Next Event: AAA "The Older and Wiser Driver"

Hi Folks,

Well, the Ice Cream Social and Sing Along with Patrick Callanan was a great success! Thanks to The Village Green, who donated ice cream, hot fudge, cherries and whipped cream, we had a "really big" time. 32 seniors came to the event, most of them ate the congregate meal before Patrick's performance.

Patrick Callanan, of High Note Productions in Haydenville, brought in his karaoke equipment and everyone sang along. Patrick sang a few to the crowd too--Great old songs from the 30's-60's! A couple of people danced and there was a lot of swaying going on! We hope to have Patrick back soon.

Our next event is the AAA Safe Driving Presentation: "The Older and Wiser Driver," to be held on Thursday, July 25th at12:15 in the Mealsite. Please call us at 268-8407 for a reservation. As usual, if you would like to enjoy the congregate meal before the program let us know a few days ahead to reserve a spot!

AND!  In June the Intergenerational Garden behind our parking lot was planted by Fertile Ground staff, Senior Center staff & board members, Moms and Kids. Stop in and see the flowers and vegetables as all this rain soaks the soil. We hope to get a couple of benches in there soon. We are looking for a few people to do occasional weeding, watering (if ever needed) and harvesting! If you have a chance to check it out, please feel free to lend a hand--or call the Senior Center and let us know how you can help. 

We hope to see you soon at the Senior Center!

July! Ice Cream Social Event next week

Hi All!

July's newsletter hit the stands this week and we have copies available if you didn't get one. Or you can pick one up in the Burgy or Haydenville Post Offices or at Meekins Library. Call 268-8407 to get a copy or to add yourself to our mailing list or our electronic mailing list!

The big news is the Annual Ice Cream Social on July 10th at 12:15. Come and bring a guest or a friend. (Please call us for reservations--268-8407*) Our special guest is Haydenville's own Patrick Callanan, who will lead a sing-along with his karaoke set-up. With the words right there and all that great music, you can't resist singing!   * If you would like to come for lunch that day, call by Monday morning. Lunch starts at 11:45.

Hope to see you soon at the Senior Center!

Update and How to Join this Blog

Hi Folks,

The Annual Picnic at Nash Hill Place was a success! On the dark and rainy afternoon of June 13th, Larry West barbequed hamburgers and hot dogs, provided by TRIAD,on the porch. The senior Center staff made potato, macaroni and fruit salads. Cole slaw and desserts rounded out a great dinner. 40 people enjoyed that great meal and music by Group DeVille—a big THANK YOU to Fred Goodhue, Nick Dines & Rick Murname, who graciously donated their time and their beautiful music. Lots of conversation and a good time was had by all who attended!

One more presentation in June is the CDH talk on Palliative Care on June 26 at 12:15 pm. Palliative Care can help patients and their families cope with serious illness through a team approach to their physical, emotional, social and spiritual goals. The presentation also includes discussion about advance care planning considerations.  Come join in the conversation and learn how you or your family members can benefit from this valuable service.

AND! The senior center is looking for some people who like to garden. The gardens on the other side of our parking lot are in need of people to weed, plant, water and harvest! We hope that in addition to flowers, we could plant vegetables that people could come and pick at will. We can purchase plants to put in. Contact Sherry or Marie at 296-8032, email sloomis@burgy.org or comment below.

How do I join this blog? You can follow this blog in two ways: the easiest is by "Follow by email". You enter your email address and you get each new blog posts in your email. Or you can become a follower-in which you identify yourself by your blog or web address. Either way, you can comment below by entering your name and email (which is for id purposes only). Both of these options are in the right hand column.

Hope to see you all soon at the Senior Center!

June is Here!

June, finally! Just as we were wondering when the last frost would be. My first tomato plant is in the ground along with basil and marigolds to keep the pests away. Lettuce, bushy dill and parsley for my salads -. I'm even trying a couple of pepper plants this year. Not too bad for a container gardener.

The WCOA June Newsletter is out. If you would like to receive one by mail or email, give us a call at 268-8407. Otherwise you can pick one up at the two local post offices and the Meekins Library. One day I will figure out how to put it on line!

