Charlotte Senior Center News

It has returned! 

Anticipating spring here in Vermont is probably much like the ancients felt during a solar eclipse. There is always some subliminal doubt whether spring (like the sun) will really come back again. And now there is that delicate green haze in the trees from the budding leaves—which is as wonderfully fleeting as cherry blossoms.

This is an especially busy time for Senior Center participants who are tending their gardens and also fitting in time to take courses, attend events and volunteer here in many essential ways. They are hosts at the front desk, cooks, dishwashers, gardeners, flower arrangers, art show arrangers and exhibitors, organizers of the plant sale and several other events, instructors of many classes, activity coordinators and (of course) board members of the Senior Center who take on many tasks. 

If you want to get acquainted, come volunteer at the Center for as little as four hours a month. Stop in or call our volunteer coordinator, Peggy Sharpe, at (802) 425-6345. The Senior Center runs on the generous work of its volunteers!

Somehow, Senior Center participants also find time to lend a hand with other organizations: The Charlotte Food Shelf; Shelburne Museum (greeters and docents); Shelburne Farms (tour guides); as mentors to public school students; at Charlotte Children’s Center; at local places of worship in many roles (writing letters and visiting shut-ins, etc.); board members of arts organizations; as drivers for Meals on Wheels or for those needing transportation to medical appointments; as workers at the Red Cross Blood Drive; as cooks for Dismas House, Respite House and the Salvation Army; as makers of quilts for organizations to give away to those in need; and as instructors and activity coordinators for other organizations. 

You can see that Senior Center participants are engaged and continue to give back to the wider community. As Audrey Hepburn said, “As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands—one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.”

Plant Sale
The annual sale is on Saturday, May 26, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Come to the Center (rain or shine) for a wide variety of plants, gardening tools and supplies. There may be a few other odds and ends thrown as well.

Presentations
Wednesday, May 16, Crossing the Himalayas. David Rosenberg will speak about his adventure crossing the mountains on foot with two fellow Peace Corps volunteers in 1964. In their travels from central Nepal, to the slopes of the Himalayas, and then to the arid Tibetan Plateau, they observed how people had adapted to a challenging environment while preserving ancient Buddhist traditions. 

Wednesday, May 23. The program has been changed to Fire and Home Safety for Seniors with Charlotte Assistant Fire Chief Rob Mullin and Lead Paramedic Caitlin Herr. Our village neighbors will give presentations on safety and rescue tips for seniors and how to make your home safer for your loved ones and visitors, as well as for yourself. Do you know what a Knox Box is? 

The trip to McNeil Generating Station, originally on the calendar for May 23, has been rescheduled for Wednesday, June 6, due to maintenance work at the station.

Wednesday, May 30, Dan Cole’s talk, “The body in Great-great-grandmother’s pasture,” will explore a local mystery: In 1863, the body of a local Civil War veteran was found shot to death. He wasn’t found on the Gettysburg battlefield but on a quiet lane in East Charlotte, in the north pasture of Dan Cole’s great-great-grandmother. Why was he in Charlotte and not Pennsylvania?

Health Events
Wednesday, May 23, Foot Clinic with Julia Jacques and Martha McAuliffe, R.N., UVM Medical Center, from 9:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. This is a reminder for those with appointments only. (There is a waiting list.) This free clinic is offered by staff and volunteers from Community Health Improvement at UVM Medical Center. Please bring a towel. 

Wednesday, May 23, Blood Pressure Clinic with Martha McAuliffe, R.N., UVM Medical Center, from 11:30 a.m. – noon. This clinic is free, open to the public and offered before the luncheon. Walk-ins are fine.

May Art Show. This group show features acrylics with ink by Jenny Cole, watercolors by Anne Gordon, waterscapes in oil by Judy Tuttle, pastels by Jill Kleinman, and both pastels and watercolors by Beverly Goodwin. Note: Art show pieces are hung in the foyer and in the Great Room. Because this room is utilized for many classes and events, the best times to see the art shows in May are: Tuesdays and Wednesdays after 3:00 p.m., and Thursday and Friday afternoons after 12:30 p.m.. Call the Center during the week to check on availability on Sunday afternoons.  

Courses & Activities
The Center’s ongoing courses continue with a variety of exercise classes, art, writing, bridge, mah jong, etc. Our summer schedule begins on June 1 with popular activities like kayaking, a boat trip and tubing, as well as birdwatching and much more.

There will be new offerings in art (collage) and poetry (Poetry by Heart), a visit to the Clemmons Farm, and summer repeats like Baking for Good, iPhone advice, AARP Driver Safety Class and the Center’s knock-your-socks-off BBQ. Check out the new schedule in the next issue of The Charlotte News.

The Senior Center will be closed on May 28 in observance of Memorial Day.

Senior Center Menus
Suggested donation for all meals: $5

Monday Munch
11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. No reservations required.
May 21
Chicken & cauliflower curry with Roasted sweet potato wedges, green salad, homemade dessert
May 28
Closed for Memorial Day

Wednesday Lunch
All diners eat at noon. Reservations required.
May 16
Pasta & meatballs, asntipasto salad, homemade dessert
May 23
Frito pie (Tex-Mex casserole), fiesta corn medley, homemade dessert
May 30
Three cheese pizza, Greek salad, homemade dessert

Thursday – Men’s Breakfast
7:30–9 a.m. Reservations required.
May 24–Menu and topic TBA