Senior Center News – December 3, 2020

Carolyn Kulik, Senior Center Director

“Yes, I’ve made a great deal of dough from my fiction, but I never set a single word down on paper with the thought of being paid for it…I have written because it fulfilled me. … I did it for the pure joy of the things. And if you can do it for joy, you can do it forever.”
~ Stephen King

“So, I’m on ‘Sesame Street,’ walking around with all these monsters, Elmo and his buddies, a whole bunch of chickens, a whole bunch of penguins and a number four dancing about. It was just pure joy, simple, ridiculous fun, stupid joy.”
~ Feist

Have you noticed that this issue of The Charlotte News has the new Senior Center Winter Schedule? Once you have a chance to take a look, it may be a little misleading as to what is actually taking place in the Center building these days. Just as the Winter Schedule was sent off to the printer, Gov. Scott issued new restrictions because of the rise in COVID-19 cases. These restrictions mean that activities (even outdoor ones) or indoor gatherings are not allowed with any individuals you do not live with. So, that put an end to Mary Morrissey’s very small T’ai Chi Advanced Practice group that had been meeting in person. (And it would have ended Birding Expeditions, also if the weather had not already gotten too cold). We shall see what happens in the coming weeks and months. Online courses and talks were not impacted at all and are (very happily) continuing.

Courses starting soon
12/10. Screen Writing for Fun, Part II with Mark Williams. Thursday evenings, 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.  Dates: 12/10, 12/17, 1/7 & 1/14.  Each participant will be creating the beats or turning points in their movie’s story that propels the main character into action. Everyone’s movie is discussed supportively in class each week, and this helps to build the creative energy. Newcomers welcome. Please register by 12/08. Fee: $48 for the series of 75-min. classes. (Note that the correct fee for this course is $48, not $58).

12/11. Writing Your Life Story with Laurie McMillan. Fridays mornings, 11:00 a.m. to12:30 p.m.  Dates: 12/11, 12/18, 1/8 & 1/15.   You’ve got your story to tell, but what to include and what to leave out? Explore storytelling techniques and utilize in-class exercises to help launch your own meaningful and important stories. Newcomers welcome. Please register by 12/9. Fee: $48 for the series of 90-min. classes.

12/16. Coping with COVID with Karen Chatfield. Wednesdays, 11:00 a.m. to 12 noon. Dates: 12/16, 12/30, 1/13, 1/27, 2/10 & 2/24. Join your peers to discuss coping strategies and share methods you have used to deal with life during the pandemic. This group is designed to provide connections and support as we navigate “the new normal” together. Please note that this group is not intended to be a substitute for therapy or professional mental health treatment. Karen Chatfield, M.A., is a trained spiritual director and energy healer with extensive experience facilitating meetings and providing training in the non-profit sector. Registration is required, but one need not attend every meeting. No fee.

How to Register for a Course
All courses are online—and all require registration in order to receive the invitation/link. To register, send your name, mailing address and phone number. Be sure to note the title of the course in the subject line of the email. You will receive confirmation that you are registered. Please send a separate email for each course.

Payment
If there is a fee, kindly pay by check (made out to CSC) and send to: P.O. Box 207, Charlotte, VT 05445. Be sure to note the title of the course in the memo line.

  • For ongoing exercise courses, please pay at the end of each month for the classes attended. Unless otherwise stated, tally your attendance and figure $5/class.
  • For courses with limited dates, kindly pay prior to the start of the course. Fees vary. Please check the course description for the fee in the printed schedule or on the website.
  • If fees present a hardship, don’t hesitate to request an adjustment by sending an email. We want everyone to be able to keep themselves healthy and engaged, especially during this challenging time.
  • Questions? Need help with Zooming? Please send an email or leave a message at (802) 425-6345.

Talks on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m.
These free events are via Zoom. Please note that they do not require registration. You will find the Zoom invitation/link to the talks posted on the website the day before. The link also appears in Front Porch Forum for that week.

Have to miss a talk? Visit the website to find a recording of the event. It usually stays up about two weeks, so if there is something that you would like to watch, don’t waste any time— or it will soon be gone.

12/09. Wrapping Up a Good Read with Library Director Margaret Woodruff.Join us for an online, interactive show-and-tell session all about books—and just in time for the holidays. Staff from the Charlotte Library share their favorite selections for all ages. Books are available to purchase at the Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne.

12/16. Curbing Across America with Norm Riggs. Take a break from seriousness, and come hear about Norm’s adventures in the summer of ‘64—when he was painting house numbers on curbs across the USA. “Seeing new places, meeting new people, fascinating the neighborhood kids, earning spending money for the fall. Perfect. No competition. Americans were friendly, trusting, and generous (weren’t they?) What could go wrong?” ~ Norm retired in 2006 from Iowa State University, where he worked as a rural community development specialist.

12/23. Shakespeare: Myths & Mysteries with Brian Bock.How well do we really know the Bard of Avon, and why is he so popular now? At the time of his death in 1616, three other playwrights were arguably more esteemed and popular. Many of his plays were cobbled together when the First Folio was printed in 1623, which incorporated incomplete scripts from actors and notes scribbled by audience members. We’ll explore Shakespeare’s life and works, exploring the myths and falsehoods. Brian prefers comedies over tragedies—and loves the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City. Alas, he cannot recite soliloquies when asked, but he can strike an impressive pose with sword (imaginary) when challenged to a duel.

1/6. Mystical Myanmar with Carl Herzog. Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) is still “quite unlike any land you know about.” We’ll visit the highlights of this relatively unknown and politically isolated nation: the huge, gold-covered Shwedagon Paya Buddhist temple in Yangon—the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in the country, the Golden Rock atop Mt. Kyaiktiyo, the royal palace at Mandalay, the unique floating gardens at Inle Lake, to the thousands of temples at Bagan—and much more. Carl, a retired petroleum engineer, and Carlanne, lived overseas for 20 years and have travelled in about 100 countries.

Art exhibits
The Senior Center’s monthly art exhibits are suspended until February when Windsong Kervick’s images of her compost compositions will be on display in the Great Room. More about that in January.

Blood Drive
12/10. A friendly reminder that the Red Cross Blood Drive is Thursday, Dec. 10, from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Senior Center, although the building is closed for other activities. If you wish to donate urgently needed blood, please go to the Red Cross website or call 1-800-RED CROSS to make an appointment. Strict health protocols will be followed for the safety of those participating in this event.

Be careful. Keep your spirits up. We are all in this together.

The Senior Center’s mission is to serve those 50 and up; if a course is not full, younger participants are welcome to enroll. Feel free to leave a message anytime at (802) 425-6345; voicemail is checked frequently.

“You have to create little pockets of joy in your life to take care of yourself.”
~ Jonathan Van Ness

Charlotte Senior Center
(802) 425-6345