A date that passed largely under the radar this week was the 70th anniversary of Mexico’s entry into World War II.

Volunteers from Operation Smile were back in Guadalajara this week, offering free cosmetic surgery to over 100 children born with a cleft palate or cleft lip.

Picking up on the latest culinary trends among Jalisco’s top chefs, savvy horticulturist Alberto Pantoja is venturing into new terrain at his Ajijic nursery, Vivero del Lago, with the cultivation of exotic microgreens.

Agave, avocado, cacao, chile, cotton, elephant foot, dahlias, milkweed, poinsettias, vanilla and zinnias are among 120 native Mexican plants spotlighted in a display garden just opened to the public under the auspices of the Museo Trompo Magico in the northern fringes of Zapopan.

When Audrey Hoffnung came as a very young bride to Mexico, she had stars in her eyes and, fortunately, a good sense of adventure and sportsmanship.

Over the years Guadalajara’s “Battle of the Malls” has left a legacy of derelict and half-empty shopping centers, most having met their demise due to improvised planning or inadequate market research.