Here are the September events sponsored by the Lincoln Council on Aging.
Celebrate fall with the Trad Jazz Jammers
September 4 at 2:30 p.m.
Celebrate fall’s beginnings at Bemis Hall on Thursday, September 4 at 2:30 p.m. when the Lincoln Traditional Jazz Jammers share their love of this lively music in a delightfully spontaneous jam! Tap your feet or get up and dance as they belt out favorites such as Sweet Georgia Brown, Ain’t She Sweet, Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans? and others we all know and love. The group are all retirees, amateur musicians who give life to the hot jazz of the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s at the Trad Jazz Jams at the Library on the third Saturday of each month, at the Colonial Inn on Wednesday nights, and now at Bemis Hall.
Lincoln Academy at the movies: jazz great Willie the Lion!
September 5 at 1 p.m.
One of jazz’s most flamboyant and entertaining pianists, Willie the Lion Smith, was known as a master of the “stride” style, as well as for his ever-present cigar and derby. Harold McAleer continues the COA’s series on jazz greats on Friday, September 5 at 1 p.m. at Bemis Hall. Come watch, listen, and learn about this giant of the pano!
Lincoln Academy with Lynn Gargill: “Images from Space, Blending Art and Science”
September 8 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, September 8, at 12:30 to hear Lynn Gargill discuss “Images from Space: Blending Art and Science.” Bring a bag lunch. The Council on Aging provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion.
Tell your story with the COA memoirs group
September 10 at 10 a.m.
If you have ever considered writing about your life or you already have a drawer filled with notes and beginnings, come to the first meeting of the memoir group on September 10 to see if the group would be a good place for you. Writing is a fine way to capture your own unique story and to reflect on its meaning, but it can be hard work. A memoir group can provide a supportive place to share your story and the perils of composition with interested people. Hearing about other people’s lives and adventures may also give you new insights into your own life. If you are interested in joining the group, please call Connie Lewis at 781-259-9415, email her at conlewis1000@gmail.com, or just come on September 10. The group will meet on these Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon: September 10 and 24, October 8 and 22, November 5 and 19, and December 3 and 17. Cost is $75 for the fall term.
Living hopefully with memory challenges
September 12 at 10 a.m.
People living with memory challenges can continue to learn, grow and contribute to their communities. Find out more about innovative techniques to live fully and happily with memory loss as well as efforts to promote hopeful living when John Zeisel, Ph.D., comes to Bemis Hall on Friday, September 12 at 10 a.m. Zeisel is the President of Hearthstone Alzheimer Care, which operates a program at The Commons in Lincoln and six memory care residences, as well as the Founder of the I’m Still Here Foundation.
Welcome fall with jazz and lunch!
September 12 at noon
Say goodbye to the last of the lazy days of summer and hello to crisp fall days with a very special lunch and a show on Friday, September 12 at noon at Bemis Hall! First, you’ll be treated to “Tradition’s Summer Salad” consisting of mesclun greens with fresh berries and grilled chicken finished with drizzled champagne vinaigrette, with rolls and butter, followed by a mouth-watering light dessert. Then you’ll enjoy a jazz concert by a jazz group from the world-famous Berklee College of Music. The group is led by Sudbury native Chris Nifong, a senior at Berklee majoring in performance as a guitarist. This program is sponsored by Traditions of Wayland. It is free, but sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811.
Lincoln Academy with Rory Browne: “Beastly Boston—100 Years at the Franklin Park Zoo, 1912-13 to the Present”
September 15 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, September 15 at 12:30 to hear Rory Browne discuss “Beastly Boston—100 Years at the Franklin Park Zoo, 1912-13 to the present.” Bring a bag lunch. The Council on Aging provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion.
Musical ear training
September 16 at 10 a.m.
The Concord Conservatory of Music and the COA will be offering two eight-week courses (one beginner and one advanced) in musical ear training at Bemis Hall beginning October 21 at a cost of $60 each, with a free introductory session on September 16 at 10 a.m. Listen to different music to learn about music history and forms and how to better understand what we hear. Soon you’ll recognize musical elements and identify style, time and even artists. The courses will be taught by the Conservatory’s Ehud Ettun, a bassist, composer and recording artist who has performed worldwide.
Do less, accomplish more
September 16 at 10 a.m.
We’re all overwhelmed with information about what we should be doing that’s good for us. Simplify to be more productive with a new six-week group led by Pam Alberts, the COA’s assistant director. The group will explore how to determine what you can do to do less while accomplishing more to make you happier and healthier physically, mentally, and spiritually. This free group will meet on Tuesday mornings at 10 a.m. beginning on September 16 at Bemis Hall.
