April 2021

Editor’s Page By Victoria A. Schmidt Drive Safely   As more people have moved to the Lakeside area, the traffic problem has grown worse. The most dangerous road here is the carretera. It doesn’t help that it is constantly under renovation.  The Walmart intersection has been increasingly confusing. Traffic has been bottled up as people […]

The Daily Life Of Jesus Of Nazareth By Dr. Lorin Swinehart   So often, he is portrayed as a white man, with blue eyes and shoulder length hair. Contrary to such images, he would have had olive colored skin, rendered even darker by long days in the harsh Levantine sunlight. His eyes would have been

Mexican Grace This is a regular feature column inspired stories that manifest “Mexican Grace.”  This is a regular feature column inspired stories that manifest “Mexican Grace.”  El Ojo is looking for more anecdotes that relate the many encounters, initiated by expats or locals, that exemplify the special forms of mutual giving and receiving that define the Mexican

Survivor’s Guilt By Jack Estes   I’ve always felt guilty for not getting shot in Vietnam. I used to think if I lost an arm or a leg it would justify my trouble inside. As I caught my flight out of Portland to San Diego, for a reunion with Bob and Doc, I wondered what

Vexations and Conundrums By Katina Pontikes A Sterile Conscience Finally. The highly awaited vaccines are slowly making their way into human arms. The last year has felt like the longest of my life, longer even than the nine months when I was pregnant with my son, and I thought the delivery day was never going

The President’s Cabinet Hollywood-Style By Tom Nussbaum It just wasn’t done. Movie stars and television personalities didn’t go into politics. But then Ronald Reagan became California’s governor and, eventually, president of the United States. Clint Eastwood, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Al Franken followed his lead. Minnesota even elected a pro wrestler, Jesse Ventura, as its governor.

Another Missed Opportunity By Steve Parker   We all, from time to time, take a backward, reflective look at life. We dwell on remembering and rehashing some major missed opportunities.  “If I had just  …”  “Why didn’t I?”… “What if I had? …” What a terrible waste of time! One of the major advantages of

If Our Pets Could Talk By Jackie Kellum If your pet has had surgery or some type of procedure, request specific instructions from your veterinarian about how to care for your pet, as each pet and surgery is different. When you are talking with the vet, ask questions and if he or she does not

Driving to Newfoundland By Neil McKinnon The dream had come true. We were retired, the kids were gone, the condo sold, our furniture in storage and we had a new-used camper van. Our leisure years would be spent savoring the delights of the open road—the first delight, a summer-long excursion across Canada ending in Newfoundland.

Guadalupe Victoria By David Ellison Guadalupe Victoria’s story is one of redemption. Born José Miguel Ramón Adaucto Fernández y Félix, during the war he changed his name to Guadalupe Victoria to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe, the insurgency’s symbol and patron, and to commit himself to winning independence for Mexico. He announced, “La Independencia se