Volume 10 - Issue 1, February 15, 2008 - Lake Chapala Review

February 2008 Lake Chapala Review 

Page 3

Page 4 Lake Chapala Review 

February 2008 

by Louise Drummond 

It is almost March and the high season is in full swing. The amount of traffic at 

Lakeside is impressive. Between our foreign visitors and the weekend influx coming 

in from Guadalajara for Carnival and for the general ambiance here, it is hard to merge 

onto the Carretera, and dangerous to cross it. Growth in the area is phenomenal. The 

peso is strong, the budget deficit has been reduced each of the past four years and 

inflation is not severe. There is a lot of interest from foreign investors, and as the baby 

boomers start reaching retirement, a growing number will turn their thoughts south 

of the border and continue to inundate our shores, as well as San Miguel de Allende, 

Guanajuato, Puerta Vallarta, and Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit are all popular destinations for 

tourists and investment opportunities. 

We have observed that one of the most popular types of reading material is romance 

stories. To better serve our readers, The Lake Chapala Review will now carry a story 

about the yearnings of life in each, or almost each, issue. We are introducing this genre 

to this issue with a story by local resident, Jim Tipton. Jim is a noted writer, once the 

Poet Lauriat of Colorado, and a mighty good person to have living here. The Diamond 

Shamrock Goddess is a story about a woman that he actually knew, up in northern 

Colorado, with its ebbing population and lonely landscapes. 

El Dia de Amor y de Amistad, day of love and friendship, in Mexico is on February 

14. Let us try to extend the good feeling all year round by realizing that Love is an 

irrational, ”sense,” and Fear is irrational “nonsense.” Be open and let those whom you 

love give to you, while you let them know that you, too, care. 

In April, we publish our yearly Lake Issue and ask writers and the community t large 

to contribute pieces for inclusion that either touch directly on the state of Lake Chapala 

or treat the topic creatively. Pictures, stories, poems, myths and anecdotes are all 

welcome. We are looking for pieces of between 650 and 1,500 words. You can e-mail 

us your submissions or drop them off at our office located above Prisa Paint on the 

carretera in Ajijic. 

Being the people watcher that I am, this place is a gold mine of fascinating 

happenstance and jumor. We see Gringos put down Mexicans, Gringos putdown 

Gringos, we see Mexicans put down Gringos and finally Mexicans putdown Mexicans. 

It bothers me most when a group puts down its own; it’s not just simple ignorance, it’s 

guilt, judgement and degradation. Gringos saying how boorish and selfish we Gringos 

are in comparison to the Mexicans, cut it out! Banks, large companies, workers in 

general are not better or more efficient North of the border --- be honest! We have no 

reason to apologize for Mexican workers or to praise them to the sky, either. There is 

good and bad everywhere, here as well as at home. Let’s not use the same measuring 

stick, but at the same time, let’s not forget that there is one. 

Well, that’s another LCR in the can; it’s been a tight squeeze. We offer you this issue, 

exhausted but happy and hope that you get a chance to enjoy it during your stay here, 

or if you live here, in the moments you can steal away from this busy high season. 

Traffic has never been his heavy in the almost 8 years I’ve been living here and I don’t 

think it will let up any time soon. Easter is almost upon us, but I don’t think that the 

traffic will stop it. Lakeside seems to be rising on the fortune of Lake Chapala and the 

misfortunes in other parts of the world. We expect to see many changes over the next 

several years: let’s make them possible and positive. 

Finally, to all the Snow Birds out there, you can read the LCR over the internet. When 

you are back at your home, whether in Ontario or Seattle, and feeling nostalgic about 

Lakeside, go to lakechapalareview.net. You can read the Review and catch up on much 

of what is going on down here, and at the same time, remember the warmth both of the 

weather and of the people.


Page 5 

The Lake Chapala Review 

Regular Columns 

Editorial 4 

Dear Readers 6 

Easter Invite to SMA 7 

Body, Mind, Spirit 8 

Be-Mused 10 

What’s Up? 11 

Diane Pearl 12 

Cruz Roja in Action 13 

In & Out Dining 14 

Northern Lights 15 

Shelter Report 16 

Fresh News 17 

Early Chronicles... 18 

Focus on Mexico 19 

Sanity & Alcoholism 20 

Sacred Texts 22 

Jean Barnett 26 

Profiles Centerfold 

Lands and People 35 

Maestros del Arte 48 

Home Inspector 52 

Mexico Lindo 54 

Constellations 58 

Have Mouse, will... 60 

Verso 63 

Gems in the Garden 64 

Review of Advertisers 65 

Crossword Puzzle 66 

Features 

Pepe, Bundle of Joy 23 

Whether or Not 25 

Interview- Barbara Hess 28 

God’s Food 30 

German Expressionism 33 

It Started with a Kiss 38 

First Hard Fall 40 

The Last Laugh 42 

An Impure Fantasy 44 

Diamond Shamrock 46 

The Last Chip 51 

Isabelle 53 

Tables Turn 55 

Energy Experts Live... 56 

Zip & Easy 59 

Pen Knife 62 

The Complete Lake Chapala 

reivew Vol. 10-Issue 1, Feb. 15 to 

Mar. 15, is owned & published by 

Darryl Glen Tenenbaum, Derecho 

de Autor # 04-2005-041811 

231900-102. 

The Lake Chapala Review is 

printed at Quadrimag S.A. de 

C.V., Fco. Silva Romero #92 Sur, 

Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. 

Circulation: 6,000 ejs.



Lakefront! 

$370,000 USD $195,000 USD 

Rentals in Chula Vista, Vista del Lago & Chapala 

Lots for Sale 

Laura Martinez 

045-331-147-8936 

045-333-132-4495 

laura@laurasrealtygroup.com 

www.LaurasRealtyGroup.com 

Dear Readers 

by Louise Drummond, Editor lakechapalareview@yahoo.com 

THE BOOK COLLECTION eventually 

called the Lake Chapala Society library 

was started in 1972 in a hole in the 

wall in Chapala. That fledgling effort 

developed into LCS. I was here in those 

days and I remember driving from 

Jocotepec, and borrowing Mahatma 

Gandhi’s autobiography. There might 

have been one thousand residents in 

Ajijic including foreigners, and few could 

have believed that that dusty village would have become 

Lakeside. Foreign residents prepared the way for the future 

by learning Mexican ways of thinking and behavior. 

We now have the same opportunity to build the great city 

that Ajijic will become. Realtors are saying that there will 

be 1,000,000 people here in twenty years. We can use the 

present to plant the seeds of a great city. Each of us needs 

to ask him or herself, what kind of heritage would you leave 

to future residents. As with our library, those dreams could 

nurture us all, in real time. Those who prepared the way for 

us, through establishing the institutions that contribute to 

our way of life, gained more than they ever gave. 

In Santa Barbara, there is an architectural review board 

that was established after an earthquake destroyed the city. 

That body has been responsible for much of the rise in area 

property values. The same kind of commission could be 

started here. We have had devastating flash floods here, 

mostly because of residences which interfere with natural 

drainage. The Racquet Club recently had problems that 

many can recall. It is not nice to mess with Mother Nature. 

A group of people calling themselves the Chapala Green 

Group have formed around Barbara Harwood, and Donald 

Aitkin, and we have the chance for the same kinds of 

visionary minds that started the Lake Chapala library to make 

impressive demonstration projects for the city that is to 

spring from our blessed village. As Gandhi’s autobiography 

has inspired generations of to lead more powerful lives, so 

could our own vision, applied to real life situations, inspire 

future generations. The great thing about being retired is 

that there is time to do the things that we always wished we 

had during our working years. 

ACA is doing very worthwhile work too, teaching and 

demonstrating the benefits of organic farming, and now are 

taking surveys to know the health of the soil in different 

areas around the lake. We have a great base from which to 

make a lot of benign changes to our environment, instead 

of passively allowing our technology to ruin this Garden of 

Eden. Not everyone will be interested; only five or ten per 

cent of any group will actually do the needed work. But 

the foreign colony is now thousands strong, and the five or 

ten per cent would add up to hundreds of people building a 

community well worth living in. 

Will you be among them? If not now, when? 

I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE the Lake Chapala Review’s 

annual short fiction contest. This year there are two 

categories of stories: Mexican Fables, and Romance Stories. 

Contestants may enter one or more compositions in either 

or both categories. All stories are to contain within 650 and 

1,500 words. Entries shall be delivered to the office of the 

Lake Chapala Review by the close of business, March 20. 

THE LAKE CHAPALA REVIEW owes all of our writers a 

warm thank you, and to that end we shall have our first 

annual Writer’s Party, open to all who have been published 

in the magazine, to be held third year on April 10. Winners 

of the short story contest and their runner ups will be 

announced at the party, and their work will be printed in 

subsequent issues of the magazine. 

Good luck and happy writing.


Page 7 

An Easter Invitation 

by Keith Wall & Phyllis Culp From San Miguel de Allende 

Jovenes Adelante, a San Miguel non-profit providing 

university scholarships to talented Mexican youths, has just 

announced its second destination-San Miguel fundraiser: 

San Miguel Ole’ II, La Semana Santa. Modeled on the first 

and much enjoyed Ole’ last November, this event invites 

residents of the Guadalajara area to San Miguel de Allende 

to experience three days of the city’s celebrated Easter 

pageantry. 

As before, guests will stay and breakfast in private 

homes, then go forth and enjoy a banquet of meals, parties, 

processions, art, music, tours, and spectacles (not to mention 

the glorious weather and blanket of lavender provided by the 

blooming of the local jacarandas). Participants will arrive by 

hosted first-class bus Wednesday afternoon, March 19 th , be 

escorted by their hosts to their temporary homes for a brief 

respite, then enjoy a welcome cocktail party and dinner at 

one of the San Miguel’s charming patio restaurants. The 

offerings through Friday will include a choice of tours and 

activities (and shopping!), to include dinner at a favorite 

restaurant with very special musical entertainment. 

However the highlight will surely be the visual feast 

of Good Friday’s mock trial, elaborate processions, and 

internment of Christ, which one does not need to be 

Catholic to find awe-inspiring. Of this day, MexicoConnect 

author Geri Anderson observes, If you have only one day 

during Semana Santa to be in San Miguel, mark Good Friday 

on your calendar. I can’t imagine another day -- anywhere 

-- that can match this one in sheer emotion and pageantry. 

San Miguel II, La Semana Santa, will close with a Friday 

night dinner party at another of San Miguel’s lovely colonial 

venues and an early Sat. morning departure. Ole’ II guests 

will be in Guadalajara mid-afternoon in time to rest and 

prepare for an Easter Sunday meal or celebration at home. 

A detailed schedule of activities, and pricing, is being 

developed and will be published shortly. Information and 

applications will be available soon at the Lake Chapala 

Society office, and may also be obtained by contacting 

jovenesadelante@gmail.com. 

Jovenes Adelante provides full university scholarships, 

mentoring and English tutoring to bright and ambitious but 

financially disadvantaged Mexican students who could not, 

without major assistance, dream of a university education. 

The organization has ten graduates and 42 recipients 

currently studying in 16 universities throughout Mexico. 

San Miguel Ole’ II is a Jovenes Adelante’s fundraiser for the 

advanced education of Mexican youth. The organization’s 

goal is to fund an additional 25 scholarships to promising 

Mexican high school graduates this fall. 

Get Ready for 

MARCH MADNESS 

DAYTONA 500 

Feb. 17th 

NHL HOCKEY 

BIG SCREEN HDTV 

$18 pesos 

Draft Beer



“La T averna” d ei Quattro Mor i 

Cucina Italiana 

Italian Chefs 

Maria Grazia and Giuliano invite you 

to enjoy hospitality that is 

SIMPLY ITALIAN! 

Try our New 

Italian House Wine 

$30 pesos/ glass 

(120 p/ bottle) 

FEB. 29 - 7:30 to 9:30 pm 

LIVE MUSIC 

Roberto Sutto 

Regular Hours: Fri. to Tues., 12 noon - 10 pm. 

Plaza La Huerta (West Side-Ajijic) 

Reservations (376) 766-2848 Fax 766-2893 

Mind, Body, Spirit 

by Barbara Rotthaler Arthritis 

Arthritic pain is one of the major complaints of people 

over the age of 60 and for many it seems to be normal to have 

some sort of pain and stiffness. I dare to say that arthritis, like 

many other illnesses, has its cause in our modern sedentary 

life style and unhealthy eating habits. Often the diagnosis 

triggers resignation and the belief that nothing that can be 

done except to take pills to reduce the inflammation and 

pain, or finally a knee or hip replacement. 

With the expectancy of getting worse with aging, we can 

expect to get worse. The vicious cycle begins: Pain leads 

to immobility, which leads to more pain and stiffness, to 

congestion, swelling and finally damage of cartilage and 

bone. To break out of this cycle, it is important to know 

more about the structure and function of joints and the 

causes of painful conditions. 

First, most of our joint problems are degenerative, the 

so called wear and tear theory. The quality and function of a 

joint depend on the condition of the surrounding tendons, 

ligaments and muscles. As you know, each cell in our body 

needs to be nourished and needs a way to eliminate metabolic 

waste. The problem is that cartilage and bones do not have 

blood vessels. So how do they get their supply? Joints are 

surrounded by a membrane called synovia which produces 

the synovial fluid; this fluid provides the nourishment to 

the cartilage. If the tissue around the joint is not healthy, it 

affects the quality and production of the fluid which leads to 

undernourishment of deeper joint structures like cartilage 

and bones. Therefore the tissue around has to be in excellent 

condition to keep the joint healthy. Immobility and metabolic 

wastes substances, like acidity, cause poor circulation around 

the joint, which leads to inflammation, congestion and pain. 

These crystalline substances accumulate especially where 

ligaments and tendons are attached to the bones. A sharp, 

burning pain is usually proof of their existence. Therefore, 

a healthy, balanced diet with enough water intake and an 

individual exercise program is crucial. 

Very deep, intense tissue massage techniques with focus 

on trigger and tender points in tendons, ligaments and 

muscles are a basic procedure and often are the starting 

point for significant improvement. Lymphatic drainage 

treatments can remove congestion and edemas and help to 

increase circulation and energy flow of the meridians. Trigger 

point and specific massage therapy techniques usually bring 

instant relief. 

In case of a more severe condition, I highly recommend 

some sort of detoxification cure, which I explained in my 

previous article. I don’t know of any knee problem that 

can’t be improved by detoxification and a proper exercise 

program, with specific treatments to strengthen the muscles 

and increase circulation. 

Jenny Herren 

Hernandez Realty Group, S.A. de C.V. 

Carretera Chapala - Ajijic No. 36 & 38 

Tel: (376) 766-2103 

Cel: 045 (331) 341-6934 

jennyherren@yahoo.com 

Las Salvias 

Fantastic views, pool 

$619,900 USD 

www.hernandezrg.com


Page 9 

What is important to know about exercise: The more 

severe the condition of the joint, the more gentle and 

easy the exercise has to be. Don’t put too much weight on 

your joints. Walking or jogging could be totally wrong at 

the beginning when there is a lot of pain. Isometrics and 

swinging or moving back and forth while sitting on a table, 

might be the best way to start. These exercises have to be 

done many times a day, always listening to the body’s own 

language when it is enough or too much. Later on, water 

exercises, a stationary bike or easy bending exercises may 

be appropriate. Other treatments include mud and onion 

packs. Congestion, swelling, fluids and inflammation with 

heat inside of the joint can be treated very effectively by using 

these old home remedies. Mud has an alkaline property and 

“sucks” or drains out the heat and inflammation. Mud packs 

should always be used in any kind of pain or inflammation. 

Onion packs are another way to calm down an irritated area, 

especially when warm applications improve the condition. 

There are two other safe and effective treatments: Neural 

Therapy and Prolotherapy. In neural therapy local anesthetics 

are used. Besides the anesthetic effect, these substances also 

possess the ability to bring about changes in the function of 

individual nerves in the autonomic nervous system. Small 

amounts are injected into interference fields, trigger and 

tender points around the painful area to normalize and 

re-establish the cells polarity and neural communication 

network. In Prolotherapy, a sugar water or salt water-based 

solution is injected into the damaged ligament or tendon. 

The injection produces inflammation, which increases blood 

flow, swelling, and pain. The body then launches a course of 

repair and healing. 

The inflammation tricks the body into thinking another 

injury has occurred, so it sends in macrophages, which are 

cells that ingest and destroy the irritant solution. These 

cells clean up the area. The body then sends in fibroblasts, 

which are cells that help build fibrous tissue. The fibroblasts 

excrete collagen, a protein that makes the ligaments denser 

and stronger. The stronger ligaments provide more support 

for the joints, which mostly alleviates the pain. 

Usually Prolotherapy is combined with neural therapy and 

deep tissue work, along with supplements including certain 

herbs, glucosamine, chondroitin, collagen, homeopathic 

remedies and individually prescribed exercise program. (For 

more information on neural therapy and Prolotherapy check 

the internet). 

Living with arthritis and joint pain is not a destiny we 

have to accept. There is a reason for these conditions which 

lies mostly in the way we’ve treated our bodies in the past 

- not acting according to natural laws – proper nutrition, 

balance between moving and resting, etc. but that can be 

changed. 

For more information: Barbara Rotthaler, German licensed Holistic 

Practitioner and Naturopath, can be reached at (376) 766-1987 

or by e-mail: b_rotthaler@hotmail.com

Page 10 Lake Chapala Review 


Be-Mused 

by Michael Warren The House Was Quiet and the World Was Calm 

Last month I wrote about Wallace Stevens, and I indicated 

that his poetry was difficult and full of obscure allusions. 

Here is a simpler more meditative poem. 

The house was quiet and the world was calm. 

The reader became the book; and summer night 

Was like the conscious being of the book. 

The house was quiet and the world was calm. 

The words were spoken as if there was no book, 

Except that the reader leaned above the page, 

Wanted to lean, wanted much most to be 

The scholar to whom the book is true, to whom 

The summer night is like a perfection of thought. 

The house was quiet because it had to be. 

The quiet was part of the meaning, part of the 

mind: 

The access of perfection to the page. 

And the world was calm. The truth in a calm world, 

In which there is no other meaning, itself 

Is calm, itself is summer and night, itself 

Is the reader leaning late and reading there. 

The magic of this poem with its iterations and alliterations 

is that the reader is lulled into a kind of trance. We become 

the reader in the poem, identified with the book, the words 

and the summer night. There is no other reality than that 

which exists inside our heads and the book and the words 

become more real than so-called real life. Stevens uses 

simple words and repetitions of “quiet” and “calm” so that 

the poem is like a rhythmic chant. “The quiet was part of 

the meaning, part of the mind: The access of perfection to 

the page.” 

I really like the mood that this poem evokes. To be 

properly enjoyed, it should be read aloud so that you can 

hear the cadences and appreciate the music of the words. 

For example, listen to the sibilants at the end – “…itself is 

calm, itself is summer and night, itself is the reader …” Some 

commentators have found echoes of Buddhist philosophy 

(which Stevens admired and studied) in this poem. It is true 

that there are multiple identifications of meaning – with 

consciousness, with truth, with summer and night, and with 

quiet and calm. In the end the reader is the poem and that is 

all you can say. Analysis tends to destroy its delicate fabric. 

As the Buddha liked to say: “It does not edify.” 

Next month I will be discussing Norman MacCaig 

(1910-1996), a Scottish poet who was extremely prolific and 

who often gave public readings of his work in Edinburgh 

and elsewhere. His poetry, in modern English, is known for 

its humour, simplicity of language and great popularity.


Page 11 

A COURSE IN MIRACLES Saturday 2:00 at 16 Septiembre #34-6 

Ongoing. No charge. 766-4882. 

AJIJIC MASONIC LODGE #31 2nd & 4th Wed. of month 5:30 

pm, Secretary: 766-0485. 

Ajijic MEDITATION GROUP Thurs 5:30. Paseo de las Redes #39. 

La Floresta, Dan Stark 766-0411. 

AJIJIC QUILT GUILD Open to general public, 2nd Tuesday 12 

noon, Laguna B&B. 766-0276. 

AJIJIC SOCIETY OF THE ARTS 1st Mon. of month 10 am, Nueva 

Posada, art program follows meeting. 

AMERICAN LEGION #114 Morelos, Chapala-Call 765-2259 for 

details on this month’s events. Visitors and guests welcome. 

AMIGOS DE LOS ANCIANOS (Friends of the Elderly) Casa de 

Ancianos, Chapala, Marlene Dunham 766-1067. 

AMIGOS Every Wed. 6-8 pm, La Nueva Posada, friendly group 

of mature people meet to make new friends. 

AMOR EN ACCION (Love in Action) Children’s Shelter in Chapala 

2nd Tuesday, LCS Sala. Noon. Pat Wayne springborn@aol. 

com. 

AMSIF Bridge 2nd Saturday of every month at Ruben’s Grill 

from 12-5:OO. Lunch included, prize to best players with proceeds 

going to AMSIF and Niños y Jovenes. 100 pesos. 

BACKGAMMON CLUB All levels & new to the game. Sy Silverberg, 

766-3524 or catorsy@prodigy.net.mx 

BRITISH SOCIETY Lunch and Speaker meeting. 1st Sat. of 

month at 1 pm, Manix Restaurant, Alicia McNiff 765-4786. 

CANADIAN CLUB Second Wed. Nueva Posada, lwr. garden at 4 

PM. Sept. to April.www.canadianclubmx.com. 

CARD & DOMINO CLUB Meets Wed., Fri. & Sun. Will teach. 

Make friends, Melanie’s Restaurant, Ocampo #151 (Danza del 

Sol) call for times, Francine at 766-4253. 

DAR (Lakeside Chapter) Meets 3rd Wed. of month, Info Mardel 

Shambach 765-2961 or Bateman 766-2964. 

CENTRO CULTURAL AJIJIC-Ajijic Main Plaza. Classes for adults 

and children Monday through Saturday. For more information 

see the complete schedule posted in the Center. 

CRUZ ROJA INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEERS DE CHAPALA- Meets 

2 p.m. first Wed. of each month in the Sala at the Lake Chapala 

Society. website at www.cruzrojalakeside.com. 

DUTCH LAKESIDE CLUB - 3rd Thurs. Julia Boogaard 765-5535. 

ECKANKAR Penny White 766-1230. 

GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS Every Mon. 4 pm, Club 12, Marcos 

Castellanos # 51-A,Ajijic, Charlie K, 766-3671. 

