December 2010

f

d f

d f f

d d

e

f December 2010

f

f

d

f

f

f

e ISSN 1920-8200

Issue 26

f

e f

f

f d d Cowichan Valley Gift Ideas Local Arts and Artists Body and Soul Gourmet Recipes

e

f

f

Cranberries & Christmas Trees

Open 11:00 - 5:00 Daily

yellowpointcranberries.com

Cranberries • Tours • Cranberry Cafe • Preserves & Gift Shop

4532 Yellow Point Road, Ladysmith, 250.245.5283, 1.877.YPC.FARM

SpeciAL fArM eVeNt December 11 & 12 Cookie decorating and have a look at our beautiful local Christmas Trees.

Want to give a truly original x-mas present?

• personal domain names • wedding, artist, pet & baby sites • easy blog site packages • web design & hosting A unique and modern gift solution!

“It’s always nice to visit the farm and see the fields firsthand!”

2

rbadman@gearth.com 250.746.9319 Duncan, BC

g earth

help establish them online

Let g earth Internet Services help establish your online presence to come: get Domain names, Web Hosting, Website Design, eCommerce kits, Marketing and Traffic Generation help and more!

DuNcAN fArMer’S MArket 10AM - 2pM

Rain or shine!

Visit the market this holiday season to buy local handcrafted gifts. There’s seasonal produce, homemade baking, jams, jellies, honey, soaps, spices, teas, clothing, pet wares, wooden toys, handmade crafts, art, jewelry, pottery, plants and SO much more!

eVery SAturDAy! The best gifts are made by local elves!

Located in the Market Square in Downtown Duncan

The all year market on the island.

Working Elves Image courtesy Thomas Marsh/The Herald-Dispatch

3

December Events

10

Community Drum Circle with Karin Lewis- All Welcome

7-9pm

Mercury Theatre, 331 Brae Rd, Duncan $10/person; $25/family of 3+

Dec

Event Information

11 8pm

Dick Dale & Jimmy Dale 2010 Acoustic/Electric Tour Presented by Fender Crofton Hotel, Crofton $25

thru Dec

A Christmas Carol - (running to January 8th ) Chemainus Theatre Festival, Chemainus 1-800-565-7738

11 8pm

Georgia’s Belly Dancing Extravaganza Duncan Garage Showroom, Duncan $25

1 6pm 1 8pm9:30pm

Christmas Light Up in Memory Cowichan Valley Hospice / Cowichan District Hospital

10-12 8pm

Scrapbook Parade & Retreat w/ Carol Volk

Adult Drumming Class with Karin Lewis Temple Studio 123 Station St. Duncan 250-748-6750

11 10am -2pm

Christmas Floral Arranging Workshop w/ Rob Jennings

1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Hatha Yoga & Ecstatic Dance w/ Christy Lindell Temple Studio 123 Station St. Duncan 250 737 1800

12 2pm

Ed Peekeekoot CD release w/ Michael Kusugak, Duncan Garage Showroom, Duncan $10

2 8pm

Ladysmith Festival of Lights Downtown Ladysmith www.ladysmithfol.com

12 1pm3pm

A Different Sort of Cooking Class with Cindy Dreger Affinity Guest House, 250 715-7743 $25/ 20 spaces only

2 8pm

Dan Mangan Duncan Garage Showroom, Duncan $25

14 7pm

Ladysmith Camera Club Hardwick Hall, 3rd Ave @ High St, Ladysmith $5

3

Cowichan Tribes Annual Coats for Kids Day For info:250-748-3196 Dianne.Hinkley@cowichantribes.com

15 4pm-6pm

First Anniversary Pottery Store Open House The Pottery Store, 9745 Willow Street, Chemainus

3 8pm

Biggest Little Christmas Parties Arbutus Ridge, Satellite Bar & Grille 250.743.5100

17 -23 26-30

Ride The Christmas Express 4 -9pm BC Forest Discovery Centre, 892 Drinkwater Road

4 11am -2pm 3, 4, 5

“The Zero Mile Diet” Booksigning w/ Carolyn Herriot Community Farm Store, Duncan

18 5:30pm & 7pm

Thursday Dinner Buffet - Taste of Turkey (the country) Includes Christmas Carols - Sing-a-long

18 all day

Live Music in the Café Duncan Garage Cafe and Bakery, Duncan

19 8pm

Said the Whale Duncan Garage Showroom, Duncan $25

23 6-8pm

Winter Wonderland Carnival 311 South Shore Rd., Lake Cowichan $3/$10 Family

24

Screening of A Christmas Story Duncan Garage Showroom, Duncan

10am - 5pm

Margit Nellemann Ceramics 5th Annual Exhibit & Sale with special guest Coco Jones 8350 Richards Trail, 250.748.3811

Honeymoon Bay Lodge and Retreat 250-749-4252 $14 Honeymoon Bay Lodge and Retreat 250-749-4252 $14

Honeymoon Bay Lodge and Retreat 250-749-4252 $14

4 9am -4pm 4 2pm 4 4pmLate

Christmas Craft Fair at Providence Farm Providence Farm, 1843 Tzouhalem Road, Duncan

Cowichan Bay Annual Sail Past Boats begin sailpast at 5pm Cowichan Bay Waterfront, Merchants open till LATE

9pm

Breakfast and Movie Duncan Garage Showroom, Duncan

4 4pmLate

The Emily Morgan Studio and Gallery Show Artists Opening Featuring the work of 14 Local Artists Emily Morgan Studio, Cowichan Bay Waterfront

25 8am -2pm

29 8pm 31 7pm

For The Love of Words with Bill Levity Duncan Garage Showroom, Duncan $5 for readers /$10 others

CD Release of WINTER by Cari Burdett and Friends Duncan Garage Showroom, Duncan

5, 12, 19 Sunday Brunch with Santa

Arbutus Ridge, Satellite Bar & Grille 250.743.5100

Luv Train NYE Party Mt Brenton Golf Club, Chemainus

7,14,21 8pm

Dress Rehearsal or Blues Tuesday Duncan Garage Showroom, Duncan $5 All Tickets

31

Georgia’s Birthday Party and New Year’s Eve Celebration Duncan Garage Showroom, Duncan

10 8pm

Morgan Davis with Mark Crissinger Duncan Garage Showroom, Duncan $10/$12

January 1st noon

Annual Polar Bear Swims Maple Bay Rowing Club

8 -11 7:30pm

Mother Goose: A Musical Panto directed by D. McPhee

10 & 11 8-11am

Amnesty International ‘Write for Rights’ Island Bagel Cafe, 48 Station Street, Duncan

Cowichan Bay Annual sail past • 4pm to late

Lake Cowichan Centennial Hall 309 South Shore Rd, Lk Cowichan Matinee December 11th 2pm

Saturday, December 4th

Gift & Food Donations to the Duncan Showroom Garage’s Christmas Morning Breakfast and Movie Event are Welcome

Longevity John and friends host this community event every year for those who are alone but wish to spend Christmas morning with others. They serve up pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, muffins, jams, maple syrup, peanut butter, coffee, tea and juices -ALL of you are welcome to mingle, eat and be merry.

4

$57

Parade at 5pm!

Visit the waterfront merchants in Cowichan Bay for some hot chocolate, warm cheer, late night shopping and music to dance to while watching beautifully decorated boats drift by at this annual event.

The monthly magazine for people who love to eat, live and play in the Cowichan Valley.

Published by cowichan valley voice magazine Richard & Sheila Badman Contact us at: editor@cowichanvalleyvoice.com 250-746-9319

Copy Editor Heather Walker (Congratulations Maeve! We miss you)

Writers’ Voice Editor John Steven

Advertising Enquiries Please Call Diana Pink 250-733-2635 or e-mail diana@cowichanvalleyvoice.com * Non Profit Community Event Ad spaces available please enquire.

FREE COMMUNITY CALENDAR LISTINGS Date, Time, Event Title and Place ONLY Email event by the 18th Day of preceding month to: events@cowichanvalleyvoice.com

Valley Voices Heather Walker, Rick Dennis, Brad Boisvert, Jenn De Valk,Chantell Foss, John Steven,Victor Vesley, Margit Nellemann, Cari Burdett, Sheila Badman, Angie Erskine, Cynthia Montgomery, Maureen Fatin, Aaron Bichard, John Steven, Lisa Ahier, Sandra Carr, Coco Jones, David Martinello, Brad Grigor, Cathy Durrant, Cindy Dreger, Kent & Marisa Goodwin, Tom Murray and Ajay Oppelaar, Jenn George, Kurt Knock, Alexa Linton, Audra Stacey, Jill Wlaker, Sue Darlington, Tracey Paleczka, Robin Massey, Debbie Shkuratoff, Cam Bucknum, Eva Trinczek, Aubrey Cobham, Tracy Scheck, Tobi Panter, Stasia Garraway, Julia Star & The Lovely Georgia Nicols We welcome your story ideas & photo submissions, however Valley Voice magazine reserves the right to edit all submissions for space, clarity, content and style. The opinions expressed in Valley Voice Magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, publishers or other authors.

Valley Voice Magazine is distributed throughout the Cowichan Valley Malahat, Mill Bay, Shawnigan Lake, Cherry Point, Duncan, Cowichan Bay, Crofton and Chemainus and to Ladysmith,Victoria, Ucluelet, Tofino, and Salt Spring Island.

Cover Image Wish Fulfulling Cow, Coco Jones, Snowy Trees. RIchard Badman, Polar Bear Swim, Sheila Badman, Margit and Victor of Teafarm Inside Image Maple Bay Polar Bear Swim, Sheila Badman

Valley Voice Magazine is published monthly.

Subscriptions are available at a cost of $35 a year within Canada and $55 a year for US or International subscribers.

Visit us at www.cowichanvalleyvoice.com Errors and Regrets Our apologies to Chef Bruce Wood of Bruce’s Kitchen on Salt Spring Is for the cranberry typo in his delicious apple pudding recipe.

the valley

December 2010 Vol 2 Issue 26

VOICE

Pages

December Events 4 Table of Contents 5 Voices Choices 7 Oh Christmas Tree 8 Holiday Ceviche 10 Taste of Tea 11 Community Farm Store: Nutrient or Toxin? 12 Organic Fair 13 Cowichan Gourmet: Apple Tarte Tarin 14 Organic Fair Chocolate Hazelnut Pate 15 The Scent of Christmas 15 A Visionary Retreat in Honeymoon Bay 16 Cowichan Recyclists 17 Green Living 17 Winter CD 18 “Upcycled” Gifts 18 Pets Over The Holidays 19 Building The Bridge 19 Cowichan Shopping 20 Local Is Best 21 Global Gifts That Help 22 Perfect Present For Pet Lovers 23 Ajay and Tom’s Christmas Display 23 Helpful Garden 24 A Cowichan Legacy Story from TLC24 Along The Maple Bay Waterfront 25 Riding The Rail Trails 26 Win A Norco Bike 26 Christmas Compassion or Consumerism?27 Tips For Choosing Your Cowichan Christmas Tree 27 CRAFT by Cowichan Valley Artisans 28 Artist Kathy Smillie 28 Talking Arts: Coco Jones 29 Chronic Malaise 30 Feng Shui-ing Through Life 30 Healing With Sound 31 The Naked Dakini 32 Holiday Cleaning? Start With Your Body! 33 Writers Voice 34 Georgia Nicols December Horoscopes 35 Outnumbered! by Sue McKitrick 35 Another View of Paradise 36 Moonbeams: Merry Elipsing 36 Off The Grid: Santa’s Helper 37 Faxes, E-mails and Verbal Lint 37 Points Gallery 38 Hannah and Her Spindle by Carol Shaw 39

5

Enjoy Our Local Food!

Cobble Hill Sunday Market

9am to 2pm • Every Sunday at Watson and Fisher

Two Halls full of Goodies and Gifts for holiday shoppers.

Join us for brunch!

Vendor and Busker inquiries welcome.

Call Sheila 250-701-7647.

6

Bistro

Bakery and Market

Simple is elegant.

Now Open

Now taking holiday party bookings.

Inquire about our Holiday Catering.

Book now for your Christmas baking and holiday platters. “ Local food for local consumption”

Dinner served Wed- Sunday Open from 5pm

Eat in or Grab to Go!

