FISHBOWL MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

SALT SPRING ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT & CULTURE December 2017 - FISSUE #112 FREE & EASY

Singing amma

Holiday Uncertainty • 5

December Calendar

STUFF to DO on the ROCK • 9 John Bateman

Bateman HAS ISSUES • 12

Grandmothers to Grandmothers

SEASONAL STORIES & SONGS • 14

Santa Claus is Coming to SALT SPRING

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FISHBOWL

Santa seems to have a special love for Salt Spring Island. During the month of December, he can be found at many of his favourite spots in Ganges. In fact, if you watch closely you might even find him here earlier than usual.

We’ve gotten word that in late November before the North Pole goes absolutely bonkers Santa pays a visit to Crystal Johnson at Culture Salon. It all started with his love for Aveda products and the marvellous effect they have on his beard, giving it that extra moisture to combat the extreme heat he must overcome with every chimney he slides down.

There have been reports of summer vacations here. Santa loves Salt Spring Ales and can’t resist the charm of Fulford Village, there may have even been a close call with an Emu. I believe some locals even caught this on video, see for yourself. https://www.youtube.com/watchv=wLpcaFiwNWY&feature=youtu.be Then there is the Santa Selfie Contest. What community can show a vast array of “Santa Selfie’s” being posted on social media almost daily….that must mean he’s always here!

We hear he has also confirmed sittings on December 1st at Island Savings for their Kids Crafting event, December 2nd he makes his official grand entrance with a ride from Salt Spring Air and a Fire Truck ride to the Library. Library visits are to start at 1:15 pm. That very same day is the Chili Cook-off in Centennial Park, we know Santa loves Chili so you might catch him there…December 3rd he will be at the SPCA because second to children Santa loves the animals. There’s got to be a little fun in the mix and Santa sure does love a good Martini, we can’t say for sure but he might just pop in to the Glowtini contest, December 14th at Meadon Hall. What does Santa love most of all? Helping those in need! In the days leading up to Christmas Santa can be found at Country Grocer taking Food Bank donations and sitting with you and your family for photos.

Santa has always loved the story of Scrooge and the message of family, friendship and feasting together being far more important than money and 'things'. We heard he feels Salt Springers in particular already embody this way of living. He attributes our deep understanding of it due to the Newman Family production of Scrooge which was first performed 1970. Word is Santa himself has been cast as the Ghost of Christmas Present. The Show opens December 20th and play’s every night at 7:30 pm until Sunday the 23rd when audiences can also attend a 2 pm matinee. Now we have not yet been able to reach Mrs. Claus or the head elf but we are confident Santa knows what he is doing and this won’t set his delivery schedule behind.

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

^ Aries:

d Someone will approach you today with an attitude Think you can get away with hanging at you cannot get on with at all. home this holiday season? Think again.

Your friends have something arguably e The second more fun planned and you’ll inevitably moon of Jupiter in your house of Venus get dragged into their shenanigans. means today is the perfect day for you You’ve been warned.. take advantage of celestial radiations that will settle in the third axis of _ Mars’s house of fire. Understand? Good, Also, stop pretending to understand because it’s like, vitally important that things that you don’t. You think when you get that. Lives are at stake. you smile and nod that nobody can tell f that you don’t know what’s going on.

I do not think this horoscope means what Everybody can tell. you think it means. ` The stars advise hiding out in the comfort of your own home g until the Christmas madness ends. You’ll be Why does everybody apart from you glad you opted to sleep through the chaos. seem to know what they are doing?

Libra:

Scorpio:

Taurus:

Sagittarius:

Gemini:

a Cancer:

Capricorn:

h Aquarius:

Conspiracies are silly and almost never true. But if you insist on worrying, try singing “we are family” every night before bed and wearing the same shirt b Salt Spring has its for the next seven days and avoid the Southern folk. And its Northern folk.

But you live mid island…so how do you number 892. I can’t really explain – decide…Gumboots or something less it's stars stuff. But trust me, that will protect you.

Fulford more Vesuvius. i The widow of an c The older you get African political leader will offer you the more you're starting to realize that $24m sometime this week by email. everyone else is an idiot Also, the CRA has a refund for you.

Thinking and driving at the same time can be hazardous for you today.

Leo:

Virgo:

Pisces:

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

John Bateman • Dorothy Price • Ken Brudner Dorothy teaches classes today & retreats Call Genevieve at 250 locally 538 8427&orworldwide. email Vincent • Dr. Brad Dunstan Visit www.santosha-yoga-retreats.com or phone 250.653.4655 Peter Marsha Moreau • Melinda Parks-Divers 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!

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Price is Right

PRODUCT REVIEWS by: Genevieve Price Sponsored by

COVERGIRL OH SUGAR! Vitamin-Infused Balm With 10 shades to choose from and cute, colorful packaging Covergirl Oh Sugar! Vitamin-Infused Balm jumped off the shelf at me.

