Programs - 2019
OUR ORGANIZATION'S PURPOSES GUIDE OUR PROGRAMS Click to read. Click to close.
The Program Committee refers to these six guidelines as it plans and organizes the programs presented every other week.
- Services helpful to seniors – Programs that give us good useful information about how to handle the road that is ahead for all of us.
- Ways we can help ourselves – Programs that help us stay fit, active, and connected to each other.
- How we can engage with our community – Members telling stories about Nyack, and programs that connect us in meaningful ways with our community.
- Things that bring joy and creativity
- Programs reflecting on who we are as a group, and what we want to do
- Programs that help members have a sense of purpose and meaning
ASK: Allow Someone's Kindness 2019-01-04 Click to read. Click to close.
SUMMARY: Susan Travis urged us to let go of our resistance to asking for help. Think about how good you feel about lending a hand. Allow others to experience that same positive feeling by helping you.
FULL REPORT: Asking is often hard for us for many reasons – we feel we should be able to handle the problem ourselves, we feel that if we ask we are imposing on the other person, we feel we are supposed to be the strong ones, so asking for help feels embarrassing. Asking for help can seem inconvenient if you are a very independent person. But then you find you have taken on too much, or you just cannot get it done. You can probably think of many other reasons why it is so hard to ask for help.
Susan suggested we write a list of people we could ask for help if we felt comfortable enough to do that, and then write any reasons we might have for being hesitant to ask those people for help.
Here are some tips for transforming asking into a positive act:
1. What if you knew that the person you asked felt good about helping?
2. What if you knew that your asking gave others the courage to ask? Susan remembers being so grateful to a classmate in a confusing math class who was willing to raise his hand and ask the teacher to explain the material in a different way because he had not understood. (According to Susan, almost no one in the class understood the material. This classmate gave the others permission to acknowledge that they did not understand.)
3. What if you knew your asking allowed others to use their gifts and talents? Your asking is simultaneously giving.
4. Asking shows someone you trust them. You trust their competency, but you also trust them to say “no” if they cannot help. This is a joyful gift of an honest relationship!
5. Everyone has the right to seek help. “You are important enough to ask. You are blessed enough to receive back.” - Wayne Dyer
6. Do you judge others who ask for help? If you don’t judge others who ask for help, then realize that others do not judge you – and don’t judge yourself.
Susan has a new way for us to thinking about asking. It is ASK, Allow Someone’s Kindness. Think about how good, how valued you feel about lending a hand. We can give this gift to others by asking them for a little help.
To see the list of volunteers who are eager to help you, members should log into their accounts on this website and access the private member pages.
FULL REPORT: Asking is often hard for us for many reasons – we feel we should be able to handle the problem ourselves, we feel that if we ask we are imposing on the other person, we feel we are supposed to be the strong ones, so asking for help feels embarrassing. Asking for help can seem inconvenient if you are a very independent person. But then you find you have taken on too much, or you just cannot get it done. You can probably think of many other reasons why it is so hard to ask for help.
Susan suggested we write a list of people we could ask for help if we felt comfortable enough to do that, and then write any reasons we might have for being hesitant to ask those people for help.
Here are some tips for transforming asking into a positive act:
1. What if you knew that the person you asked felt good about helping?
2. What if you knew that your asking gave others the courage to ask? Susan remembers being so grateful to a classmate in a confusing math class who was willing to raise his hand and ask the teacher to explain the material in a different way because he had not understood. (According to Susan, almost no one in the class understood the material. This classmate gave the others permission to acknowledge that they did not understand.)
3. What if you knew your asking allowed others to use their gifts and talents? Your asking is simultaneously giving.
4. Asking shows someone you trust them. You trust their competency, but you also trust them to say “no” if they cannot help. This is a joyful gift of an honest relationship!
5. Everyone has the right to seek help. “You are important enough to ask. You are blessed enough to receive back.” - Wayne Dyer
6. Do you judge others who ask for help? If you don’t judge others who ask for help, then realize that others do not judge you – and don’t judge yourself.
Susan has a new way for us to thinking about asking. It is ASK, Allow Someone’s Kindness. Think about how good, how valued you feel about lending a hand. We can give this gift to others by asking them for a little help.
To see the list of volunteers who are eager to help you, members should log into their accounts on this website and access the private member pages.
Nyack in the 1950s When the Old Tappan Zee Bridge was Built 2019-01-18 Click to read. Click to close.
SUMMARY: Brenda Ross, Sally Savage, Leontine Temsky and Ray Wright talked about Nyack in the 1950s before and during construction of the old bridge.
FULL REPORT:
Nyack in the 1950s was the shopping and commerce center for Rockland, with four men’s clothing stores, four or five shops for women’s clothing, an A&P on Broadway, the large Woolworths on Main Street, a shoe store, a fabric store, several hardware stores, and many other shops that no longer exist. Ray especially remembered Eddie Nolan’s restaurant with its organist who played requests, a place especially popular with officers from Camp Shanks. Ray was a sophomore at Nyack High School when the bridge opened.
Sally was living by the river in Grand View when the bridge was built. Then the mother of a brand new baby boy, she remembers the women of Grand View protesting the bridge right up until opening day.
Brenda told us that Leonard Cooke, who at one time had been the president of the NAACP and a major presence in Nyack, used to commute from Nyack to his job at the GM plant in Tarrytown by driving south to the George Washington Bridge, crossing the Hudson, and then heading north to Tarrytown. Apparently in winter the river was often frozen solid, with people walking across (taking about an hour), or skating (13 minutes). She also talked about the devastating loss of homes because of the bridge construction. Andy Minniefield’s 12-room Victorian family home was torn down because it was in the direct path.
Before the bridge, Leontine noted, people crossed the river by ferry, or took the train from Nyack southward and then took at ferry across. Talk of needing a bridge had started by the 1930’s. How did Nyack become the site of the bridge, since it is at a wide place on the Hudson? The original site of the bridge was to be at Dobb’s Ferry. The Port Authority of New York, having authority covering 25 miles north of New York City to just south of South Nyack, opposed having a bridge built in their jurisdiction because it would infringe on the area covered by the George Washington Bridge.
Governor Dewey was adamant that the bridge to connect with the new section of New York State Thruway crossing Westchester. However, he was less than forthcoming with Nyack about his push for the bridge to connect Nyack and Tarrytown. In the 1950’s during a speech in Nyack, Governor Dewey was asked if the rumor was true that a bridge was to be built in Nyack, to which he responded, “Absolutely not!” or something to that effect. A month later, the New York State Thruway Authority began working on the first steps for construction. There was no recourse; the Thruway Authority could take land by eminent domain, paying people a rate that the Thruway Authority chose. 150 homes were taken, as were groceries, taverns, a park, etc. South Nyack took the brunt of the changes. Several homes were moved to new locations. If you are interested in learning more, see the Nyack Historical Society’s book, Nyack in the 20th Century.
Many others spoke about their Tappan Zee Bridge experiences, including Don Monaco who sped across the bridge at top speed in a borrowed sports car before it even opened, got to the Nyack side, found he had nowhere he could go, turned around and sped back across – fast!
It was a delightful, fascinating meeting. Our thanks to our panelists and to everyone who spoke and enriched our understanding of our community.
FULL REPORT:
Nyack in the 1950s was the shopping and commerce center for Rockland, with four men’s clothing stores, four or five shops for women’s clothing, an A&P on Broadway, the large Woolworths on Main Street, a shoe store, a fabric store, several hardware stores, and many other shops that no longer exist. Ray especially remembered Eddie Nolan’s restaurant with its organist who played requests, a place especially popular with officers from Camp Shanks. Ray was a sophomore at Nyack High School when the bridge opened.
Sally was living by the river in Grand View when the bridge was built. Then the mother of a brand new baby boy, she remembers the women of Grand View protesting the bridge right up until opening day.
Brenda told us that Leonard Cooke, who at one time had been the president of the NAACP and a major presence in Nyack, used to commute from Nyack to his job at the GM plant in Tarrytown by driving south to the George Washington Bridge, crossing the Hudson, and then heading north to Tarrytown. Apparently in winter the river was often frozen solid, with people walking across (taking about an hour), or skating (13 minutes). She also talked about the devastating loss of homes because of the bridge construction. Andy Minniefield’s 12-room Victorian family home was torn down because it was in the direct path.
Before the bridge, Leontine noted, people crossed the river by ferry, or took the train from Nyack southward and then took at ferry across. Talk of needing a bridge had started by the 1930’s. How did Nyack become the site of the bridge, since it is at a wide place on the Hudson? The original site of the bridge was to be at Dobb’s Ferry. The Port Authority of New York, having authority covering 25 miles north of New York City to just south of South Nyack, opposed having a bridge built in their jurisdiction because it would infringe on the area covered by the George Washington Bridge.
Governor Dewey was adamant that the bridge to connect with the new section of New York State Thruway crossing Westchester. However, he was less than forthcoming with Nyack about his push for the bridge to connect Nyack and Tarrytown. In the 1950’s during a speech in Nyack, Governor Dewey was asked if the rumor was true that a bridge was to be built in Nyack, to which he responded, “Absolutely not!” or something to that effect. A month later, the New York State Thruway Authority began working on the first steps for construction. There was no recourse; the Thruway Authority could take land by eminent domain, paying people a rate that the Thruway Authority chose. 150 homes were taken, as were groceries, taverns, a park, etc. South Nyack took the brunt of the changes. Several homes were moved to new locations. If you are interested in learning more, see the Nyack Historical Society’s book, Nyack in the 20th Century.
Many others spoke about their Tappan Zee Bridge experiences, including Don Monaco who sped across the bridge at top speed in a borrowed sports car before it even opened, got to the Nyack side, found he had nowhere he could go, turned around and sped back across – fast!
It was a delightful, fascinating meeting. Our thanks to our panelists and to everyone who spoke and enriched our understanding of our community.
Understanding AlzHeimer's Disease and Related Dementias 2019-02-01 Click to read. Click to close.
SUMMARY: Debra Kagan-Birkelan, a licensed master social worker, currently a Care Consultant and the Director of Family Support Group Services for the Alzheimer's Association Hudson Valley, NY Chapter, spoke with us about dementia, it's warning signs, and the programs provided by the Alzheimer's Association.
FULL REPORT:
What is Dementia?
Dementia is the umbrella term for a range of symptoms associated with memory loss. If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms that have you worried, such as significant short-term memory loss, it’s important to have testing done to evaluate the extent of memory and cognition loss, and to determine which type of dementia is involved.