1753 Shawnigan-Mill Bay Road 250. 743 . 3667

1761 Shawnigan-Mill Bay Road (beside Moziro Coffee)

Voices Choices Cowichan Tribes Annual Coats for Kids December 3 For more info on how to donate Dorothy at 250-748-3196 Dianne.Hinkley@cowichantribes.com

Too often children in our community do not have outerwear to keep them warm and dry in winter. To help out, we organize a collection of coats, hats, mitts and scarves for distribution to those children in need. We hope you will consider making a contribution to this worthwhile cause. Our goal this year is 300 coats, with our Coats for Kids Day being held December 3, 2010. We are happy to receive clean gently used or new coats and cash/voucher/gift card donations. Cheques or vouchers can be made out to Coats for Kids c/o Cowichan Tribes. Hats, mitts and scarves are also gratefully appreciated. Any donations after the day will be put to good use somehow and can be dropped off at Cowichan Tribes Lands Building on Allenby Road. The Cowichan Tribes annual Coats for Kids drive, is sponsored by our Lands, Governance & Fisheries Department

Amnesty International Write For Human Rights December 10 & 11

Island Bagel Cafe 8-11am 48 Station Street, Duncan www.amnesty.ca/Write-a-thon For more info: somaemurray@shaw.ca 250-510-4644 Join Somae Murray at Island Bagel Cafe for International Human Rights Day. Give what may be your most meaningful and satisfying gift this season, for the cost of 30 minutes and a postage stamp! Select one of many worthy cases featured in ‘Write-for-Rights’ (on the day), write letters of protest to people in positions of authority, or write cards of heartfelt solidarity directly to the people whose rights have been violated. Individual letters become an avalanche of letters, in many cases, authorities respond to this social pressure and release and/or cease to torture prisoners, while other prisoners are filled with a sense of hope and support from the outside world.

Annual Maple Bay Polar Bear Swim January 1st. 2011 NOON

International Tea Day teafarm Open House December 15th

Maple Bay Rowing Club Beaumont Ave, Maple Bay,

10am - 5pm 8350 Richards Trail, North Cowichan 250.748.3811

You are invited to the teafarm to celebrate International Tea Day and the plight of workers around the world working for better tea and a better life.

Cup interesting and exquisite fairly trade organic teas from several tea producing countries as well as locally produced and blended teas.

Meet other tea enthusiasts and learn more about the world of tea. There will be something for folks new to tea and those looking to enhance their existing knowledge and experience. Margit Nellemann will be giving away one of her funky handbuilt clay teapots in honour of the day. Visit Margit’s blog at www.margitnellemann.com to enter the draw to win this special gift.

Ring in the new year right!

Join bathers, boats and spectators for the traditional plunge on New Years’ Day. The polar bear swim in Maple Bay is one of the most anticipated Cowichan Valley events of the new year. Last year’s swim attracted over 200 swimmers and spectators.

Enjoy hot cocoa, bagpipes and all the characters in costume.

Dive in yourself for an icy plunge or wait on the shore with warm clothes and towels for the daring diver in your life. Brrrrr... to the Brave!

See you there!

Delicious East Indian Cuisine

Butter Chicken Curry Chicken Vegetarian Specialties Chana Masala Pakoras Samosas

The Daily Grind Dine in or Take Out 3218 Sherman Road • 250-709-2299

7

Oh Cowichan Christmas Tree...

A

s this is our first Christmas with little ones old enough to appreciate the sentiment, we decided to explore the world of real Christmas Trees. Though I grew up with an artificial tree, my fond memories of late night family decorating sessions are still as cherished as everyone elses. Richard’s Christmas experiences have always been with live trees and this year we thought it might be nice to start our own Badman Family tree tradition for the holiday season. To persuade me Richard reminds me that “Christmas Tree farms are like cabbage patches.” it is a crop like any other.

Setting off on a Sunday, we didn’t have to venture far before discovering Lakes Road Tree Farm owned by Ingemar & Theresa Karlsson. Ingemar came from Sweden in 1964 and worked on improving trees in the research sector of BC’s forest industry for over 20 years. He planted his first Christmas trees in 1973 and has enjoyed the shift and pace of Christmas tree farming and the specialized research to benefit families like ours. Ingemar shares some insight while we are there. “ In an effort to improve better quality trees we have gradually moved from only Douglas Fir and Pine to include the Abies species; namely

easier to decorate and they last longer in the house with less needle drop.” Every tree on the Karlsson’s farm has been grown from seed. Using his own pollen and cone bud sources, he carefully hand pollinates each season to ensure his selection can keep up with his customers’ requests for the holidays. Following a traditional method of growing, the Karlsson’s use no irrigation system to water the trees and no pesticides or fungicides are used on his trees. There are a certain number of trees that don’t survive for various reasons and Ingemar accepts this as part of the farming process.

During my research, I was surprised to discover a few facts about our local Christmas tree farms that I had not considered before. According to Rick Dungey of the National Christmas Tree Association: • While they are growing real Christmas trees, clean our air of pollutants.

• Local tree farms help the earth absorb carbon dioxide storing the carbon in the wood, roots and soil thus helping to produce more oxygen for us to breathe.

• Christmas Tree farms provide refuge for wildlife and create scenic green belts.

Often, Christmas Trees are grown on soil that doesn’t support other crops.

Real Christmas Trees are grown on farms just like any other crop. To ensure a

Grand Fir, Noble Fir and more recently Nordmann Fir. These latter trees are

8

SIngemar, owner of Lakes Road Tree Farm holding Shiloh in front of a Nordmann Fir

constant supply, Christmas Tree growers plant one to three new seedlings for every tree they harvest. On the other hand, artificial trees are a petroleum-based product manufactured primarily in Chinese factories. The average family uses an artificial tree for only six to nine years before throwing it away, where it will remain in a landfill for centuries after disposal. Real Christmas Trees are PVC free!

Ingemar tells us “the main competition to be concerned about are not other growers or American trees, but rather families buying artificial trees.” We ask Theresa What is the best tree to have for children? “ Nordmann Fir” she exlaims without a doubt “It has soft, luxurious needles making it much nicer for children to decorate.”

Sahtlam Tree Farm is owned by Bob Russell.

“After receiving a forestry education in the

mid ‘60s, I became involved with Christmas tree farming part-time on Salt Spring Island in a family enterprise. In 1974, I purchased the 40 acre Sahtlam property, 30 acres of which were slash and wetlands, with 5 acres of second growth fir and the remaining 5 acres a roughly cleared tree farm.

Logging followed and gradual land clearing began in 1979. A couple of the current locations are now into their 5th rotation of trees. Although stump cultures (the science of growing one or more trees off a root stock) are practised here, I generally interplant seedlings close to the recently harvested trees. Mulching and culturing practises, plus vegetation management, are necessary for quality tree production. There are now some 40,000 planted and naturally seeded Christmas trees on the property. Douglas fir and Grand fir make up 90% of the annual harvest. Noble fir accounts for the balance. Douglas is the most popular tree in the retail lots; however, the Grands, known for their fragrance, are the favourites at choose-andcut farms.�

White Fir

the valley

Happy Holidays from our family at

VOICE

Wishing you peace and joy for the holiday season.

Rocky Mt Fir

Redwood

Scotch Pine

For a Winter 2011 Rate Card Please contact Diana by phone at 250.733.2635 or e-mail diana@cowichanvalleyvoice.com

Wintergreen Tree Farm is a locally owned and family operated tree farm in Mill Bay. They specialize in providing Christmas trees on a wholesale basis to local Island outlets though are also open to the public. They provide several varieties including Douglas Fir, Grand Fir, Noble Fir and Pine with extra large trees available.

Happy Christmas Cowichan!

Noble Fir

For Tips on Choosing A Cowichan Christmas Tree please go to Page 27

9

s

Holiday Ceviche

Recipe courtesy of Chef Lisa Ahier of Sobo Restaurant,Tofino BC

Ingredients

Amount

Halibut Fillets Spot Prawns Scallops

16 oz 8 oz 6 oz

Key Limes (Fresh ) Small Roma Tomatoes Red & Yellow Peppers Chives, Finely Minced Serrano Chillies Avocados, Diced Cilantro

3 Cups Squeezed 1 Cup Seeded, Diced 1 Cup 1/2 Cup 4 2 Small 1/2 Cup

Salt Extra Virgin Olive Oil (good quality)

3 Teaspoons 1/8 Cup

Method Marinate fish, prawns and scallops for 2 to 3 hours in the fresh lime juice.

Drain the fish and carefully fold in the tomatoes, peppers,chives, chiles, avocado, cilantro and salt to taste.

Keep well chilled. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the ceviche right before serving with gem lettuce leaves and fresh corn chips.

Cowichan Bay Seafoods Looking for best value seafood, from responsible and ethical merchants dealing in sustainable seafood and shellfish?

1751 Cowichan Bay Rd, Cowichan Bay 250-748-0020 E-mail: info@cowichanbayseafood.com

Open Wednesday through Sunday 10am-5pm 8350 Richards Trail North Cowichan 250 748 3811 www.teafarm.ca

10

Taste of Tea

W

e recently received two very large sacks of “ORTHODOX Black Tea” from Nepal.

The term “orthodox” refers to the traditional method of Teafarm Teaflower rolling the tea leaves in the final stages of oxidization. This is generally done in tumbling drums. In today’s tea industry only 5-10 percent of all black tea is produced this way: the majority of black tea is processed using a CTC (cut tear curl) method.

Tea leaves are run through machines that cut the leaves so as to produce tea that will brew a quicker, more robust and colourful cup of tea. This type of tea is often used in tea bags and blends.

Artisanal handmade whole-leaf tea, like that from Nepal, is believed to contain more polyphenols and hence have greater antioxidant properties. I think it also simply tastes better.

December 15th is International Tea Day and its purpose is to bring awareness to the impact of the global tea trade on workers, small growers and consumers around the world. As the tea industry continues to experience tremendous growth, it is important that traditions, quality and meaning are not lost.

Sunday

Cowichan

Fellow Cowichan Valley Artisan Brock Windsor of Stone Soup Inn and soon-to-be-CVA-member-in-2011 Bradford Boisvert of Amuse Bistro are two individuals who appreciate and engage in tasteful experiences. December will be an interesting month at their respective establishments. They have challenged themselves to integrate the diversity of tea flavours into their menus in dynamic and innovative ways. Check out www.stonesoupinn.ca Victor Vesely is a tea farmer and purveyor of fine and fun organic teas. and www.amusebistro.com www.teafarm.ca for more information on what these culinary artisans are creating where they live.

Now Open Thursday through Sunday

SHARE THE GIFT OF TEA Now Open Thursday through Sunday 10am-5pm

8350 Richards Trail North Cowichan

250 748 3811 www.teafarm.ca

11

Nutrient or Toxin?

Cara with some lovely fair trade baskets at the Community Farm Store. They are on everyone’s list...

O

ver the holidays we often make VERY poor food choices. We’re human, we have our triggers associated with the holidays, and too much family, parties and merriment make for an intestinal and emotional nightmare!

Our body recognizes what you put into it in two ways, with nothing in between: Nutrient or Toxin. If you keep this fact in the back of your mind you may start to make better food choices. Here’s another good one to help you stay awake to your eating choices: There is no such thing as “Junk Food.” There’s “Junk” and there’s “Food”!

When I cook, I don’t put anything into my recipe that isn’t a nutrient. It’s not hard, really: just stay away from most things that are white and aren’t a “whole” food. It’s amazing how good, real, whole, organic food tastes! You can become renowned as an exceptional cook by simply buying great foods that are loaded with nutrients and artfully putting them together. Simple!

We can also look at our gift-buying tendencies the same way for the Environment and our Community.

Are we buying gifts that are Nutrients or Toxins for the Planet? Is it a “disposable” item that will end up in the landfill in a few months time? Is it supporting the local area, or do you have to drive far afield using precious resources and moving dollars out of the community? Is it perhaps “fairly traded,” where dollars are going toward sustaining underprivileged areas in the world? Or is it mass-produced, unethically and unsustainably? Will we teach our kids to be mass consumers, or can we show them that less is more, and actions of kindness can embody the Holiday spirit more than anything we could possibly buy. You get the picture...

So this season, treat your body and the Planet with the love and respect it deserves! Shop local, organic, fair trade or at least with consideration for the earth.

“We CAN impact the future of our WORLD with our buying POWER… What do you choose?

Nutrient or Toxin?”

12

Gift Ideas From THE FARM STORE!

Fair Trade Baskets from Ghana.

Locally made: Beeswax Candles, Body care and Chocolate! Organic/ non-toxic Body care and Household Cleaners, Self Help C.D’s.

Organic Essential oils, diffusers, rock salt and Selenium lamps and candle holders. Organic Candies, baking supplies, (gluten free and/ or organic) reusable water bottles, ceramic coffee cups, tea thermos’s and supplies. A MASSIVE organic tea selection, locally roasted coffee and a great festive selection from our bakery (organic, gluten free or wheat free). All served up by knowledgeable, friendly staff, come on down, the smiles are free!

Join Cindy Dec 12 at Affinity Guest House for a different sort of cooking class “Let your food be your medicine, even over the holidays” For more information email thecommunityfarmstore@shaw.ca or phone 250 715-7743 You can find Cindy Dreger (and some of her seasonal recipes) at the Community Farm Store, downtown Duncan in the “Garage” where she is the grocery buyer. She’s also a Nutritional Consultant studying with the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and has taught Yoga here in the Cowichan Valley for nine years. To sign up for her newsletter contact her at: cinbin@shaw.ca www.health-results.com

T Delicious, Organic, Artisanal

Chocolate

A

small, family-run business located just 6 minutes west off the highway in Cobble Hill offers gourmets an answer to the most popular grocery question in December:

Which chocolate should we buy for the holidays?

