z 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 Diana Parra Morales

Index...

FEATURE ARTICLES

COVER STORY

Herbert Piekow recalls the life and times of Benito Juarez, the only man to have been elected to the presidency of Mexico an astounding four times—and perhaps even a ¿IWK!

Special Events Editor Sandy Olson

12 TRAVEL

Marge Van Ostrand visits the enchanting city of Queretaro, and takes us along for the ride.

Associate Editor Victoria Schmidt

18 AMERICAN HISTORY

Art Critic / Contributing Editor Rob Mohr

Hank Shiver renumbers the man that John Adams in 1776 said “History is to ascribe the American Revolution to Thomas Paine.”

Theater Critic Michael Warren Book Review Panel Margaret Van Every Margaret Porter Clare Gearhart Roving Correspondent Dr. Lorin Swinehart

32 LAKESIDE LIVING

28 METAPHYSICS (sort of . . .)

Tom Eck relates a true story that had its origin in the closing days of WWII and had its denouement many years later.

36 FICTION Sales Manager Bruce Fraser Carmene Berner

Mikel Miller spins a charming story that is sure to remind us all of the very ¿UVW WLPH ZH IHOO LQ ORYH RU WKRXJKW we did, anyway).

2ႈFH 6HFUHWDU\ Rocio Madrigal

44 BELIEVE IT OR NOT!

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

Our esteemed long-time contributor Dr. Lorin Swinehart relates some of the outlandish questions he was asked while serving as a U.S. Forest Ranger.

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 WKH ¿UVW ¿YH GD\V RI HDFK PRQWK) &HUWL¿FDGR GH /LFLWXG GH 7tWXOR &HUWL¿FDGR GH /LFLWXG GH &RQWHQLGR 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 E\ WKH DXWKRUV GR QRW QHFHVVDULO\ UHÀHFW WKH 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.

El Ojo del Lago / July 2018

COVER STORY

VOLUME 34 NUMBER 11

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COLUMNS THIS MONTH 6

Editor’s Page

22 Welcome to Mexico 24 Bridge by Lake 30 Lakeside Living 42 Focus on Art 48 LCS Newsletter

Saw you in the Ojo

COLUMNIST

Editor’s Page %\ $OHMDQGUR *UDWWDQ 'RPLQJXH] The Genesis Of An Historical Novel

imagine that almost everyone who has had a book published has been asked what the initial inspiration for the book had been. Not an easy question to answer, as many books subconsciously gestate for years before blooming forth into a palpable notion. Of the seven novels I have written, I can think of only two where I can recognize the always elusive muse. I relate one of them here in the hope that its Mexican-American element might be of interest to our readers. In the early 1970s, driving back from San Francisco to Los Angeles

&HVDU &KDYH] and passing through the small agricultural town of Delano, California, I noticed a sign indicating that the United Farm Workers were planning

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a rally that evening. Thinking there might be an interesting story in it, I decided to attend the meeting. The atmosphere in the hall that night was charged with high-wire tension. Workers were preparing to go out on strike, and one speaker after another inflamed the crowd of some 2000 people with vituperative, anti-grower speeches. Finally, the man the workers had come to hear took the stage; a nationally-known labor leader, yet he seemed nothing like the bombastic braggarts sometimes associated with such a position. “. . . Well, I have heard much hatred against the growers here tonight,” he said quietly. “But let us look at the situation through their eyes. Many had forefathers who came to this valley when it was no more than a pile of rocks—and through backbreaking work they turned it into the vegetable garden for the entire western part of the United States. Now we come along and threaten the dreams, aspirations and achievements of those early pioneers . . . but who among us would not be fighting to protect these same things, if those people had been our ancestors?” In a hall packed to the rafters, you could have heard a frog burp. This was not the speech the workers had come to hear. “I have also heard tonight about how great it is to be from Mexico. I too love Mexico. But like the United States, it is not perfect. How many of you have ever been arrested without a cent in your pocket back in our homeland? Many have simply disappeared without a trace. But here in this country, two of our brothers were once arrested, and powerful organizations came to their defense, eventually taking their cases all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States of America, where these same two penniless Mexicans changed the law of this land. No, amigos, this is a great country, and if at times it disap-

points us, we should look upon it as a good parent who does not always do the proper thing, but has its heart in the right place.” Again, stiff silence. Then soft clapping began, finally turning into a standing ovation. Watching this near-miraculous turnaround, I was convinced that their leader would win in his struggle; for like Mahatma Gandhi, in refusing to demonize his opponents, he would inevitably disarm them. But still I had no story. Peerless people often make dull subjects. Later, I asked if the leader didn’t have a single adversary amongst his people? “Perhaps only one. His oldest son,” a worker reluctantly muttered. Bingo! I had the makings of a story. Years later, that incident evolved into my first book, The Dark Side of the Dream, an historical novel which over the past few years has been optioned several times by film companies in Hollywood and New York that planned to make it as a four-hour TV mini-series. But as yet, no cigar. So for now, I’ll say no more, remembering the old joke: You know how to make God laugh? Tell Him your plans. Yet regardless of what eventually happens, I will always be grateful for that evening of so long ago that I spent in a small town in the San Joaquin Valley, the night a seed was planted which eventually grew up into a full-grown historical novel. Footnote: The overwhelming majority of field workers in the agricultural business in the United States are Hispanic. Why? Because of low pay, sporadic work, few benefits and seasonal relocation. These are the people who help make America the best-fed country in the entire history of the world. Alejandro GrattanDominguez

Saw you in the Ojo

BENITO JUAREZ

—The Man Who Appointed Himself President %\ +HUEHUW : 3LHNRZ

enito Juárez was born March 21, 1806 a fullblooded Zapotec Indian from San Pablo Guelatao, where his parents had a small farm. At the age of thirteen he was sent to Oaxaca to the house of the Maza family. His sister worked as a servant for Señor Maza. Juárez could neither read, write nor speak Spanish. Señor Maza, however, realized Juárez was a bright young man and hired Antonio Salanueva, a devout Catholic and lay member of the Franciscan Order, to teach the boy reading, writing, arithmetic, Spanish grammar and bookbinding. Both men were impressed with Juárez’s aptitude and they sent him to the Franciscan seminary in Oaxaca. After graduating from the seminary in 1827, he enrolled in the Institute of Science and Art and in 1834 earned a law degree from that institution. While studying for his degree he

served as a Oaxacan councilman and in 1841 he became a civil judge. In 1843 he married Margarita Maza, the daughter of his patron. His career continued to escalate as he was appointed a federal deputy and served as governor of Oaxaca from 1847 to 1852. After his term as

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governor he became director of his alma mater, the Institute of Science and Art. When the dictator Antonio López de Santa Anna regained power in 1853, Juárez was expelled from Mexico. In October of that year he arrived in New Orleans where he joined the liberation movement that drove Santa Anna into exile in the fall of 1854. In November President Alvarez appointed Juárez Minister of the Interior and in December of 1854 he was elevated to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Three years later in December, 1857 Félix Zuloaga led a coup in which Congress was dissolved and on January 11, 1858 Benito Juárez, as Chief Justice, appointed himself President of Mexico, a legal procedure as the Chief Justice is next in line to succeed the President and President Comonfort had resigned. The difficulty was that Juárez had few supporters, no Congress and fewer finances and Mexico now had two Presidents as Félix Zuloaga had also declared himself President. What followed was the bloody fratricidal Reform War of 1858-61, pitting liberals against conservatives. Zuloaga’s forces captured Juárez, near Guadalajara’s Palace of Justice and he was saved from a firing squad only through the intervention of the poet Guillermo Prieto, who thrust himself in front of Juárez, crying: “Brave men do not assassinate.” The soldiers allowed Juárez to escape. By sheer determination and a feeling that he was somewhat like his idol, Abraham Lincoln, the short and stocky Indian named Benito Juárez persisted in his efforts to form a legitimate and well- run Mexican government, independent of fratricide and European intervention. It is curious, however, that he appealed to the United States for assistance, which he thought was most likely to come to his aid. In fact, Union General Phil Sheridan wrote in his journal that “We continued supplying arms and munitions . . . sending as many as 30,000 muskets from Baton Rouge alone.” And from General Grant, which is assumed to have come from Lincoln: “Concentrate in all available points in the States an army strong enough to move against the invaders of Mexico.” The US assisted Juárez, not so much because they believed in him, but feared the foreign powers of France and Austria who were now in Mexico with Maximilian as the Emperor of Mexico. After the death of Emperor Maximilian, Juárez easily won the 1867 election; but he faced serious problems. Two long and devastating

wars had left an empty treasury and a large army remained as well as European resentment over the execution of Maximilian. To raise money for his bankrupt country Juárez sold off lands that had been expropriated from the Church. He sold these lands to hacendados (big land owners) who had supported the Liberal cause. Land stripped from the Church, instead of being distributed to the campesinos (peasant farmers), was sold to the highest bidder. The displaced soldiers for the reduced army presented another problem; many became bandits operating on the outskirts of Guadalajara. The road from Veracruz to Mexico City was unsafe for passengers or cargo. Being President of a bankrupt Mexico was not an easy job. The country was further pulled apart by several insurrections in central Mexico and Juárez had to send in troops to subdue challenges by the rebels whose purpose was, “To destroy the present vicious state of exploitation.” In the south there were insurgent Maya and in the north large bands of marauding Apache, who it is estimated caused the death of over 15,000 Mexicans. Throughout his entire time as President of Mexico, Juárez was faced with opposition, conflict, non-support and attempted coups and civil wars. Juárez faced an almost impossible situation and for five years worked at being President of Mexico until on July 17, 1872 his heart gave out while he was working at his desk in the National Palace. Juárez, however, had many accomplishments. He is responsible for the present form of the Mexican Federal Government with two Houses; it was Juárez who created the Senate of the Chamber of Deputies in order to weaken Congress and to help strengthen the executive branch; he gave himself the right to veto any bill, with a two-thirds majority required to override the veto. He wanted to be remembered like his contemporary Lincoln; however, Juárez lacked the charisma and he was unable to gain the necessary support that allowed Lincoln to earn his status. Also, unlike Lincoln, who freed the slaves, Hidalgo had already proclaimed a noslavery policy for Mexico, although the peasants who worked the lands were in virtual servitude and it would take another revolution before they were truly liberHerbert W. ated. Piekow

Saw you in the Ojo

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ave you ever made a driver so nervous that he asked you to close your eyes? I have. My husband is an accomplished driver. I am learning to be a calm and trusting passenger as I struggle with a controlling nature. When anxious I can annoy my husband with uncontrolled jerks and clenched hand on whatever object will save me from the impending death, I imagine. The first time he noticed my controlling behavior we were driving through the mountains of Montana. My husband grew up in California where the flow of traffic can reach 90 miles per hour and people still passed you. He knows how to control a car at high speeds. I grew up in the Midwest where speed limits stayed at 65 on highways. So, zipping through curvy mountain passes and reeling from high-altitude changes was overwhelming. I was dizzy, scared, and adamant he needed to reduce speed. My husband requested I close my eyes. From my point of view the request was insulting as he needed to brake! Looking back, I can see things from his point of view. He’s adept, but I was causing him anxiety. Not much has changed over the years. I still have issues being the passenger, perhaps more so in Mexico. Last week we took a trip to explore a new village in the mountains. The roads were narrow with an unbanked edge. My husband decided he was going the wrong direction. Rather than waste time, he turned the truck around along the side of the road. He found a place that looked good to him. I saw the drop off and sloping rocky path below, on a curve with traffic on both sides. I yelped like a struck puppy. The back seat grew quiet where my children had been playing. My husband assured me it was not a steep incline as he slowed and dropped off the road, too fast

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for my sanity. I reached for the armrest, clutching for dear life. Morbidly fixed on certain death, I watched the ground below the truck from the passenger window. Seeing a steel stake looming out of the ground only a few inches from our tires, I warned my husband who avoided the danger. I still don’t know if he saw it before I shrieked a warning, but the command came only seconds later to close my eyes and let him get us on the road, which he did effortlessly. Why am I so tense on mountain roads? I had the same reaction when visiting Real de Catorce. The road leading to the mountain pass was extremely narrow with a steep drop. Again fixing my eyes on the road below, I watched the passenger tires straddled the edge as other cars passed. The view was excruciating. I would like to say all the hormones in my body caused the panic as I was six weeks postpartum with my first son, but alas nothing has changed, and I have been postpartum from my second son for six years! How do I battle the tendency to drive my husband nuts with my reactions? If my anxiety is acute, I close my eyes as I don’t want to train my sons to panic too. Nor do I want them to experience my apprehension. Often, I can breathe through the moment, focus on something else, or mouth the serenity prayer. Sometimes a change in traffic or road condition is abrupt and I still panic, as was the case with the steel stake. My husband reminds me to let go and allow him to guide us through the perceived danger. The act of letting go is teaching me to be a better mother, too. One who knows the difference between protection versus controlling. I can be supportive as my boys learn life lessons and show them how to maneuver through experiences without holding on for dear life. While far from a perfect example, I am choosing to show how to let go of fear and trust in something outside myself.

