FEBRUARY BOOKMARKS
All You Need Is Love….
February is a month when we make a special effort to tell the people we love just how much we care for them. If we have been reminded of anything over the past month, perhaps the most important thing is that the power of love and caring is vital to our survival as human beings. No matter what challenges we face, we must always keep that fact top of mind.
At Curiosity House, February is a time when we celebrate the community of artists who live in our area or have shown in the gallery in past years. Our annual Group Art Show invites artists to submit one picture which interprets a theme which is close to the heart. Our theme this year is “My heart sings when….”and more than 30 artists will be participating. An opening reception will be held on Friday February 5th, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Whether you are a participant in this show, or an art lover who wants to see some great art by local artists, please set aside some time to join us.
This month we also have a very special event for those whose hearts are captivated by great food. Lunch with Lucy Waverman is an opportunity to celebrate the joy of eating well with one of Canada’s culinary luminaries. For those who missed the opportunity to purchase tickets for this special lunch, there will be an opportunity to visit with Lucy at the store after the event.
This February, please join us as we celebrate our community connections and our love of the wonderful things life has to offer.
What’s On in February
Friday, February 5th, 5:30 to 7:30 pm
Artist’s Opening Reception
In The Gallery: Our February Group Art Show
Our theme this year is “My Heart Sings When….”
More than 30 artists will be participating in this show, entering one piece of artwork which reflects their interpretation of the theme. The public is invited to vote for their favourite piece and a winner will be announced on February 14th. At our opening reception, you will have a chance to meet the artists, enjoy some refreshments and cast your ballot. Please join us!
This Month’s Featured Event
Sunday February 7th At Noon
Lunch with Lucy Waverman at Chez Michel SOLD OUT
We are very happy to announce that this exciting literary and culinary event has sold out. If you missed the opportunity to purchase tickets for the lunch, you can meet Lucy between 2:30 and 4:00 pm at Curiosity House, where she will be signing copies of A Year in Lucy’s Kitchen. This is an opportunity to have a book personalized for yourself or a friend. Can’t make the event? We are happy to arrange for pre-purchased orders to be personalized and signed.
Sunday February 7th , 2:30 to 4:00 pm
Book Signing at Curiosity House
After our Lunch With Lucy event at Chez Michel, Lucy Waverman will be signing copies of A Year in Lucy’s Kitchen and visiting with customers at the store. Please take the time to drop by and meet this fascinating Canadian cooking personality.
Saturday, Feb. 13th, 10:30 to 11:15 am
Monthly Story Hour
Miriam will be leading our monthly Story Hour from 10:30 to 11:15 am. Children from 18 months to 6 years of age will have the opportunity to listen to captivating stories, share the love of reading and complete a small craft activity with a Valentines theme.
What’s Happening with the Book Club?
Wednesday, February 3rd 2:00 to 3:00 pm
Our Book Club will meet on Wed., Feb. 3rd from 2 to 3 pm, to discuss
The Open Road by Pico Iyer. The selection for March is Kate Pullinger’s Governor General’s Award winning novel, The Mistress of Nothing. In April, we will be discussing Jeanette Walls’ heart-rending autobiography, The Glass Castle.
Curiosity House Knitting Group
Our Knitting Group meets every Wednesday, from 2 to 4 pm to create knitted works of art, from beginner to expert. We share tips and give each other inspiration. There is always room for one more person at the table. For more information, please call us at 705-466-3400.
Curiosity House Supports the Ontario Library Association’s Forest of Reading Initiative
The Ontario Library Association offers 8 reading programs which encourage people of all ages in their love of reading. This initiative celebrates Canadian books and authors and the titles selected must be written by a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant.
Programs, which begin in November, are designed for various age ranges and participants are encouraged to read all or a selection of the books, and then vote on their favourite in April. This literacy project includes the well-known Blue Spruce, Silver Birch, Red Maple and White Pine reading programs. More than 250,000 readers across Ontario take part in these programs each year and all Ontarians are invited to participate through their local public or school library.
Many of the titles featured in the Forest of Reading programs are available for purchase at Curiosity House.
A Great Winter Read (Reviewed by Catherine Randall)
I have just finished reading The Day The Falls Stood Still, PB, a first novel by author Cathy Marie Buchanan. This is a fascinating story taking place in Niagara Falls, Ontario beginning in 1915 and ending, quite tragically but heroically, in October 1923. Bess, the headstrong daughter of an important local family, now down on their financial luck, meets and falls in love with Tom Cole, the grandson of a local legend river man, Fergus Cole. He is not the match her parents want. Their lives proceed full of love, adventure and hard times. Tom is extremely knowledgeable about the Niagara River and is called on many times to rescue people or animals. He ends up, reluctantly, working for the new power project digging canals to capture the power of the river water for hydro-electric use. Tom keeps a record of the water levels and other aspects of the river as the generators in the powerhouse are completed and switched on. Filled with such interesting information about the river there are also reprints of actual newspaper stories about tragedies and miracles on the river. I am intrigued to re-visit Niagara Falls seeing them with the eyes of Tom Cole.
Get Cooking With Kids! (Reviewed by Miriam Vince)
Spending time in the kitchen together is one of the best ways to interact with children. Cooking with kids can be a wonderful adventure which involves using reading skills to follow a recipe, listening skills to follow instructions and taking care to stay safe. Most important, cooking with kids is just plain fun and sometimes, the results even taste good!
The DK Children’s Cookbook (Katherine Ibbs, $16.99) is set up for beginner cooks. With fantastic photographs this flexibound book clearly identifies ingredients and kitchen tools. Step-by-step methods are very easy to understand and recreate. This book is also great because it has an emphasis on healthy eating. Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes: A Cookbook for Preschoolers and Up (Mollie Katzen and Ann Henderson, $22.00 ) is a children’s cookbook classic. This book is formatted for adults, with clear instructions and suggestions for how best to approach a recipe with kids. It emphasizes kitchen safety while stressing that cooking should be fun. Most important, the recipes are delicious. The Usborne First Cookbook by Angela Wilkes, Stephen Cartwright and Rebecca Gilpin ($24.95) is filled with colourful illustrations. This ’kid friendly’ compilation of recipes is intended to introduce children to the sense of accomplishment they will feel as they create simple but elegant dishes which are tasty and satisfying. The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Children’s Cookbook ($14.95) features clear and logical directions for approximately 50 recipes. Once again, this cookbook places an emphasis on safety and correct cooking methods.
All four of these titles are excellent general beginning cookbooks for kids who want to make a first attempt at cooking and for parents who want to help their children enjoy the experience while staying safe and learning proper technique. Bon appetit!
Quips, Quotes & Trivia
“Only in books has mankind known perfect truth, love and beauty.”
George Bernard Shaw