Organic Fair, owned and operated by Kent and Marisa Goodwin, offers chocolate lovers not just a premium chocolate bar, but a whole business philosophy that is making a difference in people’s lives locally and around the globe.

Celebrating their 5th Anniversary this year, the Goodwins should be pleased with what they’ve accomplished.

Besides contributing a treat that is rich and delicious, 100% certified organic and made with the highest quality ingredients they can find, they have also been able to do it their way. The company offers an impressive repertoire of 17 extraordinary dark chocolate bars with cacao sourced from the Dominican Republic, Peru and (soon) Ecuador. All bars contain a minimum of 70% cacao and are 100% certified organic and fair trade. “Our bars

have no fillers, waxes or added dairy products,” says Marisa. “We blend cocoa liquor (pure unsweetened chocolate) from several farms with cane sugar and cocoa butter to create our own distinctive chocolate.” All the bars are handmade and hand-wrapped by people in the Cowichan.

Organic Fair also gives back to their international suppliers. When the Goodwins began their chocolate company, they developed a Direct Fair Trade Fund (DFTF): an Organic Fair promise that a full 1% of ALL revenues generated by Organic Fair goes back to the communities of the producers. This money is used exclusively by the farmers to directly benefit their communities.

Cash funds have already been used for machinery, education and community development projects.

Share this “food of the gods” with friends over the

he Community Farm Store has been selling the fantastic Organic Fair chocolate ever since their conception.

We’re always excited when Kent tells us “we’re working on something new.” We have the chocolates (hot chocolate, coffee, mulling spices, sugar and spice rubs) prominently displayed in the store and if anyone asks us which brand to choose, we always point to our local favorite! Organic Fair!

Cindy Dreger

holidays and help Organic Fair help farming families like theirs in far-off lands. *Also available are a growing line of gourmet spices and rubs, Hedonist Hot Chocolate, three new drinking chocolates, and Mythic Mole savory chocolate dry rub.

Limited Edition Bars Just For Christmas Noel made with their own fresh baked vegan gingerbread cookie chunks & cranberries in mandarin chocolate Nutcracker roasted spiced nuts in chocolate MerryMint organic candy cane pieces in peppermint chocolate

Image Top; Marisa and Kent Goodwin of Organic Fair, Sheila Badman. Image Left; Farmer in the Dominican removes cacao seeds from the pods prior to fermentation.

13

Cowichan Gourmet

A

s I write this article looking out at the snow coming down, I fade back into the memories of fall … WAIT! It still is fall! That must mean there are still apples around.

Apples range from sweet to tart with hundreds of varieties. Apples have deep roots in Vancouver Island’s history.

The first apple trees in B.C. to be planted were in 1840, right here on Vancouver Island. However, 20 years later apples were still considered a luxury item in Victoria. This caused a plea from the government for more orchards to be planted. At that time most of the fruit consumed in B.C. was brought up from California and Oregon, and (much like the fruit still imported in today) it is sub par with what we have growing here. By the 1870s fruit was being taken from the Comox Valley with geologists back to Montreal to be examined and used to set a standard for high quality.

the apples that may be growing in your backyard, because that plea back in 1860 for people to plant orchards on Vancouver Island worked.

If you are not one of those lucky ones with a backyard tree, no need to worry: there are still lots of apples around.

Many farmers’ markets still have them. Another great resource to use for finding apples or any other local produce is the annual Farm Fresh guide, which is also now online (www.islandfarmfresh. com). It’s also a great way to look up local ingredients for your Christmas dinner.

Speaking of Christmas dinner, what are you going to have? Well, apples fit in from appetizer to dessert. When planning your dinner, be sure to include some of our history by using apples. Here is one of my favourite apple recipes.

Today we do not need scientists to tell us that apples grown on Vancouver Island are fabulous. However, you may need someone to identify

A Culinary Institute of America trained chef, Bradford Boisvert combines his passion for local food with his passion for French cuisine at his restaurant Amusé Bistro in Shawnigan Lake.

APPLE TARTE TARIN Yields: 9 Ingredients Apples Butter Honey Apple Cider Brandy Sage Leaves Puff Pastry Discs

Amount 18 1/2 Cup 100g 1 Cup 60ml 2 whole 9 ea

Method 1. Peel, half and core apples 2. Heat butter, honey, sage leaves and apple cider in pot until butter melts 3. Add apples, cover and cook until tender 4. Flambé with brandy 5. Press into ramekins, bake until soft at 350 degrees 6. Place puff pastry discs on top 7. Bake at 350 degrees until puff pastry has browned

14

On The Farm

A

hhhh December. No matter how much it snows, or how low the temperature drops, or how grey and dismal the sky is, we love December at Makaria Farm.

From his LazyBoy command post, Brock strategizes our seed order for the next growing season, compiling an elaborate spreadsheet. We fine-tune our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) harvest share program, which will enter its fourth season when we start accepting registrations in January 2011.

I update our website, reminisce about the summer with friends on our Makaria Farm Facebook page, and work on our signage, brochures, and business cards for the New Year.

Teafarm tea and Peak’s coffee become the most important staples of our kitchen. Soups, stews, chilli and bread are our default meals, utilising many of the vegetables we tossed into the freezer over the growing season, as well as our dried beans and grains, and beef from our neighbour’s grass-fed steer.

For us, December is a time for recuperation and renewal, a pause to enjoy our land (even when it’s thick with snow or sodden with rain), and our opportunity to plan how we can grow our farm over the next 12 months.

We hope you’re enjoying this restful time too. We’ll see you in the New Year ...

Heather Walker and Brock McLeod own and operate Makaria Farm Heather is a writer, editor and passionate seed starter. www.makariafarm.com Image of Dragonfly Farm Heather Walker

Organic Fair Maple Hazelnut Chocolate Pate

The Scents of Christmas

Prep time 20 mins, Chill for about 3 hrs till solid.

This can be kept in the fridge up to 5 days in advance of devouring. Please remove from fridge a minimum of 15 minutes before serving. Indulges about 6 chocolate lovers.

Line a mini loaf pan with an oversized piece of cling film letting excess hang over the sides.

You wil also need a fine stainlees steel sieve for this recipe.

Ingredients

Amount

Semi Sweet 60% Cacao Baking Chocolate Whipping Cream Unsalted Butter(room temperature) Toasted & Peeled Hazelnuts Fine Sea Salt Big Leaf Maple Syrup

3/4 Cup 1/2 Cup minus a Tablespoon 2 Tablespoons 3 Tablespoons 1-2 pinches 1 Tablespoon

Toasted Hazelnuts Roast hazelnuts whole in oven at 350F for 10 minutes. Stir nuts halfway through to toast evenly on all sides. Once toasted, peel and cool. Then crush inside bag with a rolling pin.

Method 1. Chop chocolate into small pieces.

2. Mix chocolate and butter in a mixing bowl.

3. Using a heavy bottomed pot, slowly heat cream over medium until steaming and bubbles begin breaking over the surface. Watch closely and be careful not to let it burn.

4. Remove cream from heat and pour through stainless steel sieve into chocolate/butter mixture.

5. Spread hazelnuts into lined loaf pan and sprinkle with sea salt.

6. Gently stir ganache with a spatula until just blended- don’t overmix.

7. When all the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth pour over hazelnuts in prepared loaf pan.

8. Cover loosely with cling film and chill for at least 3 hours.

When ready, flip pan upside down and gently peel away cling film.

To serve, drizzle with maple syrup and cut into slices. Serve with fresh sliced pears and whipped cream. *Subline paired with Rocky Creek’s Blackberry Port or Merridale’s Winter Apple Cider Recipe courtesy Marisa Goodwin of Organic Fair www.organicfoodie.com Wishing you and yours a deliciously Happy Holidays !

T

he presents are wrapped under the tree; the stockings are hung with care while friends and family gather to share in this wonderful time of year. To make this time extra special, incorporate some essential oils. Aromatherapy is about awakening the senses and creating an environment that triggers emotions and long-forgotten memories.

Cinnamon is an excellent essential oil to burn during the holidays. When you think of cinnamon, you may picture hot mulled wine or warm puddings. The spicy, peppery tones of cinnamon bring comfort and warmth to an environment. Cinnamon is ideal for treating exhaustion and stress.

Pine is preferred to bring the essence of a newly cut Christmas tree into the room. By having this essential oil burning in the room, not only does the aroma smell wonderful, it is acting as a powerful remedy to alleviate congestion in the chest, throat and sinuses due to its strong antiseptic properties.

When we think of Christmas, we are reminded of the Three Wise Men and their gifts of frankincense, myrrh and gold.

Frankincense is known for nurturing the nervous system by reducing stress, anxiety and ten-

sion. As this essential oil burns, spirits are lifted and energy levels increase, as well as the ability to concentrate.

Frankincense relieves those feelings of being overwhelmed and fatigued.

By burning these essentials oils, you create a festive atmosphere while benefiting from their healing properties.

Keep in mind that all essential oils are highly volatile substances and should be handled with care. The essential oils listed above are for use in a burner and 5-7 drops is recommended.

Tracy Scheck is a Certified Foot Reflexologist, Aromatherapist and a Norwex Rep. who resides in Cowichan Bay. Please contact Tracy at 250-597-1540 or at cleanliving2day@ hotmail.com

15

A Visionary Retreat in Honeymoon Bay

Lamb Sirloin Entree

T

ucked away just 40 minutes west of Duncan hides a very special retreat in Honeymoon Bay. The idea behind it is visionary: a retreat built to inspire artists, actors, poets and patrons, and those who like to learn from them. An uplifiting and affordable escape for Cowichan locals.

Restaurant We enjoyed an early supper in the Copper Creek Dining Room run by Chef Kevin Macdonald. The menu offers 2-3 courses of beautifully presented meals served with fresh baked bread. I quite enjoyed the chowder, which arrived garnished with a floating fan of steamed mussels. It was delicate and not too rich, with bite-sized vegetables and seafood.

The entree menu features prime rib, salmon, pasta, lamb and ribs. A great selection with something for everyone to enjoy. My mouth watered for a taste of the slowly braised Pork Ribs that evening, but there were a few substitutions and we decided upon a Lamb Sirloin special and Chef Macdonald’s Prime Rib, both served with roasted potatoes

16

Quilters at work and vegetables. Arriving gorgeous and hot (two qualities we love in food), the generous portions were a pleasant surprise: perfect for hungry travellers looking for a delicious and satisfying meal.

We had heard many good things about dining here and were happy to discover that they were all true. Well worth the drive out to dine.

Retreat The dates of our visit coincided with a small poet’s retreat: a friendly bunch of women from Vancouver, Parksville, Nanaimo and the Cowichan Valley.

During breakfast in the communal kitchen they happily shared details about themselves, their workshop and their facilitator poet Richard Osler. We also met a busy hive of quilters who had booked in for the weekend. What a wonderful idea! These lively women, all from the Duncan area, came for a quilting retreat toting sewing machines and fabrics for individual projects, setting up “camp” in the main Lodge studio. Chatting, sewing, and drinking lots of tea, they worked ’til the early hours of

The Badman Famly enjoy exploring new places to share with readers in the Cowichan Valley.

Outdoor Saltwater Jacuzzi the morning like schoolgirls. Immersed in their craft, they too were having a lovely time retreating in their own fashion.

Rest The atmosphere of the resort is quiet.

Bright and cheery with interesting artwork: paintings, photographs and sculptures are on view in the guestrooms and throughout the lodge. There is a gift store, fitness room, a great saltwater jacuzzi, and an infrared sauna on-site. The retreat also offers a selection of wellness services: massage, body wraps, esthetics, counselling, life coaching. Another wonderful spiritual tool is the outdoor labyrinth.

If you are planning a retreat, make sure you book in for a massage. Bodyworker Chris Walker healed our tired parents-oftwin-toddlers bodies in a relaxing manner, refreshing us for an afternoon walk in the rain.

Honeymoon Bay Lodge and Retreat A Not-For-Profit Health & Wellness Centre Honeymoon Bay 1.888.749.4252 www.honeymoonbayretreat.com

d

,

Holiday Presents A Chance to

L

Change

et’s establish from the start I am not the Christmas Grinch of Consumption.

Fact is, when it comes to consuming, I’m a fan.

Holiday baking, locallybrewed beverages, once-in-alifetime experiences; within my reach all are doomed to be consumed.

Fortunately, though, I possess a healthy dose of consumption gumption that prevents chronic purchases of singleuse, disposable items, even during the holidays.

Across the country hundreds of these passing fad, flavourof-the-minute products will end up wrapped in pretty packaging under trees this Christmas to be used, abused and then refused.

Last year on a downtown sidewalk in Metro Vancouver, City solid waste and recycling staff built a towering pile of garbage bags in the shape of a Christmas tree. The bags represented the average amount

of waste sent to the landfill each year by a Vancouver resident.

The point? Each year an additional 700 garbage trucks are needed in the city to deal with the extra waste associated with the holidays — an estimated 5,000 additional tonnes.

This doesn’t need to happen, neither in Vancouver nor here on the Island.

