S and S Auto is located on the Chapala-Jocotepec Carretera or Avenida Hidalgo # 101 right beside Puritan Poultry in Riberas del Pilar. Tel. (376) 765-4800 Fax (376) 765-4806. You can also send them an email at: ssauto@laguna.com.mx or go to their web site at: www.ssauto.com.mx

Spencer offers a number of vital services to lakeside residents and newcomers and my husband always recommends S and S Auto without reservation to his clients.

Here are some of the services offered by S and S Auto:

New and Used Car Sales

Insurance

Car and Truck Rentals

Car Care Tips

Car storage including facilities for vans, motor homes, trailers and boats

All of the above are very valuable services but our main reason for always dealing with Spencer is his honesty and knowledge about cars. Spencer is not just a gifted salesperson he is a qualified mechanic and knows all cars from the bottom up.

Another service which we use is all paperwork regarding your vehicle. This is an invaluable service. Tenencias, title transfers, tickets etc. can all be handled quickly and efficiently by his team, Marianna and Lorena.

Both of these girls are fluent in English and will look after you beautifully.

Spencer will do whatever it takes to get the car you want at a price you will be happy with.

It is your one-stop shopping for all of your automotive needs. Spencer no longer does repairs but is happy to refer you to someone close by who you also can trust.

Give Spencer a call. You will be happy you did!

I miss my mother every day and she has been gone since 1996. I would give anything to have her here for one more day to talk to and to thank and to hug. She was a wonderful mother and my best friend and she never judged me and loved me unconditionally. I was so lucky to have her in my life for so long.

This is the first Mother’s Day without my wonderful mother-in-law and she is terribly missed by her entire family. She was such an amazing mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, wife, daughter, sister and friend.

Happy Mother’s Day to the mother of our dear grandson. We miss you every day.

There are so many messages today for so many mothers and I am sure we all have wonderful stories of the mothers in our lives.

If you are lucky enough to have your mother still living cherish every moment that you have with her Tell her often that you love and appreciate her and talk to her frequently. We do not realize until we have children of our own that children are the reason for a mother to live and breathe.

After they are gone no matter how terrific you might have been with your mother you will still think that there were things that you should have said and done to let her know how special she was to you.

I could always tell my mother anything and she always listened intently and was always on my side. I have tried to encourage this same openness with our children and cherish the confidences they share with me.

I remember when my sister and I were little Easter was a very big deal. Our mother would buy us new outfits with little straw hats and little white gloves and we would always look forward to the Easter parade with other family members.

Take a moment to remember the wonderful times you had with your mother and make sure you let her know how much you appreciate her unconditional love and support and that you love her with all of your heart.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful, special, caring, selfless, supportive mothers we are lucky enough to know!

When we moved to Ajijic, Lake Chapala in 1994 the last thing on our minds was a vacuum cleaner. All the floors were tile, slate, cured cement or marble and mops were all that were required to keep them looking great.

Our first and second houses did not have broadloom but our third rental had broadloom in 4 of the bedrooms and throughout the casita. There was a small vacuum cleaner in the closet which clearly was not going to get the job done.

I searched Ajijic for a vacuum cleaner new or used and came up with nothing. I finally got the name of a vacuum cleaner company in Guadalajara who would deliver a unit lakeside. I was not thrilled with the unit but it did work for the moment.

Over the years I have purchased several vacuum cleaners from various outlets and I did manage to get a Hoover Upright which was great while it lasted. We had it fixed many times but alas we no longer have it.

I was thrilled when Walmart opened because I thought they would have a lovely selection but this was not quite the case. They had one small wet/dry unit which is mediocre at best. Naturally, the bags they sell do not fit the unit in question. I still have to go to this whole in the wall electronic shop on Colon and they sometimes have vacuum bags or sometimes will order them for you.

Our Walmart purchase worked on Friday but on Monday it did not. So I have a couple of choices. The first is to find someone to fix it. The second is to find a nice new Hoover Upright Bagless unit from Guadalajara.

I do everything on the computer and so I thought a click of the mouse would produce said unit to be delivered to my house here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala. After several unsuccessful visits to various web sites this does not seem to be the case.

