COA’s mission is to promote, develop, and reinforce programs that support and enhance the health, well-being, dignity, and independence of older people in the nine towns of the greater Kearsarge area.

November 2020
Mindfulness Meditation
Four Skills for a Resilient Life
led by Francine Rainone

Tuesdays, November 3 – December 8 at 10 AM
Participants can register to attend classes at the COA building or by Zoom
Please call COA at 526-6368 to register

Studies indicate that mindfulness meditation can improve health and increase emotional stability. Suitable for beginners and more advanced meditators, this course will introduce meditation methods for cultivating compassion, loving kindness, appreciative joy and equanimity. These skills result in a calm confidence in the face of life’s challenges, and can be practiced by anyone, regardless of your personal religious beliefs or lack of religious beliefs.

Francine Rainone has been meditating for many years. She has training in the Zen, Vipassana and Vajrayana traditions, and is a Drupon (practice Master) Lineage Holder in the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. After years as an academic philosopher and later as an acupuncturist and herbalist, she became a physician. Board Certified in Family Medicine and in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, her life’s work has been to bring compassion and joy into daily life. Recently retired, she has turned her attention to teaching mindfulness in order to help people find inner strength, peace and resilience.
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Tom & Tom’s Men’s Discussion Group – Mondays at 9 AM via Zoom
We want to hear your stories, and we’ll share a few of our own. Please call COA at 526-6368 to join.

French Discussion Group – First and Third Mondays at 4:15 PM via Zoom
Join this casual, friendly group to practice your language skills and have fun. Participants at all skill levels are welcome!  Please call COA at 526-6368 to join.

Bingo! – Mondays at 1 PM
Ten games for $5. Ten bingo sheets with six cards on each sheet. Participants must be 55 years old and older. Please call COA to register. Limit of 10 participants.

Chair Exercises – Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 AM
This low impact exercise program is perfect for those looking for an easy, effective exercise routine. Please call COA to register. Limit of 10 participants.

Outdoor Recreation for Seniors – Tuesdays at 10 AM
Join this active group to walk, hike, kayak and more! Please call COA at 526-6368 to register prior to your first activity.

Memoir Writing Group – Tuesdays at 10 AM via Zoom
Please call COA at 526-6368 to join.

Book Discussion Group – 10 AM via Zoom
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. Ten houseguests, each with a dark secret, are trapped on an isolated island with a diabolical killer.  Please contact Jo-Ann at jroy@nulltracylibrary.org for a link to attend the meeting.

Painting Group – Tuesdays at 1 PM
Bring your current painting project to work on. This is an informal group and we’d love to have you join us. Please call COA to register. Limit of 10 participants.

Needlework Craft Group – Wednesdays at 1 – 3 PM
Love to cross stitch, do needlework, quilt, knit or crochet? We’d love to chat, laugh, and get to know the folks who enjoy the same hobbies we enjoy. Please call COA to register. Limit of 10 participants.

Women’s Discussion Group – First and Second Thursdays at 1 PM
Get to know your neighbors over a casual cup of coffee. Join friends, new and old, to visit, chat and share! Please call COA to register. Limit of 10 participants.

Humanist, Agnostic, Atheist Discussion Group – Third Thursday (November 19) at  1:30 PM Welcome to those who are interested in delving into a variety of humanist and non-theist topics. We share our knowledge and experiences related to the challenging questions of religion, spirituality, and how they influence our lives. Using reason, critical thinking, and honest examination, we do our best to approach personal truths. Bring your thoughts, your questions, and an open mind, and join our lively, respectful monthly discussions. Please call COA to register. Limit of 10 participants.

Computer Tutoring with Nick Oursouff
Nick will be available for on-line tutoring sessions. Nick has an extensive background in computers from teaching to programming. Please call COA at 526-6368 for registration information.

VIRTUAL PROGRAMS
We’ve added some exciting on-line learning opportunities through our new partnership with “Senior Learning Network.” These LIVE programs will take you all around the country to museums and landmarks right from the comfort of your own home! Just call COA at 526-6368 to register for the programs and we’ll give you the Zoom connection information.

Thursday, November 5 at 2 PM
Spanish Missions in Texas

Why did the Spanish attempt to build Missions in Texas? What effect did this have on the Native Americans living in Texas? Were these Missions a success or a failure? Explore these questions alongside a museum educator with maps, timelines, and historical information.

Tuesday, November 10 at 2 PM
“I Want My Mummy!”  -Penn Museum

Mummies, intentionally or naturally preserved human (or animal) remains, hold a special fascination in popular culture. The very word, “mummy” typically brings to mind a mysterious ageless land, ancient Egypt, where mummification of the dead in preparation for a successful afterlife persisted for millennia. However, when we think of ancient Egypt’s mummies, we commonly associate them with books and movies that portray them as reanimated, vengeful monsters returning from death to wreak havoc upon the living. Where did such notions come from, and why? This workshop addresses that question by engaging participants in a close examination into the at least 500-year history that led to why ancient Egypt’s mummies hold such a special fascination in our own culture. Unpublished images of actual ancient Egyptian mummies, including royal mummies such as Ramses II as well as human remains recovered as part of Dr. Phillips’ own excavations in Egypt, are used to illustrate how and why the Egyptians mummified their dead (including their pets!). Please note: This program includes photography of human remains.

Thursday, November 12 at 2 PM
Wright Brothers National Memorial

How did small barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina become the site of the first successful flights of human history? In this presentation by the rangers at Wright Brothers National Memorial, you’ll learn about what made two brothers from Dayton, Ohio, travel to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina and how they used the perfect conditions of the Outer Banks to conduct their flying experiments and make the impossible possible.

Tuesday, November 17 at 2 PM
Life and Legacy of George Washington Carver

Explore the incredible life of George Washington Carver-  from his birth into slavery during the Civil War to his 47-year career at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Following the program, stick around! Just for fun, we will answer this question: Can you milk a peanut?!! George Washington Carver found this milk substitute in 1919 and shared it with impoverished people in the Belgian Congo, where most of the cattle and goats had died from disease.

Thursday, November 19 at 2 PM
Red Rock Canyon Park : “A Walk Through Time on the Desert View Trail”

Join us as we explore the climate change that has occurred at Red Rock Canyon over the millions of years including the beginning of the drying period approximately 12,000 years ago. We will then discuss the various animal fossils found and how mother nature goes through a system of change and adaptation. Learn about general flora and fauna and how the Native Americans used various plants for medicinal purposes. Discover the Three Hundred Year Flood the park experienced in 1997, including a story told by one of our past volunteers who was camping at the park with his grandson during the flood.

MONDAY  November 23 at 2 PM
ART ONLINE WITH SHERITA- “Harvest Pumpkin”

Sherita is back, and ready to paint again!  No experience necessary!
Join us as we create art from our hearts. We’re designing a painting that celebrates the beauty of fall. This opportunity is open to anyone looking to decompress and unleash the inner artist.  Just bring your creative self, acrylic or tempera paint (orange, yellow, red, blue, black, and white), paintbrushes, an 11 x 14 canvas or 8.5 x 11 white paper, art palette (Alternative: paper plate), cup of water, and a paper towel.