FISHBOWL MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2016

The Singing Amma

Too Much Homework! • 5 December Calendar of

STUFF to DO on the ROCK • 9

Workshops on the Rock

Announce the 2017 Schedule • 10

n o s a m t s i r h C g n i r p S t l a S www.fishbowlmagazine.com read us online at issuu.com/fishbowlmagazine email us today at thesaltyfishbowl@hotmail.com

Like us on Facebook at The Fishbowl Magazine

THIS SEASON GIVE

ART WORKSHOPS Ages 4 - 104

JANUARY - MARCH (& SPRING BREAK)

CHO IR , WE AVING, GR APHIC NOVEL , F ASHION DRAPING, MARBL ING, CO L LAGE, D R AWING, CLAY CREATIONS, CREATIVE SEL F THRU YOGA R EGISTER EAR LY FOR DISCOUNT. BURSARIES AVAIL ABL E. SSAR TSCOUNCIL .COM/WORKSHOPS-ON-THE-ROCK/

On Our Cover

Hello for the one-hundredth time!

That’s right folks; December marks our 100th Fissue, and we are oh so pleased to have survived, dare we say thrived thus far!

2016 was one of many changes for the Fishbowl family, with several moves, the purchase of our first home and my becoming sole owner of this fab island rag way back in January, I can assure you I have learned to embrace change. Salt Spring and the FB family have also endured great loss this year with the passing of our dear Dee Dee (my Grandma) on November 7th along with Arvid and Sally earlier in 2016. Our hearts were heavy but each of these remarkable souls has taught us so much and we know would never tolerate our wallowing in sadness for long. With this year of change, there has been lots of time for growth, prosperity and joy too!

Thank you all for your support of The Fishbowl Magazine. I tend to take life one month at a time nowadays, and boy do those months come around fast. I work one month ahead which means I am writing this in November; you are reading it in December, and I have already started work on or may have even completed the January issue by the time you are reading this.

Where would we be without this fabulous community!

Our local writers John Bateman, Mel Divers, Ken Brudner, Brad Dunstan, Patrick Callas, Lisa Sigurgeirson Maxx, Marsha Moreau, Peter Vincent and my Mama Dorothy Price.

While we have a lot of great things going; we are always open to new ideas for the magazine and look forward to your suggestions.

I have my head in the clouds but like Dee Dee would say “always keep one foot on the ground”.

With love and gratitude,

Genevieve, Colin, Easton and Charli Dee

Thank you for all your support over the past 8 years. Get in touch, get engaged and help us continue to be the community bulletin board!

Email at thesaltyfishbowl@hotmail.com or call anytime…day or night at 250-538-8427

FISHBOWL

Scopes Brought to you by our own in-house astrologer who now goes by her numerologically correct name of “Ya Righta.”

^ Aries:

This year you can go ahead and scrap that New Year’s resolution! You don’t need that crap when you’re perfect!

_ Taurus:

d I’ve written hundreds upon hundreds of horoscopes, but this one is the most special.

Libra:

e Scorpio:

Have a little fun this holiday season.

Next time that telemarketer calls, give the telephone to your 3 year old and tell her it’s Santa.

May we suggest this year you start referring to your resolutions as “casual promises to yourself” that way you are at no obligation to fulfill them and then no one is disappointed come January 5th.

` Gemini:

f Sagittarius:

a Cancer:

g Capricorn:

Next time you walk past a ‘Moby’s pub’, go inside and order a drink. Great things will happen there. (This horoscope is not affiliated with ‘Moby’s Pub’ or any drinking establishment).

We found you the perfect gym, it’s called resolutions. It has exercise equipment for the first month of the year and then will turn into a bar for the remaining 11 months.

b Leo:

Just a reminder that now that you have finally remembered to write the date as 2016 you’ll soon need to start scratching it out and putting 2017. Enjoy feeling smart for these last few days.

Here’s hoping your shameful behaviour at the office Christmas party doesn’t follow you throughout the remainder of your career.

h Aquarius:

Only trust people who like big butts…

Stop kidding yourself that you will They cannot lie. make all those lifestyle changes for next year. Here’s to a fresh start at i binge eating, boozing and slacking off! Luckily, today is the best day you’re going to have over the coming months c - so let loose. Incidentally, it may be in Don’t get your hopes up you are for sure your “letting loose” that you cause the on the naughty list. Santa knows where accident that allows you the time to “let loose” from work. you’ve been on the internet.