GARDEN CLUB Members Only! 3rd Wed. of month,12:30 pm, 

Nueva Posada, lunch, guest speaker, raffle. New members welcome 

to join before meeting (11:30). 

GERMAN SPEAKERS 2nd Thurs. Thea Petersen 765-2442. 

HASH HOUSE HARRIERS Sat. 8:30 am, Nueva Posada, Everyone 

welcome! No dues or membership. 

IRISH SOCIETY meets 2nd Monday 4:00 pm at Nueva Posada, 

call Nancy Creevan at 766-5567. 

LAKE CHAPALA DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB Stratified Pairs meet 

every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 1:15 pm. 99ers meet 

at 9:15 am Friday. The Carretera, #77-1, one block east of 

Maskaras Clinic. Info: 766-3924 or 766-1418. 

LAKE CHAPALA JEWISH CONGREGATION Weekly Sabbath Services 

at Santa Margarita #113, Riberas del Pilar 

(behind Estafeta) Call 765-6968 . 

LAKE CHAPALA SHRINE CLUB Last Tuesday of month. 1:00 pm, 

Nueva Posada, President Perry King 763-5126 

LOS NIÑOS DE CHAPALA Y AJIJIC Providing educational scholarships 

for young adults 766-1688 www.lakesideninos.org 

MACINTOSH USER GROUPS Third Wed, 3:00pm LCS Sala. Bob 

Mitchell. Beginner Mac 101 Classes: 1st Mon. Noon. Sala, 

Chris Stevens. 

MAS Music Appreciation Society, Classical music and Children’s 

Music Project-Beverly Ely Denton 765-6409. 

NAVY LEAGUE, LAKE CHAPALA COUNCIL 3rd Sat. for lunch program 

at 1 pm, Sandy Bell 766-4750 or Dave Wagner 766-1848. 

NEEDLEPUSHERS Sew dresses, knit or crochet sweaters for local 

kids. Every Tues. 10 a.m. LCS Sala. Lynne 766-5702. 

NINOS INCAPACITADOS Meetings open to all. Second 

Thurs,9:30-Nueva Posada. Rich Petersen 765-5511. 

NIÑOS Y JOVENES CARAVAN Delivers food stuff & used clothing 

to the orphanage in San Juan Cosalá, Reuben Varela, at 

01-387-76-10606 

NORTH SHORE AUTO ENTHUSIASTS Meet 3 pm, 3rd Sat. upstairs 

at Tom’s Bar. Call Ron 765-3361. 

OPEN CIRCLE is a group interested in fostering the health of 

body, mind, spirit, Every Sun. 10 - 12, LCS Patio, back gate. 

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS Every Tues & Fri. Noon, Marcos 

Castellanos #51-A, Ajijic, 766-2575 or 766-1626. 

ROTARY CLUB OF AJIJIC Every Tues. 1 pm, Villa del Arte Restaurant, 

Rio Zula #7-A, Ajijic 766-2772 

SCRABBLE Tues/Thurs, 12-3 LCS Pavilion. Dan Stark 766-0411. 

SOFTBALL GAME CO-ED Wed & Fri 10am to Noon, Perry King 

763-5126. 

WRITERS’ GROUP 1st & 3rd Fri. 10:15 am Nueva Posada, guests 

most welcome.



Diane Pearl 

by Louise Drummond Community in Ajijic 

Diane Pearl is one of those people that it is a joy to be with 

because they radiate love. Searching for where this quality 

came from, she told me that she thought she had gotten 

it from her mother’s womb while her mother followed her 

passion of teaching Hebrew to Jewish children. She went 

with her mother to the classes as a child too, absorbing the 

universal principles of Judaism. The child who identifies 

with her gifted father, and follows in her father’s footsteps, 

uses observed skills and has a foot up in her own career. 

Diane’s father was a tool and die maker, and Diane is no 

less a mechanic for being a jeweler and painter. She has 

synthesized what she learned from her parents into life led 

as art, in clear and gentle beauty. 

She came of age in the seventies, a super achiever with 

art at the center of her being. She studied at Hartford Art 

School, then drove her little put-put from Connecticut to 

San Francisco. On the trip alone, she took time to see all the 

interesting sights along the way, from Lake Michigan and 

Chicago, to the Rockies, to the desert floor of Death Valley, 

amazed at the diversity outside of New England. She knew 

she wasn’t in Kansas anymore and that she was in Texas 

when men became charming. But she was home in the San 

Francisco of the seventies, Haight Ashbury and all. Today 

she is very much a business woman, but a flower child still 

echoes through her personality. 

Terpsichore was the Greek muse of dance, and it is of 

the Greek muse that I think when envisioning Diane Pearl 

as she traveled around the USA, turning first to one kind 

of job, then to another, a typical career path for an artist. 

She worked as a scuba diver, worked the Renaissance Fair, 

in California, did scroll work for a carpenter in Boston, 

modeled for three years for David Brooks, and spray painted 

and silk screened for fourteen years, in New York City. She 

has designed and manufactured her own line of furniture, 

and made prototypes for others,’ and she opened the first 

art gallery in Port Angeles, Washington. With more creative 

energy than most of us, she once had had a martial arts class, 

a performing arts studio, a gallery, and a musical instrument 

repair business, all going at the same time and in the same 

business space. 

Five years ago, she came to Ajijic, painting, and doing 

beautiful scroll work jewelry. The landscapes and weather 

impressed her, but it was the Jewish community that 

provided the glue for her to stay. The Universe presented 

her with the opportunity to open shop at Ocampo #1, the 

best corner of Ajijic. With other craftsmen, she opened Arte 

Uno, a jewelers’ cooperative. Artists’ cooperatives open and 

close like mushrooms, and the shop has morphed into Diane 

Pearl’s Collections. She put the business plan together with 

her partner, Gerry Krause. It was he who taught her to close 

a sale, and it is to him that she gives much of the credit for 

her success. Art and infatuation inform each other. 

She has local exclusives with many craftsmen. They include 

Kathleen Schomp, who makes beautiful, low key, jewelry, 

and Stacy Girton, who makes bold jewelry of Sterling silver, 

Turquoise, and red coral, and Gail Rooney---Hot Mama---puts 

together iridescent gold hued beads, dicroic in abundance. 

Diane’s nonrepresentational paintings in floral colors hang 

on the wall alongside David Hernandez Tiburcio’s earth toned 

abstract paintings of Middle Earth creatures, and Prudencio 

Guzman’s powerful carved and painted masks that depict the 

scourge of smallpox on the indigenous people of the New 

world. Jacqueline Stewart and Gillian Hanington both have 

lovely fused glass pieces hanging in the shop; Jacqueline has 

a Japanese minimalist style, while Gillian’s are earthbound, 

jewel colored masses. Fuenzalida pottery has earth toned 

geometric designs in various shapes, inspired by Mata 

Ortiz and other traditions. Ramon Edwardo Castro Lopez 

has a zoo of African animals in hollow stainless steel in the 

shop. A collection of glyphs carved in bone, limestone, and 

amber, and portraits of Mayan kings, burned onto leather, 

by craftsmen of Palenque, and Oaxaca, in southern Mexico, 

are there thanks to Paul Boorah, professor, photographer, 

and traveler. Puebla is represented with Talavera dinnerware 

painted in elaborate traditional designs. 

Walk into the gallery expecting a sensual experience, 

for it is a feast for the eyes, fingertips and feelings. There 

are cases of outstanding jewelry, paintings, fused glass 

assemblies, Talavera ceramics, sculptures, vases and artificial 

flowers. Everywhere there are beautiful colors in artful 

combinations and tasteful design. Walk into the gallery, 

and walk into a hub of the community, for Diane’s presence 

draws the best of the best to her shop, and it is a wonderful 

place to see friends and to meet new people. Walk in and 

experience Diane Pearl, for she gives of herself to everyone, 

even offering treats to friendly dogs.


Page 13 

Cruz Roja in Action 

by Rich Bailey Cama #21 

Once again I turn the pen over to 

the author of an extraordinary story of 

Cruz Roja and the Mexican medical system 

in action. This is the second half of last 

month’s edited version of Jay Raymond 

White’s report on his heart attack in Ajijic 

just months ago. 

Once I was “stabilized,” I got 

another ambulance ride—this one to Hospital Civil Nuevo 

in Guadalajara. It didn’t take us long to get there either. The 

head of cardiology met my gurney as the Angels wheeled 

me into the ER, and he led us to an examining room. He 

put a stethoscope to my chest and listened; placed it on a 

different spot and listened again. Then he removed it and 

pointedly said to me, “Mr. White, your heart is dying. Do 

you have IMSS insusrance.” 

“No, I don’t,” I said, regretting it. “I’ve only been in 

Mexico a couple of months, so I’m not eligible. I’m afraid 

my American Social Security doesn’t provide much money, 

either—nowhere near what I’m going to need for this. I 

reckon I’ll have to try and get back to the states, where I 

have Medicare.” 

“I see. I have talked to Dr. Soltero (Polo) in Ajijic. Because 

of your poverty and his professional recommendation that 

you be admitted here for care, I can offer you two courses of 

medical action. We can treat your condition with drugs and 

medications alone and hope for the best; or, you can enter 

a program I have initiated here to study a new medication 

for heart attack victims. After you have signed the forms, 

you will be taken to Hospital Civil Viejo and undergo 

angioplasty. A stent will be inserted to keep the artery open 

and blood going to your heart. If you accept, you would be 

a volunteer in the program. The cost Two-thousand pesos. 

One-thousand will be forgiven because you’re a volunteer. I 

will personally loan you the other thousand and you can pay 

me back as you can. The medication, of course, because it is 

experimental, is free. What do you say?” 

I said, “Doc, you just bought yourself a monkey, where 

do I sign?” And that’s how, three hours later, I happened 

to be in the mid-day Guadalajara traffic with a stent up my 

femoral artery, gazing up at the uncompromising ceiling of 

a Cruz Roja ambulance. 

As soon as we got back to the ER at Hospital Civil Nueva 

(which, by the way, is affiliated with the Guadalajara medical 

university and is, therefore, a “teaching” hospital) I was taken 

to an open ward and assigned a bed. On the table beside it 

was a metal notebook containing my “progress chart?” The 

notebook was assigned, I noticed, to CAMA #21. 

Bed number twenty-one was to be my “home” for the next 

four days. During that time I was ekg’d and blood pressured 

One Colón @ Ocampo, Ajijic 

766-5683 

Original Designs 

by 

Stacy G. 

and medicated and squinted at and discussed from behind 

serious expressions by a long line of students, interns, nurses 

and doctors; and on one occasion, I’m pretty sure the security 

guard took my temperature. Everybody wanted to have a look 

at and a word with the old gringo who died and got brought 

back from the Land of the Gone Away by the Cruz Roja 

Angels. I was lectured about salubrious diets and efficacious 

exercises by my hematologist, Dra. Gabi Gonzalez, and told 

to take my medicine and return in a month. With that I was 

turned out onto the shimmering streets of Guadalajara to 

find my own way home. But before I did that, when I walked 

out of the hospital and down to the street, I turned back for 

a last look at the main entrance to Hospital Civil Nueva, and 

I thought, “Everybody in that place, along with the Mexican 

Red Cross, ought to be knighted or beautified or something. 

That is how compassion and empathy and social medicine 

are supposed to work. Whatever is left to me of this life, 

I owe to them. I’ll pay that back if I can, just as often as I 

can—on that I take my oath.” I saluted the edifice. 

Back home in Ajijic, I went to find Judy and she and I went 

to find Polo. Standing in the plaza recounting our renditions 

of “The Dying,” I got an undeniable urge to thank somebody 

for my life, again, so I picked on Polo. I said, “Thanks for 

everything, Doc.” 

Polo snorted and shook his head. “Don’t thank me,” he 

instructed me. “But thank God for Mexico.” 

So I did. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this testimony on the 

Medical Community, including Cruz Roja, in Mexico. I hope this 

article brings home the immediate need of Cruz Roja in your life 

here in Mexico. Help keep us funded by giving a little or a lot 

each month using the Red Cross containers at checkout stands 

around town, the LCS Red Cross table or on our website, www. 

cruzrojachapala.com, by Pay Pal.



In & Out Dining 

by Norma de Plume Pepito’s 

Another new eatery! It’s just impossible for me to keep 

up. Pepito’s, it seems has been created for those who 

don’t always want a huge dinner, or perhaps for those 

who want a change from Mexican food. It’s a small place 

with a small but varied menu. The service is friendly and 

prompt. I had heard from several people that the food 

was excellent and, while I’ve only been once, I have to 

agree. Four of us ate together and, unfortunately for this 

column, the others all had the hamburger which they all 

enjoyed. I had a Philly cheese steak sandwich which I 

had never eaten before (remember I come from north of 

Philly). Wow, was it scrumptious! Thin slices of tender 

rib eye are smothered with fried onions, mushrooms and 

then the melted cheese all on a fresh baguette and served 

in a basket. All orders come with fried potatoes or onion 

rings: I asked for half of each so I could try both. Can I 

use the crummy word, “yummy”? The fries probably have 

a proper name and I should have asked what it is. They 

are not French or home fries but cut in a sort of woven 

design then deep fried. MMmmmm. 

Because I called ahead for my take out order, they gave 

me a photocopy of the menu, and I didn’t have to borrow 

one, or try to take notes surreptitiously. You can choose, 

for $56, The Pepito, which is a beef tenderloin sandwich. 

A barbequed pork loin sandwich is $48. There is also a 

bbq chicken for $48 and my next choice, Alaskan salmon 

sandwich at $58. Vegetarians will be pleased that there is 

a veggie and cheese for only $42. My companions had 

the Angus burger but there;s also, for the very hungry, 

the Royal which is a half-pound of burger, done as you like 

it, for $58. Remember all come with those unique fries 

or onion rings. For two pesos more you can have cheese 

added to your burger and for only five pesos, bacon. 

Dessert? I don’t often eat them but couldn’t turn 

down a Haagen Dazs ice cream bar. Beverages include 

Starbucks’ Frappucino (in a bottle) and A&W Root Beer (in 

a can) and there are several beers and wine. I did notice 

the glass was larger than in some places and costs $35. 

There are a few tables inside in case of bad weather 

but the outside tables all have easy-to-move umbrellas to 

keep us in the shade. 

Pepito’s is located next to the Waffle House on the 

highway on Ajijic’s east side. Open 11:30 to 6 except 

Saturdays when they’re open 12 to 5:30. Don’t ask. I 

don’t know why the half-hour diference. This is Mexico! 

They’re closed on Sundays. 

BITS AND BITES 

Let’s hope this doesn’t become a trend but recently 

a friend and I went to El Guayabo, the restaurant at the 

end of the restaurant pier. It’s always been my fave for 

molcajete. Well, when we were presented with our bill, 

the tip was included. This was not a hand-written bill but 

one generated from a cash register. The amount was not 

more than we would have left but how presumptuous! 

The size of the tip is for the customer to decide. Good 

service, good tip. Am I wrong?


Page 15 

Northern Lights 

by Allan R. Turnipseed Inspiring Mexico’s Music Students 

Who are these Northern Lights Musicians that we keep 

hearing so much about? Why are people becoming patrons, 

and corporations and governments sponsoring them? 

Since 1998, Chris Wilshere, the Artistic Director, had 

donated much of his time to helping teach young Mexican 

students in the Lake Chapala area, and this experience 

inspired him to bring more music to Ajijic, for audience 

pleasure as well as for the enrichment of Mexican students. 

The first Festival was held in 2003. This year 25 world class 

Canadian musicians will be taking the stage at the Auditorio, 

in La Floresta. 

The Northern Lights Music 

Festival has, since its inception, 

been committed to the 

development of classical music 

in Mexico, especially among 

Mexican youth. Throughout the 

festival, Guadalajara’s up and 

coming musicians shall attend 

rehearsals and concerts put on 

by the festival musicians. They 

will be given free master classes, 

a translator present, to help communicate the musical ideas 

from the festival musicians to these Guadalajaran youngsters. 

Over 30 music students are to receive this opportunity 

this year. Most master classes will be at the University of 

Guadalajara; some will be held in local homes, especially for 

our young Golden Strings musicians. There will also be free 

concerts for Mexican students in Jocotepec, Chapala and 

Guadalajara. This year, their outreach will go further afield 

than ever, with the help of Sextant Capital Management, the 

Canadian Government, Bancomer, and the generous private 

benefactors and patrons of the Festival. They will be touring 

to nearby cities, including Aguascalientes, performing for 

students, and the public, and giving master classes, too. 

It looks to be a great experience for both the seasoned 

musicians from the Festival and some lucky and talented 

Mexican youth. 

To thank the generous Festival supporters who make 

this possible, the Northern Lights arranged three private 

concerts just for patrons, benefactors and sponsors. One of 

these was held in January at the Nueva Posada. Two are in 

Lakeside homes. This year, purchase of these tickets will be 

the only way to hear the fabulous Trio Accord. Refreshments 

are included at these wonderful private events. The opening 

night party will be at the home of Roseann and Anthony 

Wilshere, where everyone hangs out and chats up their 

favorite musicians, and the jazz group usually get up and 

give you some extra fun. Being a patron of the festival is 

non-stop musical excitement for two weeks. If your musical 

preference is either classical music or jazz, contact Paula 

McTavish to become a patron of the festival and enjoy private 

concerts, as well as the 5 concerts at the Auditorio, in La 

Floresta. The cost is 1250 pesos per person and includes 

all events. Support Mexican music students and enjoy great 

music for a price that would make your friends at home 

envious! Paula can be reached at mctdan@gmail.com or 

766-2866. 

The festival runs from February 20 to March 1. Tickets 

are available at the Lake Chapala Society from 10 -12 daily 

and at Charter Club Tours in the Montaña Plaza. Individual 

tickets range from 150 – 200 pesos. All concerts are at the 

Auditorio in La Floresta and start at 7:30 pm. Twenty-five 

of Canada’s top professional musicians will participate in 

this year’s festival, performing in thirteen different concerts 

over eleven days. For further information contact: Tom 

Gladney: tgladney@gmail.com, 416-626-8088, and/or visit 

www.northernlightsmusic.ca.



Shelter Report 

by Thetis Reeves Un lindo gatito... 

A group of women from Manzanillo 

recently visited our Shelter. With the 

expectation of funding from a mentor 

they hope to build an animal shelter 

in their area and came asking for 

guidance. Geoffrey spent the entire day 

with them and covered every aspect 

of running a shelter like ours. We wish 

them well. 

A couple of our dogs on a walk 

spotted a box off in a weedy lot near 

our Cat Center and strained on their leashes to reach it, 

pulling along their curious walker. Close up, our volunteer 

saw “Un Lindo Gatito” written on the side of the sealed box. 

He hurried to get Barb, our Cat Lady, and together they 

hurried the suspiciously heavy box into our Cat Shelter. In 

it were a mother cat and five kittens, still nursing although 

they were about 3 months old. The mother and two of the 

kittens survived emergency treatment. Although these two 

are still frightened, the mother is relaxed, very friendly and 

in good spirits. It’s clear she had been a pet, and whoever 

had placed the 

cats in the box had 

hoped they would 

be found and taken 

in. But the chances 

that the box 

would have gone 

unnoticed, that they 

could have starved 

in the box or been 

attacked by a stray 

dog are great. 

Please, if you 

have Mexican employees or neighbors whom you know 

are kind to animals, warn them never to abandon their 

unwanted animals in a similar way, for the consequences 

can be tragic. It would be so much better if you or they 

would come to the Shelter to explain their situation and ask 

for help. We will always take their unwanted babies once 

they are ready to leave Mom, and will spay the mom for 

poor Mexican owners. Fortunately, these cats are alive and 

well and very beautiful. The young mom is black with white 

trimmings and just charming, the kits black with some white. 

They were lucky 

to survive their 

ordeal. Who 

will keep them 

on a lucky roll 

and give each a 

good home? 

K i n g , 

our onceabused 

and 

fearful young 

Rottweiler mix, 

is still with us, 

but is all smiles 

these days. What a wonderful transformation. He shows 

great affection toward people and his Shelter mates. Molly, 

our black lab mix, showed off with a play bone the other day, 

so wriggly and happy she is irresistible. Molly’s tiny pelvic 

fracture is healing perfectly. Sheena, a powerful bull/shep 

mix, shows great poise and confidence. She has the look of 

a guard dog, yet is sweet, friendly, gentle and easy to walk. 

She may do best in a one-dog household. 

Molly, King and Sheena are only three of our terrific dogs. 

Come see, come adopt. 

Check out our new website! Lakesideanimalshelter.com.


Page 17 

Fresh News 

by Wendee Hill Something Fresh under the Sun 

Once in awhile a bright new face arrives in town 

that isn’t here for long, but does some really great things. 

One of these is Erica Gwynn, a Rotary International 

Ambassadorial Research Scholar from Detroit, Michigan. 

With the support of Rotary International’s Scholarship 

program, Erica has already made her ecological footprint 

known. In conjunction with ACA Eco Training Center and 

Jocotepec Rotary she initiated a long overdue toxicology 

study and Eco health survey. This pilot study is the platform 

for continued research to assess current levels of mercury in 

various environmental media in and around Lake Chapala. 

The purpose of the study is to assess the health risk of 

mercury levels found in the lake and measure its effect on 

villagers. As an environmental toxicologist, Erica headed 

up the biological and social aspects of this initial pilot 

research assessment. Her soil samples in each area are now 

being tested and will give us some long awaited answers to 

toxicology issues in this area. 

Shortly after her arrival, Erica partnered with ACÁ 

(Associacion Comunitaria de Autosuficiencia A.C.) to assess 

six Lakeside villages. An extensive survey questionnaire 

was designed targeting rural villages, particularly in 

marginalized areas. The survey takes approximately 25 

minutes to complete and pertains to health, diet and 

identifies environmental needs specific to each village. 

Throughout the last three months, students who conducted 

the survey have already learned much about establishing 

sound research metrics, and conducting complete 

interviews for the database. Erica Gwinn and ACÁ’s CETAC 

interns are administering the survey to 50 men and women 

in six towns: San Juan Cosalá, Mescala, Ocotlan, San Luis 

Soyatlan, San Cristobol, and Tizapan del Alto. So far they’ve 

completed the water and soil samples in each village and 

surveyed San Juan Cosalá, Jocotepec and Tizapan 

Even though this pilot project is unfunded, the 

power of networking has done amazing things, by joining 

forces with ACÁ and its Student Internship Program; we 

tapped into a key natural resource, national students. 

