Senior Center News – July 29, 2021

Carolyn Kulick, Senior Center Director

“Activity and rest are two vital aspects of life. To find a balance in them is a skill in itself. Wisdom is knowing when to have rest, when to have activity, and how much of each to have. Finding them in each other—activity in rest and rest in activity—is the ultimate freedom.”
~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Celebrating Silence

Our open flag is out. Do stop by to say hello, 9:oo a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday – Friday—we’re right across from the post office.

If you wish to visit or join an activity, there are still mask requirements to keep in mind. Plus, some activities, like Bridge and Mahjong, are requiring participants to be fully vaccinated because these are played in close proximity and take place over long periods of time. Please do call to check.

Mask notes
Here is where things are now at the Senior Center. If you are . . .
Fully Vaccinated. No mask required. No social distancing required.
Not Vaccinated. Mask required.  (This would also apply to exercise classes.)
Social distancing required (6 feet).  (This would also apply to exercise classes.)
Not Vaccinated and Not Wearing a Mask (for any reason). Kindly do not plan to visit at this time. We ask that you come back after the mask guidance for the Senior Center is updated.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Lunches—little by little
Right now, the meals schedule is a bit fragmented. So, it’s a good idea to call and check if lunch is served on a particular date. The information will also be posted on the CSC website.
8/2, Monday – no lunch.
8/4, Wednesday lunch – starts at 12 noon. This lunch is experimental—with the focus more on conversation. Bring Your Own Bag Lunch (BYOBL)—and we’ll provide homemade dessert, cookies and beverage. Suggested donation is just $2. Please sign up by noon on 8/2 by calling (802) 425-6345 so the bakers will know how many are coming. If this goes well, we hope to do it again on 8/18.
8/9, Monday Munch – 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. No reservations needed for Mondays. First come, first served. Menu: A refreshing lunch of summer salads—Ina Garten’s chicken salad, festive black bean/corn salad and cool watermelon salad—plus homemade dessert.
8/11, Wednesday – no lunch.

Monday Munch is prepared by volunteer cook teams. We are looking for a few more folks who can lend a hand on this day of the week. The more cook teams that are up and running, the more Mondays there will be lunches. And along with a meal goes dishwashing. Looking for a few good hands to rotate that responsibility—on Mondays and/or some Wednesdays.

A volunteer cook or dishwasher commitment can be for a little as two or three hours a month. If you have questions, please email Lori York or call (802) 425-6345 for more information.

In-Person Activities and Courses
New course in August. If possible, kindly register for this online. See how to register at the end of this article.

8/5. Exploring Your Roots with Kristin D’Agostino (in person at CSC). Register by 8/2. Fee: $72, materials included. Thursday afternoons, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Dates: 8/5–9/9 (six weeks). In this six-week memoir writing class, we will explore various poetry, graphic novels and memoirs by well-known international writers. We will then write and share our memoirs with the aim of exploring our own family heritage.

Exercise classes take place in the Great Room. Yes, it really is big—and the space allows for plenty of distancing. Come and check out a class one time for no charge. See if it’s a good fit for you. These are ongoing throughout the year—walk-ins are welcome. For course descriptions, please visit the website or call.
Chair Yoga – Monday, 9:30 a.m.
Pilates Plus – Tuesday, 8:30 a.m.
Essentrics – Wednesday, 8:30 a.m.
Pilates – Thursday, 8:30 a.m.
Essentrics – Friday, 9:30 a.m.

ZOOM Activities and Courses
New course in August
8/6. Writing Your Life Story with Laurie McMillan (online via Zoom). Register by 8/2. Fee: $48. Friday mornings, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dates: 8/6–8/27 (four weeks). Explore storytelling techniques and utilize in-class exercises to help launch your own meaningful and important stories. Newcomers welcome.

Until Sept. 1, these ongoing exercise courses are on Zoom:
Gentle Yoga, Mondays, 11:00 a.m.
Tai Chi for Beginners, Tuesdays & Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.

Talks at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesdays
These free talks are continuing online throughout the summer. They do not require advance registration and closed captioning is included. The Zoom invitation/link to each talk is posted on the website the day before. Can’t make it? Talks are recorded and posted for two weeks afterwards on the website.

Note: The following talk was rescheduled from July.

8/4. Who Was Mark Rothko? with Linda Finkelstein. Marcus Rotkovitch was born in Dvinsk, Latvia, and immigrated to Portland, Oregon, as a youngster. After being recruited to Yale, he eventually settled in New York City to become a world-renowned abstract painter. His journey will be a journey for all into the spirit of color, form, and space. Linda Finkelstein is a mixed media artist and former art teacher, with degrees in art history and art education.

8/11. Temperance & Prohibition in the Champlain Valley with Susan Evans McClure. When you think about “Prohibition,” most people imagine gangsters and bootleggers with tommy guns and fancy cars in the 1920s. But to truly understand federal Prohibition in the Champlain Valley, you have to go back before the ratification of the 18thAmendment in 1919. Learn how the Champlain Valley went from being a major producer and consumer of alcohol in the early 1800s to a hotbed of temperance sentiment by the mid-19th century. Susan Evans McClure is the Executive Director of Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.

8/18. Braver Angels: Seeking to De-Polarize America with Bill Mares. Braver Angels, a national citizens movement, aims to unite Americans across the political spectrum.

Annual Senior Art Show
More to follow about participating in the Annual Senior Center Community Art Show that takes place during September. Questions? Call Judy Tuttle at (802) 425-2864. Drop-off dates are Aug. 26 & 27.

For expanded course descriptions see the printed Summer Schedule, or visit our 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.

How to register for a course
For an in-person course, please register online—or call (802) 425-6345.
For a Zoom course, please register online.
To register, send an email with your name, mailing address and phone number. Be sure to type in the title of the course in the subject line of your email. You will receive confirmation that you are registered. The invitation/link for the course will be sent to you by the instructor the week the class starts.

How to pay

  • If there is a fee, kindly pay by check (made out to CSC) and send to: CSC, P.O. Box 207, Charlotte, VT 05445. Be sure to note the full title of the course in the memo line of your check.
  • 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 per class hour. (This price will continue through the summer months.)
  • For all courses with specific starting and ending dates, please pay at the start, and note the fee listed in the course description.

Questions? Need help with Zooming? Please send an email or leave a message at (802) 425-6345.

Charlotte Senior Center
(802) 425-6345