A number of memory problems can be caused by something that can be treated such as vitamin B12 deficiency, depression, grief, thyroid conditions or a reaction to medications. All of these are reversible problems and should be treated as soon as possible. Further, before a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s dementia can be made, all other causes of memory loss need to be ruled out.
It is critical to know what kind of dementia is involved. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of progressive dementia, accounting for up to 80% of dementia cases. It is diagnosed when there is no evidence for other forms of dementia. Other types of dementia include vascular dementia which may occur when there is an inadequate supply of blood due to stroke or other vascular problems in the brain. Other types include Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal lobe dementia.
The importance of an early diagnosis
An early diagnosis is essential so that the person affected can start on medications that will help the neurons communicate better. It is also essential so that the person affected and their family can do essential planning such as designating someone to have power of attorney and getting a health care proxy.
Holding off or slowing dementia
Many life style changes can help to hold off or slow the progression of most dementia. These include getting lots of exercise, eating a healthy diet such as the Mediterranean diet, being social, listening to music, and learning to do a new craft or new skill. What’s good for your heart is good for your brain.
The 10 Signs of Alzheimer’s and other dementias
Debra talked with us about the 10 common signs of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. All of us occasionally are forgetful, lose track of time, or cannot retrieve a word that comes to us later. But the signs of Alzheimer’s and other dementias are more consistent and more pressing:
1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life. Forgetting information recently learned.
2. Challenges in planning or solving problems.
3. Difficulty completing the steps in a familiar task.
4. Confusion with time or place. May lose track of dates or seasons, or forget where they are, especially someplace they’ve been before.
5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships. They may have difficulty understanding the meaning of a color contrast or judging distance.
6. New problems with words in speaking or writing. They may have significant difficulty with word retrieval or with following a conversation.
7. Misplacing things and being unable to retrace steps beyond simple delayed recall.
8. Decrease in judgment or demonstrating poor judgment, for example, in driving or managing finances.
9. Withdrawing from normal activities, hobbies or usual social connections because it has become difficult to understand what is going on.
10. Changes in mood and personality- becoming irritated, agitated or depressed.
If you notice signs that are of concern to you, it’s best to consult a specialist – a neurologist, or a neuropsychologist who can perform the testing needed to diagnose dementia.
Alzheimer’s Association programs and services
FULL REPORT:
What is Dementia?
Dementia is the umbrella term for a range of symptoms associated with memory loss. If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms that have you worried, such as significant short-term memory loss, it’s important to have testing done to evaluate the extent of memory and cognition loss, and to determine which type of dementia is involved.
A number of memory problems can be caused by something that can be treated such as vitamin B12 deficiency, depression, grief, thyroid conditions or a reaction to medications. All of these are reversible problems and should be treated as soon as possible. Further, before a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s dementia can be made, all other causes of memory loss need to be ruled out.
It is critical to know what kind of dementia is involved. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of progressive dementia, accounting for up to 80% of dementia cases. It is diagnosed when there is no evidence for other forms of dementia. Other types of dementia include vascular dementia which may occur when there is an inadequate supply of blood due to stroke or other vascular problems in the brain. Other types include Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal lobe dementia.
The importance of an early diagnosis
An early diagnosis is essential so that the person affected can start on medications that will help the neurons communicate better. It is also essential so that the person affected and their family can do essential planning such as designating someone to have power of attorney and getting a health care proxy.
Holding off or slowing dementia
Many life style changes can help to hold off or slow the progression of most dementia. These include getting lots of exercise, eating a healthy diet such as the Mediterranean diet, being social, listening to music, and learning to do a new craft or new skill. What’s good for your heart is good for your brain.
The 10 Signs of Alzheimer’s and other dementias
Debra talked with us about the 10 common signs of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. All of us occasionally are forgetful, lose track of time, or cannot retrieve a word that comes to us later. But the signs of Alzheimer’s and other dementias are more consistent and more pressing:
1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life. Forgetting information recently learned.
2. Challenges in planning or solving problems.
3. Difficulty completing the steps in a familiar task.
4. Confusion with time or place. May lose track of dates or seasons, or forget where they are, especially someplace they’ve been before.
5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships. They may have difficulty understanding the meaning of a color contrast or judging distance.
6. New problems with words in speaking or writing. They may have significant difficulty with word retrieval or with following a conversation.
7. Misplacing things and being unable to retrace steps beyond simple delayed recall.
8. Decrease in judgment or demonstrating poor judgment, for example, in driving or managing finances.
9. Withdrawing from normal activities, hobbies or usual social connections because it has become difficult to understand what is going on.
10. Changes in mood and personality- becoming irritated, agitated or depressed.
If you notice signs that are of concern to you, it’s best to consult a specialist – a neurologist, or a neuropsychologist who can perform the testing needed to diagnose dementia.
Alzheimer’s Association programs and services
- Extensive information about Alzheimer’s and other dementias on website: https://www.alz.org.
- Free educational programs – in the community and on website
- Online caregiver resource center
- 24/7 Help Line: 800-272-3900, answered by licensed care consultants
- Support groups, both for caregivers and for people who have Alzheimer’s or another dementia, led by trained volunteers
- Memory Cafes
- Music & Memory workshop
- Safety programs, including memory bracelets or pendants
- Care consultations
- Volunteer training
Volunteer Counseling Services 2019-02-15 Click to read. Click to close.
SUMMARY: Jill Bieber, Coordinator of Services for Older Adults and their Families at Rockland’s Volunteer Counseling Services (VCS), spoke with us about their programs and services for older adults.
FULL REPORT: Jill spoke of the social justice mission at the heart of the work at VCS. Fees are based on what the individual is able to pay.
She has an Outreach to Elders Program for homebound elders who are coping with grief, loss, anxiety, or depression. Usually the counselor would meet with the person once a week for ten to twelve weeks.
Jill also offers Caregiver Support Groups for those who need to care for an aging parent, spouse, or other relative. These groups provide these caregivers with information, resources and alternatives. Each group meets weekly for one hour on Mondays at 10:00am, Wednesdays at 11am or Wednesdays at 6pm in the VCS offices at 77 South Main Street, New City.
Volunteer counselors are trained by VCS and supported by meeting with a supervisor once a week to review the cases they are working on and share ideas. If you are interested in becoming a VCS volunteer, gather more information at https://www.vcs-inc.org/volunteer.html
FULL REPORT: Jill spoke of the social justice mission at the heart of the work at VCS. Fees are based on what the individual is able to pay.
She has an Outreach to Elders Program for homebound elders who are coping with grief, loss, anxiety, or depression. Usually the counselor would meet with the person once a week for ten to twelve weeks.
Jill also offers Caregiver Support Groups for those who need to care for an aging parent, spouse, or other relative. These groups provide these caregivers with information, resources and alternatives. Each group meets weekly for one hour on Mondays at 10:00am, Wednesdays at 11am or Wednesdays at 6pm in the VCS offices at 77 South Main Street, New City.
Volunteer counselors are trained by VCS and supported by meeting with a supervisor once a week to review the cases they are working on and share ideas. If you are interested in becoming a VCS volunteer, gather more information at https://www.vcs-inc.org/volunteer.html
Exercise for Better Balance 2019-03-01 Click to read. Click to close.
SUMMARY: Jeff Lewis, who teaches the Enhance Fitness class and the Water Exercise class at the YMCA, led us in an exercise program based on the Enhance Fitness class. We were able to stretch and really work our legs while sitting or standing at our chairs. We learned some simple exercises we could do at home to get our muscles strong enough and our balance secure enough to help protect us from falls.
The biggest difference between aging well and not aging well: Making sure you MOVE your bones as much as you can. Three people at our meeting who have experienced broken bones from falls talked about how much their exercise habits helped them to heal more quickly.
The biggest difference between aging well and not aging well: Making sure you MOVE your bones as much as you can. Three people at our meeting who have experienced broken bones from falls talked about how much their exercise habits helped them to heal more quickly.
Volunteer Training for Creative Aging in Nyack 2019-03-15 Click to read. Click to close.
SUMMARY: Susan Travis and the Care Coordinators Mary Loughran, Marie Thorpe, and Gabri'El Stollman led a training for our members. The members of this organization are committed to help one another when a member need a volunteer to drive to medical and other essential appointments, or needs help with grocery shopping, or other tasks. Go to our Volunteer page and see our Volunteer Handbook
Design Tips to Help Us Stay in our Homes 2019-03-29 Click to read. Click to close.
SUMMARY: Maggie McManus of The McManus Group in Nyack spoke with us about steps we might take in assessing whether our homes will serve us well over the next years. Should we make changes to our current home, or might we seek another place which will allow us to stay put for the long term?
FULL REPORT:
Here are some of the points Maggie suggested you consider:
FULL REPORT:
Here are some of the points Maggie suggested you consider:
- De-cluttering is a must. Keep it if you love it, but let go of things you keep only because you think you ought to. Get rid of tripping hazards such baskets, wires and throw rugs.
- install grab bars in the bathroom and anywhere else that you find you need to transfer your weight to get in or out, or up and down. These grab bars should always be horizontal bars.
- Capacity for bathing. Bathrooms are usually the most unsafe room in a house. Ask yourself, “Would my bathing set-up suit me if I needed a walker?” Do you have space for a full bathroom on the first floor? Can you carve out extra space from another room? Do you have a shower you can get into easily without having to climb over a bathtub ledge?
- Improve your interior lighting. Brighter lighting helps you see things that may be in your way. As we age our ability to see contrast diminishes, so it is a good idea to provide clear contrast between your walls and a handrail, or between your cabinets and the pulls on the cabinet doors and drawers.
- Replace your round door knobs and other round pulls with horizontal door levers and horizontal pulls.
- Replace your bathroom hand towels with an electric hand dryer because it is so much more hygienic.
- Consider getting a washlet toilet seat or a bidet for your toilet. You might also want to consider raising your toilet seat.
- Get a slide bar for your shower. This allows you to have a hand-held shower head you can unclip and use at various heights.
Spring Dreaming: Gardening Joys and Tips 2019-04-12 Click to read. Click to close.
SUMMARY: Diana Kriz and some of our gardening enthusiasts presented “Spring Dreaming” focusing on inspiring (but not intimidating) ideas for gardening.
FULL REPORT:
Against a background of beautiful slides illustrating their presentations, Marie Thorpe, Nancy Wenner, Bebb Stone, and Carol Baretz each shared their love of gardening.
Marie noted that all you need is a large, tall flower pot and three or four plants that come in four inch pots at the gardening nursery. Put potting soil in the flower pot, make room for the plants, water, and you have a wonderful way to welcome visitors.