Taking advantage of this educational partnership with 

ACA and CETAC (Centro de Estudios Tecnológicos en 

Aguas Continentales) in Jocotepec, this mutually beneficial 

partnership allows CETAC interns to do a professional 

practicum for school credit at the ACÁ Eco Training Center. 

ACA interns gain real experience in eco research as they 

learn about sustainable natural resource management, 

organic farming, and they also participate in developing 

inspirational eco activities. The goal is training leaders for 

future Eco Clubs. 

ACÁ is looking to secure volunteers to provide 

rides to help move around the interns, man the organic 

market store in Jaltepec or expedite the survey process 

by rounding up groups of area Mexican villagers willing 

to answer the questionnaire. Please contact Wendee Hill, 

the Project Co-coordinator at 01-387- 763-1568, or e-mail 

acacentroecologico@gmail.com to find out more about 

and this fascinating Lakeside study. 

Ultimately this research will identify important 

factors relating to diet, health, eco and cultural demographics 

and will give us a glimpse of complex ecological issues that 

differ in each of the six villages. Not only a baseline study, it 

will be a springboard to a long overdue research toxicology 

study and be a valuable tool and roadmap for ACÁ’s future 

program planning. Erica recently presented the pilot study 

preliminary findings to Rotary International and was 

successful in her bid for funding to return to the lakeside in 

June to continue this research for her PHD. 

You can learn more about ACÁ Eco Training Center, 

tour the ecological farm and the vermiculture, construction 

of grey water management, soil enrichment, and other 

demonstration models. The Center has over 70 diversified 

species of organic herbs, ornamentals, edible plants, ground 

covers, ethnic and local organically grown vegetables, small 

fruits and small animal breeds. There is truly something 

for everyone, schools, educators and students of all ages, 

including your gardeners and area farmers. It’s a short scenic 

tour, only 3.5 kilometers west of San Juan Cosala. You’ll find 

the Eco Training Center on the mountainside, at the Jaltepec 

corner turnoff. Or go to www.greatgreens.org to find out 

more. and make your 2008 pledge ( via the Pay Pal button) 

For the continuation of this important toxicology research 

study, the six village needs assessment survey, and the Eco 

Club leadership training of national interns. Your Support 

is Vital! Help ACA meet the growing demand for a more 

sustainable future through sustainable Eco- training.



Early Chronicles and 

Histories 

by Ronald A. Barnett Mexico and Guatemala 

In the last article we looked at the Aztec document, 

the Codex en Cruz. These pre-Hispanic chronicles or 

annals contained dated events recorded in chronological 

order. The priest or scribe familiar with the symbols in 

the pictorial manuscript would then use it as a kind of 

prompt book or mnemonic guide that could be turned 

into a continuous historical narrative. This way of 

recording history passed continued into the post-Hispanic 

period. For example, the Anales de Cuauhtitlan (in Nahuatl) 

follows the annalistic format but also contains long 

narrative passages interspersed with mere lists of dates 

in chronological order. 

The early chroniclers and historians of Mexico and 

Guatemala included both secular and religious writers, 

although the distinction is often blurred. The basic 

purpose or mission of the former was to send reports 

back to Spain, as Cortes did in his letters to the emperor, 

the latter to instruct other friars in the conversion of the 

natives. The Cartas de Relación of Hernando Cortes and 

the Historia de la Conquista de la Nueva España of Bernal 

Diáz del Castillo were essentially justifications of the 

Conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards. However, some 

religious writers, such as Andres de Olmos (d. 1571) 

and Las Casas (1474-1566), wrote works dealing directly 

with the indigenous language and culture. Much of our 

knowledge of the language spoken by the Aztecs at the 

time of the Conquest comes from colonial grammars and 

vocabularies written by Franciscan missionaries. Indian 

and mestizo writers on the other hand were anxious to 

record their own native history. 

Our main early historical source for the history of the 

Maya of Yucatan is the Relación de las Cosas de Yucatan of 

friar Diego de Landa (1524-1579), who came to Yucatan in 

1549 and became bishop of Merida. Although classified 

among the religious writers for his over-zealousness in 

destroying Maya codices, his work covers every phase of 

the social anthropology of the Maya from pre-Conquest 

times to about 1630. Of even greater importance for the 

native view of Yucatecan history and the Conquest are 

the various Books of Chilam Balam (Books of the Jaguar 

Priest), Chumayel, Tizimin, and others. Other early 

written sources of Maya history include the Annals of the 

Cakchiquels (in Cakchiquel, a Mayan language) and the 

Popol Vuh and other documents in Quiche Maya. 

All written history of course dates from the time of 

the Conquest when the Spanish missionaries taught the 

Indians how to write in Roman transcription. There is 

therefore the possibility of Christian influence even in 

historical writing by mestizos and Indians. The problem 

then is to separate the genuine pre-Hispanic record from 

the biases of the Spanish missionary-historians. For 

example, the Historia de los Indios de la Nueva España and 

the Memoriales of the Franciscan Benevente, Toribio de 

“Motolinia” (1482-1568), contain a wealth of information 

on pre-Hispanic Aztec religion but, among other things, 

he translates tlamacazque, the title of Aztec temple 

priests, as “the Devil’s Officials,” indicating the extreme 

hostility of the Spanish missionaries towards native 

religion. Even Bernardino de Sahagún (1499-1590), 

considered the greatest of the Spanish ethnographers in 

New Spain, refused to translate the twenty Aztec hymns 

he collected because he considered them the work of 

the Devil (presumably the Christian Devil, the Aztecs 

didn’t have one until the Spaniards arrived). Still, the 

Spanish version of the Historia general de las cosas de Nueva 

España, the Nahuatl text of the Florentine Codex, and the 

earlier Primeros Memoriales still provide a comprehensive 

coverage of Aztec life and culture. 

The Monarquia Indiana of Juan de Torquemada 

(1564-1624) poses the problem of early plagiarism. We 

have few data on his life. Nevertheless he used native 

sources and his major work is therefore an important 

source of information on the origin and wars of western 

Indians as well as the themes of discovery, conquest, 

and conversions. His aims, if not his methods, were 

admirable enough: to give a true picture of the early state 

of the Indians, to describe and assess the influence of the 

Spaniards and the Franciscan missionaries in New Spain; 

and to evaluate the acculturation process that began with 

the arrival of the Spaniards. 

It cannot be emphasized too strongly that the Spanish 

missionaries did not come to New Spain to learn about 

Aztec religion or Maya hieroglyphs but rather to destroy 

the native religion and, in effect, commit cultural 

genocide on an entire people. This becomes most clear 

in such works as the Historia eclesiastica of Jeronimo de 

Mendieta (1528-1604). Like other Spanish missionaries 

Mendieta’s mission in life was to convert the Indians 

of New Spain to Christianity. In the Prologue to Book 

II he tells us that the Indians were somewhat less than 

human. However much we may abhor the Aztec practice 

of human sacrifice or denigrate Mesoamerican religious 

beliefs as mere superstition they pale into insignificance 

besides the atrocities committed by the Spaniards against 

the Indians.


Page 19 

Focus on Travel 

by Karen McConnaughey Best Travel Tips for Your Aching Back 

karen@focusonmexico.com 

Traveling is hard on our bodies for two main reasons: it requires us to use our bodies 

in ways they’re not used to, such as hoisting luggage over our heads into bins and yanking 

it off a moving baggage claim, and to sit still for long periods, often in a cramped space. 

Planning in advance is imperative to help you have as comfortable a trip as possible. Here 

are a few things others have tried and found to work well. 

Lift luggage in stages. Move slowly when lifting your luggage and break the action into 

smaller parts. For example, when lifting a bag into an overhead bin, first lift it to the arm 

of the seat, then to the top of the seatback and then into the bin in separate motions. And, 

never twist while lifting! 

Pack light. Use two smaller bags rather than one large/heavy bag, especially if you will 

have to lift the bags in/out of car trunks, off airport baggage carousels, into and out of 

overhead bins, etc. 

Medication. Be sure you keep all your medication with you in flight—do not check it in 

with luggage. Do not put different medications into the same containers. Keep each type of 

medication in its own prescription bottle. Always take a little more than you will need. And 

consider muscle relaxants for long trips. 

Hot & cold pain relief. Bring extra Ziploc bags and ask a flight attendant to fill one with 

ice for you. Place it between your lower back and the seat. Leave it on for 20 minutes to 

numb the lower back, repeat as needed. Heat is great too, but you would have to check with 

your airline to see what is allowed past security. 

Get wheelchair assistance. Ask for a wheelchair in advance…it can be a back saver! You 

won’t have to carry your bags, walk to the gate or stand while waiting in line at security. Ask 

when you make your reservation. Even if it is supposed to be just a short walk to the gate, 

remember gates can change, and there’s a lot of standing in line going through security. Try 

it; you’ll love it! 

Preboard. When they call for pre-boarding for people who need assistance, that’s you. 

Make sure the gate agent knows you will need to pre-board. Conversely, if sitting for a 

moment longer than necessary will be unbearable, board last. If you do this, make sure 

your carry-on can fit beneath your seat, because if you board last, the overhead bins might 

already be full. 

Sit with support. Place a small rolled-up airline pillow, blanket, or a towel or lumbar 

pillow between your back and the seat to support the natural inward curve of your lower 

back. 

Think knees. While seated, your knees should be bent 

at a right angle. If your seat is too high, place your feet on 

something that can act as a firm footrest—like a book or box 

—to keep your knees at a right angle and avoid stressing 

the low back. 

Drink water. Water circulates healing nutrients and 

oxygen throughout the body. Drink water frequently to help 

keep your pain at bay and keep your body nourished. 

Wear slip-on shoes. Wear good, comfortable supportive 

shoes if you will be walking distances through airports, train 

stations, etc. Slip-on shoes are the best, because it’s easy 

to get them on and off (without having to bend over) when 

going through security. 

Happy traveling! 

Karen McConnaughey is Manager of Operations for Focus 

on Mexico. If you want to read additional archived articles 

by Karen, go to www.focusonmexico.com.



Sanity and Alcoholism 

by Anonymous 

At a recent local AA meeting, someone defined 

“sanity” as the unconscious becoming conscious. In my 

case, the words are precise. Alcoholics Anonymous helped 

me to regain my sanity, and thus to enjoy the fruits of a 

loving and generous life. 

There’s a reason we drink too much. And if you 

think you drink too much, you probably do. There’s a 

reason we unconsciously work at hurting ourselves. 

Discovering that is a truly-marvellous adventure; dealing 

with that can be an emotional challenge. God, personal 

or otherwise, and AA’s dedicated fellowship are there to 

help, every step of the way—quite literally, to discover 

and deal with the monsters of yesterday. 

We’ve all been there. There’s nothing you can 

admit that hasn’t already been admitted. Your deepdark 

secrets have all been heard before, either privately 

or in the rooms of AA. There’s nothing you’ve done, or 

that’s been done to you, that someone in AA hasn’t heard 

or experienced. In other words, we were all, in some 

form, liars, cheaters and thieves. I was good in all three 

categories; I had a half-a-lifetime of practice. 

Paraphrased from our Big Book, we often live our 

lives in fear—fear of not getting something we want, 

or fear of losing something we already have. Until we 

take the time and substantial effort to look, we have no 

consciousness of how fear has permeated our existence. 

To be able to identify it is rewarding; to see it is freedomgranting; 

to deal with it, every day, in every moment… 

that’s sanity. 

June Calwood, author and Canadian-extraordinaire, 

82 years, in her last interview, remarked: “You spend 

your entire adult lifetime dealing with the events of your 

youth.” It’s a beautiful interview; find it at www.cbc.ca/ 

thehour. 

Hi, my name is ____, and I’m an alcoholic. I 

don’t drink anymore. I haven’t for 7 years, this month. I 

admitted to a guy that I might have a drinking problem. 

We immediately drove to the bookstore, and he bought 

me a book—The Courage to Change. “Change? I don’t 

want to change; I just want to quit drinking.” His attempt 

at launching me into the AA program failed. Soon, I was 

drinking again. It was 5 years until I tried AA again. 

I am grateful now, everyday, that I’m an alcoholic, 

because in the end, it is all about changing to a whole 

new way of seeing the world, and interacting with it— 

to become free. AA frees you from the booze, but more 

importantly, it frees your soul. 

Today, I am honestly grateful for everything, 

whether I have a little or a lot, of whatever it is. If I’m 

grateful, I become humble enough to enjoy the here-andnow. 

If I’m grateful, I don’t need to wear the mask of 

false-pride. It all starts so simply—being grateful to AA 

and your higher-power for allowing you to choose to not 

have a drink, just for today, and sometimes, just for this 

hour. 

My friend was right about change. I went to AA 

to stop drinking. AA also taught me how to live. Once I 

understood my life, I wanted to change. I could see there 

was something much better. I wanted what they had. 

Hi, my name is ____, and I’m a grateful alcoholic. 

And it’s only going to keep getting better, every day, 

for the other half of my life. With the help of Alcoholics 

Anonymous, I can count on that.


Page 21 

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Sacred Texts – Chinese Religion and Philosophy 

The Tao Te Ching (Part 2) 

Dr. Ronald A. Barnett, BA, MA, MA, PhD lakechapalareview@yahoo.com 

In Part One we looked briefly at the Chinese classic the 

Tao Te Ching (“Classic of the Way and its Virtue,” hereafter 

abbreviated TTT). In this fundamental text of Taoism 

metaphysical, ethical, political, mystical, philosophical, and 

religious themes together form an integrated philosophy 

of life. This is in contrast to our technologically-driven 

future-oriented society in which we tend to categorize 

everything into separate compartments. The unique world 

outlook of Lao Tzu, author of the TTT, the difficulties of 

ancient Chinese , and the subsequent ambiguity of key 

terms make interpretation of this ancient text difficult. 

However, we can begin to probe the meaning of the TTT 

by examining a few of its key concepts, such as De (Virtue), 

Ziran (Naturalness), and Wu Wei (Non-action in Activity). 

In Taoism, De is the essence of Tao (the Way, a topic to 

which we shall return later), which is inherent in all beings. 

If one lives in accordance with Tao, then one naturally lives 

a virtuous life. But Lao Tzu was an individual thinker and so 

in some ways at odds with state-sponsored Confucianism 

which was concerned more with proper conduct and 

political ethics than with individual spiritual development. 

In Confucianism and extended usage moral virtue is indeed 

obtained from the Tao and is therefore a natural way of life 

and thought but it is more a matter of self-cultivation than 

an inherent feature of the Tao. This is an example of the 

ambiguity in many of the key terms and concepts of the 

TTT. The usual Latin-based translation of De as “virtue” 

gives the idea of strength and capacity, which rather misses 

the more subtle meaning of the term in Taoist philosophy. 

Ziran (Naturalness) from “self ” (zi) “so” (ran) is another 

key term. The power of Tao found in nature is also 

found in a way of life that is in accord with nature. This 

idea is graphically represented in Chinese landscape 

painting. One of my favorites, “Traveling among Streams 

and Mountains,” by Fan K’uan (early 11 th century), shows 

a caravan proceeding along a pathway at the foot of a 

beetling mountain. Half-hidden on one of the foothills the 

roof of a Buddhist monastery pokes its unobtrusive head 

just above the treeline. The human travelers below are 

almost indiscernible because they blend in completely with 

the surrounding landscape. In Taoist philosophical terms 

they are in accord with the Tao in not seeking to dominate 

nature as in western technological society. In Taoism as in 

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Chinese paintings the human element appears as a integral 

part of nature. 

WU WEI, which might be interpreted as “Non-Action 

in Activity,” is a most important key concept. However, 

there are so many different translations and subtle 

interpretations of this term that it is best illustrated by 

examples. Basically Wu may be translated as “nothing,” 

“non-being,” “negativity,” etc., although it does not signify 

nothing or annihilation in the usual western sense of the 

word. This does not mean no-action but a kind of passivity 

in the midst of action. Do what is necessary but take no 

thought of success or failure. 

Let me illustrate the idea by posing the following 

question: why am I writing this article? Having been 

brought up and educated in western society, I might reply 

that I am writing this article to beat the competition and 

meet the deadline set by my editor. Secretly I might say 

to myself that I hope someone reads it and thinks what a 

clever fellow I am. This line of thought reflects some of 

the egotistical, ethnocentric, aggressive, dualistic, and 

competitive values my society has instilled in me. 

Now, let us suppose that I am writing this article in 

the spirit of WU-WEI. First it is not “I” who am writing 

this article; it is a person named Ronald A. Barnett who is 

writing it because that is what a person of this name does. 

The article may or may not get finished; but if it does it 

will likely get delivered to the editor’s office and possibly 

appear in the next issue of the magazine. People may or 

may not read it. Some may like it, others may hate it. But it 

doesn’t really matter because the writer is concerned more 

with the “thing-in-itself ” than with the final outcome. It is 

not the final product which matters so much as the process 

of reaching that point. Thus the outcome is not seen in 

absolute terms of black or white, as in ordinary western 

thinking. Think of “heads” and “tails” on a coin, where 

one side depends on the other. They are not opposites but 

rather complementary sides of the same coin. Likewise the 

ultimate “success” or “failure” of this article is relative. 

Provided that “I” (or the writer of this article) perform the 

task in the proper spirit of detachment then the result will 

be as it was meant to be. This is what is meant by taking no 

action in accordance with the principle of WU-WEI (Nonaction 

in activity); or, as we say, “go with the flow.”


Page 23 

Pepe... a Bundle of Joy 

by Nora Thea 

There I was moving, once again, to my new home in 

Ajijic, alone with my old dog, Cappuccina and my parrot 

Zorba. Cappuccina, was used to moving so no problem. 

New house, no yard, Cappuccina, adjusts, goes out on the 

dirt, where the workers are constructing another house. 

For days I worried that my old dog was not eating, her 

dog food, untouched, until I found out, that Cappuccina 

was having, tortillas, carne, etc., from the construction 

crew, next door. No wonder she was not eating her dog 

food, who would? 

Before we got here, we went to the Tuesday open air 

market in San Miguel de Allende. Running around with 

my daughter-in-law and son, finding great tops and slacks 

from vendors for 200 pesos, what a deal..! My son, Matt, 

was looking also but he wandered into the Dogs for Sale 

section. There he found, this tiny, black poodle, just big 

enough to hold in one hand. This cute little animal just 

stole his heart. Two black eyes, bright and sharp and a 

shiny black nose and fur. A bundle of Joy. My daughter- 

in-law said, “No, we don’t need any more animals. Please 

Matt, let’s go.” But he insisted that we see this treasure. 

Obviously, I did not need any more pets but we looked, 

and I instantly also fell with this small bundle of Joy. 

Matt was not to be denied. He had to have the dog, 

so he bought him for 600 pesos, a four-week old, black 

poodle. He took him home for one night with him. One 

night was enough for Matt. He was up all night with this 

small puppy. He called me in the morning, and he was 

giving him up to the first person who wanted him, his 

maid. Foolishly, I said, “No, we have to save this small 

creature. Bring him to me.” Big mistake, but done. So, 

Matt drove him to my house. I grabbed him and hugged 

him. This tiny creature, responded by wagging his tail, 

and when I placed him on the grass, miraculously, he 

peed on the lawn. Hallelujah.... 

I went out and got hamburger for this baby. That night, 

he slept by my side, pillows guarding him so he would not 

fall off the bed, and of course, I had to get up every two 

hours to let him out. Much too cold for me and him, so I 

had newspapers all over the hallway, and sure enough the 

dog, understood. A genius for a dog! The baby got sick 

almost immediately and got the runs, Oh, my God, He is 

going to die. Nose dry, and up every hour on the hour. 

He definitely was in trouble, fever and the runs. Next day, 

I added rice to his diet to slow up the problem, and called 

the vet. Got to have an injection, ahora! OK, go in at 

l2:30. We went, got the shot, and a general check up, 

for 200 pesos. Regrese en dos semanas, come back in two 

weeks for second shot…if he makes it. 

OK, one more night of no sleep, but in the morning, 

things are looking up. The nose is wet again. Third day, 

he is getting much better; rice is working, too well. Poor 

thing, he is constipated, and Mom, that’s me, has to clean 

him up, as he runs to me for help, screaming, when he is 

in pain. A small spoon of yogurt does the trick, he is all 

better again. This tiny animal has me at his beck and call. 

He communicates with his most intelligent eyes. OK. So, 

I’m crazy, but I know when to take him out, on the paper, 

or to sleep in my hands. 

So, here he is sitting, looking up at me, this helpless 

creature. Or he runs outside with all the happiness in his 

entire little body. Kisses and love and fluff. What is his 

name, Matt suggests Napoleon, or Leon, because he was 

born in July a Leo. Nah, that is too complicated and too 

long. Pepe, Yes, Pepe it is. Because he is so full of Pep and 

it fits. Pepe it is.... 

My Pepe loves all types of toys, my shoes, and the bed. 

I have a lot of them, and only one Pepe. I have had many 

dogs in my life but never a poodle. My mother always 

loved them. Why, oh why? I ask. Well, now I know, she 

loved intelligent animals, and Pepe is the most intelligent 

dog for his small size and age I have ever had. 

Yes, I still have Pepe, and he wakes me up, every single 

morning at seven in the morning on the nose. Physically, 

on my nose. Pepe can tell time. Ha.Ha.Ha. My sweet, 

lovable, bright, shining, intelligent, bundle of Joy, My 

Pepe, the love of my life.


February 2008


Page 25 

Weather or Not 

by J. Michael Maile El Paraiso Chapala 

The easiest subject to discuss with other people has 

always been the weather, and the reason for that is, of 

course, that every day we get some kind of weather to 

talk about. That is, unless you live at Lakeside where the 

weather is about the same most of the year, give or take a 

couple of months when the good Lord or someone else in 

charge blesses us with often more rain than we know what 

to do with. Folks in other parts of this world get different 

kinds of weather all the time and thus can talk at length 

about this never-ending phenomenon. 

So, on a hot day in January, I found myself joining a 

small group of experts who debated the merits and pitfalls 

of the Lake Chapala climate. We had gathered at the 

poolside of Manzanillo’s hot little pink Hotel La Posada, 

right along the shores of the Pacific Ocean, clad in various 

types of beach or swimwear, shlurping local rum or tequila 

concoctions and being of one or the other mind about our 

favorite subject. 

There just wasn’t a better place than Lakeside for 

year-round weather anywhere else on this planet, we all 

agreed, but then, what on earth were we doing some 200 

miles south-west of Lake Chapala, at zero feet altitude 

compared to our paradise some 4,500 feet further up? 