Our house now has four bedrooms and two bathrooms with broadloom and I would love to get a vacuum cleaner that works and does send out sparks when plugged in.

I even asked my friend, Pancho, from Superlake to source an upright bagless unit for me in Guadalajara a couple of years ago and he came back with the dreaded words “no hay”.

Not being a quitter I know I will find a vacuum cleaner that will keep our broadloom clean and fluffy. It is just going to take time and patience.

Our first two dogs here had the decency to require no extra grooming but when we got our miniature Schnauzer she grew fur very rapidly and could not see so we realized that something was going to have to be done about her.

Fortunately, she had a wonderful temperament and would allow anyone to clip her which took about an hour. She would like on her back paws up and then turn over for you to do her back and sides. What a peach and what an easy job.

Nail clipping was still a challenge and, although we did have a selection of professional nail clippers all our dogs would run screaming out of the room when said clippers were produced.

Then we got a beautiful golden lab and she requires no special grooming. Recently, we have acquired a little boy cockapoo who, like our little Schnauzer, grows not fur but wool and needs regular clipping, snipping, paring and combing

When we first tried to trim her ourselves he made it abundantly clear this was not on. We progressed, armed with Cesar Millan’s calm assertive energy, and were able to complete the task in three or four tries and sometimes over several days.

We then decided it would be better for all parties if he was professionally groomed which would be a lot less stressful thus limiting the bloodshed (ours).

Our friend, Geoffrey Kaye, who owns the Animal Shelter, told us the best groomers lakeside were “Furry Friends” in Mirasol. We listened to him as the Animal Shelter provides grooming services so this was indeed quite the endorsement.

We made the call to 765-5431 to make an appointment for our cockapoo to be snipped, clipped, bathed and combed.

Furry Friends is run by a young English speaking Mexican couple who work out of their home and they are terrific with animals and do an outstanding job. They will clip your dog into whatever shape you require and also do ears and nails for $160.00 pesos.

Appointments are necessary as they are always busy which, to me, is always a very good sign.

Furry Friends also offer boarding and from all accounts the animals are extremely well-looked after.

We just picked up our cockapoo this morning and he looks wonderful and is clean as a whistle.

Out of our 5 dogs we have had since we moved to Ajijic, Lake Chapala in 1994, 4 of them were street dogs which have given us unconditional love and been a joy and delight and are truly family members.

Also my husband is fond of saying that the best house security system is a barking dog. I am sure the Animal Shelter across from Arden’s on the carretera would be more than happy to find the right animal for you. Tell Geoffrey we sent you.

As I am fond of saying I would not have voted for them to be here but now that they are I do use it not exclusively but I do use it nonetheless.

There have been a few issues with scams going on inside by perpetrators asking other shoppers for help and while they are distracted an accomplice steals their purse or wallet. My advice to that is if someone asks you for help refer them to the manager and move one clutching your purse firmly. I keep my pursed zipped and strapped into my basket when I shop at Walmart as an added precaution.

There has also been the issue of expensive items such as meat not finding their way into your basket after checkout. So I now watch that everything is, in fact, put into my basket before I head for the parking lot.

There have been complaints about some people working the parking lot with various scams so keep your wits about you and do not engage with anyone you do not know.

Now there is another issue that has come to light not to mention the millions of dollars in bribes to get all the necessary permits to be able to build and open Walmart here in Mexico.

That issue is we all love the “roll back” prices and Walmart certainly does offer very good value. Sometimes, however, the advertised price of an item in the store does not make it into the computer system. So, for example, if you select a product that is “on sale” for $100.00 pesos you might find that it gets rung through at the price not on sale for $150.00-$200.00 pesos.

So now, while I am carefully watching that my pork chops get into my basket I keep my other eye on the price of each product as it is scanned through. You will find, unfortunately, many discrepancies.

At this point you can go to Customer Service and lodge your complaint and in all cases that I know of restitution is made.

Walmart is not all bad. The prices are good and the meat is excellent. If I do have a complaint, other that the ones I have heretofore outlined it is the lack of selection or, in some cases, of even one of something or the quality of the products.

In Canada and the US you do have the choice of inexpensive items but you also have the option of a higher quality item it you so choose. For example the in linen department (and I use that term loosely) the highest thread count seems to be 144 which to me is equivalent to a low grade sandpaper.

