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KAScott_20100121_9842b by Ken Scott

Sandra Carden, owner-director of UNION/YOGA will be offering yoga-teacher certification program at the Homestead beginning Jan 31. The Glen Arbor Sun reports:

Nearly anyone interested in becoming certified may participate in the upcoming training at The Homestead; the only prerequisite for the 200-level program is two years of prior yoga experience. The 7 a.m. to 4 or 5 p.m. daily studies (there are no days off during the 28-day program) will include anatomy, physiology, yoga’s medical and scientific benefits, yoga lifestyle and ethics, Sanskrit, teaching and methodology, and practical business skills such as marketing and advertising. Time will be set aside each day for hands-on public teaching experience and yoga practice, the latter to learn yoga poses (asanas) and techniques. Students receive one hour for lunch and those wanting total yoga immersion can partake of vegetarian-style, East Indian-Asian cuisine. Class participants can enjoy a 50-percent discount on services at the resort’s Spa Amira, open 10-6 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays or by appointment during the week.

For more information, read the article at the Glen Arbor Sun or visit www.unionyoga.com

Hopefully, you didn't miss a couple great events Tomorrow, Traverse City will still be next door to Leelanau and Cedar HillToppers' Annual Winter Festival. Be sure to check out the articles to see what you missed! Coming up this week is the First Annual "Lunar Affair" and next month plan to see Amy Alkon – The Advice Goddess. Our Photo Friday feature was Icy Contrasts by ETCphoto.

Week's Weather

Jan 26: Overcast & 27 (33/22)
Jan 25: Overcast & 35 (37/32)
Jan 24: Cloudy & 39 (44/34)
Jan 23: Cloudy & 33 (37/28)
Jan 22: Mosty cloudy & 28 (37/18)
Jan 21: Partly cloudy & 24 (33/14)

Post your comments about the week's news, observations of the weather or the natural world or events below!

You'll also want to check out the Leelanau Calendar and the latest news and features from Leelanau, Traverse City and the surrounding area in our blog! Here's the January 2009 archive, and Leelanau Almanac Week of Leelanau Almanac Week of January 14 – 20

The perfect rendezvous involving sex and films is occurring January 28th for those who have a passion for fine films! The First Annual "Lunar Affair" is a benefit for Active Women Now, a local nonprofit that supports women's charities, through fun creative events.

The eclectic selection of movies, fine food catered by Grandview Catering, and Larry Mawby's Sparkling Wine "Sex" as well as raffle prizes and a silent auction will take place at the City Opera House, 106 E. Front St.,Thursday. Jan 28.

There will be a champagne reception featuring Mawby's "sex" and fine food between 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.; the films will be shown from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $28. The $28 includes one raffle ticket, and the wine toast and refreshments as well as the films.

"We looked for a unique set of films that people won't see in mainstream theaters," said Kaye Krapohl, one of the organizers behind the Lunar Affair. She and co-chair Julie Goodwin, owner of Posh partnered on bringing these films to downtown Traverse City. "These films are about celebrating diversity within our own community and the world. They are created by women, but the content transcends women only issues, hence the name Lunar Affair." she said.

Read more at about the Lunar Affair at MyNorth.com. Or visit the the Lunar Affair site. For more information on the films and the traveling festival, visit LUNAFEST.

For a teaser of the LUNAFEST films, watch this video:

LUNAFEST 09/10 Films from Mara Sohn on Vimeo.

The selection of short films includes:

• "A Summer Rain," A young Israeli immigrant struggles with her transition to American life.
• "Plastic,” A young woman redefines her self-image moments before a first date.
• "Roz (and Joshua),” Separated from her son, Roz lives for the time when they will reunite permanently.
• "Monday Before Thanksgiving," Through a chance encounter, a single woman learns that the life she lives is exactly what she wants.
• "DIY: Emancipation 101," A playful animation about women and bicycling.
• "The Kinda Sutra," How are babies made?
• "A Vida Politica," A Brazilian hairstylist explains how beauty can be a form of activism.
• "Anjali," When Anjali becomes witness to her father's betrayal, she must decide if she will share her secret and risk devastating her family.
• "Omelette," A mother battles with the challenges of inflation.
• "The McCombie Way," Words of wisdom from a mystic in the middle of the Mojave Desert.

