Newsletters

Hi friends,

I can’t believe December is upon us already!! It must be though, because our fall session of gentle fitness has wrapped up this week thanks so much to Leslie who led 3 classes a week to try to accommodate everyone. We will be offering 3 gentle fitness classes a week in the new year (2 by Leslie and a new chair yoga with Martina) but details will have to wait while I sort out on line registration.

I encourage everyone to go to the town’s website and set up an account for recreation as this will make things easier in January when registration opens. Don’t worry if you have any difficulty, I am here to help and can walk you through it, but it’s not a complicated process. This online registration process will allow us to take credit card payments which has been a growing request and will allow you to sign up for trips and workshops from the comfort of home which will come in handy, I’m sure.

Joe is offering a complementary soapstone pendant workshop this coming Tuesday morning from 10:30-noon

This workshop is perfect for beginners. You just need to bring a small plastic bin to work in (an 8X12 Rubbermaid for example) some light gloves and an apron, some cloth rags are also handy. All tools and instruction are provided for you. Please send me a quick email so I can have enough tables set up.

I’d like to thank Maria and Sharon who led an enthusiastic group this week to paint lovely Christmas cards and I’ll try to get our photo up on Facebook soon so you can admire the results 😉

Mayfield is bringing us our last Toonie Tuesday of 2024 on the 17^th of December look for the  sign up sheet  in the main room. Our Members Lunch on the 6^th is taking overflow seating at the moment as we are pretty full so please, if you signed up and your plans change remember to let me know so we can ensure everyone wanting to join in has a place at a table.

I am opening seats up to our August 13^th trip to the National Arts Centre to see “Hamilton” so everyone is now welcome to come along for the ride. As a recap, tickets are either $175 for Mezzanine or $105 for rear Orchestra and we will be travelling by coach early enough to have dinner before our evening performance. We will be able to pick up in Brockville, Walker House and the park and ride if Kemptville if requested.

Our Tuesday afternoon crafters will be making Diamond Dot gift tags on the 17^th if you’d like to drop in at 1pm and you’ll be present for the draw for our gorgeous fur coat teddy bear crafted by Sharon Flood.

Hello friends,

I hope I see some of you tonight at the parade! I’ll be singing before hand as I usually do, but also walking with the town float tonight so I’ll get my steps in 😉

You won’t recognize me though, I’ll be one of the staff going incognito in an inflatable suit.

There has been so much interest in mah jongg and the only option currently has been upstairs in our library so we are adding Saturday afternoons to our schedule. If you would like to learn you are welcome to drop by on any Saturday at 1 and watch a round and if one of our teachers is here they are happy to help you get up to speed.

As long as there is enough interest, we will continue to have mah jongg twice a week, Wednesday afternoon in the library for a smaller group and Saturday afternoons at 1pm with room to spread out in the main floor activity room.

Have a great weekend,

Susan

Hi friends,

There I was, enjoying the coach ride to the museum yesterday and a new email popped up on my phone from Broadway Across Canada, confirming that we have 56 seats set aside for us on August 13^th, 2025 to see Hamilton.

It will be coming to Southam Hall at the National Arts Centre in August and they have good seats for us for the evening performance. We are split across 2 seating categories so I have a very limited number of seats in the rear orchestra for only $105 including our coach ride from Howards. The majority of our seats are central Mezzanine and the price for those including our coach is only $175pp.

I’m thrilled! Individual tickets are not yet on sale and subscribers and groups are eating them up quickly. I can’t see what the price will be if there are individual ones that go on sale, but for comparison, The Lion King Mezzanine tickets are $209 and that doesn’t include transportation costs.

I will need to purchase our tickets the first week of January, so I will be wanting people to sign up and pay by then. As always, my refund policy is that if I can fill your seat from a waitlist, I will give a 100% refund. Priority will be given to Walker House members and then I’ll open the remainder up to non-members.

You know what to do; send me an email or come in and sign up on the board. I will need payment by December 31^st (gee these would make a great Christmas present wouldn’t they?)