Nancy told us how her interest in and love for plants began with her first potted plants in a fourth-floor walk-up. When she married and moved to a home in Nyack, she found she had the space for gardens in the front, side and back of her house – and work to do. At one point she had someone from Van Houten Farms come help her think about how to achieve a garden. She has come to appreciate – if not love – worms for all they do.
Bebb Stone told about how she fell in love with the Clivia plant, an exotic, slow-growing plant with long dark green leaves and orange flowers. Over time, she became passionate about finding a Clivia with yellow flowers, but such plants were hard to find and expensive. She finally found a "bargain" Clivia. Over time, Bebb nursed it back to health, and it has gone on to produce new generations of Clivia which Bebb has shared with other Clivia lovers.
Bebb also told us that Orangetown residents can get free compost and mulch from the Orangetown Highway Department on Rt. 303 south of Lowe’s. The location was once a drive-in, and still looks like it.
Carol entertained us with a show and tell on how easy it can be to propagate and successfully grow houseplants. Her favorite plant is oxalis with its triangular leaves of deep purple and its delicate white flowers. To prove to us that many plants are easier to grow and hardier than we might think, she told us how she stores her oxalis – and her spider plants and geraniums – in her basement over the winter, paying little attention to them. In the early spring she brings her oxalis up from the basement, divides it, repots it, and shares with friends. Baby spider plants are also very easy to grow.
Diana shared her love of growing vegetables including tomatoes, lettuce and herbs in raised beds in her backyard garden.
We would also like to thank some other people for their help with the program:
FULL REPORT:
Against a background of beautiful slides illustrating their presentations, Marie Thorpe, Nancy Wenner, Bebb Stone, and Carol Baretz each shared their love of gardening.
Marie noted that all you need is a large, tall flower pot and three or four plants that come in four inch pots at the gardening nursery. Put potting soil in the flower pot, make room for the plants, water, and you have a wonderful way to welcome visitors.
Nancy told us how her interest in and love for plants began with her first potted plants in a fourth-floor walk-up. When she married and moved to a home in Nyack, she found she had the space for gardens in the front, side and back of her house – and work to do. At one point she had someone from Van Houten Farms come help her think about how to achieve a garden. She has come to appreciate – if not love – worms for all they do.
Bebb Stone told about how she fell in love with the Clivia plant, an exotic, slow-growing plant with long dark green leaves and orange flowers. Over time, she became passionate about finding a Clivia with yellow flowers, but such plants were hard to find and expensive. She finally found a "bargain" Clivia. Over time, Bebb nursed it back to health, and it has gone on to produce new generations of Clivia which Bebb has shared with other Clivia lovers.
Bebb also told us that Orangetown residents can get free compost and mulch from the Orangetown Highway Department on Rt. 303 south of Lowe’s. The location was once a drive-in, and still looks like it.
Carol entertained us with a show and tell on how easy it can be to propagate and successfully grow houseplants. Her favorite plant is oxalis with its triangular leaves of deep purple and its delicate white flowers. To prove to us that many plants are easier to grow and hardier than we might think, she told us how she stores her oxalis – and her spider plants and geraniums – in her basement over the winter, paying little attention to them. In the early spring she brings her oxalis up from the basement, divides it, repots it, and shares with friends. Baby spider plants are also very easy to grow.
Diana shared her love of growing vegetables including tomatoes, lettuce and herbs in raised beds in her backyard garden.
We would also like to thank some other people for their help with the program:
- Sally Savage – who did the tent-card signs and brought fresh daffodils from her garden
- Anya Taylor and Lori Pendleton Thomas – they both submitted beautiful photos from their garden
- Pearl Natter – because she is lovely and would have been there if she could
Relaxation and Stress Reduction 2019-04-26 Click to read. Click to close.
SUMMARY: Mary Loughran, who heads our Care Coordinators Team, has worked as a nurse and as a manager of nursing throughout her career in integrative medicine. She maintains her own private practice.
Mary taught us several relaxation techniques, from the Deep Abdominal Breathing that is essential for all relaxation techniques, to acupressure points to help relieve stress and anxiety, to Jin Shin Jyutsu. Those of us at the meeting benefited from Mary's clear, calm, well-paced instruction. Ah, we all left the meeting breathing easier and in a more peaceful frame of mind.
Click here to open a PDF of several stress relief techniques.
Mary taught us several relaxation techniques, from the Deep Abdominal Breathing that is essential for all relaxation techniques, to acupressure points to help relieve stress and anxiety, to Jin Shin Jyutsu. Those of us at the meeting benefited from Mary's clear, calm, well-paced instruction. Ah, we all left the meeting breathing easier and in a more peaceful frame of mind.
Click here to open a PDF of several stress relief techniques.
“Where’s My Stuff?”: Bring Clarity to Your Financial Records 2019-05-10 Click to read. Click to close.
SUMMARY: Debbie Bell talked with us about what your executor and the person you have chosen to have your power of attorney need to know about where you keep your financial records.
FULL REPORT:
The person who has your power of attorney can act on your behalf if you become unable to take care of your own finances. But that person’s job ends when you die.
The person you name to be your executor in your will becomes responsible to contact your beneficiaries and creditors, make an inventory of the estate's assets, pay any bills that are due and distribute the remaining assets to the beneficiaries as ordered in the will. If you don’t have a will, the court will appoint an executor to distribute your assets according to New York State law. See the full list of what your executor or financial power of attorney need you to gather for them.
FULL REPORT:
The person who has your power of attorney can act on your behalf if you become unable to take care of your own finances. But that person’s job ends when you die.
The person you name to be your executor in your will becomes responsible to contact your beneficiaries and creditors, make an inventory of the estate's assets, pay any bills that are due and distribute the remaining assets to the beneficiaries as ordered in the will. If you don’t have a will, the court will appoint an executor to distribute your assets according to New York State law. See the full list of what your executor or financial power of attorney need you to gather for them.
Finding Cool Stuff on the Library's Website 2019-05-24 Click to read. Click to close.
SUMMARY: Shira Barkoe, Head of Digital Services & Technology at the Nyack Library, and Tracy Dunstan, the Head of Reference, enlightened us about technology resources at the library. As you read, you might want to have the library website open. Go to https://www.nyacklibrary.org/
FULL REPORT:
MY ACCOUNT - If you have a library card but you do not have an online account and want one, it is easy to get one. Go to the website and click on the white My Account box. Put in the number on your library card. Click Forgot my password. You will be able to create a 4-digit password (often the last 4 digits of your telephone number, or something else easy). With an account you can look at the calendar or easily check the online catalog to see if the book you want is available at the library or at another of the libraries in the system.
SEARCH THE CATALOG - You can search by Title, Author or Subject. And have you noticed that just above the pictures of recent books there is a drop-down menu allowing you to explore various New York Times book lists, including fiction, non-fiction, or various children’s book lists?
CALENDAR OF EVENTS - If you have not looked at the library calendar in depth, I urge you to do so. If you click on any event, a box opens giving more detailed information.
DIGITAL RESOURCES - If you are exploring the website on a computer, the link is right at the top of your screen. If you are exploring on a smart phone or an iPad, then at the top left of your screen you will see a small stack of three horizontal lines. Click that. You will then see DIGITAL RESOURCES. Then click on the little down v to the right, and click on EBOOKS AND STREAMING MEDIA. You will then see that you can access eBooks, eAudiobooks, Music, Movies and TV, and eMagazines.
If you have gotten this far, you will see the phrase “Not compatible with IE.” That means not compatible with Internet Explorer. Not an issue for most of us.
To access any of these materials, you will need to download the appropriate application: Libby and Hoopla for eBooks and eAudiobooks, Hoopla for Music, TV and Movies, or Kanopy for Movies.
REFERENCE LIBRARIANS are there to HELP YOU! - The library has done a wonderful job of telling you exactly what you need to do to get any of these apps on your computer or device, but the reference librarians are all well versed in how to do get digital access, and they are there to help you. That is exactly what their jobs are all about: Helping you figure stuff out.
FULL REPORT:
MY ACCOUNT - If you have a library card but you do not have an online account and want one, it is easy to get one. Go to the website and click on the white My Account box. Put in the number on your library card. Click Forgot my password. You will be able to create a 4-digit password (often the last 4 digits of your telephone number, or something else easy). With an account you can look at the calendar or easily check the online catalog to see if the book you want is available at the library or at another of the libraries in the system.
SEARCH THE CATALOG - You can search by Title, Author or Subject. And have you noticed that just above the pictures of recent books there is a drop-down menu allowing you to explore various New York Times book lists, including fiction, non-fiction, or various children’s book lists?
CALENDAR OF EVENTS - If you have not looked at the library calendar in depth, I urge you to do so. If you click on any event, a box opens giving more detailed information.
DIGITAL RESOURCES - If you are exploring the website on a computer, the link is right at the top of your screen. If you are exploring on a smart phone or an iPad, then at the top left of your screen you will see a small stack of three horizontal lines. Click that. You will then see DIGITAL RESOURCES. Then click on the little down v to the right, and click on EBOOKS AND STREAMING MEDIA. You will then see that you can access eBooks, eAudiobooks, Music, Movies and TV, and eMagazines.
If you have gotten this far, you will see the phrase “Not compatible with IE.” That means not compatible with Internet Explorer. Not an issue for most of us.
To access any of these materials, you will need to download the appropriate application: Libby and Hoopla for eBooks and eAudiobooks, Hoopla for Music, TV and Movies, or Kanopy for Movies.
REFERENCE LIBRARIANS are there to HELP YOU! - The library has done a wonderful job of telling you exactly what you need to do to get any of these apps on your computer or device, but the reference librarians are all well versed in how to do get digital access, and they are there to help you. That is exactly what their jobs are all about: Helping you figure stuff out.
The Older Writers Laboratory (OWL) 2019-06-07 Click to read. Click to close.
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SUMMARY: In the fall of 2017 Jim Ramsay invited members of Creative Aging in Nyack to join him once a week in writing memoirs and stories from their lives. And so was born the Older Writers Laboratory of Nyack – the OWLs. Nyack Library opened the door for him, inviting the OWLs to use the Maker Space for their meetings. Because it is a library program, members of OWL did not have to be members of Creative Aging in Nyack. They just needed to be brave enough and reflective enough to sit with each other, write, and listen encouragingly to one another. The OWLs have now put some of their essays and artwork together in a truly delightful book called THE OWLS OF NYACK.