Pisces:

Virgo:

GREEN PRINTING & LAYOUT: aD sALES: Deadlines are the 10th of the month IMAGINE THAT GRAPHICS.CA previous to book ad space & submit content. cOLUMNISTS: John Bateman • Dorothy Price Calendar events can be submitted up until the 17th.

Peter Vincent • Dr. Patrick Callas • Marsha Moreau Dorothy teaches classes today & retreats Call Genevieve at 250 locally 538 8427&orworldwide. email Sigurgeirson Maxx • Sean Patrick Hogan Visit www.santosha-yoga-retreats.com or phone 250.653.4655 Lisa Melinda Parks-Divers • Ken Brudner Visit www.santosha-yoga-retreats.com or phone 250.537.7675 thesaltyfishbowl@hotmail.com for rates & information.

THE FISHBOWL is brought to you by publisher Genevieve Price along with the following local columnists.

Salt Spring Island’s #1 Source for Arts, Entertainment & Culture.

Check Dorothy out our Facebook Twitter teachesand classes & pages. retreats locally & worldwide.

2013 SMALL BUSINESS of the YEAR!

T H E F I S H B O W L - D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 • PA G E F O U R

Price is Right

PRODUCT REVIEWS

by: Genevieve Price Sponsored by

GLOWGO Skincare Peptide Firming Moisturizer Locally made GlowGo products can be found exclusively at Pharmasave locations.

Back in July, I tried the Revitalizing Sugar Scrub. It was fantastic.

I love shopping locally, and I love supporting local, small businesses, so finding this brand has been a real treat. I decided I wanted to try more out of this 5 product line.

The Peptide Firming Moisturizer is light enough for everyday use and packed full of Aloe, Helianthus annuus (Sunflower oil) and is scented beautifully with their signature essential oil blend.

The formula covers amazingly well so only a small amount is needed for each use. The formula absorbs quickly and thoroughly moisturizes. It does not leave you looking greasy. GlowGo strives to use organic ingredients reaching a significant 69% for this product, which is impressive given the price point.

T H E F I S H B O W L - D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 • PA G E F I V E

PETER VINCENT

Lisa Sigurgeirson Maxx, ECE

Nurturing, empowering & educating families for over 30 years *amma = grandmother in Icelandic

Too Much Homework! dear singing amma, Our 11-year-old is getting two hours of homework a night. He is finding sneaky ways of trying to get out of doing it and we are all getting frustrated. What are your views on homework? signed Too Much to do Parents dear Much-to-do-Parents, I have strong beliefs against homework. For a number of reasons.

Children need a lot more free time than they are currently getting in our society – in school and out. They need more time to run and climb and jump and, quite simply, to play. And they need more time outside.

Sitting still and keeping quiet takes a lot of effort. It can be very frustrating and exhausting for many youngsters. Academic work uses what we call small motor control. (e.g. eye-hand coordination needed for reading and writing, small muscles of hands and fingers to hold pencils…) Most children – and boys especially because their gross motor, or large muscles, develop first – need time to move and stretch and exercise their growing bodies.

Full-body movement, free play and being outside are, in fact, hugely beneficial to a child’s intellectual growth, as well as to his physical, emotional and social wellbeing. If children are sitting in classrooms during their school day the last thing they need is to be told they have to sit and work quietly at home as well.

Parents often end up in the self-appointed role of “encouraging” (nagging) their kids to do their homework. It can become a fairly toxic experience for both the kids and their well-meaning parents. Kids start out resenting their workload and end up resenting their parents. Parents start out wanting to be helpful and wind up being angry. Family relationships and the time healthy families would normally spend together is threatened by (too much) homework.

What are we teaching our children if we expect them to put in a full workday and then to bring work “home from the office” after hours? In adult relationships this kind of behavior can cause serious marital problems. Is this the obsessive work ethic we want to instill in our children? It is not healthy physically, psychologically, emotionally or socially.

In fact, given too much homework at too young an age can turn children off school and learning altogether, it can lower their self-esteem and self-confidence, it can make them feel like failures. When really, they just needed more time to be kids.

There is a general rule-of-thumb, derived from countless studies, which states that ten minutes of homework per grade level is the limit. This should not start in preschool, primary or elementary levels. Some believe a small amount of homework in middle school grades can help develop good study habits. I suggest healthy habits are best developed by giving children plenty of free time to run around outside.

Be an advocate for your child, instead of becoming the adversary, if there is too much homework and it is interfering with your family’s or your child’s well-being.

