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

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.

This year I heard about a nursery that I had previously not been to. It is on San Jose in San Antonio Tlayacapan just down from the carretera and, in fact, you can see it from the highway on the left hand side going down to the lake. San Jose is the first traffic light past the libramiente just before Superlake.

I knew exactly what I wanted and anyone who has lived here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala for a little while knows that we are not always successful in accomplishing everything on our “to do” lists in one trip.

That is why I was so happy with this new nursery that had come highly recommended. To begin with it is larger than any nursery we are used to and there seems to be acres of wonderful plants, flowers, trees, pots and everyone conceivable type, color and size of Nochebuenas. They vary in price depending on size and I was able to purchase the 10 medium sized and one huge red poinsettia that I was looking for. I also bought a very nice dark green glazed pot for the large poinsettia and was very happy with the price.

The service was terrific and my purchases were loaded into my car by a very nice man who was very eager to make sure I was happy and had found everything I wanted.

I will definitely return to this nursery probably this week-end as I just noticed one of my gardenias is looking a little sad and we all need to look our best for the Holidays.

This nursery has a very nice selection of pots in all sizes and colors both natural cantera and glazed.

Prices for their Nochebuenas start at $18.00 pesos per pot and go up to $300.00 pesos and their pots (masetas) run about $100.00 – $200.00 pesos each. Very reasonable prices, very good fresh products and great selection are what this nursery offers.

Feliz Navidad y Ano Nuevo a todos!

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.

We are thankful that we have been able to live in our paradise of Ajijic, Lake Chapala for over 17 years and we are thankful our business, in these challenging times, is flourishing.

We are thankful our best friends are here for Thanksgiving and will be returning for Christmas and that we were able to retrieve their lost luggage.

We are thankful that we will have a lovely family Christmas with everyone together.

I think what we are all most thankful for having my husband’s mother in our lives. Patricia Collins is a most extraordinary woman of whom we are all so very proud. She is the best mother, the best mother-in-law and best grandmother our family could ask for. She has looked after others for most of her life and is beloved and appreciated by scores of people not just family. She has a generous, nurturing and loving heart and has the ability to make you feel like you are the only person of importance on the face of the earth.

Pat’s five children are with her right now in Toronto as she is not doing too well and has been battling a series of ailments for a long time.

We all feel very lucky and thankful for this amazing woman and will remember her always with great warmth, appreciation and love.

If you would like to see more about Patricia Collins we would like to invite you to go to:
Combat camerawoman: Prime time: Sun New Video Gallery www.sunnewsnetwork.ca

We are all so thankful for Mom/Pat/Nanny – the greatest lady the world has ever known.

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.

These pictures dated back to when our children were born and many wonderful family events at my husband’s family’s ancestral home in Omemee in Ontario, our country house in Cookstown, Ontario and my sister’s cottage on Loon Lake in Ontario. Every week-end the family was together at one of these get aways.

Birthdays, Christmases and other notable dates were well documented by lovely pictures and wonderful family functions.

Three, in particular, caught my eye. One was the living room of our country house with my husband, son and daughter playing video games at Christmas with the beautiful fire place my husband and I had designed and had built showcased nicely. This fireplace was spectacular. We found the maple mantle at a designer outlet and personally selected the dark green marble and slate and found the fire screen at an antique store.

The window in the picture my husband and I had stripped and it looked out over our snow covered one acre pond. What a wonderful place for our children to play and for family to visit. We had four magnificent Christmases there complete with candle lit carol services at out little local chapel.

The second one was at the “farm” which was my husband’s family’s week-end retreat. It was a picture of my husband, one of his brothers and then girlfriend and me playing cribbage at the dining room table. It must have been pre children judging from my slim figure. All of us have the same curly hair and were very focused on our game. We were very happy.

The third one was a picture of my daughter on the terraza here with two of our wonderful street dogs that have passed on. There was Norma, a Doberman/lab mix, and my sweet little Scruffy, almost a pure bred miniature Schnauzer.

All of these pictures brought a tear to my eye as I remembered what a wonderful childhood our children had and how much love there was and, of course, still is.

We were and are very lucky. We are very happy as we enter this festive season with our best friends and family coming home. There is truly no place like home and nothing is better than sharing this holiday season with friends and family.

My daughter is busy making collages of these photographs she found so others will be able to enjoy our very special family times in Canada and now in Ajijic, Lake Chapala.

Feliz Navidad a todos!

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.