Saw you in the Ojo 11

QUERÉTARO—Muy Clasic co! %\ 0DJJLH 9DQ 2VWUDQG

riting a newspaper column about the greatness of Mexico can earn the writer a good deal of mail running the gamut from “Do you know a good dentist in Morelia?” to “My wife and I would like to know where we should start looking to live in Mexico.” I don’t know a Morelian dentist to recommend, but there are any number of fine villages, towns, and cities for foreigners to consider in their quest for a new life. Querétaro, Qro, should be high on any list of places to check out. The colonial city of Querétaro is a cultural mecca with outstanding architecture. Of course, if you stay at the Doña Urraca Hotel at Calle 5 de Mayo #117, you might never wish to leave your room. Before I go further into the sights of this beautiful city, I’ll tell you why you might not wish to leave your room at the Doña Urraca. The small suites in this boutique hotel and spa are magnificent and comparatively inexpensive, if you compare them with the Waldorf Astoria, the Four Seasons, or the Beverly Hills Hotel. Rooms, Junior and Master Suites average about $160 US per day, with the presidential suite at $200. Believe me, you get your money’s worth. The rooms are gloriously furnished in beige and white, with gigantic, extremely comfortable beds. Most rooms have a balcony or patio, overlooking

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magnificent gardens and heated swimming pool. White chiffon draperies billow into the rooms on the cool breeze, and floor-to-ceiling wood shutters slide smoothly to a close, if you prefer darkened rooms for a sleep-in. It’s tempting to stay inside the Doña Urraca Hotel, even in such a glorious city as Querétaro, because the Hotel is also a spa, and not an ordinary one. For a mere pittance, assuming you’re wealthy to begin with, you can order a superb Maya Peel Butterfly and Osilife Plus, which “improves your skin and luminosity through pure oxygen infusion.” They also feature a procedure called Synérgica which uses natural fruits and vegetables to give your skin “a delicious vitaminic balance.” Beauty technicians are very smart at Doña Urraca and even remember to slice the cucumbers before placing them on your eyelids. You can get a facial to end all facials, so healthy-feeling that you want to sell your house and permanently move into this Spa. Technicians are also proficient in Reflexology from the ancient land of China, an art which has healed both mind and body for centuries. It goes something like this—pressure points on the feet are manipulated to rebalance the Chakras and assist the Chi energy to flow through the body. It’s even better than walking on cobblestones in

your bare feet. In addition to Holistic Therapy massage, Swedish massage, Quiro (Spanish) massage and detoxifying your lymphatic system through the use of muscular relaxation techniques, Doña Urraca Spa also specializes in Temazcal, a tradition from pre-Hispanic Mexico. The magic ritual of Temazcalli (“House of the Steam Bath”) uses medicinal plants. A popular technique offered at Doña Urraca is Piedras Volcánicas, where hot volcanic stones achieve relaxation and energy harmony. This may be what is meant by getting one’s rocks off. Whatever, it’s divine. Should you manage to peel yourself away from this charming and beneficial little haven of bliss, you’ll enjoy a short walk to the Zócalo (plaza) where you can find a two-story tour trolley to drive you. The most popular tourist place is The Aqueduct, commonly called simply “the arches.” The Aqueduct was begun in 1726 and completed in 1735, supplying drinking water to the city from the springs of the Cañada. There are 74 arches 23 meters high, and 1280 meters long. You can also walk to the arches from the center of town, if you feel the need to exercise. You should also check out the Government Palace located in the Plaza de Armas, once the home of one of Mexico’s greatest heroines, Doña Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez. Doña Josefa (September 8, 1768 - March 2, 1829) is frequently referred to as La Corregidora (the magistrate’s wife). Much insurgent planning was done in her home, and she supported the rebels financially. A plot was hatched to apprehend the rebel leaders, and Doña Josefa was locked in her room to prevent her from relaying information to her rebel friends. However, she managed to whisper plot details through the keyhole, and her news allowed the leaders of the conspiracy to flee, and prompted Miguel Hidalgo to issue the famous

Grito de Dolores during the early hours of September 16th, signaling the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence. A monument honoring Benito Juarez is at the top of the famous Hill of the Bells to the west of the city. This is where Emperor Maximilian and others were shot during the French occupation. It is now a beautiful park with vast green areas, playgrounds, a lake, theatre and the City Museum. Among the beautiful churches and cathedrals to be found in Querétaro, is the not-to-be-missed 18th Century Ex-Convent of Santa Rosa de Viterbo, one of the most impressive colonial Baroque buildings in all of Mexico. Restoration on the extraordinary altarpieces, walls and paintings, and the original organ still in the choir loft, has been underway for some time. You can watch new gold leaf being applied to the neoClassic altar pieces. The bell tower on the eastern side of the church holds the first three-faced clock in America. Generations to come will be able to enjoy this superb architectural achievement. Other enjoyable sights include Casa de la Zacatecana museum; Royal Convent of Santa Clara de Asis; the Republic Theater; the Neoplateresque Cathedral; and Plaza de la Independencia, also known as Plaza de Armas. After a few days of sight-seeing, shopping for crafts such as ceramics, embroidery, silverwork and leatherwork, you can return to your hotel for a fine meal, or sit outside in restaurant patios surrounding the plazas, watch the people, and listen to free concerts. All things considered, Querétaro is a choice destination, an easy 220 km north of Mexico City on Federal Highway 57D. It’s well worth the trip, and I’ll bet, if you need Maggie Van one, you can find a Ostrand good dentist.

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A GOOD DEATH %\ 0DUJDUHW 9DQ (YHU\

’ve been thinking more about death lately. Three people I knew died in the same week, not to mention Philip Roth—as though there was a special incentive to take advantage of just that week. Two of the three died quickly before they even saw it coming, no languishing in hospital beds with tubes in their noses, praying through pain for the Angel of Mercy to hurry up. I say, good for them, their families, their bank accounts. But for our third dear friend death did not come easily. Though he had imagined death arriving in the form of a sexy young wench in a black bikini, or a seductress in a miniskirt to tango him off to paradise—in both cases lead-

ing to some form of divine consummation—no, it was the Grim Reaper who harvested him with a scythe, prolonged, piecemeal, painfully. Such an awkward exit for such a graceful soul was inappropriate. This elegant man suffered much but through it all gave Death the finger. Until the end he sang lustily, danced with abandon, kept smiling like he meant it, and took time to tell every last one of us we were loved. He taught by example how to make the most of whatever is handed us. Death personified has often been seen as some form of hooded body snatcher, but sometimes we have seen it in literature as a spirit guide to the af-

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terworld, which is about as plausible as a tango dancer in a miniskirt but more practical on the journey. The point is to choose someone you admire who knows the way. You wouldn’t want to get lost and there probably are no road signs or anyone to ask directions of along the way. Dante picked a fellow poet, Virgil, for his guide. In an interview with Terri Gross on National Public Radio after the publication of his book Everyman, Philip Roth discussed his own ideas on death. He said he didn’t believe there are good deaths and bad deaths. There are only bad. I don’t think most of us would agree with him. Surely the best death would be, after a long and fulfilled life to leave this existence during sleep—no waiting, no struggle, no pain, no boredom, no diapers, no expense, no regrets. You can do your part to make sure there are no regrets if you get your affairs in order and you leave on good terms with your loved ones, all rifts repaired. That’s my idea of the best death. Supposedly anywhere from 10 to 53 percent of deaths occur during sleep, a fairly wide discrepancy, but chances look good if you are an optimist. Before the intrusion of so many medical interventions, it used to be more likely you could abscond in your sleep, and children managed to do it fairly

frequently. Thus that bedtime prayer we of all faiths said while growing up, kneeling beside the bed with our hands pressed together and pointing heavenward: “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray Thee Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray Thee Lord my soul to take.” The way it glibly rolled off our tongues, it may as well have been Mary had a little lamb. Never did it occur to us this could be our last recitation of this mindless request. At this time in our village, we are fortunate to be able to avail ourselves of the best death of which we are capable, especially if we look both ways before crossing the carretera. We have palliative care, understanding and knowledgeable caregivers, and medical means to alleviate our pain. We even have a Threshold Choir to sing us to the other side. Ah, such bliss! We don’t need a memento mori like the skull Faust kept on his desk to remind him of his mortality. We’ve got the weekly obits. We need only bear in mind that death design is an art and there are many things we can do to improve the quality of the experience. Margaret Van Every

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COLUMNIST

PROFILING TEPEHUA %\ 0RRQ\HHQ .LQJ 3UHVLGHQW RI WKH %RDUG IRU 7HSHKXD

PRRQLH #\DKRR FRP

n the Tepehua Peoples Clinic, we see a lot of cases that we cannot help that have to be referred to the hospitals in Guadalajara for specialized treatments. Tragic cases that have no happy endings. One such case came to us for financial help. A family member went to the Free Hospital with cancer. After numerous testing and machines, the cost was $6,500 pesos, and then the follow up will be $500 a week until further notice. The same with kidney dialysis. People under the poverty line cannot afford the help they need between the time of diagnosis and the time of death. Or a young mother with a schizophrenic son whose medication every week costs their weeks´ wages for the rest of his life. Clinics like Tepehua can only deal with short term illnesses. If it is a life and death situation, we cannot guarantee a continuation of treatment because we cannot guarantee financial donations for medicine. We are consultants. Although Mexico is trying to block its border to the South against migrants coming through from Guatemala, El Salvdor and Honduras on a journey full of peril to the North, the southern border is very weak and migrants are coming across easily. The abuse and sickness they endure fill the emergency rooms of the hospitals

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on the way (especially Guadalajara). The recent Volcanic tragedy in Guatemala suggests the ranks of migrants will swell. (You may have seen the new beggars on the Lakeside streets...especially in Chapala. They are migrants en-route to Guadalajara or they come to Chapala from Guadalajara for easier pickings, but are heading North). All this puts a huge burden on hospitals in constant financial crisis with long waiting lines and limited beds. Although this writer complains about lack of welfare for the poor, what can hospitals and clinics do with very little support from the Government? IMSS and Seguro Popular are mandatory for Mexico’s employees. They are excellent programs, but they are over worked. A family member has to be your primary nurse if you are hospitalized. What if you are not employed? You are uninsured casual labour, and you cannot afford the pesos per year for this insurance. International Living reports Mexican prescription drugs are “silly cheap” for expats. Certainly not for the Mexican who lives on or below the poverty line which is approximately two dollars a day. Unfortunately, clinics and other professionals who are trying to bring help to the barrios know that sooner or later money runs out, and as sustainability is essential, what is the answer? The realization that nothing can be free. Unless some balance in society is worked out, some way we all carry the responsibility of our environment and neighbor with the knowledge that if most of us fail all of us fail. We are not all rocket scientists but we all have a level of achievement we can be comfortable with. This can only happen with education...then the choice of failure is personal...yours. Someone on face book commented something to the effect “Mexico, when you have fixed your South Border, fix the North border too”. Don’t do that, we need each other. Take the wall down.

