Purim
The Lake Chapala Jewish Congregation is inviting the community to attend its annual Purim Party.
The Purim celebration is based upon the biblical Book of Esther, which recounts the story of Queen Esther and how she saved the Jewish people from annihilation.
The highlights of this holiday include a Purim Schpiel (play) that dramatizes the story and, in this case, to the music of West Side Story.
Although a minor holiday in the United States and Canada, in Israel this festival is huge, like Halloween, with costumes and parties.
The local party will be held on Sunday, February 24, 1 p.m. They will provide lunch, including hamentaschen, the three-corner pastry to remind us of Haman, who wore a three-cornered hat to pursue his evil. Soft drinks and coffee will be provided, along with a first glass of wine. There will be a cash bar. Tickets are 70 for congregation members and 100 for non-members.
Please RSVP to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for reservations and information.
Lecture
Richard Rhoda will give a 90-minute PowerPoint presentation titled “Is Mexico Important on the World Stage?” on Tuesday, February 19, 2 p.m. in the Sala of the Lake Chapala Society.
Rhoda and geographer Tony Burton are the authors “Geo-Mexico: The Geography and Dynamics of Modern Mexico.”
Rhoda says he will provide updated information from his December 2012 talk at LCS.
The lecture is free and open to the public. Come early as seating is limited.
For more information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call 766-4522.
LCS bus trip
Wednesday, March 6, bus trippers at the Lake Chapala Society are off to the Galerias Mall in Guadalajara.
The bus leaves from the sculpture at La Floresta at 9 a.m. and returns at 3:30 p.m.
The Galerias Mall houses Liverpool, Sears, Best Buy, Sally’s Beauty, Krispy Kreme, Wal-Mart, Sams, Costco, Mega and many more stores.
The price is 200 pesos. You may sign up at the LCS table, Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For those who missed the February trip to the Guadalajara Zoo, LCS will offer another jaunt on Wednesday, March 20.
The price is 300 pesos, which includes entrance to the zoo, the train ride, the safari ride and the aquarium. The bus returns at 3:30 p.m. It is a beautiful zoo, don’t miss this fun day.
March madness
You can get cash and help local charities by taking part in Casi Nuevo thrift shop’s “March Madness Consignment Event.”
Take in any consignment item with an initial sales price of 5,000 pesos or more and receive 90 percent of the sales price. The percentage drops to 80 percent for items valued from 3,000 to 5,000 pesos.
This is a chance to get cash for unused and unneeded big ticket items such as couches, chairs, desks, cabinets, refrigerators, stoves, artwork, rugs, patio furniture, tables, TVs, etcetera.
Owners of items valued at less than 3,000 pesos will still receive the standard 70 percent of the sales price.
Casi Nuevo is becoming known as the corner store with the red door in Riberas del Pilar across the Carretera from 7-Eleven. The store supports the Lakeside School for the Deaf and Children with Special Needs, Have Hammers Will Travel and the LCS Community Education Program. They appreciate donated items of any kind. Items can be left at the drop box next to the library at the Lake Chapala Society.
To arrange for pickup of larger items, please contact Jacqueline at 766-1303 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Hair cuts
James Don will be creating the classic Sasoon bob and other haircuts in under five minutes at the Ajijic Chili Cookoff on February, 22, 23 and 24.
There is no set fee but all haircut recipients are asked to make a donation into one of the James Don buckets. All proceeds will go to Niños Incapacitados.
Pet food drive
The monthly pet food drive will be held on Thursday, February 21, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Animal Shelter pet food store in Riberas del Pilar.
This event occurs on the third Thursday of every month thanks to the support of the Animal Shelter’s Geoffrey Kaye and the assistance of Animal Buddies representatives who will be present to help you.
With your purchase you help the Shelter cats as well as Anita’s Animals, or your choice of animal rescue group.
You can make a purchase of dog or cat food at anytime if you are unable to come to the food drive on Thursday. When making your purchase, inform the store clerk whether the pet food is for Anita’s Animals, or another animal rescue group, and the Animal Shelter will hold your donation purchase for pickup.
After you have made this purchase, you will need to contact the designated rescue group you have selected. Please let that group know that there is a paid food purchase made by you waiting to be picked up at the Shelter.
LCS seminar
The Tuesday, February 19, noon seminar, available for LCS members, will be chaired by Bill Fryer.
