When I go on my daily walks with my dogs the weather is magnificent and although it may be a little cooler at night and in the mornings, afternoons are still warm and sunny.

The yellow flowers have not yet appeared on the mountains heralding the end of the rainy season but they will pop up any day now. You would think this might be a cause for melancholy but, for us, it is far from it.

American Thanksgiving signals the onslaught of the snowbirds and, therefore, the “busy season” which all businesses look forward to with anticipation.

Christmas (Navidad) is a most wonderful time in Ajijic, Lake Chapala, and for that matter in most of Mexico. The posadas, lights, church bells smells of holiday cooking and noche buenas (poinsettias) which are in bloom everywhere make everything seem truly magical.

There are many events to see here and in Guadalajara. One of our favorites here in Ajijic is the Cascanueces (The Nutcracker) which is performed by school children and staged at the Auditorium in La Floresta sometime mid December and masterfully directly for years by Wayne Palfrey. Even though our children, now grown, no longer perform in this wonderful production we still enjoy attending it as a family.

We know that although the weather may get a little cooler in the evenings and one may need a sweater or sweatshirt we will not need hats, scarves, boots, heavy coats and something to scrape the ice off or our windshield. There will be no putting up of storm windows, snow shoveling, exorbitant heating costs and dangerously icy roads to navigate.

Friends and family come for the winter or just for the holidays and there is a wonderful expectant anticipation in the air.

Christmas trees will be put up and decorated with eggnog and carols. When we were first here one had to go to Guadalajara to purchase a Christmas tree but now they are available several places lakeside including Superlake and Walmart.

From now until April is a beautiful time of year and there are so many wonderful things to enjoy in our village in the sun, Ajijic.

Our kids always like to do something for the orphanages and assisted care facilities by either taking food and cooking a meal or delivering baskets full of Christmas goodies. This is a wonderful way to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.

God bless us one and all.

The Rotary Club is having their annual Cinco de Mayo fundraiser for Lakeside community projects to support children in need.

Some of the things the money is raised for are library books, computers, scholarship funds, potable water and self-support skills.

This year the Cinco de Mayo Annual Fundraiser is being held on May 5th, 2011 (obviously) at La Nueva Posada, Donato Guerro # 9 in Ajijic, from 6:00-9:00 pm.

The tickets are $400.00 pesos and include Mexican food, one free drink and live music.

Please come and enjoy a fun evening and support Lakesiude’s needy children.

Tickets are for sale at Diane Pearl’s and for reservations please call 766-3302.

This event is a wonderful way to give back to our generous community who welcomes us to the beautiful village in the sun we are lucky enough to call home.

Also sponsoring the Cinco de Mayo Annual Fundraiser is O&A Investment Funds/Centro Laguna
Tel. 766-4481 or ajijic@oafondos.com.mx

Have a wonderful Easter week-end!

In addition to paying for wheelchairs, orthopedic braces, eyeglasses and other medical equipment, the organization pays for medications, x-rays and diagnostic tests which are not covered by the family’s insurance.

In 2009 they were able to help 220 children and 2008 they helped 229 children.

On their web site: www.programaninos.org they profile a recent Child-of-the-Month. You can click on this photo to see a detailed bio of this young person and get a better idea of what this group is accomplishing.

On the right hand of the web site are links to previous Children-of-the-Month detailing some of the problems the children have encountered and how this group has been able to help them.

Ninos Incapacitados is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization that has been helping kids in the Lake Chapala Area (40 minutes south of Guadalajara) for over 18 years.

They are audited annually by the state of Jalisco’s directorate of charities. (IJAS)

Over 95% of their income is spent directly on helping needy children and less than 5% is spent on fundraising and administrative expenses.

They have many fund raising events over the year and they received 30,000.00 pesos from this year’s highly successful Chili Cook Off of 2010 in February.

The web site also tells you about the various fund raising events and the money made as these well organized functions.

Visit their web site to find out more information and how you can help.

Official tax receipts are available for your donations.

There are many worthwhile charities in Ajijic, Lake Chapala and Ninos Incapacitados was the favorite charity of our dear friend and founder of La Nueva Posada in Ajijic, Morley Eager, until he passed away in 1991.