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HISTORY 101 &RXUWHV\ RI +DQN 6KLYHU

“

istory is to ascribe the American Revolution to Thomas Paine.” —John Adams (1776) “Tom Paine has almost no influence on present-day thinking in the United States because he is unknown to the average citizen. Perhaps I might say right here that this is a national loss and a deplorable lack of understanding concerning the man who first proposed and first wrote those impressive words, ‘the United States of America.’ But it is hardly strange. Paine’s teachings have been debarred from schools everywhere and his views of life misrepresented until his memory is hidden in shadows, or he is looked upon as of unsound mind.” Thomas Edison June 7, 1925 “When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for a people to advance from that subordination in which they have hitherto remained, and to assume among powers of the earth the equal and independent station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s god entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the change. We hold these truths to be selfevident; that all men are created equal and independent; that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent and inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, and liberty, and the pursuit of happiness...” Thomas Paine. (attributed) On January 10, 1776, Paine published Common Sense. “...a long habit of not thinking a thing WRONG, gives it a superficial appearance of being RIGHT,

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Thomas Paine and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom.” Common Sense gave the people of the Colonies the justification for rebellion against England and the monarchy. As with much of Paine’s writings, he did not sign his name to it. His pamphlet outlined a democratic republic with a head of state. Every person working on the US Constitution had a copy of Common Sense. http://www. freeaudio.org/tpaine/commonsense. html will allow one to listen to the entire work. The profits from the 600,000 copies were given to General Washington. The Crisis Papers consisted of 16 different letters to or about differing subjects concerning the Colonies (December 1776 - December 1783). Washington read each paper to his troops. Quotes from the first paragraph Crisis I gives one an idea of the power of persuasion in Paine’s words: “THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value.” Washington wanted to inspire them and Paine did with, “THOSE who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it.” Without Paine, I can’t imagine how the lands of the current USA would be laid out politically. Most likely, there would be no USA. The Age of Reason and The Rights of Man would change future generations and open their minds. The religious community would hate him for it and have Teddy Roosevelt describe America’s Godfather as, “a dirty little atheist.” And who said Teddy never lied?

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RAMBLINGS FROM THE RANCH

undreds un ndr dre eds ed of of pass dogs dogs pass asss through th h the th Ranch’s gates on their way to their forever homes. Each has a tale to tell and this is Jacko’s. A few years before Jacko came to The Ranch in September 2015, when he was about 3 year’s old, he had been found on the carrretera, rescued by a Good Samaritan, Steve. Jacko’s leg had been severely injured, but Steve recognized this dog was worth saving. Jacko had a pin placed in the leg, but always walked with a limp. He had no other problems and Steve loved him dearly until, suffering a severe stroke, Steve had to move into a care facility. There was nowhere for Jacko to go so he came to the Ranch. At first Jacko seemed lost; it’s difficult for a dog to leave a caring home and move to a shelter.

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Then one day The Ranch staff was struggling with a group of unruly puppies and thought they needed a good “momma” dog to keep them in line. After several older females refused the call to motherhood they were placed in Jacko’s pen. He was the perfect choice - affectionate, playful and gruff, just what the pups needed. Jacko became the resident nanny for many of the puppies. In February 2018 he won the hearts of a couple of ladies visiting from Bellingham, WA, who volunteer for a rescue called Happy Tails Happy Homes and they were not leaving without him. Off to Washington he went and was immediately adopted by a family with a 10 year-old girl, desperate for a dog of her own. Rather than a puppy, she chose Jacko, recognizing his nurturing nature. Her mother recently reported finding her daughter, who was home sick, curled up asleep on Jacko’s bed with him. Another happy ending. If you would like to help improve the lives of rescued dogs please become a Ranch volunteer. Contact The Ranch: adoptaranchdog@ outlook.com or 331.270.4447.

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COLUMNIST

%\ 9LFWRULD 6FKPLGW G GW

Things that crawl wl

hile contemplat-ing our move to t Mexico, there was w one thing that gave both my husband and I pause. It wasn’tt the “violence,” or learning the language… e it was e… things that crawl. OK, grin if you will, but w we’re e’re from Minnesota. Land of 10,000 Lakes, a akes, and maybe two “dangerous” bugs;; mosquitos that may carry diseases, and a ticks. And while there are salamanders, they are harmless, and poisonous snakes are rare. And Minnesota has four seasons. Nothing grows very large because of winter kill, so even cockroaches are downright tiny. Mexico has bugs! Big bugs! Dangerous bugs. How were we going to handle living with black widows, scorpions and brown recluse spiders? We pictured them everywhere. Two weeks after moving to Mexico we had our first encounter. It was not pretty. The house we were renting required us to access our bathroom by exiting the house, and entering the bathroom from the patio. (Mexican architecture is an entirely different column.) One night after a hard rain, I decided to take a hot shower to relax and allow myself some sleep. Prepared, I removed my glasses as I opened the sliding shower door. I was about to step inside when I thought I saw something moving. I stopped with my foot in the air, slowly stepped backward and shut the door. With my glasses on, I cautiously

re-opened thee door and d saw that att the entire shower stall floor was a moving mass of bugs…cockroaches, crickets, scorpions and more. I closed the door. I did not scream. I did wake my husband telling him there was a bug problem in the bathroom. He went in, and I heard him yell “Holy S*&!” He eliminated the problem along with an entire can of Raid. Our maid had to clean out the dead carcasses. To this day, I always examine the shower floor before I remove my glasses! That’s when we learned about the essential weapon: drain covers. Other well-meaning ex-pats warned us not to go barefoot, not to leave our shoes on the floor, not to allow our bed sheets and blankets to touch the floor, names of fumigators, and household products for pest control, and, of course, the number for Cruz Roja. We still fear the dreaded scorpion. Of course, we’ve since learned that people actually survive scorpion stings. We’ve learned where scorpions live; hide, and we learned to be cautious. But we have also learned that no matter how cautious we are, there may come a time when we may fall victim…but until then, we remain vigilant. We recently moved to a new home, and while in the bathroom, again without my glasses, I saw something I couldn’t quite identify. I asked my husband to take a look. He walked into our shower, and viciously stomped a scorpion to death. No drain cover. He went right out and bought covers for all our drains. My knight in shining armor hates these things as much as I do! Victoria Schmidt

El Ojo del Lago / July 2018

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COLUMNIST

BRIDGE BY THE LAKE %\ .HQ 0DVVRQ

n all walks of life successful people usually rely on some form of mentoring to help them on their way. Bridge is no exception – the more opportunities you have to play with (and against) experts, the better your chance of reaching a good level yourself. Many years ago I was fortunate to play a number of times with the late Duncan Phillips who was a leading light on the Canadian bridge scene. This month’s hand was one that I played with Duncan which left a big impression on me and I still remember it to this day. In a matchpoint duplicate game West opened one club and, sitting North, Duncan doubled. Although he didn’t have a typical take-out double, with his spades being much better than his hearts, he felt he was too strong for a simple overcall and he envisaged introducing his spades at his next turn to bid. East bid one heart and, while my overall strength was weak, I thought my reasonable six card suit was worth showing, so I bid 2 diamonds. West raised hearts and, seconds later, most of North’s bidding cards landed on the table – 5 no trump! This was the Grand Slam Force (GSF), requesting me to consider only my diamond honors for my next bid. With one of the top three diamond honors I was expected to bid six of that suit; with two of the top three, bid seven! I did have two of the top three diamonds so I was obliged to put us into the grand slam. There was nothing to the play – I ruffed the opening club lead, drew two rounds of trumps, established the spades by playing the ace and king and ruffing a third round in my hand and claimed 13 tricks.

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Duncan knew I must have a decent diamond suit (and some length) to bid in a competitive auction since, on the bidding, I was marked with very few high card points. About the only holding I might have which would cause me difficulty in the play was three small spades, in which case, I might lose a spade trick if the hidden cards did not divide 2 – 2. It was a reasonable gamble and produced a clear top in comparison scoring. After all, how often do you reach a cold Grand Slam when your opponents open the bidding and your side holds a combined total of 21 high card points! If you decide to add the GSF to your list of conventions, make sure you and your partner discuss it so you are both on the same wavelength. The GSF is used in cases where the combined hands of a partnership are so strong that a small slam (winning at least 12 tricks) is a near-certainty and a grand slam (winning all 13 tricks) is a distinct possibility. It allows one partner to gain information on the quality of trumps in the other partner’s hand. The asking partner knows that his side has first round control of all the other suits and usually has a good long suit on the side. The GSF is only used when it does not conflict with other conventions used by the partnership such as asking for kings in the Blackwood convention. Questions or comments: email: masson.ken@ gmail.com Ken Masson

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%\ 6\GQH\ *D\

—Part One—

ight doctors studied the MRI of Harry’s brain, large black areas indicated irreversible damage, “In his condition brain exercises won’t help much, your husband is on his last battery, make him as comfortable as possible.” Who would have guessed a gas leaf blower could do this much damage, the dust that entered his lungs was a combination of common street debris, construction particles including metals, insecticide residue and animal feces. I researched what the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) had to say, www.EPAHealth Hazards of Leaf Blowers-www. progressivesource.org/..health_hazards. html/smoke, soot, dust, salt, acids, metals (CA EPA Air Resources Board 2009). About 5 lbs of particulate matter per leaf blower per hour airborne up to four

hours, a major issue for communities banning blowers, in Beverly Hills, California a $1,000 fine. Harry returned to Alicia’s nursing home in a sad condition, he could not walk, he could not sit or rise off a chair, he did not talk, his body was painfully swollen. Doctors prescribed so many different pills I asked Alicia if we could reduce the medications, slowly we did that. After seventy per cent of the meds were eliminated his eyes brightened, the swelling disappeared, Harry’s energy and good humor returned, he began talking again, he was still frail, he lacked concentration but he was lucid. I remembered something Einstein said about the human mind, on average most humans use less than fourteen percent of brain capacity, I assumed the other eighty-six percent had a purpose.

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I am not the brightest flower on the block, I don’t know how I did what I did next, I asked Harry if he would be willing to study the MRI x-rays of his brain; he said yes, I took out the photos, 146 different images, I explained the damaged parts, then pointed to the undamaged parts, “Harry, this part of your brain is still good, can you find that place in your head?” I touched his skull, “Tell this good part to connect over here to this other part of your brain.” Clearly he was processing. “Were you able to do it?” He said yes. I doubted he was telling the truth. The blackened areas were really wide spread; nevertheless, holding the xrays up again, pointing to the worst area I made a line to an unblemished section, “Go from here to there Harry.” He seemed to understand. Part of me knows you might not believe it. Even so I am obligated to explain what happened after this. Harry’s mind improved, it quickly improved. Everyone at the nursing home witnessed it. Within a few days I was able to open Webster’s Dictionary and ask him to spell words; he loved the game, he could not yet read the words, but he spelled without error, wanting more I asked for definitions, he got these correct as well. Visitors who had never met him found Harry to be a remarkably interesting conversationalist, he glowed with love and laughter. Since all the doctors said he did not have much time left, I began taking notes. Here are four short recorded conversations. June 2007 / (Me And Him) Harry: I’m not sure how I got here, what happened to us? Have we become different people? I think I am falling in love again. / Sydney: You like your life here? / Harry: Are you kidding, I’m almost a hundred years old. / Sydney: You’re not really a hundred. You’re seventy-nine. Goethe did his best work at eight-four. Do you think your work is finished?/Harry: No way! August 2007 / My name is Harry Kislevitz, I am sitting next to Birds of Paradise, see over there, we have roses and orchids, children visit me here, I love children. They say I have a brain problem,

but I’m happy, I have a room next to the rose garden, I love it and I love children, Did I already mention that? Let me give you some advice, one father can take care of ten children, ten children cannot take care of one father. September 2007 / Sydney: Do you have anything more you want to do? / Harry: Are you kidding? I have to straighten up all the stuff in all the different rooms. / Sydney: What do you see when you look into this room? / Harry: I see them. / Sydney: Who? / Harry: The Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boys. The exercises which began in 2005 increased. By the end of 2007 I asked if he would like to try writing something, he took a red marker and as a laughter I wish to keep forever I framed what he wrote: “Sydney, your eyes are deep brown and your nose matches, you must admit that’s an interesting characteristic. Your mouth is like a succulent plum, your ears are like an elephant. I love your hair. The best part is your character. You’re a real character. I love you a bunch. Harry.” September 2008, Harry had improved greatly. Alicia moved him from the nursing home for seriously injured to a more semi-independent home. One morning I walked into his room, he was laying on the bed smiling ear to ear, “Harry, what’s going on?” He says, “I’m talking to God.” I ask, “What is God saying to you?” He replies, “Hello Harry darling, how are you doing?” Before Harry passed away in 2009 he said this, “You know about the frogs that fell into a bowl of cream? You know that story? One frog struggled to get out of the bowl, it beat itself into exhaustion and drowned. The other frog laid back and paddled around, swimming up and down, enjoying himself, didn’t worry about a thing, gradually the cream turned into a hill of butter, the frog climbed the hill and hopped on the kitchen table, the cook picked up the frog and dropped it into a pot of soup, as the soup warmed up the frog got sleepier and sleepier, he didn’t even know he was being cooked. …Nice to see you Okay, I gotta go now.” On the day of Harry’s death he was sitting peacefully in a chair at Alicia’s, a soft golden light encircled his body, slowly the light moved outward, then it spiraled upward, I could feel he was leaving the body, he lowered his head and said “Bye, Sydney.” I said goodbye to Harry. Note: Harry did not attend church, but he was a true student of Christ. He deeply felt the spirit Christ could be invited to live within an ordinary human heart. In my own work, spending quality time with men and women in the last stages of life, I am convinced spiritual knowledge quells fear and increases creativity and happiness.

