This week!

Just got the word from Emily Reed about the new show at IMA:

“Winter is the King of Showmen” opens at the Islands Museum of Art on Friday, November 16 with a reception from 5-8 pm.

This impressive first of a kind exhibition features the work of 48 artists from San Juan, Orcas, Lopez and Waldron Islands who are members of the Museum’s Visual Arts Registry. Mediums are diverse including sculpture, paintings, jewelry, photography, pottery, glass work and more.

This showcase of island talent continues to December 22 and also offers an opportunity for holiday gifts. Islands Museum of Art, 232 A Street (just above the ferry lanes). Hours: Thursday-Sunday 11-5. www.sjima.org

Last night, Josie & I took in “A Walk in the Woods” at Roche Harbor….and it was great.

This season, Island Stage Left is presenting the show with matinees on Saturday & Sunday, giving you more chances to catch it. It’s thought-provoking, funny, whimsical, and fun….let me know what you think after you see it!

Patricia (top left), Rowena & Bruce are playing tonight!

A Concert of “Ones…Twos…and Threes”
November 10

Chamber Music San Juans’ next concert of its silver anniversary season brings together a trio of CMSJ veterans for a concert brimming with ones, twos and threes—that is, solos, duos and trios— for clarinet, cello and piano.  Joining clarinetist and artistic director Patricia Kostek at San Juan Community Theatre on Saturday, November 10 at 7:30 p.m. will be pianist Bruce Vogt and cellist Rowena Hammill.

Appearing regularly in concert within Canada, Vogt has also inspired audiences in England, the USA, China, and Japan.  His CMSJ “Portrait of Liszt’ recital in 2011 enthralled the Whittier audience.  This time, Vogt will perform the magically beautiful Images in honor of the 150th anniversary of Claude Debussy’s birth.  (As a composer, Debussy’s works had a strong influence on jazz).

A native of Australia, Hammill has played on hundreds of film and television soundtracks.  She is a former member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and has performed in several CMSJ concerts, including with Odeonquartet.  She now divides her time between the Northwest and California.

Hammill, Vogt and Kostek will present several trio pieces, including what Kostek calls an “energetic and jazzy” Muczynski and an “excitingly folksy” Glinka. Kostek will perform the rarely heard Fantasy Pieces by Danish composer Niels Gade. Continue Reading

Super sunrise this morning at Jackson’s Beach, prelude to a bright & sunny day….photo by Janet Thomas (thanks, Janet!)

Getting a few details down, ’round here – let’s check in:

• Yeah, there was a quake last night, pretty big one – off northern Vancouver Island – here’s the scoop on the 6.3 shaking.

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• Heard that Sandy Cameron passed away….gonna miss him volunteering at the Theatre, setting up Robert Burns dinners, and his Scottish accent…

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Friday night!

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Suzie Thomas

• She’s back on the island! Here’s more about what Suzie is up to:

Suzie Thomas originally moved to San Juan Island in 1967. She graduated from FHHS and went off to college to study international business and economics.

But before finishing, her life abruptly veered and she found herself instead on the trail of spiritual consciousness. Recently, after nearly 20 years as a practitioner in Seattle in the field of alternative healing and mind-body-spirit well being, she moved back to Friday Harbor and opened a second office at 425 Argyle.

Though still commuting to the city for her Seattle clientele, Suzie is hoping eventually to return to more full-time island life.

“I’m an islander,” Suzie says. “I spent time growing up here, and I lived on Orcas 15 years. I can’t live in the city.  I’ve been commuting between the islands and Seattle almost 20 years. That’s a lot of commuting!”

Calling on 30 years experience and many years of training in alternative forms of healing and well being, Suzie offers help in unearthing and altering the various beliefs, self-images, and mental/emotional habits clients practice which generate suffering in their lives. She has found with her Seattle clientele that when certain practices are taken on and turned into habit, an increase in mental and emotional ease, self-kindness, and centered stability are among the guaranteed results.

Suzie says, “Over a period of 20 years, I’ve watched clients become steadier in themselves and their lives. They become less judgmental and more compassionate. What used to throw them stops throwing them. When they dependably practice the simple consciousness tools I give them, those results always come about. Always. I’ve noticed that.”

In tandem with or separately from the consciousness work, Suzie also offers energy work, sometimes known as energy medicine.  “We tune our piano or our guitar,” Suzie says. “We don’t think to tune our energy body. But our mental and emotional habits send it out of attunement all the time.” The most frequently reported outcome of an attunement session is walking out of a treatment feeling more relaxed, calmer, and lighter.

