Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto

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2012 Archive

Philip Hodge - Court Jester
Contact: elderjourney-info@uucpa.org

Jan 10 — I used to…  but now…

Rev Amy wants us to do put pen to paper again. She writes:
It's a writing prompt that leads to fascinating thoughts and sharing. We'll hear some samples, write, and share as we feel comfortable.
She’s done this sort of thing before, and it’s been fascinating. She’ll provide the writing utensils; we supply the thoughts. I don’t know how she feels about any of you super-modern Elders bring an Ipad – that’s between you and her.

Jan 24 – Where Do We Go from Here?

We need facilitators and topics for 2012.  Dan or Amy  will lead us at the 2nd Tuesday meetings, but we need topics for March 27, April 24, May 22. etc.  Topics can be social, participatory, or informational:
Informational topics:. You can do it yourself or work with Misao on finding an expert to inform us.  The November meeting on Hospice Car led by Misao, and the August one on Internet Communication led by Sylvia with Joe Chee as the expert are recent examples.
Participatory sessions:   This is a newly recognized category I’m heading up.  This past year Carl Skold visited to lead us in songs from “Rise Up Singing” and Susan Owicki got us involved in “Improv Games”.  Some years ago Bill Landauer taught us how to do “Yoga sitting down”.
Social topics:  Almost anything else!  The discussion on People in your Life led by Mona, and Favorite Poems led by June are examples from last year; most of the sessions led by Dan and Amy are in this category.  Sylvia can help you on this.

Please come prepared to suggest a topic which you are interested in, and a date when you can lead the discussion.  If we get our program filled in time, we can each take a minute or two to say  “What’s on my mind these days” – sort of like a low-key Caring and Sharing.

Feb 14 – My Favorite Valentine

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Sugar is sweet
And so are you
How many times did you get – or send –this simple rhyme, scrawled on a sheet of lined notebook paper on February 14?  Or perhaps some mean little boy changed to last two lines and sent:
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Onions stink
And so do you

As you grew older, the cards probably got fancier and the sentiments more sophisticated.  If you didn’t feel creative, you could always resort to the HallMark rack at the local drug store.  The valentine might have been more than a card: perhaps a red rose, a heart-shaped box of chocolates, or a wisp of red lingerie from Victoria’s Secret?

Over the years, you’ve probably sent and received dozens – perhaps hundred – of Valentines.  For our Elder Journey meeting on February 14 2012, search your memory, decide which one was your favorite, and tell us about it.
Rev Dan will host this amorous exchange.

Feb 28 – FREE.CYCLE  or  HOW I SAID  “GOOD BYE”  TO A BELOVED POSSESSION AND GAINED HAPPINESS

Many many years ago when we first became empty nesters my wife and I baked bread the old-fashioned way.  We purchased two pyrex bread pans -  the only proper way to bake bread.  Also useful for meatloaf and other culinary endeavors.  We spent many happy hours together in the kitchen making good use of those two pans.  –  –  The years passed by, we moved to California, our interests changed, my life changed, and the beloved breadpans gathered dust in the back of a kitchen cupboard. .  –  –  Last month my granddaughter told me about FreeCycle and volunteered to see if someone else would like those breadpans.  24 hours later they had been delivered to a woman who had asked her “caregiver” to pick them up.  –  –  Now I have a clear space in my cupboard and the gratifying feeling that I have added to the happiness of a fellow human who requires a caregiver to do her errands, all without adding a micro-ounce to our landfill.

You too can experience this triple joy.  Come to Elder Journey on February 28 where Ila Keiper will MC and guest expert Hershey Julian will tell us exactly how to do the simple steps that accomplish this miracle of converting your dust-gatherer to someone else’s treasure. 

Mar 13 – Your Magnetic Personality

Rev Amy will host.  She writes:
The surface of a person's refrigerator is the window to the soul. What's on yours? Postcards, favorite quotations, photos, children's drawings, shopping lists, carefully chosen magnets . . . ? Bring a representative sample (or even a comprehensive list or photo of the whole thing, if you want to be ambitious) and we'll share what's on our fridges and why.

Mar 27 – Children’s play – Then and Now

Sylvia Whitcher will host.  She writes:
"Games we used to play, and why children need them today" ? I may expand or change this just a little. The idea is to try to remember those games and why they were such fun for us, and how they got neighbors together: games of imagination and sometimes derring-do!

April 10 – Coping with an Emotional or Spiritual Crisis

Rev Dan will host.  He writes:
Your total health is tied to your spiritual and emotional health. If you face a spiritual or emotional crisis (death of a loved one, "dark night of the soul," etc.), your physical health can suffer. How do you stay spiritually healthy? Do you have a spiritual practice (meditation, etc.) that you can recommend to others?

April 24 – A Recent High Point and Low Point in your life.

>Note:  Due to an apparent lack of interest, the “OUTREACH for Seniors” program originally scheduled for April 24 has been cancelled.

Philip will lead a last-minute replacement program:  As aging Elders, we all too often find we have lost something we had as recently as a year ago.  We’ll probably have no trouble coming up with a recent low point.  But if we look for it, we should also be able to find a high point – something large or small that makes us glad we are still here.  It may be personal  - you recently rediscovered what fun you had playing the recorder.  Or it may be an accomplishment of a younger member of your family – your grandchild starred in a school play or was on a winning sports team.

Following our usual rules, we go around the room giving everyone a chance to relate ONE recent low and ONE recent high.  If time permits you can then relate that other occasion that was a close second.  And let’s loosely define “recent” as within the past year or so.

Philip Hodge, Court Jester