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His Name Was Kllaus %\ 7RP (FN

is name was Klaus—Klaus Wohland. It was an unusual name in our little southern California Catholic grammarr school, filled with O’ Brien’s, n’s, n’ s, Shaughnessy’s and O CalC lCa laghan’s, with a sprinkling ng of Moreno’s and Garcia’s. Klaus came to our seventh-grade venth-grade class from Germany. He was a full f ll head h d taller and at least a year older than anyone else in our class. His early education had been delayed by the aftermath of World War II and the destruction of his home in Berlin. He and his mother struggled to make their way to relatives in California to begin reconstruction of their lives. Klaus was not an outgoing person and even appeared unfriendly. He was straightforward, abrupt and intimidating. But I liked him, and he seemed to

like me. Perhaps he felt more akin to my German surname. Perhaps it was our extremes—he was the oldest in our class and I was the youngest. During the next few months of school, we talked about many things, but not always the things that preteens discuss. Too much of it was his vivid remembrances of the horrors of war which he tried to forget, but could not. The incessant thunder of bombings. The collapse of the walls of his

El Ojo del Lago / July 2018

home. The cries of those dying and injured. And the cold silent stares of those who lay dead. It was a lot for a three-year old to endure. In the classroom, Klaus was as reticent as he was on the playground. He sat next to me in the back of the room. I liked to sit next to a wall, away from the ire of the Irish penguins who generously used a ruler to rap the knuckles of anyone they thought was misbehaving in class. The wall also served to thwart the cheating gaze of some other classmates who tried to read my test answers. As it turned out, it was not a good idea. It was barely 9 a.m. when it happened. A California earthquake. Not the usual rolling type, but a strong jolt that collapsed the portion of the wall next to me. Instinctively, I dropped under my desk, but the flimsy wood was no match for the weight of the falling brick wall. An excruciating pain pierced my leg. I heard the bone snap. I was trapped and could not move. The other classmates managed to run outside as we had been trained to do. But there was no way I could make it out. Since I was in the back of the room, no one saw me, or perhaps in their panic didn’t care. No one except Klaus. Without hesitating, he

pushed aside some bricks and lifted the crushed desk off me. “Put your arm over my shoulder,” he commanded, as if he had experience in such matters. As I grabbed his neck, he struggled to lift me from the rubble. I screamed in pain, but suddenly we were moving towards the door. Not a minute after reaching safety outside, an aftershock collapsed the roof of the classroom. That evening I sat with my family around the dinner table. My leg had been set and we were all grateful that nothing worse had happened. But the day’s events got me thinking. My father was a World War II veteran with an elite infantry division known as the Black Hawks. He carried a BAR, the Browning Automatic Rifle, the largest heaviest one-piece weapon. He fought in Germany, France and Italy. Then, by dint of some SNAFU, he was deployed in the Philippines to flush out the Japanese guerillas who did not believe in surrender, even after their defeat. He never talked much about the war. It was a time he didn’t want to relive. But he had talked about an event in Germany. Perhaps because it was the only positive event he experienced among all the destruction. “Dad,” I said to him that night, ”Do you remember telling me about that little boy you saved in Berlin? You know, the one buried beneath the bricks of a fallen building? When you answered his mother’s cries for help?” My father looked startled. “I’m surprised you remember that, Tommy. Why?” “Did you ever get his name?” My father peered into the distant past. His brow furrowed and his eyes teared up. “I know his mother’s name was Johanna. Let me think… Ah, yes. His name was Klaus—Klaus Tom Eck Wohland.”

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Sandy Olson

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

READ THIS FIRST Bravo! Theatre is presenting an encore of Visiting Mr. Green on Saturday, July 7 and 14 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, July 8 and 15 at 4 pm. These four performances are a benefit in memory of Phil Shepherd and his contributions to Lakeside theatre. The show stars Roger Larson and Ken Yakiwchuk. It’s about the accidental friendship between an old Jewish man and a young Jewish man, each with a secret. The Guadalajara Reporter said : “We could have been in New York at a fabulous 200 dollar a night off Broadway theatre. That is how it felt at the Bravo! Theatre.” Tickets are $250 and are available at Diane Pearl Colecciones or Mia’s Boutique. OPEN CIRCLE Sunday morning finds many 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 8 The Dimensions of the Universe and You Presented by Kenneth Hunt The real miracle of the existence of the universe is that the whole manifestation—everything that is knowable—emerges from inherent properties of the very stuff of which it all consists. It might be helpful for us to have a sharpened sense of where we stand in the scale of things that have emerged from the turmoil of the big bang. Before we can do that, however, we need to increase our understanding of millions, billions, and trillions and their relative sizes. Ken will explore several ways to appreciate relationships among big numbers and then will explore the dimensions of the universe. Ken is a science nerd. He has been reading and thinking about stuff like this for a long time and has learned a lot. He wants to interest you in it too. July 15 The Genius of Dave Eggers: Two Stories Kenneth Hunt Performed by Lila Wells Dave Eggers was a finalist for the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, his memoir of raising his younger brother after the death of their parents. Two other works have been made into motion pictures. Lila will read two selections from Eggers’ short story collection, How We Are Hungry. In “She Waits, Seething, Blooming,” a single mother spikes her red wine with gin, alone in the wee hours awaiting her teenage son’s return. The second story, “After I Was Thrown in the River and Before I Drowned,” is told in the first “person” by Steven, a self-described “fast fast dog.” Lila Wells had over 50 years experience in community theater before coming to Lakeside from the US in 2015. She loves readers theater, and currently serves as actor, director and board member at The Naked Stage Readers Theatre in Riberas del Pilar. July 22 The European Union: Achievements and Challenges Presented by Karl Homann The EU was NOT created for economic reasons, but rather to achieve lasting peace among its neighbors. Yet with over 500,000,000 inhabitants and an annual GDP of 16,905,620 billion USD, the EU represents the largest economy of the world. In 60 plus years, it has achieved much: peace among European neighbors; the political, social and economic transformation of 13 former dictatorships; strong support for democracy and human rights across Europe and beyond; and increases in living standards. Nevertheless, the EU also faces challenges, such as Brexit, migration, tribalism and populist disinformation. Karl will argue that the future of Europe will be built by the patient application of democratic methods, a constructive spirit of agreement, and by respect for freedom. He was born in Germany, left his native land at the age of 20 and eventually settled in Canada, where he taught English composition and literature for 30 years. After his retirement about 10 years ago, he moved to Lakeside. July 29 Previews of Five Plays Presented by Rosann Balbontin Potter Productions, a not-for-profit organization, presents previews of its five upcoming staged Lakeside readings. Local actors Don Beaudreault, Maryanne Gibbard, Graham Miller, Kathleen Morris, and Ed Tasca will be the readers. Rosann Balbontin, founder and producer of Potter Productions, taught drama for twenty

El Ojo del Lago / July 2018

years in California before retiring to pursue acting and directing full time. She appeared in several productions in California, and also wrote three plays and a screenplay. Rosann has been active in the Ajijic theatre community for the past three years. August 5 Surprising Discoveries about the Unconscious Presented by Sandy Britton Brain science has increasingly demonstrated that your conscious mind–the part of your mind that you think of as “self”–is just a boat floating on the vast dark ocean of the unconscious. It’s becoming increasingly clear that the unconscious, in addition to controlling our body functions and storing our memories, is the source of our thoughts, emotions, perceptions, decisions, and actions. Most of the time it works beautifully, but when something goes wrong it can result in problems like depression, OCD, and PTSD. In this talk you’ll hear about some of the latest discoveries in the neuroscience of the unconscious, as well as innovative therapies being developed for when things go wrong. VIVA LA MUSICA GOES TO THE PHILHARMONIC Here is the schedule for the next two months for the Jalisco Philharmonic performances at the Teatro Degollado. Sunday, July 10. Brahms Violin Concerto, and Bartok. Marco Parisostto conducting. The bus leaves at 10:30 am for the 12:30 performance. Tickets are available at the Lake Chapala Society Thursdays and Fridays from 10 to noon or call Rosemary Keeling at 766.1801. The cost for Viva bus trips to the Degollado is $450 ($550 for non-members). Buses leave from the carretera near Farmacia Guadalajara. LETS HEAR IT FOR ORGANIC ABSTRACTIONS We hear from artist and writer Janice Kimball, who is holding a wine and cheese reception at her Aztec Weaving Studios on Thursday, July 26, from 4 to 6 pm. She says, “Our Prehispanic series in wools and rayon still continues, and we now have contemporary organic abstractions in mixed fibers.” The address is 232 Carretera Poniente, West Ajijic near Yves restaurant. MUSIC KIDS DIG NEW GARDEN Air guitar on a shovel, rhapsody with a rake or hold the beat banging a barrow, these young musicians now have the chance to improvise between lessons, thanks to The Lake Chapala Garden Club. They are all pupils of the three year old San Juan Cosala based Youth Philharmonic Orchestra of Lake Chapala (Orquestra Filarmonica Infantil de la Ribera de Chapala ) The orchestra , which is part of the ECOS program of the Casa De La Cultura de Jalisco, recently found a new home, thanks to individual donors and big name charities. Left to right up the tree: Alvaro Garcia Flores, Fernanda Chavez Zamora, Diego Zamora Verdia, Leonel Alvarez Romero and Erick Tolentino Cornejo Left to right below the tree: Jasibe Parra Garcia, Coco Wonchee, Maria Fernanda Vazquez c Lopez, Mariana Chavez Zamora and Ana Belen Flores Blas The pupils needed to create a more sympathetic outdoor space for the 70 strong group to practice. The rubble strewn neglected area they

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found behind the building, maybe once a garden, hardly came close. The Lake Chapala Garden Club stepped in with a donation of nearly 9K pesos to help. ‘’The orchestra and choir use music as a hook to hang so many other elements to support young people in the area. These strands include responsibility, a sense of community plus the value of education and accomplishment,”: said Judi Keck, President. ROMANCE IN THE VILLAGE Viva la Musica continues its summer concert series, “Romance in the Village.” Friday July 20 “Renaissance Romance.” The Gala tea Early Music Ensemble takes you on a musical journey through France, Italy, Germany and England, playing ancient instruments used during the Renaissance—lute, baroque violin, baroque guitar, viola de gamba—along with a lovely soprano soloist and guest baritone. The performance is in a private home in Rancho del Oro (address and map on the ticket).