Suzie laughs, “One client claimed, after every session, that she felt 10 pounds lighter. Maybe that’s something to take advantage of during the holiday season!”

In honor of the holidays, Suzie is offering a special rate to islanders of $45 for an introductory 1-hour session. This limited introductory offer, one per client, must be redeemed by Thursday January 3^rd, 2013. Gift certificates available. Suzie can be reached on her cell phone 206.406.3085, or by email [email protected].

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I got to meet Megan’s baby Gabriella this week at Wells Fargo, which is one of the most baby-friendly banks around….

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It was fun to see Gretchen (left) and Debbi on the ferry last night, organizing a plan for getting the puzzle done before the boat got to Friday Harbor.

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Someone told me people have been getting their picture taken with the zuke that’s been sitting out front of the drug store since Halloween….

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What a nice surprise: Josie & I saw a couple of Jaime Ellsworth’s pictures at the carousel at Butchart Gardens outside of Victoria, BC, a couple of weeks ago…another islander’s beautiful work, spreading the love

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A restful start to the day….here’s “Sparkling Waters” by one of my favorite solo piano artists, David Nevue:

Got some time this weekend and nowhere to spend it? Does your Day Timer have some gaps? Wondering how to fill all those empty hours? Well help is on the way. Here are some of the cool things going on this weekend:

On Saturday, The Toy Box will celebrate the third annual Neighborhood Toy Store Day. Established by the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA), Neighborhood Toy Store Day helps local communities celebrate the joy and wonder of shopping locally while supporting the local retailer’s commitment to the community.

“Neighborhood Toy Store Day provides families with an enjoyable and exciting way to support their community’s independent toy store,” said Kathleen McHugh, President of ASTRA. “Local toy stores add charm and character to neighborhoods across the country and provide children with a wide variety of unique and quality toy options typically unavailable at big box stores. Retailers look forward to this special day as a way to celebrate with the community and the customers they value.”

Participating stores will organize customized events to help launch the holiday shopping season. This year, The Toy Box will host the following activities: free cookies and surprise drawings at the register for instant discounts. Families of all ages are invited to stop buy and celebrate; the store is located at 20 First Street.

“This will be the third year we have celebrated this event, it is a fun day where we introduce the Best Toys for Kids for 2012” said store owner, Nancy Hanson.

For more information about Neighborhood Toy Store Day visit www.yourneighborhoodtoystore.org

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Flea & Craft Market this Saturday at the Fairgrounds

The privately owned Tharald Homestead is a pioneer farm on the west side of Shaw Island.  It serves as a significant example of early Scandinavian settlement and “Nordic” style architecture within Washington State.  It’s one of the best and oldest examples of its kind to survive in San Juan County.  For more information on the property tour and driving directions call Boyd Pratt at 378-7172 or email [email protected].

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And of course there’s music:
Chamber Music San Juans’ final concert of its silver anniversary season brings together a trio of CMSJ veterans for a concert brimming with ones, twos and threes-that is, solos, duos and trios- for clarinet, cello and piano. 7:30 PM Saturday at the San Juan Community Theater. $26 Adult $13 Student $5 RUSH

The Badd Dog Blues Society plays at Herb’s Friday and Saturday at 9pm. Traditional Veterans Day Weekend island gig! Featuring Andy Koch & his ‘society’ of musicians. No cover!

GRIFFIN BAY BOOKSTORE ANNUAL SALE
Anniversary Open House on Saturday, November 10, 10:00 am—6:00 pm
20% off on all books in the store

This Saturday! See you there!

If there’s been too much chaos in your life recently, there’s one sure thing you can count on: Griffin Bay Bookstore’s annual Open House and Sale on Saturday, November 10, 10:00 am—6:00 pm.

Bookstore owner Laura Norris and her team are celebrating 33 years of bookselling in Friday Harbor with a storewide sale of 20% off on all books on the shelves. This annual sale is Griffin Bay Bookstore’s way of thanking our island community for loyal support and on-going patronage, for shopping locally, and for dedication to an independent bookstore. The Open House will feature complimentary snacks and the bookstore’s signature coffee, Caffe Umbria. If you’re hankering for good company, good food and coffee, not to mention good books, this is the place to be this Saturday.

You’ll find the bookstore crammed with all manner of books and things literary, as well as a wide range of gift items, perfect for getting you started on your holiday shopping.