Let me know if you have seating requests and I’ll make sure you are sitting with your friends. I’m so excited for this one! It’s like Christmas came early 😉

Enjoy your weekend,

Susan

Hello friends,

I hope you are not like me and suffering with this time change. “Falling behind” always turns me on my head! Thankfully, I won’t have time to get sleepy this week with our Emotional Support Chicken crochet workshop and a second Mah Jongg workshop both taking place tomorrow. We’re preparing early for our  Friday member’s lunch because we will be busy on Thursday with our day trip to Ottawa. Reminder that we will be picking up in Brockville at Food Basics at 8:30 and then departing from Walker House by 9am. I have the trip waivers here if you like to do them in advance or just pop in on Thursday around 8:30 to fill one out when you check in with me. We are on a coach so there will be loads of room for shopping and walkers underneath and there are still about a dozen seats available if you have friends who would like to join us for the day. We will be home before supper time. Please send an e-transfer or drop payment by if you haven’t already done so and it is $50 member or not and includes transportation and museum admission.

Looking ahead, the office will be closed on Monday, Nov 11^th to observe Remembrance Day and I have a few regional meetings to attend that week so I’ll be in and out even more than usual. Toonie Tuesday is on the 19^th at noon and on Tuesday the 26^th in the morning (9:30-12:30) we are going to have a Christmas card making workshop with Sharon S and Maria. You will learn how to make a card from scratch and a fun and simple painting technique so you can impress all your loved ones with a special card this year. I’ll have a demo up on the board soon, but if that sounds like fun, then block the time on your calendar.

Barb, Sharon F, and Jo and I had fun handing out popcorn and hot chocolate at the Pumpkin Parade on the 1^st and I was happy to see many of you enjoying the festive stroll around the harbour despite the drizzly weather.

Thursday the 21^st we are going to have a movie night and watch something festive to get us in the spirit! I’ll have popcorn and dim the lights at 6:30. No charge, but I’ll post a sign up sheet so we can set up the chairs.

Take care and remember to get out for some sunshine during these short days!

Hello friends,

Just in time for Thanksgiving, I think I have a solution to my email woes.

If you are reading this email then apparently your address made the transition accurately. If you are seeing this twice, then I have duplicated your address and if you let me know, I will rectify that asap.

First a reminder for those coming with us next Wednesday to the Thousand Islands Playhouse. Our performance of Jesus Christ Superstar is at 2pm and we will return home immediately following the end of the play. Our Howard’s bus will be leaving Walker House at 9:30 sharp so please come by for 9am to sign in with me and sign your waiver. (I have some printed here if you want to swing by on Friday or Tuesday and get that done in advance too.)

We will be stopping at Food Basics on our way west and anyone wanting to catch the bus there can, as long as I know of it in advance please. Please arrive there by 9:35 in case we are early leaving here. Dress to spend some time downtown for lunch and then the bus will pick us up to go down to the play.

I have a new trip going to Ottawa on November 7^th to the Museum of Science and Technology. $50 will get you a spot on our deluxe coach and entrance to the museum for self-guided tours. We will stop in Merrickville on the way home just in time for lunch and a spot of shopping and then home for dinner time. Membership is not required so invite a friend along for the day!

Closer to home, we have Mah-Jong lessons beginning on Tuesday the 22^nd at 10am. There are spots for 8 players to join in this round and the frequency of lessons going forward will be decided by the group who assembles that day. We also have a wood veneer ornament workshop taking place on Saturday the 19^th of October from 10-4. Sign up sheets for all of this are up in the main room.

I’m putting out a call for any turkey carcasses or ham bones that will be tossed after your festivities this weekend. If you have room to throw them in the freezer or fridge at home and bring them by next week, I will happily turn them into stock for an upcoming soup!