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FULL REPORT: On Friday Jim Ramsay and Jan Cohen both talked about the process the OWLs go through at each of their meetings. Jim gives them a prompt to which they respond in writing for about twenty minutes. Then the members read what they have written and comment on each others pieces. Later in the program members read pieces they were working on during the week to get some feedback from the other members.
We were treated to a reading by writers including Gabri’El Stollman, Sally Savage, and Anthony Fasano. These were rich, vivid, delightful stories. We all wanted more, and fortunately, the books were available for purchase after the meeting. If you could not be with us, the books will also be available at our meeting in two weeks, and they will be available at Pickwick. The books are $10 each.
We congratulate Jim Ramsay and all the members of OWL for sharing their stories and their artwork. Jim is a gifted teacher, coach and inspiration. Thank you to all of the OWLs. You inspire us.
We were treated to a reading by writers including Gabri’El Stollman, Sally Savage, and Anthony Fasano. These were rich, vivid, delightful stories. We all wanted more, and fortunately, the books were available for purchase after the meeting. If you could not be with us, the books will also be available at our meeting in two weeks, and they will be available at Pickwick. The books are $10 each.
We congratulate Jim Ramsay and all the members of OWL for sharing their stories and their artwork. Jim is a gifted teacher, coach and inspiration. Thank you to all of the OWLs. You inspire us.
Belly Dancing 2019-06-21 Click to read. Click to close.
Dressed elegantly in black and gold, Gabri’El Stollman patiently taught us the basic steps and undulating moves of belly dancing. If you missed it, it is your loss. Gabri’El says that these dances used to be done by women in the company of young women to teach them the ways of womanhood.
We threw our inhibitions away over our shoulders. Then we tried to follow the moves as Gabri’El did them. We did our best to isolate our torsos while moving our hips in various ways, to slide our heads from side to side, to gracefully place our feet while we turned and curled our wrists and swayed our arms. This meeting was quite a change from our regular meetings. We laughed and danced. What a good way to welcome in the summer!
We threw our inhibitions away over our shoulders. Then we tried to follow the moves as Gabri’El did them. We did our best to isolate our torsos while moving our hips in various ways, to slide our heads from side to side, to gracefully place our feet while we turned and curled our wrists and swayed our arms. This meeting was quite a change from our regular meetings. We laughed and danced. What a good way to welcome in the summer!
Our Website Introduced 2019-07-05 Click to read. Click to close.
Ann Morgan showed members our new website and explained that while much of the website will be open to the public, members will be able to create logins to access items such as the Membership Directory, the list of volunteers, member-recommended lists of medical professionals and the lists of home improvement contractors, among other things.
A Program about our Programs 2019-07-19 and 2019-08-16 Click to read. Click to close.
The Program Committee (Susanna Willingham, Chair; Diana Kriz, Ann Morgan, Leontine Temsky, and Ann Morgan) talked with the membership about how the Program Committee develops the programs that are presented every other Friday. See the first item on this page for the criteria the committee uses.
During this meeting members completed a Program Survey the committee had developed based on member suggestions for meeting. At the meeting two weeks later the committee presented the results. The most popular program choices were Getting to Know You and by implication other programs where members can mix and chat with each other; Meditation and Breathing and other programs giving us techniques for peace and relaxation; Positive Psychology and other programs that focus on developing insight and an optimistic outlook; Tips for Interacting with the Health System and by implication programs for helping us through the maze of the medical system; Intergenerational Connections in Our Lives - where do we connect with kids, and where do we find their language and experiences to be very different from our own, intergenerational engagement; End of Life Rituals - People in our society often have no idea what to do to help a friend or family member at the end of life. By implication this also suggests that we are interested in learning more about end of life issues and options. And finally, many of you look forward to open discussions about Creative Aging in Nyack - where we’ve been, where we are and where we’d like to head in the future. We will have other programs as well, but your responses gave us a very good sense of the group’s priorities.
Small Group Options:
Many people also responded to the small group options. We will be contacting the people who suggested the small group options to see how they want to proceed now. Many of these groups will need leaders to organize them. Some of these groups will roll out slowly. Jen Harrigan who handles the programs of the library said that she will work with us. The most popular small group program was “Learning to Love Opera”, a program proposed by Linda Greene who has presented it before. Look for that program next spring. Another small group will be “Story Tellers”. People in this group will learn to develop their personal stories together.
On August 30, 2019, we updated the members about the small groups:
Learning to Love Opera
The most popular small group option members chose was the Learning to Love Opera Workshop. Because so many people responded positively, this will become a Nyack Library program in the spring of 2020. It will be led by Linda Greene who has taught this workshop before.
Artists Together
Arlene Leventhal had suggested this small group inspired by OWL. It would consist of people in CAN who are artists and who would enjoy getting together to talk art, do art, help each other with their art, critique each other’s work. Nine people have already signed up for this group, but if you were not at the meeting where this was discussed, and if you would like to join this group, please let Arlene know by emailing her at [email protected]
Story Tellers
Maxine Bernstein will be leading this group. If you are interested in developing your own life-experience story based on "The Moth Radio Hour," contact Maxine at [email protected]
During this meeting members completed a Program Survey the committee had developed based on member suggestions for meeting. At the meeting two weeks later the committee presented the results. The most popular program choices were Getting to Know You and by implication other programs where members can mix and chat with each other; Meditation and Breathing and other programs giving us techniques for peace and relaxation; Positive Psychology and other programs that focus on developing insight and an optimistic outlook; Tips for Interacting with the Health System and by implication programs for helping us through the maze of the medical system; Intergenerational Connections in Our Lives - where do we connect with kids, and where do we find their language and experiences to be very different from our own, intergenerational engagement; End of Life Rituals - People in our society often have no idea what to do to help a friend or family member at the end of life. By implication this also suggests that we are interested in learning more about end of life issues and options. And finally, many of you look forward to open discussions about Creative Aging in Nyack - where we’ve been, where we are and where we’d like to head in the future. We will have other programs as well, but your responses gave us a very good sense of the group’s priorities.
Small Group Options:
Many people also responded to the small group options. We will be contacting the people who suggested the small group options to see how they want to proceed now. Many of these groups will need leaders to organize them. Some of these groups will roll out slowly. Jen Harrigan who handles the programs of the library said that she will work with us. The most popular small group program was “Learning to Love Opera”, a program proposed by Linda Greene who has presented it before. Look for that program next spring. Another small group will be “Story Tellers”. People in this group will learn to develop their personal stories together.
On August 30, 2019, we updated the members about the small groups:
Learning to Love Opera
The most popular small group option members chose was the Learning to Love Opera Workshop. Because so many people responded positively, this will become a Nyack Library program in the spring of 2020. It will be led by Linda Greene who has taught this workshop before.
Artists Together
Arlene Leventhal had suggested this small group inspired by OWL. It would consist of people in CAN who are artists and who would enjoy getting together to talk art, do art, help each other with their art, critique each other’s work. Nine people have already signed up for this group, but if you were not at the meeting where this was discussed, and if you would like to join this group, please let Arlene know by emailing her at [email protected]
Story Tellers
Maxine Bernstein will be leading this group. If you are interested in developing your own life-experience story based on "The Moth Radio Hour," contact Maxine at [email protected]
Getting to Know You 2019-08-02 and 2019-08-30 Click to read. Click to close.
Our program today gave everyone time to talk with at least two people they did not know well. It also encouraged all members to think a bit about some of their own character traits. This program was such fun and so popular that we repeated the process on August 30, the Friday before Memorial Day Weekend. The point of the program was to have everyone participate in an entertaining activity resulting in conversation with two people they did not know well. It was a lively, chatty session, with lots of good feeling.
Positive Psychology 2019-09-13 Click to read. Click to close.
SUMMARY: Susanna Willingham and Diana Kriz presented this program to help us become more resilient and enjoy our lives fully.
FULL PROGRAM:
Early in this session on how a positive attitude can impact our lives, Susanna asked, “Did you ever notice that there are people who manage to stay positive despite severe hardships?’ She went on to note that we cannot control the stresses, the sadness, or the trauma that we experience. But we can build habits and life practices that help us to be more flexible and better able to adapt to changes that inevitably will happen as we age.
Susanna then led the group in that full, open smiling when your eyes crinkle and your cheeks round with a full smile know as “smizing,” smiling with your eyes. Our facial muscles create stimuli in the brain that tends to make us think positive thoughts!
Negative thinking can become habit forming. But as you purposely engage in more positive emotions, you form new neuro-pathways and habits that lead to more positive thinking and cultivate calm, resilience, flexibility, health and happiness.
Diana spoke about the impact of “learned optimism” on her own life, and related the story of how the writer Norman Cousins actually transformed his life when he was faced with a life threatening disease called degenerative collagen illness. Cousins wrote, “I made the joyous discovery that 10 minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep.”
Martin Seligman wrote about “learned optimism.” He was also the one who did extensive research about “learned helplessness.” His experiments focused on puppies who gave up after being conditioned to stop trying to escape a difficult situation. Based on his experiments, Seligman reasoned that if negative conditioning is possible, then positive conditioning might also be possible.
We can take steps to change our outlook from passive to active, from negative to positive. Diana suggested that each of us get in the habit of taking a few moments each day to write down five things you’re grateful for. And then practice gratitude journaling daily for the next 21 days, and see what a difference it makes.
Here are a few simple but helpful practices to help lift your spirits. If you want to get in the habit of doing these, Susanna noted some sources say it takes at least 21 days to establish a habit and 72 hours to loose it. So to make these into new positive habits, stick with them!
FULL PROGRAM:
Early in this session on how a positive attitude can impact our lives, Susanna asked, “Did you ever notice that there are people who manage to stay positive despite severe hardships?’ She went on to note that we cannot control the stresses, the sadness, or the trauma that we experience. But we can build habits and life practices that help us to be more flexible and better able to adapt to changes that inevitably will happen as we age.
Susanna then led the group in that full, open smiling when your eyes crinkle and your cheeks round with a full smile know as “smizing,” smiling with your eyes. Our facial muscles create stimuli in the brain that tends to make us think positive thoughts!
Negative thinking can become habit forming. But as you purposely engage in more positive emotions, you form new neuro-pathways and habits that lead to more positive thinking and cultivate calm, resilience, flexibility, health and happiness.
Diana spoke about the impact of “learned optimism” on her own life, and related the story of how the writer Norman Cousins actually transformed his life when he was faced with a life threatening disease called degenerative collagen illness. Cousins wrote, “I made the joyous discovery that 10 minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep.”
Martin Seligman wrote about “learned optimism.” He was also the one who did extensive research about “learned helplessness.” His experiments focused on puppies who gave up after being conditioned to stop trying to escape a difficult situation. Based on his experiments, Seligman reasoned that if negative conditioning is possible, then positive conditioning might also be possible.