They are incredibly comfortable and lightweight on my lips. I like the slicker feel, I love that they aren’t a traditional heavier lip balm product that feels waxy or even heavy on lips, however, I do wish they provided a bit more moisture.

I like that they add a nice hint of shine and color.

Now the wear time is pretty short. I’d say you can get maybe an hour out of these, two if you’re lucky.

All in all Covergirl Oh Sugar! Vitamin-Infused Balm isn’t a game changer. These are a simply lightweight lip balm that provides nice shine and excellent color. The flavor is off putting, kind of like lemon cupcakes, but it doesn’t hang around long. I wouldn’t write these off completely as I was impressed with the color selection and thought they looked really nice on lips.

Open Stage

Gather your friends, bring your banjo, guitar and harmonica or just your voice and join young and old on the south end for a fabulous open stage!

Great music and munchies. Alcohol free and everyone welcome. On the last Sunday of every month in the OAPO annex at Fulford Hall.

Old Timey Café

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Jana’s New Cookbook Today!

Pre-Order Your SIGNED Copy of

Lisa Sigurgeirson Maxx, ECE

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

dear singing amma What can I do when Christmas looms before me like something I “have to get through,” rather than something to look forward to? signed, Not So Sure About Holidays Dad Dear Holiday Uncertainty, Thank you so much for your question. In our fast-paced culture we tend to get swept up in the fray of the expected excitement of these wellestablished holidays. There are a number of reasons many people do not view the coming season with happy anticipation. You are not alone.

For some of us, Christmas, other holidays and family gatherings, were stress-filled, exaggerated expressions of our dysfunctional families-oforigin at their worst. Each year, no matter how hard we might try, as holidays draw near they bring up unhappy memories of Christmas’ past.

For any who have experienced a significant loss in the past year, this season can bring the pain back to the surface and we might wonder how we can possibly celebrate anything in the face of such sadness and suffering.

Communicating with our young ones – toddlers through teens – about how we are experiencing something can model that it is safe and can be helpful to talk about feelings – even those that may not be “popular” or particularly happy ones. Let them know that when you were a kid, often family members’ inappropriate behaviour tainted the holidays and that you have mixed feelings at this time of year. You’d like to enjoy it but upsetting memories get in your way. Choose how much information to share based on the children’s ages. If the problems were related to alcohol or drug use, absolutely share the basics, no matter how young your little ones are. This keeps alcoholism and other addictions out of the unhealthy realm of denial. Let them know you want to co-create with your children happy memories they can then carry forward. Brainstorm ideas together about what that could look like. Re-design celebrations that work for everybody! Remember, making new memories happens one moment at a time.

For those who are recently bereaved this time of year can be especially challenging. As the holiday's approach don’t “pretend it’ll just be OK, somehow.” Have some family sharing time. Allow everyone to express his or her feelings, concerns and upsets. I recommend that you do not “put Christmas away for this year” as there are potent psychological reasons we have these celebratory times in the darkest of seasons – it gives us something to look forward to, something to lift our spirits.

If you are going through an emotionally dark time, all the more reason to find something – some way - to celebrate. Discover what is important to each family member about this season. Is there a new tradition you could begin in honour of your loved one now lost? Take walks – alone and together. Notice life’s miracles. The myriad wonders of nature can be a salve for deep sorrows. And, if tears come, welcome them. Don’t think you have to be cheerful every minute.

Send your parenting questions to: singingamma@gmail.com or www.facebook.com/thesingingamma Visit: www.thesingingamma.com

I am very excited to announce a second cookbook from Jana’s Bake Shop.

“My new book will be a beautifully designed and photographed hardcover book and include a new body of work, along with all your favourites.”

It is an honour to have Figure 1 Publishing, Canada’s leading, award-winning publisher of beautifully illustrated books in the categories of food + wine, art, architecture, and design accept this project. Recent cookbooks include Lure by Ned Bell, Portland Cooks, The Dirty Apron Cookbook, and Burgoo.

Our first meeting in Vancouver, where I brought many samples for tasting, was a sweet success. Their response, “we are all excited by the prospect of creating a cookbook of classic home-baked goods”.

“We can create a beautiful and high-quality book driven by engaging content, an elevated design and, above all, delectable recipes”.

“Jana’s new cookbook will also be very much about Salt Spring and it’s bounty of local ingredients that play a major role in her kitchen.”