I’m so happy to be coming into your in box again; I’ve missed you all! I’m also thankful as always for this fabulous place we call Walker House where I get to work every day surrounded by lovely and interesting people. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Hello friends,

Here we are in the middle of July already and I  have a few updates for you:

The family of Jeanne Chaters have asked me to invite her many friends to attend Walker House on Saturday, July 13^th at noon for refreshments and a celebration of her life. No RSVP necessary, please just come with a smile and good memories.

The remaining special events in July are Toonie Tuesday on the 16^th. Please sign up in advance for your lunch and this is your gentle reminder that we now have lunches at noon.

Our second workshop with the palette knives is taking place en plein air at 1pm on Wednesday the 31^st of July at the Rotary Pavilion east of the marina. Please come in to the house if you can to sign up and pay so you can see the list of required items. As before, we are providing paint, palette knives, and a canvas board for you and Sharon Stein will be our teacher. I’m looking forward to seeing how you take your new skills and translate them into this environment and hoping for a pleasant day for it. The pavilion has lots of cover so unless it is a heavy rain forecast, we will go on as planned.

Most of our Aqua-Fit group is attending at the pool on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and reporting back that the YMCA instructors are just as good as they have been in the past. Tuesday and Thursday, there is an adult fitness swim or some are heading down to the river instead and we swim in the river on Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 for now. No cost for any of the adult swimming and membership is not required – bring a noodle if you have one for the river. You can find the pool schedule at www.prescott.ca under swimming-pool-splash-pad

I’m excited for the St Lawrence Shakespeare opening this weekend and am pleased to share that they have an indoor matinee every Wednesday and are offering Tuesdays for Twenty for locals to attend the show. Also returning this year is the rain venue at St Andrews Church so you are guaranteed a play regardless of the weather.

Catch all the details at www.stlawrenceshakespeare.ca

Hello friends,

I’d like to start by thanking the Prescott Library for another lovely tea. They always do a fantastic job and it’s become something we look forward to each spring.

I’d like to invite all the knitters, crocheters, and quilters who made a Linus blanket to come on Friday morning for 10am to witness what their generosity has brought when we gather all the finished blankets here and take a photo before they are donated.  Unless you are camera shy, take a moment to put some lipstick on and get in the photo – it’s going to be very impressive to see them all gathered up at once.

This weekend is Victoria Day so the office will be closed on Monday although your regular activities are free to carry on without me. There is still time to sign up for Toonie Tuesday taking place at 11:30 on the 21^st. I’d like to let the Mayfield know our numbers on Friday morning to give Robyn a chance to prepare so please let me know by Thursday if you’d like to attend or come in and sign up on the board. We also appreciate a cancellation notice if your plans change so we can set the room up appropriately.

Take some time to stroll down to river walk park – the tulips are still glorious and there will be lots of fun happenings this weekend. Have a great holiday!

Hello friends,

I have seen some movement on our trip to Ottawa on Monday so please reach out if you’d like to join us and I’ll take a waiting list and do my best to make sure every seat is full. Here are the details again:

We are taking a coach to Bayshore for a bit of shopping and lunch and then heading to the Landmark Cinemas in Kanata for a private screening of, “One Life” starring Anthony Hopkins and Helena Bonham Carter.

Members pay only $18 and non-members are welcome to join for $25. (lunch is on your own, but the coach and movie ticket is included in your fee) I’ll check emails on Sunday and be in touch if you have a seat with us. We will pick up in Brockville at 8:30 sharp and then load here at Walker House for a 9am departure.

All story tellers and those who love to listen are invited to join us at 10am on Tuesday when Deborah Dunleavy returns for a Story Swap. Our theme this month is “Foolish Wisdom” if you’d like to try your hand at telling one. There is no charge for this event and refreshments will be provided.

That afternoon our craft group is going to do some more Diamond Dots and make some sweet little coasters. Come and give it a try at 1pm.

In other news, our pool table is lonely and is looking for companionship. Every Thursday at 10, you are invited to meet up here to play a game. If more than 4 come, we have a beautiful new shuffleboard table for the overflow so no need to register in advance, just drop in.

Hello friends!