You’ll find book lights by Mighty Bright, lighted magnifiers, and the “Thumb Thing,” a nifty plastic thumb ring that holds your book wide open, perfect for one-handed reading if you’re lying in your bed propped up by pillows. As usual there’s an ample supply of stationery, boxed cards, holiday cards, thank you notes, journals, and traditional black as well as new, zany colors of Moleskines. There are plenty of 2013 day planners and calendars to get you off on the right foot in January. Many new gift items have just arrived, especially a host of DVDs that are sure to keep you entertained on wintry nights.

There are children’s activities galore, games, fun and educational, some designed as learning tools for kids getting ready for school. New this fall is a series of non-fiction books for grade-schoolers on a wide range of topics and people: the Middle Ages, Ancient China, Ancient Egypt, the Titanic, Abraham Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Pocahontas, among others. Plush toys that depict delightful literary characters are on hand, including Otis the tractor.

Local artists and writers are also well represented in the bookstore.  Big sturdy mugs, perfect for sipping hot chocolate and coffee, are adorned with Jane Buck’s colorful images and Griffin Bay Bookstore in small print along the side. You’ll also find artwork and cards from Spaulding Studios, long-time favorites at the store. Local authors, including Thor Hanson, Susan Vernon, Mike and Julia Vouri, Jim Lawrence occupy a special place in the store.

New fiction and non-fiction, big picture books, homesteading and gardening books, architecture, history, economics—it’s all here, ready and waiting to pique your interest. If you need some prodding to pick up a needle and thread, some yarn, or paints, the arts and crafts section offers an expanded collection of books to inspire you. For those whose minds area free ranging, there’s lots to feed the nomad in you—travel, suspense, mysteries, biographies and memoirs, science, and natural history. Don’t hesitate: what you might need to keep your mind at work when wind and rain keep you inside is in plain sight at Griffin Bay Bookstore.

Griffin Bay Bookstore is known for its excellent customer service. With a friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable staff, all of them book lovers, shoppers can expect help finding what they are looking for. They are committed to going the distance to lead customers to books that suit their preferences and immediate needs. This is person-to-person service with good conversation as a bonus.

If you’re a consummate browser, someone who takes great delight in happening onto something, discovering something new to fire up your imagination, you’d better head right to the yummy cookbooks in the bookstore. This is a particularly good year for stunning visuals and recipes, cookbooks that are beautifully enticing and filled with recipes that encourage cooks to use all manner of fresh, local, artisanal, and ethnic foods and ingredients. Two just-released cookbooks are already bestsellers: The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman—what she calls, mouth-watering “recipes and wisdom from an obsessive home cook,” and Roots by Diane Morgan, whose recipes turn those much-maligned, gnarly-looking root vegetables like rutabagas, celery root, parsnips, and turnips into dishes sublime and delicious.  Even the old stand-bys—carrots and potatoes—are given new culinary life in her compendium of root vegetables.  You’ll find many more like these two, reflecting new, imaginative, and healthy ways to cook and eat. For little cooks enamored with cupcakes, look for dessert cookbooks geared for children, and for paraphernalia for their adventures in the kitchen.

Griffin Bay Bookstore is part of IndieBound and the American Bookseller’s Association, committed to promoting independent bookstores across America as well as the benefits of shopping or buying locally. When you shop locally and support your independent bookstore you discover what’s new, what’s great to read. And you nurture your own community and its well-being, just one more reason to attend Griffin Bay Bookstore’s Open House and Anniversary Sale on Saturday, November 10, 10:00—6:00 p.m.! It’s a community tradition.

I’m guessing you’re up-to-date on the election results, but if you want to check the Washington State results, click here (it’s the Secretary of State’s elections page), and here are the County results.

It’s going to be an interesting year ahead, as the County voted to change the County Council from six to three people (the vote for the three is in April; the present Council will serve till the end of this year, then be replaced by the new members, as Marc & Bob step in for Howie & Lovel, who lost last night….)

Meanwhile, the state saw citizens approve the law related to same-sex marriage, recreational pot use, as well as a new governor. I’m proud to see our county overwhelmingly prohibit growing GMO foods here….check the results & see what you think.

Dan Mayes & Krista Strutz work their way towards peace in the Island Stage Left show “A Walk in the Woods” opening this week.

Celebrated playwright Lee Blessing’s “A Walk In The Woods” tells the story of an improbable friendship, as two people attempt to understand each other across an ideological divide.  Full of humor and tension, the play invites us to consider the differences and similarities between psyches and societies, war and peace, man and woman, as the process of peace-making becomes the basis of a friendship.