Send your parenting questions to: the.singing.amma@gmail.com or www.facebook.com/thesingingamma Could a private session with the singing amma be helpful for you & your family? email: lisasigurgeirsonmaxx@gmail.com to book yours today!

CITIZEN at LARGE I can’t count the number of times the following scene has played out during daily dog encounters in the park:

Me: “Nice dog.”

Them (casting eyes to the heavens): “He’s a rescue.”

At which point, I fight the urge to throw my bag of dog poop in their general direction.

The vast majority of ‘rescue’ dogs aren’t rescued at all. It’s not as if a Navy Seal team was parachuted into an Afghani compound under cover of darkness, guns blazing, to pluck a mutt from the jaws of death. No. In most cases, the owner picked up a pup from the SPCA or other adoption organization - and at worst, the dog suffered from neglect.

But the term ‘rescue’ casts a pearly white halo over the owner - a selfaggrandizing, martyr-like performance worthy of Sister Theresa. The dog is more of a prop than a pet, used to enhance the stature of the self-described saint on the other end of the leash. In most cases, it is the dog that is doing the rescuing, providing sustenance to the souls of their hapless human “owners.”

In most cases, REAL rescuers never describe their dogs as ‘rescue.’

They don’t talk about trips to third world countries, scooping a flea bitten dog from a back alley or a ditch or a garbage dump. They don’t talk about the red tape and paperwork and the vet bills and the transportation costs to bring the creature back to life and back home to Canada. They don’t talk about it. To these real heroes, I take my hat off.

Regardless of motive, I am pretty “Regardless of motive, sure the subject dog is in a better place - better than a cold concrete I am pretty sure pen surrounded by barking dogs, the subject dog is in looking for someone to take them a better place” off Death Row. Better than a municipal garbage dump fighting over scraps of rotten meat. The dog could not care less about the Freudian compulsion that brought this human to this place at this moment when their eyes met. If the human gets some comfort out of parading their compassion, well, nobody gets hurt and one dog’s life is changed forever.

In many cases, dogs are an afterthought when we go shopping for the Food Bank. So in this season of generosity and giving, buy a bag of dog food for the Bank. Buy a bag for the dog curled up on a dirty blanket for hours outside the coffee shop in the cold. They deserve it. When it comes to living rough, the dogs are sometimes the only source of companionship and comfort for those with no permanent roof over their heads. And sometimes the dogs are the ones that go hungry.

Of course, if your budget and circumstance permit, get yourself a four legged charge. It will be the best present you’ll get this year. But do me this favour. Don’t tell anyone. Let it be you and the dog’s little secret. We will all be better for it.

T H E F I S H B O W L - D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 • PA G E S I X

T H E F I S H B O W L - D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 • PA G E S E V E N

T H E F I S H B O W L - D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 • PA G E E I G H T

December 16 & 17 l a n Seaso STORIES&SONGS

Fundraiser Fun

this

December

ArtSpring is home to many forms of art, and all demographics of Salt Springers – children and youth very much included!

ArtSpring’s December calendar features a Christmas Sing-Along for all ages on December 21st. From 6:30 to 8:00 pm, celebrate the holiday season, connect with friends, family, and community, and sing some favourite songs of the season.

Country Grocer will be serving Christmas goodies, cider, and hot chocolate. Everyone is invited to dress up as their favourite winter character – a snowman, a Christmas elf, or whatever else brings you joy. The Sing-Along is free and donations of nonperishable food items for the Food Bank will be gratefully accepted.

ArtSpring is pleased to support children in the arts on an ongoing basis through the Youth Art Enrichment Program. Facilitated by multimedia artist Tracy Harrison, this year the Enrichment Program invites middle and high school students to explore the landscape painting techniques and history of Canada’s famous Group of Seven. For the past several months, Tracy has been introducing her students to graphite, oils, acrylics, and a multitude of other media. Classroom teaching has been combined with hands-on exposure to the beauty of Canadian landscapes, with the program featuring a kayak trip with Island Escapades to Chocolate Beach for a plein air painting session.

The Art Enrichment Program was made possible through generous sponsorship by Country Grocer and a generous grant from the SSI Foundation. Students’ work will be on display in the ArtSpring galleries over the first weekend in December, with an opening reception on Saturday the 3rd at 1:30 pm. The exhibit continues on Sunday the 4th and Monday the 5th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Anna Haltrecht, ArtSpring’s Dance Outreach Coordinator, works with GISS teachers to provide dance education opportunities for students. When professional offisland dance companies come to ArtSpring, these professional dancers often offer dance workshops for GISS/GISPA students and the public. On February 11th, for instance, MascallDance comes to Salt Spring. Prior to the company’s performance, Director Jennifer Mascall will lead a workshop on the movements and techniques used by her dancers. Jennifer’s practice is based on Somatic Movement Education (Mind-Body Centering). Similarly, when Shay Kuebler/Radical System Art comes to ArtSpring in May, Director Shay Kuebler will offer a much anticipated workshop.

