Spring is just an idea in these parts, and my neighbors still have their snow shovels next to their front doors. But it will come, that is for sure – just not as soon as we may like. In the last issue, the quotes were about mystery. And now we are living in a mystery – of a different sort, unfortunately. The fog of uncertainty makes this health crisis even harder to weather.
Being able to make choices can be a wonderful, liberating thing. There are so many levels of importance regarding the choices we make – from ethical to mundane.
“A rat is a rat.” ~ Sonny Bono “You dirty, double-crossing rat.” ~ James Cagney Can’t you just hear…
Yes, we are deep into the December night—and getting up before the sun has never been one of my favorite things to do. But I keep reminding myself that the Winter Solstice is getting closer and closer. And then, just as winter really begins, we get back into lengthening days. In the meantime, I manage the dark mornings with a strand of those tiny, multi-colored Christmas tree lights around my kitchen window—until March.
Lovely flower arrangements accompany each meal at the Charlotte Senior Center. Mary Lovejoy, the woman responsible for these pops of sunshine, essential now that the weather is so glum, has been creating them weekly for over two years.
One of my favorite images of wintertime is a clear, starry moonlit night with snow-covered fields and lights glowing in the window of houses. Silent and lovely; for me, it makes the long darkness very enjoyable.
We want to thank you for the wonderful write-up on wonderful tomatoes. We used Rosemary Zezulinksi’s prize-winning tomatoes at our Monday Munch today. We featured Chea Evans’ great article (Town, Sept.19, 2019) next to the menu, so people knew the story behind the great tomatoes they were eating in the featured menu item: fresh tomato pie.
It’s glorious to have the lake to cuddle up to in the summer; now that the nights are getting cooler, we will soon be returning to land—and our quilts.
We are coming to the last few weeks of the Summer Schedule, and the Fall Schedule, covering September, October and Novemer, will be out at the end of this month. Meanwhile, Center participants are active—as usual —with all sorts of courses, activities, events and lunches on Mondays and Wednesdays. But things never really stop here—we just move into another season.
Mondays and Wednesdays are my favorite days of the week at the Senior Center. The mornings start out with the aroma of things cooking and the purposeful bustle in the kitchen. Soon, there is the sound of the cooks laughing and having a good time while they prepare the meal.
Transition Town Charlotte is pleased to show Woman at War, an Icelandic film by Benedikt Erlingsson on Thursday, July 25 at 7 p.m. at the Charlotte Senior Center. Popcorn and drinks offered. $5 donation appreciated. Discussion to follow. It was the official selection at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival.
Do you often pay attention to the many shades of green that are part of the lushness around us? Hunter green, Kelly green, avocado, emerald, sage, olive, mint, citron, seaweed, jade, lime, etc. Imagine how different it would be if there were only one. Do you have a favorite shade? Mine is celadon.
“The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent upon it, can still ripen a bunch of…
“Green was the silence, wet was the light, the month of June trembled like a butterfly.” – Pablo Neruda, 100…
“And so, with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow…
“We cannot stop the winter or the summer from coming. We cannot stop the spring, or the fall, or…
As you know, the Senior Center does not sell cars or clothes, but it certainly does embody the other values mentioned in the quote. After having been at the wonderful Annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner last week at the Old Lantern, it is very evident that it takes a veritable village of volunteers to make the Senior Center community possible.
Returning last weekend from Seattle, it was clear the party had already started there—about a month ago. Unfortunately, the temperature had not caught up with the flowering trees, so my jacket was necessary.
Well, yes—and sometimes, no. The numbered spot where I park my car in front of my place has a significant indentation and loves to gather all the water available from surrounding areas. Not a puddle—more like a pond. Maddeningly, the water is only at the driver’s side rear door and not on the passenger’s side at all. Of course, this rear door is the one I use to stash my items to take to work, etc.
It is no surprise that the Senior Center primarily serves residents of Charlotte, but did you know that we also welcome those from surrounding communities? What’s more, these participants also contribute financially as Friends of the Senior Center, donate their time and expertise as volunteer instructors and help in many other crucial volunteer jobs around the Center.