I have lots of news to share this week including a new day trip, so pour a coffee and settle in:

Monday is the big event. Based on my sign up sheet, I still have some eclipse glasses available if you are looking for some and anyone is welcome to join us here with your own glasses too. I had mentioned a start time for our little gathering at Walker House for 1:30, but as the timeline gets sharper, I realise that might be a bit early. The eclipse starts at 2 and lasts about 2.5 hours with the full eclipse not taking place until around 3:20, so I suggest arriving around 2:30 instead. You are welcome to come at 1:30, just know that I may put you to work making popcorn and bringing our lawn chairs out. Our bridge players will be here and I’ll be setting up tables for them in the library so our noise and nonsense doesn’t interfere with their game.

Speaking of seating in the library…our lunches are becoming more popular than our space allows which is a testament to how great our kitchen crew is a cooking, I think. We are having our spring brunch menu on Friday the 12^th and have a table started upstairs to accommodate everyone. If you have difficulty with the stairs we will find a way to accommodate you on the main floor of course, and the early bird tends to get the proverbial worm too. Don’t worry, the menu is French toast, not worms.

There is a sign up sheet on the board for a private screening of “One Life” on Monday, April 22^nd. I’ve hired a deluxe coach from Howards to pick up at Food Basic in Brockville at 8:30 and we depart from Walker House at 9am. First stop is at Bayshore Shopping Centre for some free time and lunch and then we travel to the Landmark Cinema in Kanata where we have our own screening room to see this wonderful movie. I’m sure you’ve been hearing the buzz because of our local connections to the incredible story of Nicholas Winton (portrayed by Anthony Hopkins) a London broker who helped rescue hundreds of Jewish children from Czechoslovakia before the Nazi occupation closed the borders. This event is part of the “Lest We Forget” grant that took us to the War Museum in the fall and for that reason is only $18 for Walker House members. If there are seats on our coach, I will open it to non-members at $25 and the cost includes the coach ride and the tickets for the show. I expect this will fill up quickly.

Our final spring fitness class resumes a week later on Thursday, April 11^th thanks to Mother Nature who interfered yesterday. Barre Pilates with Beverly will start a 6 week session for just $50 per person and classes take place at town hall in our fitness room above the library at 11am. There is still room for a few more to join the class and if you are unsure if the fitness level is appropriate for you, please drop by for the first one and give it a try for a drop-in fee of $5. If it works for you, then I will apply that towards your session cost.

I’ve got a sign up sheet on the board for our next Toonie Tuesday which will be on the 16^th and have to thank Amanda from Mayfield who dropped in and surprised our knitting group this morning with home baked cookies and little treats for Caregiver Day.

I’ll end this rather long email with my thanks to Joan Barkley who did a stellar job again as our coordinator for Seniors Centre Without Walls over the winter months. We had such variety of programming that was much appreciated.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Hi friends,

Joan was very happy to confirm Elena Kingsbury will be joining us on the phones on Wednesday, March 27^th at 11am to discuss her work with the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies. While her name may not be familiar, many of us know her parents, John Kingsbury and Lynn Steiner and her grandparents, Anne and Charlie Steiner. Also calling in on our last week of the winter sessions will be

Una Rhodes on Monday the 25^th at 10am for Monday Morning Mindfulness. Remember you just need to phone in from a quiet corner just before the start time. Dial 613-975-0081 and enter passcode 595056# when prompted.

Tuesday at 10:30 all ukulele players of any level are welcome to join us as we play around. We decided last month that we would work on King of the Road and Good Old Summertime as our common songs and we love new suggestions.

Not wanting to miss out on the Eclipse Craze going around, I have secured 38 pairs of eclipse glasses and invite anyone who’d like to join us for treats and a view from the back lawn on Monday, April 8^th at 1:30. Bring your own glasses and lawn chair if you wish too. We have a dozen folding directors chairs to bring out if the weather cooperates. I ask you to please sign up if you want one of our glasses as they will be first come-first served. We’ll tuck the bridge players in with the blinds drawn and just see what happens. Even if it’s raining at least there will be popcorn!