By asking visiting artists to share their practice and experience with local artists, ArtSpring hopes to help nurture the performing arts in our community.

Finally, ArtSpring would like to offer an enormous thanks to Country Grocer.

Thanks to an amazing donation from Country Grocer, ArtSpring is able to provide $5 youth tickets to all ArtSpring Presents shows. By providing children, youth, and teens the opportunity to attend top-level performances for only $5, ArtSpring hopes to make it possible for all Salt Springers to enjoy the arts.

For tickets to any shows at ArtSpring call the Box Office at 250.537.2102 or visit www.tickets.artspring.ca.

For a complete listing of events at ArtSpring visit www.artspring.ca/events.

The SSI Grandmothers to Grandmothers and the SS United Church are partnering again to present holiday favourites for your enjoyment.

Our gifted performers - Arthur Black, Jan Rabson, Clark Saunders, Ann Stewart, Lynda Jensen, Chris Humphreys, Mary Lowery and Rachel Jacobsen – return to entertain with poignant and humourous dramatic readings, ranging from the classic ‘Gift of the Magi’ to Leacock’s ‘Hoodoo McFiggin’s Christmas’ and lesser known works by a Canadian soldier.

Thanks to the generosity of the performers, ticket proceeds go to the Grandmothers Campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. 250 groups across Canada raise money to assist African grandmothers, who support their AIDS orphaned grandchildren, and their communities. A particular thanks is owed to Clark Saunders, the genius behind this effort, now in its fourth season.

Readings are interspersed with seasonal music - harp, flute, piano and voices. With refreshments at intermission – this is a perfect way for you and your guests to get into the holiday spirit, while also backing such a worthwhile cause.

Show times are the weekend before Christmas; Friday December 16th at 7:30 pm and Saturday December 17th at 2:00 pm at the SS United Church on Hereford Avenue. Tickets, $15 for adults and $10 for students, are available at Art Spring and the church office.

SALT SPRING UNITED CHURCH AND SS GRAND(M)OTHERS TO GRANDMOTHERS PRESENT

STORIES & SONGS for the Season

DRAMATIC READING FEATURING

*ARTHUR BLACK *JAN RABSON CLARK SAUNDERS ANN STEWART LYNDA JENSEN #RACHEL JACOBSON #CHRIS HUMPHREYS

MUSIC

*HARP, #FLUTE, PIANO AND VOICE

SALT SPRING UNITED CHURCH *FRI, DEC #SAT, DEC

ADULTS:

16th, 7:30 PM 1Tth, 2:00 PM

$15

TICKETS

AVAILABLE AT

STUDENTS: ARTSPRING

PROCEEDS TO THE

AND

$10

SS UNITED CHURCH OFFICE

STEPHEN LEWIS FOUNDATION

T H E F I S H B O W L - D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 • PA G E T E N

WORKSHOPS on the ROCK a Salt Spring Arts Council Initiative

For 2017 the SSAC & WOR program are excited to host “In House” workshops at Mahon Hall starting Jan 22 onwards and including the first week of spring break.

With this selection of workshops led by our local talent we are hoping you will find something inspirational to get you thru our rainy winter. Want to see what is created in the workshops, come to Mahon Hall on Saturday, March 18th from 5-7pm for our “In House” open house.

Spring Break Workshops First Week Only Unleashing the Creative Self Yoga with Amy Hayson - Ages 10 & up.

Monday March 20 from 10 - 1 pm Come with your kids! $32 per person or $60 for 2

Marbling on Paper & Fabric with Clare Ryder - Ages 4 & up.

(4 & 5 yr olds w/adults) Tuesday March 21 from 10 - 1pm $36 per person includes all materials

Collaging Your Life Size Self

with Gillian McConnell - Ages 10 & up (Finished pieces will be on display at the Easter Art Tour) Mon., Tues. & Wed., March 22, 23, & 24 from 10 - 1pm - 3 sessions. $99 per person includes all materials

Bateman Has

Issues

starring the most awesome John Bateman Wow! Did you read that cover? Like me, you probably didn’t as you feverishly turned the pages as fast as you could to read what I wrote about this month.