Laying a new foundation

They’re raising some dust over there by Printonyx, have you seen it? Well, it’s not really dust exactly, but they’re busy digging in the dirt and pouring a cement foundation for the new building.

“What new building?” you ask.

Here’s more from Kris:

“Our landlords, Gene Gearhart and his wife Susea McGearhart, are building a retail and residential complex. In the end there will be two retail spaces (one for Printonyx and another which could be split into two smaller spots) and four apartments above them. The first building should be up in about six months, we’ll move in, and then our current building will be torn down and a second new building built right next to the first. There will be plenty of paved parking and street level access to the retail spaces.

Gene has the lowdown on the availability of the apartments and the second retail area. What I know is that we will be have at least two private offices for rent inside our new 1800 sq ft space (probably 80 to 100 square feet) with access to a shared conference room, kitchen & bathroom along with use of some of our self-serve equipment.”

Jim Maya reports from out on the water: “There are lots of Dall’s Porpoise, the fastest small cetacean in our waters. Today the light was perfect!”

Big day on the national scene, so keep your eye on all that (you know you have till 8pm to vote, right? Or get your ballot in the mail….) and let’s see what’s going on around here:

A friend on the dock…great blue heron, by Kevin Holmes

• Hey, drop by and hear the Steve Keys Trio at The Rumor Mill on Wednesday night!

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• The Cask & Schooner has an Election Night going on tonight…..drop by!

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• It’s coming this weekend – The Clash of the Chili Titans! (Here’s the Facebook page.) It’s at the Mullis Center on Friday at 6pm:

This is a benefit for San Juan Soccer! Chef Andy and Coach Tommy are going head to head in a chili cook-off. Andy will be defending his 2012 Brickworks title.

It’s Detroit vs. Cincinnati. $10 for adults and $5 for kids (12 and under) And don’t worry–we’ve got you vegetarians covered as well! Come one come all!
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I voted…did you?

• Time to make plans to sit in on the discussion – here’s more from Sarah Crosby at the League of Women Voters:

The League of Women Voters of the San Juans will show “The Healthcare Movie” at their membership meeting on Monday, November 12.  The meeting will take place at the San Juan Island Library from 12:00n until 2:00pm.  A discussion will follow the movie.

Beginning with essentially the same goals, the healthcare systems in the U.S. and Canada have evolved into two completely different entities.  This movie tells the story of how that happened over time.  For those interested in Healthcare reform in this country, this documentary is an essential component of your research!  Open to the public.

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• The Soroptimist Club has this great opportunity – here’s more from Kristine Odle:

Natalia Lawrence and Patricia Tullock – two single moms who had dreams of improving their own lives and the lives of their children by going back to school — are currently seeing their dreams become reality, thanks to the local Soroptimists.

Each year, the service club chooses an islander (or as was the case last year, chooses several islanders) to receive its Women’s Opportunity Award, a $5000 grant that can be used to offset any costs associated with the recipient’s efforts to enhance her knowledge and skills – including books, child care, tuition, and transportation.

A year later, both Natalia and Patricia commented that without the award money, they aren’t sure they would have been able to stay in school. But just as important, they said, was the honor of receiving the award.  Having the successful women of the Soroptimists acknowledge their personal worth, after they had each spent years struggling to overcome significant challenges in their lives, was deemed “very powerful” and “absolutely life-changing.”

The Soroptimists are anxious to get applications for this very special award into the hands of eligible women.  Applicants for the awards must be enrolled in, or have been accepted to, a vocational/skills training program or an undergraduate degree program, and must demonstrate financial need.

If you are interested in applying, or if you know someone you would like to encourage to apply, contact Kristine Odle at 378-2414 or [email protected]; or pick up an application form at The Toy Box in Friday Harbor. This year’s application deadline is December 15.

Each year, the international organization of Soroptimist awards more than $1.5 million to more than 1000 women, many of whom have overcome enormous obstacles in their lives – including poverty, domestic violence, and/or drug and alcohol abuse.  Since the Women’s Opportunity Awards program began in 1972, about $30 million has been disbursed to assist tens of thousands of women achieve their dreams of a better life for themselves and their families.

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• From Sheila at the Red Cross:

The DSHR team of Islands Chapter is proud to announce that we are deploying Phil and Nancy Schober, residents of San Juan Island, to work in the response to Sandy in North Jersey.  Nancy will serve as a nurse in Health Services and Phil will serve on a shelter staff.

We wish them well and thank this couple for their three week commitment.

