LAKESIDE LIVING

Carol D. Bradley
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Phone: 33-2506-7525

December 2019

 

It’s DECEMBER!  My favorite time of year, and Lakeside events promise to be epic!
FREEDOM CHORALE “All-Christmas Christmas Concert”
Cindy Paul’s Freedom Chorale is at it again, this time presenting a one-hour Christmas concert in three different locales: 1) Fri., Dec. 20, 5-6pm at Lakeside Presbyterian Church in Riberas; 2) Sat., Dec. 21, 5-6pm at the Ajijic Cultural Center on the plaza; and 3) Tues., Dec. 24, 2pm at the Sunrise Restaurant in San Antonio. The first two are free with donations gratefully accepted, and the last, on Christmas Eve, is a special dinner show starting at 2pm, with dinner service at 3pm (shrimp, arrachera, chicken or vegetarian options). Tickets for the matinee are $300, which includes both the live concert and your dinner. Tickets are only available at the door, and seating is first-come, first-seated, so don’t be late! Cindy’s description of the show: “Very Christmassy!” For details call 376-762-0865.


Open Circle for December:
December 1  Past, Present, and Future
Presented by Rachel McMillen 
Understanding the history of our interactions with the people who were the original inhabitants of our countries, can only take us so far on the path of reconciliation. Knowing what is happening in the present can give us tools to help, but to gain knowledge that can help us weather the economic and climate storms of the future, we need to learn from the traditional beliefs of our indigenous neighbors.
Rachel McMillen is an adult educator with an Honors Arts degree (English language and literature) and the author of the Dan Connor Mystery series, described by one reviewer as “mysteries with a conscience.” She and her husband spent thirty years sailing the west coast, meeting and working with the indigenous people who live there.
December 8  That Aging Thing    
Presented by Kat Miller


Kat Miller


With age we can see our life as from a great altitude taking in a panoramic landscape, with a deepening sense of how everything is connected, including all the losses. From here we can harvest the wisdom gleaned from our lives. We can also discover inner peace, love, compassion, and gratitude at the heart of our lives. We are all going to die, all of us. This terrifies most of us. When we make peace with death we have a deeper appreciation of the ordinary small moments, surprisingly experiencing causeless joy, while also finding the magnificence of life ever more obvious. Join Kat for some ageist repudiation and reflections on how to live this stretch of life unimpeded by fear. 
Kat Miller, MA, currently has an active therapy practice in Ajijic, as well as out of the country. This is her 4th presentation at Open Circle, where she serves as weekly moderator.
December 15  Música Para Crecer
The San Juan Children’s Orchestra and Chorus Annual Holiday Concert
Five years ago, a few community leaders in San Juan Cosalá began a music program intended to give disadvantaged at-risk children a sure and safe path to young adulthood. The students studied hard, stayed off the streets, and devoted themselves to what they most loved—music. They have traveled to music festivals and camps, encountered children of other cultures, lived with them, and made music with them. The program has transformed not only individual lives but also the village itself. The San Juan Children’s Orchestra and Chorus (Música Para Crecer) now enriches the lives of 80 children from 5 to 18 years of age. It includes 20-year-old graduates of the program who assist as teachers. Their Open Circle concert features traditional Mexican, Pop, classical, and Latin American music, with Daniel Medeles conducting.


