What's New at the Senior Center: Mother's Day Breakfast

Submitted by Sherry Jackson, Associate Director

The Council on Aging will hold a Mother’s Day breakfast on Wednesday, May 9 at 10 a.m. at , 539 Highland Ave. All senior women are invited to attend and enjoy a complete breakfast of pancakes, sausages, scrambled eggs, biscuits and home fries.

There is no fee for this program, but sign-up is required. Call 781-455-7555 to sign up.

SAVE THE DATE

On Wednesday, June 20, The Friends of the Needham Elderly will take a trip to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and Gardens Guided Tour, with lunch at the Venezia on the Waterfront in Boston. Cost is $65 including tips.

THIS WEEK AND COMING UP

These programs are going on this week at the or require registration this week. To sign up, call the Senior Center at 781-455-7555.

• Weekly Flicks—Watch "The Artist" (2011) on Friday, May 18 at 1 p.m. at the Senior Center. This is free, and there is no sign-up required. 
• Monday’s Lunch Bunch—Try someplace new, socialize and enjoy a good meal with Monday's Lunch Bunch. The group meets at the Senior Center at 11:30 a.m. to board a van to the lunch destination. Coming up: A trip to The Aegean in Framingham on Monday, May 14. A suggested donation of $5 will be collected on the van. Participants also pay the cost of their meals.
• It’s Friday Entertainment Live with Singer Gail Gallagher—Friday, May 11, 1:30 p.m. “As Time Goes By” is a show filled with comedy, poignancy and love-struck characters riding the ups and downs of love and life with songs from the 1920s to the ’70s—Broadway, Hollywood, big bands, pop and rock n’ roll. Sign-up is required. There is no fee for this program.
• Blood Pressure: What’s all the Fuss About?—Wednesday, May 16, 12:15 p.m. A Lunch and Learn presentation by Bobbie Converse, RN in honor of National High Blood Pressure Education Month. Converse, an RN employed with the Visiting Nurses Association Care Network, will be available to answer questions about blood pressure and health. There is no fee for this program, but sign-up is required.

TRY SOMETHING NEW

• Spanish Class for Beginners—Tuesdays, May 8, 15, 22 and 29, 9:30 a.m. at the Senior Center. This class is for individuals with little or no previous experience with the Spanish language. Both instructional and conversational, this class will give participants tools to learn Spanish and will be great fun for all. The class is taught by volunteer Lumareli Marcaccio, the director of operations with ComForcare Senior Services in Norwood.
• Computer Lessons—The Council on Aging offers computer lessons on Thursday afternoons by appointment. Those who would like to learn about computers in a one-on-one session with an instructor are invited to these classes. Lessons are offered on Thursdays from noon to 3 p.m. (by appointment). There is no fee for this class. To make a 45-minute appointment, call the COA at 781-455-7555.
• Creative Writing Group—The COA writing group meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Senior Center. All are welcome, and sign-up is not required. This writing group is for all levels. The class is not about using proper grammar. It is about capturing memories or stories on paper and most of all having fun. The class is facilitated by a published writer.

DANCE AND EXERCISE CLASSES

Get fit and learn something new with Council on Aging dance and exercise classes. Sign up in advance by calling 781-455-7555. Payment is due at the first class.

• Tai Chi Class—Mondays, beginning May 14 at 9 a.m. at . Tai chi is a slow-motion, moving, meditative exercise for relaxation and health. As a stress-relieving therapy, it leaves the participants ready to face whatever difficulties their day may bring. Instructor Scott Brumit has studied various forms of martial arts since 1983, including tai chi and gigong. Cost for this four-week class is $16.

WALKING PROGRAMS

Spring is in the air! Get out and get walking with these programs offered by the Council on Aging. To sign up, call Sherry at 781-455-7555.

• The Walking Club—If you walk two to four miles, a couple of days a week, then this walking club is for you. The walks are designed to offer variety. Participants will have an opportunity to walk with other walking clubs and explore trails outside the local area, with transportation provided. Upcoming walks include: Friday, May 4, Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain and Friday, May 11, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway in Boston.
• The Walking Partners Program—Would you like to have company on your walks? The Council on Aging will match you with two others who walk your pace and coincide with your schedule.

LOW-VISION SUPPORT GROUP

The Low-Vision Support Group meets at the Senior Center on the third Friday of every month. The group provides an opportunity for newly blind and visually impaired persons to come together to discuss issues relating to their vision loss. The group addresses topics about how to use specialized equipment in the home or on the job; how to maintain independence, aging and vision loss, or the effects of vision loss on family and friends. If you need a ride, call the Senior Center at 781-455-7555.