Have a wonderful weekend and fingers are crossed that our snow coming tonight doesn’t last.

Hello friends,

Just a quick note from me this week to send some photos that will accompany Pat Lemaire’s quilt session on the telephones this afternoon. If you haven’t been a regular on our Seniors Centre without Walls  program, here is all you need to know to join in – find a quiet spot in your home and dial 613-975-0081 just before 1pm. The operator will ask you to enter passcode 595056# and then will ask you to say your name followed by the # and then you can relax and enjoy some soft music until Joan opens the chat. I’m in the office if you have any difficulties opening the attachments reach out and I’ll try to help.

Speaking of quilting….tomorrow is the big day to find a bargain! Two of our members have rented Walker House from 9am and will be clearing out quilting fabrics and traditional rug hooking supplies here. Their flyer says the sale is on from 9 until it’s all gone; sounds like a fun challenge to me.

Leslie’s spring session of gentle fitness resumes at the town hall next week and the Monday session is full with one open spot still remaining for the Wednesday group. Please use the elevator to go to the second floor and bring a water bottle and indoor shoes so we aren’t tracking dirt onto the fitness room floor. This session will end on April 29^th with one final Monday class to make up for the Easter holiday and then break for the summer. Everyone is asked to please bring a loonie for Leslie.

Beverly will be returning with a spring session of barre pilates in the same location after Easter beginning April 4^th and running for a 6 week session. Walker House subsidizes the cost for members and participants only pay $50 (you can drop by with cash or cheque before, or send an e-transfer to this email address to register.) This is a more physically demanding class than the gentle fit, but suitable for most active older adults and Beverly has gained a loyal following. I’m happy to answer any questions and invite you to try one before you commit if you aren’t certain this will be for you.

Have a lovely weekend!

Hi friends,

Seniors’ Centre Without Walls is looking for pictures of quilts.  If you have a quilt that has a special meaning to you, send a picture of it to Walker House at walkerhouse@prescott.ca  before Wednesday, March 13 and then join the call on Friday, March 15 at 1:00 to hear guest speaker Pat Lemaire share her craft and talk about quilts.  Pat has been quilting for many years and although she has lost count of how many she has made, she admits quilting is a lot quicker these days with all the special tools available.  “I enjoy the whole process from start to finish.  I seldom use a pattern and love the freedom scrappy quilts give the maker.  Fabric bits are never too small to be put in a quilt,” commented Pat.

To participate in the Quilt Talk call 613-975-0081 and enter the passcode 595056# when prompted.

For other SCWW activities scheduled in March, print off the attached calendar, or find it pasted at the end of this email. Guests include favourites like Una Rhodes and the Brockville Museum and also James Wallis and Julia Nish-Lapidus, the new artistic directing team of the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival!

A creative new in-person event takes place on Tuesday, the 12^th of March at 10am when Deborah Dunleavy returns after her smash appearance at our Christmas lunch and leads us in a story-telling swap. I’ll make sure we have refreshments and encourage anyone with a story to tell to participate but rest assured you will be welcome to just listen and enjoy the fun. It will help me set up the room if you can drop me a line to let me know you are coming if you can.

I’ve booked some group tours for the National Art Gallery on our upcoming trip on April 3^rd. There is still room for more on the coach and all are welcome to join us with pick-ups in Brockville or at Walker House.

Our Groovy 70’s themed lunch was a delicious success today and I’ve posted a sign up sheet for Toonie Tuesday on the 19^th. I heard from Robin that she’ll be bringing hamburger soup and a tortellini salad with garlic bread for our lunch; wow! Other news from Mayfield is an invitation to join them on Saturday, March 16^th from 2-4 for a Food and Beverage Expo. This is a free event and chance to experience for yourself the wonderful atmosphere at Mayfield and taste some of their delicious food paired with various drinks. Please RSVP by phone or text to 613-246-2695 or if you’d like to go as a group, just let me know you’re interested and I will RSVP for the bunch.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Hello Friends and Happy Family Day!