Someone suggested that we all needed a well-deserved 

break from the perfect weather monotony along Lakeside, 

with Manzanillo being the closest ocean-front get-away 

offering plenty of sunshine, miles of hot sand, persistent 

surf breakers and refreshing breezes. Yes, we all chimed in, 

how true, even though Manzanillo’s climate was already a 

bit humid for January, and the smog-blanket across the 

bay was less noticeable last year. February would probably 

be a lot hotter, someone predicted convincingly. 

We normally don’t knock the weather when talking 

about El Paraiso Chapala. Let us not forget that every day 

there feels like absolute spring. Sure, we could use some 

rain now and then, what with the wet season being half a 

year or so away, and yes, there’s quite a lot of dust on our 

cars right now, and on and on. 

Then one squeamish voice amidst us piped up. Some 

shivering soul dared to hint at the extremely cold Chapala 

nights of January and February. You know, the freezing cold 

bed and bathrooms in our lovely homes up there. The dark 

and shady living-rooms with their drafty wood fireplaces 

that suck in cold and smoky air when lit the wrong way? 

The freezing leather lounge-seats with an arctic bite that 

slowly eats into the back of our thighs and midriffs as 

the evening wears on? The mornings when we wear two 

sets of “sweats” while quickly cleaning the kitchen before 

the maid arrives? When we can’t wait for the first rays of 

sunshine to defrost our furrowed faces? Whoa, stop right 

there and get Monica, the bar-belle, to bring us another 

round of shlops. Yours was what? 

Of course, not all is perfect; not even in Ajijic on Lake 

Chapala. Why even bring it up? After all, there’s always 

that little pink hotel on the south end of Manzanillo’s 

tourist-strip where every God-given morning the oceansurf 

bangs the living daylights out of the beach while the 

effects of last night’s libations slowly wear off. Time for 

another balmy day away from the chilly nights up on Lake 

Chapala . 

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Happy Saint Valentine’s Day 

by Jean Barnett Say it with Herbs 

Saint Valentine’s Day may sound old-fashioned to 

some but, next to Christmas, it is the most popular day of 

the year to send greetings to special friends. An updated 

report by the US Greeting Card Association estimates 

that approximately one billion Valentines are sent out 

worldwide each year, women being approximately 85% of 

the purchasers. 

The 14 th of February or Valentine’s Day is 

traditionally a day on which lovers express their affection 

for each other by sending flowers and sentimental 

greetings. The day was set apart in honor of at least two 

early Christian martyrs of the same name, St. Valentine, 

a priest in Rome who suffered martyrdom about 269 

A.D., and St. Valentine who became Bishop of Interamma 

(modern Terni). The latter is said to have been killed 

during the persecution under the emperor Aurelian. 

Strange as it may seem, the biographies of these men do 

not record any romantic elements. Nevertheless, the day 

became associated with love in the Middle Ages when 

courtly love flourished. 

One of the earliest love poems, Chaucer’s 

The Parliament of Fowls (1382), was in honor of the 

first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of 

England to Anne of Bohemia. They were married eight 

months later when Richard became 13 and Anne 14. 

Valentine’s Day has different traditions in different 

countries. In Norfolk, UK, a character called “Jack 

Valentine” knocks on the rear doors of houses leaving 

sweets and presents for the children. Although not widely 

celebrated In Denmark and Norway, folks there take time 

out to have a romantic dinner with their spouse or lover. 

In Sweden it is called “All Hearts Day” and people send 

flowers and cosmetics to lovers and friends. In Slovenia 

a proverb says that on February 14 th plants and flowers 

begin to grow. Even the Chinese have a counterpart to 

our Valentine’s Day called the “Night of Sevens,” when, 

so the legend goes, the cowherd and the weaver maid 

meet in Heaven on the seventh day of the seventh month 

of the lunar calendar. 

On this traditional day for lovers let us turn to the 

important role many of our common herbs have played 

in the romantic life of human beings in love potions, 

poetry, legend, and folklore. Herbs have a colorful 

history dating back to early Greek and Roman times and 

mediaeval England. An old Spanish proverb praises the 

Rosemarie, the best loved of all spices:


Page 27 

“Who passeth the Rosemarie 

And careth not to take a spray 

For woman’s love no care hath he, 

Nor shall he though he lives for aye.” 

ROSEMARY was a symbol of constancy in love and 

remembrance. On the eve of St.Agnes Day girls would 

sleep with a spray of Rosemary under their pillows to 

dream of their future husbands. In early English times 

jugs of Rosemary water were available in every home. 

“Carry powder of the flowers about thee to make thee 

merry, glad and well beloved of all men. Lay the flowers 

on thy bed to keep thee from evil dreams,” advised 

William Langham in 1578. 

CHIA, a little flat seed of the small, tropical salvia, 

was used by the runners and warriors of Montezuma 

when they went on long journeys because of its potent 

food value and light bulk, 

THYME became an emblem of courage in the days 

of chivalry. The Greeks associated wild thyme with the 

gods. Legend tells us that ladies once embroidered their 

knight’s scarves with figures of bees hovering over a sprig 

of thyme. To tell someone that they smelt of thyme was 

a term of endearment. 

BASIL has always been associated with love 

potions. It is said to wither in the hands of the impure. 

In Europe it was used to test the chastity of a maiden, 

withering in the hands of one who had other lovers. The 

herbalist Gerard wrote: “The smell of Basil is good for 

the heart and to clear the head.....it taketh away sorrow 

and maketh a man merry and glad.” In the East Basil 

seeds are scented and made into sachets and given as 

love tokens for girls to wear beneath their clothes. 

BAY LEAF, or Victor’s Laurel, as the Romans called 

it, was used to crown their poets and victorious warriors 

with a wreath of the scented leaves. In Tudor times the 

leaves were gilded and used in table decoration. Lovers 

gave them to one another. On the night of Valentine’s Day 

each lover would sleep with a leaf under their pillows so 

they would dream of love and their marriage within the 

year. It was believed that it possessed powers to protect 

anyone sheltered under the Bay tree from lightening and 

witches. 

ARTEMISIA, or ESTAFIATE as it is called in Mexico, 

enjoys world-wide popularity for medicinal purposes. In 

Germany it was cut on the morning of St. John’s Day to 

make crowns to protect them from evil spells. In France 

it was harvested before St. John’s Day to treat epilepsy 

and protect people from lightning and hail. In Austria it 

is believed that neither the devil nor any evil spirit can 

have any effect on anyone carrying artemesia. 

LAVENDER was used extensively in ancient Greece 

and Rome. “Its medical virtue is a warm cordial used 

in hysteria, depression and other nervous conditions,” 

stated one early Herbalist. On the romantic side, Nell 

Gwyn, mistress of Charles 11, carried sachets of it on her 

secret rendezvous. Queen Henrietta, Charles’s mother, 

kept bowls of white lavender (the most powerful scent of 

the lavenders) in her apartments. In the early days of the 

20th century William Lavender of London, England, set 

up a thriving business of Lavender Hair Cream. Because 

of its heavenly scent it has always been associated with 

love and romance. Lady Lindsay summed it up thus: 

“Lavender white, lavender blue 

Perfume wrapt in the sky’s own hue, 

Lavender white, lavender blue 

Sweet is remembrance if love be true.” 

Happy Valentine’s Day all lovers and friends!



Interview with 

Barbara Hess 

by Jacob Berkovitz aka “The Cat Lady” 

Jacob Berkovitz is eleven years old, lives in the Chapala area, 

and is an animal lover who has six cats and a dog. His cats were 

all adopted from the Animal Shelter under the recommendation 

of the Cat Lady, Barbara Hess. He has always wanted to write an 

article for publication and this is his first interview. This interview 

is in memory of “Rumpy”. 

Jacob: Barbara, when did you get your first cat? 

Barbara: I got my first cat when I was three years old. 

J: Do you remember its name? 

B: Yes. It was “Fluffy”. 

J: Is the shelter privately owned? 

B: The owner is Geoffrey Kaye, and although it is privately 

owned it is a registered non-profit charity. The store 

supports the shelter. It has a wide selection of petfood and 

supplies. We have just opened a new satellite store on the 

other side of Ajijic. There was a previous shelter run by the 

Lake Chapala Humane Society. This current shelter building 

opened in 2001. 

J: There is a veterinarian next door. Is there a relationship between 

the shelter and the vet? 

B: Yes, the vet does our animal care and his name is Dr. 

Ladron. Did you know his father was one of the first vets in 

Guadalajara and he founded the veterinarian school at the 

university there? 

J: What exactly do you do here? 

B: I run the Cat House. I work with the vet regarding all 

the cats’ health issues. I weigh the kittens and cats when 

they come in, treat for fleas and worms, and cut their nails. 

When needed, I give them their medication, supervise 

their isolation period and then their care and treatment in 

the kitten and main cages. I have charts on the walls on 

every cat: worming, vaccinations, leukemia tests, surgeries, 

whether to they need spaying and neutering and so forth. I 

also supervise and approve adoptions. 

J: How old do the cats need to be to be spayed or neutered? 

B: We do them at six months old. You can tell how old they 

are by the teeth . 

J: How do you remember all of the cats’ names? 

B. They’re my children! They tell me their names. I also 

name the cats in the same litter by the same first letter. 

For example, Barnaby and Benson; Cailtlin, Celeste and 

Cassandra; or Tristan and Tallulah. 

J: What is your adoption goal for 2008? 

B: I can’t know how many will come in, how many will be 

healthy; of course as many as possible. However, we do get 

a higher percentage of adoptions through here than in the 

north because I can keep them here a long time if they are 

healthy and if they are happy with the other cats... that’s very 

important. Mordecai was here for 199 days. A cat normally 

cannot live in a group forever - they do get to their breaking


Page 29 

point. We can have a maximum here of 40 kittens and cats. 

J: I have adopted six cats from here. What is the limit? 

B: I think you are about there. More than that and you become 

their keeper. The quality of life is what is important. 

J: Do you have any tips for people adopting? 

B: You have to take care. There are lots of dangers in Mexico. 

Cats should stay inside if possible. As soon as night comes, 

especially, since there are predators; owls, eagles, possums, 

raccoons, feral cats and dogs and coyotes. Cats can also die 

of poisoning because many people put poison out for rats. 

There are airborne diseases, you have to also treat for fleas 

and ticks. Make sure you change their water (bottled water) 

every day because of airborne bacteria. 

J: Can kids volunteer here? 

B: Kids can come after school but there isn’t much time 

before we close, and on weekends but it can get busy then. 

If kids are well behaved they can come into the kitten and 

cat cages under my supervision. They can also visit the birds 

here. Of course there is also the dog shelter to volunteer 

in across the street. Older children can help walk the dogs. 

Cuddling puppies, kittens and cats is always needed to 

socialize them. But my primary responsibility is the cats. I 

have to limit the interaction sometimes in order to control 

their environment for them. 

J: How do you adopt a cat? 

B: Well, you can’t stay outside a cage and pick one. You need 

to come in and sit down and see who likes you. The cats pick 

their owner! That way the person and the pet are happy. If 

a cat doesn’t like you, you don’t get to keep it. You earn the 

respect of the cat. 

J: How old does a kitten have to be to be adopted? 

B: You can adopt a kitten if they are 6-7 weeks old. If 

Mexicans want to leave me their kittens, I ask them to keep 

them at home until 6-7 weeks of age so they get the calcium 

they need from the mother’s milk. Also, the mother needs to 

teach them how to be cats and that takes at least 6 weeks. 

Then, we help the Mexican owner by spaying the mother 

cat. 

J: What else do people need to know when they adopt? 

B: White cats do not have as much pigment in their skin 

and are subjec to sunburn which leads to skin cancer. Their 

skin can burn easily; almost like an albino, so they must stay 

inside. 

J: Where do your cats come from? 

B: People find kittens and bring them in, or they are in a 

vacant lot, or on the street. Sometimes they are found in 

garbage cans and sadly they are sometimes thrown out of 

car windows. We have found some in bags and boxes left on 

the highway. 

J: What are your hobbies when you are not here? 

B: I make dog and cat beds which we sell here, and I have 

written my book “Tales from the Cat House” which we 

sell here also. Plus, I’m always available to answer cat 

questions. 

J: Why did you write it? 

B: I wanted to share stories about shelter cats with other 

people. I guarantee the stories will make you cry but that’s 

life with living creatures. I wanted to draw attention to the 

shelter. It took me 5 months to write. There will be more 

stories to come when I do a reprint...more happy cats. 

J: Did you have a favorite cat here? 

B: There are always more favorites, but Tabatha, who is in 

the book, was a “special girl”. Before she got leukemia she 

would help mother other kittens, I loved her and she could 

have stayed here forever! 

J: Thank you Barbara. 

B: Thank you. 

Barbara Hess is the author of “Tales from the Cat House - A 

Collection of True Stores” and is available at the Animal Shelter 

(Hidalgo (Carr.) #212, Riberas del Pilar, Tel: 765-5514) for 100 

pesos.



God’s Food 

by Don Edwards Bunnies, Cherogrils, and Sonny Bono 

Let me make this clear, I am not a Biblical scholar, and my 

belief in God is unconventional, but I have read the Bible. 

Several times as a matter of fact. 

I recently reread Deuteronomy and Leviticus. Why 

would anyone read these peculiar books? I can answer 

that. I have been interested in food since I retired. I do 

most of the cooking. People I know that are Bible or Torah 

readers usually read Genesis, Exodus or Kings. They like 

stories about how Adam and Eve made out in various 

ways and how Moses became a physicist involved in water 

transmogrification and exothermic bushes. We all know 

how the little guy beat up the big guy and became king, 

and of course there is Samson, the dumbest guy in all of 

scripture. But as important and interesting as these things 

are, if you are a cook, wouldn’t you want to know God’s 

gastronomical preferences? Naturally, I went to the source: 

the Bible. 

For example, how about eating an ostrich? My translation 

says you can’t eat them. I make ostrich-burgers fairly often. 

They taste good and have very little fat. But I wondered: as 

far as I know, only Australia has ostriches. How in the world 

did ostriches get to Israel in the time of Deuteronomy? The 

only way I can rationalize it is Noah. I guess the ostriches in 

Israel were great tasting, because I visited Israel a few years 

ago and there wasn’t an ostrich anywhere. They must have 

been eaten into extinction. 

Bunnies. You can’t eat them, either. I don’t know about 

road kill, I’m still researching the translations. My friend 

Jim says the way to make barbeque in Arkansas is to get 

some run over ‘possum on the highway, then strap it to the 

manifold of a Ford truck and drive for exactly 46 minutes 

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In any case, God definitely doesn’t want bunnies 

consumed, with or without Fords. 

Boiling a baby goat in its mother’s milk isn’t allowed 

either. I’ve never consumed a goat boiled in anything, but 

I can see the logic of this. First of all, I can imagine boiled 

goat would be tough as rhino hide, but more importantly 

it would indeed traumatic for mama goat to see baby goat 

rendered into lunch in this manner. Much better that 

baby goat gets roasted with some good Idaho potatoes or 

marinated in a rosemary garlic sauce before barbequing 

I must say I was surprised about the admonition against 

camels. I was in Cairo once and I can tell you that camel 

flambé is terrific. Swine ribs are a no-no, too, which would 

place the Cattleman Sauce Company into receivership 

in a heartbeat if this prohibition were followed by all 

mankind. Bats are out. Owls are out. Cherogrils are out. 

“Cherogrils?” you might ask. Sonny Bono’s singing partner 

on a rotisserie? I’ve never even heard of a cherogril. What 

does God have against the poor cherogril? 

Four-footed flying things are forbidden. What kind 

of animal do you know that flies and has four feet? A 

goatasaurus? Animals with longer hind legs than forelegs 

are okay, though. Again, probably a Noah phenomenon. 

Kangaroos must have roamed the Golan Heights at one 

time. 

Here’s one that really got my goat, if you will pardon the 

expression: you can’t eat things that kill themselves. The 

Leviticus admonition actually prohibits eating anything…. 

and I quote…“dead of itself.” Try to picture a camel with 

nothing to live for. Maybe it can end it all if it purposefully 

rams itself into a pyramid. Okay, so you can’t eat a cow 

that hangs itself, but then the scripture tells you it is 

perfectly permissible to give it to strangers. Amazingly, 

there can be usury involved. Apparently it is acceptable 

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Page 31 

to sell these psychopathic 

animal cadavers for profit. 

Picture the ardent, though 

enterprising Leviticus 

follower, now a vendor at 

the ballgame, shouting 

“Hoya, hoya….step right 

up! Get your suicidal 

giraffe livers here.” 

My friend Melvin, 

the world acclaimed 

archeologist, says that 

lima beans and Brussels 

sprouts were forbidden in 

his newly found ancient 

scroll. The ancient 

document he found has 

all the interesting stuff 

the prophet censors 

later took out. Melvin 

thinks that one of the 

Bible editors was a mom 

who took out lima beans 

from the original text so 

that she could use these 

abominable vegetables as 

extra arrows in her child 

punishment quiver. 

Flamingos, according 

to the scroll, can’t be 

eaten either because their 

legs bend backwards, 

a minor flaw the 

Creator acknowledges 

in the missing parts of 

Deuteronomy. 

Finally, don’t tell me 

that “mythical beasts” 

are mythical. Leviticus 

specifically outlaws 

consumption of griffins, 

presumably because 

winged, and giant eagles 

with lion butts that 

have four legs. Melvin 

acknowledges that in 

addition to that ugly 

beast, the chimera was 

culinarily prohibited 

because it had two out 

of three strikes against it: 

the lion part was okay, but 

the goat and snake parts 

were disqualified. There 

is a wonderful recipe in 

Melvin’s scripture scroll 

that has a griffin thigh 

slow roasted with a tangy 

mandarin basting sauce. 

Our customs certainly 

have changed over the 

millennia. Even so, as 

a curious cook, I often 

wonder about some things 

the ancients ate; but I sure 

wish God had somehow 

managed to thwart the 

mom censors by keeping 

lima beans in the forbidden 

food list. God really got 

that one right.



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Page 33 

German Expressionism 

of Georg Rauch 

by Miriam Ruth Body Becomes Landscape 

Announcing an Homage to 

a local master: The German 

Expressionism of Georg Rauch, 

February 23 to April 4, Centro 

Cultural Gonzales Gallo, 

Chapala. 

George Rauch lived among 

us for many years. He and 

his wife Phyllis built a house 

in the hills near Jocotepec in 

1976, when only bohemians would do such a thing. He was 

already a successful artist when they came here, and she 

his most ardent fan, promoting his work around the world. 

His kinetic sculpture was hung or mounted throughout the 

house. They put a pool in and heated it to cozy warmth 

with the sun Every Sunday for years they held court in his 

studio, a salon for creative people. 

Georg had been born in Austria, and was a young man 

when Hitler was welcomed into Vienna. Though tall, 

intelligent, and handsome, he was deemed unfit for life in 

the Third Reich, and was sent to the Russian front, to die in 

the slaughter there, one of Hitler’s 150,000 Jewish soldiers. 

Little attention was 

given to the hygiene or 

health of anyone at the 

Eastern Front. Medicine 

was almost nonexistent. 

Death was everywhere. 

Georg survived the war, 

just barely; starved and 

weakened, he contracted 

tuberculosis, the disease 

settling in his hip, and 

spent two years in a body 

cast in a sanitarium in 

Switzerland. This cloud 

had a silver lining, for 

while confined, he drew 

constantly. It was the beginning of his life as an artist. His 

book about this entire ordeal, The Jew with the Iron Cross, 

is a compilation of letters he sent home to his mother. 

His paintings were at first self deprecating, silly clowns 

with sad faces, all in colorful German Expressionism. In time, 

the mood lightened and the theme changed to sensuality 

in forms from floral to feminine. There were poster sized 

paintings of wild flowers captured in vases, and women 

would lie on desert floors with purple hills at the horizon, 

or serve as the boulder, upon which and through which, a 

vine would grow. Painting was Georg’s spiritual practice, 

his job as an artist, to reveal his soul. 

Rauch has exhibited in London, Paris Munich, Duseldorf, 

New York City, Los Angeles, Monterrey, Puebla, Mexico City, 

Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Puerta Vallarta, and 

Acapulco. He was honored by two retrospective, one at the 

Central Cultural Cabanas, the other, for fifty years as an artist, 

at the ExConvento Carmen, 

both in Guadalajara. 

The government of Jalisco 

is to hold a homage, Febrary 

23rd for six weeks at the 

Central Cultural, Gonzalez 

Gallo, otherwise known 

as the old train station, in 

Chapala. Cocktails will be a 

7:00 p.m. on March 2. 

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Page 35 

Lands and People 

by Jean Barnett Sicily, Jewel of the Mediterranean 

The triangular little island of Sicily close to the toe of 

Italy has been called the 

“Jewel of the Mediterranean.” It is indeed a veritable 

“Pirate’s Cove” of treasures, strewn with the ancient 

remains of the many races that have sought to possess 

it, including Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, 

Vandals, Saracens, Normans, and Germans. A young Sicilian 

student, Angelo Bulfone, whom we met on the train in Sicily 

invited my husband and me to visit his home in Trapani. 

He took us to visit many of these footprints in the sands of 

time that we would never have seen otherwise, 

The strait of Messina separates the island from the 

mainland of Italy. The steep limestone cliffs of the island 

clad in blossoming orange, olive and lemon trees, grapes 

and mulberries rise straight out of the sea. Wheatfields 

dominate the central plateau. The mountains are of 

volcanic origin. Not only has this beautiful island been 

coveted and brutally attacked by mankind, but Mother 

Nature has played an equally cruel role. Mt. Etna, believed 

to be older than Vesuvius, rising over 10,750 ft., has 

recorded more than eighty serious eruptions. One in 1928 

sent a wave of lava 300 yards wide down to the sea sending 

people and livestock fleeing the burning heat for days 

completely burying the towns of Mascali and Santalfio and 

entering the city of Catania. Messina was destroyed by 

a mammoth quake in 1908 causing tidal waves that killed 

150,000 people. 

The province of Palermo situated on the northwestern 

coast of the island on the picturesque inlet of Monte 

Pellegrin boasts one of the most beautiful promontories 

in the world. The Arabian poet, Jahr Zaffir, summed it up 

thus: “The mountains crown the city, gardens dress it in 

green, the sea caresses it and the sky covers it with a blue 

veil.” On one side trip we traveled by bus up a steep 

winding road via San Martino to the 12 th century fortress 

of Castelaccio (Big Castle), perched on top of Mount 

Caputo, one of the few remaining mediaeval fortresses 

in the world. 