What the cover indicates is that this is issue number 100 of Fishbowl Magazine.

I have been here from day one. Oh sure, I have missed a few months here and there. I would explain my absence, but to be honest I am way too busy to give an excuse right now.

In late 2007, Steph Rhodes approached me at Auntie Pesto’s and told me she was planning on starting a publication that would feature upstanding citizens chronicling life on this whimsical, enchanting shimmering isle. In non-Salt Spring-lingo that means, jaded locals spouting off about an island that defies all logic by riding shotgun in a liberal caravan on a road paved with good intention and radical conservatism...surrounded by an ocean of hypocrisy. Sorry, I just had to throw that in there to fan the flames a bit more.

Although I knew Fishbowl was doomed to fail like it’s predecessors, The Barnacle and The Driftwood, I decided to jump on board because I was

In House Workshops Jan. 21 to March 24th Create a Graphic Novel

with Jeanette Sirois for ages 12 & up.

Saturdays, Jan 21 to Feb 18 from 10am - 12:30pm - 5 sessions Registration - $135 all materials included.

Earth Choir

with Oona McOuat for ages 5 to 105yrs ALL AGES WELCOME (Includes 2-3 Flash Mob performances!)

Fridays Feb 24, March 3, 10 & 17 from 3:30- 4:45pm - 4 sessions Registration - $45 per person or $75 per family

SAORI Weaving

with Terri Bibby for ages 6 and up Saturday Feb 25, two sessions - choose 10-12pm or 1-3pm Registration - $30 per session includes materials (both sessions $50) Max 7 students per session

Making Your Mark

Fashion Draping

with Genevieve Graham (Project Runway) ages 14 & up.

Saturdays, Jan 21 to Feb 18 from 1 - 4pm - 5 sessions Registration - $150 plus $25 for materials (fabric & pins provided)

Clay Creations

with Tracy Harrison for ages 6 - 15yrs (2 Classes for different ages) Monsters & Sufistas Sculpting Figures in Clay for ages 6 - 10yrs Fri & Sat March 3 & 4 from 1 - 3:30pm Book Character Clay Sculptures & Vases for ages 11 -15 yrs.

Fri & Sat March 10 & 11 from 1 - 3:30pm ALL students return on Friday March 24 from 1 - 4pm for Glazing Day Registration - $130

For registration go to:

www.ssartscouncil.com/ with Gillian McConnell for ages 14 & up workshops-on-the-rock Saturday, March 18 from 10 - 4pm or wor@ssartscouncil.com Registration - $70 Materials included or 250-538-8447

desperate for the kind of attention Facebook could never provide. You know, the kind where someone walks by you on the street and whispers, “You’re an idiot”. Sure, my kids provided plenty of that kind of support at home, but it’s not truly fulfilling until you hear it from a stranger.

Over the years Fishbowl has been populated by an eclectic array of interesting and informative citizens. There was Ken Rouleau’s column about conspiracies, Sean Hogan’s monthly SPCA report, Genevieve Price telling me what kind of moisturizing lipstick I should be wearing and of course The Runaway Typewriter’s column about...stuff? I also can’t forget Marsha Moreau’s book reviews that serve the dual purpose of reminding me that reading is incredibly important and that I am profoundly lazy.

As the popularity of Fishbowl grew, so did support from Salt Spring’s local businesses. With their unwavering loyalty, they have provided the much needed financial backbone to produce the quality product you now hold in your hands. Never has there been a group of better looking business people that really should be on the cover of Rolling Stone, because they rock so much. I would be remiss if I didn’t tell each and every advertiser that I won’t be able to make my usual rounds on the 2nd, and will instead visit on the 3rd to collect my monthly “donation”.

Most importantly, Fishbowl has lasted 100 issues because Genevieve Price saw a community that was hungry to feast on its own weirdness.

From a time out of memory, Salt Spring has been a place of great beauty and stunning contradiction. Where else can you find a logger discussing the scourge of artisan-ism with a corporate hippy? Or a dot-com millionaire skipping hand in hand with a plumber, until the plumber doesn’t show for 67 consecutive days and is fired? Where else can a love-sick tourist be seen in an uncomfortable, yet strangely hypnotic dance with a guy that just gave them the gift of spiritual enlightenment... for forty bucks.

Fishbowl is indeed yin to Salt Spring’s yang. Maybe it’s yan and ying?

No clue.

