November Reflections & December Featured Programs
November was all about community!
We were honored to thank our veterans for their service to this country with a special breakfast and presentation on tracing your family history of service by guest speaker, Holly Tolley.
Residents of all ages hit the Legacy Trail for our 3rd Annual Turkey Trail Walk;
Chris and Candace of Weston Provisions hosted a charcuterie and cheese board workshop right in time for Thanksgiving – The workshop was sold out immediately, and for good reason – look at the incredible boards folks created!
University of Maryland historian Richard Bell presented to a full audience on the incredible life and the Fire of Frederick Douglass;
Sound therapist and musician Bernadette Yao treated us to the power of sound with a relaxing and rejuvenating sound bath;
Registered dietitian Tricia Silverman taught us about grub & guts – all about the microbiome;
Physicians from Newton-Wellesley Hospital presented on hypertension and stroke risk and Doctor of Physical Therapy Joshua Kaplan discussed anatomy and pain management to decrease back pain.
On Thanksgiving Day, we delivered nearly 175 full Thanksgiving meals to older adults in Weston. A huge THANK YOU to all of our volunteers who spent their Thanksgiving morning packaging and delivering meals!
We rounded out the month with a fascinating program on the dramatic, romantic, and tragic life of Vincent Van Gogh by art educator Jane Blair and we spent a day touring the Museum of Fine Art’s LIFE Magazine & the Power of Photography exhibition.
Mark your calendars for a festive (and busy) winter season at the COA!
Celebrate the season of togetherness with delicious light bites, festive sweet treats and music by the Winiker Jazz Trio at our Holiday Gathering, Monday, December 19, 12:00-1:00 at the COA.
For those looking for additional ways to celebrate the festive winter & holiday seasons, we hope you will join us for our Holiday Handbells Concert with the Lincoln Hand Bell Ringers Thursday, December 15, 2:00-3:00 at the COA and our Live Walking Tour of Lisbon Holiday Lights and Traditions – a walk through downtown Lisbon to see the city's beautiful Christmas lights and learn about Portuguese Christmas traditions – on Monday, December 12, 1:00-2:00 on Zoom.
Through the month of December,
The Cambridge School of Weston’s Harmonics, a small group of talented CSW student musicians committed to expanding live music in the community, will perform an impressive jazz concert on Wednesday, December 7, 1:00-2:00 at the COA.
Our Local and Global Discussion Group will discuss the mid-term elections on Thursday, December 8, including an analysis of the economy, inflation, cost of energy, and immigration.
Back by popular demand, we will host a Yoga Nidra offering on Tuesday, December 6, 12:00-1:00 at the COA just in time for relaxation before the end of the year;
Weston Forest and Trails’ Meg Kelly will lead us on a trail walk through Highland Forest on Wednesday, December 7, 1:00-2:00. Meet at 12:50 on Wildflower Lane off Highland St.
Chef Roberta Hing will provide a hands-on cooking class in our kitchen to teach you how to make classic dishes from the dim sum menu: mouthwatering Chinese barbeque pork puffs and fluffy scallion flower rolls, Tuesday, December 13, 11:00-1:00 at the COA;
Art educator Jane Blair returns at the end of the month for a tour through the life and works of Claude Monet and Auguste Renoir, two of the most beloved Impressionist artists, on Tuesday, December 27, 10:00-11:00 on Zoom.
For Royal Family fans, we will be streaming The Crown Season 5 on Friday afternoons 1:15-3:15 starting this Friday, December 2.
Check out our NEW T’ai Chi for Better Balance class, Wednesdays 1:00-2:00 in-person at the COA and coming in January – a new wellness program: Mindful Living!
For more information on these, and a full list of programs and events, check out our December newsletter.
Weston Gives Back
December Donation Drive
Monday, November 28-Friday, December 30
Through the month of December, we are collecting new hats and gloves for the Bristol Lodge Men’s and Women’s Shelters. Bristol Lodge provides safe and supportive accommodations for those in need in the Waltham community and beyond. Please consider bringing new hats and gloves to the COA and putting them in the donation box by the end of December.
Where in Weston?
Did you guess Where in Weston last month’s photo was taken? It was along the Rail Trail at the Concord Road Underpass! In the spring of 2021, 21 Weston High School students, under the artistic direction of Julie Hom-Mandell and Jacob Ginga and supported by the Weston Cultural Council, painted two large murals along the rail trail under Concord Road. The theme of the murals is “What freedom means to me” and students visually answered the question: “What actions and mindsets can we illustrate to become better allies and to create a more just world?”
If you can identify where this month’s photo (above) was taken, or have a guess, send your answer to frady.k@westonma.gov We will publish the answer in our next issue. Have fun getting to know our town a little bit better!
