November 2026

For three days in mid-November, 91 artisans from 17 states in Mexico will participate in the Feria Maestros del Arte in Ajijic. The Feria offers something rare: an opportunity for Mexican artisans to preserve their cultural heritage while earning a living from their work. In addition to showcasing exceptional Mexican folk art, the fair is

—Colección de Recuerdos “Colección de Recuerdos” is the name of the museum Cathey recently opened at Marcos Castellanos #10, catty-cornered from the Muro de los Muertos. Her goal, she says is “to honor her husband and the artisans of Mexico who brought us so much joy.” Here’s how it came about. The story starts when

Sustenance My friend Louraisha has been quietly creating a small home vegetable garden, or huerto, in Chapala Haciendas. She eats organic produce from her huerto and enjoys growing different crops throughout the year: cucumber, tomatoes, squash, spinach, parsley, cilantro, potatoes, peas, leeks, chives, zucchini, lettuce, and strawberries. Typically, a huerto is small and easily accessible

Imagine this: One day, one of you is diagnosed with dementia. At first, the diagnosis may feel overwhelming. Panic sets in. What will we do? How will we manage? Where can we find help? Will we still be able to do the things we enjoy together? And how do we tell our children? It is

How Do You Dream About Something You’ve Never Seen? There are many ways to support the organizations doing good work in our community. We can write a check, donate supplies, volunteer at an event, serve on a board, or help raise the money that keeps their doors open. All of those things make a difference,

When the Trail Fights Back: Hiking from Ixtlahuacán to Ajijic The day began with confidence. As every hiker knows, that’s often the first sign that things are about to go spectacularly wrong. Jutta and I had hiked this route several times before. The plan was simple enough: catch the early bus from Ajijic to Ixtlahuacán,

One November Day It was still dark when I awoke on Chulo’s last morning. I breathed a prayer for courage before tiptoeing downstairs. He lay on the living room couch with my husband, Johan. They had slept this way for the past month. Chulo lifted his head and blinked drowsily at me. I started tidying

One of the problems with writing a monthly humor column is coming up with something funny to write about. So far, I’ve been pretty lucky at experiencing some silly incident involving a government bureaucracy that fills the bill. This June, the Mexican government came through once again. On June 27, 2026, I read in the

What the Hell Is All That Noise? Sometime before dawn in late November, there will be a tremendous BOOM over Ajijic. Dogs will bark. The newly arrived will bolt upright wondering what exploded. Some longtime foreign residents will lie in bed composing angry Facebook posts in their heads. And somewhere an Ajijicense will probably roll