T H E F I S H B O W L - D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 • PA G E E L E V E N

Marsha’s

Book

Reviews

with Marsha Moreau

The Girls

by Emma Cline Author Emma Cline was given a hefty advance for her debut novel “The Girls”. The movie rights have already been snapped up and it has garnered an awful lot of positive attention. Does it live up to all that praise? Is ‘sort of ’ a suitable answer?

This book is loosely based on the story of Charles Manson and the gruesome murders that took place in 1969. A bored teenager, Evie Boyd, is drawn to a Manson-like cult on a farm in California. Her parents have recently divorced and life seems to be passing Evie by.

Enamoured with a group of girls she sees at a park, and particularly their leader, Suzanne, she intentionally places herself in a situation where she’ll have the opportunity for connection with their group.

And boy, does she ever connect. Increasingly distanced from her distracted mother, Evie falls headlong into the commune’s embrace.

Free love, drugs and radiant instruction from Russell (the Charles Manson stand-in) become a substitute for anything ‘real’ in Evie’s life. She spends more and more time with her new ‘family’, and begins to steal and lie, even going so far as to break into a “Sharp, descriptive prose neighbour’s home. Of course, that truly is evocative of we all know that this story is both the setting and what going to end in an appalling it is to be a girl.” crescendo of violence.

Unfortunately, we can only sit back and endure the ride. An adult Evie’s chapters bookend her remembrances of 1969. This storyline is far less engaging but it’s the dynamic she witnesses between a teenaged girl and her boyfriend that give Evie reason to be reflective, thus setting up the flashes of the past.

What really makes this novel work for me is Emma Cline’s writing style. Sharp, descriptive prose that truly is evocative of both the setting and what it is to be a girl. Evie is unable to escape the allure of the cult, such is her feeling of disenfranchisement. The author perfectly captures the mood, the power imbalance and the yearning need of a 14 year old for something ‘more’. However, there are many sections in this novel that are difficult to read. Evie is on the road to adulthood but she’s not there yet. While seemingly her own choice, much of this accelerated maturation is foisted upon her by adults in positions of power and it’s both unsettling and wrong. This is a good read, but an uncomfortable one.

T H E F I S H B O W L - D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 • PA G E T W E L V E

My Food Matters

by CHEF KEN BRUDNER

ORGANIZING YOUR ORGANICS

Let’s face it, organic food is not going to get less costly anytime soon. The same can be said for conventional food, so why don’t we take a better look at what we have available.

Organic food demands basically twice as much as conventional items but there is a way to keep these extra costs more manageable. By more people participating and finding ways to purchase food that is better for you, eventually the cost will come down, relatively speaking and maybe with the help of concerned consumers voicing their right for good food choices and supporting the ones who bring it to us, especially our local entrepreneurs, the movement will continue to flourish.

By organizing our organics and with the help of eliminating certain items on our shopping lists that we really don’t need from a health stand point, perhaps we can recover some of those extra costs. Because organic foods tend to be more expensive than their counterparts, making informed choices helps minimize pesticide consumption while keeping the budget in check!

If we participate in respecting our soil and keep it sustainable, the cost automatically goes down. Why? Because pesticide laden, mono-culture farming wears down the nutrients of the soil and provides a compromised and questionable end product which has been linked to hormone disruption, cancer and brain toxicity. What would cost more; us paying a little bit more or even twice as much for organic produce and foodstuffs that nourish us or continue to allow for our health to be in jeopardy while our medical costs are skyrocketing? When the government approves certain pesticides or herbicides they limit usage to a certain “safe” amount. But, I am not sure if the cumulative factor over a period of time is considered.

What does organizing our organics mean? If you can’t purchase all organic, then if you learned what conventional foods are sprayed more than others you would have the educated choice of using that or an organic alternative. If you prefer not to eat pesticides, then at least you can eliminate those particular items that are full of them.

Here is a list of what they call “The Dirty Dozen;” Apples, Celery, Sweet Bell Peppers, Peaches, Strawberries, Nectarines, Grapes, Spinach, Lettuce, Cucumbers, Blueberries and Potatoes “The Conventional Clean 15“ Onions, Sweet Corn, Pineapples, Avocado, Cabbage, Sweet peas, Asparagus, Mangoes, Eggplant, Kiwi, Cantaloupe, Sweet Potatoes, Grapefruit, Watermelon and Mushrooms.

Another way to organize your organics is to treat your purchase with respect. Get all you can from them by using all of it. Prepare only what you will eat. Don’t let these better items in your fridge get lost and rot behind the store bought, already prepared.... throw it in the microwave ones you may have.

