Arabic conversation
May 4 and May 18 at 9:45 a.m.
Azza Omer from Sudan has generously offered to teach a free informal, light and easy conversational Arabic language class on Monday, April 6 at 9:45 a.m. at Bemis Hall. Learning something completely new is great for brain fitness and for having fun! You’ll learn some common words and phrases. Come give the class a try!
Lincoln Academy with Alison Taunton-Rigby: Biotechnology in Massachusetts
May 4 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, May 4 at 12:30 to hear Alison Taunton-Rigby discuss “Biotechnology in Massachusetts.” 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.
Power to the survivors: looking forward from cancer
May 5 at 10 a.m.
Surviving cancer can transform us to live a much fuller and more joyful and passionate life. Come join with other survivors for an eight-week group to share information and ideas about how you are living differently and more positively as a result of being a survivor. The group will be held on Tuesday mornings at 10 a.m. at Bemis Hall beginning May 5 and facilitated by Pam Mizrahi. The group is not for sharing treatment options or looking backwards to the past, but rather coming together as we move ahead on a life-affirming journey with more wisdom and self-awareness.
Meet with an aide to Congresswoman Clark
May 6 at 1 p.m.
You’re invited to Bemis Hall on Wednesday, May 6 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.
New meditation and discussion group
May 7 at 2:30 p.m.
What is true success and how do you pursue it? Do past achievements, good relationships, happiness or other things make a person successful? In this innovative group, we’ll look at what authentic success is and how you can become truly successful. Please join Pamela Mizrahi in an eight-week group on Thursday afternoons at 2:30 at Bemis Hall beginning May 7 (not May 14) to consider what true success is and how best to feel successful. Each week you will consider different aspects of success and discuss them as a group as a way of clarifying your own thoughts and looking at your life and success in new ways.
Enjoy Dixieland jazz
May 7 at 2:30 p.m.
Tired of the grandkids assailing your ears with that whiny noise they call music? Just want to sit back and enjoy some good old-fashioned harmony? A melody you can hum along with? Tap your toes to? Well, look no further. The Lincoln Traditional Jazz Sextet will be back at Bemis at 2:30 on May 7 to entertain you with those wholesome tunes you know and love. The group are all retirees, amateur musicians who give expression to their love of the jazz of the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s by belting out beloved good ole tunes that will have you tapping your toes and clapping your hands. And bring the grandkids!
May day celebration
May 8 at 10 a.m.
Celebrate spring with Jai Kaur Annamaria in one of Lincoln’s secret wonders—a local labyrinth—with our very own May Pole! You’ll experience the ancient meditative practice of walking a labyrinth, indulge your senses in flowers, create your own May Basket and enjoy spring foods. Friday, May 8 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Please call the COA at 781-259-8811 to sign up. Location given on registration. $5 donation requested.
Considering a hip, knee or shoulder replacement?
May 8 at 1 p.m.
Do you have hip, knee or shoulder pain? Is this pain keeping you from daily activities? Are you or a loved one considering having a hip, knee, or shoulder replacement? Come hear Sara Heldman, PT, DPT, from Physical Therapy Associates of Concord at Bemis Hall on Friday, May 8 at 1 p.m. discuss how to prepare your body and environment to optimize outcomes, strategies for the right time to plan surgery, and what to expect following surgery. Bring your questions and concerns.
Lincoln Academy with Elizabeth ten Grotenhuis: Alexander the Great—From Conqueror to Deity
May 11 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, May 11 at 12:30 to hear Elizabeth ten Grotenhuis discuss “Alexander the Great: From Conqueror to Deity.” 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.
Strategies for caring for yourself if a family member is seriously ill
May 13 at 10 a.m.
Taking care of yourself may not be high on your priority list when a family member is seriously ill, but it should be. Staying healthy can be a challenge when caring for someone else, but if you are not well, then you will not be able to effectively care for your loved one. Come find out how you can make sure you are able to care for your loved one when Pam Taylor of CareDimensions comes to Bemis Hall on Wednesday, May 13 at 10 a.m. All are welcome, including friends of those seriously ill, family, neighbors, and others.