The cast from left to right: Harry McFadden, Val Jones, Carolyn Cothran and John Ward There will be a champagne and canapé reception at 3:30 pm and the concert is at 4 pm. Tickets are $500. Thursday August 30 “Opera Romance,” a gala afternoon of lush romantic music by Donizetti, Rossini, Wagner and Lehar. The singers are Jessica Alcala, soprano; Mayela Lou, mezzo; and Jose Manuel Gonzalez, baritone. The piano accompanist is Rodrigo Sierra Moncayo. St. Andrews Church in Riberas del Pilar is the venue. There will be a champagne and canapé reception in the garden at 3:30 pm and the concert is at 4 pm. Tickets are $400. Friday September 21 “Piano Romance” with Sergio Parra, pianist and composer, who will play a program of Chopin, Messiaen, Ibera and Debussy preludes. This performance is also at St. Andrews and there will be a champagne and canapé reception in the garden at 3:30 pm and the concert is at 4 pm. Tickets are $400. Tickets will be available at the Lake Chapala Society Thursdays and Fridays from 10 to noon and also at Diane Pearl Colecciones and and Mia’s boutique, The cost is $500. FAITH, POLITICS AND “THE TWITTER’” The Naked Stage July production is Church and State. It’s directed by Collette Clavadetscher. It’s a fast-paced dramedy about faith, politics, and “The Twitter.” From NPR: “A crackling script. Feels very of the moment. An enjoyable, thought-provoking and, I promise, humorous piece of theatre. I wish every member of Congress would see it!” It runs July 27, 28 and 29 at 4 pm. Donation is $100. The Box Office and bar open at 3 p.m. Reservations are by email at: nakedstagereservations@gmail.com. For those who use Facebook, look for The Naked Stage for breaking news and updates. The Naked Stage 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. WHAT IS YOUR DOG THINKING? This month members of Ajijic Book Club will read and discuss a book that will resonate with Lakeside dog lovers. Inside of a Dog, by cog-

El Ojo del Lago / July 2018

nitive scientist Alexandra Horowitz, tells us what dogs know and how they think. ABC will meet at La Nueva Posada on Tuesday July 31 at 4 pm. For more information please contact John Stokdijk at abc.lakeside@yahoo.com A THRESHOLD CHOIR Lakeside has a new service to turn to in times of extreme need. The Lakeside Threshold Choir provides comfort through song to those at the threshold between life and death. Director Cindy Paul, who stepped down from leading the Lake Chapala Chorale to run the Lakeside Threshold Choir, describes the group’s repertoire as “something between lullabies and chanting, very special.” To hear a sample, go to their Facebook page, or the international Threshold Choir website. For information on this free community-wide service, write LakesideThresholdChoir@gmail.com. YOU NEVER KNOW…. The children’s art you purchase today might be worth thousands of pesos in a few years. Prominent artists Javier Zaragoza, Jesús López Vega, and Rodrigo Zuloaga are all graduates of the art program at The Lake Chapala Society. Another “budding and brilliant” artist is Orlando Ibarra. Other talented students, according to volunteer Robina Nicol, are Oscar Orlando Ibarra López. Saúl Ulises Sánchez Garcia Lope Saúl Ulises Sánchez Garcia: Samantha Sánchez Garcia Alma Adela Karina Gutierrez Torres: Alonso Romero Ibarra Kenhya Mariana Hernández Duran. This year’s Children’s Art Camp is being held at the Lake Chapala Society from July 30 to August 3 with the big sale happening on Saturday, August 4 from 10 am to 2 pm. Art Camp was launched in 2013 when the Ajijic Society of the Arts offered to share its proceeds from its Open Studios Tour with the LCS Children’s Art Program. Director Manager Danielle Page says, “We started with around 75 kids. We’re now pretty close to double in size and have 60 volunteers.” FLOWERS AND MORE FLOWERS The Ajijic Vegetable Growers Club visited Vivero Calderon recently, a multi-acre facility just off the airport highway south of the airport. This large nursery operation was originally a quarry but was converted to a vivero 24 years ago. George Radford tells us that 18 members of the club attended. They learned that Vivero Calderon supplies many retail nurseries in Guadalajara such as Home Depot and almost all the local viveros at Lakeside. They are the exclusive supplier of poinsettias to all of Mexico. To sign up for field trips like this, go to a club meeting on the second Wednesday of each month at 10:30 am at Min Wah Restaurant. The next meeting will be July 11th. All are welcome. For information, email George at gradford4019@gmail.com

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E a rlly Tr a um a %\ -RKQ :DUG

t seven years of age I was still at the convent of St. Mary in Manzini, Swaziland. I was in the third grade having skipped ahead due to having erudite parents. My education at the Convent had been fun and fruitful. I loved my classes and was in love with Sister Pauline, a sweet gentle nun. Then, one day, Eugenia asked me if I would like to be boyfriend and girlfriend. She was about one year older than I was and a rather big girl for her age. I said alright, what has to happen. She told me to lie on the ground and after I did, she stood above me and asked: “Can you see my panties?” I said I could and she said, “Now we are boy-

friend and girlfriend.” The romance of the situation evaded my comprehension, but I was satisfied with that. Unfortunately a nun witnessed the ceremony and my parents were advised, by mother superior, that my education at the convent had probably run its course and perhaps they should put me in another school. At eight years old I was placed in a boarding school. In my country, there just weren’t that many schools, so I had to be sent away from home to St. Mark’s boarding school in the capital city of Mbabane. I had never been away from home or apart from my parents and I thought my life was over.

El Ojo del Lago / July 2018

As my parents drove away I ran after the car, crying and screaming: “Please don’t leave me here!” I could see my father with hard resolve in his face and my mother crying softly in the car as it left the school grounds. I ran as fast as I could, but I couldn’t catch the car. In short order several adults from the school caught up to me and carried me, keening, back to the dormitories. To this day I have nightmares about being abandoned in some strange place by my parents. The horror of being left with all these people I didn’t know was overwhelming. I was small and here were strangers all around me, from children to adults, all very scary. The feelings of vulnerability were life altering. Once, my mother showed me the first letter I wrote home in pencil. It was heart breaking even to me as an adult. I was astounded that my poor parents were able to survive the pain of separation. The letter was just a repetition of “Please Mommy, come and get me, please mommy, take me home, please, please, PLEASE, don’t leave me here.” I got into trouble for writing it, because apparently all the prefects got to read the outgoing (and incoming) mail for their amusement. The hideousness of “Initiation” or hazing as the Americans call it, waking at 4am to salute the Union Jack to a trumpet at 5am., the punishments for not sitting up straight at table, the canings, etc. were all awful, but the separation from my parents was by far the more horrifying, traumatic and indelible an experience. I think more of this now when I read about children being torn from their parents at the border, for the heinous crime of wanting to enter the US, peacefully, for work, or to escape some brutal dictator in a southern third world nation. The trauma for both the parents and the children, being pulled away from their families by armed thugs and self-righteous paramilitary goons who haven’t the intelligence or imagination to see themselves in a similar situation with their children. The innocent children being locked in cages or old abandoned buildings, wondering where their parents are, or if they will ever see them again. One of the great American fears, in the Home of the Brave, is gangs. Kids who join gangs and rob, kill, deal drugs, rape, etc., without giving one thought to why kids join these new, accepting and extended surrogate families. Psychological studies show that most gang members had little or no family and were traumatized by parents deserting the family, so they join the only family that accepts them,

some lousy gang. Just as the US creates more and more jihadists and terrorists with bombs and oil hungry wars, they are creating the fodder for more gangs with this national disgrace of incarcerating innocent people after separating the traumatized children from their primary protectors. Even the evangelists who supported Trump after his completely transparent attempt to appear pious, even they condemn this. When the evil Keebler Elf that has been made Attorney General tried to justify this wickedness with a bible quotation, members of his own church condemned him and biblical scholars pointed to where he has purposefully misinterpreted the writings. This is a national and international disgrace, a black stain on a great country. It will not be forgotten and will be the legacy of Donald Trump. Despite the fact that he has signed a new Executive order to keep families together, still incarcerated, but at least together. Now Nikki Haley and Mike Pompeo have extricated the US from the United Nations Human Rights Council. They know that human rights have been eviscerated in the US and they don’t want any repercussions from the international community. How would a country clamor against human rights violations in Syria, China, North Korea, Iran, India and Pakistan when their own record is so filled with depravity? How can a country push democracy on the rest of the world when their own is a shambles with “electoral colleges” special interest groups, lobbies, Super Delegates, PACs and super PACs? The 2,500 plus children who have been traumatized by the US will never recover and will always hate their oppressors. And whereas it pays the Military Industrial Complex to continue manufacturing enemies, it is nothing but hell for the rest of the world. We don’t want enemies. We don’t want war. We get nothing from it but poverty sickness and death. If you support these actions, as do many Fox News pundits and Kirstjen Nielsen, head of Homeland Security do, you are equally to blame. You too own this travesty. You are a part of making America look like a petty dictatorship the world over and you too are a part of the dismantling of democracy, because now, dictators, Communists, Feudal Monarchies can point to the US and say: “You see what democracy John Ward has wrought?”

Saw you in the Ojo 35

)LUVW /RYH %\ 0LNHO 0LOOHU

e was getting ready to sell the big old house after his wifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death, and cleaning out the walk-in closet. The musty smell of boxes filled the room as he opened a grocery sack of school yearbooks and thumbed through one to his class page. The face of his first love stared back at him and flooded his mind with memories. Something about her made him follow her around on school days like a puppy, and he always tried to sit next to her in their small town Sunday School class. At a church picnic in the sixth grade, she pulled a stick of gum out of her dress pocket to share with him. They held hands, savoring Juicy FruitÂŽ and innocent love, until the Sunday School teacher intervened. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Holding hands leads to pregnancy,â&#x20AC;? the teacher scolded. Maybe he flushed with embarrassment; she just giggled.â&#x20AC;&#x153;It takes more than that,â&#x20AC;? she told him after the teacher left. Her beauty and breasts attracted attention early. Many boys longed for her by the time she was thirteenâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;some of them four and five years olderâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;and some from nearby towns, or so he heard. Some girls gossiped that she went far beyond holding hands sometimes, flirting with danger. Maybe she was going too far the Sunday afternoon after they helped fill Christmas bags with food for the needy.

Her screams from the church basement jolted him, and he was the first one down the stairs. A classmate was astride her, his strength pinning her arms to the floor. The look in her eyes was all he needed. His punch to the side of the aggressorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head was all it took, and she rewarded him with a long embrace and a short kiss. Heroism felt great and gave him hope. A couple of weeks later, he found the courage to follow up. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Would you, uh, think about going to the eighth-grade Valentine party with me?â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sure,â&#x20AC;? she said, without hesitating. The feeling that swept over him was like walking on clouds, but he crashed to Earth when she rejected him the next day. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My boyfriendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the jealous type,â&#x20AC;? she said, explaining that he was seventeen and lived in a neighboring town, with a driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license and the use of his daddyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2122;56 Chevy. A childhood chumâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; with no driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license, no wheels, and tied down with farm choresâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;was expendable. They remained good friends during high school, although not as close as before. On the five-day senior tripâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;another small town rite of passageâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;she surprised him by knocking on his hotel door one night while his three roommates were somewhere else before curfew. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My room is crowded with the four

of us,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I need to hang out for a little while.â&#x20AC;? Her pale green Baby-Doll negligee left little to his imagination and her dark brown hair fell almost to her shoulders, framing her brown eyes, faultless nose, and full lips. Oh God, she looked good. They sat on the edge of the bed, talking about nothing. As her bare thigh brushed against his pajama leg, he tried to hide his erection, without success. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You want to hear a dirty little song?â&#x20AC;? she asked, and then sang it to him without waiting for an answer: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll put on my pink panties, They used to be my auntieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, And go out to rassle in the hay. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be a lot of bucking And a lot of f---ing In that good olâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;fashioned way.â&#x20AC;? Jumbled thoughts raced through his mind as they both laughed: WHAT WAS HAPPENING? Was she offering to have sex, or was she just joking around? She knew he was a virgin; she kidded him about it one time. He didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a condom; heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d never bought one. How could he get one without leaving the hotel room? Maybe he could pull out in time as he heard other guys did. What if his roommates came back early and caught them? What if the whole senior class heard about it? What ifâ&#x20AC;Ś? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Are you all right?â&#x20AC;? she asked, snapping him out of his daze â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s okay if we just sit here and talk.â&#x20AC;? After college he took a job in another state, married, and started a family. Years later, he and his wife ran into her in a mall back home while visiting his family for the Christmas holidays. He introduced them and chatted with her for a couple of minutes, trying to hide his feelings. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You ever get married?â&#x20AC;? he finally asked. Her lips formed a small crooked smile, and she shook her head while glancing at her watch. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gotta go now,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still in love with her, arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you?â&#x20AC;? his wife said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I could see it in your eyes and hear it in your voice.â&#x20AC;?