Senior dining
September 16 at 11:30 a.m.
Lincoln seniors are invited to a gourmet meal in an elegant setting at 11:30 on Tuesday, September 16 at St. Anne’s Church. On the menu will be corn and tasso ham chowder, rolls and butter, turkey meat loaf topped with tomato sauce, sauteed zucchini with tarragon, rice pilaf, and apple pie. You must reserve by calling the COA at 781-259-8811 at least a week ahead even if you have previously attended. The cost of each meal is $5. Caregivers are welcome to come with those for whom they are caring. Let the COA know when you call if you need transportation or a seating partner. The lunch is co-sponsored by the COA, the Friends of the COA, Minuteman Senior Services and St. Anne’s. And the volunteer serving staff consists of your Lincoln friends and neighbors. Except in extenuating circumstances, you must call to cancel at least a week ahead or the COA will need to charge you for the meal to cover our costs.
Musical ear training
September 16 at 12:30 p.m.
The Concord Conservatory of Music and the COA will be an offering an eight-week vocal music course, the Lincoln Choir Singers, at Bemis Hall beginning October 21 at a cost of $60, with a free introductory session on September 16 at 12:30 p.m. Learn vocal techniques and music theory while experiencing the joy of singing with others. You do not need to have “a good voice” or experience to join—a love of singing is enough! The courses will be taught by the Conservatory’s Ehud Ettun, a bassist, composer and recording artist who has performed worldwide.
Coffee with photographer Mark Hopkins
September 16 at 2:30 p.m.
Join photographer Mark Hopkins for “Coffee with the Artist” on Tuesday, September 16 at 2:30 p.m. at Bemis Hall to celebrate his show Shot in Lincoln in the Bemis Artists Gallery in September and October. The show is exclusively devoted to photographs taken in Lincoln, concentrating mostly on intriguing images of the town’s fauna, flora, and scenery. Retired from a career as an advertising agency executive and freelance writer, Mark Hopkins has been exploring photography’s artistic potential since acquiring his first digital camera in 2004. His photographs, which focus mainly on the natural world, have been featured in many solo and group exhibitions throughout New England and beyond. Mark and his wife Margie Yamamoto reside in Lincoln.
Do you have ideas on the Bemis basement?
September 17 at 10 a.m.
The Town is undertaking a study of the Bemis Hall basement to see what services and activities the COA may be able to hold there and what renovations and repairs would be necessary to make the space more useable, both for the COA and for others who may wish to use the basement for meetings or activities. The COA invites you to give your ideas of what kinds of activities should be in the basement, how the space should be configured into rooms, what amenities it should have, and any other suggestions you might have at a meeting on September 17 at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall. Come let the COA know what you think!
Meet with an aide to Congresswoman Clark
September 17 at 1 p.m.
You are invited to Bemis Hall on Wednesday, September 17 at 1 p.m. to meet with Natalie Kaufman, Constituent Service Representative for Congresswoman Katherine Clark. She will be available to assist residents with Social Security, Medicare, and MassHealth/Medicaid. You are also welcome to discuss other matters with her that she may be able to help with.
Sleep better for overall wellbeing
September 18 at 2:30 p.m.
A good night’s sleep is essential for our physical, cognitive, and emotional welbeing. Find out more about how you can get to sleep and stay asleep when Jason Strauss, MD, a geriatric psychiatrist with the Cambridge Health Alliance, comes to Bemis Hall on Thursday, September 18 at 2:30 p.m. Dr. Strauss will discuss why we may have more difficulty sleeping as we age and the latest treatments and strategies that are available to help, then answer questions.
Researching your next job in today’s market
September 19 at 10 a.m.
Finding the right job for you requires exploring your own skills and interests as well as brainstorming and researching the current job market. Get tips and strategies for identifying your skills, values, and interests, brainstorming job possibilities, researching job options, conducting informational interviews and establishing a contact network, and testing out careers with temp or volunteer work when Tee Provost of Operation ABLE comes to Bemis Hall on Friday, September 19 at 10 a.m. This is part of an ongoing series about Returning to Work, but you do not have to have attended the other sessions to benefit from this one.
Communication, advocacy and documentation to make your health wishes known
September 19 at 1 p.m.
Communicating effectively with your doctor, knowing how to advocate for yourself, and filling out a Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) form with your doctor are all essential to making sure that your wishes about your medical care are known and followed. Come find out strategies for teaming with your doctor in your care and more about the MOLST form and how you can benefit from it when Betty Ann Pomerleau, M.D., and Marianne Martinkus, Medical Assistant, A.S., of Lincoln Physicians and Emerson Hospital come to Bemis Hall on Friday, September 19 at 1 p.m. Bring your questions and concerns!