Here, the remains of the Benedictine Abbey, San Martin 

del Scale, founded by Pope Gregory in 600 B.C., invaded 

by Arabs in 829, and re-built in 1346 is still in use. It 

houses the magnificent paintings of “Saint Martin and the 

Beggar” by Ignazio Marabitt and “Daniel in the Lion’s Den” 

by Pietro Novellis. 

Built by the Phoenicians between 800 and 806 B.C., the 

city of Palermo was once surrounded by a wall called 

Zis (Flower). As it grew towards the sea it was called 

‘Panorama’ (Port of Excellence) and the wall was extended 

up to Monreale. The buildings and the many monuments 

in this ancient city, mostly of Norman origin, date back 

thousands of years. 

The city of Monreale (Royal Mountain), state of Palermo, 

is located on the slopes of Mount Caputo that overlooks 

the beautiful valley of Conca d’Oro. It is believed that 

before the construction of the world-famous Monreale 

Cathedral it was a small Saracen hamlet named “Bal’at,” an 

outdoor market (souk) where farmers sold their produce. 

Later the name was changed to Monreale and it became a 

favorite royal hunting ground as deer, wildcats, and boars 

still roamed the forests. 

The magnificent cathedral Santa Maria la Nova was 

built primarily under the influence and determination of 

William 11, the last of the Norman kings of Sicily. 

He claimed Divine Right to the throne and had a 

mosaic portraying himself being crowned by the Christ 

Himself placed over the royal throne in the vestry and 

another over the Episcopal Throne depicting him offering 

A remarkable combination 

of comfort and style - a shoe 

that can go anywhere, anytime. 

Get a pair and go 

home happy!

J ill 

Flyer was born in Chicago, 

Illinois where her architect 

father taught her how to draw 

at 5 years old. Her parents believed they 

should encourage her artistic abilities, 

so, along with drawing lessons at the Art 

Institute of Chicago, she studied piano for 

many years, as well as ballet and acting 

lessons. Playing the piano is still a major 

passion. In order for her to practice she 

is looking to find an inexpensive piano. 

Anyone with an extra or inexpensive 

piano, email Jill (fotoflyer2003@yahoo. 

com) or leave a note for her at LCS. This is 

important because Jill is aching to return 

to music 

Graduating from the University 

of Illinois, with a Masters degree in 

French literature, minor in German, 

and years later, almost a second 

Masters in Urban Planning. Her 

professional career has run the gamut 

from Transportation, Independent 

Politics, and Commercial Real Estate 

to Wireless Communications, but 

Art has always been the biggest part 

of her life. 

When Jill discovered photography, 

she decided that, although she might 

possibly become a decent artist, 

she maybe could become a great 

photographer. You could find her 

with camera in hand from that point 

on, and the results are powerful, 

gorgeous, and a collector’s choice. She 

started photographing in black and white 

in the early 80’s, working in a kitchen 

darkroom. Even when she wasn’t actively 

printing, she never stopped reading about 

photography, viewing photo exhibits, 

and exploring and assessing images. Jill 

eventually found her way to the Evanston 

Art Center, near Chicago, where she 

worked with advanced printing techniques 

made available by the Center. During this 

time, she was selected to present in many 

shows in the U.S., the most important 

of which wa 

Assistant Cu 

Museum in 

stepping up. 

In the late 

Mexico and S 

more creativ 

the people 

taking photo 

excursion to 

found out th 

many galler 

could exhib 

she returne 

and showed 

Di Paola. M 

images and 

show of wom 

It was very s 

While it i 

the Lake Cha 

her return, a 

2003. Jill ha 

locally, with 

Di Paola and 

2007, she a 

Marci Boone 

Centro de C

s judged and curated by the 

rator from the Guggenheim 

New York City. The lady was 

90’s she started traveling to 

outh America where she found 

e energies in photographing 

and the landscapes than 

s in Chicago. On a one-day 

Ajijic from Guadalajara, she 

at the Ajijic community had 

ies available in which she 

it her art. So the next time 

d she brought her portfolio 

it to art entrepreneur Maria 

aria selected eight exquisite 

invited Jill to participate in a 

en artists and photographers. 

uccessful. 

s necessary for her to travel, 

pala area continued to beckon 

nd so she did, permanently, in 

s participated in many shows 

one-woman shows at Galería 

La Puerta. In late October 

nd another Lakeside artist, 

, did a two-artist show at the 

ultura, Ajijic, with a Day of 

the Dead theme. This exhibit also proved 

very successful. 

Evolving, Jill started experimenting 

with hand painting her black and white 

photos. While painting photos has 

existed for more than a hundred years, 

the usual object was to reflect true colors. 

Instead, Jill thought it would be greater 

fun to invent fantasy colors -- painting, for 

example, mauve fish with green lips, blue 

horses and purple & yellow skies. Her 

choice became a signature. 

As her darkroom ‘evoluted’ into digital 

color photography, the newness of this 

adventure became a great and intriguing 

challenge. She believes that the 

lessons she learned in her black 

& white days have helped her in 

color photography, straight into 

digital. To be a good black and 

white photographer, one has to 

understand form and structure, 

and gradations in intensity of 

colors. The object is then to apply 

this knowledge to the computer 

world. As with most artists, all 

of her photos are altered in some 

way using new techniques made 

available by computers, allowing 

myriad adjustments. But, because 

of all the manipulations, she often 

asks the question, “where does 

photography leave off and art begin 

or vice versa?” Clearly, many of 

the manipulated photographs are greatly 

altered from the original. Are they art, 

are they photography, or are they both? 

A question without an answer! 

Jill has recently started a 7-day 

Photographic Workshop for people who 

would like to combine a trip to this area 

while learning to take great pictures. The 

great thing about these workshops is that 

they give people who do not live here 

an opportunity to see and experience 

parts of Mexican life that they would 

not normally be able to see as a tourist. 

Most visitors usually do not speak 

Spanish and would be shy about renting 

a car to explore the small villages and 

magnificent landscapes around the lake. 

With her workshop, participants have 

an opportunity to photograph unusual 

scenes and experience a bit of real Mexican 

life. There are hands-on-instruction and 

seminars and a review session at the end 

of every day. By the 7th day, Jill guarantees 

that the level of everyone’s photos will 

increase immeasurably, to say nothing 

of the participants having had a great 

vacation. For local people who would 

like to learn photography, Jill is planning 

a 2-day workshop. 

She is represented professionally in 

Ajijic by La Puerta Gallery, Colón #13, 

and will soon be represented by Galería 

Vallarta, in Puerto Vallarta. 

Jill’s website is accessible, and contains all 

the information on itinerary, prices, etc. 

at: www.mexploration.net, by typing in the 

address in the upper left corner of the screen. 

She lives in San Antonio Tlayacapan, with her 

adorable dog, Canela, whom she acquired 

from the Animal Shelter. She teaches French 

at the Wilkes Education Center in Ajijic, and 

plays an advanced game of tennis 3 times 

a week. If you wish to contact her, write to 

fotoflyer2003@yahoo.com. It is an encounter 

you will long remember.



Monreale to the Virgin Mary. With its lavish Arabic, 

Byzantine and Norman traditional Romanesque architecture 

it is a breath-taking sight to behold. Mosaics made from 

small particles of colored glass placed on tesserae tiles 

emblazon 6,340 square metres of the interior walls and 

ceilings. It is the second largest display of mosaics in the 

world. This cathedral also houses three Royal tombs, a 

reddish, porphyry one of King William 1,”The Bad”, and 

the white marble tomb of his son, William”The Good” 

and that of his mother Margaret of Navarre. I visited 

this magnificent Cathedral on my trip to Sicily and was 

inspired by the everlasting mosaics depicting Biblical 

historical events from the birth of Christ to his death and 

much more. 

Since, time was running out on our trip we decided 

to follow up the invitation of our young Sicilian friend, 

Angelo, and visit his home in Trapani where we received 

an exuberant welcome. While not as large as most 

ancient Sicilian cities it became important in 260 B.C. 

when it was known as the harbor of Eryx (Erice), the 

name being derived from the Greek word “sickle” as both 

t he city of Messina and Trapani at opposite ends of the 

island have sickle-shaped promontories making them 

excellent harbors. Trapani is almost two cities, the one 

section with its narrow streets and fantastic fish markets 

(couscous being their specialty), and the new town with its 

maze of one-way streets and rather hideous architecture. 

The shallow lagoons south of Trapani have been used 

for salt production since ancient times. Traditionally 

windmills were used to pump the water from the great 

pans. However, the trade is now undergoing a revival with 

modern methods. . 

After our exuberant welcome to Trapani Angelo insisted 

that we spend our last two days here so he could show us 

some of the most fascinating sites. And so it was that on 

our last day in Trapani Angelo and his charming fiancé, 

Lolita took us on a trip to Mount Erice, his favorite haunt. 

We drove through a lush agricultural area where groves of 

fragrant orange, lemon and olive trees and vast vineyards 

of Marsala grapes lined both sides of the road en route to 

the steep winding road up the mountainside. We passed 

the Temple of Venus, the Pepeli Tower, the Church of Saint 

John, the crumbling remains of the Baliol Tower, and a 16 th 

century Church. Little wonder these mystic mountains 

are called Aholy mountains. 

Angelo pulled off the road in the shadow of the crumbling 

ruins of an ancient convent and parked in the shade of a 

spreading almond tree. We sat on gnarled benches while 

he told us many fascinating stories of how the grey-clad 

nuns wearing wing-shape hoods ministered to the poor 

mountain folk, courageously defending them and the 

Convent in the face of grave danger from marauders. 

While we listened to accounts of these ancient saints 

lovely Lolita was busily laying the most exotic picnic 

lunch she had prepared, complete with Trapani’s famous 

Marsala wine served in small, exquisite goblets. Angelo 

blessed the food and we ate in reverent silence. Seated 

here on the mountain overlooking the calm blue Ionian 

Sea one could feel a soothing spiritual presence of the 

holy women who once dwelt here. Following a toast to 

our friendship and another to the upcoming nuptials, 

we reluctantly left this sacred place and headed back to 

reality. 

It’s precious moments such as this that have enriched 

the tapestry of my life and confirmed the sage advice of 

the poet who wrote: “Strangers are friends we haven’t 

met. So pass no stranger with unseeing eye, God may be 

sending a new friend by.”


Page 37



It Started with a Kiss, 

Then a Lump 

by Alison Solomon That is the question! 

Will my problem be solved or must I extract myself 

from my Ajijic paradise to remedy this evil threat to limb 

and life? 

Wednesday, just over a week ago my elbow struck 

the cement wall as I rounded the corner at Zaragoza 

and Colón. Small shooting funny bone pain caused me 

to drop the empty suitcase. A quick rub, grasp of the 

handle, I was briskly on my way. 

Four O’clock next morning I swung the suitcase onto 

the truck bed as I prepared to air freight my wife to 

Tacoma for a well deserved visit with small pleasures. 

Small evil twinge at the elbow as I released the bag with 

a thud. The wife and I met the summoned taxi at the 

front gate, exactly 4:30 AM. A quick kiss and my lady 

was on her way. 

Lonesome me closed the gates and retreated to the 

casa. Second cup of coffee to my lips brought the twinge 

behind the elbow to speak saying, “evil is nearby.” I feel 

the pea-sized lump on not so funny bone, “Ummm pretty 

sore, bet it will be gone by tomorrow.” The remainder 

of Thursday was long walk, followed by nap and ending 

with back yard grilled steak. “Sorry you missed, it my 

lady,” I thought. 

Daybreak Friday, the lump was a marble filled with 

pain, no fever. “Oh hell, evil or no, this is another Mexico 

day to enjoy,” I remind myself. The morning rolled into 

dusk as an Ajijic walk about, writers group meeting caped 

by a superb Nueva Posada lunch among born liars. Some 

laundry and lawn water finished another fine day. 

“Damn that lump hurts but I bet this Tylenol fixes 

it.” 

Saturday, woooaa, marble to large nugget and it’s not 

gold.” Hot, swollen elbow, tight enough, movement is 

restricted. Evil inside me definitely has my attention. 

Morning walk was a search for the best doctor around. 

Asking around and sometimes showing off my evil elbow 

I was met with several names but Dr. Garcia won the 

numbers game. 

Monday was as soon as anything was going to happen 

no matter what evil condition existed within worried 

body. Bedded down with all the pain relievers I could 

stand for a restless, lonely, Saturday night. 

Sunday found the swelling down to my knuckles. Heat 

remained and skin stretched tight covering the swelling 

elbow to knuckles. Color still good and circulation in 

tact, but worry me, worry you, was coming on as the 

hours passed. Most of the day spent with evil arm above 

my head where it felt the most comfortable. Lots of rest, 

but a wasted day in wonderland. Home alone, with evil 

and loyal cat. 

Monday morning came unhurried as if it were 

deliberately prolonging my evil pain. Dressed, driven 

and standing aside the Maskaras Clinic front door when 

the receptionist showed. We discussed the possibility 

of an appointment with Dr. Garcia and I discovered I 

had found the best Dr. in the Chapala Lake area with no 

opening till THURSDAY 10:AM. 

I headed east to Chapala where I would could pick 

up those boots I was having soled. Climate perfected by 

Supreme overseer, was on target again as comfort in the 

outdoors eased my pain, as I strolled the side walk 

A farmacia sign to my right reached out and banged 

dumb head screaming, “Try me, and try me.” I stepped 

to the counter, presented swollen evil elbow, and 

explained in perfect English its condition to the Mexican 

lady. She stepped from behind the counter and led me a 

few steps down street and pointed to a sign next door. 

“Dr. Adoniram Consultation, 20 pesos.” I thanked the 

lady and inserted evil elbow in the small waiting room 

alongside three young mothers with babies aboard. 

“Twenty pesos, not even two dollars, can this be true,” 

kept turning in my head as I waited my turn. 

My time came as Doc motioned me to the door, as 

he’s asked, “Español?” 

I replied “Poco Español,” and asked, “Habla English?” 

He replied with, “A little”, extending hand with his 

thumb striking the first joint of his index finger. 

Already at ease, we worked out the sign language and 

broken Tex-Mex to strike an agreement on treatment. No 

nurse, the Doctor recorded all the information, weight, 

blood pressure and prognosis along with description of 

the evil within my arm. His prescription for antibiotics,


Page 39 

painkiller, and diuretics along with instructions for 

several blood tests to be done at a lab after one night 

fast was all written one piece of paper. Paid my 20 pesos 

to the Doctor and he showed me to the door of his small 

one room office. We were to meet tomorrow when the 

blood report was ready. 

I walked to the farmacia next door and handed the 

lady the small paper. She came back with the required 

medicines and a bill for 77 pesos. Ummm I thought, 

“Doctor visit and medicine for 97 pesos, must be a quack 

or Mexico is for real.” 

From farmacia, to shoe shop for the boots, and a short 

drive to the casa with swollen evil elbow still miserable 

and inescapable. 

Home at last with cat at my side we took our medicine, 

turned out the lights elevated the evil arm, and put sleep 

in the way of the pain. 

Tuesday morning, “no pain, no pain, wow no pain.” 

Just one evil football implanted in my arm. Skin color 

was better than I expected but fingers were stiff and 

bloated. With this small encouragement I dressed and 

drove to Maskaras Clinic Lab for the blood work. 

In at 8:30 AM out at 8:40 AM, with results to be ready 

by an unbelievable 1:00 PM. 

A walk, breakfast, followed by lunch and back to 

the clinic for the results. Paid a ridiculous price of 230 

pesos. The blood test results were placed in my hand for 

safekeeping and delivery to my doctor. “What do you 

know, in Mexico you get to see the lab report before the 

doctor so I am already nearly as smart as the doctor,” I 

thought. Blood report looked within the norms except 

for two indicators I didn’t recognize but assumed they 

meant I had a bacterial infection. 

Enough conjecture, back to Chapala and Dr. Adoniram 

with report in hand. Doc welcomed me, checked blood 

pressure and nonexistent temperature of the evil elbow. 

He was pleased the heat had faded and surmised the 

antibiotic was working. Doc admitted he didn’t have the 

answer just yet. “Lets do an X-ray see if there is a break 

or a foreign object in the elbow,” he suggested. On a 

fresh scrap of paper Doc wrote the instructions for the 

X-rays and instructed me, one block north, two blocks 

east and to the right. 

Into the City X-ray Lab at 4:00 PM, paid ridiculous 250 

pesos, out at 4:15 PM with X-rays in hand. 

Wednesday morning, up early, thinking the swelling 

was a smidge less. Skin color was a little darker but no 

worse than I had expected. I paced the floor, dressed, 

had too much coffee and eggs while waiting for sunlight. 

X-ray in hand I seated myself among three young 

mothers and their offspring. My turn with Doc was much 

as I expected. No fracture and no indication of the evil 

within my elbow. However Doc’s trusty measuring tape 

detected a slight decrease in the circumference of the 

swollen elbow. He told me to keep up the antibiotics 

and return in a week if all has not returned to normal. 

Paid the ridiculous price of 20 pesos gathered my X-rays 

and headed Ajijic-ward. Promised myself as I drove past 

Maskaras Clinic to be out front 10:00AM tomorrow. 

Thursday morning found a subtle but welcome 

improvement in less evil elbow. Well I thought, “I better 

check with the recommended Dr. Garcia to be sure, 

besides we need a family Doctor on the payroll.” 10:00 

AM I was face to face with Garcia doing his own paper 

work, asking questions, examining records and X-rays. 

We agreed it was an evil arm and agreed we could not 

nail down the exact cause. He agreed with my 20-peso 

doctor as to the treatment and recommended I continue 

the program at least another week. “If the fever returns, 

immediately stop the current antibiotic and start this 

new antibiotic I am prescribing,” Dr Garcia instructed. 

We discussed the possibility we might have to culture 

the evil but he recommended we not puncture the 

elbow unless forced, as we might introduce more 

problems. Paid the recommended doctor fee of 350 

pesos to reaffirm my faith in Mexico. Garcia seems better 

than most doctors with whom I have been associated. 

However, I am a poor judge of doctors as I don’t see one 

‘til, evil takes my brave ignorance away.



The First Hard Fall 

by Bernardo Picaso Translated by Louise Drummond 

One evening at the 

beginning of the month of 

November: my son spoke to 

me by telephone, “Yesterday 

afternoon my nephew 

Jorge came to tell me, “I 

want to invite you and my 

grandfather. On the last day 

of this month I am going to 

marry.” 

I was very happy. For a 

long time I have wanted 

to be a great grandfather-- 

-I hope that this gallo does 

not disappoint me. From that day on the great talk 

of the family was of Jorge’s coming wedding. Among 

many things was mentioned the place where the event 

would take place: “It is a large and pretty space, but its 

furnishings are all made of plastic, so it is cold.” Most of 

note: the tuxedo, the black shoes, and coat for the cold 

room. The tuxedo I shall rent, the shoes I shall buy. And 

the coat? I will also buy it. Ni modo, it can’t be helped, 

but I will not be cold at the wedding of my dear grandson. 

On a splendid blue skied morning, accompanied by my 

wife, I walked to the Plaza del Sol to buy my coat for the 

wedding. 

Having managed to get us there, upon passing the 

restrooms at the mall, I needed to urinate, and I said 

to my wife, “Wait for me. I am going to the restroom.” 

It only takes a second for things to happen in life and I 

tripped, and unfortunately, fell, nearly breaking the step 

with my forehead. But the step did not break. It was 

clear that I was the worst off. My forehead, according 

to my wife, oozed a lot of blood. She became alarmed 

and asked for help, which we was graciously given. The 

mall’s paramedics arrived right away. They looked me 

over, asked me questions, bandaged the wound, gave me 

a pill, and serum. The only thing they didn’t do was to 

give me a mint for the bad taste in my mouth. 

Suddenly I heard a series of datos, facts, which 

I did not understand. One paramedic asked the other, 

and he asked me, “Where shall we take you?” Without 

thinking much I said, “I am the play thing of IMSS,” 

and once again, I lost. They put me into a Cruz Verde 

ambulance. I excitedly thought, “At last, I am going to 

travel in a vehicle with a siren,” but that day was not my 

lucky day; they didn’t even use the horn. They took me 

to Emergency where they put me onto another gurney, 

and delivered me with the case history tucked below my 

feet. They left me in a corridor because there was no 

room in the emergency room. I was not alone in the 

hallway, but had the company of other sick and injured 

people. In less than half an hour a tall, black haired, clear 

eyed doctor with a smiling face arrived. He read my case 

history and yelled, “Who will suture this patient?” From 

far behind me a woman’s voice said, “Me,” and a short, 

young, pretty blonde opened a passage until she got to 

the doctor. She looked at me coldly, tore off the bandage, 

the hemorrhaging started again, the doctor topped the 

wound with gauze, and to my newly arrived son, said 

“Put your hand here and don’t take it away until I come 

back.” As luck would have it, he finished his shift and did 

not return. 

The doctor on the next shift ordered that my wound 

be stitched. The nursing supervisor said to him, “The 

patient has waited an hour for the surgical unit for his 

treatment.” At which, I had lost hope that they would do 

a tru-tru on me, they took me to a room about six by six, 

so small that they couldn’t turn the gurney around, but 

an attendant found a way to put the light over my bed so 

that the intern could stitch me. The intern covered my 

face with a white towel. I could hear, but saw nothing. 

A voice ordered, “Lupita, get me two number seven 

curved needles, and number ten thread. Now the voice 

is a woman’s and says, “There are only number four and 

number five needles, and I brought you number seven 

thread.” Again, I heard the voice of the intern consulting 

with the doctor in charge, “Suture with this thread and 

these needles?” “Yes,” said the doctor. “There is no 

other.” 

“How will my face look?” I thought. The intern 

started to instruct me, “Don Bernardo, I am going to use 

a local anesthetic which I will inject into your forehead 

several times. It will not hurt much.” After twenty 

puctures, all of which hurt, he asked me, “Does it hurt?” 

I answered, “Yes, it hurts a lot.” “That can’t be. Your


Page 41 

forehead should be numb,” he answered. “It seems as 

if you haven’t been anesthetized.” At that moment I 

heard the doctor in charge order the intern to proceed 

to sew. Eight of the stitches I could feel; four I could not. 

I thought, “With this, I pay for all my sins.” Sewing my 

forehead lasted two hard hours. 

