March 2026

Wearing the Green: Poems of Irish Memory and Voice by Mark Sconce These three poems celebrate Ireland’s literary spirit through humor, homage, and history. They honor poets, rebellion, and the enduring cultural power of words, especially when language becomes an act of identity and resistance. A long-time contributor to El Ojo del Lago, Mark Sconce […]

The cliffs at Point Reyes National Seashore, at the Southern tip of Marin County in Northern California, were an ideal place for Walter Fink to end his life. The cliffs were his favorite place to escape his troubled life, commune >with nature, and sort out the issues that plagued him. They were sunny this time

It used to be so easy. Every January, I’d give my gardener, Pablo, about 700 pesos ($35 U.S.), and he’d go five miles down the road to the tax collection office in Chapala and pay that year’s vehicle registration fee. No appointment necessary. No legal documents were required. All he needed was my license plate

LCS Education and Culture Department Alongside favorites like Mexican Manners, Introduction to Spanish, and How to Get Your Driver’s License, Lake Chapala Society offers new monthly classes for the lakeside community, fostering learning, cultural understanding, and connection. Want to learn or teach? Contact education@lcsac.org Mexican Manners A practical class on Mexican etiquette and social customs

No one expects a miracle in the middle of afternoon tea, but I was lucky enough to witness one. It all began with the tinkling of a piano drifting through the room. Under my feet, plush oriental carpets cushioned every step, while above me, the hotel’s classic golden domes kept careful watch. We sat on

Mrs. Rector, our Cub Scout Den Mother, had no idea that her darling little boy Ronnie was prime material for the Ten Most Wanted Criminals poster. But he was. In fact, he and a couple of our fellow Cubs, Alex Kozar and Jimmy Jenkins, were potentials for that list as well. All three boys were

Death came closer today. She does not arrive on little cat feet like Carl Sandberg’s fog, though she can easily sneak up on a person. Mostly, she arrives when you have a pain that won’t go away, find a lump that wasn’t there the day before, or forget your most important memory. She’ll walk behind

I was almost 60 when I moved from Detroit to the highlands of central Mexico to escape old hopes and expectations. I imagined an idyllic life there with my ravenous former street dog, Duke, and a cat I had been in love with until he ate my cockatoo. The only thing missing was a man.

“Come and spend Christmas with us, Mom,” my son said, his bride smiling beside him on the tiny screen. “We want you here with us!” A recent heartbreak still stung. It was an easy decision. “Of course.” I smiled and waved back. They are newly married, less than a year, and dizzyingly happy. I packed

Something Rotten Book by John O’Farrell & Karey Kirkpatrick Music and Lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick & Karey Kirkpatrick Director: Tim Johnson Something Rotten! is a fast-paced musical comedy set in the 1590s, when playwright brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom dream of rivaling the great William Shakespeare. Consumed by jealousy and ambition, Nick turns to a