Two items not listed on the calendar are:

1. June 13, Thursday at 5 PM. The Triad/COA Outreach Committee Picnic at Nash Hill Place. It is open to all and free. (donations accepted) There will be a sing-along with Steve Damon at the picnic. Come and enjoy!

2. A talk on Paliative Care on June 26, 12:15. CDH Paliative Care will talk on how P.C can help patients and their families cope with serious illness in a way that stays true to the patient's goals. Join us in the Mealsite at the Williamsburg Senior Center/Town Office.

We hope to see you soon!

Name That Tune Again!

Hi All,
As a "younger senior" I realize the need to keep my mind active or I forget things too easily. Staying active and in touch with people has really helped me keep a youthful attitude. I love working at the Senior Center, and I enjoy meeting people and hearing their stories! If you get our Newsletter, you may have noticed a new page called Memories and More. I would love to hear from YOU about your memories or your short stories, essays or poems! Do you have a favorite (tasteful) joke or cartoon? I could use it here. Call Sherry at 268-8407.

Williamsburg and Haydenville have grown so much over the years, that sometimes it seems like our old friends are gone and we don't know our neighbors any more. Come to the Senior Center and meet your neighbors. You may find an old friend or two there, you never know! We serve Congregate Meals from Highland Valley Elder Services (HVES)  3 days a week (Tues, Weds, & Thurs.) to a great group of folks. Come join us! (Call two days ahead to make a reservation:  268-8407.)

Last month, Steve Damon and his saxophone entertained folks at the Senior Center with great old tunes to guess and stories to tell. We had a great time and wanted to give more people the opportunity to Name That Tune!  What fun it is to think back on those great old tunes, what we were doing then and who we were with. Not only a great mental exercise, but also just plain fun!. Sing along with your friends at the Senior Center on May 15th at 12:15 PM.  If you would like to come early for lunch, give us a call.

Last, but not least, a BIG THANK YOU to all who volunteer for the Senior Center!

See you at the Williamsburg Senior Center!

Sherry, Fran, Nylda and Marie

Happy Spring!

Hello and Happy Spring to you all!

As I speak it is about 50 degrees out and the sun is shining. There are a few old brown snowbanks around the parking lot, but the rest in bare and warming. The maple trees are starting to bud, bringing my allergies to the fore, but all I can think of is digging in my many raised gardens. I love Spring!

I have not yet the technology to get the newsletter on here, so I will say, If you want a copy of it you can get one at the post offices in Haydenville and Williamsburg. If you are not on the mailing list and want to be, let us know, and we can add you to our mailing list or our email list (268-8407).

We have a couple of events here at the Senior Center that you might be interested in:

• On Wednesday, April 10th, 12:30-1:30, you can learn the "10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's" in a talk by Melissa Grenier of the Alzheimer's' Association. Please call us to sign up (268-8407).

• On Thursday, April 18th, 12:30-1:30, we will host "Name That Tune" with Steve Damon of A Natural Music School. Steve says, "you choose the topic; I'll take care of the rest. Clues are cryptic; fun is contagious!" The show is open to all area seniors. Please call to sign up (268-8407).

On either day, you may come at 11:45 and eat lunch with us, if you'd like! Congregate lunches are free, though a donation is appreciated. We need reservations for lunch at least 2 days ahead.

We look forward to seeing you at the Senior Center! If you haven't ventured down, give it a try. We have many programs and services that may be if interest or help to you. Feel free to call Fran, Sherry or Marie and see how we can help you!

February Already!

Who can believe it is already February!  Well, I heard that Steve's Sugarhouse in Westhampton will open on Feb 22nd. That, to me is the first sign of Spring. After the sap starts flowing, the maple blossoms get my allergies going and Spring is surely going to make it! Sure as shooting, we will be planting pansies soon and seeing the birds come back.

Here at the Senior Center,our new commercial dishwasher is in and installed. We are now just awaiting the proper liquid soap and rinsing agent. I'm sure everyone will be glad to get back to real dishes!