I am now looking to pre-sell 1200 books to raise the money to publish a hard cover cook book, with lovely photographs, thoughtful editorial and design. I am asking for the support from our local Salt Spring Island community to help me make this cookbook a reality. For a limited time, we will be offering the community the opportunity to pre-order signed copies of this beautiful book. Simply order your new book online by visiting www.janasbakeshop. ca or by visiting Jana’s Bake Shop Facebook page. Buyers will be able to pick-up their signed copies on December 11, 2018 - just in time for Christmas and well in advance of its nationwide spring 2019 publication. www.janasbakeshop.ca or janasbakeshop/facebook

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This season, Wintercraft runs through December 21st in historic Mahon Hall. Opening November 30, the Annex Gallery will host an exhibition of Art Jam, works by Artists from the Fringe, November 30 – December 21st. Art Jam is an Arts Council's program which provides art materials and a welcome venue for art making for those people on the fringes in our community.

Salt Spring Concert Band

Winter Song & Dance Friday December 1, 7:30 pm at ArtSpring

Join the Salt Spring Concert Band as we present Winter Song and Dance, our rendition of folk songs combined with traditional Christmas carols.

Tickets at ArtSpring: Adults $18; Youth $5

On Sunday December 10th, 3-5pm, the Arts Council has its annual members holiday event, but this year we've added something new. We'll be hosting the Great Salt Spring Gingerbread Hall Challenge - inviting community members and artists alike to team up and decorate gingerbread houses, or rather - Mahon Hall.

JON & ROY’S Holiday Special

COMMUNITY

Jon and Roy bring their Holiday Special to Salt Spring Island to kick off the holiday spirit and festivities by celebrating some of the west coast's best talent!

The Holiday Special is in it’s 9th year and is a revue style event with other bands performing short sets before Jon and Roy. Always a diverse and talented line up of musicians, this years is no exception. Joining our hosts are indie-pop darling Ashleigh Ball from Hey Ocean, live ambient/funky electronic band Astrocolor and blues-rooted, soul-rocker Jesse Roper performing a solo acoustic set.

Christmas Day DINNER

December 25th noon-2pm, doors open at 11:30am

The SS United Church is sponsoring the 18th Annual Christmas Day Dinner at noon at Meaden Hall, and all are most welcome.

This tradition continues with the help of many generous and faithful local businesses and individual volunteers.

From financial and food donors; to decorators and ‘preppers’ on Christmas Eve; to cooks, greeters, servers and the clean-up crew all work together to create this seasonal miracle and more importantly to make it ‘feel just like Christmas’.

Feast it is – home-cooked turkey with all the trimmings, salmon, ham and vegetarian lasagna, four vegetables, and rolls, topped off with goodies and fruit for dessert, and a variety of beverages. And festive it is – a decorated Meaden Hall, long tables to make it easy to sit with friends, to meet and mingle (or not), and to enjoy live music and carolers.

Everyone is welcome at the dinner in the Legion’s Meaden Hall on Monday December 25th. Doors open at 11:30 am with live music, food service begins at 12:00 noon and celebrations continue until 2:00 pm. This is indeed a gift from the community to the community – and what better time for such a gift.

So come on your own or with someone. As the saying goes, ‘some of the best things in life are indeed free’. For more information, leave a message at the United Church office, 250-537-5812.

December 8th

Friday December 8th, 2017 @ Fulford Hall, Salt Spring Island 7:30PM Doors | 8:30PM Show $25 at Ticketweb.ca, Mercantile (11/10), Lyle's Place & Salt Spring Books

ART WORKSHOPS INFO: 250.538.8447 SSARTSCOUNCIL.COM/WORKSHOPS HISTORIC MAHON HALL

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4th Annual

Festival of Trees Nov 29th - Jan 2nd

Open 10am-4pm daily at Harbour House Hotel meeting room (at back of Hotel).

Come and see the 10 decorated Christmas trees and vote for your favourite by placing a donation of food for the Food Bank or cash for Copper Kettle. FREE ADMISSION

Gulf Islands COMMUNITY RADIO

LIVE MORNING RADIO RETURNS to the Island Scott is back! Scott Merrick is bringing live morning radio back to the Gulf Islands. Scott is has had a long history of broadcast experience and used to host three shows on CFSI. What can we expect to hear on your new show?

It will be quite eclectic and will focus on music that people would like to listen to when getting up and starting their day. It will include recent music, hits from the 50’s and 60’s, country and jazz, pretty much anything that I think people would enjoy in the morning.

Anything else?

I enjoy bringing on various guest co-hosts so that we can chat between songs.

I’ll also talk to members of the community who will have an opportunity to discuss local events, volunteer opportunities and organizations.

Why listen to community radio?

In addition to all the local guests, I’ll be reporting on local weather, ferry information, deer sightings during my drive to the station and other tidbits that might be of interest. And at 8 AM I’ll feature comedy or a kid’s song. Once the technology is in place I’d like to have an interactive show as well where people can call in and share their thoughts on the air.

Scott’s Morning Show will be streaming live online at www.islandsradio.ca Monday to Friday from 7-9AM [starting November 27]

Coping over the with Grief Holidays FREE Event

Saturday, December 9, 2017 from 2:00 - 3:15 pm at the Salt Spring Island Library program room.