As a non-profit civic organization, Música Para Crecer is supported solely by governmental grants and private donations. Government support for the arts has been drastically reduced under the current administration, and the orchestra is looking for generous patrons and the backing of civic organizations and businesses to help guarantee their future. Open Circle has watched them from the very beginning and has adopted them into our hearts as though they were our own. Let us continue to relish their music and do our best to assure their future.
December 22 You Need to See . . . to Believe Mexico
Presented by Carlos Martinez, Bryan Clark, and John Pint
More than 1000 years of Meso-American cultures define México in so many ways, but the sudden influence of Spain transformed everything. New cultures emerged through a mishmash of religion and traditions. Life as it was known before changed for the inhabitants of the New Spain. 40 million people visit Mexico every year, but little do they fathom its secrets. This Sunday three experts will introduce you to what is out there only a stone’s throw away, untouched and barely on the map—natural, man-made, cultural, and culinary experiences unknown to most locals. They will reveal some of the fantastic secrets of México.
John Pint, writer, professor. Passionate speleologist and nature lover. A life of exploring.
Bryan Clark, always a helping hand in more than a dozen countries.
Carlos Martínez, writer, professor. Passionate speleologist. Curious about everything.
December 29   Let Your Light Shine! 
Presented by David Pisarra
In a world where it is harder and harder to be heard, what can you do to make a difference? Sharing your story, wisdom, and gifts in ways that remain relevant today and tomorrow are more important than ever. This presentation will motivate and inspire you to open up and tell your tale. 
January 5  Caring for the Soul in Times of Chaos
Presented by David Bryen
Humanity is experiencing The Dark Night of the Soul! How do we address the shredding of civility and eruption of hate and polarization, without being overtaken by our own tribalism or withdrawing in fear? How do we preserve the interior dimensions of soul life when chaos preoccupies our attention? How do we thread our way between responsibility to the world and connection to the soul? But what is soul? How does it work? What does it want?  How do we unlock its intelligence rather than fall prey to primitive reactions?
David Bryen, during his lifetime career as a psychotherapist, became a fierce defender of the soul. In this presentation he will suggest that listening to and loving the soul is the true work of our lives. He will give ways to care for the soul and find its wisdom hidden inside. He coordinates Open Circle, is a motorcycle safety instructor, woodworker, author, and poet.
The Met Live HD 2019-20 Season


Join the Chapala Opera Guild ... Local dues $1,300p. Join us at MovieSpace! Place your Season Ticket Order there today.
Individual performance tickets are available at the MovieSpace taquilla / Box Office.  Select the season shows that best fit your calendar and order them for only $300 pesos per Seat.  See special pricing for Guild members.
Tickets are available daily at the box office. 
Mon - Fri 3pm - 10 pm / Sat - Sun 1 pm - 11 pm
Location: Carretera Chapala - Jocotepec 206 A1, Col. Centro; Chapala, San Antonio Tlayacapan, C.P. 45922
Teléfonos: (376) 766 2580
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MovieSpace is in the Centro Laguna Mall across from Walmart. Ample parking lot nearby.  English and Espanol Sub-Titles:  Pick your language sala!
Premium Foods and Beverages: Enjoy the renovated spaces with upgraded coffee bar, offering coffees, teas, wine and beer. 
 The Days For Girls Team gets together regularly at la Bodega Restaurant to assemble sustainable menstrual kits. Each kit, from raw materials, to sewn components takes about 14 volunteer hours. The kits are then distributed to girls and women living in marginal lakeside communities, along with a ten hour education component. See www.daysforgirlslakechapala.org for more information.
Days for Girls volunteers will be giving a presentation to University students visiting Lake Chapala to study the effects of Global Programs in Mexico at La Bodega restaurant, 16 de Septiembre 124, from 2:00 to 4:00 on January 11th.  Come and see what this group is all about.


Valinda Cummins, one of the army of volunteers dedicated to Days for Girls.


Days for Girls is a worldwide movement that aims to break the cycle of poverty and violence against women in one of the most unexpected ways ever — by promoting access to menstrual health management and reproductive health education.  
​Our educational component that accompanies the distribution of our kits covers hygiene, health and reproduction, family and community violence, unwanted pregnancies and general empowerment.  When girls and women have health, education, and opportunity, communities and our world are stronger.​
​Days for Girls helps to ensure that every girl has what she needs to succeed.
Every girl. Everywhere. Period.
Bare Stage Theatre presents:
Paradise Lost
By Erin Shields
Directed by Lynn Phelan
Dates: Dec. 27th, 28th & 29th


Cast: Ron Mikulicic, Graham Miller, Alison Palmer, Barbara Pruitt, Diana Rowlands, Darlene Sherwood, James Viers, Claudine Weinfeld & Tony Wilshere


