Image Credit: Amanda Woodward at flickr.com 

Okay, so we don’t have a mega movie screen and a fancy schmancy cinema in James Bay, but we do know how to have a fun time with flicks!

This month, there’s plenty of food for thought and fun to enjoy here in James Bay in January.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27 – 2:00 pm – Movie – "The Proposal" & Supper (Spaghetti & Garlic Bread), James Bay New Horizons, 234 Menzies Street. Cost:$5.00/person

FOOD FILMS & FILM NOIR (at The Superior Cafe, 106 Superior Street). Tel: 250.380.9515 or email Lisa Boehme/Owner to make reservations: lisa@thesuperior.ca

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27 – 7:00 pm – Movie – "Raw Deal" (meal and movie).

Join the Bacchus Bistro folks every Monday evening, 7-9 pm at Sips.

Because in the New Year — the second decade of the new millennium — it’s back-to-school for wannabe grape groupies who need to know about wines…where they come from, how they’re harvested and fermented, and how to develop your nose and palate to appreciate them.

The sipping school is the brainchild of Spinnaker’s Product Consultant and wine afficianado, Larry Arnold — and the first session begins with ripsnorting reds!

Starting Date: Monday, January 18, 2010 – Time: 7-9 pm

Cost: $25/session

Contact: sips@spiritmerchants.ca to enroll

Now here’s a fun free event for folks who love boats and bright lights to celebrate the holiday season!

Radio-controlled model boats with coloured lights will circle around, and around, and around the  240 x 80 foot pond, (no not the mulberry bush, for pity’s sake, it’s December remember!)

For those who brave the cold, the mist, and the sound of the wind blowing around your ears, this event is a magical scene.

Date & Time: Sunday, December 20, 2009 – 6:00 pm

Place: Harrison Pond (where all the ducks and geese gather in the winter on Dallas Road right across from Government Street)

There are a number of entertaining events being organized in our own backyard to entice music and merry-makers alike to join in and make the spirits bright this holiday season.

All performances will be held at St. Ann’s Academy Auditorium , 835 Humboldt Street in Victoria, BC. Seating is limited to only 200 per show and may be at www.rmts.bc.ca or by calling McPherson Box Office – 250.386.6121  or 1.888.717.6121.

$17.50/ regular admission (+service charge)        
$12.50 children under 12 (+service charge)

Word-weaving is an art, and there are a number of talented word-weavers who make James Bay their home, or who have been inspired by the natural heritage of this neighborhood.

June Swadron, defines herself as a creative counsellor, who acts as a guide and mentor to those who wish to explore their inner gifts, write their sacred stories in poetry or prose, and celebrate their unique journey of life.

She has just self-published her first book entitled, Re-Write Your Life – A Transformational Guide to Writing and Healing the Stories of Our Lives.

A labour of love, and personal life stories, this book assists individuals to write their stories of gratitude or forgiveness, or acknowledge momentous milestones and significant relationships that have shaped their lives and brought meaning to them.

Join June for her Victoria book launch and enjoy selected readings with some savory snacks on Wednesday, December 9th from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at the Church of Truth, 111 Superior Street…you won’t be disappointed! Endorsed by the well-known author of "The Artist’s Way", Julia Cameron, this book represents a worthwhile investment for the Christmas gift -giver because it will reap untold rewards for that special someone beneath the tree!!

The second author, Jo Manning, who although not a resident of James Bay, is nevertheless at the tender age of 86 is publishing her first book, "A Print-Maker’s Memoir".

This book traces the life of an artist born in Sidney, B.C. during the early 20th century, her art training and influences in her life from German expressionism to her own work in etched prints, watercolours, oils and drawings inspired by the natural beauty she found in Beacon Hill Park and in James Bay.

Undeterred by the male-dominated art community, she found her not only her own style but also through her efforts advanced print-making around the world. Today her works can be found in collections such as the National Gallery of Canada, the National Library of Canada, the Canada Council Art Bank, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the University of Victoria.

Jo Manning’s book launch will start at 2 p.m. Sunday, December 6, 2009 at Winchester Galleries, 1010 Broad Street in downtown Victoria.

And, if you have a passion for books, and want to share them with others — why not leave it on a park bench, a coffee shop, at a hotel on vacation. Share it with a friend or tuck it onto a bookshelf at the gym — anywhere it might find a new reader! What happens next is up to fate, and we never know where our books might travel. Track the book’s journey around the world as it is passed on from person to person through Bookcrossing (the world’s largest free book club – a catch and release program that knows no bounds!)

My my my…it’s that twinkle twinkle little star time of year again when red-nosed reindeer and sybaratic suited sorts team up for a bit of intoxicating if not intellent conversation. About what you may ask, well how about some fermented fruit that can only be found at a grapestomping gathering place — in James Bay (Victoria’s oldest neighborhood)!

So, if you’re looking for some rather fine finger food and some fetching full-bodied wines to whet your whistle and your appetite, then mark these superb sipping occasions down on your holiday calendar — all courtesy of Sips Artisan Bistro, 425 Simcoe Street (in James Bay Square), telephone: 250.590.3519.