Then they took me back to the same corner in the 

Emergencies corridor. A doctor came near and, very 

seriously, he told me that I had to rest for half an hour 

before getting an x-ray. I stammered to the doctor that 

my accident was at 11:00 a.m. because of going to urinate 

and I had not done it yet. He looked at me and signaled 

to a nurse, “get a pato to the patient.” and continued on 

his way. After more than ten minutes, the nurse came 

back with a cut off Coca Cola bottle, and gave it to me, 

saying, “We don’t have patos.” After a while the medic 

came back and asked me, “They gave you the pato?” 

“There were none.” Yelling, he ordered the nurses: “Find 

him a bedpan.” He hurriedly walked away and came back 

immediately, carrying the bedpan above his head. 

Can you imagine the embarrassment that I would have 

felt trying to urinate in a bedpan in that great hall? On 

seeing the doctor with the bedpan in hand, I anxiously 

called, “Hasn’t the half hour of rest that you ordered 

passed?” Looking at his watch he replied, “Yes, it has 

passed. Can you walk?” I shouted, “Yes!” “Then stand 

up and go urinate.” 

On returning to my “private room” in the corridor, 

and finally over the torment of not urinating for several 

hours, I waited for the expected x-ray. My son, desperate 

because of the time that had passed, asked the radiology 

technician, “How much time until you take my father’s 

x-rays?” The reply was, “Two hours, more or less. We 

have a lot of patients with urgent problems and very little 

equipment.” My son went to the administrative offices 

and got my release. In ten minutes I entered a private 

hospital. In less than thirty, I left with a release order in 

my right hand, and with the diagnosis of an orthopedist 

and a neurologist, based on x-rays taken. I did not have 

any large lesion. 

Within a week of my accident, I went back to 

the Plaza del Sol to buy the coat to attend the wedding. 

The marriage was celebrated and I was there with my 

right arm in a sling, a cane, and dark glasses, but with 

an elegant tuxedo and a big smile. It was a very nice 

wedding, elegant and happy. The dinner, the drink, and 

the music were first class. When I was happiest, dancing 

with the sling and the cane, the sargento called out, “It’s 

time to go.” Oh well, it was two in the morning. We 

arrived at the house and on entering, my daughter said 

to me, “Papa, you left your coat in the trunk of the car 

and you didn’t wear it.” 

In bed afterwards, I thought, “So much trouble and 

I didn’t even wear the coat. I hope I can change it for 

underwear.”



The Last Laugh 

by Diann Gilster 

One evening sitting on our veranda, a cold Margarita in 

hand, and totally in awe of our surroundings, and loving 

life, our world suddenly jarred with loud, distinctive 

whamp, whamp noises. My significant other and I 

looked at each other, bewildered. The noises were very 

close…in fact, right in front of our house. We listened 

for a bit longer, and Bill, being the investigative half of 

our domicile, got up out of his chair. 

“I’ll go check it out…don’t drink my Margarita.” 

The man has an amazingly long memory about some 

things, and is by nature rather suspicious that way. It 

was a standoff between him leaving to investigate until 

I uttered my promise. “I won’t drink your Margarita.” 

So, Bill left, and making no sound. The whamps 

continued outside the stone wall. He slowly eased open 

the door and looked to the right. The sounds were 

identified. We have a huge, 35 ft mango tree just inside 

our stone wall. Of course, a tree that size has quite a 

branch spread so it covers half of the street. For years, I 

suppose, Mexicans have enjoyed the mangoes off of our 

tree, and rightfully so…the tree belongs to Mexico, to 

the Mexican government, and to the Mexican people. 

No problem there. We were happy to have this tradition 

continue. 

As Bill peered out of the gate, unseen by four middleaged 

señoras, the whamps were louder. Two of the 

women had long stick poles and were swinging at the 

mangoes in the tree. As the mangoes fell, the other two 

women were picking them up into their shawls. But 

sometimes, only sometimes the stick pole missed the 

tree limb, and the swing of the stick abruptly stopped 

when our truck took the hit. There were a few soft 

giggles at this point, and probably a few oops, in Spanish, 

of course. And yes, the mangoes themselves were also 

contributing to the truck sounds after landing on the 

hood from a 10 or 15 ft drop. 

Bill quietly closed the gate. He came back to the 

veranda agitated. Curses, why had he parked the truck 

under the mango tree? What a quandary: We are in 

our new country and we’re facing a God-given right of 

the local people to get those mangoes out of that tree. 

Thoughts of the Ugly American flashed in my head. But, 

our truck! What to do? 

Realizing the enormity of the problem, I too became 

unsettled. I even went so far as to reach for Bill’s 

Margarita, but thankfully caught myself. Trust is such 

a delicate issue in a relationship. And I had to stay on 

track here. 

As Bill walked in circles on the veranda, beating his 

chest, crying out, “What should I do? How can I stop this 

and still be a ‘good’ guy?” he suddenly stopped dead in 

his tracks. There, lying on the table, he spied salvation. 

He picked up the remote alarm for the truck. 

Without flinching, he pressed the panic button. As the 

horn sounded and the lights flashed, we heard shocked 

squeals and some oh, ohs, from the women. And then, 

over the stone wall, were the departing tips of two tree 

poles, bobbing erratically down the street. The senoras 

were horrified that they had set off the truck alarm. As 

Bill turned around, triumphant and justly proud of his 

victory, he caught me putting down his empty Margarita 

glass. 

We’re both still enjoying our unintentional last laugh. 

The situation was defused in a warm and caring, nonconfrontational 

manner, yes? And further, we like to 

think the senoras are still laughing: they were as they 

rounded our corner and hightailed down the street, 

adrenalin pumping perhaps just a tad faster than their 

legs, with their bounty tucked tightly in their shawls… 

hoping not to lose their mangoes.


Page 43 

Memories of His Youth 

by Thomas Hally 

Recalls his childhood, less happy than sad 

He the toddler, with Mom and with Dad 

They loved him dearly, all cheery it seemed 

Then Pop turned his interests to Jim Beam 

Mom not pleased, restraint does not rule 

Dad drinks while his kid is away at school 

Son had no idea of what Mom went through 

His father spilling his guts like beef stew 

One eve boy returns; finds Mom all alone 

Pop at Duffy’s Tavern; getting stoned 

When he came back, all Hell broke loose 

Beat up his wife, made no excuse 

Once day breaks, stressed mother tells son 

“Go to the cellar, hide whiskey; hide rum” 

Kid sneaked downstairs; did as was told 

T’was really a move that was very bold 

All of a sudden, gets caught by his Dad 

Sot pulls out a rifle; says “You are had!” 

Kid reacts fast—old man authentic! 

Jerks it from his hands; Mom is frantic 

Daughter gets married; Pop turns sour 

At local bars, spends many an hour 

Returns to the garage, face red hot 

Half-pints of whiskey and smokes a lot 

Gets worse; Old Man slaps kid around 

Not for long, son is muscle bound. 

Fears kid and says “stick with the books” 

School his bête noir; drinks with Pat Brooks. 

Gives son a lift, one day after work 

Dad is not well; lacks color, lacks perk 

The parish priest is called; gives the Last Rites 

Dad coughs and dies on the last of his nights. 

Looks back at Dad; glad he intervened 

But try as he might, no effects were seen 

Gone at fifty, a drunk and chain smoker 

Hoped kid would turn out like Bram Stoker 

Feels better now, got it off of his chest 

Advice to young ones “Your parents the best? 

Keep them happy; if that’s in your power 

—One never knows the day or the hour!”. 

Arte de Mexico 

English Language Books. 

Great Gifts & Souvenirs 

in all sizes and prices to 

take back home. 

766-4979 

16 de Septiembre #13, Ajijic 

Open Mon. - Sat. 10-4; Sun. 12-4



An Impure Fantasy 

by Jim Rambo Papa Bear and Momma Bear 

Once upon a time in a far off country, there was a Papa 

Bear and a Momma Bear. The bear, formerly known as 

Baby Bear, had grown and gone on to work at a hedge fund 

deep in the woods. Papa and Momma lived comfortably 

in Castle Den, their historic home in Gumshoe Ville, a 

blue collar bear neighborhood. Those inhabiting nearby 

dens loved them. Papa was just months from retirement 

as a honey taster with Honeydew Corporation. He had 

worked hard his whole life but had never felt comfortable 

because of mortgage payments and tax raises that always 

seemed to increase more than his meager wages and bear 

bennies. 

Momma and Papa decided to retire in Mexico. They had 

learned that the country was bear-friendly, particularly up 

in the cool mountains, and that costs were reasonable. 

And so The Bears sought out a retirement specialist, the 

Sly Old Fox. Fox came to the house one night, under cover 

of darkness, and sat down with the Bears to discuss their 

plans that were only in the cub stage. 

“You know, Bears, my inside information is that the real 

estate market will take a dive in a few years. That doesn’t 

bode well for your plans for Mexico. Your equity in Bear 

Castle Den is going to be reduced dramatically and that 

scenario could affect your retirement dreams. Being the 

Sly Old Fox that I am, I have a serious suggestion for you. 

Because you have been at the mercy of banks and other 

unscrupulous lenders your entire lives, you may find my 

proposal amusing. On the other hand, your ‘responsible 

side’ might find it downright offensive. In any event, here 

it is”: 

“People have called me, the Fox, a predator but I’m 

a piker compared with the banks today. These guys are 

throwing money at their clients. Why? Because they 

have built interest escalation clauses into their supposed 

‘give away mortgages’. Interest rates will soar in just a 

few years, balloon payments will be incorporated in many 

of their loan documents and guess what? Poor working 

folks like yourselves are gonna be unable to keep up with 

their mortgage payments. Foreclosures, with attendant 

lawyers’ fees, will be rampant for certain. It’s all quite 

predictable but the banks and real estate lawyers, out of 

incredible greed, are ignoring it completely. It borders, 

even to a Sly Old Fox, on the criminal. Instead of being 

victimized by this sophisticated scam, however, you’ve 

got to be proactive. Yeah, that’s the term, ‘proactive’, so 

hear me out.” 

“Jack up the value of your home however you can. 

Paint it, put in new light fixtures and otherwise clean 

it up…on the cheap. Then find yourselves a friendly 

mortgage broker to appraise it. The broker will be more 

than giddy, in today’s ‘go go’ market, to give you a high 

appraisal. After all, his own broker’s commission will be 

based on the value of the loan to be given, right? Then 

take out a loan as high as possible on Castle Den, with 

the assistance of your good broker, no matter what the 

outrageous terms might be. They’ll probably suggest 

starting off at a mere one percent, just to lasso you bears 

in. But the fact of the matter is, you will be doing your 

best Little Red Riding Hood imitation and lassoing them 

instead. So listen a while longer to what this Old Fox has 

for you…. 

With the loan in hand, put the Castle Den up for sale at 

a price even higher than the broker’s appraisal. It won’t 

sell because the broker was way high to begin with. You 

have to give the impression anyway that you believe in the 

possibility of a sale that would pay off your indebtedness. 

But, of course, there will be no sale, no matter how much 

advertising is done, no matter how many showings you 

have and no matter who the real estate agent may be. In 

this cautious buyer’s market, no fool will bite; not even 

on this historic Den. Now comes the interesting part: 

Buy your dream den in Mexico. Take all of the equity 

that you bled out of Castle Den and spend it on a haciendastyle 

den befitting all your labors over the past 45 years. 

Get one with a swimming pool and a casita den for visits 

by Baby Bear, when he can drag himself away from the 

hedge fund. Make the mortgage payments on Castle Den 

to demonstrate your good faith efforts at a sale until the 

first interest rate adjustment is implemented by the new 

mortgage company. Then you call the company and tell 

them that you’re not making another payment. Oh, I can 

see by the looks on your faces that this will be a radical 

move for you stand up bears. But think about it real hard 

for a moment. 

The mortgage company will be up to its ears in 

foreclosures by then and the stock market will surely 

be for bears only too. They will try every way to make 

you reinstitute payments. They will forgive back debt 

and they’ll waive penalties but, importantly, they will 

not waive the interest increase on your loan or agree to 

modify it. If you insist that you refuse to pay, they will 

threaten you incessantly. Their calls will be on the area 

code for Far Away Land via Vonage so they won’t know 

that you’re already in Mexico. Your credit rating will be 

shot, but who cares? You’ll be in Mexico’s cash society! 

Finally, they will threaten to issue a 1099 for any debt that 

they may decide to forgive on the loan. You’ll be told that 

it could be as high as $150,000 and that you will have to 

English 

spoken 

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Page 45 

claim it as income next April. 

But “don’t worry, be happy”: 

a bill is anticipated soon that 

will stop the banks from 

issuing those 1099’s and 

threatening their mortgagees 

with tax consequences. 

Your hacienda in Mexico 

will be mortgage free, your 

Honeydew Tasting Company 

pension will be free from 

attachment by creditors here 

in Gumshoe Ville and the 

same will go for your Social 

Security payments. How’s 

‘bout that for a sweet, sweet 

treat, bears? Is the Fox Sly or 

what? Give me a hug. Er, on 

second thought………. 

The Sly Old Fox could see 

that Momma Bear was fretting 

as she leaned forward in her 

middling-size chair. Poppa 

Bear looked very concerned 

as he sipped from his great 

big bowl of porridge. “Look, 

Fox,” Poppa began. “We’re 

gonna have to hibernate on 

this one. There’s a lot of 

information to be digested 

here and it’s gonna take a 

while. The last thing we 

want is to get caught up in 

a trap.” 

The Fox nodded. He 

understood the difficulty 

involved in such a decision. 

“If you remember back a 

few years, there was a very 

strange guy who caused big, 

big problems. His name was 

Humpty Dumpty, as I recall. 

Well, think about it this way. 

Today’s Humpty Dumpty is 

the banking industry. Trust 

me, they are about to take 

a great fall. You can either 

profit by the fall or stand 

mute when it happens 

and watch your Mexican 

retirement plans evaporate 

with the egg white. But this 

I promise you: 

“All the king’s horses and 

all the king’s men are never 

gonna work it all out.” With 

that The Sly Fox rose, his 

large red ears pressed back 

against his head and his tail 

went bushy as he opened 

the den door to leave. “I’m 

counting on you two to do 

what’s right for you. It’s 

Mexico or Never Never Land.” 

He winked and closed the 

door behind him.



The Diamond Shamrock Goddess 

by James Tipton 

At age 65, Edna Schneibel felt like she was not only 

going to survive but that she was really ready to blossom. 

Her husband, Wayne, had passed away five years earlier, 

dying on his John Deere tractor, slumping over the steering 

wheel as if he were falling asleep while Edna watched 

helplessly from her kitchen window. He left her with no 

children, a large mortgage and a little insurance that was 

now exhausted--circumstances that forced Edna to look for 

work. 

Edna dyed her hair dark, dabbed some line-lightener on 

her country skin, took a deep breath, stood tall before the 

mirror and wished herself luck. Then she applied, during 

the course of five exhausting weeks, at over three-dozen 

places in her little community in western Colorado, a town 

that seemed almost unfamiliar to her now, so different from 

the town she and Wayne had done business in for more 

than four decades. 

Finally the manager at the Diamond Shamrock service 

station at her edge of town told Edna he would be “happy 

to have her on board.” She grinned broadly and said, “Well 

thanks, Captain, it’s nice to be on board.” She and Wayne, 

although they had their own gas tank on the farm, had been 

here quite a few times over the years. She knew the type of 

people who stopped here--mostly rural, older, although on 

weekends there were lots of teenagers as well. She would 

be working the 4:00 pm to midnight shift. 

On those plastic cards the teenagers handed her, she 

realized most of those nice young women now had names 

like Jessica, Brittany, Ashley, Megan, and Stephanie and the 

young men names like Joshua, Justin, Tyler, and Brandon. 

But many of the young men, and most of the old, had names 

that had been around forever, like Jim, David, Bill, John, 

Tom, and Bob. She couldn’t remember whether a customer 

had ever handed her a card with the name Edna. The name 

Edna always seemed a bit quaint to her, but so had been the 

beloved Welsh grandmother after whom Edna was named. 

Edna loved names. She liked saying them out loud. She 

liked to thank each customer by name. As in most rural 

communities, many of her customers were middle-aged or 

older men, and many were regulars who came in at least 

once a week. She liked to call them both by their first and 

last names, but more and more she noticed she preferred 

to call them by their last names. As they came through 

the door, Edna found she liked to stand up straight and 

almost curtsey, and then greet them, “Good evening, Mr. 

Elliott,” “Good evening, Mr. Fitzpatrick,” “Good evening, 

Mr. Samsel.” 

When she first began doing this, she would make a little 

mental note, some little detail to help her remember each 

name. Tom Elliott, who always walked in wearing a worn


Page 47 

cowboy hat, became in Emma’s mental notes, the son of 

Wild Bill Elliott, the popular western star of the late 1940s. 

John Fitzpatrick became a descendant of the famous Irish 

rebel, Red Fitzpatrick. Some names were more difficult, like 

David Samsel. But Edna enjoyed challenges, and so David 

became a descendant of two Biblical heroes: King David of 

course, but also Samsel, the brother of strong-man Samson, 

the one who managed to avoid all the dangerous damsels 

like Delilah. Edna did this with dozens of names. 

Everybody, young and old, loved the attention Edna 

gave them, loved hearing their own names repeated by this 

rather plain looking but always smiling cashier whose hair 

was steadily returning back to white. 

The older men, mostly farmers and ranchers, particularly 

loved it. They always stood up a little straighter as they 

came through the door. 

Not many weeks went by before Edna noticed that some 

of them were dropping in more and more often, although 

all of them, she believed, had wives at home. She also knew 

that at age 65 she was no cupcake. She was not going to 

become a fantasy for any of them. Still, though, they would 

drop in to have a hot dog or a cup of coffee, to have a bit 

of old-fashioned courtesy, sometimes to treat her to a coke, 

although they never called her “Mrs. Schneibel” but simply 

“Edna.” 

Mr. Elliott apologized one night for dropping in so often. 

“Edna,” he said, “I just can’t stand watching another rerun 

of that television show “Friends.” What he really needed 

was to see real friends, and Edna was a real friend. 

Mr. Fitzpatrick, whose wife was dying of cancer, told 

Edna, “It helps me to get out of the house for a while, just a 

little while.” 

Mr. Samsel always said, “Edna, my wife is wonderful, and 

I’ve got nothing sad to say about my life. I just like to get up 

and do something for a few minutes in the evening.” Edna 

had discovered through another customer that Mr. Samsel’s 

only son had been killed in a hit-and-run the previous year 

and that both he and his wife were being treated for severe 

depression. 

As the weeks went by, Edna began to introduce the 

strangers to each other. Then the evenings, which were 

usually slow after eight o’clock, began to change. The little 

gas station on the desert became a place to not only sell 

gas and milk and soft drinks, it became a place where, 

because of her presence, something useful was happening. 

The men began talking with each other, wondering about 

their lives, and why everything they had been used to had 

changed so much and so fast. On some nights Edna heard 

something like, “All I can say is it sure is nice to have some 

real friends.” 

Now Edna closed up the station each night, content. She 

knew her destiny somehow was being fulfilled in helping 

these lonely men find happiness. Each night when she 

arrived home she took a shower and then slipped into bed, 

sleeping soundly and waking to the sun coming through her 

eastern window. She still missed Wayne now and then but 

she began to realize at age 65, she was actually the happiest 

she had ever been in her life. 

One night at closing time several familiar cars pulled in at 

once. Edna saw her regulars walking across the lot toward 

the door. One of them carried a package. When everyone 

was inside, Edna opened it and lifted out a lovely pink sweat 

shirt. It was decorated with hand-painted flowers, and in 

the center, in large, bold letters, she read: 

EDNA 

THE DIAMOND SHAMOCK GODDESS.



Maestros del Arte 

by Marianne Carlson Art-Hippocrates to Oscar Wilde 

If Hippocrates or Oscar Wilde said to you, “Hey, if you’re 

shopping for unusual and unique art, be sure you go to 

Galería Maestros del Arte,” would you listen to them? 

Well, I know I might‑would‑well, probably would‑should! 

Galería Maestros del Arte has moved (yet again) to join 

Galería La Puerta in bringing to Ajijic the most eclectic 

collection of art to be found at Lakeside. All this can be 

found at Colon #13, Ajijic. 

Here is what a few famous people from history (and 

one friend) had to say about art. Hopefully, they will 

entice you into our galleries, to explore and learn more 

about the vast array of art available in Mexico, and more 

particularly, here at Lakeside. 

“The color! The color!” A friend visiting me for the first 

time.. 

She was referring to the Mexican art in my home 

that surrounds my everyday life. 

“Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the 

world has known.” Oscar Wilde 

The artisan (he or she) has always been an 

important factor in the equation of their society 

and culture. He earned for himself a certain status 

and a responsible position in society. He made 

things mainly for the use of the people around him 

and not so much for sale in a distant marketplace. 

He was an heir to the people’s traditions and he 

wove them into his craft, making it into an art. 

“Art hath an enemy called ignorance.” Ben Johnson 

I don’t think I would be inaccurate to assume that 

most of Mexico’s visitors do not know very much 

about folk art. Most tourists do not realize that 

pottery they purchased may have been made in 

the same family for generations. Neither do they 

know it can take a month to weave a rebozo. 

And it’s almost certain they are unaware that 

the woman who wove the huipile they believe 

is priced “too high” may give up weaving these 

indigenous garments to weave placemats for 

tourists because she cannot get a “fair” price for 

her work. 

“Art is long, life is short.” Hippocrates 

Craftsmanship has no boundaries and systems of 

government, it outlives republics and empires: the 

pottery, basketwork, and weaving have survived 

Mayan priests, Aztec warriors, and Mexican 

presidents. They will also survive American 

tourists. Craftsmen have no country; they are from 

their village. What is more, they are from their 

neighborhood and their family. The craftsman 

does not define himself in terms of nationality or 

religion. His workday is not ruled by a rigid time 

schedule but by a rhythm linked more to his body 

and sensibility than to the abstract necessities of 

production. As the artisan works he may talk with 

others and sometimes sing. 

“Art is a deliberate recreation of a new and special reality 

that grows from your response to life. It cannot be copied; 

it must be created.” Anonymous


Page 49 

Handicrafts are rightly described as the craft of 

the people. While many of these art forms serve a 

positive need in the daily life of the people, they 

also act as a vehicle of self-expression. The story 

of art and handicrafts goes back into the mists of 

antiquity, when the story of man was beginning 

to advance into an age when the capacity of the 

hands to create was respected, even revered. 