We can take steps to change our outlook from passive to active, from negative to positive. Diana suggested that each of us get in the habit of taking a few moments each day to write down five things you’re grateful for. And then practice gratitude journaling daily for the next 21 days, and see what a difference it makes.
Here are a few simple but helpful practices to help lift your spirits. If you want to get in the habit of doing these, Susanna noted some sources say it takes at least 21 days to establish a habit and 72 hours to loose it. So to make these into new positive habits, stick with them!
- Smile more. In the mirror, at folks on the street, when you are happy. Post a note to remind you or make a frequently used password contain (something like) “smile now…”
- Give some thought to what it is that makes you feel good (and if you like, shout it out). It’s important to make something pleasurable be part of every day – and to savor that, e.g., take a walk by the river, meet a friend for a yoga class, go out for a nice lunch . . . .
- Engage fully in whatever you do – i.e., give up multitasking, learn to meditate, practice mindfulness. Set your intention to do something you enjoy so much that you lose track of time, and just do it! When you are fully engaged, you experience a sense of flow.
- Get involved in something outside yourself, something that gives your life meaning, e.g., volunteer, take up a cause you believe in, participate in or host a CAN potluck or small group.
- Practice gratitude daily. Morning or night, find a time that works best for you and try to commit to that. Start by listing 5 things you’re grateful for every day; small things count – the morning glories you notice on a morning walk, a friendly puppy, a beautiful sunset.
DiscussING the Size of the Organization 2019-09-27 Click to read. Click to close.
SUMMARY: Today we discussed the pros and cons of having Creative Aging in Nyack either continue to grow without limitation, or limiting the size of the organization. We began by reviewing what we value most about our group - Meeting together every other week and getting to know people, enjoying the speakers and the programs, aging in place together, knowing we would help each other when needed, meeting in the Community Room, feeling that we have roots in the community, sharing information, and problem solving.
The responses to this question ranged from 100 to 150, with only one or two people feeling we should not limit the number. Most people felt we should be in the 100 to 125 range. We also understand that as long as we are meeting in the library, our meetings are open to anyone in the community who wants to come to a meeting. The Board of Directors will be deciding the number based on the insight we gained from this meeting about the wishes of the group. We will reconsider the size of the group a year from now.
The responses to this question ranged from 100 to 150, with only one or two people feeling we should not limit the number. Most people felt we should be in the 100 to 125 range. We also understand that as long as we are meeting in the library, our meetings are open to anyone in the community who wants to come to a meeting. The Board of Directors will be deciding the number based on the insight we gained from this meeting about the wishes of the group. We will reconsider the size of the group a year from now.
Annual Meeting 2019-10-11 Click to read. Click to close.
FULL REPORT:
Membership
One year ago we had 84 members. We now have 100 members. At our Sept. 27 meeting, we talked about what size organization we can be and still retain the qualities that mean so much to us. Based on the discussion at that meeting, the Board of Directors voted Oct. 9 that CAN would be capped at 115 members for the coming year. We will reconsider our decision one year from now.
Highlights of our Accomplishments since Oct. 2018
Thank you
Thank you to our dedicated Board of Directors we call the Advisory Team. We meet every month to think together about challenges and opportunities ahead for CAN. Each member brings excellent ideas and experiences to our discussions:
Bob Gundersen has been an outstanding Treasurer with his depth of background in the non-profit world and his understanding of this community. Bob is stepping down this year. We thank him for his leadership as founding Treasurer and for his experience and guidance as we took our first steps in forming our nonprofit.
Sami Aronson has been a diligent secretary and has shared her excellent science background and research skills. Sami is stepping down this year. We appreciate her support and dedicated service as Secretary.
Susanna Willingham serves both as the Associate Chair and as the Chair of the Program Committee. She is creative, energetic, dedicated and a supportive friend on all fronts.
Susan Travis is a Director and chair of Volunteers and Services, a huge job. She is tireless, persistent and all-round wonderful.
Debbie Bell serves as the Associate Treasurer. She takes care of our day-to-day finances, creating helpful monthly reports for us, making sure we can track all of our income and spending.
Don Monaco brings insight and thoughtful suggestions to the group, based on his deep understanding of what people our age need – friendship, purpose, and companionship as we take this journey of aging together.
Thank you to the members of the Program Committee, Susanna Willingham, Diana Kriz, Nancy Wenner, and Leontine Temsky for their creative and often detailed work arranging the programs we have every other Friday. I also work with them on that committee.
Thank you to the Entertainment Committee for planning and organizing our refreshments for today. Marie Thorpe heads that committee that includes Nancy Wenner, Bebb Stone, Jane Berkowicz and Mary Borkovitz.
Thank you to the members of the Nominating Committee this year: Jan Cohen, Honey Jacobs, and Leontine Temsky.
Thank you to Sami Aronson for organizing the Elderhood book group.
Thank you to Anthony Fasano for his contributions to the CAN calendar.
I also want to thank Jeff Flournoy, the library Maintenance Technician for making sure this room is set up for us every two weeks!!
Our thanks to Mary Loughran, the Care Specialists, the volunteers and the certified drivers for their willingness to help others.
Thank you to Vin Morgan, my dear husband, for all of his help and support throughout the year.
Jennifer Harrigan who has been our go-to person at the library. Jen makes sure that the room gets set up correctly, she puts the Creative Aging blurb in the library’s newsletter, and she created a flyer for us. Jen is leaving her work at the library. We are deeply grateful for her constant support, her time and her talents.
We are deeply appreciative of Nyack Library for their generosity and unbelievable support over the past two years. And with that I asked Sharon Alfano, the library’s Business Manager, to come forward to receive our donation of $500.
Financial Report
Bob Gundersen presented the proposed 2020 budget. Our total budget proposed budget is $9,500 in income matched by proposed expenses of $9,500. I had included a copy of the budget in my September 27 notes.
Program Committee
Susanna Willingham reminded us of the Program survey members responded to in July. The top ranked subjects were:
1. Getting to Know You (33)
2. Meditation and Breathing (26)
3. Positive Psychology (24) tied with Tips for Interacting with the Health System (24)
4. Intergenerational Connections in Our Lives (23)
5. End of Life Rituals (22)
6. CAN: present past and future (21)
7. Chuck Stead: storyteller(19)
Since this survey we’ve had some meditation and positive psychology, some getting to know you and we’re excited to have this guideline to follow for the future.
Susanna also noted that the Committee tries to provide programs that are in line with our purposes as an organization. These guidelines are:
1. Services helpful to seniors
2. Ways we can help ourselves
3. How we can engage the community
4. Things that bring joy and creativity
5. Quarterly feedback: who are we and what do we want to do?
6. Meaning making: create a sense of purpose
Susanna then reminded us of some of the many engaging program we had this year, and thanked everyone for their help and support.
Volunteers and Services Committee
Susan Travis chairs this committee. She explained that we have have three main groups of service volunteers:
The Care Coordinator and the Care Specialists
CAN Volunteers for Non-Medical Needs
Certified Drivers (15 NYS DMV Certified Drivers)
The Care-Specialists are Mary Loughran (the Care Coordinator), Rosemarie Bone, Gabri’El Stollman, Marie Thorpe, Dorothy Whitton, and Susan Travis (Advisory Board Member). The Care Specialist serves as liaison between a member needing care because of illness, or accident, and members on our list of volunteers.
On September20th, five additional members volunteered to become Care-Specialists and had their first training. Monthly half-hour meetings will be held after the second meeting of CAN (location pending) These new volunteers are Marcia Heisler, Nancy Waack, Donna Nye, Marge Lipson, Jane Berkowicz.
Summary of the Care Specialists activities:
Eight times this year members needed help. They had different needs that were met by our member volunteers. We are grateful to all the volunteers who, when called by the Care Specialists, have helped our members.
Non-medical help is at hand
Susan then spoke about the volunteers who are more than willing to lend a hand in non-medical situations. These include:
The people who have volunteered to help you are listed in on the website in the pages of your login account. If you need the help in these areas, please call, or email. Remember - ASK (Allow Someone’s Kindness). If the volunteer you contact cannot help, the volunteer will be honest and say no. Ask another.
If you wish to volunteer but are not presently on the list, or if you want your name removed from the list, contact Lori Thomas, [email protected].
The Certified Drivers
We have 15 drivers who have all been vetted by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. These 15 certified drivers are listed on the CAN website in the login pages.
Other Accomplishments
Susan also noted that her team created the Volunteer Handbook this year and the list of recommended medical professionals. If you want to add to the list of medical professionals, please contact Diana Kriz.
The Vote
The membership voted, and by a super-majority, elected Debbie Bell as Treasurer, Debra Banks as Secretary, and Phyllis Eisenberg as Director, and passed the 2020 budget. Congratulations to all!
The meeting then adjourned for a celebratory feast of treats! It was a wonderful day.
Membership
One year ago we had 84 members. We now have 100 members. At our Sept. 27 meeting, we talked about what size organization we can be and still retain the qualities that mean so much to us. Based on the discussion at that meeting, the Board of Directors voted Oct. 9 that CAN would be capped at 115 members for the coming year. We will reconsider our decision one year from now.
Highlights of our Accomplishments since Oct. 2018
- We succeeded in becoming an official 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization, and earning tax exempt status in New York State.
- This year we purchased liability insurance that covers the organization, but also helps protect our volunteers and our drivers.
- A small group of CAN members gathered information from our members about what exercise programs they wanted at the YMCA and then met with the leadership of the Y to advocate for those programs and for some other improvements at the Y. We look forward to a continuing partnership with them.
- This year, inspired by Roger Seiler and by Shira Barkoe of the library, and with encouragement from Susanna Willingham, I plunged in to create the website for our group! I hope you are using the calendar and the information you can find there, including the lists available to members who use the login to access the members-only pages. There you will find our membership list, as well as a list of member recommended medical professionals, a list of member recommended home contractors, a list of our volunteers and of our certified drivers. If you are not able to access those pages, you need to email me at [email protected] so I can send you the information about how to log in. If you are stuck or you do not know what you should do, please let me know. I want to you have this information! Our website is www.creativeaginginnyack.org
- Several of our members gathered in various small groups throughout the year for potluck suppers, Tuesday walks, visits to museums, book groups, meditation, and of course the OWLS writing group. People meet for coffee, go to the many programs offered at the library together, and look forward to greeting each other as we walk the streets of Nyack.
