Family
The Genealogy Forum will meet Monday, November 28, 2 p.m. in the Sala at the Lake Chapala Society (LCS). This month Phyl Gaskell will talk about how to document sources for your data and why you should do this. Marci Bowman will tell the group about the new developments and techniques using www.familysearch.org. and how to use it. Everyone is welcome to attend. There are no dues and you do not need to be a member of LCS. For more information contact Phyl Gaskell at 766-2722 or Fran Murphy at 766-0067.
San Andres
The Scottish Country Dancers will celebrate Ajijic’s San Andres festival by performing in the Ajijic Plaza on November 30 around 4 p.m. Listen for the sound of bagpipes on St. Andrew’s (San Andres) Day and come to watch the reels and jigs being danced in front of the Cultural Center. St. Andrew is both the patron saint of Ajijic and Scotland.
Learning
The next LCS Learning Seminar will be on Tuesday, November 29, noon in the Sala. The speaker (via a TED internet podcast) will be the author of “An Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan. What if human consciousness isn’t the end-all and be-all of Darwinism? What if we are all just pawns in corn’s clever strategy game to rule the Earth. Author Pollan asks us to see the world from a plant’s-eye view. The moderator of the seminar will be Bill Frayer. All Lake Chapala Society (LCS) members are invited to see and hear and join the discussion afterwards.
Super shopping
The Royal Canadian Legion is sponsoring a shopping trip to Jalisco’s main clothing and textile manufacturing outlets in Zapotlanejo and its San Marco Plaza. The bus leaves from in front of the Ajijic Walmart on Saturday, December 10, 8:30 a.m. for a day of great bargains on goods from Jalisco and neighboring states, bedding, household items and cotton clothing. The shopping will be “in town” from 9:30 a.m. to noon, at the San Marco Plaza from 12:15 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. It’ll be drinks and lunch on your own at Los Tres Potrillos with the “free” floor show.
Contact Susannah Kelly at 765-3757 for reservations.
Brits dance
The next meeting of the British Society set for Saturday, December 3, 1 p.m. at Manix Restaurant in Ajijic will feature Fernando Serna Villa, a professional dancer and choreographer and director of Danza con Clase, a dancing academy in Guadalajara. He will present three of the most popular dances in Mexico: salsa, danzon and cumbia. His partner will be Paddy Andrews, whom he has taught weekly for ten months. It’s going to be a great lunch meeting!
The menu will be veal parmesan, potatoes and veggies or fish almandine and veggies for 120 pesos (including tip). Eighty pesos will get you salad and dessert. The dessert is rum cake.
Please let Alicia McNiff at 765-4786 or Ceri Dando at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. know if you plan to attend and your choice of menu. Visitors are welcome.
Thanksgiving
Chef Lorraine Russo slathered her famous pumpkin pie with gallons of real whipped cream to tempt a restaurant full of expats celebrating Thanksgiving at La Nueva Posada.
Singles mingle
The LCS Singles group will meet Thursday, December 1 at Adelita’s, about a block downhill from the Plaza in San Antonio Tlayacapan. Two for one margaritas, wine and beer will be served from 5-7 p.m. Excellent dinners and great pub food will be available all evening. Stop for cocktails, have dinner and dance until 11 p.m.
The LCS Singles group will celebrate Christmas early on Thursday, December 15 at Morena Mia in the Hotel Casa Mis Amores in Ajijic. Special drink prices and a special dinner menu will be available.
Cancer support
The women of the breast cancer support group have decided that they want to be more inclusive. The group will now support women with any type of cancer or other life-altering disease. They will continue to meet on the second and fourth Mondays of the month from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The group is free and run by a professional counselor. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 766-4522 for more details.
Christmas arts and crafts
American Legion Post Seven (Morelos 114, Chapala) is the venue for the 10th annual Christmas Arts and Crafts Fair on Sunday, December 4. The event opens at 9 a.m. with vendors of all sorts of Christmas fun. A quiche brunch with a pumpkin muffin, fruit cup and a glass of wine will be served for 60 pesos. There will be raffles and the popular Auxiliary Take-and-Bake sale. See your future with a Tarot card reader and spin the wheel for prizes.
New Year
American Legion Post Seven is having a New Year’s Eve Prelude – the afternoon event on December 31 is an all-you-can-eat-guaranteed shrimp boil. Cocktails begin at 1 p.m. The menu is large boiled shrimp, corn on the cob, garlic loaves, cole slaw and bombanana dessert. Keyboard artist Ricardo provides entertainment from 1-3:30 p.m. and Noe and Roy will play from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Hot and Spicy Bloody Marys and Cuba Libres will be available as well as the usual full-service bar. Tickets are on sale at the Legion for 200 pesos each. Seating is limited so purchase your tickets early.
Event coordinator Susannah Kelly can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
By the way, the Legion is running a Fish Fry every Friday evening from 4-7 p.m. for 70 pesos. The menu is battered deep-fried fish, French fries and cole slaw.
Holiday bazaar for the critters
The Animal Shelter Holiday Bazaar will be held Friday, December 2, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Animal Shelter Gallery located across the street from the Animal Shelter and next door to Arden Furniture. Vendors will be selling handmade holiday gifts and decorations. They will include Alexis Hoff, Juan Ramon Soto, Jose Melendrez, Deena Hafker, Audrey Roseman and Libby Townsend with scarves, jewelry, whimsical pottery, decorated gourds, candles, rag bags made from recycled materials, holiday sparkle for your body and your home, extravagant greeting cards and more.
Proceeds are earmarked for the support of the Animal Shelter, in this, the Shelter’s once-a-year fundraiser.
St. Andrew’s Anglican
It’s a Happy New Year as churches around the world begin a new year this week with the First Sunday of Advent on November 27. For Anglicans (along with Roman Catholics, Lutherans and many other denominations) it also begins a new cycle of Sunday readings based on the Gospel according to Mark. This week it’s Jesus’ Little Apocalypse from Mark 13, a warning to be alert and reading for the unexpected. The sermon this week, “Watching and Waiting in Right Field” recalls an embarrassing Little League incident from the Father Winston Welty’s childhood that became a life-long Advent lesson.
Worship at St. Andrew’s is at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. with a time of fellowship in between. The church is located at Calle San Lucas 19 in Riberas del Pilar.
Presbyterians
Pastor Ross Arnold will continue with his series “Real People” on Sunday, November 27. This week it’s “The Hope of Isaiah,” using Isaiah 9: 2-7 as the text. The church service begins at 10 a.m.
Friday, December 2, Bible study of the Book of Luke begins at 10 a.m.
Lakeside Presbyterian Church is located on the mountain side of the Carretera just west of S&S Auto and Bubba’s Restaurant.
Christ Church Anglican
Christ Church Anglican Fellowship will meet November 27 at Manix Restaurant at 10 a.m. to celebrate the First Sunday of Advent with the Holy Eucharist, Rite I. The sermon topic by Father Danny Borkowski will be “Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come,” based on Mark 13:24-37.
Unitarians
The Lake Chapala Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (LCUUF) meets each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at Sta. Margarita 113 in Riberas del Pilar. The service on November 27 is entitled “The Bucket List” and will be presented by a panel with Kathy Koches, Pixie Frayer, Sue Kelley, Bonnie Phillips and Bob McKeown. The panel will express a “take” on bucket lists and then ask the congregation for questions and comments. There will be a coffee hour social following the service. For more information please call 766-1119 or email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..