Christmas is 6 sleeps away and everyone is rushing around trying to get all their shopping for presents and for food done in time. I am one of those people that have nightmares that it is Christmas Eve and I have not done all my shopping. One year, I was particularly clever and I did all my shopping and preparations in November and I had a lovely stress-free December.
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I came home from shopping and various other chores this morning to find all kinds of photographs strewn around the living room.

Our daughter had been cleaning out her room and had found some real gems. Everything now is digital but there is something very nostalgic and warming to hold a real photograph in your hand.
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The New Monday Market at the Hole-in-One Restaurant was a huge success. There were wall to wall people and lots of wonderful sights and smells.

There is a guy from New York who makes the best meatballs you have ever tasted.
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Canadian Thanksgiving is over and Fall began September 23rd and now American Thanksgiving is a month away and winter is in the air.

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.
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There are many diets out there that profess they will help us lose the weight we have put on over the holidays or, for that matter, any gained weight we might wish to lose for a multitude of reasons including quitting smoking.

I have been on most of them from Fit for Life, to the Grapefruit Diet, the Cabbage Soup Diet, the Atkins Diet and countless others including the infamous Drinking Man’s Diet.

I have had varying success with all of these programs but, for me, the best way to lose weight is to reduce bad carbohydratess and exercise more.

When I was younger and needed to lose a few pounds it was as simple as “no bread, no potatoes, no goodies”.

Today it is much the same. Cutting sugar out of your diet will make a huge difference very quickly and you will lose weight which also lowers your risk of heart attack due to high blood pressure, your cholesterol and your blood sugar levels. All of this is very beneficial to your health and well being.

Of course, you will look better and feel better too.

Everyone is different and everyone loses weight differently. Some people like the prepared meals brought to your door as in Jenny Craig or Nutri Systems while others prefer to cook their own food.

Weight Watchers seems to have the best rate of non drop outs and they have a new points plus program which seems to be very effective. You can join Weight Watchers right here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala where they have weekly meetings on Thursdays at 10:00 am at La Nueva Posada. You can also join online for free at the moment but you will not have the benefit (more…)

Well Christmas is over and Boxing Day is winding down. We have been shopping, cooking and cleaning for days and now we can relax.

All the presents have been distributed and gratefully received, meals have been cooked, Skype calls to absent friends and family members have been made and wrapping paper has been saved or thrown out.

Toasts have been made and we can now look forward to New Year’s Eve with friends and family.

We had 9 people for Christmas Eve which ended up11. We had not entertained in our home for some time so it was important to me that everything was spit spot. Silver, copper and brass was cleaned, new blinds for the terrace were bought, noche buenas (poinsettias) were purchased and the house was cleaned from top to bottom and the pool was cleaned lights were hung and all the best silver, china, crystal and linen was cleaned and trotted out.
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Christmas and New Years’s Eve are over and now it is back to the business of 2009.

We usually wait until Three King’s Day (Jan.6) to take down our tree and decorations but I decided to take it down yesterday as today was garbage pick up. We have had our tree since November and I knew if I left it for one more day it would be a naked trunk with a pile of pine needles at the bottom.

Taking down the tree is not as joyous putting it up. Putting all the brightly colored ornaments back in their boxes, only breaking two or three, and making sure our treasured Elvis ornament is carefully back in its place is not a happy chore. Taking down the tinsel, candy canes, strings of lights and our revered snowman which has adored the top of our tree for over 30 years is sobering indeed. Putting away all the candles and assorted other Christmas knick knacks is not our favorite thing to do. Sweeping out all the afore-mentioned pine needles is not fun and, of course, you never get them all. (more…)

Christmas Brunch

I thought I would share my family’s favorite Christmas Brunch recipes with you.

When we first moved to Ajijic, Lake Chapala we were invited to a beautiful home in Upper Chula Vista, Ajijic for a lovely brunch party. The recipe for Stuffed French Toast was given to me (with a great deal of cajoling) after that brunch and we have made it every Christmas since.

We start with Winter Fruit Salad with Citrus Yogurt Sauce which serves 8.

This refreshing fruit salad and creamy sauce both benefit from being made ahead of time. (more…)

There are many ways to enjoy Navidad in Ajijic, Lake Chapala but one of my favorites is the annual production of the Nutcracker put on by the school children of Ajijic and produced by Wayne Palfrey.

When our children were going to Oak Hill School they participated in this wonderful production in various roles ranging from dancing snowflakes to besotted grandfathers.

Attending this show in the Auditorium in La Floresta is a great way to mark the beginning of the traditional enjoyments of the holiday season.

The production is very exciting when your children are cast in various roles but we find it is still most enjoyable when accompanied by our now adult children. (more…)

Every year about this time magazines, newspapers and television are full of heart warming Xmas stories from around the world.

My favorites are those of lonely children who have house pets like a donkey or wolverine and through the magic of the season discover the true meaning of Christmas. They always end with the gruff but hard working father, who has been a real schmuck to this point, saying “I guess I was wrong about your wolverine Johnny. That reward money for saving the town has made this the best Christmas ever. If your mom was alive to see this she’d be very proud of you.” Hugs all around. (more…)