From the farmers’ markets to craft fairs to locally-owned shops, in Cowichan we have plenty of opportunities to find gifts that won’t end up in the landfill.

This year, consider the final resting place of your purchases before you buy.

Not generating waste could be the biggest gift of all.

Aaron Bichard co-owner of Cowichan Recyclists an ecologically sustainable and responsible company helping businesses reduce their impact on the environment.

Green Living

W

hether you work in a traditional office space, a home office, or even just keep a small area at home for paperwork and bills, keeping everything in order is a common source of frustration for many of us. If you have trouble finding important papers or remembering when bills are due, hopefully this issue of our organization series will help get things in order.

The primary problem in an office space is usually paper. The first thing we need to do is reduce the amount of paper coming in wherever possible. Many bills have an e-bill option that you can select. Only print necessary documents and emails, and keep a recycle bin nearby so that you can clear things out on the spot. Next, determine the various categories you need to sort and store paperwork into, such as “work in progress,” “work pending,” “new ideas,” “to be filed,” “to be paid,” etc. Then decide whether you need a filing cabinet, accordion file folders, in/out box file sorters, etc. The office supply stores are full of super handy items to help categorize your paperwork. Choose something that allows you to make up your own headings and set up very specific categories so that things are easy to find later.

The next tip is to make use of your calendar or scheduling software. Mark down when bills are due, create time in your schedule to update your digital contacts so you can recycle all those business cards, set a time when you submit expenses and pay bills, and so on. Be realistic with yourself. For example, if you know you’re not the type of person who will go through and file your receipts on a daily basis, that’s okay, but you need to have a designated place to put them in the meantime (you can create a folder for this) and you need to commit to a regular time that you will deal with them. Set all these events up as repeating tasks: you won’t have to rely on your memory and you’re sure to stay on top of those piles. Oh, wait, you don’t have piles anymore because everything is sorted and alphabetically labelled. Right?

So the basic concept is to make sure everything has a “home” that is specific and easily accessible, and then commit to a schedule of dealing with the various items. Once all the paper is handled you can play with other things, like choosing a comfortable chair, an Tracey Paleczka, inspirational quote on your local mompreneur and owner/ desk, a couple of pictures of operator Clean Choice Eco-Friendly Cleaning Services family. All good things that www.cleanchoicecleaners.com help you function better in your new work space.

17

Local Musicians Offer A Unique Family Gift

C

ari Burdett, local diva and music teacher, wants you to celebrate the winter season with song. So she’s releasing a CD to help you do just that. She and husband Massimo Pintus are musical community activists. For them, selling a CD is not all about getting you to listen to a CD. It’s about helping you and the children in your life to sing, and to love it.

What’s the story behind these songs and stories?

After my elder children were born, my focus on performance widened to include teaching. In my parent-tot classes, I used songs that we learned living in Sweden.

My teacher shared these simple, jewel-like masterpieces with me. I really wanted the world to hear them. It’s not easy to create truly beautiful, simple pentatonic songs.

These compositions sound timeless - we emphasized that in our recordings. Massimo provided accompaniment on guitars, percussion, and his own forged iron glockenspiel.

We call this a family CD because the songs are good for children, but they have appeal and depth for adults.

Why release your first CD now?

Many people feel they don’t have permission to sing. I want to encourage people to find their own voices and the freedom to play. I believe WINTER can be a resource tool to allow people to dive in. And this is only the first of eight!

We plan to record a collection of albums for the seasons and for pregnancy through early childhood.

WINTER is available at local book stores and the Community Farm Store; contact Lila Music Centre for details.

Lila Music Centre offers voice, guitar, and improvisation lessons, community choirs, family music, freelance performance, and workshops.

W

Chantell Foss is a dancing fool and a writer in the Cowichan Valley.

ouldn’t it be great if you could do all of your holiday shopping without using ANY natural resources? Well, the option now exists in the form of “Upcycled” gifts, the brilliant idea of making new innovative creations from old junk. This “junk” that once sat tired in a thrift store, or was bound for a local dump is now being transformed into incredible new products which are mostly one-of-a-kind, and surprisingly affordable. Try to imagine a few outdated 80’s sweaters turned into fabulous new accessories such as felted mittens, leg warmers, hooded scarves & arm warmers. Or what about your sons old skateboard?

You’d never guess it has now become colourful new bangle bracelets, necklaces & earrings. More examples include using grandma’s old silverware to make stunning jewelry such as “Pea Pod” necklaces & hair clips; or bracelets from vintage Bracelet by Mixed Metal Mimi silver platters. What about those old bike tires & car seat belts? Well they have made from an old silver platter a use too, becoming indestructible shoulder bags, wallets & coin pouches. Some options are also very interesting conversion Angela Erskine is the topics, such as journals, note pads and stationary sets made of.... yes, upcycled elephant owner of Radway Clothing in Cowichan Bay. dung! If you take minute to think about what happens to all of the hundreds of thousands www.radway.ca of gifts that are given every Christmas you will soon realize that most sadly end up stuffed away in someone’s closet or worse, in a landfill. So this year, break the consumption habit and along with your recycling, give “Upcyling” a try.

Tips for a Green Christmas “Upcycled” Gifts

18

De-Stressing Strategies for Pets & Owners Over The Holidays

E

very day, more pet owners discover that our pets are affected by our stress. In fact, in response to this stress, pets often display specific behaviours or physical imbalances. In my line of work I’ve seen many of these variations on a theme, all alerting us to the fact that our animal is uncomfortable. Scratching, licking and overgrooming, as well as the more obvious panting, chewing incessantly and whining, are all signals that our animal would appreciate a calmer human and household. So what stresses our animals out? This is unique to each animal, with some able to handle significant stress without any detriment, and others reacting to even the smallest change.

Many animals are not overly comfortable with change, particularly in their home and in their humans.

Building The Bridge

I

spent some time this past summer with my Grandma George, my dad’s mom. She was born and raised on the Cowichan Reserve, an area So here we are, headed into what for many, is the most stressful called Datka. Datka is where the Cowichan and Koksilah time of the year: Christmas. Even the word brings images of rivers meet. My family has crowded malls and nights out, family gatherings and upheaval of the home in preparation for the festivities. The thing is, ani- been there for generations and mals just don’t understand it. So what can we do to spare them that’s where I grew up, and where my parents still reside. the yearly grief?

Our house, and my grandmother’s before it, was built Actually, there are some great tools available to chill pets out.

Not surprisingly, these techniques start with us. First and most right next to the river bank. obvious: breathe. Our breath, both rate and depth, is copied by You can walk outside the back door, hop in a canoe and our animals, so the deeper we breathe, the calmer we feel and head down to Cowichan Bay. the better our animals feel. Our breath also helps our mind to During this recent visit with stay present, rather than shifting into worry. Secondly, ensure Grandma George we talked that you and your animals continue to get outside and/or are about her experience growmoving and playing, as this can be relaxing for everyone. Fiing up there and what she nally, one of my favourite tools is called Rescue Remedy, and missed the most. Her answer: is a blend of five flower essences specifically formulated for the food. When she was little shock, trauma and stress. It is a powerful calmer in situations she would get in a canoe with that could be stressful or upsetting. And don’t forget to have her grandmother and head to lavender essential oil on hand. Often one sniff is all you and the Bay. They would park the your animals need to feel more peaceful. canoe, dig for clams along Alexa Linton *Editors Note: Rescue Remedy is a the beach and then bake them holistic remedy composed of Bach right on the shore and feast. flower essences. It is available at The Times have changed. With red Commununity Farm Store, Lynn’s tide, new laws, and developVitamin Shop or Mercia’s in Duncan. ment, someone couldn’t do

that today. My grandma’s generation did not grow up with processed food, alcohol, excess amounts of white sugars, etc. She would eat local shellfish, salmon and berries.

One thing our Elders need is more access to their traditional foods. At Cowichan Tribes, the Elder’s Program tries to supply as many traditional treats as they can: fish head soup, clams, herring roe. But it’s not the same. We live in such a rich area. A zero-mile diet is possible, and it’s how our Elders used to eat. My goal this past year has been to buy/eat local as much as possible. It’s not only good for the environment and local economy: it’s good for me.

My grandmother grew up with hardly any processed food, and we can too. Happy Holidays! Huy ch q’u!

Jenn K. George is the Project Manger for Water, Sewer & Energy Projects for the Cowichan Tribes and on-call news broadcaster for 89.7 SunFM

19

Christmas Cowichan Style ... Local is best! We Have It All HERE

H

ow many great Cowichan wineries, shops, grocers and restaurants are on your HOMETOWN TO VISIT LIST?

Downtown Duncan Image Sheila Badman

December is a great month to let yourself explore the charm of Cowichan shopping.

Daly down local streets or browse the bookstores. Buy some bread or indulge in after dinner sweets at a nearby bakery or chocolatier. Let our local sports shops, galleries, boutiques, framers or florists entice you with impressive selections and gift ideas. All poised and ready to help you find the perfect present or stocking stuffers fit for local budgets ranging from $5 to $500.

What about holiday fashion? Fancy a new handbag or dress?

Pair of shoes to match? Walk into any one of our fine local clothing boutiques or shoe shops and you’ll finally understand why all the neighbours look so good!

Imagine avoiding busy line ups the holiday season is famous for.

No parking pile ups (or tickets!) here.

Shopping locally not only strengthens and helps to stimulate our own home economy, but also offers an opportunity to re-acquaint ourselves with local shop keepers. These mom & pop shops know what they need to do to keep you shopping here and you’ll be surprised at how great local prices are. Remember the 100km diet? Why not the 100 km gift list?

The holiday season can offer you just the excuse you need to indulge in a tasting at over 20 local wineries and and restaurants that make Cowichan a destination hot spot for the rest of BC, many of them less than 10 minutes from your own home!

Looking for art this year? Spend a weekend following

20

Locals! Explore home shopping and dining for the Holidays.

Dinner at Amuse Bistro Image Sheila Badman

the self guided Cowichan Valley Artisans tour (brochure available online). The tour enables you to purchase high quality art, handicrafts, food and jewelry direct from local artists, farms and culinary professionals. Studio visits ensure an intimate gift buying experience, one that will bring joy to both you, the recipient and the artisan involved.

After shopping, leave the cooking to someone else and treat yourself to holiday cheer- cocktails, hors d’ouvres, dinner or even take out at one of our fine local restaurants.

Afte rall, the Cowichan Valley leads the rest of Vancouver Island on gourmet excellence.

Happy Holidays Readers!

21

Father (brother) of the 2nd family involved in the manufacturing the carpets. He is sorting and matching balls of Tibetan wool.

Global Gifts That Help

they were introduced to a family of carpet makers by a monk named Lama Karma. Intrigued by the story behing the carpets, we asked Sue to tell us more.

S

ue and Doug Darlington have a little Valley business with big intentions to make a difference for a few Tibetan refugee families across the globe. While on a life expanding visit to Nepal,

We wanted to be sure that whatever money we spent would stay in the community but we weren’t sure where to shop. These beautiful handmade carpets come from Boudhanath, a town just east of Kathmandu that is inhabited by a large community of Tibetan

Listen Globally, Play Locally.

African-rooted community music... for everyone!

250-737-1331 www.bopoma.org 22

Tsering and Nelha – 2 women that knot (weave) the carpets.

refugees.

Tibet is a land locked Himalayan country to the north of Nepal and India. After the Chinese invaded Tibet in 1959 many Tibetan people sought refugee status in Nepal. There are more than 40 Tibetan monasteries in this community and many of the arts and traditions of their Tibetan homeland continue to be practised today.

The patterns and styles of the carpets range from geometric and floral to traditional Tibetan.

The more traditional designs incorporate many Tibetan Buddhist symbols. Some are produced for special occasions such as marriage and for good luck or blessings.

The carpets are made of wool from Tibetan sheep that is brought from Tibet in raw form email toand register: andCall thenorprocessed dyed by 737-1331 info@bopoma. hand in Nepal.orThe carpets are 100org knots per square inch and a 3 x 6 ft. carpet takes 1 woman about 1 month to knot.

The skills for the manufacturing are passed down through the family for generations. The carpets were made by the nomadic sheep herders on the Tibetan plateau. In the summer months the carpets and the rest of the family’s belongings would be

packed onto the back of the yaks and then used as sitting sleeping mats in the nomadic tent.

Tibetan carpets are very durable as they were made to stand up to the harsh conditions of nomadic life on the Tibetan plateau.

I buy the carpets directly from the 2 family co-operative. The sale of 1 carpet contributes directly to the sustenance of approximately 20 people. My husband Doug and I were introduced to the families by a Tibetan lama while we were travelling in Nepal in 2005.

We visited again in 2009. In October 2010 I received the 8th shipment of these amazingly beautiful carpets.

Jingle Bells! It’s beginning to look alot like Christmas...

S

ix years ago, Mill Bay residents Tom Murray and Ajay Oppelaar started what is now a tradition in their Fern Ridge Estates neighbourhood. It began as a welcoming Christmas wreath featuring Mickey Mouse, which Tom had cut himself, painted, airbrushed and varnished. The display has now grown into a yearly holiday homage to all things Disney with more then 30 characters in attendance. New this year are the central characters from “Finding Nemo”. Several years ago neighbours Frank and Heather Gibbins joined forces with Tom and Ajay.

