Thundershower ended

The weather changes rapidly here

This is what the weather looks like in May and June in Ajijic - very volatile at times. There is rain, or the threat of rain, nearly every day. And in between it is lovely and warm.

I promised myself (and at least one other person) that I would post one more time before hanging it up until next Fall's visit. I've been busy and suffering from a bit of "writers' block", which brings me to the theme of this post.

One of the groups I belong to when in Mexico is called simply "The Writers' Group". Nearly everyone who writes (Gringos), in the Lakeside area attends the meetings. I feel fortunate to be in the company of these talented people and would not have had the opportunity were it not for my friend and mentor, Karen Blue. I met Blue, as she prefers to be called, by chance as often happens in a small town. She is down to earth, straight-up, no BS (I like that in a person) and she has just published her second book. She is a world traveler, was married briefly very young, had a successful working career and has been single for quite awhile. Her just published book is called "Baby Boomers: Reinvent Your Retirement in Mexico". It isn't a How-To book; it's a group of interviews of actual residents of the Lake Chapala area and what their own experiences were in choosing to retire in Mexico - fabulous, frustrating, rewarding - all of it! From my own experience, I have learned more from conversations with resident Gringos and long-time visitors than I could have ever learned from any of the "How-To" books. Her book is available at Amazon. I urge you to read it if you are considering Mexico for retirement.

And another friend from the group, Kelly Hayes-Raitt, has a book in the final stages before publishing also. Her book is written from her own perspective rather than from interviews, and is about her time spent with Iragui and Palestinian refugees in 2008. She made working with those displaced people her own "assignment" after working for years in the California legislature, winning many awards and commendations, and then losing a close and highly contentious race that left her wondering ... What now? Her website for the book is: livinglargeinlimbo.com. If you Google her by name you will be able to read her own backstory.

Just a couple of examples of the great people I have come into contact with in Ajijic; It really is a haven for creative people. I even have a neighbor working on a book that will possibly be a memoir, and is fascinating, with a lot of history worked into the narrative. I'll keep you posted on that as it becomes available. In the meantime, I will take a sabatical. Hope you will look me up in October when we return to the Lake Chapala area with their wonderful late Fall and early Winter weather.