Just popping in to remind you of our Toonie Tuesday tomorrow thanks as always to Robin from the Mayfield Retirement Residence and our fantastic kitchen crew.

If you are interested in Ottawa’s National Art Gallery, I have two opportunities for you to learn more:

Tomorrow, the 20^th, there is a visitor from the gallery joining us over Seniors Centre Without Walls and I have attached some slides here for you to look at while you listen in.

We have also hired a deluxe coach from Howards to take us north on Wednesday April 3^rd for a day at the gallery. There is a touring exhibit on Riopelle which is of interest to some of our artists, but of course, the whole gallery is ready to be explored.

Guests are welcome to join us and the cost of the coach and entrance to the museum is $50 so save the money and hassle of driving up yourself and travel in style with good company!

If there is demand, we will have a pick up in Brockville and then a planned departure from Walker House at 9:15 and return home for dinner. Lunch will be on your own in Ottawa with 2 highly regarded venues in the gallery itself.

Enjoy the sunshine!

Hi friends,

Thank goodness the groundhogs and other critters all so no shadow this morning so it appears maybe an early spring? In the meantime, especially on those icy days, don’t forget that we have Seniors Centre Without Walls for programming delivered by phone with no computers required.  I’ve attached the pdf version and have a schedule at the end of this email as well. Please share this with anyone you know who is shut in and may enjoy programs from home. Membership is not required and there is no charge to join a session; just phone 613-975-0081 a few minutes before the scheduled time and use passcode 595056# when the operator prompts you. Listen to the music until Joan or I open the call for everyone. Monday, February 5^th at 10am Una joins in and takes us on a guided meditation, so pick a comfy, quiet spot, dim the lights, and take some time for yourself to relax and refresh.

I’m looking forward to seeing many of you for our AGM and membership appreciation lunch on Friday the 9^th and I am also attaching our winter schedule because we have ukulele jam sessions one Tuesday morning a month and everyone (regardless of experience level) is invited to bring their ukulele in and play along. I’ll help us get a common set of music that we enjoy and welcome your favourites, please bring them in. In February, it will be the 27^th at 10:30 and that afternoon at 1:30 we’ll be having our second Soup Swap so it’s going to be a good day!.

Have a great weekend!

Hello friends and Happy New Year!

I’ve got lots of news, so I’ll get right to it,

Exercise classes in our exercise room above the library at town hall resume next week. I combed through voice and email when I returned to the office today and think I have everyone assigned to their requested day. Here are the first names of the people I gathered, please let me know if I missed you:

Monday Gentle Fitness (15^th) with Leslie 10:30

JoAnn, Mary Lou, Karen, Donna, Deb D and Nancy

Wednesday Gentle Fitness (17^th) with Leslie 10:30

Joan, Dave and Deb W, Ann D, Deb D, Jo-Anne S, Willy H, Fran, Pat, Sue W. Julie, Don and Mary G.

As you can see, we have room for more on Mondays and can even fit a couple on Wednesdays. Bring indoor shoes, a water bottle and loonie for Leslie when you come.

Beverly returns on Thursday (18^th) at 11 for Barre Pilates if you are looking for more of a challenge. Many returning fans signed up pre-Christmas and I am expecting a couple of new fans-to-be. Reminder that Walker House subsidizes the 6 week session for members so the cost to you for this amazing class is just $50.

We will have a volunteer taking membership renewals for Walker House at our meals this month and at our AGM in February and I’ll drop by at your activities mid-February to catch you up if you haven’t been coming to meals. I am happy to receive any payments via e-transfer to our email address as well and just ask that you leave a remark as to what you are sending money for ;)

Tis the season for soup and we are going to be hosting a Soup Swap on Tuesday the 23rd at 1:30pm for anyone who wants to participate. A few of us have been doing this casually and it’s a great way to add variety to your lunches! If you’d like to participate, bring some 2 cup containers (clean jars or sour cream or yogurt are ideal) of homemade soup that you’ve labelled. They can be frozen if your schedule doesn’t allow you to make a fresh pot that week. For each container you bring, you can leave with one that someone else has prepared. I had the advantage of foreknowledge and I have a few varieties already in my freezer waiting to be shared.