You can be creative with fiscal responsibility and easily learn what to purchase when you have these concerns. It is just a matter of choice. Take a place in the batter’s box!

Love What You Cook, Love What You Eat! allmyfoodmatters@gmail.com

T H E F I S H B O W L - D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 • PA G E T H I R T E E N

MEL byitMelinda OVER NATURAL HEALTH NOTES Parks-Divers with Dr. Brad Dunsten ND

Chasing Fear Out I was going to write this article about the importance of shopping local this holiday season. I meant to speak about how it helps to stimulate our local economy by paying our fellow islanders for the shit we buy, which helps them to pay locals for the shit they buy and hire locals that buy shit too.

But then I got on this airplane to Ontario.

I headed to my seat 18F on the Victoria to Vancouver. It’s a small commuter plane that shuffles folks between the big island and the airport. I came in the wrong door and had to make my way past folks loading their bags in overhead stows and finding their seats. One woman was having a challenge with her oversized carry on. She was grumpy and I felt sad for her.

The pause was a lovely moment as I was informed by a two year old traveller who sat excited in her seat, “ I have a backpack!”

She turned her back to show me the picture on it. “it’s a Mickey Mouse backpack!” She spoke so articulate for a two year old!

When I finally got to my seat I found it occupied by a charming older man. The seat across the aisle was free so I offered to sit there rather than have him move. He giggled shyly and mumbled that he would appreciate that as he wanted to sit with his wife. She beamed proudly beside him.

I sat in my seat and found myself deep in thought of my family I left behind. Will they manage ok? Did I make sure there was enough clean underwear in my 11 year old son’s drawer? Does my 17 year old have the support she needs at school to get through the next few weeks without me? Will my husband survive the grind of running it all solo? I sure miss them and I haven’t even left yet.

I glanced over to the older couple to find them holding hands. My seat swapper’s wife caressed her beloved hubbies hand and rubbed her fingers up his sleeve. I noticed the years of living, working, and loving displayed in the wrinkles and age spots. That was the most beautiful thing I had seen this day. Well, some good competition to the 2 year old earlier but these two made me teary so they win!

Years of being together has created a bond and a friendship that nothing else can build. I thought about the generations of people that have lived and breathed and loved to create the world we know. How beautiful that these two found each other in all the time and place for that miracle to happen.

And that brings me back to shopping local. Let’s invest in real people.

Shopping local does not have to stop at our own island. It is an idea of supporting small business and real people. Not that big corps like Walmart do not support and hire real people but it’s about spreading it around a little as the little guys are important. We need to water the whole garden so to speak so all can grow.

My seat stealer apologizes for taking my seat as he and his love depart the plane for Maui. I secretly thank him for the small gift he gave me.

A reminder of how much I love people and feel grateful for love in my life. Happy Holidays folks.

Writings from the heart and shit. moonshinemamas.ca

ALLERGY SEASON, ALREADY? Planning in winter for allergy relief in the spring I know what you’re thinking – an article about allergies, in December? That can’t be right – where’s the ‘boost your immunity for cold and flu season’ article? But it’s not a mistake; I assure you there is a method to the madness.

Allergy season affects so many of us here on the Wet Coast – we love our trees, gardens, and flowers, (not to mention our pets), but for some, these natural pleasures come at an unpleasant cost. There are many types of allergies, and many other ways in which our bodies’ immune systems can cause problems, but for now, what I’m really talking about is the classic combination – red watery eyes, runny nose, sinus congestion, and the strong desire to move somewhere with a lower pollen count. This can be mildly irritating, or incredibly and absolutely debilitating, but here are some good natural options that can really help.

1. Quercetin – This is a natural extract, which helps by stabilizes mast cells, preventing histamine release. It works best when combined with Vitamin C. Very safe and effective.

2. Fish Oils – Is there anything they can’t do? A great addition to one or more other options 3. Homeopathic Remedies – In particular, I see excellent results with Sabalia

by Boiron (no affiliation).

4. Sublingual Desensitization – we can re-train our immune systems to NOT over-react upon seeing the antigen (e.g. pollens, pet dander) in the future.

This last option – desensitization, is my best recommendation. It fundamentally treats the underlying cause, and can give long lasting results. The first step is determining which substances you are allergic to, via a simple skin test, if you don’t already know your triggers. Then, customized vials of immunotherapy solution are prepared, using just the antigens you are allergic to, at very lose doses. One or two drops are taken, just under the tongue, held there for 2 minutes, and swallowed.