Now, Disney dogs, Pinocchio and several dozen more characters and figures have found a holiday home at the Gibbins residence.

Nightly viewing begins Sunday Dec 5th from dusk through 10:00 p.m. and continues through New Years Eve.

Tom & Ajay’s Annual Christmas Display

From Shawnigan/Mill Bay Road turn south on Deloume Road. Turn right on Gibbs place, left on Fern Ridge Drive, right on Arken Terrace. The Murray/Oppelaar residence is on the corner of Fern Ridge Drive and Arken Terrace. The Gibbins home is just up Arken Terrace on the left side of the road before the cul de sac.

The Perfect Present for Pet Lovers

L

ocal artist Eva Trinczek has the perfect gift for animal lovers - commission her to paint a legacy gift for your friends and family! Currently she is painting a series of sheep, but has also painted chickens, roosters, cows, squirrels, pigs, birds and of course cats and dogs. Interested in finding out more? Please read on.

How do you prepare for a commissioned animal painting?

I mostly work from photographs. I like to have several different ones to work from to help me detect the character and any special expressions unique to the pet. I always want the families to tell me as much as possible about the personality of the pet as well as their favourite sleeping spaces, toys, things to do etc. If access to the animal is easy I certainly like to meet them beforehand. I then take my own photographs. In many cases though the animal has passed away and so photos are the only reference.

Do you offer various sizing?

Yes, the smallest size for special orders are 8x10 inches. The cost for a 8x10, for one pet is $110 unframed, and $140 and up, framed. There is no limit in size, if it’s within your budget. I am also able to work on different surfaces, like walls (murals), doors, boards, etc.

How do people get in touch with you about a commission?

Before contacting me, people can go to my website to get an idea of my painting style www.evatrinczek.com. If they like what they see, they can contact me either by phone at 250 746-6132 or email: eva.trinczek@shaw.ca to setand up an appointment.

These beautiful durable handmade I can also be reached at Imagine That! Artisans’ Designs, where I work most Thursdays.

Phone:250 748- 6776.

For Your Home

Small World Imports 250 748 6570

Tibetan Carpets

Direct Equitable Trade Purchasing a beautiful handmade Tibetan rug made in a family run venture, helps to educate children and alleviates poverty in one of the poorest nations on our planet.

www.smallworldimports.ca

carpets are made in a family run venture that houses its workers and educates Trinczek their children.

Eva Artist

250.748.6570 www.smallworldimports.ca

www.evatrinczek.com 250 748 6570

Phone: 250 -746 - 6132 23 Christmas Commission

Helpful Garden Search and here’s not much we can do in our gardens Research this time of year. A weed here, a bit of storm

T

damage to pick up there. Days are short and mostly wet. Why not spend some time indoors preparing for the coming spring?

Begin to plan your vegetable and garden beds by researching new varieties of seed available.

Look for heirloom seeds too, as these have made a huge resurgence in the past few years.

Check with the local garden centres for availability, or check online with seed producers and request catalogues.

For the vegetable garden, make a calendar to follow. Include what and when to seed outdoors, when to start seedlings indoors or in cold frames, when to plant out, timed plantings for continuous yield, and projected harvest dates.

Plan out your garden beds on paper. Research online or in books the requirements and proper placement of plants.

Take into consideration light exposure, mature size, as well as the water and nutritional requirements of individual plants.

By doing your research before actually purchasing plants and seeds you can save yourself the hassle of relocating plants that are incorrectly placed.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for, go hit up your local garden centre experts for their advice and opinion.

Any horticulturist worth their salt will gladly find time to help you out. These people are invaluable local resources.

Also, if you’re not already a member of either of our local garden clubs, the Cowichan Valley Garden Club and the Mill Bay Garden Club, consider joining. Membership gives you access to numerous experts, master gardeners and knowledgeable laymen. Clubs also have extensive libraries that allow members to check out books on hundreds of plant topics. Joining one of these clubs is the best deal around when you look at bang for your buck! But then, I’m a bit biased...

Ajay Oppelaar is VP of the Mill Bay Garden Club. For club membership information or other questions contact him at dangerboy2490@hotmail. com.

Book-Keeping/Tax�Returns Over 30 years experience in all aspects of book-keeping, including payroll and government reporting, preparation of financial statements, etc. Also individual and proprietorship tax returns. Weekly, monthly, or annually.

My office or yours. Reasonable rates.

Chris�Nielsen-Smith 250-597-8937

chrisnielsensmith@telus.net

W

Giving Isn’t Just For Christmas

hen someone lives the simple life, in tune with nature, it seems only natural that their final gift would be back to the land. In this way, Marian Bina Bratt’s legacy will live on forever through The Land Conservancy of B.C.’s (TLC) Cowichan River property and the surrounding environment she helped to protect.

After relocating to Victoria from B.C.’s northern interior, Marian could often be found mountain climbing in the Cowichan Valley.

She cared deeply for the area’s waterways and wished to see them protected. It is because of this that, after her passing in 2007, Marian’s nephew chose to direct his aunt’s TLC bequest of over $50,000 to help with a property purchase on the banks of the Cowichan River.

The property is the second parcel acquired by TLC on the north bank of the river. The first property was purchased by TLC in 2000 and is the site of a short-term rental log cabin. The Cowichan River is of incredible importance to wildlife, the community, and the cultural heritage of the area. It is internationally renowned for many species of wild salmon and steel-head and is the homeland of the Cowichan First Nation. Undeveloped parcels are scarce along the river as the Duncan area is rapidly expanding.

Because of this, the Province has identified land to be added to the green space of the Cowichan River Provincial Park. Working in partnership with the Province and local residents, TLC is committed to helping protect the remaining parcels through purchase as they become available, or through conservation covenants. TLC is profoundly grateful for Marian Bratt’s generous bequest, which is an everlasting gift for the Cowichan River and the surrounding Cowichan Valley community. *Interested in Planned Giving or the activities of TLC? Visit conservancy.bc.ca.

Earth Friendly Cleaning Proudly helping clients rid their homes of unwanted dust, grime and pollutants using cleaning products that contain no harsh chemicals.

Bondable, efficient and affordable!

call for quote & bookings • 250-510-5644 Victoria • 250-857-5243

24 Affordable, efficient and reliable environmentally friendly cleaning services

Along the Maple Bay Waterfront in the 1920’s

I

n the years after World War I, the townsfolk of Duncan discovered an idyllic camping area along the beach of beautiful Maple Bay. This well-protected harbour offered plentiful fishing, as well as hiking opportunities on nearby Maple and Tzouhalem Mountains, and a pebbly beach for a splash of refreshment.

With the prosperity of the 1920’s, some of the more well-to-do merchants of Duncan decided to build summer cottages by the water. These summer residents included a future MP, an MLA, a future mayor of Duncan, a printer, a bookseller, dealers in real estate and insurance, and merchants of men’s wear and hardware. Building material was the plentiful local lumber, brought in by tugboat from the nearby sawmill in Genoa Bay. Many of these houses and cottages were constructed in the distinctive and thenpopular ‘gothic revival’ style of architecture, with wide porches, tall windows, and sharply pitched roof gables, topped with long, pointed finials. An exquisite example from that time can be seen today from the beach, looking north to the stretch of land folding around the Bay toward Salt Spring Island.

As one walks along the beach, starting at the southernmost end, the first inhabited beachfront lot held a charming little cottage built by C.H. Dickie, a Duncan realtor who was the area’s Member of Parliament during the end of the 20’s and into the 30’s. This lovely little house, with its shake roof and

unpainted clapboard, is still there.

Three lots to the north is the building that housed the ‘Bay of Maples Tearoom’, a business operated by Mrs. Springett for tourists.

She offered meals, refreshments, rooms, and camping sites. This structure now houses the Wilderness Kayaking Company.

The lot just south of the government wharf was the site of The Beach House, a general store open only in the summers, selling flags, hammocks, clothes, footwear, and assorted camping and beach supplies. This was the recent site of the ‘Grapevine by the Bay’ restaurant, now sadly missed. In 192l, Mr. Mutter bought this property and constructed a veranda on the sea side for an ice cream parlor. The following year, the building was rented by the Maple Bay Yacht Club. It again became a general store after the Yacht Club obtained its own property.

Going north, one comes to the public wharf and parking lot. According to summer resident Muriel Jarvis, “This area was always the center of any activity happening in the Bay, and the wharf was often alive with people and children fishing through the cracks for perch….”

Then one comes to the building that was formerly the Beaumont Hotel. No longer a hotel but a private

home belonging to the Mutters, it was a large, cube-like, wooden clapboard structure with a hipped roof. Three lots to the north was situated a property owned by Louis Springett.

(It was his wife who ran the Teahouse.) Mr. Springett had a little shipyard, where he would construct and repair boats. In 1925, The Maple Bay Yacht Club built its own clubhouse and dock, with an adjoining parking lot, just north of the Springett boatyard.

This same building is now home to the Maple Bay Rowing Club.

The Bromilows, owners of the adjacent lot to the north, were among the few permanent residents of Maple Bay at that time. Mr. Bromilow operated a small marina, with boats and cottages to rent, and would spend the summer taking people around the bay in one of his boats.

The Maple Inn owned the block to the north, including an orchard and tennis court.

The proprietors of the Inn were a Col. and Mrs. McBean, who opened it in 1922. The present-day Brigantine Inn is its last remaining vestige.

Next month: The Legendary Maple Inn Images from Left to Right The Dickie House. Photo by C. Montgomery The Bay of Maples Teahouse, c. 1920, Cowichan Valley Museum & Archives The Maple Bay Yacht Club, c. 1935, Courtesy of the Maple Bay Yacht Club.

Mutter House, 1962, Cowichan Valley Archives

Cynthia Montgomery is a teacher-on-call for the Cowichan Valley School District and an amateur folk musician. You can see her video at www.cynthiemontgomery.com.

25

Ride the Rail Trails

H

ere in the Cowichan Valley we are seeing something quite amazing taking place: old rail lines, which have been unused since the late ‘70s or early ‘80s, are being transformed into cycling/pedestrian/ equestrian paths. Some of this is to link into the Trans-Canada Trail network, and some of it is just out of some thoughtful minds at the CVRD, North Cowichan and City of Duncan planning offices.

I’ve been riding these rail trails for many years so for me to see the recent upgrades that have gone in over the past year is very exciting. Motorcycle traffic is not permitted and most seem to be abiding by these rules. The scenery as you comfortably ride with your children, friends, or solo is very rewarding. Old farms and forests. It’s almost meditative. The perfect way to unwind after work.

The surfacing of these trails is generally very smooth, wellcompacted gravel with trestles and some new bridges at water crossings, suitable for all except road bikes with skinny tires. The gentle grade of 0.5% between Duncan and Lake Cowichan is easy enough for anyone to tackle. You’ll find coming back towards Duncan surprisingly easy with the assistance of that slight grade!

Just remember to be respectful when passing or approaching other cyclists, pedestrians or equestrians. We’re all out there to have fun!

Having a bike bell on your handlebar is a good idea to warn others that you are approaching.

You can access these trails at the Sherman Road/Lane Road intersection and the Glenora CVRD park on Vaux Road.

Information signs are posted at these locations with distance markers and other trail intersections shown. You can start by riding as far as you find comfortable and just turning back when you’ve had enough. That will leave you wanting to ride farther the next time!

Kurt Knock is a photographer and owner of Everti Bicycles.

He currently has his first photo exhibit ”Feeling Life” on display at Coffee On The Moon 501 Canada Avenue in Duncan, It runs until the beginnin g of January. “My goal is for people to feel something when they look at my work. I don’t like to just take pictures. I try to make each photo tell a story.”

26

Win a Norco LRT bicycle from the Cowichan Green Community

W

hat could be a more fitting way for an environmental organization to raise funds than to raffle off a bicycle? That is exactly what the Cowichan Green Community aims to do with their Norco bike raffle: raise funds for food security programs such as FruitSave, Farm to School, and the Alexander School Community Garden. CGC also holds numerous annual community events that require financial support to keep them going, such as Earth Day, Seedy Saturday, and much more.

The Norco LRT 1 is a 24-speed city and path bike: part of Norco’s Urban Commuting Series. It has an 18.5” 6061 Butted aluminum frame, 26” wheels, with rack and fender mounts. Front and rear brakes are Tektro 832AL V-brakes, with shifters by Shimano. This is a sleek matte black bike, with a retail value of $500. The bicycle was donated by one of CGC’s generous members. “Many of our members are conscientious of our fundraising efforts,” says Amanda Reimer, Manager of the CGC’s Sustainable Living Centre. “We are so grateful that one member stepped forward not only with a bicycle donation, but with the idea that we could raffle it off to raise funds.”

Raffle tickets are available at the CGC Sustainable Living Centre at 181 Station Street, Duncan. They will be sold up until Friday December 17th, and the winner will be determined in a one-time draw at 9:00 am on Monday December 20th – just in time for Christmas!

