Senior Center News – March 11, 2021

Carolyn Kulik, Senior Center Director

Will there really be a “Morning”?
Is there such a thing as “Day”?
Could I see it from the mountains
If I were as tall as they?

Has it feet like Water lilies?
Has it feathers like a Bird?
Is it brought from famous countries
Of which I have never heard?

Oh, some Scholar! Oh, some Sailor!
Oh, some Wise Men from the skies!
Please to tell a little Pilgrim
Where the place called “Morning” lies!
~ Emily Dickinson, “Out of the Morning”

It’s probably safe to say that there will be a morning—and it is just over that hill. Coming soon.

Courses starting soon
Directions for how to register and to pay appear at the end of this article.

3/15. Book Discussion Group: Walking Each Other Home. Mondays, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dates: 3/15, 4/5, 4/26 & 5/17. This facilitated group began with a discussion of Walking Each Other Home. It has just started Being with Dying: Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death by Joan Halifax. The group now welcomes newcomers. No fee.

3/23 and 3/30. Watercolor Basics Workshop (online) with Lynn Cummings. Two Tuesday mornings, 9:00 a.m. ro 12:00 noon.  Dates: 3/23 & 3/30. Register by 3/16. Fee $72. Have you been away from watercolor painting for a while, or maybe you’ve never painted in this fun and exciting medium? We’ll explore basic terminology, various ways of using your brushes, mixing watercolors, and several techniques in this two-part, online workshop. Questions? Email Lynn. Maximum 12. Registration and payment must be received by 3/16 to hold your spot.

4/1. Exploring Your Spiritual Autobiography with Carole Wageman. Thursdays, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dates: 4/1, 4/8, 4/15, 4/22, 4/29 & 5/6. Register by 3/30. No fee.

4/8. Screen Writing for Fun with Mark Williams. Thursday evenings, 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Dates: 4/8–5/13. (6 weeks) Register by 4/6. In this class, you’ll discover how to develop a basic storyline and create a logline description. We’ll discuss story structures such as the Three Act Structure: What disaster forces the main character into action? What flaw in the main character sends them into hopelessness? What neglected or underestimated strength saves the day? At the end of the course, you’ll think about workflow for writing your first draft of a feature film. For 12 years, Mark wrote and filmed his own original movies, entering them in competitions. One of them won first place at the Vermont Film School Festival, 2016. Please register by 4/5. Fee: $58 for the series of 75-min. classes.

4/14. Conflict Resolution with Mark Williams. Wednesday mornings, 11:00 a.m. to 12 noon.
Dates: 4/14–5/19. (6 weeks) Register by 4/12. This fascinating and useful topic can benefit anyone because we all encounter conflict. Using role-playing and mediation exercises, participants in this 6-week course will learn practical skills, such as: how to calm an angry person down, how to empathize with a person with whom you disagree, and more. Mark Williams is a licensed couples counselor; however, please note that this course is not intended for couples. Please register by 4/12. Fee: $48 for the series.

And don’t forget to consider the Senior Center’s wide range of ongoing exercise and health courses—these can be joined at any time during the season: Chair Yoga Essentrics™, Gentle Yoga, Pilates, Pilates PLUS, Tai Chi for Beginners and Mindfulness Mediation Practice.

Talks on Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m.
These talks do not require advance registration and are always free. The Zoom invitation/link to the talks are posted on the website the day before. The link also appears in Front Porch Forum for that week.

3/17. Composting for Everyone with Natasha Duarte. Confused about the new “compost law?” Join Natasha, Director of the Composting Association, to get your questions answered. Composting supports healthy, resilient communities and the environment. Learn a simple technique for successful backyard composting as well as what options you have if you aren’t interested or able to compost at home.

3/24. Preparing Your Advanced Directive with Tina D’Amato, DO. This interactive presentation will cover how to prepare this important document that helps communicate your medical wishes at end of life. We will clarify differences between DNR/DNI and “full code.” We will review the Vermont Advanced Directive Form, clarify its wording, and show how to register the form once complete. We will also spend some time on how to update your advanced directive, if changes need to be made to the original document. Dr. D’Amato is a family medicine physician working at Charlotte Family Health.

3/31. The Power of a Power of Attorney with Leah Burdick, Esq. A legal Power of Attorney document can be a powerful tool to safeguard your financial well-being, but it can also lead to serious consequences if not done correctly. This talk will explain the ins and outs of what a Power of Attorney document is, how it is created, and what it means to be a named agent in a Power of Attorney under Vermont law. Leah Burdick, Esq., is an Elder Law attorney within the Elder Law Project at Vermont Legal Aid, Inc. Her practice areas include advanced planning for aging, Medicare/Medicaid, Social Security, housing, and individual rights.

4/7. COVID Update . . . The First Hundred Days. . . How’s It Going? with Jim Hyde. With only three weeks to go before the end of the first hundred days of the Biden administration, we will look at what progress has been made in gaining control of the pandemic nationally and in Vermont. The focus will be on vaccination rates, access to testing and control of community spread of coronavirus. There will be time for questions and discussion. Jim Hyde is a Professor Emeritus of Public Health at the Tufts University School of Medicine and former Director of Preventive Medicine at the Massachusetts Dept. of Public Health.

Art Exhibits
The Senior Center’s monthly art exhibits are suspended until further notice. They shall return!

Keep up the good work. The end is almost in sight.

For more expanded descriptions, as well as additional courses and talks, please visit the Senior Center website. The mission of the Senior Center is to serve those 50 and up; some course enrollments are limited, and 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.

How to Register for a Course
All courses are online – and all require registration in order to receive the invitation/link.
To register, send an email with your name, mailing address, and phone number to. 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 and registration information 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.
  • 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.