Toonie Tuesday returns on the 16^th at 11:30. Please sign up before Monday so I can confirm with Robin at the Mayfield who so graciously make us soup and sandwiches and we add drinks and dessert.

Sadly we finished our group lessons with Pay Johnson but our ukulele group plans to meet to work on some common rep and master our skills. We decided to continue with Tuesday mornings for now. I’ve set our first meet up for the 23^rd at 10-11:30 and we will plan our coming weeks from there. Depending on interests, we may try for once or twice a month.

If you read the South Grenville Beacon then you have our clip out schedule for Seniors Centre Without Walls and I am including it at the end of this email. Anyone with a phone can call in and participate in a variety of programming and we will be running sessions again this winter for January, February, and March. We have a number of guest presenters and one session next Tuesday will incorporate the slide show that I have attached so you can follow along on your laptop or tablet as our guest from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada explores the stars with us.

Snow Day Procedures I am going to suggest that each group have an email (and phone) list if you haven’t already so that we can stay in touch during times of bad weather. Since I walk to work I don’t take snow days, so you’ll usually find me here and the house open as normal, and if the roads are good then come on down! Given the forecast, we will not be opening for the Hook-In tomorrow as it seems unlikely that we would have visitors.

Have a good weekend and I hope to see you soon!

Hello friends,

T’was the Thursday before Christmas and suddenly it’s quiet around here;)

The Bunka Babes had a festive meeting this morning and other than that it’s been a great day to catch up on paperwork!

I wanted to remind you of some holiday hours:

The office will officially be closed from tomorrow the 22^nd until Monday the 8^th but that does not mean you can’t meet with your group as long as you’ve got a door opener and I know that some of you are planning to do so. I will have access to emails from my cell phone so if you have any concerns about access, just send me an email and I’ll assist.

Looking ahead to 2024 we have an apple and maple roast pork members lunch planned for the 12^th, our wildly popular Toonie Tuesday returns on the 16^th back to soup and sandwich with dessert (although we were all BIG fans of the finger foods lunch that Robin and residents made for us) Thank you so much to the Mayfield Retirement Residence for this fantastic addition to our calendar each month!

Jamie returns with Falls Prevention classes on Tuesday January 2^nd , Leslie will begin her winter semester of 8 weeks of gentle fitness on Monday the 15^th and Wednesday the 17^th and registration is open for Beverly’s return with Barre Pilates commencing on the 18^th of January.

I will be taking registration by email on a first come, first served basis so send yours in and I will confirm your place. I do have a number of you who registered with me in person at the last barre class so you don’t need to send an email if you did that.

I am so looking forward to a cozy and laughter filled holiday with my sons and family and I hope for you all a joyful time of connection and peace and food and traditions that fill your soul with wonderful memories. We will be returning in January with lots of activities so rest up; you’re going to need it!

Check the New Years edition of the South Grenville Beacon for a clip out calendar:  Senior’s Centre Without Walls is coming to a phone near you for the winter months. Just as a teaser, here are two of the scheduled events for January. Monday Morning Mindfulness with Una returns on Jan 8^th and 29^th at 10am and Faith Lift with Rev Tracey on the 12^th at 10:30. All you need to join the fun is a phone – shortly before each session begins, dial 613-975-0081 and press passcode 595056# when prompted by the operator. You can participate from anywhere in Canada and there is no cost so please spread the word about this wonderful program.  Una always brings a smile with playful guided meditations and Rev Tracey calls in from Newfoundland with a warm and welcoming non-denominational service.

Merry Christmas!

Hello friends,

I’m just popping in to your inboxes with a quick update.