Although I am sure Morley is missed by almost all of Ajijic including Ninos Incapacitados, it is encouraging to see the extensive list of Recent Donors (also on the web site) who have stepped in to continue to help the children.

There are many very worthwhile charities in Ajijic, Lake Chapala and you will find yourself recruited to help many of them.

Ninos Incapacitados, DIF School for the Deaf, Love in Action, Casa de Ancianos and the Animal Shelter on the carretera across from Arden’s Furniture Store are a few of the most popular ones as they all do so much for so many.

The one that does the most for more people, however, is the Red Cross in Chapala.

The association is always desperate for funding. They need $250,000.00 pesos per month to continue to operate and assist the entire lakeside area with their medical emergencies but only take in $140,000.000 per month mostly from grateful patients.

CRIVC (Cruz Roja International Volunteers of Chapala) meets the lst Wednesday of each month in the Gazebo of the Lake Chapala Society on Independencia in Ajijic. This group is constantly trying to come up with new fund raising ideas and events that make up the monthly deficit.

You can check out the web site for Cruz Roja which is: www.cruzrojacahapala.com to find out what they currently have on the calendar from golf tournaments to bus trips for shopping in Guadalajara.

One of the biggest and best fund raising events of the year for Cruz Roja is the annual “Fashionista” Fashion Show usually held at the Real de Chapala and brilliantly and professionally orchestrated by Cece Girling and ably assisted by Nichole Sergent both from Ajijic, Lake Chapala.

Cruz Roja serve the broadest demographic lakeside providing free services to Mexicans and ex-pats alike. An example of this incredible service is a story of a client of my husband’s who broke their leg while hiking in the mountains above Ajijic. Cruz Roja were contacted and trudged up the mountain with a stretcher to collect the injured person at no cost to him.

Also there are sometimes their ambulance service is the only way one can be safely transported to a hospital in Guadalajara.

There are many volunteers working tirelessly to support this most worthwhile of services to our community so please donate generously when you see them around Chapala and Ajijic.

The emergency telephone # of Cruz Roja in Chapala is 765-2308. Their office telephone # is 765-2553. Please visit their web site to find out how you can help support the Cruz Roja whom do so much for so many every day of the year. They need your help.

In a retirement community such as ours there is no greater service than one that looks after the health and safely of our residents and visitors.

Make Crux Roja a priority on your “Who to give to list”. They will greatly appreciate you consideration and support.

Love in Action Day Trip

Love in Action was founded in 2001 by Anabel Frutos, a native Guadalajaran from poor circumstances, who recognized a need for a safe home for children.

It costs approx. $120.00 US per child per month for a monthly total of approx. $6,000.00 US as there are currently 50-60 children housed at Love in Action from ages 1 – 16.

Love in Action can be a temporary or permanent home for these children.

The Love in Action Center is accountable to a board of directors and also has frequent visits from government officials to supervise the many activities at the center.

Parenting classes are offered as well as skills being taught to the children which equips them for the future to generate income. These classes include English, guitar (Anabel’s husband, Raul, is a pastor as well as a gifted musician), tin sculpting, crafts, sewing and salon training.

They recently moved to a much larger facility which has several buildings and room for the children to play. It is in a poorer part of town, however, located at Pedro Moreno #76 in Chapala.

Every year my family likes to do something for the kids at Christmas and this year they chose Love in Action.

They called Anabel to see what was needed then went shopping at Walmart. They took in and prepared for the kids a pasta dinner, roast chickens, two cakes, drinks and toys.

They played with the kids and had a tour of the facility. One little girl of about 2 years appended herself to my daughter’s hip and could not be pried off. Our friends cooked while our children and theirs amused the kids with games and stories. My son and his friend were a great hit and had the kids hanging off them for the duration.

This was a wonderful experience for everyone and it became very clear that what these kids really need is attention and affection. They love Anabel to pieces but she is only one person.

Of course, many other things are needed and you can visit their website at www.loveinactioncenter.org to see lists of the most important items to make these children’s lives more comfortable. Anabel can alsocan be reached by email at: director@loveinactioncenter.org

They say the best thing you can do for yourself to bring you true happiness is to be of service to others. Love in Action is a great gift, therefore, to you and the children.