Doses are gradually increased, and it can take up to 12 weeks to reach the full maintenance dose. For this reason, it’s ideal to begin therapy a month or two before peak allergy season - and that, dear reader, is why you are reading an article about allergies in December! There are many published studies showing excellent outcomes - If you’re interested in the science, you can email me directly; I’d be happy to provide references.

For a different approach to treating your allergies this year, call or email to make an appointment today.

Dr. Brad Dunstan, ND, is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor, with additional certifications in Allergy Desensitization, Acupuncture, Prescribing Authority, IV Therapies, and Prolotherapy. He graduated from UBC in 1999, and from BINM in 2009. He has a special focus on digestive health, chronic pain, hormone balancing, and pediatrics. He can be reached by phone at 250 537 0035, or by email at DrDunstanND@gmail.com.

T H E F I S H B O W L - D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 • PA G E F O U R T E E N

Colour Wheel Salt Spring Concert Band December 9, ArtSpring 7:30 pm Colour Wheel is inspired by the image of a wheel or sphere, spinning across the globe and picking up colour and energy from all the countries that it touches on its journey. This energy is communicated through sparkling, eclectic music that will be showcased by the Salt Spring Concert Band under Music Director Dawn Hage on December 9 at ArtSpring.

Colour Wheel is a celebration of music from Canada, Great Britain, Korea, Japan, Ireland, Russia, Norway and the U.S.A. Some of the pieces are seasonal such as Russian Christmas Music, Celtic Carol, Polar Express and A Christmas Festival. Others are wind ensemble classics such as Gustav Holst’s First Suite in Eb and Variations on a Korean Folk Song by John Barnes Chance. The band will also introduce three incredible new works to Salt Spring audiences; Lonesome Scenes of Winter by Canadian composer Joseph Curiale and Serenity by Norwegian composer Ole, both evocative, moving soundscapes and Joy by Joseph Curiale, an explosion of colour, energy and, well, pure joy!

Colour Wheel promises to be a musical adventure, a trip around the globe with an incredible program that celebrates both the season and the powerful, inspiring and uplifting music of some of the best wind composers on the planet. One night only and not to be missed!

Tickets available through the ArtSpring box office 250-537- 2102

ee DDeeoroD thy) ( RoJulyb15,er1927tsNovember 7, 2016

On November 7, 2016, at the age of 89, Dee Dee passed away peacefully in Kaslo, BC, surrounded by love, with her son and her daughter at her side.

Dee Dee is predeceased by her husband of 52 years, Doug Roberts.

She leaves behind: Son, Douglas Roberts of Kaslo, and daughter, Dorothy Price of Salt Spring Island; Her beloved grandchildren, Genevieve, Heidi and Rebecca Price of Salt Spring Island, and Rylan Mattas of Nelson, BC; Four greatgrandchildren; Easton and Charli McDougall of SSI, Grace and Cole Mattas of Nelson ...and one ‘on the way’ (Heidi).

Dee Dee was born July 15, 1927, in Evenwood, County Durham, England. She completed her teacher’s degree, in Durham City in 1947. She taught at Evenwood School until 1957.

In 1949 she married the love of her life and proceeded to have two children before moving the family to Canada in 1957. The family moved to Calgary and Dee continued to teach grades 1 & 2 until 1978.

Dee Dee was a creative and passionate teacher who was honoured on numerous occasions for her efforts.

She loved children and children loved her!

After leaving Calgary in 1978 she and Doug lived in Kaslo for nine years. They loved the beauty of the Kootenay mountains and lake. In 1987 they bought their little ‘Seagull Cottage’ in Fulford Village on Salt Spring Island, to be close to daughter Dorothy and their granddaughters. Doug and Dee lived many happy years in Fulford Village.

They would often be seen walking hand in hand down for their afternoon cup of tea in the village. In 2002 Dee’s beloved Doug passed away. Dee Dee continued to live in the village until 2011 when she moved back to Kalso to live with her son, Douglas. There, once again, she enjoyed the peace of the mountains and the lake.

Dee Dee was a people lover. She had many loving friends of all ages in both Kaslo and Salt Spring Island. She will be remembered for her optimism, her hugs and her smile. “Be happy” as Dee Dee would say. She will be missed by all.

*A celebration of life will be held in the spring.

Find us at www.facebook.com/thefishbowlmagazinessi

Follow us on Twitter! @FishbowlMag

www.fishbowlmagazine.com

read us online at issuu.com/fishbowlmagazine email us today at thesaltyfishbowl@hotmail.com