So, by all means, include Walmart into your shopping rotation but it seems to be a case of “buyers beware”.

Rain birds are not acutally birds but are large insects that herald the rainy season will be here in 6 weeks.

This is always very welcome news and it is always very exciting to hear the first rain birds. This year April has been a beautiful month and the weather has been fantastic. Very often April and May can be a little hot and dusty as we all eagerly await the rains and the most beautiful season of the year here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala, the “Rainy Season”.

Most of the snow birds have headed back north and I always think it is a shame that they do not get to experience this amazing time of year from June 15th to October 15th.

We are used to thunderstorms coming from Toronto, Ontario but the storms we have experienced there are nothing like the dramatic and exciting thunder and lightning storms we get here.

For those lucky enough to have view of Lake Chapala you can see the storm start at one end of the lake and make its way spectacularly to the other end. This is truly a spectacle not to be missed.

It usually only rains at night so the days are still warm and sunny. Everything smells wonderful and fresh and the flowers and flowering trees are in gay profusion.

The brown mountains turn into green velvet and everything is very lush and wonderful.

We have the privilege of living in paradise and never is it more magnificent than the rainy season.

Gardens bloom with many colorful flowers and smells and less water is needed to keep your grass and gardens green and lush.

Naturally, if you have dogs, as most of us do, you might want to keep a towel at the door as they happily play in the muddy garden and then come in to leap on your white furniture. Drying off wet paws is a very necessary rainy season activity.

So when you hear the rain birds you will learn to love their sound knowing that the rainy season is only about 6 weeks away.

Paraguas (umbrellas) can be bought at the dollar store beside the bank in downtown Ajijic or Walmart.

There is a large selection of sofas and chairs and all brand name mattresses at very good prices. They also have lots of sales to watch or throughout the year.

The main reason I am writing about them today is the fact that they have sheets, duvets, mattress covers, comforters etc. in a very large selection.

Before finding this store one had to have them made, go to Guadalajara or order their bed linen from the United States or Canada. We did have one linen store right in downtown Ajijic, Lake Chapala a few years ago but they closed.

They do have some items in stock on site but largely it is a question of thumbing through many linen catalogues. In most cases you can receive your order in a week. The selection is amazing and they do have everything to please even the pickiest of shoppers. Thread count, colors, patterns, all bed sizes, all cotton or blends are just some of the decisions one will have to make.

I bought a wonderful Queen sized mattress from this store and was very happy with the price, service and home delivery and set up.

I know many people do like to see and touch their potential purchases and I understand that certainly but they will make the order for you and you do not have to pay until you are happy with your purchase.

There are two brothers running this store and both are knowledgeable about their products and both speak English.

There are some wonderful living room furniture and accessories in an array of styles, fabrics and price.

Drop in and see for yourself that this IB Furniture 4 Less is indeed a great addition to our ever growing community in our beautiful village in the sun.

We had a wonderful pool man at our house in Villa Nova that we had come to us here in our new house 12 years ago but he, sadly for us but happily for him], went on to be a successful contractor.

We then hired a person who had gone to school with our kids and were happy with him for many years.

The last couple of years we have not been happy and I had given this person many chances to address the problems of our pool and things would be OK for a while then go back to being problematic. It seemed our pool always looked like a swamp particularly when we had company. We have installed new pumps, filters and timers and still we had problems.

Also there seemed to be a revolving door of different “technicians” coming to service the pool. Every time we had to get the dogs accustomed to the new person which involved a great deal of barking.

We think we are pretty good employers and we have had our maid and gardener for over 17 years. Our maid, in fact, married, the gardener’s son and their entire romance played out in our very nice outdoor laundry area.

I had been thinking about firing our pool man for some but when my husband said “why is our pool always green?” I decided to act. Complicating the issue was the fact I am able to see the pool next door which is always pristine and blue.

I got the name and phone number of our neighbor’s person and after calling him three times and leaving messages with his wife I gave up on him.

It took me several days to get the name and # of our daughter’s boyfriend’s person who I decided to try and make contact with because she told me their pool was always wonderful.