We encourage people to register as space is limited.

250-537-2770 or email office@saltspringhospice.org As the holiday approaches, Salt Spring Hospice Society hosts this annual workshop for those who are grieving, to access information and support on how to navigate the often difficult holiday season.

This workshop is sponsored by the Salt Spring Island Public Library.

WORKSHOPS

R CK

ON THE

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a Salt Spring Arts Council Initiative Workshops on the Rock is busy creating the 2018 ‘In House’ workshops to take place at Mahon Hall in Jan/Feb/March. We are offering a variety of workshops for youth & adults, ages 5 and up. For the first time, we are excited to present three off island workshop leaders including Artist in Resident with the SSAC, Margaret Nazon.

Margaret is from Tsiigehtchic, in the Inuvik region of the North West Territories and creates embroidery with fish scales. In December she will offer a Friday eve.+ Saturday workshop, Fish/ Bone/Scale Art on dying fish scales and bones & using them in embroidery.

Victoria artist Connie Morey works with an array of found materials to create quirky and engaging sculptures. She will be offering two workshops for ages 12 +, a great opportunity for a parent and youth day together. In Soft Beast Sculptures you will create small soft sculptures combining expressive stitch work and found objects/material. In Sculptural Felting you will experiment with needle felting to create a small sculpture. Both workshops are 4 hrs. long, register for one or both!

Those of you who enjoyed Fashion Draping last year will be happy to learn that we have invited Victoria pattern maker Alexandra Morgan to teach Apparel Pattern Making: Basic Bodice & Skirt Block. This will be a Fri, Sat, Sunday workshop in the first weekend in March.

Our Summer Art Camp instructor, Cam Novak, will present two workshops for teens & adults. Mural Painting for ages 13-19yrs and will take place on Friday afternoons at Mahon Hall. Get your teen involved in this hands on group project where they decide the theme of the mural they will create. His second workshop, Drawing Emotions, is a drawing class for adults, several mediums will be explored thru the power of journaling with images, drawing techniques and emotional abstraction.

Other exciting workshops include A Printmaking Intensive w/ Johanna Hoskins, Mask Making w/ Kaya Reiss, Knitting Basics with Reclaimed Yarn w/ Charlotte Holmes, Canvas Floor Matts w/ Janet Cliffe, Painted Assemblage w/ Stefanie Denz and - Art Makers Laboratory for ages 5+, a unique opportunity to meet cool artists and explore all kinds of materials.

Stay tuned for our Spring Break workshops with Tracy Harrison and others.

To register for all workshops please go to www.ssartscouncil.com/workshops.

For more info please contact Jane MacKenzie at 250-538-8447 or wor@ssartscouncil.com

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Food y M CITIZEN Matters at LARGE PETER VINCENT

CAN WE TALK? PROBABLY NOT. A funny thing happened on the way to the recent Saltspring Island municipal referendum. People stopped talking. The compelling back and forths, the facts and finger pointing, the insults and insinuations largely happened through social media, with Facebook being the platform of choice.

This is not so unusual to the outside world. The Arab spring gained traction only because the prevailing dictatorships could not block the Twitterverse, thus the world bore witness to the crackdowns and atrocities occurring across North Africa. Barak Obama swept into power playing small ball through Facebook, wringing nickels and dimes out of almost every demographic you care to name. We now have Donald Trump at the helm, largely due to the nastygrams and mudslinging disseminated at 3:00 a.m. via tweets and Facebook.

But on Saltspring - famous for its egalitarianism and acceptance of differing opinions, where compromises are hammered out at the Saturday morning market or over a coffee at Barb’s Buns? This time the gloves came off, and this island will never be the same. Words have been written, insults exchanged, thinly veiled accusations, name calling, battle lines drawn. Even the most spiritual, sanguine Saltspringers were drawn into the fray, compelling many to withdraw from forums in a self-deprecated fluster.

Things were written that cannot be unwritten. I personally blocked or ‘unfriended’ a half dozen people as posts revealed true natures beliefs and opinions polar opposite to my own.

The thing is, tweets, texts and Instagram posts all have a common denominator. They enable and encourage the sender to write the most outrageous things, the most scathing insults and personal slurs, with little or no consequence. I have posted sarcastic, dark jibes that I would never, ever say to the person’s face. I have posted passive aggressive tweets designed to make me look the martyr and grow horns on the forehead of my target. I have reposted incendiary ‘facts’ without corroboration. All this, with relative impunity, all wrapped around an “IMO” or a “with all due respect” - as if that gives you a pass on bad behaviour. Without exception, consciously or unconsciously, we all did it. We all do it.

At the time, consensus was that the day after the referendum, the ‘healing’ would commence - that by Christmas, we would all be clapping each other on the back sharing a laugh or two about exchanged insults or regrettable accusations. Well, Christmas is upon us, and wounds are still raw.

