August 2026

Questions to Ponder The first question I ask a new garden client is “What do you want your garden to look like?” This question is followed by “What is the purpose of your garden?” Usually, the answers to these two questions guide the development of, or changes to, a new or existing garden. This month

Understanding Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a medical condition (ICD-9 Code 780.71) that is also referred to at times as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or systemic exertion intolerance disease (SEID). CFS is a chronic disease — a biological condition, not a psychological disorder. The exact process of how the disease develops and progresses

Under the Tree, Hope Takes Root Earlier this year, when Carol Curtis learned that the girls at Under the Tree Girls’ Home (UTTGH) in El Chante needed extra help with math, she wasn’t entirely sure how it was going to work. Math wasn’t her specialty, and it wasn’t the specialty of the teachers who volunteered

Kayaking Lake Chapala: The Lake Beyond the Shore We look out across the waters of Lake Chapala and enjoy the sight of Mount Garcia, of pelicans and cormorants gliding just above the surface, of fisherman casting their nets in graceful arcs. It’s like a living painting, a movie we watch from our miradors and terazzas,

From Hiding to Belonging I’ve never felt like a winner when it comes to belonging. After I moved to Mexico, I was bitten by a great desire for a chihuahua. I think I imagined this little dog of the future might be a creature of my own, another being I belonged to, and who belonged

A new community-funded mural at Ajijic’s cemetery will honor one of Lakeside’s most unforgettable figures: Zara Alexeyewa, affectionately known as “La Rusa,” The Russian. Created in partnership with the Municipality of Chapala, the mural is slated for completion on August 11, celebrating what would have been her 130th birthday. “It is more than a work

Beyond Textbook Seasons I didn’t experience a warm summer until I went to junior high. The four seasons I learned about in school taught that spring was rainy, summer was hot, fall was chilly with bright colored leaves and winter meant snow. None of this made much sense to me. Summers in my Northern California