Finding the Spa in Your Kitchen

April 1st, at the Dwight Community Centre kitchen, come out for some chuckles and relax. Yes, it's April's Fools, but this is no joke... Rebecca, from BarkNursery, and friends will be taking household items from the cupboard and fridge and semaring them all over our faces. REALLY! Yes, they will! This exploration of how to blend your own Spa and Facial treatments combines with an evening of enjoyment for those who wish to be self-sufficient while caring for their bodies and souls in a chemical free way.

The workshop runs from 7 to 9 p.m., and the cost is $25 per person ($15 if you are a member of the Friends of Bark Nursery)

Please register in advance!

It goes way beyond cucumber slices for tired eyes... or lemon juice for tired hair!

Rebecca, along with husband Peter, operate Bark Gardens and Nursery, on Brown's Brae Rd. In 2008 they received a Muskoka Heritage award for the way they are developing their property. Since 2002, Rebecca Krawczyk and Peter Buwalda have acquired 168 acre of creeks, forests, and wetlands in Lake of Bays Township near Baysville. Small areas of the forest have been opened up to produce the dappled shade necessary for propagating the native woodland plants that are the focus of their nursery business; otherwise, the forests on the property remain intact. A network of trails connect different parts of their property and school groups now visit for outdoor education. Their plan is to open a demonstration garden in order to showcase and distribute native species. Their primary interest is in native species, heirlooms and plant diversity.

Rebecca is a commercial organic gardener and environmental horticulture consultant. Peter documents native plants in detailed works of art and puts Rebecca's designs into action. Together they have helped implement many shoreline restorations such as Norway Point Park, South Portage Dock and the Lake of Bays Sailing Club. Many extra volunteer hours go into these community restorations. They hope to be successful, step lightly and educate.

And along the way, the are offering a series of Interpretive Workshops. This is the first one for 2010 being offered in the Lake of Bays.

Good Dog!

A well behaved dog is a joy to have around.

We're so pleased that the Puppy Manners class, now in full swing, filled up so quickly.

Cathy, one of our librarians, completed the puppy class last year with Hogan. She's now participating in Agility Classes. Maybe that will be the next 'Dog Literacy' program we offer?

Let us know what you think of that idea!

So You Think You Can Dance?

Libraries are not just about books any more. Increasingly, they offer electronic interfaces that draw in a younger crowd.

The Dwight Library began a Youth program with it's Wii system back in the autumn, to a great response. Interestingly, Peggy points out that while the young people came in to use the Wii, while they were there, they began to glance at the books... then to turn some pages... and then to take home one book. Then two. Now, the librarians report that the Wii users more often than not go home with an armload of books.

Now, the librarians have expanded the Wii repertoire -- they've acquired a Dance Program, and oh my what fun this is! Suitable for all ages and stages of ability, this will get the blood pumping, the lungs laughing, and the body moving. What a great place to come on a rainy lunch break, or to mix-up the walking program you're on, by adding in a short super-active dance routine before walking it off along the spring roads!

Still Alice

The book choice for the Library Book Club for April has been described as 'a work of pure genius' "It will inform you, it will scare you, it will change you,' say the critics.

Lisa herself says this about her first novel: "The book is about a young woman’s descent into dementia. And of course, we see her struggle against this horrifying and inevitable descent. But interestingly, as her cognitive capabilities diminish, we also get to see her grow. As her symptoms worsen, Alice loses her cerebral life at Harvard, where she’d placed her worth and identity, where she’d been valued and respected. Without it, she embarks on a desperate search for answers to questions like ‘Who am I now?’ and ‘How do I matter?” and is forced to search for meaning and intimacy beyond career success in her relationships with her husband and children, relationships previously neglected or on autopilot. But has too much time and distance passed in those relationships, and has Alice already lost too much of herself to reconnect before she dies?”

You can read the synopsis, and listen to an excerpt from the novel

Still Alice. Better yet, pick up a copy, and plan to miss some sleep.

It's a haunting book that will make you think, and lift you up, and give you plenty to talk about.

Easter = Eggs

The action isn't just at the Dwight Library -- at our sister Library in Dorset, on March 20,, the 7th Annual Ukraininan Easter Egg Workshop is taking place, starting at 10 a.m.

The cost is $5/person, and all materials are supplied. The class is geared towards adults, with the minimum age of 10.

Ginger Kulas will share the history of pysanky, the meaning behind the traditional symbols and colours and how to create a beautiful Easter egg, using kistka, a beeswax and dye technique.

Space is limited. Call the Dorset Recreation Centre, at 766 - 9968 RIGHT AWAY!