The rule of thumb for recovering philanderers is to talk as if your significant other was perched on your shoulder. The rule of thumb on the Saltspring Island social media platforms should be to write posts as if the targeted bête noire is standing in front of you in the plumbing section of Mouat’s Hardware, clutching a weighty pipe wrench.

This Christmas and into 2018, I’m going to do my best to revive the lost art of coffee shop conversation. Time for all Saltspringers to turn the page. Time again to talk.

by CHEF KEN BRUDNER

PORK ON YOUR FORK? I might be thrown into a tank of piranhas with this topic, but hey, I’ve always had this thing for living dangerously!

All chefs that I know, except for that one out there somewhere, love the piggies, especially the fattiest part.

They are cute, adorable some might say, especially Miss Piggy and the idolized Porky and those three little ones battling the wolf. But we still eat them, actually devour them in abundance and we can’t get enough.

Pigs tend to be rather dirty animals, rolling in the mud provides a cooling system.

They’re often considered the garbage and waste eliminators of the farm, often eating literally anything they can find including their own feces, as well as the dead carcasses of sick animals, including their own young. Yuck!

The primary detox organs of most species are the liver and kidneys. What doesn’t get eliminated gets stored in the fat so the body tries to get rid of it through a secondary system, which is sweat. But since the pig has only a few sweat glands sometimes they’re not able to get rid of certain toxins because the load is too large.

There’s been a multitude of information concerning the dangers of eating processed meats and their cancer causing potential.

Researchers found that consuming 50 grams (about 4 strips of bacon) of processed meat each day raises your risk of colorectal cancer by a significant 18 percent.

Properly prepared means cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160 degrees to kill bacteria but it doesn’t kill infections if they were present in the animal before slaughter.

These days a whopping 97 percent of pigs in the U.S. and Canada are raised in factory farms with conditions that lack fresh air, wide open spaces and are fed a steady diet of harmful drugs to keep the pigs breathing making them grow faster and fatter.

Health Canada has stopped letting farmers use antibiotics as growth promoters which on the surface sounds like a good thing. It's a practice that has been banned in most of Europe. But many believe the change won't significantly reduce the number of antibiotics used on Canadian farms because it’s estimated that most of the antibiotics in the feed are intended for disease prevention and that use is still permitted.

What you choose to eat is up to you. But don’t be fooled by another deceptive claim like_ “no hormones added” because when it comes to pork even though it might be true, hormones are not allowed in the U.S. or Canada for any pork production. It’s the pig itself, the factory-farm conditions and the common use of drugs that are some of the main problems that “hormone free” will not eliminate.

I respect the caring and efforts of those who raise pigs ethically and most of this article is directed at factory farms.

Just the facts man, just the facts.

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

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For Everyone

Marsha’s

Book

Reviews

with Salt Spring Island teacher Dorothy Price with Marsha Moreau

Yoga

How Are You “SHOWING UP”?

I recently read some interesting material by author Claire Zammit.

Tarry this Night

by Kristyn Dunnion Oooh, dystopian, speculative fiction.

My favourite! I enjoyed this book,

by Canadian author Kristyn Dunnion, so much that I’m still revisiting it in my head, even though it’s been weeks since I finished it. It really presented as a slow burn...a book that carefully parceled out any revealing elements, and that’s maybe why I’m still drawing conclusions after all this time has passed. It’s the novel equivalent of the gift that keeps on giving!

Tarry this Night (mostly) takes place in the claustrophobic, underground bunker populated by the cult known as the Family. As the book opens we are made aware of the fact that they are running out of food, punctuated by frequent descriptions of what sustenance is still available: a thin gruel, the occasional trapped rat, and something best left unspoken. The Family’s charismatic, patriarchal leader, Father Ernst, is a polygamist, and clearly, a man whose needs come first. This group was once healthy and powerful but they’re currently weak from lack of food, and fresh air and their “It really presented as a robust ranks are diminished. slow burn...a book that Ruth, miserable at the thought carefully parceled out of becoming Ernst’s next any revealing elements.” wife is torn between what she’s been raised to consider as her “place” in Ernst’s crazy doctrine and the horror show that is currently unfolding. Her older brother Paul holds a valuable position as their topside forager, but he’s also at risk as one of the only young men left alive in the bunker. Ernst can’t have his Alpha Male position threatened but the Family’s survival clearly depends on Paul’s excursions for anything edible. Paul is understandably questioning the sanity of their leader and is encouraging Ruth to consider an escape but she’s pretty sure it’s some kind of heresy for him to even suggest such a thing...so this untenable situation is obviously building to some kind of im/explosion.

