Consulate visit
Due to Independence Day activities, the regular visit of U.S. Consulate employees to serve the needs of U.S. citizens from 9 to 9:45 a.m. at American Legion Post Seven in Chapala and their arrival approximately at noon at the Lake Chapala Society has been delayed until Wednesday, July 16.
In August the consulate visit returns to the regular schedule on the second Wednesday of the month.
Bastille Day
The French community and their friends will celebrate Bastille Day weekend for the first time in the Lake Chapala area with events planned for Friday, July 11 and Saturday, July 12.
Friday’s event at El Risco, with its fine view of Lake Chapala, begins at 6 p.m. and features a special menu plus the “French Musique” show by Black Swan with Diamonds.
Boat rides around Lake Chapala, as well as horseback riding, are offered from El Risco on Saturday, from 2 p.m. During the day, visitors will have the opportunity to taste exquisite products from AB Gourmet, including pâté, foie gras, cheeses, and fine wines.
A welcome champagne cocktail at 6 p.m. will be followed by a special three-course dinner, featuring Black Swan with Diamonds’ show, “60 years of French Music.”
At 9 p.m., Restaurant Maria Bonita hosts a French Style Dance Party, again with Black Swan with Diamonds. Entrance to this event will be free.
Both Friday’s and Saturday’s meal at El Risco will cost 295 pesos per person for the cocktail and dinner (hors d’œuvres, entrée, dessert), including the show. The Saturday boat tour and horseback ride have an additional cost of 120 pesos and up. AB Gourmet products will be available separately. Entrance to the Maria Bonita dance party on Saturday evening is free and a special on French wine will be available.
El Risco is located on the Carretera Chapala-Jocotepec 645, in San Juan Cosala, on the hillside to the right, just before the row of seafood restaurants. Maria Bonita is at Carr. Chapala-Joco 608.
All nationalities are welcome to these events, French or otherwise.
Monthly Pet Food Drive
The monthly pet food drive to assist several local pet shelters and rescue efforts will be held on Thursday, July 17, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
This event is repeated on the third Thursday of each month at the Lakeside Friends of the Animals (LFA) Shelter pet food store. The LFA make it easy for area benefactors to made a pet food donation to their favorite animal shelter on every day of the month. At the time of purchase customers should alert the clerk that the pet food is a donation. Be sure to tell both the LFA store clerk and the animal rescue organization you wish to help that the store is holding a donated purchase for pickup.
While volunteers from Anita’s Animals are on site at each monthly pet food drive to assist buyers, donations can also be designated for the cats at LFA, the dogs at the Ranch and Lucky Dog and all of the rescued animals at Anita’s.
Regularly purchasing food for your own pets from the LFA store allows LFA to support other lakeside charitable organizations.
Lakeside Freethinkers
This group defines “freethinkers” as those who identify themselves as atheist, agnostic, secular humanist, or skeptic and who reject belief in the supernatural and rely on science and logic as guides for their lives.
As a follow-up to last month’s presentation on how to talk with believers without offending them, John Stokdijk, a secular humanist living at Lakeside, will be the speaker at the regular third Wednesday meeting on July 16. Stokdijk will discuss how his life is guided by more than just science and reason.
While this subject is sure to produce a spirited debate, members may bring up other topics. Attendees usually have dinner following the meeting. For additional information, and for time and location, email 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..">.
Big thanks
Libby Townsend, founder of the Jeanne W. Chaussee Education Fund and the Tarahumara Project, thanks everyone who supported last month’s Fajita Party fundraiser. “For many people the 9,000 pesos raised isn’t much, but for the school and the 120 students it means pencils and pens and notebooks, and a shot at an education,” she says.
Townsend is hopeful more donations will come in before the end of August and she will be able to deliver a whole load of supplies to the school located a few hours’ drive from Creel, Chihuahua.
She also thanked the Great American Songbook and The Paola for playing snappy, toe-tapping music, Marta and Javier of La Bodega Restaurant, and Jackie Kellum and Jose Melendrez.
The winners of the drawings were Peter St. John (50/50 raffle), Carlos Roa (rawhide pot) and Linda Dunn, Barbara Anderson and Linda Samuels (photographs).
Center for Spiritual Living
The activities of the week-long Ajijic Spiritual Retreat “Despierta and Escucha” (Wake Up and Listen) are pre-empting all of the regularly scheduled July 14 to 20 events at the Center for Spiritual Living. Dr. John Waterhouse, president of Centers for Spiritual Living, is the keynote speaker for the concluding Saturday, July 19 grand event. He has selected “Folklorica Son de Mexico” as his the theme.
Talks and workshops during the week in English include:
Tuesday, July 21
10:30 a.m. to noon – “How to Create a Sacred Chant and Dance Celebration.” Facilitated by Rev. Tim and Arlene Schubert, Arch and Beth McDonald. Music by Rev. Natalia de Rezendes.
4 to 6 p.m. – Living the Balanced Life” by Rev. Maureen Jones.
Wednesday, July 22
10:15 a.m. to noon – “Making Your Mark, Creating an ‘Art’ Project” with Peggy Shinn.