Lincoln Academy with Pam Taylor: “Am I Just Forgetful, or Do I Have Alzheimer’s?”
September 22 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, September 22, at 12:30 to hear Pam Taylor discuss “Am I Just Forgetful or Do I Have Alzheimer’s?” Bring a bag lunch. The Council on Aging provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion.
Visit the historic Saugus Iron Works
September 24 at 9 a.m.
Travel to the banks of the Saugus River on Thursday, September 24 to explore the birthplace of the American iron and steel industry. Discover where European iron makers brought their skills in the 17th century to a young Massachusetts colony at the site of the archaeological excavations done by Lincoln native Roland W. Robbins. Enjoy morning options of a guided tour, orientation film, museum visit and nature trails at this nine-acre National Park. The trip will depart from the Lincoln Mall at 9 a.m. by Doherty school bus. After a morning at the site the group will travel to Marblehead for lunch at a seafood restaurant at your own expense with the group. The bus will depart Marblehead by 2 p.m., arriving back at the Lincoln Mall by 3 p.m. The non-refundable cost of the trip is $8.00 made payable by check to FLCOA Trips and mailed with your email or phone number to Rob Todd, 126 Old Concord Rd, Lincoln, MA 01773. Payment must be made by September 21. Questions? Email Rob at hmbt@comcast.net or call 781-259-8820.
Gentle yoga
September 24 at 9 a.m.
Would you like to try yoga but are concerned it may be too rigorous for you? Try the COA’s new Gentle Yoga class with experienced instructor Jai Kaur Annamaria San Antonio. The class will be held on eight Wednesday mornings at 9 a.m. beginning on September 24 at a cost of $40 for the course. You may do the class on the floor or in a chair and the instructor will help you adapt the poses to your special needs. You may try one class free! Please sign up in advance by calling the COA at 781-259-8811. The Mass. Executive Office of Elder Affairs subsidizes this class.
Do you have something you need sewn?
September 25 at 1 p.m.
Do you have a seam that needs repairing or a hem to be taken up, or some other sewing need? Barbara Straus has volunteered to come to Bemis Hall on Thursday, September 25 at 1 p.m. to help you with your sewing needs! No need to sign up, just come on down!
Express yourself in watercolors with Jane
September 29 at 9 a.m.
Rediscover the joyful soul within you through art and nature in Jane Cooper’s watercolor class. Jane will offer fun dabbling in watercolor painting of scenes of nature, landscapes or perhaps some favorite sky. Two sessions of four classes will be offered each Monday and Friday beginning September 29 (first session) and October 17 (second session) from 9-11 a.m. at Bemis Hall. The cost is $15. Call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up.
Lincoln Academy with Sarah Thomas: Are libraries obsolete in the digital age?
September 29 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, September 29 at 12:30 to hear Sarah Thomas discuss “Are Libraries Obsolete in the Digital Age?” Bring a bag lunch. The Council on Aging provides beverages and dessert. The lectures last about an hour, including a question and answer period. Participants are welcome to stay after the program to continue their discussion.
The Boston Symphony Orchestra matinee
Music lovers will be thrilled to hear that the COA Trip Committee is planning a fall trip on November 7 to the Boston Symphony Orchestra. You may choose to dine at the buffet at Symphony Hall, and then you’ll be treated to one of their memorable Friday afternoon matinees. Transportation by bus will be included in the cost. Look for more information in October.
Christmas with the Reagle Music Theater
Welcome in the holidays with a trip to the Reagle Music Theater Christmas Extravaganza on Sunday, December 7 at 4 p.m. The trip will travel by bus to Waltham to experience this delightful local theater. Look for more details in October and November!
Get what you deserve with a benefits check-up
Would you like to know what government programs you might be eligible for that you might be missing? Call the COA at 781-259-8811 to make an appointment to come down and have a benefits checkup courtesy of BenefitsCheckUp.org. You can fill out a form at home, and then bring it in so that one of the COA staff can enter it into a special program developed by the National Council on Aging. You’ll then learn which among the nearly 200 programs covered by BenefitsCheckUp you may qualify for. Programs include Social Security, Alzheimer’s programs, caregiver and respite services, education and employment programs, help with housing and foreclosures, pension assistance, Medicare and other health insurance, health care and dental services, programs for those with disabilities, transportation programs and more.