The pacing is exquisite. We receive snippets of the past through characters’ memories and inner monologues. The tension builds so perfectly, it feels like a horror or suspense novel instead of a study of a society gone wrong. It would give too much away to go into detail about WHY they all ended up in the bunker in the first place but suffice it to say, it’s one more aspect of what makes this novel great. Because the best speculative fiction is one that feels all too possible and a little too real.

She talked about how “our primary obstacle in life is not outside of us. It's within us”. According to Claire, in spite of intelligence, hard work, positive outlook and commitment, still, the most significant barriers for achieving success in life, remain the old stories of powerlessness, lack of self-worth, and old limiting beliefs.

Often without our even realizing it.

She talks of the importance of breaking free from these old stories.

Who, or what, are you blaming as the reason you can't be successful in particular areas of your life? "don't have enough time. I don't have money. I don't have enough education. I am not attractive enough. I have low self-esteem. The economy is failing. People don't spend money on the kind of things I make or the services I offer etc, etc, etc."

Even though there might be some truth to these external constraints…

You’re never going to find your power by blaming your circumstances.

Claire believes the truth is that life isn't happening to you, even though this is how it feels. ...Life is “responding” to you...

• Your core beliefs and assumptions about who you are or, what is or isn't possible, create the ways you “show up” in your life day after day.

• You might be showing up in ways that generate evidence that reinforces the truth of your stories...hmmm, read that one again...

• Life and other people don’t mirror and match your beliefs, they mirror how you show up.

The problem is that in the areas where you’re struggling to be successful (love, creativity, career) you’re showing up from the parts of you that are wounded or stuck in these old stories of your powerlessness, non-possibility and limitation.

• You can't attract love on top of a deep, inner sense of being unlovable.

• You can't generate success on top of a deep feeling of being unworthy.

• You can't make an impact on the community/world if you secretly fear you have nothing worthwhile to contribute.

How does someone show up when they believe they are not good enough to be worthy of a loving relationship or a chosen job? How do they hold themselves? How do they dress?

How do they interact? What proof do they gather to reinforce their stories?

How can we overcome our stories?

By forging an unshakable connection between the weakest part of you (the part that feels powerless and is stuck in these old stories) and the part of you that knows better (The deeper part of you that is wise and has perspective). Claire says when you connect these two parts of you, you'll effortlessly be able to show up in new ways that are aligned with a deeper truth about who you are.

Through meditation and mindfulness, yoga helps us see our stories and find that place that is wise and has perspective.

Jai Guru Dev! (Victory over the inner obstacles that stop us from realizing our true nature).

See you on the mat! ~ Dorothy

Dorothy teaches yoga classes, pranayama, meditation & retreats locally & worldwide.

Visit www.santosha-yoga-retreats.com or phone 250-537-7675

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Bateman Has

Issues starring the most awesome John Bateman

It’s the most frigging, wonderful time of year again. If you’ve read my column before you can probably guess whether I’m a fan of Christmas or not. Let me give you a hint: I am definitely and unquestionably not a fan of Christmas.

If my dislike for the festive season was a holiday drink, the recipe would be rum, bitterness, disappointment, and fear. Oh!!!...and eggnog.

My assumption when I moved fulltime to Salt Spring was that the lack of snow and presence of constant rain would guarantee an absence of Christmas. As usual with the majority of my assumptions, I was wrong.

Not only was I wrong, but I found out that several friends actually constituted the “Christmas Committee.” These are good people who mean nobody harm, yet they are on a committee that was formed to ensure not only that Christmas happens, but that it happens with some level of cheer.

Fundamentally Christmas on Salt Spring is no different than anywhere else as it is driven by consumption. If you don’t believe me, head to the Beaver Point Hall Craft Fair. If you do, you better put on some elbow pads and be prepared to scrap it out for gifts such as artisanal soap, artisanal kale chips, artisanal mittens and artisanal candles. All of these, I must note, are infused with the scent of lavender, which I think is artisanal, but unfortunately, my call wasn’t returned by press time.

If you think that consumption is bad, try heading to the same craft fair at meal time. I still have concussion symptoms related to trying to get a table for 4 at 6 pm.

Christmas pressure is no more apparent on the island than the annual window decorating competition that holds business hostage in it’s warm and glowing grip. Initially meant to be a fun-loving competition to beautify the town, this competition became a popularity contest that turned grocery store against gas station and realtors against the fire hall.

I know all this because I once judged this contest. Never have I seen so much corruption. Not only did every restaurant and coffee shop attempt to bribe me, I must have gained 10 pounds in 2 hours.

I have managed to find one seasonal event that kindled some cheer inside my tinsel clogged heart: Glowtini. Glowtini is a competition in which local and guest mixologists compete to see who can concoct the best tasting and best looking alcoholic drink. These drinks are then auctioned off for charity. I am rarely in the holiday spirit when I arrive at Glowtini, but by halfway through, as if by some miracle, I am feeling like Rudolph; Flying about the room, nose aglow while speaking with such a slur that only a reindeer would understand me.

