Garden Club 40 years on
From the flower power of 1977 to new blooms in 2017, the 40-year old Lake Chapala Garden Club has just appointed its new board of directors, who reveal an exciting cavalcade of celebrations to mark four decades of one of Lakeside’s longest-established specialist clubs.
“Lakeside has changed dramatically since the late seventies. To mark this new flowering, we have attracted key speakers,” said Judie Keck, President of the Lake Chapala Garden Club for 2017. “These include leading academic and outstanding band leader of The Tall Boys, Professor David Truly, and leading hotelier Michal Eager of La Nueva Posada Hotel, who will chat about changing times in tourism. Expect anecdotes. In addition, a special poem is commissioned as a salute to gardening and the gardeners of Lakeside, who have enhanced the lives of so many for so long.
“We are in talks with artists to create an exciting commemorative mural in a town center, location yet to be unveiled.’’
A gala celebration dinner will be the major event to bring the 40th anniversary year to a sparkling close.
Ajijic Earth Day
Arte por La Tierra will focus on the transformative power of art and the insights of science to help the local community create a greener and more sustainable future.
This year’s featured Earth Day event is a “teach-in,” Saturday, April 22, 11:45 a.m. to 8 p.m., consisting of open-air art workshops led by local, national and international artists, to be held at Seis Esquinas in Ajijic. There will also be information tables on the environment, art installations made from found waste material and clay-making. Clay artists and participants will build a raku kiln at the lake for firing the clay. In addition, there will be poetry readings, live music, mural painting and films.
Visitors and participants have the option of engaging in dialogues on current environmental issues while artists create together, picnic and listen to music. This will be a creative experience for all.
All those attending are asked to bring a picnic basket and pick up their trash and deposit it at designated containers throughout the event venue. They should bring cardboard or fold-out chairs to sit. Bring your own water bottle or cup, as water will be provided but not containers. Visitors are encouraged to immerse themselves in the experience, helping the artists collect objects for their installations, join in the building of the kiln and take and share photos on social networks about the event.
Open Circle
Sunday, April 23, Beatriz Gallagher, Ph.D. will give a talk on “Is Your House Making You Sick?” at the Open Circle meeting held in the Lake Chapala Society Sala, 10:30 a.m. to noon.
When investigating what ails us, we seldom consider our home as the main cause. Environmental medicine is a rare specialty in allopathic medicine. Pesticides, herbicides and smog are acknowledged pollutants, but we must also consider biotoxins produced by microbes, molds, and fungus in our homes, offices, and cars. Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is a frequent cause of several chronic conditions that physicians easily dismiss because lab tests appear normal. Commonly overlooked symptoms are fatigue, depression, ADD, pain, memory problems, respiratory infections, unexplained weight gain/loss, or sensitivity to bright lights. Gallagher will explain how to detect mold in your home, wipe it out, and prevent recontamination.
Gallagher practices functional medicine and clinical nutrition in the Chapala area. She applies a wide variety of metabolic, nutritional and environmental tests to discover the underlying causes of chronic conditions. Food, nutritional supplements and colonics are among tools she uses to help patients recover their health. Last year, she finished a specialty in anti-aging medicine and ozone therapies.
For more information, see opencircleajijic.org.
Democrats Abroad
Sunday at the Movies continues Sunday, April 23, 1:30 p.m. at Cinemas del Lago with “The Best Democracy Money Can Buy: A Tale of Billionaires and Ballot Bandits.” It is a satirical exposé by Rolling Stone reporter Greg Palast, who investigates the impact of big money, rigged and bought elections and voter suppression on politics in the United States. The film also features Willie Nelson, Ed Asner and Ice T.
Legion Post
American legionnaires Billy Henderson (L) from Indianapolis, Indiana and Paul Espinoza (C) from Albuquerque, New Mexico visited Legion Posts 9 and 7 in early April. They stopped off at the Tepehua Community Center with Legion members Ron Abbe (R) commander of the American Legion Department for Mexico, Perry King and Don Lott, for a visit with Center director Moonyeen King.
Ajijic Book Club
The next meeting of the Ajijic Book Club (ABC) focuses on the book that started the Quiet Revolution, “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking,” by Susan Cain.
ABC will meet at restaurant Just Chillin, Constitución 32, Tuesday, April 25, 4 p.m. New members are welcome. For more information, contact John Stokdijk at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
LCS seminars, lectures
No TED seminars or Neill James lectures are scheduled for April 25. The TED seminars will resume Tuesday, May 2, and the Neill James lectures will begin again in December.
