Corrected time for OWL parent orientation

The First Parish Church has sent updated information on the mandatory parent orientation for the OWL program (Our Whole Lives) described in the September 18 News Acorns. The parent orientation is on Sunday, Sept. 27 from 7:30-9.p.m. in the Garrison Room of First Parish. For more information, email kathycronin@firstparishinlincoln.org.

New workshop on the Enneagram

On Monday, Sept. 21 at 9:30 a.m., Dan and Janet Boynton will begin a series of six weekly 90-minute classes at the Lincoln Council on Aging in Bemis Hall to explore the Enneagram, an ancient system of identifying our individual pathways to deeper self-realization. The Enneagram teaches us that people of various personality types respond differently to life issues such as stress, conflict and intimacy, and that people of each type can adopt a specific path which can result in greater happiness and fulfillment. There is no fee for this course.

Watch rebroadcast of Pope Francis’s address to Congress

The Climate Justice Ministry at St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church invites the public to the church’s Flint Hall on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. for a rebroadcast of Pope Francis’s address to the joint session of Congress. Pope Francis will speak that morning about many issues that concern the practice of Christianity in America, and after the address will have a discussion about how Christians are called to participate and engage in calls to justice. For more information, visit www.stanneslincoln.org or call 781-259-8834.

 

Architecture talk on “American Glamour: Making a New World”

Wellesley College Professor Alice T. Friedman presents a talk titled “American Glamour: Making a New World” on the influence of American consumerism and popular culture in the making of a handful of key Mid-Century Modern architectural projects on Thursday, Sept. 24 from 7-9 p.m. at the Codman Carriage House.  In particular, she examines the sometimes uneasy relationship between post-World War II American modern architecture with well-known European precedents, including the works of Walter Gropius, Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier. An optional evening tour of Gropius House follows the talk.

Tickets are $10 for Historic New England members and Lincoln residents, $15 for non-members. Registration is required. Please call 781-259-8098 for more information or purchase tickets online.

Three COA groups still have spaces

Even though these Council on Aging groups have started meeting, there’s still room for newcomers. For more information, call the COA at 781-259-8811.

Finding Our Voice: SeniorSpeak Performance Workshop

Senior citizens have so much to share with the world—a wealth of experience and the wisdom that’s gained from it. Yet many older adults lack the opportunity to speak out and share their experiences with others. In a new workshop entitled “SeniorSpeak,” older adults and Baby Boomers will rediscover their voices. Drawing on their memories, feelings, and convictions, members will create a performance piece that incorporates key moments and thoughts that shaped their lifetime—individually and as a whole—through scenes, poetry, and music. The free workshop presented by Leslie Kilgore will be held on Thursdays in Bemis Hall from 2:30-3:45 pm. The next session is Thursday, Sept. 24. No need to sign up.

Learn to Live Better with Chronic Disease

This free, interactive course provided by Minuteman Senior Services is an evidence-based program developed by Stanford University that provides tools and support for living with chronic disease, including healthy eating and exercise, dealing with pain, fatigue, and stress, problem-solving, and more. You will set and meet personal goals, identify and try simple techniques to improve quality of life, and build a network of support.  The next meeting is Wednesday, Sept. 23 from 9:30 a.m. to noon at Bemis Hall. The class ends on October 21. Please sign up now by calling the COA at (781) 259-8811.

Music Appreciation: Unwrapping the Music

It’s time to develop your musical listening skills and music appreciation, so try this course presented at the COA by the Concord Conservatory of Music. Learn about different musical genres by covering the music history, and the forms and function that shaped the musical styles. Soon you’ll recognize musical elements, identify style, time, and even the artists. The next class is on Tuesday, Sept. 22. The course, which consists of 11 more classes including September 22 costs $108. The class will be taught by flutist Ela Brandys of the Conservatory’s faculty. Sign up by calling the COA at 781-259-8811.

Parent orientation for Our Whole Lives class

Lincoln eighth-graders and their parents are invited to participate in the First Parish Church’s “Our Whole Lives” (OWL), a 14-week progressive and comprehensive sexuality course developed by the Unitarian Universalist Association and United Church of Christ. This program is firmly rooted in the values of self-worth, sexual health, personal responsibility and social justice. There is a fee for non-members of the First Parish.

Parents must attend a mandatory OWL parent orientation on Sunday, Sept. 27 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the church’s Garrison Room in order for their children to participate and sign a permission slip. For more information, email kathycronin@firstparishinlincoln.org.

Lincoln Garden Club to hold open house

On Monday, Sept. 28, the Lincoln Garden Club is having an open house, and all Lincoln residents are invited. Refreshments will be served and fertile conversations will be encouraged. No skill or expertise required—all you need is an interest in gardening.

The club beautifies and serves the community in many ways, including designing, planting and maintaining public planters and gardens such as Station Park across from the mall; creating and sharing flower arrangements for the library and for senior dinners; and bringing flowers to shut-ins during holidays. The garden club hosts monthly speakers on topics related to horticulture, floral design, conservation, and whatever other ideas may be germinating as well as workshops and field trips.

For more details about the open house, call Susan Seeley (781-259-0841) or Ann Parke (781-983-7018) or send an email to membership@lincolngardenclub.org.