Yes, Christmas is alive and well on island; More chatting in the grocery aisles, more craft making, more celebrating the genius of our children and more potlucks. Apparently, Christmas really is the season of miracles, because it makes Salt Spring more Salt Springy, which I didn’t think was possible.

NATURAL HEALTH NOTES with Dr. Brad Dunstan ND

IMMUNE DIPLOMACY Our immune system is a finely honed mechanism for protecting us from all the micro-organisms that share our world. It's a bit like a paramilitary border police force – guarding our bodies' borders against all external (and internal) threats, while simultaneously sparing all the innocent civilians who just happen to look a bit like a terrorist 'cell'. With about 30b human cells, plus another ~40b “friendly” bacterial cells to patrol, our immune system has to be nearly perfect, every day.

The best known role of the immune system is to fight off infection – colds, flu, and everything else we're exposed to every time we take public transit. But it has another, less known, but equally important job – it also patrols for cancers and pre-cancerous lesions, well before they've grown enough to be detected by any current technology. The evidence of this is shown by a significant increase in certain types of cancers when the immune system is suppressed. It seems likely that it also has other roles that we simply don't know about yet.

Just like any good border police agency, the immune system needs to be highly selective in its targets, and remain vigilant, while not becoming over-zealous.

When our immune system is under-functioning, we become significantly more susceptible to infection from bacteria and viruses, we recover more slowly from illnesses, and in some cases are more prone to cancer. Things that can negatively impact our immune function include stress, poor sleep habits, poor nutrition, certain medications (eg. prednisone), and genetic factors. Things that can support our immune system include herbs like astragalus, medicinal mushrooms, sleep, good nutrition, and much more.

When our immune function is 'overzealous', you get, to stretch the analogy, a police state where even the innocent cells are persecuted; we call this autoimmunity. Autoimmune diseases can impact nearly any organ, and the symptoms can be subtle or debilitating – and they are, as a group, notoriously difficult to treat effectively. The underlying causes of autoimmunity are varied, and only poorly understood at this time, but one known mechanism is 'crossreactivity'; a valid immune target, such as a virus or bacteria, looks very similar to one of our own, and so the antibodies created react not only with the intended target but with some of our own tissues as well. Conventional approaches generally focus on the limitation of symptoms, with strong anti-inflammatory drugs such as prednisone. The naturopathic approach often begins with a good gut- healing protocol – it's no coincidence that the vast bulk of the immune system resides in the gut. Another relatively new therapeutic option that is increasingly showing it's relevance in autoimmunity is low-dose naltrexone (LDN). This is a pharmaceutical which at ~5% of the conventional dose, has shown very promising results in autoimmune conditions of many types, with a very acceptable side-effect profile.

The immune system is a finely balanced thing, which protects us in so many ways, each and every day. With even the simplest of lifestyle choices, we can support our immune system, and help keep it in balance.

Dr. Brad Dunstan, ND, is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor, with additional certifications in Allergy Desensitization, Acupuncture, Prescribing Authority, IV Therapies, & Prolotherapy. He graduated from UBC in 1999, & 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 7 • PA G E T H I R T E E N

MEL it OVER

by Melinda Parks-Divers

SALT SPRING TIME Can we talk about Salt Spring time for a minute here? Or I guess it would be fifteen minutes if it's Salt Spring time, right?

I had someone comment to me recently about someone who was late. They said, "Oh, I guess they are on Salt Spring time!" He rolled his eyes and made a motion like he was smoking something.

I was offended. I am done with this joke!

I can't take it anymore!

Most of the Salt Springers I know are people that are always early or on time. I, on the other hand, am almost always a tiny bit late.

Ok, I confess, I am more than a tiny bit late! I am one of probably fifty percent of the population that runs to a different beat.

I think there are all types on this island but I can say this about the late ones. It is not because we are not trying to be on time. It's not that we were held up by a big spliff we needed to smoke or that we were busy being more focused on centering our chakras then watching the clock.

It's that we are mostly overly obsessed work-a-holics.

I know, I hate to burst your island hippie bubble but that is the absolute truth. We need help. We don't know how to balance our self other than to live in the one place that is 1. Forgiving of our perpetual lateness, and 2. Constantly challenging us with the most rigid, unavoidable schedule of BC Ferries because we all need to travel off and on the island!

You see, a Salt Springer is a devoted optimist and a complete overachiever. They balance a job or two, a business, a family, maybe a hand built house and property with only a few piles of old equipment or cars in the yard, some goats, and one to three volunteer jobs.

When one of these "fifteen minutes late" Salt Springers shows up late to an arranged lunch date at Barb's, it's most likely because of this...