The next Memorial Day weekend, she smashed her car into an Interstate overpass column while driving back from the Indianapolis 500 race with her friends. His mother sent a newspaper clipping with a picture of the crumpled car. They were drinking and speeding, the Highway Patrol said. Maybe she had one too many and couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make the curve. All of them died on the spot. Some folks back home say she never found real love. A few say maybe she loved a married man in a nearby town who wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t leave his wife and kids. Probably nobody knows for sure. Sunday School and sixth grade were a long time ago, and high school too. He still remembers that little song she sang to himâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;some things you never forget. Sometimes he still dreams about her. Now and then he thinks about what might have been. During visits with his grandchildren, he takes them to the playground most days, seven-year-old grandson follows a neighbor girl around like a puppy. She leads him on chases as she dashes from the swings to the jungle gym, goes across the monkey bars and down the slide, and runs back to the swings. Other times they chase each other playing tag. One day they plopped down on the bench beside him for a short break. He saw his wife in his grandsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face and smiled with contentment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You two want some gum?â&#x20AC;? he asked, handing his grandson a piece to tear in half. They shared and chewed and smacked, and the girl raced away, eluding his grandson again. He leaned back to watch them, remembering when. *Mikel Miller is a member of the Ajijic Writers Group and co-founder of the Lincoln and Mexico Project to inform people about Abraham Lincolnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support for Mexico. Mikel Miller

MID-MONTH BONUS! Cucumber LV -XG\ '\NHVWUD %URZQÂśV DEUDVLYH ÂżFWLRQDO DFFRXQW RI RQH ZRPDQÂśV OLIH LQ 0H[LFR ZKHUH KDSSLQHVV DV DQ\ZKHUH HOVH LV HOXVLYH DQG PRUH WLPHV WKDQ QRW PRVW VHWWOH IRU OLWWOH PRUH WKDQ FRQWHQWPHQW Cucumber FDQ EH IRXQG DW KWWS FKDSDOD FRP HORMR LQGH[ SKS PLG PRQWK DUWLFOHV (DFK PLG PRQWK ZH Rá&#x201A;&#x2021;HU VXSHUE DUWLFOHV WKDW ZKLOH D ELW WRR ORQJ IRU RXU SULQW YHUVLRQ DUH SHUIHFW IRU RXU GLJLWDO IRUPDW &KHFN LW RXW

El Ojo del Lago / July 2018

Saw you in the Ojo 37

The Immortality Of Henrietta Lacks %\ 5REHUW -DPHV 7D\ORU

enrietta Lacks, an African American, a mother of five children, died on October 4th 1951 at the age of 31, and was buried in obscurity, in an unmarked grave in Baltimore. But not all of Henrietta died that day. Weeks before, she suffered abdominal pains that led her to visit the Johns Hopkins Hospital, one of the few that accepted black patients. Dr. Howard Jones, a renowned gynecologist, discovered a large malignant tumor on her cervix: radium treatments followed and a sample of her tissue- without her permission- was extracted and sent to a Dr. George Gey, a prominent cancer/ virus researcher at his nearby lab. He had been collecting cells of cervical cancer patients over the years and all of them died within days of extraction. But Henrietta’s cells were different: they survived outside the human body and multiplied two-fold every twenty

four hours. They would be the first immortalized human cells and would thereafter be known as the HeLa cellusing the first two letters of each of her names. The HeLa cells would be used to create the polio vaccine, create chemo-

El Ojo del Lago / July 2018

therapy drugs and eventually be cloned and put into mass production: a billion dollar industry ensued. The HeLa cell is the most prolific and widely used human cell in biology. And yet, Henrietta’s family members were never informed about the discovery made at Johns Hopkins Hospital back in 1951. The years passed and not until 1975 did they learn what the HeLa cell was, its significance, and what its contribution had been to the advancement of medical science. This knowledge, having been kept from them for years came about when they were approached by scientists for blood tests, and it created much bitterness in the family. They began to ask questions; they felt they had been taken advantage of and some described the eventual circumstance as the generational consequences of exploitation. Johns Hopkins Hospital was obliged to make a statement. They declared they never patented the cells and never profited from the discovery, and, to defend their position, they confirmed that patient consent for removal of tissue during procedures was not required in 1951. The medical provider’s reasoning was that such research would benefit the common good. But for black people, especially those who were poor and from working class backgrounds, limited access to

health care made that premise almost out of the question. For years the Lacks family had pursued restitution for their mother’s involuntary contribution to science. Eventually an agreement was reached between Johns Hopkins and the National Institute of Health whereby the Lacks family genome data would be controlled and protected. And though no financial compensation was ever made, acknowledgement was given of the enormous contribution the Lacks family had made: a moral and ethical victory for a family long excluded from any involvement in genetic research their matriarch made possible. (In 1990, in a similar case, the Supreme Court of California ruled that a person’s discarded tissue and cells are not their property and can be commercialized.) In the beginning of this century a young journalist named Rebecca Skloot, with the help of Deborah Lacks, Henrietta’s second youngest daughter, researched the story of Henrietta and her unrewarded gift to mankind along with the ongoing conflicts within the family that evolved as a result of the miracle. Finally the story of Henrietta Lacks was published and became a best seller: this was followed by an HBO movie with Oprah Winfrey taking the part of Deborah Lacks. Deborah died before the book was published in 2010, but before her death she had the opportunity to meet a part of the mother she never knew. Skloot arranged for her to visit the laboratory at Johns Hopkins where her mother’s cells were kept frozen. The technician handed a phial containing the HeLa cells to Deborah, whereupon she held the phial before her lips and whispered, “Mommy, you’re famous.” Earlier this year the New York Times ran a special feature on obituaries of famous women who had been neglected: Henrietta Lacks was one of them. Robert James Taylor

ithe Ajijic Writers Group,, founded in 1988, is looking for new members. Two qualifications: an interest in writing and d critical thought. No en-try fee, no dues, veryy few rules. We meet the first st and third Fridays of each month, da in Aji 10AM at the New Posada Ajijic, with luncheon at noon in the patio after the meetings. (Some say the luncheons can be more interesting than the meetings.) Very simple format: members read their work (articles, short stories, poems, etc,) and other members (try to) graciously offer their comments and suggestions. Occasionally, well-known guest speakers share their literary bumps-in-the-road with the group. Over the years, many members have had their books

(fiction, nonfiction and collections) poetry collec published by major companies in both the US and Europe, while others have sold articles to major magazines in the United States. Moreover, literally hundreds (if not thousands!) of well-received articles in El Ojo del Lago were first discovered at the Ajijic Writers Group. Come and be part of one of Lakesideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most fascinating non-exclusive clubs. AG

Saw you in the Ojo 39

%\ -DQLFH :LOEHUJ

he kids in the orphanage in Nicaragua where we adopted three children didn’t cry. They’d already done their crying someplace else. They might have looked concerned but they didn’t cry when passed from one person to the next like a bowl of mashed potatoes being passed at Thanksgiving dinner. In their tiny heads they had figured out the futility of complaint. There was no use crying, it wouldn’t change anything. They had already lost everything. Children cope with abandonment. They will appear to cope at least. And how they appear to cope is that they don’t cry. It won’t be long before the little children who have been separated from their parents by American immigration officials, who feel the same as if their parents had abandoned them on the side of the road, it won’t be long before they stop crying. Because crying won’t change anything. In their minds, they have lost everything. They don’t know about immigration law or Congress or what their parents are doing to find them. They have been abandoned as surely as my three kids in the Nicaraguan orphanage. And while my kids have grown up and are good, decent, loving people, they were damaged by what happened to them. There is no talking it through, no making sense of it. The damage they suffered was organic, visceral, sudden, and terrifying. And permanent. So it is quite disturbing that any American elected official would consider causing such desolation to a child as part of a political strategy to gain advantage in negotiating an immigration bill. This is intentional psychological maiming of children done to win concessions, a border wall, perhaps, or drastic limits on legal immigration from various countries or from everywhere.

El Ojo del Lago / July 2018

The cost of this strategy will be enormous. People’s lives will be permanently changed by what happened to them as small children in these terrifying detention centers; they will grow up hurt and damaged. And there won’t be eager adoptive parents on the receiving end, committed to teaching their babies to cry again. The kids in the Nicaraguan orphanage were there for a million different reasons - death, poverty, illness. Every reason was an accident in life. No one planned to inflict the pain of abandonment on their children, it just happened as a terrible consequence of hardship. So there was the fact of abandonment and its terrible effects on the psyches of young children, but there wasn’t an intention to harm them. The deep and durable harm being visited on border children right now by our United States government is fully and completely intentional. The government means to harm these children and it is doing so in our names. Yours and mine. And now the perpetrators are quoting the Bible as justification for their actions. Lord help us. As Americans, we can’t allow this to continue. We can’t be part of intentionally maiming children who came to our country for safety. We are people who rescue the hurt and wounded. That is what we need to do now. ___________________ Tell your Congressional representatives to support the Keep Families Together Act. Call or write your elected Representative and Senators today. Remind them that we are not a country that intentionally harms children. Janice Wilberg, Ph.D. Time of the Month Club, Inc. Milwaukee Business Journal 2018 Woman of Influence Awardee Janice Wilberg

Saw you in the Ojo 41

Focus on Art By Rob Mohr

Nudes and Scenic Villages - Artist Ina KedzierskaGieysztor

rt is ...“born out of struggle between wisdom and madness, between dream and reality….” Magdalena Abakanowicz Paintings of village landscapes, structures, and events have long been a focus of Lakeside artists - but which artworks provide more than decorative value to collectors? Focus on Art began with a decision to write about local painters and sculptors who understand both the elements and principles of art, and whose works convey creative understandings, dreams, and visions. Paintings of scenic villages, land-

scapes, and nudes by Ina Kedzierska-Gieysztor (InaK) demonstrate both educated understandings and artistic prowess. InaK - an experienced architect, artist and teacher understands art as a form of communication imprinted in human nature, that consists of lines, shapes, forms, values, colors, textures, dimensions and space - composed and guided by principles of balance, proportion,

unity, harmony, variety, emphasis, rhythm, and movement which deal with the placement of elements within an artwork determined by composition, contrast, dominance, content, aesthetics, symbolism, creative insight, and critical awareness of art history. When all of these are presented with sensitivity and emotion, sensual communication takes place, and the artwork gains societal value. If, for example, an artist does not understand that variable lines length, width, curved, or straight, or that the entrances into and exits out of the work, stimulate active movement and interest - the work falls short. Similar realities are inherent within each element in a visual art work. “Drawing is the honesty in art. There is no possibility of cheating. It is either good or bad.” Salvador Dali InaK’s art comes forth from within her conscious perception and mode of expression that go beyond mere photographic documentation. Within her painting Lunchtime in Spring, (photo 1) a path curves around an outdoor cafe that pulls the viewer into the composition. In contrast, the near violent motion

created by the sky and trees leads one off the canvas to the right. Her use of active and suggestive lines allows the viewer to fill in the intended whole. But central to the work’s impact is the jewel like cluster formed around the restaurant which is pushed outward by intense dark background and framed in front by the white and red curbs. Brilliant turquoise umbrellas, with one purple - as a tie to the mauve sky - against the orange building, dominates. InaK’s composition moves around the gem like scene to create balance within the whole. A small black form on the left gives needed balance with the dark background on the right. Her use of quality compressed pigment pastels, bound with water soluble gum tragacanth, insures sharp lines and dramatic colors. Each of these qualities work to capture viewers’ attention. Her painting, Lets go Dance (photo 2) is brazen, in-your-face art, similar to Toulouse Lautrec’s (1864 - 1901) stunning sketches of life within Paris bordellos. Lautrec recommended, “Paint simple like primitives with vibrant colors and startling contrast.” Lautrec’s genius was manifest in his draftsmanship. With similar skills, InaK’s composition - with a red waist shawl and brilliant yellow blouse, the touch of a yellow band holding the model’s hair, balanced with intense blue shoes - pulls the eye into the painting. The nude woman is encompassed by a compatible brown background that unites the whole. Wisp of mauve, in the upper left, create an atmosphere that apparently attracted the model’s attention. The clean, variable lines add a drafts-woman’s touch. InaK’s art and architectural education confirm how important understanding the philosophy, elements, principles, and compositional requirements within the visual arts are for the creation of good figurative, expressionist or abstract paintings. As a master-pastelist in Canada and a signature-artist in Connecticut, InaK has won a number of awards in juried art shows. Lakeside her paintings may be seen in her studio in San Antonio, and in Galleria 18 on Colon in Ajijic. *(link to art) https://photos. a p p. g o o. g l / Pe SHOJ5b1hfb8Cg43 Rob Mohr