At the cemetery at the far west end of Ajijic, Lake Chapala, family members and friends go to be with their relatives’ no longer on earth. It is a beautiful time of celebration with food, drink, flowers and music. The cemetery looks wonderful and everyone is welcome to come and enjoy this time of respect and good feelings.

When we were first here is Ajijic, Lake Chapala, we would go every year to participate in this very moving vigil.

Scholars trace the origins of this modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years to an Aztec festival dedicated to a goddess called, Mictecacihuatl.

Everyone is welcome and it is a very worthwhile observance of the warmth of the Mexican culture. European and certain African nations also celebrate this observance.

It is a very nice way to celebrate the departed and all members of the family take part and make offerings.

Live music is played and there is dancing and good cheer.

Stories and anecdotes are exchanged about their loved ones in the hopes that their prayers will be heard.

Despite the unfortunate name The Day of the Dead is a very uplifting and happy occasion.

Tonight (November 1st) at La Vina Restaurant on Constitucion #16 in Ajijic (766-0281) there is a Dia de los Muertos special dinner celebration with Mariachi Huichol and Artisans. There will be an altar of the dead and a three course dinner of poblano soup, ribs and pumpkin pie all at 6:30 pm. La Vina also offeres 2 x 1 beer every day.

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.

I did the traditional stuffed, roasted turkey, gravy made with homemade stock, Brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash and mashed potatoes a la Gordon Ramsay. It was the first time we had had butternut squash and it is now my favorite of the squashes having a wonderful flavor and bright orange color. Naturally, we had whole cranberry sauce and several bottles of red and white wine.

My daughter made her now world famous Pumpkin Cheese Cake with extra caramel sauce and pralines and it was truly a spectacular meal.

It was our grandson’s first Thanksgiving (now 5 months old) and he was very well behaved at the table of 10 family members and close friends. We, of course, missed our son and his fiancé but they are coming home from Thailand December 1st which we all are greatly looking forward to.

It was a warm evening and my equipale furniture from the terraza is being reupholstered and was supposed to be ready last Wednesday. When I phoned to see where it was I was told that it would not be ready until Tuesday and I am not going to bet the farm on that. I am sure it will be beautiful when I do get it back but it would have been jolly useful for our first dinner party of the season.

Although we do have plenty of seating in the living room everyone gathered outside nonetheless and drinks and appetizers were enjoyed standing up.

I was very happy after my fourth shopping trip to Walmart, Superlake, Tony’s and Puritan Poultry to find at Superlake beautiful bronze Bosc pears and an assortment of pumpkins to adorn our harvest table which was very pretty with our good china and pewter plates.

The turkey from Puritan Poultry was fantastic and had one of those idiot-proof buttons that pop up when the bird is done. Although I was skeptical, the button did, in fact, pop up and the turkey was perfectly cooked, moist and delicious.

Happy Thanksgiving to all and Buen Provecho!

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.

The Executive Chef, Lorraine Russo, had prepared the traditional fare of hamburgers with an extensive array of toppings, hot dogs, maple cured baked beans and mountains of potato salad. Of course there was a Canada Day cake for dessert gaily decorated in red and white icing and topped with a small Canadian flag.

We decided perhaps we should stay at the hotel and partake of the lovely spread Lorraine had prepared and went up to the buffet with empty plates and hearty appetites.

Everything was absolutely delicious and Lorraine was toasted by one and all for her efforts in celebrating the day with an excellent Canada Day feast.

Then I heard our Canadian National Anthem “Oh Canada” being sung and I sprang to my feet and went to join in belting out this favorite with Michael Eager and Michael Jr. and the rest of the Canadians filling the dining room and garden. My heart swelled with pride and I was surprised at how much singing this song affected me in a very positive way.

I was born and bred in Toronto, Canada and thought I would die there but my husband had different plans for us and we have lived here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala for 17 years. As I am fond of saying I have enjoyed every minute of every day and when we became inmigrados we celebrated with a bottle of champagne.

The person who gave us papers in Guadalajara was wonderful and she said to us that she knew we loved our country of Canada but now we could love our other country of Mexico too. I thought she was very sensitive in saying that and never was it more true that Friday, July 1st at La Nueva Posada with friends and our Mexican family, the Eagers.

Today is July 4th and we want to wish all our US friends and family a very happy and safe holiday. We hope your holiday fare is as delicious as ours was.

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.

In Mexico mothers are the true matriarchs of the family and indeed hold the fabric of the family together. Mothers are revered as they should be.

My mother, Dorothy Grace Wheeler Wallis, passed in 1996 and I still miss her every day. I was so lucky to have her in my life for so long and I will always appreciate her gifts of unconditional love, support, honor and integrity. There is not a day goes by that I do not love and miss her.