12:15 to 1:30 p.m. -- “The Joy of Changing Your Mind” with Andrea Buenzli, a Louise Hay Graduate.
4 to 6 p.m. – Sex and The Bible” with Rev. Ogla Silva,
Friday, July 18
10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. -- “Taking the principles to your life and to your world” with Dr. Waterhouse
4 to 6 p.m. – “The Power of Science of Mind Tools as you pass through health challenges” with Rev. Jennie Goff.
Saturday, July 19
10:30 a.m. to noon -- “Connecting with Mysticism in Mexico, Tonantzin-Guadalupe, The Divine Feminine” with Rev. Maureen Jones.
4 to 10 p.m. – The Conferencia Magistral at the Hotel Monte Carlo in Chapala. In addition to the keynote address by Dr. Waterhouse, other guest speakers will be on hand for the program, dinner and concert. Folklorica Son de Mexico. Cost 500 pesos.
All events (except the Saturday dinner) are held at Lake Chapala Center for Spiritual Living at Nicolas Bravo 1, Ajijic. For details and to register call Tim Schubert (376) 766-0920 or email 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..
Buddhist Community
“Letting it Be” is the topic of the dharma teaching for the Wednesday, July 16, 4:30 p.m. meeting of the Heart of Awareness Buddhist Community. The group meets weekly for meditation and dharma teachings. Movie night is on Monday, July 21, 5 p.m. “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring” is a 2003 South Korean film about a Buddhist monastery that floats on a lake in a pristine forest.
Heart of Awareness is a non-sectarian Buddhist practice community grounded in the original teachings of the Buddha as preserved in the Theravada/Vipassana tradition. Membership includes people with Zen, Tibetan, and Shambhala backgrounds as well as people who have no prior experience with meditation. Meetings are held at Encarnacion Rosas 9 in Ajijic. For more information, call Karin Miles at (376) 766-0020.
Open Circle
The guest speaker at the 10:30 a.m. meeting of Open Circle on Sunday, July 13 will be Victor Youcha, who will speak about the new information available about exercise and the health of the spine. This new view on biomechanics and core exercise helps people strengthen the back to avoid pain. Youcha will also talk about the dangers to our sedentary society and fall prevention for seniors.
Attendees of Open Circle gather at 10 a.m. for a half hour of fellowship, coffee, tea and sandwich bites. The presentation begins promptly at 10:30 a.m.
Unitarian Universalist
Ana Ellsworth will present the talk “Care of the Soul” at the Sunday, July 13 meeting of the Lake Chapala Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.
The UU group meets every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at Plaza de la Ribera, Rio Bravo 10A.
For more information either call 765-7231 or visit uuflc.org.
On Sunday, July 13, Ana Ellsworth will present “Care Of The Soul.” A coffee hour will follow.
Little Chapel by the Lake
The congregation of the non-denominational Little Chapel by the Lake will share a refreshment period with members of Christ Church Lakeside at 10:45 a.m. on Sunday, July 13. During the regular 11:15 a.m. Sunday worship service, Rev. Gene Raymer’s message will be “Easy for You to Say.”
Says Raymer: “Last week we heard Paul’s exhortation to Titus and the people of Crete ‘to do good.’ This week we examine some of the criteria used to determine what is good.”
The congregation’s youth members attend a simultaneous service in the fellowship hall. Later the worshippers will gather at Lety’s Mariscos in San Antonio Tlayacapan for lunch and fellowship.
The Midweek Movie at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 16 is “The Note.” Free refreshments will be served before and during the movie.
The Little Chapel by the Lake is on the Carretera just east of the entrance to the Chula Vista Golf Course.
St. Andrew’s Anglican
Father Winston Welty takes a new look at the Parable of the Sower during the Sunday, July 13, 10 a.m. worship service at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church. Welty’s message, “The Prodigal God,” challenges the negative interpretation of the word “prodigal” as presented in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. He suggests that God could be considered prodigal (wasteful, reckless and extravagant) when freely giving the divine word freely while knowing it is frequently rejected.
Following the service the parishioners gather in the garden for a time of welcome, refreshment, and fellowship. Children’s Sunday School begins at 9:45 a.m.
St. Andrew’s is at Calle San Lucas 19, one block south of the Carretera in Riberas del Pilar.
Christ Church Lakeside
“The Good Soil” is the theme of Father Danny Borkowski’s message at theSunday, July 13, 9:30 a.m. Christ Church worship service. This weekend the sermon is based on the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23. The congregations of Christ Church Lakeside and the Little Chapel by the Lake enjoy a common coffee fellowship time from about 10:35 until 11:15 a.m.
Deacon Rob Wells of Christ Church leads an hour-long Bible study at 10 a.m. every Tuesday in the Fellowship Hall of the Little Chapel by the Lake. The group is currently discussing the Gospel of Mark from Jerusalem Bible due to that version’s rich commentaries and notes.
Christ Church Lakeside meets at the Little Chapel by the Lake, on the Carretera near the entrance to Chula Vista.