El Ojo del Lago / July 2018

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t was a sparkling summer morning on South Bass Island in Lake Erie, the location of Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial, a 354 foot Doric column erected to honor the sacrifice of men who gave their lives during the Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813, and to celebrate the lasting peace between the US, the UK and Canada. I served nine of my twelve seasons as a National Park Service ranger at that site. The coast of Canada was clearly visible, a mere twenty miles away across the blue green waters of the lake. The fabled Lake Erie Islands dotted the surface like a string of pearls, stepping stones spanning an international border that has been characterized by peace and cooperation ever since the end of the ill conceived War of 1812. I was alone, manning the open air observation deck, 317 feet above the granite plaza. Because it was tourist season, visitation was constant that morning. Two young couples approached me and asked me for the names of the islands, a common question. Well into my explanation, I pointed to tiny Middle Island, seven miles to the northeast, a forty-acre bird sanctuary on the Canadian side of the border. I explained that Middle Island was the southernmost point in all of Canada, and was about to share the islet’s history of rum-running and other forms of misbehavior during the Prohibition Era of the Roaring Twenties. One of the young men said to his three companions, “Hey, Guys! That little island is in

Canada.” C d ” His blond female companion responded, “Canada! I thought it was much bigger than that!” The other three members of her party were as flabbergasted as I was by her assumption that all of Canada, from the US border to the North Pole, from Nova Scotia to Vancouver, including such teeming cities as Montreal, Ottawa, Hamilton, Windsor, Winnipeg and Vancouver were by some miracle located on what was obviously a tiny islet in Lake Erie. A few days later, on an equally clear morning, a middle aged lady asked me in all seriousness if she would be permitted to drive her car to the other islands. A fellow ranger asked if she saw any bridges stretching across the waters to the other islands, which, of course, she did not. Still, she persisted, demanding to know whether she could drive a car to the other islands, at which point her husband strode around the corner shaking his head in dismay. I looked at my fellow ranger and mumbled, “Just think, that poor guy has to live with that.” National Park Service rangers are

El Ojo del Lago / July 2018

routinely asked questions so peculiar as to defy any attempt at a sober response. One ranger whom I knew well had worked for a season at Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, where he was continually asked, “How much of this cavern hasn’t been discovered yet?” After repeatedly failing to convince his interrogators that no one could possibly know how much had not been discovered because it hadn’t been discovered, he finally began to respond, “About 37 ½ miles,” which seemed to suffice. While working at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, we were asked, “How old do the deer have to be before they turn into elk,” and on another occasion, “What time do the elk bugle, and where do we go to hear them?” I wanted to say that the elk appreciated gratuities and would bugle an encore performance if the applause was sufficient. I have been told by rangers who serve at Civil War parks and monuments that they are frequently asked, “Why were so many battles fought in national parks?” Perhaps the most dumbfounding of all silly questions has been asked of rangers serving at Grand Canyon, “Is the mule train air conditioned?” At times, the naivete of park visitors takes on a more chilling aspect. A ranger I once served with had worked at Yellowstone National Park a few years earlier and told of a tourist sitting his small child on the back of a wild bison in order to photograph her. That incident was mirrored a few years later when I was working at Big Cypress Preserve and rangers at Everglades National Park next door charged a man with child endangerment after he sat his two-year-old daughter on the back of a wild alligator. I was never above adding a bit of levity to my daily tasks. One summer afternoon, I was conducting live black powder firing demonstrations with my fellow ranger Craig. When the order to fire was given, my own .69 caliber Charlesville musket barked as it was supposed to, sending a cloud of blue smoke into the air and bits and pieces of paper cartridge flying every which way. Craig’s musket, on the contrary, balked. He followed standard procedures, holding steady to the count of ten before attempting to clear his musket. Put-in-Bay, Ohio is notorious as one of the Midwest’s favored watering troughs, as is made evident by one establishment’s boast of possessing the world’s longest bar. The moment Craig shouted, “Misfire!” I mumbled, “Hey, Craig. Isn’t Miss Fire a stripper in

one of the saloons downtown?” He nearly choked to death attempting to suppress his laughter while explaining misfire procedures to an audience of more than a hundred park visitors. Weddings often take place on the island. One summer day, as I trudged toward my firing position, attired in my 1812 infantry regalia, toting my musket, I found myself amid a small crowd of people that included a bride in her white gown, a groom in his tuxedo, a minister attired in his vestments, and a large crowd of friends and family. They all looked at me as though I had just emerged from the portals of a time machine, and someone shouted out, “Hey—a shotgun wedding!” One summer evening, as I patrolled the observation deck, a young woman in her twenties approached and stood at one corner, looking out over the lake, seemingly just enjoying the view. I halted and stood nearby in case she had any questions. A sudden breeze buffeted the deck, sending her frilly skirt up to her waist, revealing that she was wearing nothing underneath. “Oh, my God,” she shrieked. “Forget what you just saw!” “Well,” I answered, “You have nothing to hide from the National Park Service. At least, not anymore.” One hot, steamy August morning, the cannon crew at Perry was conducting firing demonstrations with our War of 1812 era 32-pounder carronade, the type of weapon used by Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry in his bloody confrontation with the British fleet. I was serving as one of the safety officers along the sea wall, to prevent visitors from straying onto the firing range. On that occasion, I was able to use the time for a brief history lesson, explaining the battle, the weaponry and the issues at stake to a nice lady and her little boy. After the second round had shaken the ground we were standing on and set eardrums to reverberating, I said, “Just imagine, fifteen warships firing those things for four and a half hours. It’s no wonder that some members of the crew were deafened. Unaware that we only used blank cartridges in the carronade, she responded, “The only thing I don’t understand is where the cannonball went.” I pointed out over the vacant surface of Lake Erie and said, “Do you see that fishing boat right out there?” “No.” Dr. Lorin Swinehart

Saw you in the Ojo 45

The Ojo Crossword

ACROSS 1 Split up 5 Times 9 Wood 14 Car rental agency 15 Not found 16 Sound of a sneeze 17 Science channel 18 South of the border crazy 19 Antics 20 Overshadow

+DYLQJ ¿QV 24 American sign language 25 surroundings 27 Cult 31 Giant 32 Genetic code 34 Neither´s partner 35 Quail 38 Compass point 40 Peculiar tastes 42 Constellation

El Ojo del Lago / July 2018

44 Her 46 Hints 47 Long boat 48 Future Farmers of America (abr.) 50 Shoppers need 51 And so forth 52 American Football Conference (abbr.) 55 Falsehoods 57 Perceives with eye 59 Part of “Colorado” 61 Canoe propeller 64 Asphalt 66 Tree branch 68 Molded salad 71 Revise 73 Unattractive 74 Blood sucker 75 Prong 76 Not us 77 Oozing 78 Write one´s name 79 Eye infection DOWN 1 Black and white bear 2 States 3 Compete 4 Russian ruler 5 Building addition 6 Without shelter 7 Computer characters 8 Murdered by rocks 9 Created 10 Hydrochloric and nitric, for exam-

ple 11 Doctoral degree 12 Toilet 13 Goddess 21 Madagascar franc (abbr.) 23 Catholic sister 26 Anger 28 Boredom 29 Soft drinks 30 Lovers Meeting 31 Fake butter 33 American Kennel Club (abbr.) 35 Fronts 36 Speak 37 Flinch 39 Extremely high frequency (abbr.) 41 Evils 43 Ocean 45 Wiping 49 Help 53 Popular president’s initials 54 Celestial “tailed” bodies 56 Move up and down 58 Attach together 60 Radiuses 61 Should 62 Awry 63 Poem line endings 65 Sore 67 Not ins 68 Entire 69 Find 70 Legume 72 X

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Sixth Annual LCS Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art Program Summer Art Camp Our most popular community project, the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art Program, will observe its 6th annual Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art Camp starting Monday, July 30, and ending Friday, August 3. Camp session are held from 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon daily on the LCS rear patio. Last year, about 120 kids attended. We will accommodate about 130 children this year. Three of our ten workshops are now full, but we have space for 50 more children. Workshops still available are Acrylics and Acuarela (both are for kids aged 12 and up), Abstract (10 and up), Mosaics and Kite Making (10 and up), Corn Husk Doll Making (10 and up), Drawing and Painting (6 to 8) and Card Making (11 to 13). Registration ends July 28. Children who attend the regular Saturday classes will be given priority at registration. If you would like to register someone, stop by the Art Patio any Saturday morning between 10 a.m. and 12 noon or stop by the LCS Service Office Monday through Saturday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget our wonderful Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art Sale on Saturday, August 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. here at LCS. A portion of the sale price goes to the individual artist; the remainder goes to support the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art Program. If you would like to help at Art Camp, make a financial contribution, or donate materials, including those cardboard rolls left over from your paper towels and toilet paper, bring your donations to the Saturday art classes or leave them at the LCS Service Office. Contact Danielle PagĂŠ at childrensart@lakechapalasociety.com for more information. This project wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be possible without the generous financial support of the Ajijic Society of the Arts (ASA) and its members who assist with workshops.

Join us for big fun! Our favorite summer celebration returns on July 14 fromÂ 2:30Â toÂ 7 p.m. with music by The Woodstock Band, the Crooners, and many other musical surprises! Chow down on hot dogs and hamburgers with all the trimmings, as well as corn on the cob and fresh baked cakes to satisfy that sweet tooth.Â The cash bar will be open to quench your thirst. Please note: food and drinks are not included in the price of admission. Tickets are available at Lake Chapala Society and Diane Pearlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Admission for LCS members is $150 pesos; for non-members, $180 pesos, and $200 pesos at the gate on the day of the event regardless of membership status.

Costco Returns Thursday, July 19 Look for Costco representatives at the Blue Umbrella Patio on Thursday, July 19 to get information on upcoming sales and special offers and open or renew your Costco memberships.

El Ojo del Lago / July 2018

LCS Language Classes

Volunteers Needed

LCS offers a variety of Spanish language courses and classes for those of you who want to learn Spanish or brush-up on your language skills. One of them is sure to suit your schedule and interests. Exploring Spanish: Held every Wednesday from 12 to 1:30 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Sala. Members only. Free Introduction to Spanish This casual class for beginners covers the Spanish alphabet, simple vocabulary, phrases useful about town, and information about Lakeside and Mexican culture. The next session begins July 10. Classes are usually held the first Tuesday of each month in the Gazebo, from 12 until 1:30 p.m. and continue for three weeks. Tuition is $220 pesos. Members only. Warren Hardy Spanish Classes Classes meet two days a week for an hour and a half each session at the Wilkes Education Center (Biblioteca). The program is based on the Warren Hardy Spanish language course designed for the adult student. Several levels of instruction are available to suit the student’s proficiency. Classes run from July 2 to August 20. Register for classes at the LCS office or on line. You may also register at the Blue Umbrella Patio from June 25 until June 30. A representative will be there to recommend the appropriate class for your skill level. Tuition for the course is $900 pesos; the required textbook is an additional $670 pesos. Other instructional materials may be purchased separately. This is a members-only class. Your membership must be current for the duration of the class. For more information about the Spanish classes visit www. lakechapalasociety.com. Conversaciones en Español will return this fall on October 8.

If you are interested in any of the volunteer positions indicated below, or if you would like to offer your skills and time to any of LCS’ many programs and activities, contact volunteer@lakechapalasociety.com, fill out a form on the LCS website, or pick up one at the Service Office. We need a book repair volunteer. Chess Club needs bilingual volunteers. Handyman We are looking for an experienced and knowledgeable worker who can maintain and repair the interior and exterior of buildings on the LCS campus. We also host many events throughout the year that require special support for the events team. Must be reliable. This is a volunteer position requiring five to ten hours a week.

LCS’ New Docent Program LCS has launched a new docent program similar to those now operating in many museums and airports. Docents will work a four-and-a-half hour shift helping members and visitors navigate the campus, guiding them to our services, facilities, programs, and special events, and will assist the Information and Service Desks when required. Interested in volunteering? Complete an application in the LCS Service Office. Coordinator David Huff will describe the program and your duties. Training will be provided.