But don't be too upset if the class is already full when you call -- if you follow this link, you'll find a tutorial that will help you figure it out at home.

Librarian, Cybrarian - Still at the Heart.

Its' always lovely to get a pat on the back, a tip of the hat, a smidgen of recognition. With the publication of Marilyn Johnson's latest offering, This Book is Overdue, how Librarians and Cybrarians can Save us All!, we -- and all librarians -- received just that, big time.

Marilyn eloquently makes the case that librarians more vital and necessary than ever, as they fuse the tools of the digital age with love for the written word and the enduring values of truth, service to all, and free speech. This Book Is Overdue! is a romp through the ranks of information professionals who organize our messy world and offer old-fashioned human help through the maze.

Those who predicted the death of libraries forgot to consider that in the automated maze of contemporary life, none of us—neither the experts nor the hopelessly baffled—can get along without human help. And not just any help—we need librarians, who won't charge us by the question or roll their eyes, no matter what we ask. Who are they? What do they know? And how quickly can they save us from being buried by the digital age?

If anyone ever had doubts about the impact of the Lake of Bays libraries, they should take a look at our statistics. In 2009, Dwight Library had 2002 registered users, plus 951 seasonal only. 29,548 items were circulated. 1332 people attended library run programs, and 4256 people took advantage of the library computers.

In Baysville, there were 835 registered users, plus another 1214 seasonal users. 28960 items were circulated. 1656 people came to the library run programs, 5913 used the computers.

We don't have the numbers for the Dorset Library, but we know it is also a busy place!

These numbers stack up very well in a municipality with a permanent population of around 3000 people. But we don't need to tell you that -- libraries have long been the heart of communities, and we are proud that ours are vibrant and busy, and welcoming.

And we're delighted to get a little recognition from Marilyn Johnson along the way! If you'd like to read more, well, you can find the book at your local library, or through the computers at those same libraries. We'll be glad to help!

March Book Club Selection

Lawrence Hill's huge novel, The Book of Negroes, continues to top the bestseller lists, and if you wanted to read it you had to be on our waiting list, it was so popular. And powerful. And if you want to read it in the U.S. you'll find it by another name -- Someone Knows My Name.

You can listen in right here on Lawrence's wonderful interview with George Stroumboulopoulos.

It's the story of a woman's life in 18th century, from being abducted as an 11 year old child in Africa, into slavery, and eventually back to her home land. Now, that's a simplification on an epic scale, but we want you to pick it up, we want you to read it yourself. The name comes from an actual book, kept in the U.K. that records 3000 names of black loyalists who fought for the British army, and were re-located to new lives on the east coast of Canada.

This month, the Book Club is tackling another Lawrence Hill book. Here's what McLean's magazine had to say about Lawrence Hill's ANY KNOWN BLOOD, our Book Club selection for March. Lawrence describes this as a loving but fictional tribute to his family. From Virginia in the time of slavery to the modern suburbs that were once a final stop on the Underground Railroad, Any Known Blood follows the search of Langston Cane V — divorced, 38 and recently fired — to understand himself by giving voice to those who came before him in five generations of an African-Canadian-American family.

McLean's magazine describes it:


"Any Known Blood illuminates 150 years of little-known black experience on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border. At the same time, Hill's characters remain deeply realized creations who exert a strong imaginative pull…It is Hill's subtle treatment of the contemporary obsession with group identity that gives Any Known Blood its power."

The Book club meets the 3rd Tuesday of the month, at 1.30, and everyone is welcome.

Peggy and Cathy and Ann went SHOPPING!

Off they went, our fearless duo, to the Flying Dragon Bookshop.

This magical store has -- the girls recount -- the very best window displays anywhere. It also has a Lake of Bays connection -- owner Cathy is a long-time Seabreeze resident, so it's wonderful to see the shopping expedition keeping it all in the family, so to speak...

The Flying Dragon soars on the wings of a child's imagination... and get ready to see your kids fly! Cathy and Peggy came home loaded down with books, for all ages, for all imaginations.

Be sure to stop by your library to see what's new. Where will a book take you today???

Stampin' Time

This ia great activity for Parents and Children, ages 4 and up.

Tues. March 16th, 10 to 11.30 a.m., at the Dwight Community Centre, you can learn to make two different projects for $10.00

Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Kim Hutchins will teach you how. You'll be amazed at the range of projects and techniques you can learn about, from the very simple to the very complex, all of them making your friends say, "Wow, did YOU do that?"

Call 705 635 9200 for more details.

Please register early, Spaces are limited.