Chances of winning are 1 in 2,700. Ticket Purchasers must be 19 years of age or older. The draw will be held at CGC and the winner will be contacted as well as announced on CGC’s website, www.cowichangreencommunity.org, and in the CGC newsletter. For more details and complete raffle rules, visit www.cowichangreencommunity.org.

BC Gaming license 28625. Problem Gambling Help Line: 1-888-795-6111, www.bcresponsiblegambling.ca. 19+ to play! Know your limit, play within it.

Audra is a food security coordinator with the Cowichan Green Community. Since moving to the Cowichan four years ago, Audra has enjoyed learning about local foods.

Christmas Consumerism or Compassion?

Continued from page 7 Oh Christmas Tree

Tips For Choosing Christmas Trees •Don’t overbuy-Be sure you know what size (height and width) you need before heading to the tree farm.

•When choosing a tree do a freshness test. Green needles on fresh trees break crisply when bent sharply with the fingers -- much like a fresh carrot.

•Shake your tree before you bring it inside - this will rid the tree of any loose needles.

I

have been working at Cowichan Neighbourhood House Association (CNHA) in Chemainus for six months, and I have a confession.

We run an annual Christmas Adopt-a-Family program and, honestly, my first reaction to this program was distaste.

See, I object to the rampant commercialism of Christmas.

Every year, I try to think of unique personal gifts, but every year, I end up buying the newest gadget for someone who must have it. The ads, the enormous store catalogues – it all reeks of consumerism gone wild at a time when we should be reducing our consumption.

As a non-profit agency committed to improving the community through education, I wondered why we were subscribing to this manufactured need for stuff.

Then, the wish lists started coming. We collect wish lists from families in Chemainus and the surrounding areas who struggle to make ends meet, and recruit others to adopt them for Christmas.

Sponsors provide supplies for a holiday dinner and gifts for each member of the family.

Sure, there are a couple of hopeful requests for iPods, but for the most part, what these people hope to get are not the luxuries you’d find on my Christmas list. These lists overwhelmingly include things like blankets, pots and pans, shoes, winter coats and, in some cases, basic furniture like beds.

I soon felt ashamed of my previous judgmental reaction to the program and talked to my husband about sponsoring a family. We are hardly rich, but we have friends and family that we always struggle to shop for because they already have everything, so this year, we are going to sponsor a family on their behalf. They may not know the family or how much it will mean to them, but I have a pretty good idea.

For more information about this program, contact CNHA at cnhaoffice@shaw.ca, or 250-246-3203.

•Once home, place the tree in water as soon as possible.

Treat your live tree like a cut flower.

•Use a good fitting stand with an adequate water holding capacity for the tree. As a general rule, stands should provide 4 cups of water per inch of stem diameter.

•Check the stand daily to make sure that the level of water does not go below the base of the tree.

•Keep displayed trees away from sources of heat (fireplaces, heaters, heat vents).

•Always turn off the tree lights when leaving the house or when going to bed.

•After Christmas or if the tree is dry, remove it from the house.

• Never burn your tree in the fireplace! Ask your supplier where to recycle or have it chipped. * Sources National Christmas Tree Association and Lakes Road Tree Farm

A great place to shop for the Christmas season

Specializing in Unique GiftsImage and Submission

by Cindy Durrant Program Coordinator, CNHA

* * * * *

Sterling Silver Jewellery Crystals & Stones Unique Pottery & Artwork Books & Drums Chinese Medicines

* * * * *

Crystal Singing Bowls Essential Oils & Incense Pendulums & Key chains Crystal Wands & Skulls Tibetan Rugs

#3- 5777 Trans Canada Highway, Duncan 250-715-0065 thegoldenyew@hotmail.com Come & find “the gold in you”

27

Kaye Smillie

I

was raised on a farm outside of Calgary, during which the two paramount activities in my life were drawing and riding horses.

In the early sixties I attended the Alberta College of Art for two years, after which I worked my way around the world, married in Winnipeg and in 1978 to my great delight, ended up in Cobble Hill with my husband and two children. I immediately loved the Island and felt inspired to re-visit my first love: art. In the 1980s I started up a pet portrait business doing animals in pastels.

This led me into a series on rare breeds of farm animals that eventually brought me to the Cowichan Bay Farm and Lyle and Fiona Young. The Youngs are amazing, energetic people who suggested

having an art show in their barn.

“This Shows For Ewe” was born and grew into a major artistic happening that was a yearly Father’s Day event for thirteen years.

At this point in my life, I am busy teaching portrait drawing (both animal and people), painting in oils and acrylics and sculpting out of clay.

The display in the window of “Imagine That!” features an array of twenty clay dogs of varying breeds and two oil paintings using the same theme. I hope that everyone enjoys this display as much as I enjoyed creating it. www.kayesmillie.com.

A selection of pet photos will be on display till Jan 8 in the Imagine That!

craft

I first became aware of Japanese Tea Ceremony through an interest in the tea houses themselves. Their beautiful, intricate architecture, masterfully executed, is a thing of beauty.

Reading more, I quickly realized that I had stumbled on a centuries-old practice that has its origins in Zen Buddhism.

What intrigued me most about the ceremony was the importance of a certain aesthetic. This aesthetic is known as Wabi Sabi, and is characterized by asymmetry, simplicity, modesty, intimacy, and the suggestion of natural process.

The tea bowls most valued are the ones that are thrown by hand, and irregularities and imperfections are prized. In formal ceremonies a meal is served: only fresh, seasonal ingredients are used, in a way that enhances the flavour.

The presentation of the food, including the garnishes and serving-ware, is as much a part of the experience as the food itself.

Calligraphy and Chabana, a style of flower arrangement, are also important. The Japanese are but one of several cultures that have ritualized aspects of tea: there are also Chinese, Korean, and Taiwanese tea ceremonies. Given that these countries are close to the tea-producing regions of the world, it makes sense that their cultures reflect this. In Ethiopia, where coffee drinking originated, coffee ritual and ceremony is integral to the culture. We take in the world around us.

Many of us engage in ritual in our lives. It is a universal human trait, arising from and related to our cultural and social interactions. You may not even realize you are doing it, but it can be as simple as a quiet cup of tea or a special Sunday morning walk. I think of these as personal rituals. It is the intent with which we engage in these activities that distinguishes them. When we can take pleasure in the process and not just the result, things we do out of habit or necessity begin to become ritual.

CVA studio tour brochure available at Excellent Frameworks and Experience Cycling Sandra designs and builds one of a kind furniture with her partner Joe. gelinascarr.com

28

coco jones Studio Hours

Mon-Fri 10ish to 4ish.

For appointment call: 250-748-9840.

In the Year of the Iron Tiger current musings of local painter coco jones

coco jones

ehind Nha Trang Sushi, in a small studio at the back of the old Wing-on building, is the space in which coco jones lathers paint to canvas.

The ‘million dollar’ red doors can’t be missed. A quick phone call can usually get you an equally fast viewing or, if you are in the neighbourhood, you are most welcome. Faint wafts of incense acknowledge passersby.

for a pairing with the teafarm starting December 3 for their annual in-studio show. Margit Nellemann and Victor Vesely have conjured delectable ZODIAC teas. “Being a collector of superstitions I completely love these thoughtful concoctions,” coco says. “I had half of the zodiac painted already as we solidified the details of the show. How auspicious is THAT!? You can’t be at the teafarm and NOT be inspired.

Between Margit’s work and the gorgeous assembly of teas, it is just an amazing place to be.”

The subjects in her work are as diverse as her musical tastes.

Having just completed “the three fates” show with Kris Paton and Isa Sevrain, as well as a follow-up show at the “under the red umbrella event” (held for the artists at Bistro 161), coco now readies pieces

Coco’s second book, SURVIVING GREAT EXPECTATIONS (excuse me a moment while I feng shui my soul), will also be available at the teafarm throughout the Christmas season. “It was a therapeutic putting-myselfback-together kind of book,”

B

talking arts she says. “Words and painting are definitely in a seriously committed relationship within my brain. Rare is the painting that doesn’t have something scribbled or engraved in it.”

Sipping tea (jasmine pearls from the teafarm), she shows

true excitement for all of the paintings that surround her, and declares: “I have the BEST job.”

Coco Jones Painting Images Left, Demeter, Centre; Skinny Gets Married , Right; Manjushri

CUSTOM MADE AFFORDABLE photo: Gary McKinstry

N E W H O M E • R E N O VAT I O N • K I T C H E N / B AT H

Take advantage of energy efficient rebate programs and button up!

WINTER SPECIAL 10% pre-tax DISCOUNT

on all services for projects started before February 28th

250.746.5372 coulsondesign@shaw.ca www.davidcoulsondesign.com 29

Through Life

Chronic Malaise

M

ost of us know somebody with chronic malaise. They don’t feel well, and sense that something’s amiss.

They’ve been repeatedly to the doctor, run the gamut of tests, yet have no diagnosis.

Their doctor can find “nothing wrong with them,” but they know they are not “right.” Tiredness, generalized discomfort, and feeling “under the weather” are common symptoms that describe malaise.

The persistence of such symptoms can sometimes be an indicator of serious disease, so it is prudent to work with your doctor to rule out or confirm this possibility. Negative test results are good news,

W

but may do nothing to shift the malaise.

This does not mean that nothing can be done. When I work with people who don’t know why they are just not well, I use a combination of helpful tools.

Guided introspection using mindfulness can really help my clients become aware of beliefs and emotions they hadn’t been conscious of. This new awareness shifts the energy and helps a person feel more integrated, more “whole.” Sometimes, this is at the core of a client’s malaise.

In Chinese medicine, everything from the twitching of an eye to increased irritability before menstruation can be understood within a larger context.

Acupuncture works to shift energy in very specific ways, keeping energy mov-

Feng Shui-ing Through Life

hen we move into a new neighbourhood (whether it is a house or an apartment) we become part of the surroundings. There are many things that influence our daily lives that we might not realize: how the roads are placed in partnership with the home, the surrounding buildings, landscaping, wildlife, and the neighbours themselves can affect us in different ways.

The environment becomes a part of our lives whether we realize it or not. For example:

For a house or building on a T-junction, the chi (energy) is coming directly to the structure. The impact depends on how busy or large the road is. Sometimes the residents stop using the outer rooms. The structure itself might appear exhausted, and the occupants may feel continually tired. Residents living on a T-junction may experience a general feeling of being under attack.

To deflect the intense chi coming directly at the home, disperse the chi by creating a border with shrubs and bushes. Place a wind chime or mirror in front of your home.

To assess your outer Feng Shui environment, look at your neighbourhood’s

ing freely and smoothly. This positively affects body function, emotional disposition and general well-being.

I also often make dietary and herbal recommendations for these clients to support a shift in their energy.

An example: My client was experiencing ongoing tiredness, mild depression, and intermittent ribcage pain. Through mindful introspection she realized the fear and anger she was feeling about her husband’s cancer. I gave her herbs and acupuncture, and we had three more sessions.

Her energy shifted and she felt well again.

Tobi Panter has a natural health

care practice in Maple Bay and with mobile services. Visit Hummingbird Holistic Healing at www.humholheal.com

trees, plants, and wildlife. Are they alive and abundant? If so, that is a good sign that the chi is strong.

Are your neighbours happy? The closer you are to your neighbour, the bigger the influence on your energy. Again, wind chimes are a fantastic way to disperse the chi of a house close by.

It is very important to take into account that chi is emitted from everything down to the smallest creature or object. The more we become aware of where we live and what surrounds us, we can begin to understand and improve our own energy levels.

Jenn de Valk, mother of three, is a graduate of Denise Linn’s Soul Coaching Training and Instinctive Feng Shui intensive program.

Jenn is an attentive teacher and a lifelong student. www.twobees.ca

✬ Integrated Natural Health Care ✬ Supporting people with: complex conditions chronic malaise life threatening illness & other issues Tobi Panter, AHG, R.Ac. Mobile & Maple Bay 250-715-4030

Hummingbird Holistic Healing www.humholheal.com 30

ing to discover the needs of the individual and to set an intent, for the overall session.

Followed by approximately an hour in the Chamber. To conclude, the practitioner gives a complete chakra clearing, utilizing specialty alchemy crystal singing bowls, allowing the individual to leave feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.”

The Golden Yew

Healing With Sound Inner Dimensional Sound Chamber The Golden Yew Healing and Gifts Call To Book 250.715.0065 #3-5777 Trans Can Hwy, Duncan

I

am often drawn to new inventions that utilize ancient healing methods. The Golden Yew, owned and operated by sisters Deanna Stephenson and Leona DeOliveira is the only home in Canada to a very interesting therapeutic practice.

The Inner Dimensional Sound Chamber uses low/slow and high/rapid frequency sound vibrations to heal users on a cellular level. In traditional cultures, sound has been used for healing throughout the ages, a familiar example of this old age insight blended with new technology is the blasting of kidney stones using ultrasound waves. What The Golden Yew provides is a far more gentle approach to healing than what they offer at the hospital, but with the right intent, its strength to heal physical, mental, emotional or spiritual imbalances is comparable.