Thank you
Thank you to our dedicated Board of Directors we call the Advisory Team. We meet every month to think together about challenges and opportunities ahead for CAN. Each member brings excellent ideas and experiences to our discussions:
Bob Gundersen has been an outstanding Treasurer with his depth of background in the non-profit world and his understanding of this community. Bob is stepping down this year. We thank him for his leadership as founding Treasurer and for his experience and guidance as we took our first steps in forming our nonprofit.
Sami Aronson has been a diligent secretary and has shared her excellent science background and research skills. Sami is stepping down this year. We appreciate her support and dedicated service as Secretary.
Susanna Willingham serves both as the Associate Chair and as the Chair of the Program Committee. She is creative, energetic, dedicated and a supportive friend on all fronts.
Susan Travis is a Director and chair of Volunteers and Services, a huge job. She is tireless, persistent and all-round wonderful.
Debbie Bell serves as the Associate Treasurer. She takes care of our day-to-day finances, creating helpful monthly reports for us, making sure we can track all of our income and spending.
Don Monaco brings insight and thoughtful suggestions to the group, based on his deep understanding of what people our age need – friendship, purpose, and companionship as we take this journey of aging together.
Thank you to the members of the Program Committee, Susanna Willingham, Diana Kriz, Nancy Wenner, and Leontine Temsky for their creative and often detailed work arranging the programs we have every other Friday. I also work with them on that committee.
Thank you to the Entertainment Committee for planning and organizing our refreshments for today. Marie Thorpe heads that committee that includes Nancy Wenner, Bebb Stone, Jane Berkowicz and Mary Borkovitz.
Thank you to the members of the Nominating Committee this year: Jan Cohen, Honey Jacobs, and Leontine Temsky.
Thank you to Sami Aronson for organizing the Elderhood book group.
Thank you to Anthony Fasano for his contributions to the CAN calendar.
I also want to thank Jeff Flournoy, the library Maintenance Technician for making sure this room is set up for us every two weeks!!
Our thanks to Mary Loughran, the Care Specialists, the volunteers and the certified drivers for their willingness to help others.
Thank you to Vin Morgan, my dear husband, for all of his help and support throughout the year.
Jennifer Harrigan who has been our go-to person at the library. Jen makes sure that the room gets set up correctly, she puts the Creative Aging blurb in the library’s newsletter, and she created a flyer for us. Jen is leaving her work at the library. We are deeply grateful for her constant support, her time and her talents.
We are deeply appreciative of Nyack Library for their generosity and unbelievable support over the past two years. And with that I asked Sharon Alfano, the library’s Business Manager, to come forward to receive our donation of $500.
Financial Report
Bob Gundersen presented the proposed 2020 budget. Our total budget proposed budget is $9,500 in income matched by proposed expenses of $9,500. I had included a copy of the budget in my September 27 notes.
Program Committee
Susanna Willingham reminded us of the Program survey members responded to in July. The top ranked subjects were:
1. Getting to Know You (33)
2. Meditation and Breathing (26)
3. Positive Psychology (24) tied with Tips for Interacting with the Health System (24)
4. Intergenerational Connections in Our Lives (23)
5. End of Life Rituals (22)
6. CAN: present past and future (21)
7. Chuck Stead: storyteller(19)
Since this survey we’ve had some meditation and positive psychology, some getting to know you and we’re excited to have this guideline to follow for the future.
Susanna also noted that the Committee tries to provide programs that are in line with our purposes as an organization. These guidelines are:
1. Services helpful to seniors
2. Ways we can help ourselves
3. How we can engage the community
4. Things that bring joy and creativity
5. Quarterly feedback: who are we and what do we want to do?
6. Meaning making: create a sense of purpose
Susanna then reminded us of some of the many engaging program we had this year, and thanked everyone for their help and support.
Volunteers and Services Committee
Susan Travis chairs this committee. She explained that we have have three main groups of service volunteers:
The Care Coordinator and the Care Specialists
CAN Volunteers for Non-Medical Needs
Certified Drivers (15 NYS DMV Certified Drivers)
The Care-Specialists are Mary Loughran (the Care Coordinator), Rosemarie Bone, Gabri’El Stollman, Marie Thorpe, Dorothy Whitton, and Susan Travis (Advisory Board Member). The Care Specialist serves as liaison between a member needing care because of illness, or accident, and members on our list of volunteers.
On September20th, five additional members volunteered to become Care-Specialists and had their first training. Monthly half-hour meetings will be held after the second meeting of CAN (location pending) These new volunteers are Marcia Heisler, Nancy Waack, Donna Nye, Marge Lipson, Jane Berkowicz.
Summary of the Care Specialists activities:
Eight times this year members needed help. They had different needs that were met by our member volunteers. We are grateful to all the volunteers who, when called by the Care Specialists, have helped our members.
Non-medical help is at hand
Susan then spoke about the volunteers who are more than willing to lend a hand in non-medical situations. These include:
- Home organization
- Minor Household Chores/repairs
- Gardening/plant care/sitting
- Dog walking
- Short phone “check-in”
- Computer/technologies
- Grocery shopping
- Medical appointment, only certified driver volunteers
The people who have volunteered to help you are listed in on the website in the pages of your login account. If you need the help in these areas, please call, or email. Remember - ASK (Allow Someone’s Kindness). If the volunteer you contact cannot help, the volunteer will be honest and say no. Ask another.
If you wish to volunteer but are not presently on the list, or if you want your name removed from the list, contact Lori Thomas, [email protected].
The Certified Drivers
We have 15 drivers who have all been vetted by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. These 15 certified drivers are listed on the CAN website in the login pages.
Other Accomplishments
Susan also noted that her team created the Volunteer Handbook this year and the list of recommended medical professionals. If you want to add to the list of medical professionals, please contact Diana Kriz.
The Vote
The membership voted, and by a super-majority, elected Debbie Bell as Treasurer, Debra Banks as Secretary, and Phyllis Eisenberg as Director, and passed the 2020 budget. Congratulations to all!
The meeting then adjourned for a celebratory feast of treats! It was a wonderful day.
Emergency Preparation 2019-10-25 Click to read. Click to close.
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The program was about simple, basic steps we can all take to feel a little better prepared for powerful storms and other emergencies that are common in our area. Members felt that the emergencies that are most likely to occur are
Open the Home Emergency Preparation file for a preparation check-off list. Here are some other ideas for emergency preparation:
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Revisiting Recycling 2019-11-08 Click to read. Click to close.
What the World Needs Now Is Conscientious Consumers
Why it's important to think of the planet BEFORE you buy
Kerri Scales, Director of Education and Outreach at Rockland County Solid Waste Management Authority, presented the program today.
Kerri notes that we are currently at a critical state in managing our waste. Our local landfill capacity is dwindling; currently, a roundtrip of 600 miles is required to handle our recycling. More and more, things are ending up in the trash. If things get worse, we may be forced to send our waste to Ohio. Right now, it costs Rocklanders $76/ton to dispose of trash —not including collection costs. And those costs are likely to rise.
Until recently, China had been buying most of our recyclables. Over time, because of contamination, a lot was simply being dumped. Sometimes, people would come out and sort the different types of recyclables. But the contamination kept getting worse. China started getting pickier, which created a global rift. Some other countries have taken up the slack, but things are becoming more critical.
The only thing that’s really going to help is for us to change our behaviors. We all can have an impact. Pick something to change from the way you’re currently doing it.
Tips
1. Plastic bags are recycled at the grocery, not in the recycling bins
The bags jam the processing equipment, which creates work stoppages that shut down the whole recycling facility – this happens daily. All large grocery stores have containers for your plastic bags, usually located at the door to the store. When you recycle your bottles and cans, do not put them in plastic bags to put in the recycling container.
2. What can I recycle?
People tend not to refer to the numbers on plastic containers anymore, but the only ones now recyclable are those with the numbers: 1, 2, 4, 5 or 7 – not the numbers 3 or 6.
3. Containers need to be clean
Food or liquids do not belong in your recycling bin. Ever. Period. This means all containers must be emptied and rinsed clean. Wash out that peanut butter jar! Left-over food and especially grease make recycling paper and cardboard near impossible, and these materials can contaminate entire batches. So please, no food or liquids, including grease, in recycling.
4. What is NOT acceptable for recycling at home
Recyclables under 2 inches in size, plastic bags, clothing, hangers, hardcover books, electronics, batteries, sharps, medical waste, pots, pans, bowls, utensils or cookware, ceramic plates or cups, hazardous material, plastic utensils, Styrofoam, window glass, light bulbs, toys, paper soiled with grease or paint, paper cups and plates, tissues napkins and paper towels.
5. Recycling Household Hazardous Waste
33 Firemen’s Memorial Drive, Pomona, NY 10970. Bring these things to 33 Firemen’s Memorial Drive, Pomona, NY 10970. For directions and the recycling schedule, go to http://www.rocklandrecycles.com/page/household-hazardous-waste-24.html
Bring fluorescent bulbs, paints, gasoline, pesticides, aerosols, batteries, electronics such as computers, monitors, printers, TVs, VCRs, CD players, radios, small refrigerators, air conditioners, etc.
Do not bring tires, asbestos, explosives, construction material, microwave ovens, compressed gas tanks, or sharps (needles and syringes).
This hazardous waste center is one of only 17 permanent Household Hazardous Waste disposal facilities in NY State. Among other things, it recycles over 1 million tons of e-waste (electronic waste) per year. It is easy to take materials there, so do use it! These materials do not belong in your garbage.
Other Rockland Programs
Operation Medicine Cabinet, which now accepts controlled substances through police stations and some pharmacies, and is putting pressure on the manufacturers of these products to take a larger stewardship role in their disposal.
Rockland Solid Waste Management also has a Yard Waste Composting center; and for food waste, they sell compost bins at cost – $55 – to encourage more waste management at the source.
They compost your sludge – i.e., everything you flush down your toilet. A special facility was built to treat solids. And that’s now become a revenue source – landscapers love it.
They have a facility in West Nyack that recycles concrete and asphalt.
Rockland used to sort and process plastics and glad, but their facility was old and so they now send it elsewhere to be sorted.
Please do your part to reduce our waste. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
Why it's important to think of the planet BEFORE you buy
Kerri Scales, Director of Education and Outreach at Rockland County Solid Waste Management Authority, presented the program today.
Kerri notes that we are currently at a critical state in managing our waste. Our local landfill capacity is dwindling; currently, a roundtrip of 600 miles is required to handle our recycling. More and more, things are ending up in the trash. If things get worse, we may be forced to send our waste to Ohio. Right now, it costs Rocklanders $76/ton to dispose of trash —not including collection costs. And those costs are likely to rise.