Handicrafts thrived through the ages helped 

by a vigorous folk tradition and a time when 

individualism was cherished, and detail and 

precision were valued. 

Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” 

Pablo Picasso 

When an artist puts his/her brush, pen, or charcoal 

on paper or canvas, they are expressing their view 

of world as they see and feel it. I recently was 

talking with a well-known photographer here in 

Ajijic who believes fine art is not given the respect 

it deserves. I agree with her and would go on to 

say that “art” in general is not respected – I include 

folk and indigenous art in this statement. 

“Art does not reproduce what we see; rather, it makes us 

see.” Paul Klee 

There is no specialized knowledge required to be 

an art collector or to simply purchase a piece of art, 

nor must you spend exorbitant amounts of money 

for it to have value. The value is realized moment by 

moment as one looks at the newly procured treasure. 

What does the work say to you? Do you care? Perhaps 

you seek inspiration, healing, a sensory, emotional, 

intellectual stimulus that enhances your life now and 

stays with you afterward. A piece of art like that is 

one you’ll never tire of. 

Anyone who has traveled to Mexico has been exposed 

to the abundant handcrafts created here. But here at 

Lakeside, we also have many fine artists and photographers 

who bring to life what I like to call “my Mexico” – a piece 

of art, whether a handcraft or a painting that captures the 

color and wonder of this special country. Bringing home 

one or two treasures; is like bringing a bit of Mexico back 

with you. 

Galería Maestros del Arte can now be found at Colon #13 in 

Ajijic. Come in and browse. Marianne Carlson can be reached 

at 045 331 098 4850 (cellphone), 376 765 7485 (home) or by 

emailing mariannecarlson@gmail.com.




Page 51 

The Last Chip 

by Carol J. Ferrell Seven!! 

Hell found me the night I walked into the Golden Spike. 

Entering a sea of stale cigarette smoke, I walked across the 

floor determined not to stop until I reached the rest room, 

and listened to the ringing of the slots as they promised to 

pay, and pay big. Watching the suckers as they poured their 

last coins in, I saw desperation as it crept across their faces. 

And then it was over. They were finished for the night – or 

forever. I hurried past these poor, pathetic bastards, swearing 

I would not become one of them. 

As I pushed my way through the crowd I felt a hand on 

my arm. I turned and looked into the green eyes of a woman 

with blond hair and the biggest tits I’d ever seen. 

“Can I buy you a drink, handsome?” her big red lips said. 

As we moved across the room, she continued talking and 

at the same time steered me to the craps table. Smiling she 

pressed her body against mine. 

“Drink?” she asked. I couldn’t answer, couldn’t think. The 

noise seemed to drown out any thoughts I might have had. 

The excitement started in my feet and worked its way up 

my legs, into my groin; my chest felt as though it was about 

to explode. My body felt alive for the first time in days. My 

sweaty hands started to tremble and I knew this was it. I 

cashed in my last crumpled hundred dollar bill and took my 

place at the table 

The blond was back with a drink.. I placed my bet. The 

trembling stopped as soon as I took the dice. 

“Come on seven!” And seven it was. She squealed and 

kissed my cheek. I was feeling lucky and placed again, this 

time doubling my bet. 

“Snake eyes!” I cried, as the dice bounced down the green 

felt, and hit the bumper – snake eyes it was. I was hot, in 

fact I was on fire; there would be no stopping me. The night 

was mine, I would make it all back and my worries would be 

over. 

The blond stood at my side, leaving only to replenish my 

drink. Watching my pile grow was a turn-on to end all turnons. 

I removed one chip and put it in my pocket. My pot was 

up to 150 grand and growing, the crowd, five deep around 

my table, cheered me on. I could do no wrong. “Let it ride,” 

was all I said and called out my lucky number. 

Then as quickly as she came, Lady Luck vanished taking 

my winnings, along with my hope. The crowd thinned and 

the blond was nowhere in sight. Remembering the chip in 

my pocket, I placed my bet. “Seven!” I screamed. The house 

won with a pair of two’s. The blond was long gone, the crowd 

disappeared and I was left standing alone in my puddle of 

piss. The dealer pointed me towards the rest room. As I 

turned I bumped into the janitor with his mop and bucket. 

Hearing laughter as I made my way across the room, I kept 

my head down, wanting to be invisible. The wet stain on 

the front of my trousers would not yield to the daubing of 

the paper restroom towel. I turned and looked in the mirror, 

seeing a long drawn face and vacant eyes, and wondered, 

Who is this poor pathetic bastard staring back at me? 

I made my way to the front of the casino and hurried out 

into the blistering sun. Only noon and already the hot air was 

thick with humidity, and I could barely catch my breath. The 

heat came up from the pavement, making it almost impossible 

to move my legs. I looked around the almost deserted street 

trying to decide which way to go, then realized it made 

absolutely no difference. I had nowhere to go. I moved closer 

to the building, hoping for some relief, but the small amount 

of shade did little good. I made my way to the corner and 

turned off the main drag. 

Half way down the block was the Spike’s loading dock. 

I found some empty space under the ramp and crawled in 

backwards on all fours. I hit the back wall, pushed my back 

up and tucked my knees in close to my chest. Christ it was hot, 

hotter than hell. I must have passed out and was awakened 

by something scratching my face I tried to open my eyes, but 

the scratching continued, making it almost impossible, The 

wetness on my cheeks ran down my neck and a strong stench 

burnt my nostrils. Then I heard the screeching noise and 

realized it was rats. My legs were numb from being bent for 

so long. Flailing my arms to drive away the rats, I managed 

to roll on my stomach and drag myself out. 

Standing outside my hell hole, I remembered a place where 

I would be free from the chains that bound me. I hurried out to 

the street to get my bearings and walked the next few blocks 

as quickly as I could. Not only was my head pounding, but the 

stench of the rat piss on my upper body and my own urine 

soaked trousers, caused my stomach to convulse. I scurried 

along and then there she was, the beautiful American River. 

Not wanting to draw attention to myself, I walked slowly on 

the river bank, then sat and waited for everyone to leave, 

knowing that soon I would be out of the bowels of this hell, 

never to return….



Home Inspector 

by J. Brad Grieve Timeshares 

This may not sound like a real estate or home 

maintenance issue, but I thought my experience was worth 

sharing. Recently, my wife and I purchased a vacation 

package offered by our bank. And after various delays we 

finally managed to take the kids to Puerto Vallarta for a 

four-night stay at one of the beachfront resorts. 

Shortly after arrival, we were greeted by a hotel 

“employee”, who offered a free breakfast buffet and hotel 

orientation tour. Yeah, yeah… free breakfast and a tour? 

After a few questions, we thought why not. We have been 

through it and we were curious about all the small villas 

on the property, how they were configured, how much 

they rent for, special facilities, etc. 

After the promised 90 minutes extended to more than 

150 minutes, we were at our limit with the vacation club/ 

timeshare promotion and were not interested after being 

confused by the numbers during the presentation. I found 

the presentation to be very aggressive and to say the 

least, after correcting the math of the presenter several 

times, confusing. Remember, timeshares are not a real 

estate investment but a membership to access vacation 

programs, even though it appears you are sharing a specific 

accommodation. 

Anyway, the final number was $14,900 for a junior suite 

that sleeps four and has a small kitchenette. Apparently 

promising use of it once a year for 25 years although it was 

not clear it was for every year and the maintenance fees 

were $250 USD per year. Now using simple net present 

value calculations and assuming my money can normally 

earn about 2% over inflation, I actually would be paying 

approximately $1,300 USD per week over the next 25 

years. Considering the advertised rate for the same unit 

was $250 USD per night (or $1,750 USD per week) without 

promotion or discount. I am sure the hotel would provide 

a discount if I was looking for a one week rate. 

I was not impressed with the effective discounted 

rate, the upfront payment and the lack of control of the 

maintenance fees, which likely would increase. Also it is 

a commitment for 25 years of vacations, which is longer 

than my economic commitment with my own house and 

my children’s education. However, what is interesting 

the secondary market for timeshares. There are various 

websites that promote timeshares for sale and typically are 

available for much less than the promotional “new” price 

available from the developers. This is partially due to the 

high cost of promotion; in some cases as high as 50% of the 

cost is marketing. This secondary market for timeshares 

is essentially one person selling their timeshare to another 

person, if the timeshare contract permits the sale. 

Now there are some benefits to timeshares which include 

access to the RCI (Resorts & Condominium International) 

network, which will allow you access to places around the 

world at discounted rates however, you will need to be 

flexible on dates available. Also if you enter a system with 

points, you are at the mercy of the value of those same 

points. There of course is a cost to enter the network and 

annual fees, deposits to put on a vacation unit, etc. 

Remember, read your contract thoroughly and assure 

everything discussed is in the contract. Also PROFECO 

(the Mexican government consumer protection agency) is 

available to help you if you feel you have not been fairly 

treated. By Mexican law you do have a five-day cooling off 

period after signing should you want to cancel the contract 

with a full refund of deposit. 

On the novel side of timeshares, I have learned of people 

that have economized their vacations by planning their 

vacation around the bonuses they receive for the timeshare 

presentations. In some cases, timeshare promoters will 

give cash to draw in clients for their presentations. One 

case I read about was a person who programmed timeshare 

presentations for the morning and afternoon to receive the 

cash bonus that in total effectively paid for the vacation 

with the money received. Sounds too much like work 

during a vacation and isn’t a vacation to help get away from 

a work schedule? Hence the question; what is the value of 

your time during a vacation? I know the time sitting at the 

table with the presenter when my daughter was pleading 

to go to the swimming pool, was very valuable time for 

me.


Page 53 

Isabelle 

by Bill Frayer 

We think we see your spine 

As we gather intently 

‘round the screen 

To view the grainy disk 

Your parents brought to 

Mexico 

To demonstrate their 

fertility. 

You do not know the world 

Into which you are about 

To be thrust. 

Will you shine or struggle? 

I think I see your foot 

And now perhaps your face, 

Inscrutable and silent, 

Reserving judgment on us 

all. 

Your heart, tiny and furious 

Belies your otherwise 

buoyant repose, 

And I wish I know 

What it will hold dear, 

How often it will break, 

If it will carry you well 

Through tears and tragedy, 

And how it will pound with 

passion 

Against some lover’s breast 

In darkest nights ahead. 

I think I see translucent 

eyes 

Peering into vacant space 

And I wonder what they’ll 

see 

Eighty years from now 

When we are gone and you 

remain. 

What will you think of us?



Mexico Lindo 

by Judy King Comparisons... 

A few years ago I read a comparison of how Mexicans and 

other residents of North America rank the priorities of their 

lives. 

US/Canada Mexico 

Money Family 

Status Basics for Survival 

Belongings God 

Achievement/Power Relaxation/Fun 

Family Status/Title/Position 

God Money 

It’s no wonder that ex-pats living at Lakeside sometimes 

have a hard time understanding and accepting the Mexicans’ 

ideas about work, relaxation, fiestas, and the mañana 

syndrome. In fact, it disturbs some of us to our core—because 

it makes no sense at all—and doesn’t fit into our way of 

measuring success. We are firmly focused on money, status 

and achievement—and sometimes think our way is how folks 

should organize their lives. 

We were raised according to puritanical standards which 

say that hard work, efficiency, punctuality, catching up on 

home projects on holidays, and working to the detriment 

of family and health are honorable and desirable attributes. 

Working as much as possible is a sign of respectable, 

successful people; plus there is the added end result of those 

upstanding habits…money. The thought of taking time away 

from work for a party just doesn’t compute for many of us. 

Our Mexican neighbors and friends learned other lessons 

from their opposing culture based on the lingering memory 

of the forced employment of peons on Mexico’s haciendas. The 

release from that fiefdom-like servitude gave many Mexicans 

time to exchange proper greetings, the freedom to work 

regulated hours and released them from endless work days, 

non-existent weekends and holidays, and schedules set by a 

taskmaster. Having free time after work, on weekends and on 

holidays to relax with friends and family is vitally important 

in this society. People need fiestas, parties, concerts and 

dances, and time at the plaza—these activities all enrich 

personal relationships and keep families and neighborhoods 

interacting and remind folks that their time is their own. 

Working for the sake of money, in place of time with the 

family is counter indicated. Here’s what happened a dozen 

years ago, right here at Lakeside: 

A local factory needed to ship an urgent order, but by 

the time the production problems were cleared up, Semana 

Santa (Holy Week—the week before Easter) was looming. The 

employees traditionally took time off work from Thursday 

through Sunday. The factory paid only for Friday. After having 

an inspiration, the gringo managers offered to pay the 

employees double time on Thursday and Saturday and triple 

time on Friday—and give everyone a the entire week after 

Easter off—with pay. 

It was the perfect solution—the truck would get out on 

time, the customers would be happy, the managers would 

be happy and the workers would have extra money for the 

time off the following week. It was a win-win solution—they 

thought. 

Can you imagine the managers’ shock when not one worker 

was willing to work those days—even with the promised 

bonuses? It has taken years for me to unravel the situation 

and come to understand the simple explanation. The money 

didn’t impress the Mexican workers; they wanted the time 

with the family—on those specific days. It was better to be 

with family without money than to delay the celebration and 

have enough money to go to the beach or throw a big party. 

It wasn’t about the money, it was about being together. . 

How could that extra pay not be important? Take another 

look at that chart of priorities—and then consider the 

proverb Alan Riding provided in Distant Neighbors: A Portrait 

of the Mexicans: “Mexicans revere the past, live for today and 

expect tomorrow will take care of itself.”


Page 55 

The Tables Turn 

by Roger Johnson Opus One and Opus Two 

Opus One 

I had been a manager for a decade and eight, 

And a good one I’ve been told. 

Three promotions had been my fate, 

And my salary increased five fold. 

As I look back and recall, 

And assess in an unbiased way. 

What did I accomplish after all? 

Who had I helped each day? 

I counseled fair and sometimes long, 

There was a tear or two, 

Career, family, life; no right or wrong, 

Decisions made, a start anew. 

Now it’s my turn, the crossroads near, 

I found myself not needed, 

And I am experiencing that awful fear, 

Alone, uprooted, frustrated, pleas unheeded. 

To have talent one day, And then not any. 

To be earning my pay, And then not a penny. 

Contributions past don’t count, 

I’ve become a liability. 

My manager’s problems seem to mount, 

Helping me is not a priority. 

Should I have been more political? 

Would that provide visibility? 

Or is it business pressures, however radical, 

That is forcing this on me? 

It’s time to move, or change, I know, 

To what I cannot say . 

Believe in yourself, that you can grow, 

And again you’ll find your way 

Opus Two 

The kids were three and five back then, 

And their mother went back to work. 

A new degree, hot in my hand, 

But no job, Oh God, it hurts. 

Two years, I’d said, a promise not kept, 

Our problems grew, and feelings were stuffed, 

Things were said, often cruel, but not meant, 

And the shouting just widened the gulf. 

After ten years, I sit. . . divorced, alone, 

While her career blossomed five fold. 

From weakness grew strength unknown, 

At the expense of a relationship, now cold. 

For better...for worse, I cry out at night, 

We can, we must, risk one more try. 

My heart believes this union is right, 

What awaits? . . . a heaven sent high. 

I offer my heart to listen, 

Hands and eyes to communicate, My arms, a 

strong, silent haven, And gentleness to nurture our fate. 

My senses ultra-tuned, any minute there may be a sign, My 

stomach churns, but my hope remains brave, Her unsure 

wish, that my love should die on the vine, Oh, but this love 

I will carry to the grave.



Energy Experts Live What They Preach 

by Louise Drummond Making a difference 

Barbara Bannon Harwood, known to friends as Pia, is 

the beautiful scion of a brilliant family. Her father was 

a professor of Chemistry and Physics in Nebraska. Her 

grandfather was a County Commissioner; her father a 

City Councilman and mayor. I can imagine her growing 

up in that down to earth, big sky country, out in nature 

enough to form questions about its substance and its 

cycles, and having a father who could explain the natural 

phenomena she encountered. At the same time, she got 

to witness her grandfather and father live out their own 

can-do attitudes. She also had an allergy to many things, 

including formaldehyde. All these facts would figure large 

in her future. 

Having had curiosity encouraged, she became a 

journalist and honed her ability to ask questions while 

working for the Chicago Sun Times. It was during her 

time there that she and her children took food one winter 

day to a poor urban family. They found a hungry elderly 

couple living in a cold, drafty apartment, freezing wind 

whistling through its leaky windows. Harwood and her 

family brought back plastic to cover windows, a small 

heater, and used carpet to warm the floors. She left there 

with a spiritual epiphany, wondering how she could help 

to create better housing for the poor. 

The universe always answers our questions, and 

shortly, as part of a work assignment, she was sent to 

do a story on a small passive-solar house in southern 

Illinois. The occupants had the same income as those of 

the family she had helped earlier in Chicago, but these 

people had enough to eat, and their home was warm and 

comfortable, tucked into a south-facing hill and fronted 

with glass to capture the sun’s heat. The southern Illinois 

couple needed only $30 per winter to heat their house, 

burning half a cord of wood in an iron stove. The Chicago 

couple was spending $500 every month, their entire 

Social Security check, to pay rent and fossil-fuel based 

power heating. 

The advantages of passive-solar design were instantly 

apparent, and she began to lobby to use passive-solar 

concepts and energy efficient construction in designs 

for low-income housing, demonstrating their cost 

effectiveness. At that time, in 1980, there was very 

little literature on the subject of low-income housing 

and energy-efficiency or passive solar heating. Through 

her research and active lobbying efforts, she literally 

changed perceptions of what could be done with low-cost 

housing. She began with Owens-Corning, manufacturer 

of fiberglass insulation products, pointing out to them 

that they could sell more insulation if they advertised 

how much fuel the increased levels of insulation would 

save. They took the bait, creating the EPDS, or Energy 

Performance Design System, now called the Pink Panther 

Program. She gave her first public speech on low-income 

housing and energy issues in 1989 on the podium at a 

housing conference with the venerable Senator Alan 

Cranston. At that time the government was spending five 

billion dollars a year to cool and heat public housing. She 

said that was a ridiculous waste of money, and suggested 

they start improving the energy efficiency of the buildings 

to reduce the bills. 

Having researched the fields of passive-solar 

architecture and energy efficient building materials, in 

1984, Harwood started her own low-income housing 

construction company, BBH Enterprises, in Dallas, Texas 

where she put in a small subdivision. Until the sale of that 

company, and the subsequently created Enviro Custom


Page 57 

Homes in 2002, she created more than 500 units of 

new construction and rehabs that employ passive solar, 

maximum cost-effective energy efficiency, and healthy 

building principles. It was her innovative custom homes 

that won awards for her. She won the Energy Value in 

Housing Award given by the US Dept. of Energy every year 

from the time of its founding in 1996 until 2002 when she 

sold the company. 

She likes to say her hobby is amateur experimental 

physics, and doing her own experiments, she developed 

new principles for healthy buildings that eventually resulted 

in her best-selling book “The Healing House ,How Living 

in the Right House Can Heal You Spiritually, Emotionally, 

and Physically.” Her own allergy to formaldehyde had 

forced her to think about the implications of tight 

houses and indoor air quality, particularly the materials 

placed in buildings that outgas chemicals. Eventually, 

she became known as the “Lady House Doctor,” often 

called to assist very sick people in improving their indoor 

air quality. Considered the expert in her field, she has 

lectured at conferences around the world, including 

keynoting the International Solar Energy Conference in 

Adelaide Australia in 2001 and at multiple universities, 

including Oxford, and the University of Colorado’s School 

of Architecture. 

She and her husband, Donald Aitken, architect and 

nuclear physicist bought a house at Lakeside. Built in 

classic hacienda style U form, with the western leg 

longer than the eastern, it has plenty of window walls 

situated to catch the sun on the south, and solid walls 

on the west to protect from the hottest sun. Their small, 

newly constructed passive solar, naturally ventilated 

casita/oficina maintains a temperature of 72 degrees, 

day and night with no auxiliary heating system, and 

80% of household electricity is generated through solar 

collectors. Their hot water comes from solar thermal 

collectors. They have done all of this while still teaching at 

the Frank Lloyd Write School of Architecture, speaking by 

invitation to Mexican government officials at the highest 

levels, and while each is writing a book. 

A group of people calling themselves the Chapala 

Green Group, a Yahoo! Group, has formed around them. 

The first meeting, there were about ten people; the third 

meeting, there were sixty. As in many groups at Lakeside, 

there are people attending who have great expertise; all 

have a commitment to making a difference in measurable 

terms. Many are there to prepare themselves for the 

coming hard times to come from global warming. Other 

people frustrated with the slow pace of government to 

respond to global warming, take note: you can make 

a difference if you just have a little information. With 

Barbara Bannon Harwood and husband here, it is going 

to be an exciting time.



Home repairs are suddenly needed, fix it right away. 

Deal with old reliable firms in all that you do now. Something 

unpleasant happens with a friendship…is it alcohol related or 

old age memory loss? Mar 5 th brings unexpected good news, 

perhaps a buyer for your home. 

You will find yourself in the limelight whether you 

like it or not. If you are an actor or singer this is a wonderful 

time for you to excel. Conceit could be a problem. You may 

feel alone and verge on depression, don’t let yourself go there. 

Keep your spirits up. 

An adventure trip could be just the answer, one 

that makes you climb mountains or travel the rapids. You 

are skyrocketed to fame. Money spent in your home is well 

worth it, beautify your surroundings even more. Mortgages 

and loans are arranged with no hitches 

The energy bunny, that’s you. Just keep going. Join 

a fitness group, enrol in a Spanish class, get a pedicure, and 

change your wardrobe. Make a new person out of the old one. 

Travel arrangements are forthcoming, March 5 th is a great day 

to make them or leave on a trip. 

All new moons are powerful for you, this one on 

March 5 th is no exception. Around that time your finances 

will receive a boost suddenly, perhaps an inheritance or a win. 

You are dealing with “illusion, delusion, and confusion” in a 

partner, room mate or close friend. 

A sudden proposal, (the right kind), or a new business 

relationship is on the horizon. Be prepared to respond 

affirmatively. Delays and frustrations may continue if you are 

not fully organized. Make tidiness an obsession you control. 

Work opportunities expand. 

Pluto’s entrance into Capricorn may put extra pressure 

on you. Do not dwell on what used to be, but breathe new 

life into all troubled relationships. You can do it. This is a 

renewal time for you to make major life changes. Put fear 

aside and do what you know you should. 