Introduction to Lakeside for Newbies “Introduction to Lakeside” is available to LCS members only. Topics include: banking, shopping, medical services, transportation, housing, utilities, maid and gardening services, social protocols, fiestas, holidays, and religious observations. Join us in the Sala at 9 a.m. Thursday, July 12. Cost is $250 pesos. Register in the office or on the website. Your membership must be current for the duration of the class.

U.S. Citizens Voter Assistance Democrats Abroad will return this summer to assist any U.S. voter regardless of, or lack of, party affiliation. They will take requests for absentee ballots and make a ballot box available every Tuesday from August 28 through October 23 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the Blue Umbrella Patio. A ballot box wil be available in the LCS Service Office during the week or you may submit ballots to the consulate during regular monthly visits. Check the dates on the website.

July Bus Trips Thursday, July 26 Costco/Galerias Mall Shop retailers like Sears, Best Buy, Super Walmart and nearby Costco. Dine at popular restaurants. Member’s cost is $370 pesos; $470 for non-members. Departs promptly at 9:30 a.m. from the sculpture in La Floresta. Tickets must be purchased no later than two days before any bus trip.

Important New LCS Presentation: Insurance and Employee Contracts An important new presentation for Lakeside residents will be conducted by Maria de las Nieves Solbes Luis (Neus) and Diego Solbes on Friday, July 13, in the LCS Sala at 12:30 p.m. Topics include: filing insurance claims, Issues with insurance companies, maximum time companies have to comply, contracts and insurance for employees, and registering employers and employees at IMSS. Open to LCS members only. Bring your card.

New Exercise Class: Walk for Fitness LCS will offer Walk for Fitness, Wednesdays, from 10 to 11 a.m., on the Gazebo through September 26. This activity follows the “Walk at Home” program by Leslie Sansone, endorsed by the American Heart Association. Contact Lisa O’Dell at nomadlee9@aol.com. for more information. Zumba Gold exercise classes will resume in the fall.

For all things LCS, you can like us at www.facebook. com/lakechapalasociety.

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July Activities *Open to the Public ** US Citizens (S) Sign in (C) Member card Health Insurance * IMSS & Immigration Services Mon+Tues 10-1 Lakeside Insurance Broker Tues+Thur 11-2 Health and Legal Services * Becerra & Galindo Services Thurs 10:30-12:30 Glucose Screening 1st Tues 10-12 Hearing Aid Services (S) Mon+Sat 11-4 Ministerio Publico Wed July 18+25 10-2 My Guardian Angel Tues 10-12:30 Optometrist Claravision (S) Thur 9-3 Skin Cancer Screening (S) 2nd + 4th Wed 10-12 US Consulate** (S) Wed July 11 10:30 register 10 Lessons(C) Beginner’s Photography 2nd+4th Mon 12-2 Cardio Dance Exercise Fri 12:30-1:30 Chair Yoga Fri 2-3:30 Children’s Art Sat 10-12* Children’s Chess Club Sat 12-1* Children’s English Class Sat 9:30-10:30* Clases de Bordado Artistico Mon 3-6, Wed & Fri 4-6* Exercise Mon+Wed+Fri 9-10 Exploring Spamish Wed 12-1:30 Sat 11-12:30 Fitness through Yoga Mon 2-3:30 Intermediate Hatha Yoga Tues+Thur 2-3:30 Introduction to Lakeside (S) 2nd Thurs 9-1 register+cost Introduction to Spanish begins July 10 Tues 12-1:30 register+cost Line Dancing Tues+Thurs 10-11:15 PEP and Prueba Mexico Series(S) register and cost; check office Photography Club 1st+3rd Mon 12-2 Stretch and Balance Exercise Tues+Thurs 8:45--9:45 Tai Chi Chih Thurs 11:30-12:30, Fri 10-11 Taller Comunicacion Ninos de Mexico Sat 11:30-1; check office Tech Help Desk Thurs 12-2 Walk For Fitness Wed 10-11 Warren Hardy Spanish Classes (S) Mon-Sat register+cost Write-to-a-Prompt Writers’ Group Thurs 10-12 Libraries Audio Thur 10-12 Book & Video Mon-Sat 10-2 Library of Congress Books*/ Talking Books Thurs 10-12 Wilkes Mon-Fri 9:30-7, Sat 9:30-1* Social Activities (C) All Things Tech Fri 10-11:30 Bridge 4 Fun Tue+Thurs 1-5 Discussion Group B Wed 12-1:30 Everyday Mindfulness Mon 10-12 Film Aficionados Thurs 2-4:30 Games Group Mon 1-4 Mah Jongg Wed 2-4:30 Next Chapter Book Group 2nd Thurs 12-2 Scrabble Fri 11:30-1:30 Spanish/English Conversation Sat 11-12:30* TED Talk Learning Seminars Tues 12-1:15 Tournament Scrabble Tues 12-1:50 Service and Support Groups * Al-Anon (in Spanish) Mon 6-7:30,Wed 5:30-7:30 Information Desk Mon-Sat 10-1 Lake Chapala Painting Guild 2nd Fri 1:30-3:30 Lakeside AA Mon +Thurs 4:30-5:30 Needle Pushers Tue 10-12 Open Circle Sun 10-11:30 SMART Recovery Mon 2:30-4 Toastmasters Mon 7-8:30 p.m Ticket Sales Mon - Fri 10 a.m. to 12 noon

El Ojo del Lago / July 2018

Video Library July All video rentals are now for five days. The Video Library needs couriers to bring us CDs. We pre-pay them and have them shipped to the address of your choice. Contact: keanhombre@prodigy.net.mx

Tech Help Desk Mike Goss, one of our techno-wizards, will answer your questions and try to solve any problems you may have with your devices. Consultations are held Thursdays from noon to 2 p.m. at a table outside the Sala. This popular feature is very well attended, so arrive early. First come; first served. Members only.

Tech Classes Cancelled Please note: Our members-only tech classes have been cancelled for the moment, but will resume in the near future. Check the Service Office or the website for the latest information on upcoming class schedules.

US Consulate Passport Checklist July 2018 Proper form must be completed and signed. Simple passport renewal MXN Pesos/$110 USD Form DS-82 Book and Card MXN Pesos/$140 USD Form DS-82 Renewal age 15 and under MXN Pesos/$115 USD Form DS-11 Lost or stolen passport MXN Pesos/$145 USD Forms DS-64 & DS-11 Two photos 2”x2” or 5 x 5 cm. (without glasses) Important news from the US Consulate: Fees must be in the exact amount required for consular services. No money will be exchanged if your check is incorrect for passport renewals and notarizations. Check the LCS website for up-to-the-minute exchange information or visit the LCS Service Office. Bank checks must be made payable to “United States Disbursing Officer on Behalf” in Mexican pesos only. Checks in pesos are available only from Banamex located at Avenida Francisco I Madero 222, Col. Centro in Chapala. Your original passport and a photocopy must be submitted to the bank in order to complete the transaction. Please note: The bank will require a fee for issuing these checks. Contact the LCS Service Office for the exact amount required. Do not sign or write anything on the check. No cash or credit cards will be accepted as payment. No first time applications will be accepted. Do not print your application one page. Please use one sheet per page. Notarizing a document requires MXN Pesos/$50 USD per impression. You must present an official and current US or Mexican ID such as: a US Passport, US Driver’s License, Mexican Passport, Mexican Driver’s License, or a Mexican Voter Card (IFE) to have documents notarized.

TED Talks

Thursday Film Aficionados

Tuesdays In the Sala 12 noon to 1:15 p.m. Members only. Bring your card. Tuesday, July 3 What Reality Are You Creating for Yourself? Isaac Lidsky, Author and Entrepreneur Reality isn’t something you perceive; it’s something you create in your mind. Isaac Lidsky learned this profound lesson firsthand, when unexpected life circumstances yielded valuable insights. In this introspective, personal talk, he challenges us to accept the awesome responsibility of being the creators of our own reality. Tuesday, July 10 Can the Damaged Brain Repair Itself? Dr. Siddharthan Chandran, Regenerative Neurologist After a traumatic brain injury, sometimes the brain can repair itself by building new brain cells to replace damaged ones, but this repair doesn’t happen quickly enough to allow recovery from degenerative conditions like motor neuron disease (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease or ALS). Chandran presents some new techniques using special stem cells that could allow the damaged brain to rebuild itself faster. Tuesday, July 17 Growing Evidence of Brain Plasticity Michael Merzenich, Ph.D., Neuroscientist Merzenich looks at one of the secrets of the brain’s incredible power: its ability to actively re-wire itself. He’s researching ways to harness the brain’s plasticity to enhance our skills and recover lost function. Tuesday, July 24 What Artificial Intelligence Is -- and Isn’t Conversation between educator and entrepreneur Sebastian Thrun and TED Curator Chris Anderson: Thrun wants us to use AI to free humanity of repetitive work and unleash our creativity. In an inspiring, informative conversation, Thrun discusses the progress of deep learning, why we shouldn’t fear runaway AI and how society will be better off if dull, tedious work is done with the help of machines. “Only one percent of interesting things have been invented yet,” Thrun says. “I believe all of us are insanely creative ... [AI] will empower us to turn creativity into action.” Tuesday, July 31 Three Myths About the Future of Work (and Why They’re Not True) Daniel Susskind, Ph.D., Economist “Will machines replace humans?” This question is on the mind of anyone with a job to lose. Daniel Susskind confronts this question and three misconceptions we have about our automated future, suggesting we ask something else: How will we distribute wealth in a world when there will be less -- or even no -- work?

Open to LCS members only. Bring your card. All films shown in the Sala from 2 to 4 p.m. No food. No pets. July 5 The Passion of Anna 1969 Sweden This is a film from nearly fifty years ago by the great Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. A recently divorced man meets an emotionally devastated widow and they begin a love affair. (100 minutes) July 12 Saraband 2005 Sweden Ingmar Bergman’s final film and an absolute gem. Marianne (Liv Ullman) and Johan (Erland Josephson) meet after thirty years of no contact since their divorce. Bergman’s penetrating psychological insights have never been sharper than in this, his farewell film. (108 minutes) July 19 Maudie 2017 Ireland/Canada An arthritic Nova Scotian woman works as a housekeeper while she hones her skills as an artist and eventually becomes a beloved figure in the community. Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke shine in very challenging roles. (111 minutes) July 26 Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story 2018 USA The life and career of hailed Hollywood movie star and under-appreciated genius inventor, Hedy Lamarr. (88 minutes)

Need a Drivers License? Sing up by July 31. Max attendees are 16 passengers to renew or obtain new licenses. We will take a group of people to Guadalajara during the week of August 20th, final date to be enrolled. On August 20th we will offer a course on driving in Mexico and the Jalisco drives exam. Cost for all is $750 MXN.

Free Friday Family Films for July Free Spanish language films are shown every Friday at 7 p.m. at the Wilkes Biblioteca Publica de Ajijic at Galeana #18. Open to the public. Bring the family. July 6, Los Boxtrols July 13 Hombre al Aqua July 20 Benji, La Pelicula July 27, Oliver, Y Su Pandilla

Check It Out! Our amazing website is a place where you can register and pay for our many classes and events.

THE LAKE CHAPALA SOCIETY, A.C. 16 de Septiembre #16-A, Ajijic, Jalisco LCS Main Office: (376) 766-1140 Office, information and other services - Monday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Grounds open until 5:00 p.m. LCS BOARD OF DIRECTORS President - Carole Wolff (2020); Vice-President - Sandra Britton (2019); Treasurer - Tim Boardman (2019); Secretary - George Radford (2020); Directors: Azucena Bateman (2019); Howard Feldstien (2019); Nicolas Hanson (2019); Philip Newbold (2020); Janis Sirany (2019); Elizabeth Villaseñor (2020). Immediate Past President: Ben White * Executive Director - Terry Vidal The LCS Newsletter is published monthly. Deadline for submissions is the 14th of the month preceding publication. Submit all news items to lcsnewsletter2016 @gmail.com Note: The editorial staff reserves the right to edit all submissions according to time, space availability and editorial decision.

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El Ojo del Lago / July 2018

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