Best Bets

So long 2022 and hello 2023. Along with the new year comes an opportunity for contemplation, a full moon, ever-increasing daylight, and a plethora of activities and events to enjoy. Thanks to all the fine folks out there sanding and plowing and keeping roads driveable during our current warm/cold/sunny/rainy days. If you’re like the Betster and have only been leaving the house to ski, snowshoe, skate and stock up on snacks, now might be the time to re-emerge into society, aka: take in a film or reading, sign up for a class, prepare some art for show, learn a new craft…

BEST KNOW YOUR LANDS SERIES BET: Ever wonder if you are doing all you can to build or improve your farm? Every other Thursday, Know Your Land talks take place at Kachemak Bay Campus in Pioneer Hall. Thursday, Jan. 5, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. will be How NCRS Can Help You Build Your Farm. This free series is brought to you by the Homer Soil and Water Conservation District, the NRCS, and KBC. For more information call (907) 235-8177 ext. 5. Full schedule at HS&WC Facebook page.

BEST NIGHTTIME SKI BET: Grab your skis and your headlamp and head out for a night of skiing. Kachemak Nordic Ski Club presents Light Up the Night candlelight ski, Friday, Jan. 6, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the McNeil Canyon trails. Bonfire, hot dogs, s’mores, hot cocoa. Fun for all ages. No dogs please. Headlamps suggested and extra decorative lighting on skiers is encouraged. KNSC members $10; non-members $15; kids $5.

BEST AUTHOR & LEADERS TALKS BET: Enjoy talks from the comfort of your home. Friends of the Homer Public Library present virtual talks from best-selling authors and thought leaders. On Saturday, Jan. 7 at 10 a.m., join an action-packed online conversation with New York Times bestselling author Namina Forna, author of The Gilded Ones Series in a discussion about her second installment in the series, The Merciless Ones. In Forna’s first New York Times Bestselling book, “The Gilded Ones,” readers are introduced to 16-year-old Deka, who lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. The second installment, “The Merciless Ones,” picks up six months since Deka freed the goddesses in the ancient kingdom of Otera and discovered who she really is. Forna has an MFA in film and TV production from USC School of Cinematic Arts and a BA from Spelman College. She now works as a screenwriter in L.A. and loves telling stories with fierce female leads. Register for this virtual talk ahead of time at https://libraryc.org/homerlibrary/21719/register.

BEST HEALTH & CRAFTING BET: Want to learn a few new ideas to help improve your mental health? Learn a new craft while a therapist leads a conversation focused on navigating tough decisions and calming feelings of chaos. Sponsored by the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, the Mental Health & Crafting groups will gather on Saturdays at the Kachemak Bay Campus, Jan. 7, 14, 21, and 28, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. For 18 and older, free, register by email to irpcacs@gmail.com.

BEST SHAKESPEARE BET: To be or not to be, there is no question. Pier One Theatre, the Friends of the Homer Public Library and Kachemak Bay Campus invite the public to Second Sunday Shakespeare, a free monthly reading of a play by William Shakespeare, with a new play presented each month. “Hamlet” will be read on Jan. 8 at 1 p.m. The ghost of the King of Denmark tells his son Hamlet to avenge his murder by killing the new king, Hamlet’s uncle. Hamlet feigns madness, contemplates life and death, and seeks revenge. His uncle, fearing for his life, also devises plots to kill Hamlet. The play ends with a duel, during which the King, Queen, Hamlet’s opponent and Hamlet himself are all killed. Participate in person at Kachemak Bay Campus or listen to the play being read online via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6148777956

Zoom meeting ID: 6148777956; Password: 460443; Online texts are available at https://www.opensourceshakespeare.org. Call 907-235-1674 with questions.

BEST WINTER FILM SERIES BET: Looking for films that inspire and remind us of our common experience of mortality? Hospice of Homer presents their Winter Film Series at the Homer Theatre. On Thursday, Jan. 12, 6 p.m., “The Father,” starring Anthony Hopkins will play. A man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages and as he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind, and even the fabric of his reality. Admission is by donation, with all funds supporting Hospice of Homer.

BEST SHOW YOUR ART BET: Looking for a place to show your artwork locally? Homer Council On the Arts is accepting applications to exhibit in the HCOA and South Peninsula Hospital galleries during 2023 and 2024. Application information can be found at hcoa.org and applications are due by 5 p.m. on Jan. 20.

BEST CALL FOR THEMED ARTWORK BET: Another opportunity to showcase your work, Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic invites community members to create and display original works of art that explore the theme of bodily autonomy for their March exhibit, Unto Ourselves: Radical Autonomy. Complete the online submission form by Feb. 22 at homerart.org/events/