Travel plans work well. Take a trip that enables you 

to participate in the activities as opposed to just sitting there 

on the bus! Sit on the edge of the volcano that you have 

walked up to! Or, let your life erupt into chaos. Friends can 

be counted on to support you. 

A heavy responsibility has left you until June when 

it returns again until December. Then the pressures of your 

life lift and take you in a different direction. This is a most 

uplifting time for you. All going well, money should fall from 

above, get ready to catch it. Enjoy. 

From now until June, then again from December on 

for many years, your life will take a major direction change. 

You will feel less the weight of the world and more the joy of 

love and of being. People may even catch you skipping down 

the street, but I would advise caution on those cobblestones! 

You are either highly creative during this period or in 

a state of major confusion. If the latter, don’t make any big 

decisions until this passes. If however your creative vibes are 

flowing then go with that flow as you will have some great 

ideas…sure, they cost money. 

This is your month Pisces with the new moon on 

March 5 th in your sign. It will set the mood for your year to 

come so be aware of what you put out to the cosmos on that 

date. Some of your desires will take longer to happen, however 

you should see changes happening within the month. 

Crossword Solution (from page 70)


Page 59 

Zip and Easy 

by Rose Britt-Hugh 

“Mom, last night Mike and I 

camped along the American 

River. We met this guy, and he 

told us all these weird stories. 

We made a fire, and as we sat 

there talking, he walked up 

and said, “This is my ceiling.” 

Said his name was Zip, and his 

dog was Easy. 

We drank a little wine and he 

told us he’d been in Vietnam. 

Said he’d had a job once way 

up in Oregon, tending 26,000 

sheep. But one morning he 

woke up and saw a wild man 

riding a lion and whipping it 

with rattlesnakes. The wild 

man picked up one of the 

sheep and tore it in half and 

ate it. Zip said he told that 

wild man to eat all he wanted. 

“Bein’ the sheepherder that I 

am.” 

Said one night he heard a 

noise in the barn, so he shot 

his gun five times into the air, 

“Bein’ the sheepherder that 

I am.” But that morning the 

owner’s wife came and told 

him her husband was going to 

kill him because he had shot 

their horse five times. So he 

up and ran away. 

Said he was hitchhiking and 

a trucker picked him up and 

they began to talk. The trucker 

complained about his wife a 

lot, sayin’ he didn’t want her to 

get his money when he died, 

so he made out a will leaving 

Zip his truck and $50,000! 

Then he died on the spot! So 

Zip drove the truck with Easy 

all over the country. “Bein’ the 

truck driver that I am.” And 

Easy drove the truck, too. 

They were in Bend, Oregon, 

and he ran into his old friend 

Jake, who had a patch on 

one eye. Jake talked him into 

entering an ostrich race. So he 

rode that ostrich 40 miles an 

hour, hittin’ it on the head with 

a broom to make it go. Said of 

course he won the race, “Bein’ 

the ostrich-rider that I am.” 

But then he ran into a wall. 

Then, one time he and Easy 

were riding their motorcycle 

up in Calaveras and they ran 

into Hell’s Angels. He invited 

them to a bar and bought 

drinks for everybody and 

then they decided to have a 

motorcycle race. So Easy got 

on and rode around a while 

and then Zip got on with Easy, 

and left them in the dust! 

“Bein’ the biker that I am.” 

“So, what do you think, 

Ma?”



Have Mouse, Will Write 

by Eloise Hollyfield Surfing for Mexico 

Some great works of 

literature have been penned 

at Lakeside by writers known 

worldwide --D.H. Lawrence, 

Tennessee Williams among 

them. There’s no shortage 

of fantastic writers today at Lakeside, either. For those of 

you who harbor a desire to try your hand at writing, perhaps 

some of the sites listed below will motivate, encourage, and 

educate. 

What is a writer? A writer, according to Webster-Merriam, 

is “one who writes.” No kidding. Perhaps “author” would 

be a more appropriate term? I rather like the Encyclopedia 

Britannica definition: “One who is the source of some form of 

intellectual or creative work; especially one who composes a 

book, article, poem, play or other literary work intended for 

publication.” Regardless of the term, writing is the required 

action. 

There are, of course, many types of writing, and each 

genre has unique requirements. Still, good writing requires 

one to have a basic understanding of the rules of grammar, 

punctuation, composition, and word usage. If you feel you 

need a refresher course in these areas, you may find the 

following sites useful: 

English grammar and composition: 

http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/links.html 

http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/; 

http://www.grammarbook.com/ 

http://www.writing.com/?rfrc=inkspot.com 

Vocabulary: 

Commonly confused words: http://writing2.richmond.edu/ 

writing/wweb/conford.html 

Dictionaries/thesauruses: Merriam-Webster at http:// 

www.m-w.com/ and http://dictionary.reference.com/ are good 

resources; specialty dictionaries (e.g., medicine) are readily 

available online –just do a Google search. 

Quotations: http://www.internet-resources.com/writers/ 

wrlinks-quotations.htm 

Assuming you know the basics of good writing and/or are 

willing to double check such matters when necessary, what 

do you do next? Essentially, you need to learn about the 

writing process through research, online writing courses in 

the genre of interest, writer conferences, etc. You especially 

need to learn about the business of writing for publication. 

You see, it isn’t enough to be a good writer, or even a great 

writer. You must know what is involved in getting someone 

to actually read your work. Allow me to illustrate by sharing 

with you my first writing-for-publication experience. 

Several years ago, a friend told me about the wonders of 

the palownia tree ( really, it’s not as boring as it sounds!), and 

I wrote an article about it and sent it to Mother Earth News. 

To my surprise, a $250.00 check arrived in the mail a couple 

of months later. I decided that maybe I could be a writer --a 

real one. From that moment on, I read everything I could get 

my hands on about magazine writing. I bought books, and I 

subscribed to both The Writer and Writer’s Digest Magazine. 

I learned to write a good query letter and I have had more 

acceptances than rejections of my work. I did not become 

a full-time professional writer; responsibilities to my family 

and my teaching profession permitted only the occasional 

writing endeavors. The point is this: no matter how good a 

writer you are, there’s a great deal to learn if you want to be 

a published writer.


Page 61 

Writer’s Digest (www.writersdigest.com) is, in my 

opinion, the best place to start if you are new to writing for 

publication. The following are available: 

(1) Writer’s Digest Magazine filled with advice for writers; (2) 

Book Club featuring books by noted authors in their specific 

genres; (3) interactive online writing workshops; (4) contests; 

and (5) Writer’s Market. The Writer’s Market, general edition, 

is published annually and offers specifics about the needs, 

requirements, and pay of major publications in a wide variety 

of areas. In addition to purchasing the book, there is an 

available online. The online version isn’t as extensive as the 

book itself, but it does offer the most current changes in the 

publication market; it also provides tools for keeping track 

of your writing, submissions, etc. There are also specialty 

books such as the Fiction Writer’s Market. Naturally, each of 

the offerings within Writer’s Digest has individual costs. 

The Writer (http://www.writermag.com/wrt/) is similar 

to the Writer’s Digest Magazine, but it is only published bimonthly. 

Lakeside is fortunate to have talented authors of plays 

for stage and screen, and I feel certain many of you are 

specifically interested in this form of writing. If this is 

your passion for writing, you should most definitely check 

out http://www.playwriting101.com/. This is an online 

tutorial that covers the types of plays, story structure and 

development, dialogue, and much, much more. 

In addition to honing your writing skills and improving 

your chances for publication, the resources listed above offer 

one more very important thing: encouragement! By reading 

about the experiences, good and bad, of professional writers, 

you will gain confidence in your own abilities and come 

to realize that you, too, can become a published author. 

Writing, ultimately, is a solitary activity, so you should also 

consider joining the Ajijic Writer’s Group to share with and 

learn from like-minded people. 

Best of luck to you in your writing endeavors!



Pen Knife 

by Tom B. Stephenson Scrivener and Grandfather 

My grandfather had a pen knife. Not an ordinary 

one, but a magical knife. He used it for extra-ordinary 

feats. H carried it in his pocket, so I suppose you might 

have called it a pocket knife, but he also had a sharpener. 

That couldn’t have been carried in his pocket, for it was 

about two inches wide, eighteen inches around, and was 

made of sand stone. It sat on a wooden tripod, with iron 

fittings, and a foot pedal, and was kept in the back yard 

ready for instant use. 

Of course, there have been many kinds of knives 

through the ages. When a lad I had a jack knife that fit 

in a pocket of my lace-up boots. But grandfather had a 

pen knife. What use could he have had for a pen knife? 

For one thing, he used it to get a sharper blade than 

most knives had. His were of tempered carbon steel, not 

stainless. He claimed that stainless steel blades would 

not hone to the sharpness he needed, so he spent many 

an hour on the grind stone, honing the blades to the 

keenness he desired. He checked his work by shaving 

the hairs off of a portion of his fore-arm. When the hairs 

came off without the least little tugging, the blade was 

ready to use. Not before! Barbers used razor strops to 

fine-tune straight razors back when barbers shaved faces, 

but for Grandfather the grindstone sufficed. Since he was 

a Methodist Missionary preacher, he took his impatience 

out on the grindstone instead of cussing. 

A pen knife is a small folding instrument, originally used 

for cutting quills to make a pen nibs. To make a quill pen, 

the wing feather of a goose or crow is first hardened by 

drying. The quill is then cut to a broad edge with a special 

pen knife. A scrivener was a person who could read and 

write, normally secretarial and administrative staff who 

kept business, judicial, and historical records for church 

and government. St. Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo, used 

teams of such scribes, often six at a time, dictating to 

each in turn. They had to recut their quill pens frequently 

to maintain their edge. By the 18th century the width of 

the edge had diminished and the length of the slit had 

increased, creating a flexible point that produced thick 

and thin strokes by pressure on the point rather than by 

the angle at which the broad edge was held. 

Grandfather may have used his pen knife to whittle a 

goose feather, but I doubt it. He used it for whittling! Of 

the many things he made, with his whittling I remember 

mostly his whistles. Whittling whistles was usually a latespring 

occupation. He would select a sturdy twig from a 

branch, about three-quarters of an inch in diameter. He 

rolled it between his palms until he could slide the bark 

from the wood. a lengthy process. Cutting off a section 

about four-inches long, he cut a plug from the long end 

of the twig, then cut a short piece at the whistle end, 

He then cut a v-shaped notch in the bark and cut that 

off at an angle to form the business end of the whistle. 

Reassembling the lot, he went “TOOT - TOOT”, which 

could be heard clear across the wood lot. And in saying 

that, I realize that even without preaching, Grandfather 

taught!


Page 63 

Verso 

by Larry Reeves The Library “F” Word 

Recently the New York Times carried an 

article about the non payment of library 

fines, and for some library patrons, the 

consequences when fines are consistently 

ignored. The old dime a day fines are a 

thing of the past. A quarter a day is the 

going rate in most libraries. (Note: The 

Lake Chapala Society library recently raised their fines 

to two pesos per day.) The investment a library makes in 

a book does not end with the purchase price. There is a 

considerable amount of time and some money spent by 

personnel to process the book before it can become part of 

the library collection. With book prices being what they are, 

and inflation, it is no wonder fine rates have increased. 

The library, above all, wants to get their book returned 

to their collection. Some libraries have in frustration turned 

to collection agencies or local law enforcement agencies for 

assistance. The fine is meant to prod the patron to return 

what was borrowed. For some unknown reason returning 

borrowed books has its own complicated psychology. 

I have loaned books to people who would never for a 

moment think about cheating me out of $25 but have no 

qualms about not returning my borrowed book and in at 

least one case denying they even borrowed it. So imagine 

the plight of the library with thousands of books to track 

and thousands of borrowers who may or may not be book 

honest. For some large metropolitan public libraries, the 

outstanding fines are in the millions of dollars so I was not 

surprised to read about the drastic measures taken by them 

to try again to get their books returned. 

This last resort of the libraries is drastic, at least drastic 

enough to catch the attention of the New York Times. When 

your name is given to a collection agency, it is reported to 

the credit reporting services and you may become a credit 

risk which causes your bank and credit card companies to 

make demands to which you are not accustomed. And all 

because of a couple of books you forgot to return to your 

library. This all may be a case of unforeseen consequences 

except that you have also ignored all those pleading notices. 

I don’t believe librarians are happy about some of their 

patrons losing their good credit scores but I doubt if they 

care much either. Many years ago a friend of mine, then 

the director of libraries of a large New Jersey suburb asked 

the local sheriff for some assistance in retrieving seriously 

overdue books. Since the books were government property 

the sheriff deputies were dispatched to retrieve them and 

demand payment of outstanding fines. Those patrons unable 

to immediately satisfy the deputy’s demands were charged 

with theft and locked up. From the sheriffs viewpoint the 

program was a success. The local newspaper however, 

characterized the sheriff ’s actions as raids and accused 

the librarian of acting unconscionably. My friend’s defense 

was that of unforeseen consequences. He did not want his 

patrons jailed. He just wanted the books back. The New 

York Times considered the story news that was fit to print. 

The Library Journal and Publisher’s Weekly also reported 

on the situation. My friend, a member in good standing 

of the American Library Association (ALA) became famous 

almost overnight, was soon elected to the ALA council and 

saw his professional career move forward. He weathered 

the “overdue book” storm in his community. Unfortunately 

he died of a heart attack while attending an ALA meeting 

Philadelphia a few years later. It is generally believed that 

his death was not due to the stress of collecting fines. 

Not being a public library, I no longer lend books and 

am prepared to forgive all those who return my books after 

reading this column.



Gems in the Garden 

by Yale Weatherby www.mexicanadventure.smugmug.com 

33rd Annual North American Butterfly Count -2007 

3rd Annual Jalisco Butterfly Count – 2007 

We were privileged to have Ms. Kim Garwood of Mission, 

Tx with us for our Annual Butterfly Count in Lake Chapala. 

Kim is the co-author of the premier book “Butterflies – 

Northeastern Mexico”. This book is a bible for those wanting 

to identify the butterflies found in Mexico. She also is coauthor 

of the book titled “Butterflies of Southern Amazonia”, 

which is defined as the State of Madre de Dios in southeaster 

Peru, the State of Rondonia is west-central Brazil, and the 

State of Mato Grosso is 

south-central Brazil. As 

we learned that Kim is 

also a avid “Birder”, as she 

says: Birds and Butterflies 

seem to go together. This 

year, we took advantage 

of Kim’s visit to turn this 

count into both a annual count and educational count for 

us that had never participated in a organized annual count 

stateside. The participants were Yale Weatherby, Philomena 

Weatherby, Gale Streun and Kim Garwood. Our Count Circle 

defined as: Center being the Catholic Church in Riberas del 

Pilar, East boundary being Vista del Lago, West boundary 

being the Racquet Club in San Juan Cosala. We started 

the count at 1030 hrs on 24 September and completed 

the count at 1630 hrs. Areas visited were: Lake Chapala 

Society Grounds, lakeside near Rio Bravo, the cactus garden 

& Mexican Plum Tree on Rio Naza, Chapala Hacienda, and 

Vista de Lago. 

Results of the 3rd Annual Jalisco Butterfly Count – 

2007 

Swallowtails 7 species 

Montezuma Polydamas Giant Broad-banded 

Two-tailed Magnificent Pink-spotted 

Whites 4 species 

Mexican Dartwhite Florida Great Southern 

Mountain 

Sulphurs 8 species 

Southern Dogface Cloudless Orange-barred 

Large Orange Barred Yellow Mexican Yellow 

Tailed Orange Mimosa Yellow 

Blues 1 species 

Cassius Blue 

Brushfoots 11 species 

Gulf Fritillary Mexican Silverspot Texan Crescent 

Zebra Longwing Mexican Fritillary Banded Peacock 

Blomfield/s Beauty White Peacock Juno 

Black-patch Cracker Bordered Patch 

Satyrs 1 species 

Carolina Satyr 

Milkweed Butterflies 1 species 

Monarch 

Spreadwing Skippers 11 species 

Elbella Scylla White-stripped Longtail Zilpa Longtail 

Dorantes Longtail Brown Longtail Staphylus Sp. 

Pallid Sicklewing Sickle-wing sk. Guava Skipper 

White-patched Skipper Tropical Checkered-Skipper 

Grass-Skippers 1 species 

Quinta cannae 

Interesting to Note: On Saturday, we visited the Mexican 

Plum Tree/Cactus Garden and were overwhelmed with the 

multitude of “Blomfild’s Beauty’s”. The fruit of the plum tree 

was just ripe enough to attract those butterflies who feed on 

rotting fruit. There were approximately 50 – 60 Blomfild’s 

Beauty feeding in this single tree, Kim stated that she had 

never seen that many Blomfild’s Beauty at any one time. At 

the same time, we saw two (2) Gray Crackers in the vicinity 

of the Plum Tree. On Sunday, we drove up to Mazamitla to 

observe butterflies at this higher elevation (7,300 ft); we 

were surprised to find a large mowed lot in a gated area that 

had 12 – 18 “Pipevine Swallowtail” obviously searching for 

host plants on which to lay their eggs. They didn’t seem to 

mind the intrusion into their area, but continued to search 

for the plants. We put Kim on the Bus for McAllen Texas, she 

left one day to early, as on the 26th September, we had about 

12 – 18 Juno butterflies cruising around our yard, looking to 

lay eggs on our “Passion Vines”, while 200 – 300 caterpillars 

are gorging their way through the passion-vines.. What a 

sight!!! Juno butterflies lay a cluster of about 100 eggs at a 

time at a single site, while many other butterflies lay single 

egg on 100 sites.


Page 65 

ANIMALS 

Animal Shelter 17 

Dr. Delfino 29 

ART/GALLERIES 

Aimar Stained Glass 32 

Arte de Mexico 43 

Aztec Studios 44 

Belva & Enrique 57 

Galeria di Paola 45 

Maestros del Arte 48 

AUTOMOTIVE 

Goodyear Fuentes 46 

Linea Profesional 51 

S & S Auto 51 

BOUTIQUES 

Arati 56 

Diane Pearl 13 

El Palomar 25 

Mi México 35 

Opus Boutique 8 

Telares Los Reyes 36 

BUILDERS & 

BUILDING SUPPLIES 

Automatic Garage Door 29 

Carol’s Homebuilding 33 

Dist. del Lago 19 

H+M Construcciones 42 

Hogar Ceramico 52 

Home Services 6,27 

Lake Chapala Master 

Builders 45 

CHURCHES 

Baptist Church 4 

ENTERTAINMENT 

Northern Lights Festival 16 

FUMIGATION SERVICES 

Bugs R Us 14 

FURNITURE & DECOR 

Cabo do Mundo Center 

C&D Furniture 31 

Electroventa 32 

Mueblera del Lago 61 

Ricardo Fernandez Center 

Tecnicos Unidos 63 

Westside Center 

Review of Advertisers 

HARDWARE-LIGHTING 

Galvez Hardware 15 

Ilumina + Decora Center 

Lighting & Design 39 

Prisa Paint 56 

Real Ortega 63 

HEALTH & BEAUTY 

Beauty by Health Clinic 49 

Chelations 43 

Club Oxigen 42 

Corpus Novus 4 

Estetica Raquel 33 

Farmacia Cristina 57 

Farmacia Morelos 41 

Spa & Salon del Lago 13 

Total Body Care 46 

HOTELS & BARS 

Casa Blanca 14 

Casa del Sol 35 

Hotel La Estancia 36 

La Casa Encantada 28 

La Nueva Posada 59 

Casa de la Real Aduana 58 

INSURANCE 

AIG Center 

Parker 59 

LAUNDRY & CLEANING 

Escomovil 47 

Lomwell Car Wash 9 

Spring Clean 48 

LEGAL & FINANCE 

Efficient Wealth Mgmt. 28 

HiFX 64 

Intercam 20 

Intercasa 31 

Lakeside Mortgage 

Consultants 26 

Multivalores 67 

MARKETS/PLAZAS 

Puritan Poultry 10 

MEDICAL 

Dra. Aldana 46 

Dr. Don 59 

Dr. Haro 15 

Dr. Heredia 26 

Dr. Reyes 27 

Dr. Jorge Padilla 17 

Hospital San Javier BC 

Maskaras Clinic 41 

Optica Cardona 23 

MISC. SERVICES 

Mail Boxes Etc. 62 

S.O.S.E. 42 

MOVING 

Lake Chapala Moving 12 

Strom-White Moving 23 

The Movers Lakeside 11 

NURSING HOMES 

Casa Nostra 10 

REAL ESTATE 

Adobe Real Estate 22 

Alternative 19 

Absolut Fenix 55 

All In 1 Service 21 

Ambar Inmobilliaria 37 

Casa Mexico 5 

Century 21 3 

Cielo Vista Center 

Elliott Joachim 53 

Four Seasons 54 

FSBO Barragan 25 

FSBO Oliva 32 

Hacienda La Cristina 67 

Hernandez Realty 38 

Interlago 50 

Intl. Realty 3 

Jenny Herren 8 

Jorge Torres 10 

Laguna Real Estate 60 

Laguna Vista 37 

Lake Chapala R.E. Center 

Laura’s Realty Group 6 

Patti Robertson 7 

Raul Gonzalez Center 

Roma Rentals 33 

Tres Marias 53 

Vista Alegre Center 

Vita 24,34 

Lupita Flores 61 

Wright Team 45 

RESTAURANTS 

Armando’s 12 

Beer Garden 32 

Blue Agave 36 

Cafe Magaña 52 

Cazadores 4 

Chung Chinese 27 

David’s Cafe 39 

El Guayabo 57 

Fonda Argentina 40 

Grandma’s Kitchen 25 

Johnny’s Bar/Rest. 35 

Jose’s Illusion 15 

La Bodega 49 

La Nueva Posada 59 

La Tasca 32 

La Taverna 8 

Manix 36 

Mariscos Guicho 11 

Panino Deli 30 

Pizzeria Toscana 44 

Ricki’s Japanese 54 

St. Peter’s 5 

The Garden 32 

Tom’s Bar 7 

Tony’s Restaurant 62 

Valenciana’s Pizza 48 

TEL./TECHNOLOGY 

Adalberto Ponce 46 

Direct Phone Service 43 

Discount Telephone 7 

Lagunanet 26 

Los Alpes Internet 14 

New World Technology 31 

THRIFT STORES 

Nacho’s Trash 

& Treasures 63 

TRAVEL 

Charter Club Tours 9 

Focus On Mexico 19 

WATER 

Albercas del Lago 22 

Tecno Agua 59 

Ultra Pure 18



Crossword by Ros and Dan Stark 

Solution: 

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