Ajijic’s Passion Play has evolved over 3 decades.

This colorful spectacle drawn primarily from Biblical accounts of the teaching of Jesus, his Crucifixion and Resurrection and go to the core of the Christian Faith, arising from methods of evangelization introduced by Spanish missionaries who arrived in Mexico nearly 500 years ago.

The following is the schedule for Ajijic starting with Maundy Thursday, April 5th. Information and schedules for Chapala and San Antonio Tlayacapan are available in the Guadalajara Reporter March 31st.
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The Festival of Patrick is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on March 17th. It commemorates Saint Patrick (c. A.D. 387-461), the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the Eastern Orthodox Church and Lutheran Church.

Saint Patrick was made an official feast day in the early seventeenth century, and has gradually become a secular celebration of Irish culture in general.

The day is generally characterized by the attendance of church services, wearing of green attire, and the lifting of Lenten restrictions on eating, and drinking of alcohol, which is often proscribed during the rest of the season. The lifting of restrictions is always welcome in any culture not the least of which in the Irish culture.

Saint Patrick’s Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador and in Monserrat. It is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora (Irish emigrants and their descendants) especially in places such as Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand among others.

Today Saint Patrick’s Day is probably the most widely celebrated saint’s day in the world.

In our house Saint Patrick’s Day was an even more special day as it was the birthday of my grandfather, Frank Wheeler, my mother, Dorothy Grace Wheeler Walls and my sister, Wendy Anne Walls Cheesman. This Saturday is March 17th and my sister is still with us to celebrate her Saint Patrick’s Day birthday. Our son and his wife will visit her on that day which makes me very happy.

A very early memory I have is a newspaper clipping of a photograph of the three birthday people in The Toronto Globe and Mail. It was a big deal in those days to be in the newspaper.

For many it is an excuse to drink green beer and have a jolly good time whether you are Irish or just Irish at heart.

In major cities there are parades and many different Saint Patrick’s Day festivities which are enjoyed by all ages.

At the very least everyone wears something green and the camaraderie and ebullience of the Irish, not to mention their love of a wee dram, is duly celebrated.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

Christmas is over. The turkey has been eaten, the presents opened and returned and diets gone by the wayside.

Now we have New Year’s Eve to look forward to spending with family and friends. Many are having a quiet dinner at home or going to a house party and many others are going out to one the excellent restaurants here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala to partake of a gala New Year’s Eve Gourmet dinner with dancing and champagne at midnight.
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We have a lot going on this holiday season. All our children are home which is terrific. We are particularly happy our son and his fiancé are back safely from Phuket, Thailand.

We had a lovely adult Christmas Eve dinner at our house with family and dear friends and Christmas Day we also had dinner at home complete with all children and our almost 8 month old grandson and 6 year old step granddaughter. It was terrific to see Christmas through the eyes of young children and we are very grateful for our wonderful family.

We have three more formal dinners to go to over the next week and also a night out of dancing.

Things will settle down January 3rd, 2012 and then we have four weeks of relative peace and quiet before our family from up north start arriving for our son’s wedding in February. My husband, naturally, has invited them to all stay with us which is going to be a serious logistical problem which I will think about later.

By the end of February we will begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel and will look back on this time with fond warmth and treasure the great memories of us all being together.

Serious diets will be embarked on with great enthusiasm and rigid exercise programs reinstated.

Golf dates will resume and life will go on in our beautiful village in the sun.

We would like to wish everyone a Very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. We are all looking forward to 2012 being a better year for all

Well Christmas/Navidad is almost upon us once more and we are all busy decorating our houses for the festive season which drives some of us to drink more eggnog and Harvey’s Bristol Cream Sherry that perhaps we should.

One of things I have always enjoyed about this time of year is seeking out the perfect Nochebuenas (Poinsettias) to adorn our homes and gardens.
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Today, November 24th is American Thanksgiving Day and I want to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving.

I think this is always a good time to count ones blessings and remember all the things we have, in fact, to be thankful for.

We have so much to be thankful for. Our son and his fiancé are returning home next week having been in Dubai and Thailand for over 15 months. Our very good friend is returning for 5 months. My daughter’s boyfriend will be home for Christmas. We will have our first Christmas with our 7 month old grandson and we are all healthy.
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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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Yesterday was Halloween and today is the Catholic holiday of All Saints’ Day and tomorrow November 2nd is All Souls’ Day and also El Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead.

The Day of the Dead is celebrating around the world in different cultures but here, in Mexico, it has attained the status of a National holiday.

It is a day when Mexicans celebrate their loved ones, who have passed on. Altars are constructed honoring the dead and sugar skulls and marigolds adorn these altars along with the favorite foods and beverages of the deceased.
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Fall is officially here and it is decided cooler but still lovely and today is Canadian Thanksgiving.

We celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday as our son-in-law is a chef and has to work today.

It was truly a family affair but without the snow and football games. My husband did the appetizers and pre-dinner drinks. He made barbequed red and white wine salami with country Dijon mustard and chili gueras stuffed with an Asian beef and pork concoction reminiscent of the filling in Crystal Chop, a wonderful Asian dish with iceberg lettuce. He made a pitcher of Whiskey Sours which were very 30’s and reminded me of a cocktail hour with Cole Porter.
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We have lived here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala for 17 years and are proud to be inmigrados. We hail from Toronto, Canada and on Friday, July 1st I was having a drink with my friend, Judy Eager, at La Nueva Posada.

We had planned to go out for dinner when Michael Eager sat down with us and had a beautiful fat hamburger which looked absolutely delicious.

Being July 1st it was Canada Day and all the Canadians lakeside (well at least most of them) had congregated at La Nueva Posada as they do every year to celebrate.
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Yesterday was Mother’s Day up north and tomorrow, May 10th, is Mexican Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day is a very big deal here in Mexico. In fact there is not even a day for fathers.

We have been here for 17 years next month so I have enjoyed many Mexican Mother’s Days. Mother’s Day at the school was fabulous. The kids prepared entertainment for us and special food and drinks. Flowers and poems were always involved. By the time the presentation was over there was not a dry eye in the house. Cards were homemade with love and care and it was especially wonderful to be a mother.

The church also made a big fuss about mothers acknowledging them during the service. We were asked to stand while everyone clapped for us. This was always a moving moment.
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