May 15 at 1 p.m.
Death with dignity: film and discussion
Should we be able to determine when we die, and, if so, should that choice be limited to only those with a terminal illness? Should physicians be allowed to assist? Join Dilla Tingley for a lively and courteous discussion of these and other questions on Friday, May 15 at 1 p.m. First you’ll see the award-winning film How to Die in Oregon that explores the stories of terminally ill people as they decide whether to end their lives under Oregon’s physician-assisted suicide law. Then Dilla will lead a discussion of the many complex and emotionally charged issues involved.
Lincoln Academy with Richard and Peggy Puffer: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
May 18 at 12:30 p.m.
Come to Bemis Hall on Monday, May 18 at 12:30 to hear Richard and Peggy Puffer discuss “San Miguel de Allende Mexico, Baroque/Neoclassical Gem, World Heritage Site.” 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.
Senior dining
May 19 at 11:30 a.m.
Lincolnites 60 and older are invited to enjoy a gourmet meal with new friends and old at 11:30 on Tuesday, May 19 at St. Anne’s Church. They have new diners often—please come and brighten your winter by giving the luncheon a try! They need you! Please 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 if you need transportation or a seating partner. The lunch is co-sponsored by the COA, the Friends of the COA, Minuteman Senior Services, the Garden Club and St. Anne’s, and the volunteer serving staff consists of your Lincoln friends and neighbors.
Coffee with Lincoln artist Juliet Rago
May 19 at 2:30 p.m.
“My new work departs from conventional ways of depicting the skies,” says Lincoln artist Juliet Rago. “My studies are about the emotion I feel when I contemplate the ever-changing color, the dark and the light, of the heavens in all their manifestations and transformations. My materials are conventional, but I use them in unconventional ways.” View Rago’s new exhibit at the Bemis Gallery in May and June and join her for “Coffee with the Artist” on Tuesday, May 19 at 2:30 p.m. at Bemis Hall. Rago studied at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago and in Florence, Italy, and has taught and been featured in numerous exhibits in the U.S. and Italy.
Mount Auburn Cemetery trip
May 22 at 9 a.m.
See some of the fascinating and beautiful places and monuments in this amazing historical and nature site on Friday, May 22. The trip will include a 60-minute guided walking tour of the cemetery. The guide will point out the art, history, architecture and people of note buried there. Please bring cash for lunch at Asai restaurant in Belmont. The trip will leave the Lincoln Mall parking lot at 9 a.m. on a Doherty’s school bus and return by 2 p.m. The cost is $10, which does not include lunch. The trip is limited to 30 people. To reserve your place, make your check out to FLCOA trips and send it to Donna Rizzo, 22 Blackburnian Road, Lincoln, MA 01773 by May 15th. Please include your telephone number and your email address. For more information, call Donna at 781-257-5050.
Jazz with Ehud Ettun and Haruka Yabuno
May 22 at 12 p.m.
Join bassist/composer Ehud Ettun and pianist/composer Haruka Yabuno in a free concert celebrating the release of their new CD BiPolar on Friday, May 22 at 12 p.m. at Bemis Hall. They will play such traditional jazz and ragtime pieces as Moon River and Night and Day as well as original compositions. Ettun is a performer and composer of global reknown and is instructor of the COA’s very popular “Ear Training” classes. He currently teaches at the Concord Conservatory of Music. Yabuno has brought her love of both classical and jazz music to well-known venues in New York and elsewhere. Bring a lunch; the COA will provide coffee and dessert.
Boomers at Bemis: the COA isn’t what you think!
May 28 at 10 a.m.