“A Woman’s Guide to Life Planning”

A workshop titled “A Woman’s Guide to Life Planning” will provide an overview of how to handle major life changes including  dramatic swings in the stock market, the disability or death of loved ones, and the all-too-frequent-change in marital status can cause stress and anxiety. The event takes place on Tuesday, Sept. 29 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room.

Learn whether your investments are properly managed to help you achieve your goals, understand the most costly estate planning mistakes and how to prevent them, and examine the process of getting divorced or separated from your spouse. The presentation will be led by Della Spring, a life transitions coach and owner of Spring Awakenings; Anna Byrne, principal of Eckert Byrne LLC, a life and legacy planning law firm; Leigh Bivings, founder and CEO of Artemis Financial Advisors LLC; and Heidi Webb, founder of Consilium Divorce Consultations.

Starting September 16, 2015, the Lincoln Squirrel is switching the service we use to manage email subscriptions (going from Feedburner to MailChimp, to be exact). You may get an email asking you to confirm your subscription even if you were already subscribed. Go ahead and confirm, and you’re all set to keep getting Squirrel emails.

Why are we doing this? Previously, subscribers got a daily email whenever there was a new post. You’ll still get those emails, but they’ll look a lot nicer, and they’ll also send you to the Lincoln Squirrel website to read stories in their entirety. This will give everyone more opportunities to explore other parts of the website, including the display ads (thanks, advertisers!) and the Lincoln Squirrel store. While you’re there, you can also learn how to buy an ad in the Squirrel, make a donation, see upcoming events, and browse some big and colorful reader-submitted photos.

If you have any questions or problems, please email me at lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Happy reading!

Some Lincoln Squirrel subscribers may have gotten an email notification on Monday morning with an incorrect headline about the upcoming memorial events for Wesley Frost and Gwen Morgan, saying that one of the events is in memory of Toby Frost. The corrected article can be found here. The calendar section has also been updated with the correct time for the Wesley frost event. The Squirrel apologizes for the errors.

By Alice Waugh

Multiculturalism and diplomacy are at the core of Rev. Manish Mishra-Marzetti, the new senior minister for the First Parish, who was, in his words, “raised Hindu, in a Jewish neighborhood, in a predominately Christian country.”

Before becoming a minister, Mishra-Marzetti had a different vocation—the Pittsburgh native served in the U.S. Diplomatic Corps after graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. Working in Oman, Finland, Switzerland and Washington, he acquired a deep understanding and appreciation of cultures shaped by Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. He has also been a teacher of religious studies.

“Religious pluralism and cultural bridge-building were inherent to who I was,” he said.

Mishra-Marzetti graduated from Harvard Divinity School in 2005 and was ordained a Unitarian-Universalist minister. He subsequently worked in six Unitarian-Universalist churches, most recently as a senior minister in New Jersey and Florida. In Lincoln, he succeeds Rev. Roger W. Paine III, who retired last year.

Mishra-Marzetti contributed a chapter to “Wrestling with Adulthood: Unitarian Universalist Men Talk About Growing Up.” YouTube videos include his 2013 sermon on “When Failure Finds Us” and another in a less formal setting where he takes the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. There are also audio recordings of him delivering sermons at the First Parish last spring titled “Bringing Alive the Prayer” and “Living a Life of Prayer” on the church’s website.

Mishra-Marzetti will open First Parish’s church year this Sunday, Sept. 13. Regular Sunday services are at 10 a.m., with Sunday School and child care offered concurrently.

Dear Lincoln Squirrel readers,

I wanted to let you know about some updates to the Squirrel, including an important email address change.

Emailing the Squirrel

Last October, we switched to a shorter email address (news@lincolnsquirrel.com). Unfortunately, the server for this address occasionally held back messages as spam and I never received them. As a result, we’re going back to the original email address of lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com, so please update your address book accordingly. The “news@lincolnsquirrel.com” address will continue to work until sometime in the fall, when I’ll publish another notice saying it’s being disconnected.

Lincoln Squirrel merchandise now on sale!

What useful item do you get for the Lincolnite who has everything? How about a sweatshirt, lunch bag, sports bottle or drinking glass with the Lincoln Squirrel logo? There’s something for everyone in the family, including babies. Click on “Merchandise” at the top of the Squirrel website, or go straight to https://www.cafepress.com/lincolnsquirrel.

Advertising

We’ve made our web ads larger and reduced prices. The sidebar ads are now 300 pixels wide (the old ones were 230 pixels), and we have more affordable weekly and monthly rates. Click on the “Advertising” page for details.

Want to write or take pictures?

The Squirrel is always looking for writers and news photographers. Maybe you’re a high school or college student who wants to get some published articles under your belt, or someone who has some spare time and likes to write and take pictures. If so, let’s talk! The mission of the Squirrel is to cover news feature stories about Lincoln and its residents, but you don’t have to be a Lincoln resident to write for us. We can’t publish creative writing or stories on non-local topics, but if your idea has anything to do with a person, place or thing in Lincoln, emaill incolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com or call 617-710-5542 and we can discuss what you want to write about, what kind of research or editing help you might need, and so forth. You can also submit photos for consideration in our Lincoln Through the Lens feature.

As always, thanks for reading!

Alice Waugh
Editor, The Lincoln Squirrel
617-710-5542 (m)
781-259-0526 (h)
lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com