Senior Center Happenings
by Mary Recchia, Activities Coordinator

The June Artist – Born and raised in New York City, Deanna Shapiro lived in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, for 37 years, raising two daughters with her husband, Charlie, before moving to Vermont. After careers as a kindergarten teacher and a school psychologist, her childhood love of art resurfaced and she self-styled an art education, studying in the New York metropolitan area. About her painting Deanna says: “Playing with color, line, shape and pattern is a design challenge, which is at the heart of the matter for me. I am inspired by such elements in Asian art as simplicity, asymmetry and tranquility.”
Our Strawberry Shortcake Kick-off for the Virtual Walk on Water will be on Friday, June 5, at 1 p.m. This will be a time to meet your captain and team members, build team spirit, learn or relearn how to use your pedometer, place your flags at the beginning of the trail on the map, and feast on strawberry shortcake!
To further enjoy the lake theme of our annual walk this year, we will be having organized Walking Buddies at 9:30 a.m. every Wednesday morning before the luncheon beginning from June 10 through July 29. The sites will be planned so that you can do a short, medium or long walk. The short walks will be fairly flat. If you are looking for a companion to walk with while adding miles to your team total, come to the kickoff on June 5 for more details.
The AARP Driver Safety Class with Jim Inglis, AARP Volunteer Instructor, will be held at the center on Thursday, June 11, from 8:45 to 1 p.m. A classroom refresher course for driver’s aged 50 and over. Upon completion of the course, you will receive a certificate valid for three years, a course workbook and other instructional material.  The course is now taught in one half-day session.  Registration required. Class limit: 25.  Fee: $14 ($12 for AARP members).
After the luncheon on June 17, come Take A Poem Out to Lunch with Jim Lovejoy. Pack a poem in your pocket before coming to the Center today! Bring along a favorite poem you have written, a book of poetry you enjoy, a literary journal or print out a poem from Poets.org and join Jim for another wonderful afternoon of poetry reading.
Please note the beginning date for Gentleman’s Eatery has changed from June 11 to June 18, Thursday mornings from 7:30 to 10 a.m., every other week. Whether you’re single, want to upgrade your skills or maybe never thought you’d need to learn to cook, here’s a chance to experience the joys and practicalities of cooking while having fun at the same time! From planning a meal to following a recipe, we are going to do our own thing, have fun, and yes, you CAN do this. Each class will culminate with a sit-down breakfast that you help create, with plenty of time for sharing conversation, discussing a current event or providing a solution to a problem that you have experienced. Registration required. Suggested donation: $5 to cover the cost of food.
Colorplay for Summer Gardens with Charlotte Albers, Horticulturalist begins Wednesday mornings from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Dates: 6/24, 7/1, 7/8, 7/15. Get inspired to infuse fresh color into your beds, borders and containers! Through slides and lots of hands on exploration we will look at cool combinations for shade and stunning contrasts with complementary pairings for sun. Creating and “playing” with color collages that you can take home and use as design templates will be the backdrop for discussing plants. The last class will be a tour of the instructor’s garden to see ideas and concepts put into practice. Registration required. Fee: $45.
“Yes We Can! (Do Art)” - Our fourth annual art show will be the September Art Exhibit at the center, and we would like you to take part in the celebration. This is a non-juried show open to area artists of all “mastery” levels ages 50+. Our hope is that many types of art media will be represented. We again want to encourage three-dimensional art of all types. Something new this year: “Tell us the story…” about your art entry, if you have one. We will include these narratives in the program for the Artist’s Gala Reception to be held in early September. Registration forms with specific details will be available at the center on Friday, June 19. Any questions? Call Sabina at 985-4099 or bring your ideas to discuss during a regular meeting of the Friday morning Lighthearted Arts Group. Entry deadline is August 14.