In his TED Talks podcast “Perspective Is Everything,” Rory Sutherland suggests that the circumstances of our lives may matter less than how we see them. He makes a compelling case for how reframing is the key to happiness.
From unlikely beginnings as a classics teacher to his current job as vice chairman of Ogilvy Group, Rory Sutherland has created his own brand of the Cinderella story. He joined Ogilvy & Mather’s planning department in 1988, and became a junior copywriter, working on Microsoft’s account in its pre-Windows days.
Freethinkers
The Lakeside Freethinkers, who reject belief in any religion and rely upon science and reason to guide their lives, will hold their regular third-Wednesday-of-the-month meeting on February 20. John de Wail will speak about man-made climate change that threatens the extinction of the human species.
For information on time and place, email Ken Crosby at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by Monday, February 18.
Flores fund raiser
To support Sylvia Flores and Familia Responsable, admirers and friends are staging a fund-raising lunch and accessory sale on Sunday, March 3, 1-3 p.m. at Rio Zula 70 in West Ajijic. Flores has long been at the forefront of women’s health issues and family planning in Mexico. She continues her work at the Tepehua Community Center in Chapala and at her neighborhood clinic in Ajijic.
The 200-peso tickets include four tacos, flan and a drink. There will be great selections of accessories including those by Stromberg Design, Benjamine Art Jewelry and Christina Louis Scarves. Live music will be provided by Patteye Simpson and Recuerdos de mi Mexico.
Tickets for this very important project are on sale now at Diane Pearl Colecciones, the Lake Chapala Society, and the Monday Market. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for ticket delivery.
Donations will be appreciated.
Passed on
Phil Larson, who lived in Ajijic for five years in the early 1990s before moving to Bucerias, died December 22 in San Diego, California. Many of his friends still live at Lakeside.
Christ Church Anglican
Christ Church Anglican Fellowship will celebrate the First Sunday in Lent on February 17 with the Holy Eucharist Rite II at the Little Chapel by the Lake at 9:30 a.m.
Fr. Danny Borkowski’s sermon topic is “The (Mis)use of Scripture” based on Luke 4:1-13. There is a time of fellowship for the congregations of Christ Church and the Little Chapel by the Lake at 10:30 a.m. after the Christ Church service and before the Little Chapel service at 11:15 a.m.
Presbyterians
It’s already spring, and here at Lakeside it’s almost summer! We’re planting things and wondering what to do to help them grow. This week, Pastor Ross Arnold is continuing his series on the “Meeting Jesus in the Gospel of Mark” at Lakeside Presbyterian Church. His message is on “Good Soil,” and Mark 4:1-20 is the text. Worship 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. (Extra parking is now available on the other side of Vigolari.)
Unitarians
The Lake Chapala Unitarian Universalist Fellowship meets each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at Sta. Margarita 113 (southwest corner of Santa Clara) in Riberas del Pilar. The program on Sunday, February 17 will consist of readings by our talented writer’s group, and will be led by Bill Frayer and Jan Steinbright. The service will be followed by a coffee hour. 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..
St. Andrew’s Anglican
The First Sunday in Lent is inaugurated at St. Andrew’s with the traditional chanting of The Great Litany in procession to begin both the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. services. Dating from as early as 5th century Rome, the Great Litany is a series of petitions chanted by a leader, with fixed responses by the congregation. Fr. Winston Welty’s sermon, “Acid Test” is a reflection on what it means to face, struggle with, and survive temptation. A time of welcome, refreshment and fellowship falls between the two services. St. Andrew’s is located at San Lucas 19, just a block south of the Carretera in Riberas del Pilar.
On Wednesday, February 20, Fr. Winston will begin a six-week Lenten Bible study focusing on “The Hard Sayings of Jesus,” with each session beginning at 11a.m. and ending at noon. Participants are encouraged to bring a Bible. A call to the church office (765-3926) will help guarantee that sufficient materials will be available. A call to the Church office will also reserve a spot for you at this Wednesday’s Ladies Luncheon at Tango Ajijic, starting at 1 p.m.
Open circle
Nora Hernandez Berumen wants to invite the community to Open Circle on Sunday, February 17, 10 a.m. (starts at 10.30 a.m.) at Lake Chapala Society.
She will introduce her program, “BE”, where she is going to place a real arrow in her throat and break it with pure energy to demonstrate that when you live in contact with your vital energy, everything is possible.