Senior Center News: Jan. 11, 2017
Calling all creative spirits! The Senior Center Community Art Show, now in its 11th year, has become a favorite among our community of artists. This year the show will be held during the month of February and is open to everyone 50 years or older. All mediums are welcome, and we will have a two-piece limit so everyone will have a chance to see their work displayed in the Great Room. Look for registration forms with specific details to appear at the Center on Wednesday, January 18. (The deadline for submitting forms is Wednesday, January 25). Mark your calendars and join us for a reception for the artists, friends and relatives on Wednesday, March 1, at 1:00 p.m.
Ginger Lambert will lead a Poetry Memorization Workshop on Tuesday afternoon January 24 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Having trouble remembering where you left your keys or what you had for dinner last night? Just like exercising the body, exercising the brain will keep it agile and possibly grow new neurons. Benefits of poetry memorization include increased focus and concentration, and a greater vocabulary and appreciation for English syntax. Memorizing poetry can train your brain to remember things long term and retain more information. Poetry maven Ginger Lambert shares her compilation of tips, methods and benefits of learning a poem by heart. She will provide copies of poems or you can bring your own favorite. Through sharing her tips and methods to memorizing a poem you will commit a few lines to memory in the course of this workshop. Anyone can do it—after all, we have all memorized nursery rhymes or songs at one time or another. Registration required. Minimum 10. Fee: $10.
You are invited to an exciting tour of the great works of classical music and opera! Join Damon Ferrante for Classical Music Conversations on Friday mornings, January 27, February 10 and 24, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Part conversational and part educational, this lively listening and discussion group, led by music professor and composer Damon Ferrante, provides us all with opportunities to explore the wonderful music of these great composers and to socialize along the way. We will have fun learning about the music of Beethoven, Mozart, Ravel and Verdi. Open to anyone who enjoys (or is curious about) classical music. Some of the sessions will also feature live performances by talented Vermont musicians. Registration required. No fee.
A Collection of Lectures, Performances and Special Events Showcasing the Diverse Interests of Our Community. Wednesday afternoon beginning at 1 o’clock. No registration or fee.
Jan. 11. Safari Serengeti: Tanzania, with Patrice MaComber. Learn about the culture, history and wildlife of Tanzania, including visits to Arusha, Tarangire Park, Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater. Experience a day in the life of Maasai women in their village bomba, as well as visiting a local school in Arusha. See what it is like to spend four nights in a tented camp in the middle of the Serengeti Plains.
Jan 18. The Highlands and Rainforests of Belize with Mary VanVleck. Belize is a small country sandwiched between Mexico, Guatemala and the Caribbean Sea with the lowest population density of all the Central American countries. Most of the land is undeveloped and forested: there are highly distinctive ecosystems ranging from mangrove swamps along the Caribbean, to inland rain forests and arid areas. Previously a British colony called British Honduras, its name changed in 1973; Belize has been fully independent since 1981. Mary will describe the highlights of her two trips to the least developed highlands and rainforests of Belize searching for the amazing and exotic Belizean birds. It’s a magnificent country!
Jan. 25. Land of the Thunder Dragon with Carl Herzog. Join Carl Herzog as he takes us on a photographic journey to Bhutan, “Land of the Thunder Dragon.” A Himalayan Buddhist kingdom sandwiched between China and India, Bhutan is noted for its remoteness and uniqueness. (Where else is Gross National Happiness more important than Gross Domestic Product?) Carl has made two trekking visits to Bhutan and will introduce us to the scenery and culture of this fantastic country.