After my reading with Deanna, a very cheerful and gifted woman, we identified that many of my needs revolved around rest, play and communication. I entered the Chamber with focused intent and lay down. Once volume and lighting were adjusted to my comfort Deanna left me to experience the rhythmic sounds generated by the instruments, synthesizers, chanting and whales.

On a physical level, if you have ever felt the hum of sound when holding an instrument or placing your hand on a speaker – you can imagine how a chamber designed to catch these frequencies could resemble a sound massage. I shifted a few times from my back to my front allowing the vibrations to dance along my frame and resonate deeper working like magic fingers. On a cerebrale-mail:drfeiyang@gmail.com level I relaxed with the music letting it clear my busy mind of thought.

People, loved ones passed through my mind with joyful impression.

Every session in the chamber is personal, as I lay there thinking about a myriad of things I remembered my carpel tunnel syndrome.

Why not? I thought and spent some time focusing intent on my wrists. I re positioned them to absorb

“The full treatment session includes a short intuitive energy read-

the gentle pulsations. I was impressed at how the sound eased my wrists of the chronic pain that I had just learned to live with.

Near the end of my chamber session, I thought about Metropods – a modern company that offers busy New Yorkers a pod to sleep in for quick 20 minute cat naps or 60 minute luxury slumbers.

The Sound Chamber could double as Duncan’s answer to a sleep pod with the added bonus of vibrational frequency healing. Frequent clientele use the chamber in 20- 30 minute sessions for pain management, grieving, guidance, peace and relaxation, stress management and healing.

At the end of my chamber session I felt surprisingly clear and refreshed. My wrists were loose as was the rest of my body. Clients who use the chamber regularly would leave at this point, but as it was my first time our next destination Healing With Sound Continued on page 34

• Now accepting new patients • Inquire about the Spring Cleanse program

Healthy Living Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine A c u p u n c t u re Diet Thera py

Dr. Fei Yang Dr TCM, Reg. AC

Improving your health & well being through a natural, personal approach

Traditional Chinese Medicine 250.733.2917 Rejuvenate your health with Dr. Fei Yang

31

T

he last three days I was in India, an extraordinary thing happened.

The Naked Dakini

I woke up one morning in the Tibetan quarter of Delhi and went out as usual into the streets to look for hot chai. As I stepped around puddles, sleepy street vendors setting up their stalls, and cows who had wandered in from the river looking for stray piles of greens, I suddenly felt a presence enter my body.

Something or someone entered my spine and straightened it!

Suddenly I stood up upright in a way I had never experienced before, as if a rod of light had been put in my back bone and held it erect. The energy of my chakras ran up and down my spine in new, more open ways. I felt about ten feet high, as if I was bobbling along like a kite.

This new sense of good posture stayed with me for months after I came home, but it faded with time and I began to have to develop the new posture through my own efforts.

One day I was leafing through a box of Tibetan meditation cards and came across Machig Labdron, one of Tibet’s most Try this: 1. This month, commit to improving your posture and to becoming more aware of how energy flows in your spine, up and down.

2. Every day, have a reminder ritual (“religion” is from the Latin “to re-bind,” “to re-tie”). Put notes in conspicuous places, write in your journal about back awareness, play music that reminds you of the all important functions of the spine.

3. Commit to spend time every day in your spine, from bottom to top. Are there “dark” places where energy is impeded? Are there places where you hold tension?

4. Go into the tight or collapsed places of your spine and follow back (see previous articles) with any images or memories that may be stored there.

5. Stand straight! How does that feel? This may the most spiritual thing you have ever done!

32

popular yoginis. Instantly I knew it was Her who had embodied me for the last three days in Delhi. She is portrayed as naked, dancing because she has perfect understanding of the ultimate reality. Her mantra is “Put your awareness in your spine.” Without her direct

teaching, I would never have experienced what it is like to have a straight back and to feel how energy can flow unimpeded through my spine and therefore my being.

Julia Star is a counsellor in the Cowichan Valley. For appointments call 250-709-9673.

Julia Star BHD.BEd Counsellor Future Lives, Past Lives, Life’s Purpose and Destiny, Soul Attunement

250-709-9673 $60 / hour www.longboatcounselling.com info@longboatcounselling.com

Holiday Cleaning?

Start With Your Body!

Excess Acid Waste in the Body

T

o maintain good health, the body is constantly trying to get rid of the excess acids that irritate the tissues and deplete them of minerals....By testing your pH (potential of Hydrogen) levels using pH test strips with saliva or urine, you can tell where you are at, 7.0-7.5 is optimal. An imbalanced diet high in acidic-producing foods such as animal protein, sugar, pop, caffeine, cigarettes, alcohol, and processed foods puts pressure on the body’s regulating systems to maintain pH neutrality. This can deplete the body of alkaline minerals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, making the person prone to chronic and degenerative disease. It is important to remove acid waste and heavy metals out of the body There is a link between the quality of food and water we choose and its effects on our bodies.When a body is too acid, it can become a perfect environment for harmful viruses and bacteria. If these viruses and bacteria begin to flourish, they mutate and grow, causing more serious illness and disease. Optimal health requires a slightly “alkaline” body.

Minerals are then borrowed from vital organs and bones to buffer (neutralize) the acid safely remove it from the body. This can strain the body and go undetected for years. Acidosis, an extended time in the acid pH state, can result in rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, lupus, gout, tuberculosis, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, most cancers and many more debilitating diseases. Research shows that unless the body’s pH level is slightly alkaline, the body cannot heal itself.

Eating alkaline foods, fruits and vegetables, drinking green drinks, fresh alkaline water, getting regular exercise can keep you in a healthy balanced state. A Debbie Shuratoff - Reiki cleanse will help to rid Master-Teacher, Foot Spa the body of acid waste Detox Practitioner, Natural as well.

Health Consultant. www.reikiwellness.ca

33

Continued from page 31 Healing With Sound

as was the rest of my body.

Clients who use the chamber regularly would leave at this point, but as it was my first time our next destination was

the Crystal Cave Meditation Room. Here Deanna relayed a card reading Leona had pulled for me and worked on the clearing and balancing of my chakras. After her work was done she left me to bask

in the coloured light of the room. If possible, I felt even better after this session, my body, spirit and mind clearer, relaxed and in a wonderful state of balance that I hadn’t felt for a long time.

A full treatment lasts for 2 hours and costs $135. The chamber is available anytime by appointment.

Sheila Badman

Writers’ Voice

relief, 30 seconds Stasia Garraway run, run, run deerlike leap roots and fast accordion branches, breathe the quick light and leaf shadow dapple let the bones bump loose and liberate the muscles to utilize their language feet, paws, hooves, feet nimble & onwards through the woods until the path drops down to a sandy pelvis of seashells and purple jellyfish swiftly send attire adrift, no other eyes are here. no need for party dress or panties jewelry glimmers to the ground and the day is placed in a pile of sneakers and boddhi beads the ocean is the cold invitation run towards with its promise and lineage of baptismnorthern pacific bay with the slap & tease of seals in their thicker skins -

i breathe in and timidly begin to trade my vulnerable comforts for the clean martini of cold salty sea and its state of mind i step, sensitive to degrees i step, a nudging little dance i step, and i am fine until i reach my hips then force a dip, and dip again and it is true, it is working, i am born into a sudden sleeve of breath that lunges its hand and grasps my heart (an island remedy for one in need of recuperation) but it is so much more than that as the body gives over to the original body, as water recognizes water, and memory honors what we are made of everything else loosens grip synapse lightning, neurons couple and words like solitude & union are rendered meaningless for a moment wv

WV Editor: John Steven

Submissions may be sent to Writers.Voice@shaw.ca

34

Special thanks to Bucknucks Books for their generous sponsorship of Writers’ Voice.

December Horoscopes Georgia Nicols M.A. is Canada’s most popular astrologer. A Buddhist, this Vancouver-based astrologer is featured in regional papers across Canada, the United States, and New Zealand. www.georgianicols.com

Aries (March 21-April 19)

You’re checking bargain flights and wondering how to blow town. Don’t worry, this is totally appropriate. But hey -- it’s exciting! You want to push the sides of the envelope. You want thrills, chills, adventure, more knowledge, and pots of money so you can live with derring-do!

(Which is really your style.) Go after your dreams. Visit places you’ve never been to before. Talk to people from different cultures. Do what you can to make your life more vibrant, dynamic, and exciting!

You will never, never again be as young as you are today.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

You’re focused on shared property, inheritances, insurance matters, and anything you own jointly with others.

This includes taxes, debt and red tape stuff. Boring, yes. But necessary to plow through, yes. (It was ever thus.)

The upside is this month you feel hot, sexy and passionate! Make sure you do something about this. Women might want to purchase sexy lingerie (and guys too, if you like cross-dressing).

You’re a tactile sign who loves silk and cashmere and that wonderful “rough to the touch” feel of hundred dollar bills.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

The Sun is directly opposite your sign.

This means you’re focused on partners and close friends more than usual.

Retrograde Mercury brings contact with ex-partners and old friends as well.

However, this is a wonderful opportu-

nity to observe, study, and get a better understanding of your personal style of relating to others. It’s your chance to learn a lot! Since partnerships are important to you (you’re always seeking your soul mate) this is your chance to figure out why you want to Vulcan mind-meld with someone.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Suddenly, you want to be organized at work, and at home. You want all your stuff in neat little piles where you can just put your hand out and grab something at a moment’s notice. (What luxury!) Of course, you will start by de-cluttering and getting rid of what you no longer need.

(I know this is tough for you. You hang on to everything.) Fiery Mars will help you delegate duties and tasks to others.

However, retrograde Mercury will cause delays. Ouch! Wouldn’t you know it? No worries -- you can move mountains!

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

Tra-la, tra-la, it is to laugh. It’s an incredibly playful month! Romance and love affairs, plus wonderful social diversions with parties, the theatre, sports, and all that fun stuff top your list this month. Get out and enjoy yourself! Buy something sexy to wear to give yourself a lift. Maybe literally! (Remember Dick Cavett’s introduction “And here they are, Jayne Mansfield!”) The month ahead is a fabulous time to enjoy express your creative talents. Don’t worry about who’s watching -- it’s the process that counts. You’re not a noun, you’re a verb.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

The month puts a strong emphasis on home and family activities. Your entire focus will be on domestic matters, which includes real- estate deals or real-estate speculation. Discussions with a parent could be significant. Increased activity and chaos at home might be the result of residential moves, renovations, or visiting guests. It might also lead to domestic

tension. (The challenging part.) Old friends and relatives you haven’t seen for ages might be camped on your doorstep.

Stock the fridge. Prepare for the inevitable onslaught.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Short trips, mucho errands, visits, increased interaction with siblings and relatives, plus a super-active schedule of reading and writing all combine to accelerate your daily tempo. You’re flying! You’re also unusually assertive in all your communications. Hands on hips, you’re telling it like it is. One caveat: retrograde Mercury in December will cause delays to transportation and mail and create confused communications.

“Let’s play bureaucracy! Everyone stands in a circle. The first person to do anything loses.”

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Money, money, money! You’re focused on your cash flow; specifically, your earnings, and possibly getting another job, or how to make money on the side.(I’ve always thought it curious we “make money on the side. Why not upfront? Or even behind?) Not only are you working hard to earn money in the next six weeks, you’re equally active spending it! Take note: retrograde Mercury will bring you opportunities to earn money in old ways, or with prior contacts. However, retrograde Mercury will also cause delays to your earnings. Grrr.

Sagittarius(Nov.22-Dec.21)

The Sun in your sign boosts your energy and attracts opportunities and important people. It’s your turn to recharge your batteries for the rest of the year! Fiery Mars is also in your sign, making this an unusually energetic time! You’ll stand up for your beliefs and fight for your rights. You’re out there flying your colours! Ex-partners and old friends plus old circumstances will be back in your lap. (Well, maybe not that close.) Get lots of physical

exercise because you have energy building up within you, and it’s gotta go somewhere!

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

This is the time of year when you want to work alone or behind the scenes and keep a low profile. Why? Because you’re preparing to jump up and take centre-stage about a month from now. Until then, use this month to strategize what you want your new year (birthday to birthday) to be. All of you are entering your time of harvest, which is a three-year window ahead.

For most, this time of harvest is a time of success, kudos, graduation, and promotions. A few, however, will see what is not working. If so, cut your losses and move on.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Popular you! Clubs, small groups or large conferences are on the menu.

Some of these groups will be physically oriented (sports or gym classes). It looks like competition is in the picture.

In fact, this competition could escalate to conflict. Be cool. Take the high road. Old friends are also back in the picture. You’ll enjoy this because you are a networker par excellence. Give serious thought to your dreams and hopes. Share them with others. (“I’ve always wanted to drill those tiny holes in toothbrushes.”)