“What is good, what is evil, and what lies in between?”
Paradise Lost, by playwright Erin Shields and directed by Lynn Phelan, is inspired by John Milton’s epic tale of the battle between good and evil. This 21st century adaptation is an exploration of gender, patriarchy and notions of original sin.
This script is brilliant, cheeky, irreverent and fiercely engaging. The cast of characters includes God, his Son, the archangels, Adam and Eve, Satan and a host of devils. It is a profound and thought-provoking exploration of Adam and Eve’s decision to eat that apple.
Tickets $150
Reservations: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Showtime 4 p.m.
Box office & bar open at 3 p.m. Seats are held till 3:50 p.m.
Located at #261 on the mountain side of the carretera in Riberas del Pilar across from the Catholic Church.
Please, no parking inside Baptist Church lot.
Please Like, Follow & Share our Facebook Page:
www.facebook.com/barestagetheatre2018/
Los Cantantes del Lago Holiday concerts on Tuesday 3 December at 7:00PM and Wednesday 4 December at 4:00PM.  
A Rose in Winter is guest directed by Ken Turner and features the Janus Quartet on strings.  The concert is filled with beautiful pieces by a who’s who of choral composers including, Eric Whitacre, Craig Hella Johnson, Philip William Stopford and John Rutter.  Tickets are available at Diane Pearl Colecciones, Mia’s Boutique, from any Los Cantantes member or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for reservations.  


The BRAVO! Theatre:
Every Christmas Story Ever Told is next up at The BRAVO! Theatre.  This show is just plain fun - and will start your holiday season off with a resounding HO! HO! HO!.  All the stories and characters we grew up with are in the show - George Bailey, Bob Cratchit (and Bob Marley?), Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the green nosed Reingoat, and a host of other characters.  The show covers fruitcake and Christmas customs from around the world.  Plus there will be Christmas cookies and milk among other holiday libations at the bar!  Guest director Gary S. Martinez also acts alongside Suki O’Brien and Rob Stupple in this hilariously delightfully beloved holiday classic.
Mon Dec 9 - 7:30PM, Tues Dec 10 - 7:30PM, Wed Dec 11 - 4:00PM, Thurs Dec 12 4:00PM, Fri Dec 13 7:30PM, Sat Dec 14 7:30PM, Sun Dec 15 4:00PM
Tickets are $300 MXN available at Diane Pearl Colecciones, Mia’s Boutique or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
LIP SYNC 12 and DANCE show kicks off the 2020 new year. The annual event runs Thursday, January 9th, Friday the 10th and Sunday the 12th. Tickets are available at Mia’s Boutique, Diane Pearl’s and the Auditorio.
Too busy? Order tickets at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


The show promises to be another hit under the direction of Maestro Michael McLaughlin. The show, always a fun time for the audience, includes most of the local dancers as well as a very talented group of young Mexican kids, AND the professional dancers from the Hernandez Dance Academy in Guadalajara. Some of the artists promised to appear are Mick Jagger, Mary Poppins, Bob Hope and Donald J. Trump.
Performance from LypSync 11 and Dance Show.
16th Cruz Roja classic golf Tournament was held on November 7, 2019
Talented winning team won in a count back!! From left to right, Robert Hines, John Stevenson, Jack Warren and Mark Eager are congratulated by Miguel Angel Dominguez, Delegado Estatal Jalisco, Sub Delagado Nacional Cruz Roja Mexicana.
Ninety-two golfers took to the beautiful course of Country Club of Chapala, had a ton of fun, enjoyed delicious comida and picked up bargains in the silent auction. A huge thank you to the members and staff of the CCC, to our golfers, and all those who worked so hard to put together this successful event. The generosity of all these participants allows Cruz Roja Mexicana, Chapala Delegation to continue their many services to the Lakeside community.
From myself and my family and the Lakeside Living team, Feliz Navidad, Merry Christmas and all the very best in the New Year to all our readers.

 

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