Senior Center News – Sept. 17, 2020

“How did it get so late so soon?
It’s night before it’s afternoon.
December is here before it’s June.
My goodness how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon?”
~ Dr. Seuss
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People are continuing to stay active—either with outdoor activities or with online classes—and there are a lot to choose from. If you are hesitant about going online, please call and leave a message at (802) 425-6345, and we will have someone call you back to provide assistance with Zoom.

Outdoor Activities

9/18. The next Kayaking Trip for Women is Friday, 9/18. Last date is 9/25. Please register your interest with Susan. Locations vary and are weather dependent, of course.

9/29. To sign up for Fall Road Hikes in the Champlain Valley (Tuesdays, 9/29 through Oct.), please call and leave a message at (802) 425-6345. Be sure to include your name, phone number and email address for the contact tracing log.

10/3, Saturday. Lemon Fair Sculpture Park with Frank & Elaine Ittleman. Please meet at the Center by 9:30 a.m. to carpool–or not. (Rain date:10/10). With Frank as our guide, a 1.5-mile loop passes about 18 large-scale, outdoor artworks at their private residence in Shoreham. Enjoy the color, geometry and movement of these pieces. Be sure to bring water and wear sturdy shoes. Head home around noon, or stop in Middlebury for lunch. If you have visited before, there is more to see as the park has expanded recently. Please call (802) 425-6345 to register with your name, phone number and email address. No fee. Maximum 15. Hope for perfect weather.

Courses
Other than outdoor activities, all courses are online—and all require registration. Some have fees/suggested donations, and many do not. Register by sending your name and mailing address. You will receive confirmation that you are registered. Please pay by check (made out to CSC), and send it to P.O. Box 207, Charlotte, VT 05445. Be sure to note the name of the course/s in the memo line. For courses with limited series of dates, kindly pay prior to the start of the course.

9/23. Mindfulness Meditation with Jill Abilock. Wednesday afternoons, 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Ongoing. You can’t always change what you experience in life, but you can change how you experience it. Mindfulness Meditation provides tools that help change how you experience things, increasing fulfillment and happiness, and reducing stress. Registration necessary. No fee.

9/24. Civil Discourse: Making It Happen with Stephen Joyce. Thursdays, 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Dates: 9/24–10/29. On the eve of the 2020 general elections, Americans are more divided about politics than they have ever been. Some have forgotten or simply never learned how to speak civilly with their ideological “opponents.” Are you frustrated with discussions about politics that persuade no one, clarify nothing, and go nowhere? Learn theories about civil communication and how to put them into practice when you are disagreeing with family, friends and strangers. Sponsored by Friends of Charlotte Senior Center. No fee.

10/1. Script Writing for Fun with Mark Williams. Thursday evenings, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Dates: 10/1–11/5. Have you been itching to write a movie, TV episode or play? This is not about selling your creation, it’s about stretching your skills—and having fun. In this 6-week class you will learn the basics of how to write a script. Members of the class will: decide on a genre, create 6 fascinating characters, start with a crisis, create an outline for three acts, create an ending, and write the first 15 pages. Registration required by 9/29. Fee: $30 for the 6-week series.

Wednesday Events
All free, Wednesday events at 1:00 p.m. are now online Zoom gatherings. The invitation/link for each week will be posted at the Senior Center website by the day before the presentation. As well, this link will be supplied in Front Porch Forum in Charlotte and in surrounding towns. Registration is not required.

9/23. Landscape and Your Sense of Place with Jonathan Silverman. As we find resilience during the coronavirus pandemic, we become aware of our own sense of place and the surrounding landscape in Vermont. Join us for a look at landscape across history, culture, genres and artistic intent. Jonathan Silverman, emeritus professor at St. Michael’s College, will raise questions to invite discussion on our own visual perception. Co-sponsored by the Charlotte Library.

9/30. Utah’s Gems with Lynn Cummings has been cancelled and will be presented next year.

Events in October
10/7. Preparing to Prepare Your Advanced Directive with Tina D’Amato, DO. An interactive introduction on how to prepare this important document that helps communicate your medical wishes at end of life. Dr. D’Amato is a family medicine physician working at Charlotte Family Health.

10/14. COVID-19: Ten Months In, Where Do We Stand? with Jim Hyde. This session will provide a quick update about what is currently known about routes of exposure, prevalence of infection, testing and prevention and control—and also vaccine development and new therapeutics.

10/21. Medical Imaging: 1895 To the Present with Rick Goldman. Take a look at the changes in medical imaging, particularly Neuroradiology, which parallel the advances we have seen in the technology we use in our daily lives.

10/28. A Mile of Ice Above Us with Craig Heindel. Learn about the most recent geologic history of Vermont and the Champlain Valley.

Art Exhibit
The Senior Center’s monthly art exhibits continue and visitors are welcome. To see an art exhibit, please schedule an appointment at least 24 hours in advance. Viewing days are Tuesday and Thursday between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Leave a message anytime at (802) 425-6345 and include your name and phone number for a confirmation of your appointment.

These next two weeks will be your last chance to see the September Art Exhibit: Bill Stirewalt—Large Format Photography. Most pieces depict the natural world, although the subject matter is very varied. All of the 27 pieces are available for purchase.

Continue to be careful. Stay well. We are all in this together.

The Senior Center’s mission is to serve those 50 and up; if a course is not full, pre-seniors may also enroll. Residents from other communities are always welcome. There are no membership fees. Feel free to leave a message anytime at (802) 425-6345; voicemail is checked frequently.

Charlotte Senior Center
(802) 425-6345