They got up early to bake something fresh and healthy for the kids' lunches. They got them to school (15mins late!), cleaned the house, put two loads of laundry in, planted a garden, submitted a grant proposal for a charity, made two conference calls, landed a big job, showed up for an extra shift at work, dropped the hitchhiker they picked up all the way to their front door because they couldn't bare to leave them out in the rain halfway home, and managed to get dressed out of their jammies that morning!

They would have been on time but they forgot to let the chickens out and so had to run back home quick. They ran into their neighbour they hadn't seen in a while and didn't want to be rude and run away from them so they chatted for five minutes before running. Islanders are very thoughtful of others!

Amazingly, I am not exaggerating. Salt Springers are the busiest people I know. If they are guilty of anything it is of trying to squeeze an extra thirty minutes of shit that needs to get done, into fifteen minutes before they are supposed to meet you. And that is why they are always late. They never have time, but they will always make time for whoever needs it...fifteen minutes late.

Writings from the heart and shit.

moonshinemamas.ca

Christmas with

T H E F I S H B O W L - D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 • PA G E F O U R T E E N

Seasonal s g n o S & s e i Stor FUNDRAISER FUN

On Saturday December 16th, the SSI Grandmothers to Grandmothers and the United Church present an afternoon of holiday favourites - our fifth annual seasonal celebration.

Bookending the performance are Dylan Thomas’ A Child’s Christmas in Wales and it’s parody A Child’s Christmas in Scarborough, respectively brought to life by the inimitable Clark Saunders and Arthur Black. Ann Stewart and Lynda Jensen bring other poignant and humorous dramatic readings, and Joi Freed-Garrod joins the cast with a Chanukah special.

Thanks to the continued generosity of our gifted performers, all ticket proceeds go to the Grandmothers Campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. 250 groups across Canada have raised $25M to assist African grandmothers, who support their AIDS orphaned grandchildren, and their communities.

Readings are interspersed with seasonal music - harp, flute, piano and voice, and this year, a Klezmer band. With refreshments at intermission – this is a perfect way for you and your guests to get into the holiday spirit, while also backing such an important cause. Peruse the new book Powered by Love, the 10 year celebration of the grandmothers’ movement, – a beautiful and meaningful gift.

As there is only one show this year, get your tickets early at Salt Spring Books and the church office - $15 for adults and $10 for students. December 16th at 2:00 pm at the SS United Church on Hereford Avenue.

SCROOGE

December 20th - 23rd at ArtSpring

Come one, come all to "Christmas with Scrooge"! Tickets are on sale at ArtSpring, for the revival of this island holiday tradition.

With a cast of fifty and a production team of almost the same, this original musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic tale is a big and joyous undertaking!

Written in 1970 by Ray and Virginia Newman, the show has involved upwards of 2,000 islanders since then.

Ray used to say "it was a cast of thousands", and it turns out he was right! The legacy of the Newman show is felt each time rehearsals start, says Sue, their daughter, who is co-producing the show with Jill Tarswell and other members of Newman Family Productions. Former child actors have grown into young adults singing and dancing alongside the newest and youngest cast mates, and so the bond begins again. One family has three generations involved with the show!

If you're planning on attending "Christmas with Scrooge", please remember to bring something for the food bank and NFP will be sure that it is delivered to those in need at this special time of the year. As well, the company's sponsorship campaign has had an anonymous donor that is helping to subsidize youth tickets.

The NFP account at Island Savings is also accepting donations to help defer the costs of putting on such a big show.

The cast and crew of "Christmas with Scrooge" wish you a very happy holiday season!

2nd Annual

Youth Winter CRAFT FAIR! December 2 & 3 11 4 from

am - am

1st floor of the Core Inn

YULETIDE FIRES December 9 , th

present

Handel's Messiah

at ArtSpring

Saturday, December 16, 7pm & Sunday, December 17, 2pm

Saturday - The Handel orchestration in its original form.

Sunday - The expanded "sing along" version audiences have enjoyed in years past. Bring your score and join in. We have scores to lend if you need one.

More information available at bachontherock.org Tickets at Artspring.ca

present

7:30 pm at ArtSpring

Let yourself get lost in the beauty of the season as the Salt Spring Singers perform their winter concert “Yuletide Fire” at ArtSpring.

Some of the most beautiful music ever composed proclaims Christmas and the Solstice. Join us to celebrate the Winter season with sacred pieces by Bach, Barber, Britten, and Handel, traditional arrangements by Willcocks, Rutter, Davies, and a wonderful new Suite composed by Tate with lyrics written

by Emily Carr.

Tickets are $5.00 for children and students, and $18.00 for adults.

Tickets available at the ArtSpring box office.

Newman Family Productions

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ARTSPRING December 20, 7:30 All Tickets $10

December 21, 22, 7:30 December 23, 2:00 & 7:30

$20 adults, $15 kids Tickets at artspring.ca / 250 537 2102

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