We started a new ritual in 2026, day trips around Lakeside. On New Years day, we spent time in Jocotepec, the most western city on Lake Chapala. The city plaza was full of Christmas decorations. We went to our favorite Taco stand and then continued our journey to towns on the southern part of the lake. 

A week later, we took another day trip to the mid-section of the north shore of the lake to a town called Mezcala. We walked the Malecon and saw Mezcala Island, one of two islands on Lake Chapala. We toured the church, which stands tall in this tiny village.	Glorine hosted a birthday party (six years) for the Reaching Out program for LCS. It is where people (called Companions) who live alone or disabled  are checked on everyday by a Volunteer to make sure they are Okay!
Reaching Out was started in the early days of COVID. Both the Companions and Volunteers joined in the sixth-year celebration.  It ended with singing Happy Birthday to Larry.	That afternoon, the Lake Chapala Society had an appreciation dinner and party for all its volunteers. Elvis came to provide entertainment and dancing.
We spent a week in Houston for Larry's six-month checkup. All was good. Larry's doctor said, "I will see you in a year." We rented an AirBnB, where the temperature would not get above 65 degrees, so we moved to another apartment where the furnace worked.	We watched Chase play in a hockey tournament in Duluth. It was streamed over Facebook. They came in second place. Chase plays both offensive and defensive positions. He is a junior in high school and hoping to be a pilot.
We got our playing cards fix. Glorine won most of the games, mostly Golf, Junk Yard Rummy and some Denise used to play with her grandmothers.	We flew to California for a week to spend time with Carmen and family. We spent the weekend near Lake Arrowhead, where we did puzzles, watched movies and played cards.
While at the cabin, Hunter and his friend found a  Cotton Candy machine which probably was used for the first time by them. Hunter turns sixteen this month, is a sophomore and on the track team.	February 2 was Mike's birthday, and they kept up the family tradition with breakfast in bed. Carmen's birthday was on February 5, and Hunter's is on February 18.
Sierra's first day for the spring semester of Beauty School at Fullerton College. Classes are in the morning, and she works as a cook at a local restaurant in the afternoons. Busy girl!	Carmen, Mike, and us drove down to San Diego to spend time with Dakota. After a dinner at the Dukes in La Jolla, we walked La Jolla Cove along the Pacific coast. You can see the university campus across the bay.
Our favorite stop is watching Seals and Sea Lions frolicking along the beach. Some resting and others barking. Lots of sea birds added to the amusement.	Dakota is in her third year at UC-San Diego, majoring in Math with a minor in Computer Science. She has a 4.0 which she hopes to maintain for graduate school.