Senior Center News – April 8, 2021
“Patience is a form of wisdom. It demonstrates that we understand and accept the fact that sometimes things must unfold in their own time.”
~ Jon Kabat-Zinn, Full Catastrophe Living
“Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence.”
~ Hal Borland
When it comes to re-opening the Charlotte Senior Center (CSC), it looks like a little patience is still in order. Despite the recent announcements that senior centers in Vermont may open again, there are still some official restrictions that need clarification and will require adaptation and approval. As safety is still a priority, we will not be returning to the Before Times quite yet. Things will be changing soon, though. Stay tuned.
Courses starting soon
Directions for How to Register and How to Pay appear at the end of this article.
4/14. Conflict Resolution with Mark Williams. Wednesday mornings, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Dates: 4/14–5/19. (6 weeks). Register by 4/12. Fee: $48 for the series. 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.
The following course is new and does not appear in the Spring Schedule. The March watercolor workshop proved the online format to be not only doable—but enjoyable for everyone.
4/13. Watercolor Basics+ For Spring with Lynn Cummings. Tuesdays, 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Dates: April 13, 20 & 27 (3 weeks). Register by: 4/9. Fee: $108 for the series. For new watercolor painters or those who haven’t painted in a while, we’ll be exploring topics such as painting the negative space, doing creative backgrounds and splashy spring florals. Mixing fresh, clear spring colors and avoiding mud as well as elements of design will be covered also. Class will be held online via Zoom. Upon registering, email the instructor for the supply list.
4/16. Writing Your Life Story B with Laurie McMillan. Friday mornings, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Session B: 4/16–5/7. Register by: 4/13. Fee: $48. How can you make your memories interesting to a reader? Explore storytelling techniques and utilize in-class exercises to help launch your own meaningful and important stories. Bring your favorite journal and pen. Newcomers are welcome.
4/20. French Conversation Circle B with Alysse Anton. Tuesdays, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Session B: 4/20-5/25. Register by: 4/16. Fee: $48. These relaxed, fun circles are designed for intermediate/advanced speakers who want to improve their skills and confidence.
4/23. French Coffee Club B with Alysse Anton. Fridays, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Session B: 4/23–5/28. Register by: 4/20. Fee: $48. Have engaging French conversation with your morning coffee. This course is designed for high-beginner/low-intermediate French speakers who are able to carry on a basic conversation, but who would like to improve confidence and fluidity discussing a variety of topics.
4/26. Book Discussion Group: Walking Each Other Home. Mondays, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dates: 4/26 & 5/17. Register by: 4/23. No fee. This facilitated group began with a discussion of Walking Each Other Home, and they are now reading Being with Dying: Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death by Joan Halifax. The group now welcomes newcomers.
And don’t forget to consider signing up for CSC’s wide range of ongoing exercise and health courses that can be joined at any time during the season: Chair Yoga, Essentrics™, Gentle Yoga, Pilates, Pilates PLUS, Tai Chi for Beginners—and Mindfulness Meditation 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.
4/14. Designing Sacred Space: Discovery with Ann Vivian. It’s likely each of us can recall times in our lives when we have felt embraced by sacred space. What are characteristics of spaces we experience—or remember—or imagine—that feel sacred to us? What does the idea of sacred space contribute to nurturing and sustaining community? Ann will talk about her experience designing sacred spaces and modifying others for religious communities, as well as share a few thoughts on some spaces that have particularly influenced her work. Ann Vivian, a partner at G-V-V (Guillot-Vivian-Viehmann) Architects in Burlington and a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design and Andover Newton Theological School, has enjoyed the opportunities to merge profession and spirituality in her work.
4/21. Vermont in Deep Time with Craig Heindel. Take a geologic journey through earth’s history, and learn how Vermont, the Champlain Valley and New England were formed. How did it happen that Vermont’s Green Mountains are more similar to the mountains of Sweden and Norway and to the Atlas Mountains of North Africa than to the Adirondacks and the White Mountains? Craig Heindel, a consulting groundwater geologist, has lived in the Champlain Valley and explored the region since his graduate-school days at UVM in the mid-1970s.
4/28. Conservation of Your Heirlooms with Rick Kerschner. Objects Conservator Rick Kerschner will evaluate your heirloom’s condition online and advise on how to preserve it, whether conservation treatment is necessary, and how to find a qualified conservator. He cannot address value. Join the meeting using the Zoom mobile phone app, and place heirlooms on a table so all sides can be easily viewed using your phone. This virtual platform enables viewing furniture, paintings or other heirlooms difficult to transport. Richard Kerschner is Conservator Emeritus, Shelburne Museum.
5/05. The Electoral College: A Disaster for Democracy with Jesse Wegman. How can we tolerate the Electoral College when every vote does not count the same, and the candidate who gets the most votes can lose? There is a way we can at long last make every vote in the United States count—and restore belief in our democratic system. Jesse Wegman is a member of the New York Times editorial board, where he has written about the Supreme Court and legal affairs since 2013.
5/13 (Thurs.) “Live Free or Die” in China with Tao Sun.
Blood Drive
4/15. A friendly reminder that the Red Cross Blood Drive is Thursday, April 15, 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. Strict health protocols will be followed for the safety of those participating in this event.
Art Exhibits
The Senior Center’s monthly art exhibits are suspended until further notice. Returning soon!
Keep up the good work with masks and social distancing. Almost there.
For expanded descriptions, as well as additional courses and talks, please visit the 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.