"The movies are all different, but have one thing in common: unique storytelling." Krapohl said.

Tickets are available through the City Opera House box office at www.cityoperhouse.org.
For more information you can also visit www.lunaraffair.org.

The National Writers Series and Doug Stanton Present - A Special Valentine’s Evening With Amy Alkon, the Advice Goddess!

Lively, witty and hilarious conversation about Love, Lust and Bad Manners!

NATIONAL WRITERS SERIES, Traverse City's year-round book festival, KICKS OFF ITS SECOND SEASON FEATURING AMERICA'S BEST STORY TELLERS AND WRITERS.

Following on the heels of the National Writers Series' evening with Elmore Leonard and Peter Leonard last Fall, Amy Alkon leads the 2010 season with an evening on the Opera House stage, February 11, 2010. Doors open at 6 p.m., Event begins at 7 p.m.

Amy will answer, in her famous light-hearted way, questions from the love-lorn, love-struck, and loveless in a lively dinner party format at Traverse City's downtown City Opera House. Don't be shy! You won't have to say anything at all to have fun.

In addition to the great conversation, the evening's guests will enjoy chocolates, Indian music, free tarot card reading, and delicious Indian food compliments of Wellington Street Market (and included in the ticket price). The night's festivities are capped off with a reception (cash bar will be offered by Stella Trattoria) and personal book signing with Amy. Amy's books will also be for sale at the Opera House.

Amy Alkon is nationally syndicated advice columnist, author, journalist, and blogger with a wild wit. She is well-known to Northern Michigan through her popular weekly column in Northern Express in which she talks straight about love and lust. Her advice column runs in more than 100 other newspapers across the U.S. and Canada. Her New York Daily News series won a first place award in the Southern California Journalism Awards. She has appeared on numerous television and radio shows, including Good Morning America, The Today Show, NPR, CNN, MTV, Entertainment Tonight, Dennis Miller, Politically Incorrect, and Biography Channel, where she was featured in "The Advice Minute, with Amy Alkon."

The evening will culminate with a special auction of treats only the energetic and witty Amy can provide. In fact, auction items include Amy herself-- so to speak. Winners will be delighted with their prizes, including attending a sumptuous brunch (February 12) with Amy.

The prize of the evening, however, may be Amy's offer to record a special voice mail greeting on your phone. Feeling bullish with callers? Amy can oblige. Want to sound like Scarlett O'Hara? Amy can do that.

New York Times best-selling author Doug Stanton will share the stage with Alkon, as Amy talks romance, manners, humor, and the writer's life. Amy's new book is I See Rude People, One Woman’s Battle to Beat Some Manners Into Impolite Society. She also co-authored Free Advice -- The Advice Ladies on Love, Dating, Sex, and Relationships.

This is the first event in the new season of the National Writers Series. The Series, now in its second season, will bring best-selling authors, journalists, and storytellers to Traverse City in 2010. Founded in 2009 by Doug Stanton, New York Times best-selling author, Traverse City attorney Grant Parsons, and Northern Express writer Anne Stanton, the Series hopes to raise $50,000 in five years for aspiring writers to pursue writing in college.

The mission of National Writers Series is to support young writers through college scholarships, and inspire writers of all ages.

Net proceeds will be donated to a National Writers Series scholarship fund benefiting college-bound writing and arts students that attend Grand Traverse Region schools. Winners will be published in the Midwest's best literary review, The Dunes Review, and receive their awards at a special reading multi-day gala event also featuring nationally prominent writers.

The evening event is supported and/or sponsored by FIM Group, Beia Family, Copy Queenz, Courage Project, Crema, Debbie Sparks, Horizon Books, IRONKEEP, Lakehouse Publishing, Oryana, Porterhouse Productions, Realtor Marsha Minervini, Stella Trattoria, and Wellington Street Market.