As a generation which never saw itself cutting back on their “seize the day” attitude towards life, boomers everywhere are finally starting to think about what aging means to them. Just as they reimagined adult life and changed the world to meet their expectations, it’s time for boomers to rethink aging and what services and programs they want from Lincoln and the COA. You’re invited to be part of preparing the COA for a new generation of users. Come to Bemis Hall on Thursday, May 28 at 10 a.m. Meet the COA staff and one another, give us suggestions, offer ideas and perhaps form an ongoing group. We look forward to welcoming you.
The “Justice” course: the justice of human reason
May 29 at 10 a.m.
Immanuel Kant says that justice is doing the right thing for the right reason, not maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain for most people or advancing individual liberty. But how do we know what is “the right thing” or the “right reason?” Aren’t there limits to human reason? Is human reason always “just?” These are some of the issues which will be considered and discussed in the sixth installment of the Justice course, which will be held at Bemis Hall on May 29 at 10 a.m. Please come and join the conversation! Michael Sandel’s “Justice” course at Harvard is reputed to be its most popular course. Experience it when Steven Perlmutter, a Lincoln attorney, shows a video of a one-hour lecture from the course about the above issues and facilitates a discussion. The course is about what justice, or the right thing to do, is, drawing upon the great philosophers and contemporary issues. Perlmutter will encourage the exchange of a wide range of ideas about the “justice” issues raised in the lecture and will seek to ask thought-provoking questions that will spark a spirited discussion.
Choosing an assisted living or other elder housing facility
May 29 at 1 p.m.
Moving into an assisted living facility or other elder housing can offer the opportunity for independence, safety, convenience, and an enjoyable and happy way of life. But how to find the right facility for you? Considerations go far beyond what you can afford. You need to think about what services you need, what kind of social atmosphere you are comfortable in, and more. Find out more about what assisted living and other elder housing offers, what to look for, and how to choose a facility when Janice Bernstein of the Massachusetts Assisted Living Facilities Association comes to Bemis Hall on Friday, May 29 at 1 p.m. Bring your questions and concerns!
Techno teach-in with teens
June 3 at 10 a.m.
The Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School senior class is having a Give Back to the Community Service Day, and they invite you to join them at Bemis Hall on Wednesday, June 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. High School students will be here to help you operate your cell phone or assist you with email, Skype, saving photos and more. The teens come each year, and every year everyone who meets with them raves about how knowledgeable and polite they are. So, whether you want some tips on texting to keep up with grandchildren, or need help learning to store and play your favorite music and films on your computer, or anything else tech-related, call the COA at 781-259-8811 for an appointment today!
Save the date:
Newburyport Cushing House museum and gardens
A group will meet at 9 a.m. in the Donelan’s parking lot on Monday, June 22 for a COA coach bus trip to historic Newburyport at the mouth of the Merrimac River before it empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Inhabited by the Pawtauket tribe, Newburyport was settled in the 1630s by European immigrants as a fishing and ship-building town. Increasingly, it became a trading center. In 1844, Caleb Cushing, the owner of the Cushing House, negotiated the first trading deal with China. You will take a guided tour of the 21-room, Federal Period Cushing House with time to relax in the garden. Please note that the museum covers two floors and there is no elevator. From there you will eat lunch at a near-by seaside restaurant on a pay-on-your-own basis. The bus should be back in Lincoln at about 3 p.m. The cost of the trip is $20 (non-refundable) to cover the guided tour and the bus trip (supplemented by Hurff Funds). Sign up soon (the cut-off date is June 5) and include your check, address, telephone number and email address. Checks should be made out to FLCOA and mailed to Peggy Schmertzler, 142 Chestnut Circle, Lincoln, MA 01773. Questions? Email or phone Peggy at 781-259-0465 or alpegs@verizon.net.
Trip to the Cape Cod Canal
Join the COA on Thursday, July 16 for a COA Coach Bus Trip to the Cape Cod Canal that will include lunch at a seaside restaurant followed by a sightseeing cruise on a canal that’s a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.