Senior Center News – January 14, 2021
For more expanded descriptions, as well as additional courses and talks, please visit CharlotteSeniorCenterVT.org.
For more expanded descriptions, as well as additional courses and talks, please visit CharlotteSeniorCenterVT.org.
Have patience—but stay as mentally and physically active as you can: Participate in a course, attend a Wednesday talk, take a walk. Here are just some of the offerings for you to consider—in addition to the many other ongoing courses.
Have you noticed that this issue of The Charlotte News has the new CSC Winter Schedule? Once you have a chance to take a look, it may be a little misleading as to what is actually taking place in the Center building these days.
Treating everyone with kindness is a form of thanksgiving. And it can be great fun to perform random acts of kindness—anonymously. Give it a try!
Have you been looking in vain for the Winter Schedule insert that was supposed to be in this issue?
The Winter Schedule, which covers December, January and February, will be an insert in this paper on 11/25, posted on the website on 12/1, and mailed out the first week in December. Thankfully, despite the restrictions and being all online, it is still quite full.
Did you manage to find so much to do while the weather was nice that your days were just completely filled? Did you miss out on some classes that you wish you’d been able to fit in? You are in luck!
The two Better Balance courses that Dee PT has presented have been very enthusiastically received. It is exciting that more than 30 people signed up for each of them—an expanded class size is definitely one of the advantages of Zooming.
Outdoor activities are quickly drawing to a close—unless you like skiing and snow shoeing. For many of us, however, those pastimes are past times. Still, there is much to appreciate about being here, and as one poem today suggested: Hug a tree. This could become popular now.
People are continuing to stay active—either with outdoor activities or with online classes—and there are a lot to choose from. If you are hesitant about going online, please call and leave a message at 425-6345, and we will have someone call you back to provide assistance with Zoom.
Along with the fond memories of summer trips on the Nancy Ann, with the captain and his first mate (Al and Nancy Martin), not to be forgotten is the loyal crew who also volunteered their time and services for many years—and without them, the trips would not have been possible.
The Senior Center building remains closed, but activities, art exhibits, presentations and courses are continuing—and expanding. Activities held outdoors, namely Kayaking for Women and Birding Expeditions, have started up again and participants have enjoyed some great weather.
The Senior Center building remains closed, but things are happening. Those activities that are held outdoors, namely Kayaking for Women and Birding Expeditions, have started up again.
It is sad to say that the Senior Center building remains closed, but it’s exciting to note that activities held outdoors can take place. The online Zoom courses will continue to be offered going forward.
It is now abundantly clear that there will not be a Grand Re-Opening of the Senior Center any time soon. Nor is there a phased re-opening plan.
As much as we may wish it to be so, the coronavirus emergency is not over, and it’s sad to say that life is not returning to normal anytime soon. You have probably heard that Gov. Scott stated that senior centers may open— but the problem is that “open” does not really mean “open open.”
Still no news from the State of Vermont at this time. Senior centers around this state—and New England—continue to wait to learn when they can re-open, what activities will be allowed, and what the maximum number of participants permitted inside will be. The state has declared that those in the over-65 age category warrant special consideration—so, do not be confused by what is allowed for the general population.
One of the synonyms for “miraculous” is “incredible.” And so, it is miraculous—cum incredible—how gracefully our instructors at the Senior Center have pivoted to the online Zoom format for their classes during the quarantine.
National headlines tell the story: “Social Distancing Leads to Severe Blood Shortage.” Across the country, thousands of blood drives have been canceled. By mid-March, this meant 86,000 fewer blood donations, truly a national crisis. One cause of the great drop in donations is the fact that many places where blood donations might take place—such as campuses and libraries—are currently shuttered.
Yes, Emily, there really will be a morning. The sun is just over that hill…. The problem is that the hill is much, much further away than we thought. Even so, aren’t you glad that you didn’t know at the outset that this quarantining and social distancing would be lasting so long?
The big questions on everyone’s minds these days are when? And how? It looks as though they will not be answered for at least a while. While Gov. Scott has extended the quarantine to May 15, that is very possibly not going to be the final word on the topic. Is Vermont really looking at a re-opening day in May? Or June? Or sometime after that? No one knows for sure at the moment.