Advance tickets* are $15, Seniors $10, Students $5. Tickets at the door are $20.

TICKETS ON SALE at the Traverse City Opera House box office at 106 East Front Street, or online at: www.treatickets.com or www.cityoperahouse.org.

* Advance ticket price does not reflect outlet or on-line handling fees.

For more information: www.nationalwritersseries.org

Traverse City Tomorrow, a community forum on Traverse City's future will be held at 7 p.m. Monday at the City Opera House with Q&A and a reception afterwards. While this isn't a specifically Leelanau event, you can see by the panelists that the issues and businesses are going to affect Leelanau. They are Derek Bailey, tribal chairman of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians; Don Coe, managing partner of Black Star Farms winery in Suttons Bay; filmmaker and Traverse City Film Festival founder Michael Moore; Ed Ness, president and chief executive officer of Munson Medical Center; Tim Nelson, president of Northwestern Michigan College; and Marsha Smith, executive director of Rotary Charities of Traverse City. (It will be streamed live on Up North Media as well)

The Traverse City Record-Eagle article begins:

Don Coe believes modern agriculture is changing, with more consumers wanting to buy local products directly from farmers.

It gives the latter an opportunity to expand their industry, said Coe, managing partner of Black Star Farms winery in Suttons Bay. But that can only happen if necessary infrastructure is in place.

That could mean more booth space at a downtown farmers market, making zoning laws more flexible or supporting the use of local products at events in city parks.

Growth is possible by "literally going back to a form of agriculture that existed 100 years ago when farms fed their neighbors first," Coe said. "We could continue to have agriculture be one of the prime industries in our area if we're aware of them."

Photo: [75:365] Cherry Capitol of the World by OMG its Shortiie (be sure to check it out bigger too!)

Photo: Icy Contrasts by ETCphoto

Winter Festival will be held for families at the Cedar HillToppers Snowmobile Club on Sunday, January 24, from 1-3 pm.

Bring your winter toys, take a snowmobile ride, and roast marshmallows by the bonfire.

Great family fun, fresh air, and exercise!

Here is a map to the HillToppers Snowmobile Club at 7949 S. Schomberg Rd from Google Maps.

This week, we had a few features about wine, starting with Michigan's First Custom-crush Winery. We highlighted a couple great wine events coming up Winter Wine & Vine Experience at the Old Art Building and LPVA's Taste the Passion. Hopefully, you didn't miss the Leland Educational Foundation's Insight and Inspiration Speaker Series yesterday. Lastly, our Photo Friday feature was a beautiful winter beach shot by downstreamer.

Week's Weather

Dec 20: Sun &
Dec 19: Snow & 27 (36/25)
Dec 18: Partly cloudy & 35 (36/25)
Dec 17: Partly cloudy & 34 (34/23)
Dec 16: Mostly sunny & 34 (34/26)
Dec 15: Snow & 36 (36/31)
Dec 14: Partly cloudy & 37 (37/28)

Post your comments about the week's news, observations of the weather or the natural world or events below!

You'll also want to check out the Leelanau Calendar and the latest news and features from Leelanau, Traverse City and the surrounding area in our blog! Here's the January 2009 archive, and Leelanau Almanac Week of Dec 23 - Dec 30.

Photo: KAScott_20100108_1880b by Ken Scott

The Winter Wine and Vine Experience takes place next Saturday, January 30, 2010 at the Old Art Building in Leland from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.

A Winter Wine & Vine Experience will be speaking of the unique characters of a selection of local wines and how they are judged for personal taste and for serving at your table. With each of the local wines, a complementary appetizer suggested by each wine maker will be served. The setting will be an exciting scene with an art exhibit and many unusual table decorations. Tickets are $35 and are available at the Old Art Building - 231-256-2131. All proceeds benefit the Leelanau Community Cultural Center programs.