Until recently, China had been buying most of our recyclables. Over time, because of contamination, a lot was simply being dumped. Sometimes, people would come out and sort the different types of recyclables. But the contamination kept getting worse. China started getting pickier, which created a global rift. Some other countries have taken up the slack, but things are becoming more critical.
The only thing that’s really going to help is for us to change our behaviors. We all can have an impact. Pick something to change from the way you’re currently doing it.
Tips
1. Plastic bags are recycled at the grocery, not in the recycling bins
The bags jam the processing equipment, which creates work stoppages that shut down the whole recycling facility – this happens daily. All large grocery stores have containers for your plastic bags, usually located at the door to the store. When you recycle your bottles and cans, do not put them in plastic bags to put in the recycling container.
2. What can I recycle?
- Plastic bottles, jugs, tubs, and lids
- Large rigid plastics like laundry baskets and 5-gallon pails
- Glass bottles and jars
- Aluminum and steel cans, and clean aluminum foil
- Milk, juice and food containers that have been rinsed
- Paper, paper egg cartons, office folders and papers of any color, junk mail and envelopes, corrugated cardboard, paper bags
People tend not to refer to the numbers on plastic containers anymore, but the only ones now recyclable are those with the numbers: 1, 2, 4, 5 or 7 – not the numbers 3 or 6.
3. Containers need to be clean
Food or liquids do not belong in your recycling bin. Ever. Period. This means all containers must be emptied and rinsed clean. Wash out that peanut butter jar! Left-over food and especially grease make recycling paper and cardboard near impossible, and these materials can contaminate entire batches. So please, no food or liquids, including grease, in recycling.
4. What is NOT acceptable for recycling at home
Recyclables under 2 inches in size, plastic bags, clothing, hangers, hardcover books, electronics, batteries, sharps, medical waste, pots, pans, bowls, utensils or cookware, ceramic plates or cups, hazardous material, plastic utensils, Styrofoam, window glass, light bulbs, toys, paper soiled with grease or paint, paper cups and plates, tissues napkins and paper towels.
5. Recycling Household Hazardous Waste
33 Firemen’s Memorial Drive, Pomona, NY 10970. Bring these things to 33 Firemen’s Memorial Drive, Pomona, NY 10970. For directions and the recycling schedule, go to http://www.rocklandrecycles.com/page/household-hazardous-waste-24.html
Bring fluorescent bulbs, paints, gasoline, pesticides, aerosols, batteries, electronics such as computers, monitors, printers, TVs, VCRs, CD players, radios, small refrigerators, air conditioners, etc.
Do not bring tires, asbestos, explosives, construction material, microwave ovens, compressed gas tanks, or sharps (needles and syringes).
This hazardous waste center is one of only 17 permanent Household Hazardous Waste disposal facilities in NY State. Among other things, it recycles over 1 million tons of e-waste (electronic waste) per year. It is easy to take materials there, so do use it! These materials do not belong in your garbage.
Other Rockland Programs
Operation Medicine Cabinet, which now accepts controlled substances through police stations and some pharmacies, and is putting pressure on the manufacturers of these products to take a larger stewardship role in their disposal.
Rockland Solid Waste Management also has a Yard Waste Composting center; and for food waste, they sell compost bins at cost – $55 – to encourage more waste management at the source.
They compost your sludge – i.e., everything you flush down your toilet. A special facility was built to treat solids. And that’s now become a revenue source – landscapers love it.
They have a facility in West Nyack that recycles concrete and asphalt.
Rockland used to sort and process plastics and glad, but their facility was old and so they now send it elsewhere to be sorted.
Please do your part to reduce our waste. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
Living Fully, Dying Well - Martha Roth 2019-11-22 Click to read. Click to close.
Martha Roth is a midwife who has been caring for women and families for over 25 years, and until 2016, her private homebirth and well-woman midwifery practice had been in Nyack. Over the past few years Martha has shifted her focus from beginning-of-life midwifery to end-of-life midwifery.
Through her experiences working with individuals and those close to them as the end of life approaches, Martha has seen that it is possible to enhance life experience right through to the end. But in our death-phobic culture, many people want to avoid thinking about death, even though it is the natural conclusion to everyone’s life.
If we want to have any say in how our lives will end, we need to actively plan ahead. Start with the end-of-life conversation. Have a family meeting, and invite someone outside the family who is comfortable talking about death to be with you to keep the focus on the person dying. For family and friends, how a loved one dies is a vitally important experience, and will have far reaching impact for those who live on.
If you have no plan, then the care you receive will be made out of fears of litigation, and convenience to the hospital or institution where you are. Making your wishes known to your family and loved ones is a gift to the survivors who won’t have to guess what you might have wanted, what the right choices will be, or what you might want said about you.
Martha answered some important questions, and urged us to spend time thinking about end of life issues.
New York State does not have a right to die law. One of the few choices you have in the face of unacceptable suffering at the end of life is VSED, voluntary stopping of eating and drinking. Other options carry with them the potential for a criminal investigation.
Think about what you would like to have said about you after you die. Ask a loved one to write an obituary for you, or write one yourself.
Those with dementia may not be able to articulate their wishes toward the end of their lives. It is important for them to make choices while they can. For example, they might write, “If I cannot feed or hydrate myself, I do not want anyone to do it for me,” sign and date that statement, and keep it with other records.
Advocacy for the patient by those who know their wishes is critical. If you do not want to be resuscitated, be sure that information is communicated to any medical personnel.
If you want to be an organ donor, be aware that you cannot die at home. As you age, you may become ineligible to donate most of your organs. If being an organ donor is important to you, learn what the process will be so your family is prepared for how your decision will impact how you are cared for at the end of life.
Through her experiences working with individuals and those close to them as the end of life approaches, Martha has seen that it is possible to enhance life experience right through to the end. But in our death-phobic culture, many people want to avoid thinking about death, even though it is the natural conclusion to everyone’s life.
If we want to have any say in how our lives will end, we need to actively plan ahead. Start with the end-of-life conversation. Have a family meeting, and invite someone outside the family who is comfortable talking about death to be with you to keep the focus on the person dying. For family and friends, how a loved one dies is a vitally important experience, and will have far reaching impact for those who live on.
If you have no plan, then the care you receive will be made out of fears of litigation, and convenience to the hospital or institution where you are. Making your wishes known to your family and loved ones is a gift to the survivors who won’t have to guess what you might have wanted, what the right choices will be, or what you might want said about you.
Martha answered some important questions, and urged us to spend time thinking about end of life issues.
New York State does not have a right to die law. One of the few choices you have in the face of unacceptable suffering at the end of life is VSED, voluntary stopping of eating and drinking. Other options carry with them the potential for a criminal investigation.
Think about what you would like to have said about you after you die. Ask a loved one to write an obituary for you, or write one yourself.
Those with dementia may not be able to articulate their wishes toward the end of their lives. It is important for them to make choices while they can. For example, they might write, “If I cannot feed or hydrate myself, I do not want anyone to do it for me,” sign and date that statement, and keep it with other records.
Advocacy for the patient by those who know their wishes is critical. If you do not want to be resuscitated, be sure that information is communicated to any medical personnel.
If you want to be an organ donor, be aware that you cannot die at home. As you age, you may become ineligible to donate most of your organs. If being an organ donor is important to you, learn what the process will be so your family is prepared for how your decision will impact how you are cared for at the end of life.
Mature Yoga 2019-12-06 Click to read. Click to close.
Paula Heitzner gave us an informative and humorous talk about the beauty, power, and wonder of yoga for the mature body, mind, and spirit. We can use our bodies to bring us to better health and better outlook. She encouraged us to find the joy and light within us as we connect with our bodies, and to reclaim the parts of ourselves with which we have lost conscious touch.
We were led in some simple movements while seated and were encouraged to feel the power we can bring to ourselves.
Paula Has been teaching yoga classes in Nyack for over 50 years and still maintains a rigorous schedule of eight classes a week.
Thank you, Paula!
We were led in some simple movements while seated and were encouraged to feel the power we can bring to ourselves.
Paula Has been teaching yoga classes in Nyack for over 50 years and still maintains a rigorous schedule of eight classes a week.
Thank you, Paula!
Winter Solstice Celebration 2019-12-20 Click to read. Click to close.
Whether you were able to join us for our Winter Solstice Celebration on Friday or not, you might enjoy knowing the content of the program. Here it is, in full:
Telemann Fantasia #1, Grave played on viola by Alicia Edelberg. (I wish I could convey the beauty of her playing!)
Ann Morgan: Welcome to Creative Aging in Nyack’s second annual Winter Solstice Celebration. Tonight will be the darkest night of the year. After tomorrow, the nights will begin to get shorter and the days longer. In celebrating the solstice we part of ancient traditions greeting the return of the sun.
But this celebration is about more than the return of the sun. It is about appreciating this time of year when the season is unlike any other. We had a cold rain the other day, and in the morning every branch and twig was coated with ice. You could focus on the cold and on the treacherous sidewalks. All that was true. But you would miss the magic if you did not also look at and enjoy the shimmering, glistening crystal world as the sun shone on the glassy ice.
This year let the winter solstice be an occasion to look deeply at small things, to feel at home in the world, and to be just where you belong. Midwinter as a time of reflection and renewal.
Let us reflect on what the darkest time of year means to us . . . and how we can shine a little light in that darkness.
The following are excerpts from “The Invitation of December” by Barbara Mahany:
Joan Golden read
There is something about December . . . I call it a gift.
Give me a gray day, a day shrouded in mist and peekaboo light.
Give me a shadowed nook to slip into, and I wrap myself in the cloak of utter contentment.
It is dark . . . Yet darkness to me is alluring; it calls me to turn inside, to be hushed, to pay attention . . . .
When was the last time you tiptoed out your kitchen door, or onto a fire escape, and took in the night sky?
The stars and the moon, waxing or waning, night-after-night . . . A lesson in wonder.
Diana Kriz read:
We’ve blinded ourselves to the darkness. Cut ourselves off from the ebb and the flow of darkness and light. It’s poetry, the rise and the fall of incandescence and shadow . . . I say, celebrate the darkness — landscape of discovery, of finding our way only by engaging, igniting, heightening our deeper senses, the senses of the heart and the soul, the intellect and the imagination.
The truth is: Darkness draws out our deep-down depths. Darkness is womb . . . seed . . . underground. Darkness is where birthing begins, incubator of unseen stirring, essential and fundamental growing. December’s darkness invites us inward, the deepening spiral — paradoxical spiral — we deepen to ascend, we vault from new depths.