I called and got a hole of Carlos Taylor immediately at 045 331 410 4414. He has another # for messages which is (376) 766-4883 and you can also email Carlos at: carlostaylor_@yahoo.com.mx

We set up an appointment for 10:00 am the following morning. He was late but apologized as the numbers on our street are not in any particular order which is normal as blueberry pie in Ajijic, Lake Chapala.

He is the same price as our previous pool man including all chemicals and speaks fluent English. I liked him immediately particularly because he said my daughter spoke perfect Spanish which, of course, she does.

Last night my husband commented that he could see he bottom of the pool. I knew then, as difficult as it had been I had, indeed, made the right decision.

Carlos offers pool maintenance, solar panels, filters, pumps, plastic covers and all manner of pool repairs.

Their specialty is French Onion Soup which by all accounts is delicious and authentic.

Also to start there is a Chipotle Raspberry Sauce over Cream Cheese on Multi Grain Crackers and a daily soup.

They have three fresh tasty salads as well.

The entrees include several Savory Chicken dishes, Mahi, Mahi beautifully prepared with black olive and capers, baby sautéed potatoes and green beans, Coconut Curry Shrimp on Basmati Rice and an aromatic and flavorful pork dish.

Two Spoons has one dessert at the moment which a frozen Key Lime affair not a tart or a pie but jolly good nonetheless.

The atmosphere is casual and friendly and the service is attentive. The wine list is very good and there are several good wines by the glass.

Two Spoons offer French Press coffee which is wonderful but alas not decaf.

For a casual and delicious reasonably priced night out Two Spoons will certainly fit the bill.

Two Spoons is open for lunch, dinner and drinks and they have very tasty sandwiches. They use only fresh seasonal local products and everything is prepared fresh daily.

Two Spoons is open Tuesday to Thursday from 12:00 noon to 9:00 pm and Friday and Saturday from 12:00 noon to 10.30 pm.

Visit their facebook page for more information.

Buen Provecho!

This is very good news and jolly good timing as we have lost one of our best chefs, Laurent, to South America.

My friend (who had enjoyed an amazing brunch at La Una) and I decided to try it for dinner and we were not disappointed.

For dinner the appetizers include: Marinated Olives, Pan Lomo which is oven baked pork loin covered in brie, a delicious House Salad, Garlic Baked in the Oven, Vegetable Terrine, a Two Pate Plate, Grilled Baby Octopus, Carpaccio and a Three Cheese Plate.

The Entrees include: Cornish Game Hen, Fresh Fish Filet of the day which is a specialty of the house, Gambas as Ajillo which are giant shrimp in butter, garlic and chili, Seared Pepper-Crusted Ahi Tuna Steak, Tenderloin “La Una” in a creamy wine and mushroom sauce, Filet Mignon, Duck Breast a la Frambuesa and Lamb Chops.

At the moment they offer two desserts apple pie and flan.

They have some excellent wines which we thoroughly enjoyed. We had a Casa Madero (the oldest vineyard in Mexico) Chardonnay and I had a wonderful Muscatel y Palomino dessert wine (to my taste reminiscent of Chateau D’Yquem) with an excellent cup of coffee.

Prices for such gourmet food are very reasonable at $130.00 – $220.00 pesos.

Breakfast at La Una includes Yogurt, Fruit Plate, Muffins, Waffles, House Special, Eggs, Croissant, Chilaquiles, Eggs Benedict and Steak and Eggs with prices ranging from $40.00 – $120.00 pesos.

They also sell an excellent raspberry jam to go.

Lunch is Soup del Dia, Croissants with a variety of fresh and delicious fillings to choose from, Salads, Filet Mignon prepared in a variety of ways, a Rib Eye and T-Bone steak. There is an al a carte menu as well and an assortment of non-alcoholic drinks and some lovely wines such as Vino Blanco Montevina de Casa Madero and Vino Tinto Montevina de Casa Madero and Vino Espumoso Chambrule L.A. by the popular vineyard L.A. Cetto. These wines are $50.00 pesos per glass or $195.00 pesos per bottle.

La Una is located across from San Andres Church in downtown Ajijic on Marcos Castellanos #9 and you can reach the owners, Douglas and Susanna at 331 145 5551 or for reservations (376) 2072.

If you like great food and wine call today!

Buen Provecho!