Sing-a-long
“Fun With Music” will hold a sing-a-long, Wednesday, April 26, 4 p.m. at Mi Casita, Gonzalez Gallo 10, San Antonio Tlayacapan. For more information or to join in, call Belva, 766-0156.
LCS Bus Trips
The Lake Chapala Society (LCS) hosts a bus trip to the crafts centers of Tonala and Tlaquepaque, Wednesday, April 26. Tonala is your destination for domestic decor and handicrafts, while Tlaquepaque’s stunning pedestrian-only historical center is home to many upscale retailers and fine dining restaurants.
Thursday, April 27, LCS takes the bus to Guadalajara’s Galerias Mall, with its adjacent Costco, Sam’s and Super Walmart stores. Major retailers at Galerias include Best Buy, Sears and H&M, while restaurant choices include Cheesecake Factory, PF Chang and Applebee’s.
Both trips cost 350 pesos for members and 450 pesos for non-members. The bus departs at 9:30 a.m. from the sculpture in La Floresta.
Buddhists
The Heart of Awareness Buddhist Sangha’s regular meditation and teaching session is Wednesday, 3:30 p.m. The formal program is 4-6 p.m.
Hour-long silent meditation periods, including sitting and walking meditation, are offered Sundays and Mondays, 9-10 a.m. and Thursdays, 11 a.m.-noon.
The Heart of Awareness is grounded in the teachings of the Buddha as preserved in the Theravada/Vipassana tradition. Prior experience or affiliation is not required. The sangha’s address is Guadalupe Victoria 101 in Ajijic. For more information, visit heartofawareness.org, or call Janet Reichert, 331-043-4669.
LCS Film Aficionados
Thursday, April 27, 2 p.m., the Lake Chapala Society will show “The Edge of Seventeen” (2016, United States). High school gets even more unbearable for Nadine when her best friend starts dating her older brother. If you’ve ever been a teenager, this sharply observant film will make you smile. Open to LCS members only. Bring your card. No food, no pets.
Joco Paint Run
Jocotepec’s second annual Paint Running contest is Sunday, April 30, but you need to sign up now if you want to run - and get sprayed with rainbow-hued vegetable dyes as you do so.
The event encompasses three- and five-kilometer runs in separate divisions for adults and youth under age 16. Enrollment is open until all spaces are filled. The cost is 170 pesos for adults, 150 for youth.
Sign up at the Notaria Parroquial, attached to the Señor del Monte Church, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m., through Pasatleta Organización Deportiva on Facebook, or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Mariachi/tequila seminar
The Lake Chapala Society will hold a fundraiser Friday, May 5, 3-6 p.m., to help a local mariachi group, Mariachi Real Axixic, perform with an orchestra in Costa Rica. More than 15 brands of tequila will be available for tasting.
Come have a good time, celebrate Cinco de Mayo and support local musicians. Tickets are available at the LCS office and the Centro Cultural Ajijic.
General admission is 150 pesos, 100 for LCS members.
LCS Spanish classes
The Lake Chapala Society (LCS) announces its next round of Introduction to Spanish language classes for LCS members. This is a casual class offered for the beginner that covers the Spanish alphabet, simple vocabulary and phrases to use about town, Mexican culture and other useful information about our area.
Classes are held each Tuesday, beginning May 2, noon to 1:30 p.m., and continue for three weeks. Learning materials are provided. Tuition is 175 pesos. You must be a member of LCS and your membership must be current through the duration of the classes.
LCS Spanish-language term classes begin Monday, May 8, and meet two days a week for an hour-and-a-half through June 23. This program uses the Warren Hardy Spanish Language course, designed for adult students. Several levels of instruction are available. Tuition is 750 pesos and instructional materials are 670 pesos.
Sign up is available at the LCS office during regular office hours Monday through Saturday, or via www.lakechapalasociety.com. LCS is located at 16 de Septiembre 16-A, Ajijic. Phone: (376) 766-1140.
Roaring ‘20s
American Legion Post 7 in Chapala will hold a Roaring ‘20s dinner Wednesday, May 10. Prizes will be giving for the best dressed flapper and gangster (or bootlegger). A social hour begins at 4 p.m., with music by D.J. Howard. Dinner is served at 5 p.m.
The menu is rotisserie chicken, potatoes, broccoli salad and bread pudding for 180 pesos.
Tickets are available at the Legion, Morelos 114, Chapala, tel. (376) 765-2259.