At nightfall in December, at that blessed in-between hour, when the last seeds of illumination are scattered, and the stars turn on — all at once as if the caretakers of wonder have flown through the heavens sparking the wicks — we too, huddled in our kitchens or circled ‘round our dining room tables, we strike the match. We kindle the flame. We shatter darkness with all the light we can muster.
Make the light be from you. Deep within you. . . . Seize the month. Reclaim the days.
Nancy Wenner read:
December is [a time to] discover abundance within. Listen for the pulsing questions within, the ones that beg — finally — to be asked . . . . To be answered. Am I doing what I love? Am I living the life I was so meant to live? Am I savoring, or simply slogging along?
December is invitation. Glance out the window. Behold the silence of the first snowfall. Stand under heaven’s dome and watch the star-stitched wonder: Orion, Polaris. Listen for the love songs of the Great Horned Owl. Be dazzled.
Maxine Bernstein read:
The poet Mary Oliver tells us, “attentiveness is the root of all prayer.” And reminds us that our one task as we walk the snow-crusted woods or startle to the night cry of the sky-crossing goose is “learning to be astonished.”
And December, at the cusp of winter, season of fury and stillness, December demands our attention. It is a month draped in myth and legend.
December invites us be our most radiant selves. And we find that radiance deep down in the heart of the darkness.
Alicia played Telemann Fantastia #1, Allegro (This was gorgeous!)
Ann Morgan read:
The night before the winter solstice is the longest night of the year. In the morning, with the return of the sun, the days will begin to grow longer. As much as we enjoy the light, though, there is a lot to be said for acknowledging the darkness. Welcome it, as the sun sets in the sky.
Please join me in reciting the Yule Sunset Song* that you will find in your programs.
The longest night has come once more,
the sun has set, and darkness fallen.
The trees are bare, the earth asleep,
and the skies are cold and black.
Yet tonight we rejoice, in this longest night,
embracing the darkness that enfolds us.
We welcome the night and all that it holds,
as the light of the stars shines down.
Donna Nye read:
When snow falls in the winter, take time to appreciate its beauty and its magic, both as it falls and once it covers the ground.
Snow Song for Yule*
From the reaches of the north,
a place of cold blue beauty,
comes to us the first winter storm.
Wind whipping, flakes flying,
the snow has fallen upon the earth,
keeping us close,
keeping us together,
wrapped up as everything sleeps
beneath a blanket of white.
Leontine Temsky read:
Just because the earth is cold doesn't mean there's nothing going on down there in the soil. Think about what lies dormant in your own life right now, and consider what may bloom a few months from now.
A Song to the Earth at Yule*
Cold and dark, this time of year,
the earth lies dormant, awaiting the return
of the sun, and with it, life.
Far beneath the frozen surface,
a heartbeat waits,
until the moment is right,
to spring.
*From Patti Wigington
The following poem is For a New Beginning by John O’Donohue
Phyllis Eisenberg read:
In out-of-the-way places of the heart,
Where your thoughts never think to wander,
This beginning has been quietly forming,
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.
For a long time it has watched your desire,
Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,
Noticing how you willed yourself on,
Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.
Susanna Willingham read:
It watched you play with the seduction of safety
And the gray promises that sameness whispered, Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,
Wondered would you always live like this.
Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream,
A path of plenitude opening before you.
Tom Willingham read:
Though your destination is not yet clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life's desire.
Awaken your spirit to adventure;
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will home in a new rhythm,
For your soul senses the world that awaits you.
Judy Gorman led us in singing a three-part round of Dona Nobis Pachem. (Beautiful!)
Beannacht by John O’Donohue, read by Gabri'El Stollman
On the day when
The weight deadens
On your shoulders
And you stumble,
May the clay dance
To balance you.
And when your eyes
Freeze behind
The grey window
And the ghost of loss
Gets into you,
May a flock of colours,
Indigo, red, green
And azure blue,
Come to awaken in you
A meadow of delight.
When the canvas frays
In the currach of thought
And a stain of ocean
Blackens beneath you,
May there come across the waters
A path of yellow moonlight
To bring you safely home.
May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
May the clarity of light be yours,
May the fluency of the ocean be yours,
May the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
Wind work these words
Of love around you,
An invisible cloak
To mind your life.
Telemann Fantasia #1, Grave played on viola by Alicia Edelberg. (I wish I could convey the beauty of her playing!)
Ann Morgan: Welcome to Creative Aging in Nyack’s second annual Winter Solstice Celebration. Tonight will be the darkest night of the year. After tomorrow, the nights will begin to get shorter and the days longer. In celebrating the solstice we part of ancient traditions greeting the return of the sun.
But this celebration is about more than the return of the sun. It is about appreciating this time of year when the season is unlike any other. We had a cold rain the other day, and in the morning every branch and twig was coated with ice. You could focus on the cold and on the treacherous sidewalks. All that was true. But you would miss the magic if you did not also look at and enjoy the shimmering, glistening crystal world as the sun shone on the glassy ice.
This year let the winter solstice be an occasion to look deeply at small things, to feel at home in the world, and to be just where you belong. Midwinter as a time of reflection and renewal.
Let us reflect on what the darkest time of year means to us . . . and how we can shine a little light in that darkness.
The following are excerpts from “The Invitation of December” by Barbara Mahany:
Joan Golden read
There is something about December . . . I call it a gift.
Give me a gray day, a day shrouded in mist and peekaboo light.
Give me a shadowed nook to slip into, and I wrap myself in the cloak of utter contentment.
It is dark . . . Yet darkness to me is alluring; it calls me to turn inside, to be hushed, to pay attention . . . .
When was the last time you tiptoed out your kitchen door, or onto a fire escape, and took in the night sky?
The stars and the moon, waxing or waning, night-after-night . . . A lesson in wonder.
Diana Kriz read:
We’ve blinded ourselves to the darkness. Cut ourselves off from the ebb and the flow of darkness and light. It’s poetry, the rise and the fall of incandescence and shadow . . . I say, celebrate the darkness — landscape of discovery, of finding our way only by engaging, igniting, heightening our deeper senses, the senses of the heart and the soul, the intellect and the imagination.
The truth is: Darkness draws out our deep-down depths. Darkness is womb . . . seed . . . underground. Darkness is where birthing begins, incubator of unseen stirring, essential and fundamental growing. December’s darkness invites us inward, the deepening spiral — paradoxical spiral — we deepen to ascend, we vault from new depths.
At nightfall in December, at that blessed in-between hour, when the last seeds of illumination are scattered, and the stars turn on — all at once as if the caretakers of wonder have flown through the heavens sparking the wicks — we too, huddled in our kitchens or circled ‘round our dining room tables, we strike the match. We kindle the flame. We shatter darkness with all the light we can muster.
Make the light be from you. Deep within you. . . . Seize the month. Reclaim the days.
Nancy Wenner read:
December is [a time to] discover abundance within. Listen for the pulsing questions within, the ones that beg — finally — to be asked . . . . To be answered. Am I doing what I love? Am I living the life I was so meant to live? Am I savoring, or simply slogging along?
December is invitation. Glance out the window. Behold the silence of the first snowfall. Stand under heaven’s dome and watch the star-stitched wonder: Orion, Polaris. Listen for the love songs of the Great Horned Owl. Be dazzled.
Maxine Bernstein read:
The poet Mary Oliver tells us, “attentiveness is the root of all prayer.” And reminds us that our one task as we walk the snow-crusted woods or startle to the night cry of the sky-crossing goose is “learning to be astonished.”
And December, at the cusp of winter, season of fury and stillness, December demands our attention. It is a month draped in myth and legend.
December invites us be our most radiant selves. And we find that radiance deep down in the heart of the darkness.
Alicia played Telemann Fantastia #1, Allegro (This was gorgeous!)
Ann Morgan read:
The night before the winter solstice is the longest night of the year. In the morning, with the return of the sun, the days will begin to grow longer. As much as we enjoy the light, though, there is a lot to be said for acknowledging the darkness. Welcome it, as the sun sets in the sky.
Please join me in reciting the Yule Sunset Song* that you will find in your programs.
The longest night has come once more,
the sun has set, and darkness fallen.
The trees are bare, the earth asleep,
and the skies are cold and black.
Yet tonight we rejoice, in this longest night,
embracing the darkness that enfolds us.
We welcome the night and all that it holds,
as the light of the stars shines down.
Donna Nye read:
When snow falls in the winter, take time to appreciate its beauty and its magic, both as it falls and once it covers the ground.
Snow Song for Yule*
From the reaches of the north,
a place of cold blue beauty,
comes to us the first winter storm.
Wind whipping, flakes flying,
the snow has fallen upon the earth,
keeping us close,
keeping us together,
wrapped up as everything sleeps
beneath a blanket of white.
Leontine Temsky read:
Just because the earth is cold doesn't mean there's nothing going on down there in the soil. Think about what lies dormant in your own life right now, and consider what may bloom a few months from now.
A Song to the Earth at Yule*
Cold and dark, this time of year,
the earth lies dormant, awaiting the return
of the sun, and with it, life.
Far beneath the frozen surface,
a heartbeat waits,
until the moment is right,
to spring.
*From Patti Wigington
The following poem is For a New Beginning by John O’Donohue
Phyllis Eisenberg read:
In out-of-the-way places of the heart,
Where your thoughts never think to wander,
This beginning has been quietly forming,
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.
For a long time it has watched your desire,
Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,
Noticing how you willed yourself on,
Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.
Susanna Willingham read:
It watched you play with the seduction of safety
And the gray promises that sameness whispered, Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,
Wondered would you always live like this.
Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream,
A path of plenitude opening before you.
Tom Willingham read:
Though your destination is not yet clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life's desire.
Awaken your spirit to adventure;
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will home in a new rhythm,
For your soul senses the world that awaits you.
Judy Gorman led us in singing a three-part round of Dona Nobis Pachem. (Beautiful!)
Beannacht by John O’Donohue, read by Gabri'El Stollman
On the day when
The weight deadens
On your shoulders
And you stumble,
May the clay dance
To balance you.
And when your eyes
Freeze behind
The grey window
And the ghost of loss
Gets into you,
May a flock of colours,
Indigo, red, green
And azure blue,
Come to awaken in you
A meadow of delight.
When the canvas frays
In the currach of thought
And a stain of ocean
Blackens beneath you,
May there come across the waters
A path of yellow moonlight
To bring you safely home.
May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
May the clarity of light be yours,
May the fluency of the ocean be yours,
May the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
Wind work these words
Of love around you,
An invisible cloak
To mind your life.