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

Others to notice you this month, especially bosses, parents, teachers, VIPs, and the police. If you drink, don’t drive. Take the bus, walk, or grab a cab. Keep in mind that you are high viz this month, even if you aren’t aware of it. The good news is that this high visibility makes you look extremely attractive to others. They think you’re hot stuff! That’s why this is the perfect time to ask for a promotion, get a raise, or do anything where you need to impress people. You’ve got what it takes and it shows!

35

Another View of Paradise Brown sugar is another wonder.

Moisture In the Prairies, when a bag is

W

hen we were leaving the Prairies for the West Coast, the common refrain we heard was: “Better bring an umbrella.” While we sit on the cusp of your rainy season, we have yet to know what that was really all about. Did you notice this summer that there was a seven week period where it only rained once? Paradise! You never get that in the prairies, and if you did then everything dies.

Here on the Coast it is another matter entirely. We heard people exclaiming about how dry it was, but I really couldn’t see it. I suppose I couldn’t see the yellow dying leaves because they were hiding behind all the green lush ones or something.

You see, even if it doesn’t rain here, it is still moist. You have heavy shoe-drenching dew in the morning, and that seems to keep the plants lush even when it only rains once in seven weeks.

If you baked fresh cookies in Alberta they would be hard and crispy in a day. That was just the way it was. It is a minor miracle to me that cookies stay moist here for days after being baked.

36

first opened you can spoon out this soft stuff into the bowl and in a day it turns into a form of cement that you need to chisel out with a grapefruit spoon. I’m not kidding. Here, sugar stays soft forever!

Alas, there is a downside. I used to open up a box of crackers and get a handful, perhaps spreading a dollop of cream cheese or peanut butter on them and then consuming them a half dozen at a time over the course of a couple of months. I can’t do that anymore. Here, crackers go stale! And potato chips?

You have one day, maybe two before they are inedible. It’s tragic!

I suppose that is the price a Prairie boy pays to live in paradise.

Cameron and Teresa Bucknum live in a little house in the woods with their four children.Raised in the Prairies they are now living their dream of living in the Cowichan Valley. As a family they run Bucknucks Books.

Moonbeams Merry Eclipsing

A

n eclipse is when a celestial object is temporarily obscured. Solar eclipses are when the Moon is between the Sun and Earth, therefore cutting off the light of the Sun. They always take place on a New Moon and are indicators of new beginnings. A Lunar eclipse is when the Earth is between the Moon and the Sun, thus cutting off sunlight to the Moon. Lunar eclipses always occur on full moons and signify ending chapters.

This month we will be blessed with a total lunar eclipse on Tuesday, December 21st at 12:13 am. December’s full moon is often called the Cold Moon (Celtic), as the cold takes a grip in many areas of the Earth, and the Oak Moon (Medi-

eval English), as the Oak is revered as a sacred tree by the Druids for it is a pinnacle of strength as it weathers the winter winds. Long Night Moon (Neo-Pagan) marks a time when the nights are the longest and darkest while the moon is above the horizon for much longer periods.

Eclipses generally bring major life events such as job opportunities, marriages, babies, travel, emergence of new ideas and vital transactions. If this eclipse happens on your birthday, the year that follows promises to be quite eventful for you and quite possibly will involve big changes in lifestyle.

Everyone should make health a priority and any messages received during this time should be always taken seriously.

Embrace and enjoy the ending chapter of 2010 and the new beginnings coming ahead in 2011! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all!

Robin Massey is a yoga instructor who guides a Full Moon Gathering for Women on the eve of each Full Moon. www.theomtree.com

Kundalini Yoga Classes

Victoria, Cowichan Valley, Nanaimo, Denman Island 250-597-8849 kundalinicowichan@shaw.ca or http://kundalinicowichan.shawwebspace.ca

WEBSITES, EMAILS AND VERBAL LINT For my December column I asked four unlikely suspects to tell us about their favourite Christmas memory ....

GRANT WALDMAN: “My favourite Christmas memory is gathering at my friend Michael’s mom’s home. We all sat around and shared stories. We played games and shared a meal. We then did some musical jamming which was great. It really felt like a warm family gathering for all of his friends.”

Grant is executive director of COWICHAN MEN’S RESOURCE CENTRE. For more info on this (relatively new) community organization log onto www.cowichanmen. org SHELLEY VAAGS: “When I was going to college in Victoria I brought home my new boyfriend. Although my family had never met him they welcomed him like he was a long lost friend. He had never had a huge rambunctious, happy, loud, warm family Christmas like we have every year . We have met a couple of times over the years and he still brings up the good time he had that Christmas with all of us. My parents rent a hall now to welcome our extended families to our annual Christmas dinner since their home cannot hold all of us anymore. Christmas is for sharing and reaching out to others who need to know that they are loved. I thank my parents for teaching us this life lesson.”

A former member of touring retro rockers The Timebenders Shelley now plays and sings with THE SMILEY BAND. Log onto www.thesmileyband.com for pics, audio clips and booking info.

TAMI POPP: “The Christmas I spent in Moncton on my husband’s family farm was magical. There was lots of snow, we cut down our own tree in the woods behind the house and our son Sage took his first steps in front of the Christmas tree that year. However, I believe that the best memories of Christmas are still waiting to be made as we create new traditions and make the season more meaningful for ourselves and our families.”

Tami is one of the friendly staffers at COMMUNITY FARM STORE in the Duncan Garage building.

BILL LEVITY: “My favourite Christmas memory is tippling a little too much on Christmas Eve, arriving home in the wee hours to a cold cabin and the realization that I was flying out early Christmas morning to Ontario to be with my family. In typical scrambled fashion I had made no arrangements for transport and had to phone Anthony Lee who scrambled out of bed, came all the way from Lake Cowichan to pick me up in Shawnigan Lake and delivered me to Victoria airport in the nick of time.

This heroic act emblazoned the spirit of Christmas generosity into my soul like no other.”

Mr. Levity is a self-described “Hewer of Wood/Crafter of Werds” (his spelling)

By Rick Dennis

OFF THE GRID Santa’s Helper

A

fter nine years as “Santa’s Helper” in the mall, I have many fond memories of talking with children and even having my photo taken with a variety of pets, including lizards and snakes. I have a special warm spot for children ages 2-7 as I did not get to teach that age group in my 30-year career.

Some experiences are not so pleasant, unfortunately, and what should be a fun family experience ends in frustration. I am finding a consistent pattern with regard to the child/parent/ Santa relationship. This Xmas letter to all parents is meant to assist in making it a pleasant experience for all young children to get their photo taken with Santa.

Here are some hints that I tell parents every year: 1. Despite home conversations, it is always a good idea to walk past and see if your child is actually comfortable with meeting Santa. Do they smile or wave at Santa? Sometimes even 3 or 4 walk-bys are necessary.

2. Be positive and avoid telling “Santa” that your child is shy or scared. Children can pick up on your anxiety about making the experience perfect.

3. Be prepared to accept a picture that might not be exactly what you have in mind. Some children will flatly refuse to sit on Santa’s knee, but will happily stand close by. Also, some little ones will not smile in spite of our best efforts and the only smile is by me as I watch the antics of parents, aunts, grandparents, etc.

4. If it looks like a lost cause, come back in a day or three.

Kids sometimes need to think about it. Failing that, there are at least 4 or 5 other Santas in the city. Sometimes a different face or a different manner works.

I will be at the Tillicum Mall in Victoria every Wednesday to Sunday until Christmas Eve. I’d love to talk to anyone, or you Joan and Aubrey Cobham are can just come to visit. the parents of 7 and grandparents of 4. They live in Sincerely, their “off the grid” cabin in the Santa C. Sansum Narrows.

Meditation On Sunday Morning Calming the Mind and Developing Loving Kindness Buddhism with a Western Flavour

11:00 to 12:30

1555 Longwood Road, Cowichan Bay Call (250) 709-9673 Photo Margaret de Weese

37

Georgia Nicols First Book!

You And Your Future is now on sale -600 pages for $15.64 -This is a bargooon!

You and Your Future describes the twelve signs (including romance, and each sign as a parent, child, boss and employee). At the end of each sign, there’s a section on How to be a Happier Aries, How to be a Happier Gemini, How to be a Happier Scorpio etc. (Except for Sagittarius -- they’re happy enough.) Since we ALL have elements of all twelve signs in us, I think it’s worthwhile to read all of the How to be Happier sections regardless of your sign. And now -- ta da! -- for the biggie. Each sign also has a 40-Year Time Line of Horoscopes from 1985-2025. This has never before been done! Read your past to test my accuracy, and if what I say resonates with you, then this same accuracy will apply for the next 15 years of your future until 2025. You and Your Future advises you about when to buy and sell real estate; when to anticipate job changes and residential moves, and also when relationships are fatalistically difficult. (Gulp). It’s full of anecdotes, famous quotes and bad puns. The names have been changed to protect the guilty. Actually, in all sincerity, I think it’s a fascinating book! (But I won’t say any more in case I spoil the ending.) This is a book you’’ll keep reaching for as the years go by... what a great gift for anyone! www.georgianicols.com

225 Canada Ave, Duncan Artists Meet & Greet December 9th 4pm

F

ounder David Martinello of Alternative Woodworks, along with Caulen Elder, welcome you to share in the opening of Points Art Gallery with a collection of hand crafted furniture, sculpture and paintings.

David Martinello

Located at 225 Canada Avenue in Duncan B.C., this impromptu showing space will open its doors December 3 and will be pleased to welcome the public until mid-January, at which time the Gallery’s future will be considered.

With love to you all, Georgia Caulen Elder

The goal of Points Art Gallery is to encourage artistic dialogue with the community of the Cowichan Valley. There is an expanding energy and cultural appreciation within the people of the Warm Land, which is being reflected not only by the development of the new University Campus, fresh new restaurants and new places to shop, but also by the faces that travel the streets of Duncan. It is hoped that Points Art Gallery enhances the community by showcasing some exciting contemporary thought and expression.

The gallery will be open most days from 10am -6pm or by appointment. There will be a formal meet and greet at 4 o’clock, Thursday December 9th. Contact David at 250-701-2771 or pointsartgallery@gmail.com for more information.

Newsroom: 748-1500 On Air/ Contest Line: 746-4897 Advertising Sales: 746-0897 Email: onair@897sunfm.com www.897sunfm.com 38

Special thanks to the new owners of the Canada Building; Collin, Damon and Peter for their support and good will.

www.cowichandale.com

Hannah and the Spindle Whorl By Carol Anne Shaw

S

et in Cowichan Bay, Hannah and the Spindle Whorl is the story of a girl named Hannah who stumbles upon an ancient Salish spindle whorl in the woods close to her home. She soon embarks on an adventure of discovery as she learns the true origins of the spindle whorl and the people who lived in the area hundreds of years before.

The reader is quickly enamoured with young Hannah’s positive and quirky outlook as she lives her everyday life on a houseboat with her widower father. It is evident that she loves where she lives and we get to

share her enthusiasm for life even as we see her obvious lingering sorrow over the loss of her mother.

Through the influence of the spindle whorl and a magical raven, Hannah travels back in time where she befriends a young Salish girl named Yisella.

Trapped in their time, Hannah is immersed in the native community of Tl’ulpalus where her friendship with Yisella takes on new significance when Yisella’s mother becomes fatally ill. In supporting her new friend she must face her own grief at the same time.

In the midst of this, her peaceful existence with the people of Tl’ulpalus is thrown into upheaval with the arrival of the HMS Hecate and the settlers on board. Left behind by the people of Tl’ulpalas and alone, Yisella and Hannah must save the spindle whorl and get Hannah back to her own time. If that weren’t enough, there are rumours of a Bigfoot in the forest.

Carol Anne Shaw tells a thoroughly enjoyable tale. Her characters are rich and original, and they allow us to be swept along in an engaging, fantastical tale spanning 150 years. Young

readers will love Hannah, and they just might learn something along the way.

A

years. Next, the Grigors created a Guest Artist Program to support Island-based potters. Their first guest artist, Ellen Statz of Campbell River, has now joined the team of potters on a permanent basis. “We especially want to thank our many repeat customers who have been so supportive and welcoming.”

year ago on December 3, the Grigors accepted “the torch” from the six potters who had run the pottery store for 14 years. The Grigors’ goal was to promote and enhance the Store’s well-established reputation for quality and service. The first step was to retain MaryAnn Denham, store manager for the past eleven

Margit Nellemann Hanbuilt Ceramics

5th Annual Exhibit and Sale with special guest Coco Jones

December 3, 4 & 5 10am-5pm

8350 Richards Trail, North Cowichan 250 748 3811 www.margitnellemann.com

Cam Bucknum

The Pottery Store 1 Year Anniversary Open House Event

Wednesday, December 15 4 to 6 pm

9745 Willow St, Chemainus 250-246-2594 www.thepotterystore.ca

Specializing in one-of-a-kind pottery, unique tiles, and contemporary clay sculpture, Daniela can be found creating and selling her wares in Tofino. Available for teaching workshop retreats and private classes. Drop-in for a visit to her studio nestled in the lush coastal rainforest.

functional & sculptural ceramics • Tofino

for studio appointments • www.danielapetosa.com • ceramics@danielapetosa.com • 250 266 0056 39

40