Linda Barnhart, Earlene Rothauge, Alan Roochvarg and Arlin Rothauge
Chapter DSHR Adm.Team

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Order by the ninth!

Just visited with Brendan at the grocery store, and he told me this essay was coming our (yours & mine!) way…..it’s been a crazy couple of weeks….and now, are we ready? Here’s more:

Are you ready?

What can the islands learn from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, and the BC quake?

by Brendan Cowan, Emergency Management Director for San Juan County and the Town of FH

Disasters are in the news again, and for good reason. On the night of the 28th, a massive 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of northern British Columbia. And then a few days later, Hurricane Sandy devastated a major swath of the East Coast

Both events should be a strong reminder to islanders about the importance of being prepared. Ignore the reminder if you want, but know that you do so at your own peril.

The B.C. quake is an obvious wake up call to the fact that we live in earthquake country. That quake hit a remote and sparsely populated area, but it could have happened anywhere along the fault that parallels the WA coast or even along one of the many fractures that run through Western Washington. It could have been much worse. And one day it will be.

And what will the impacts of that quake look like? You only need to look to Hurricane Sandy to understand. A major quake, possibly followed by a tsunami. Homes destroyed, power out, shortages of fuel and food, transportation knocked out, businesses impacted, schools struggling to open, and countless communities fighting to recover, tempers frayed and patience tested.

The quake that eventually wallops the Northwest will shake us deeply, and the best way to ensure a smooth recovery is for all of us to be aware of the danger and be prepared for it when it comes. If we all do what we can now, we’ll be able to care of ourselves and each other- and that is the island way.

Getting ready for disasters is a funny business. Almost everyone struggles with preparing for things that feel abstract and distant. Unfortunately we can’t predict earthquakes like we can forecast hurricanes. We only know that there’s a 100% chance of one happening here someday. We don’t know when, but that alone should be scary enough to motivate you to prepare.

The good news is that preparing isn’t especially difficult. Food and water for seven days. A way to stay warm if power is out. Flashlights and a radio. Know how to shut off your utilities. And preparing for the quake is really no different than preparing for the winter storms that happen much more frequently. There’s no good reason not to prepare.

For more info on preparing, visit our website at www.sanjuandem.net/prepare

And to learn more about quakes & tsunamis, go to www.sanjuandem.net/quakefaq

Please don’t hesitate to contact our office ([email protected] / 370-7612) if you need help or have questions. The important thing is to start today.
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Here’s my new favorite group – see what you think!

Next Monday – get your tickets today!

It’s the dinner of the year – be there! Here’s more from The Whale Museum’s director, Jenny Atkinson:

It is almost time for the 4th Annual “Black & White Night” dinner event!  The event will be held on Monday, November 5, 2012, at Friday Harbor House on San Juan Island. The unique event will feature Chef Kyle Nicholson, the Chef behind The Bluff Restaurant and Innkeeper of Friday Harbor House, and Chef Aaron Rock, the sous chef at The Bluff.

This progressive dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. with a reception in The Bluff Restaurant followed by dinner served in the San Juan Room. The evening will conclude with a Dessert Celebration in The Whale Museum’s Gallery.

Autographed memento recipe booklets will be given to each attendee. As for attire, to celebrate the orcas, attendees are encouraged to wear black and/or white!  Sponsors of the event include: Islanders Bank, Islanders Insurance.

The cost is $80 per person or $150 per couple which includes the reception with cash bar, sit down dinner with wine, and a dessert celebration.  Seating is limited. Reservations can be made in The Whale Museum’s store or by calling (360) 378-4710 ext. 30. This year-end celebration is a fundraiser for the Museum’s education and research programs.

Monday night!

This just in from Rob Simpson:

Why are they spraying?

Many scientists are saying that lethal storms such as Hurricane Sandy are going to become more common in our immediate future. Most attribute this to excess carbon in the atmosphere heating things up and destabilizing our weather systems.

But, there is another factor at work here.  GeoEngineering has been operating in the background for at least 15 years. And extreme profit is one of the chief motives.

Did you know “weather derivatives” are traded on the Chicago Stock Exchange?  One stock broker confessed that if you could control the weather “the potential profits are limitless.”

GeoEngineering is the subject of a brand-new film screening at Monday night’s Conscientious Project called “Why In The World Are They Spraying.” Following the film will be a SKYPE interview with the producer of the film where we can ask any questions we may have.

An inquisitive mind keeps you alive. Come join in the conversation.

Monday, November 5th, 7:00 in the library Conference Room (side door).