The cooking class is not starting up at this time. We need a new person to teach it. Anyone interested?
Give us a call!

Also Kip Moeller, RN, will no longer be available for podiatric appointments in Williamsburg. You can make appointments for the Goshen Clinic by calling Liz Loven at 268-7122.  Kip does routine footcare for $25 per session.

Westhampton COA is inviting anyone to participate in their trip to the New England Air Museum on February 26th, with lunch following the visit. Admission to the museum is $8, the bus trip is $10 and lunch cost depends on you. Call Connie Dragon at 527-2958 for reservation. Be at the parking lot in the center of town at 9:00 AM.

Stay WARM and COZY!

Happy Holidays

Hello All,
We hope the holidays have been good for you so far . And a happy Christmas to those who celebrate it!

Thank you all who purchased holiday centerpieces from the Friends of the COA.  You helped us raise over $400.00 for the COA programming. Your donations are helping us to keep our valuable programs running, like the Companion Program, which is such a great service to elders who can not get out and may need some help or a friendly visit.

Look for our newsletter after January 1. If you are not already receiving it and want to get on the list, call us at 268-8407. Or you can pick one up on the bulletin boards of Meekins Library, Bread Euphoria, and the post offices.  

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Williamsburg Council on Aging will be closed 11/22 for Thanksgiving. We hope you all have a wonderful holiday, if you celebrate it, or a great day if you don't!

Needle Felting!

Did you ever try Needle Felting? Would you like to try? Call us to register for the Adult Creativity Class. Marie is teaching needle felting for 3-4 weeks on Tuesdays, 6-8 pm. $5 class fee covers materials. Do you have any old wool sweaters or blankets that you want to recycle? Bring them in. Needle felting is a great way to recycle old wool products. Call us with suggestions for other classes you might be interested in.
268-8407.

Meekins Library event!

The 5th Annual Meekins Market Holiday library tag sale AND a clothing drive to benefit the Survival Center and Dakin Animal Shelter will be held November 26th through December this year. Contact the library for more information. Come and shop locally! Bring your donations!

ADULT CREATIVITY CLASSES, MOVIES & GAMES

Hi Everyone,
Well, the election is over and cold weather will be settling in. TV is pretty boring. What to do? Join us for Adult Creativity Classes starting this week, Tuesday 6-8 pm at the Senior Center! Artist and COA Director Marie Westburg will be teaching a new art or craft every week. Come and learn something fun and new, or consider bringing your crafts in to work on. If you are wanting to learn a new craft, call the Senior Center at 268-8407 and pre-register. A $5 material fee may apply. Your suggestions will help us plan future classes. Hope to see you there!

IF you have a talent (an artistic method, a craft project, etc.) you would like to share, please consider teaching a class or workshop with us! The more people who get involved, the more creative we can be!

On Wednesdays, we plan to play a movie after lunch. Please consider bringing in one of your favorites to share, or see what we have to offer. Movies will set up at 12:15 (+-).

Then on Thursdays at 12:15, Fran will be hosting cards, puzzles & games. Want to play cards, start a bingo game, work on puzzles? Join us for lunch (call us 2 days ahead for reservations) and stay for the games. The Card Club will continue at this time, along with other activities. You set the pace! Let us know what you'd like to do.

And remember, you can get these posts as emails if you add your email address to the tab on the right. If you have your own website or blog, you can join as a follower. If not, just submit your email and keep up on the latest Williamsburg Senior Center news.

Free Flu Clinic!

Free Flu Clinic

At the Senior Center

October 22nd

10:00AM - 1:00PM

Age 65 and up

Welcome to Our Blog!

Today marks a new beginning at the Williamsburg Senior Center. We are in the process of going electronic! Blogging is a way to have an interactive website that you can comment on and contribute to. We hope to keep you informed about the programs and events happening at the Senior Center so more and more of you will be aware of, and participate-we can become a vibrant, active place to go.

We will be posting Newsletters and news of events and services. Please comment with any ideas or questions you may have. And stand by for more soon!

Sherry