On May 2nd, we became grandparents and it was wonderful to wish our daughter Happy Mother’s Day for the first time yesterday. We know that Ethan Alexander Valencia Buhrman is very lucky to have Tiffany as his mother and we wish them and her husband, Oscar Valencia, a wonderful and happy life together.

A lot of us have lost our mothers but if you are lucky enough to still have your mother here with you on earth take this opportunity to show her how much you love her and how very special she is to you. You will be very thankful that you did when you no longer have her in your life.

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 of a support group and weekly weigh-ins.

The Mediterranean Diet is very popular as it is a program of lots of fish, fruits and vegetables which, of course, is going to work.

You have to embark on a program that suits you and leaves you feeling satisfied or you will feel deprived and sooner or later binge eat which defeats the whole purpose.

I find it very difficult to live without bread but by simply changing to whole or multi grain products and limiting myself to only eating bread once or twice a week I have reduced my sugar intake immeasurably.

Cutting out potatoes and rice will also reduce needless carbohydrates. If you do crave a baked potato just don’t have any protein with it. For example for lunch have a rib eye and salad and for dinner have a baked potato with a little butter and vegetables.

This is part of the Fit for Life philosophy which says that combining starch and protein will slow down your body’s digestion process and cause you to put on fat.

I have selected Splenda as my sugar substitute of choice. We also buy the Splenda for baking. “It tastes like sugar because it is made from sugar.” I have done intensive online research and it clearly states that to date there is no negative data from trials with Splenda nor is there any known link to cancer.

It is not so much “What diet am I going to go on?” but rather “How can I effectively change my lifestyle to accomplish my goal of a healthier weight?”

Exercise is also an extremely important piece of the equation to a healthier and happier lifestyle. If you even so much as go for a 30-45 minute walk 3 times a week you be very pleasantly surprised at how good you feel and how fast the unwanted weight falls off. Put the leash on your dogs and go for a walk. Your animals will be happier and healthier too.

Also there are a few good gyms in Ajijic, Lake Chapala, where you can hire a personal trainer to help you get fit.

So select a program that is going to work for you which could be as simple as less red meat, more fish, fruits and vegetables, less fat and sugar and more good fats and whole grains and you are well off to the races as it were.

Always talk to your doctor before commencing any diet and exercise program.

Good luck and buen provecho and as Nike is fond of saying “Just Do It”.

According to tradition a simple indigenous peasant, Juan Diego, saw a vision of a young woman December 9th, 1531, while he was on a hill in Tepeyac near Mexico City. He told the local bishop who asked for some proof. Three days later, according to legend the image of Mary appeared miraculously on his cloak as he was showing it to the bishop.

Today the cloak is displayed in the Basilica de Guadalupe nearby which is one of the most visited shrines in the world.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is Mexico’s most popular religious and cultural image and also holds the titles Empress of the Americas and Patroness of the Americas. Both Miguel Hidalgo (in the Mexican War of Independence) and Emiliano Zapata (during the Mexican Revolution) carried flags bearing the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Guadalupe Victoria, the first president of Mexico, changed his name in honor of the icon.

Two accounts published in the 1640’s published in Spanish and Nahuatl, tell how during his walk from his home village to Mexico City early in the morning of December 9th, 1531 (Feast of the Immaculate Inception in the Spanish Empire) the peasant, Juan Diego saw a vision of a young girl 15 or 16 years of age surrounded by light on the slope of the Hill of Tepeyac. Speaking in the local language of Nahuatl the Lady asked for a church to be built at that site in her honor and from her words Juan Diego recognized her as the Virgin Mary.

Diego told his story to the Spanish bishop, Fray Juan de Zumarrago, who asked the peasant to return to the Lady and ask for some miraculous sign to prove her claim.

The Virigin told Diego to gather some flowers from the top of the Hill of Tepayac. It was winter and no flowers bloomed but Diego found flowers of every sort, and the Virgin herself arranged them in his tilma or peasant cloak. When Diego opened the door in front of Zumarrago on December 12th the flowers fell to the floor, and in their place was the Virgin of Guadalupe miraculously imprinted on the fabric.

The church was built right beside where Our Lady was seen by Juan Diego and the portrait of her image on his tilma hangs in that church to this day.

Skeptical scientists have not been able to disprove the theory as, clearly, they cannot prove that the image was painted on the tilma and did not arrive there as reported by Juan Diego.

There are six million people over the course of every year and who visit the site on the 11th and 12th of December.