We have loads of room for our parcels and also for a few friends to join us on Monday the 11^th for our shopping trip to Kingston. The bus will be pulling out of our parking lot at 9:30 so come by 9:15 to fill out your waiver and hop on board. I’ll check emails over the weekend, so just let me know if you want to add your name to the list. We will be pulling in to the Food Basic parking lot to pick up in Brockville before we head down the highway so I suggest being there by 9:40.

Big thanks from me to all the fantastic volunteers who help make Walker House so special. Irene and Sharon and Jo who decorated and put up our tree, Jo, Maria, Pat, Colleen, and Sharon who helped me serve hot chocolate and toast S’mores at the unfortunately soggy but otherwise beautifully festive tree lighting ceremony, our kitchen volunteers Jo, Pat, Sue, Marg, Fran, Joe, Deb, Muriel plus others who pop in and out through the year. I seriously could not do any of it without you and I appreciate your kindness and generosity more than you can ever know. In addition, we have a dedicated board of management, group convenors who make sure their activities go smoothly each week and lately little elves who have been sorting and tidying our stash of craft supplies - how lucky am I to have such excellent support? You have all made Santa’s nice list and always make me smile.

I hope to see many of you here on the 19^th for Toonie Tuesday’s finger foods party (please sign up by Friday the 15^th to give the Mayfield a chance to prepare) and our ukulele players are hoping to get to Moose McGuire’s on Thursday evening, the 21^st to catch one of our teacher, Pat Johnson’s performances. Some of our fitness classes are wrapping up next week and my office will be shutting down for a break after the 20^th so I’ll get all of those dates organised for you and reach out before things wrap up.

I’ve included my column below in case you don’t get the paper next week.

Stay well and stay warm!

Hello!

I’ve just gotten confirmation that Walker House will be able to host a S’Mores Station at one of the fire tables on Friday night for the Tree Lighting Event.

There will be so much going on including carols by the Thousand Islanders, Santa is coming with his reindeer, there will be carriage rides, hot chocolate, and our gorgeous tree will be lit up; it’s always a great night full of fun for kids of ALL ages.

If you would like to be one of my helpers at our campfire, please come to the Pop Up Shops just before 5pm. (We will be happy to have some volunteers come a bit later as well as we will roast marshmallows as long as the supplies last. Drop me an email to let me know if you’d like to come and play with me. Parking will be available at the marina lot or at the Leo.

There is still room for our porch pot workshop at the Leo next Tuesday, the 5^th with Donna – We are always thrilled with our beautiful big planters full of greenery and ribbon and at just $40 the price and experience can’t be beat. Please register by Sunday.

Also available are seats on the shopping bus to Kingston on Monday the 11^th of December. I have enough registered to make it a “go” but lets fill more of the seats at the great price of $25. Pick up starts here at 9:30 with a stop at Food Basic for our Brockville friends and we will be home for supper.

I have double booked myself on Thursday night, but I wanted to let everyone know that our wonderful ukulele teacher and performer, Pat Johnson, will be performing at Moose McGuires from 7-9 tomorrow. I can’t go with you to watch him this time, but hopefully soon.

I hope to see you around enjoying some of the festive happenings over the nest busy weeks!

Hello friends,

We are almost at capacity for our members lunch on Dec 1^st. Professional story-teller, Deborah Dunleavy will be entertaining us after dessert with her presentation, “Snowflakes and Cinnamon” and for those who wish to participate, there will be a gift exchange. The rules are simple and the theme is “Make it, Bake it, or Fake it” wrap a gift in the $10 range. If you are crafty, please make it, if you have kitchen skills, please bake it, and if you have neither I suggest visiting one of our many craft sales and you can fake it! No need to participate, but everyone who brings a gift will select one.

The date for our shopping trip to Kingston is Monday, December 11^th and we would depart Walker Houses at 9:30 with a pick up at Food Basic and then return for 4:30. I’ve hired a school bus for our annual shopping trip and this year we have a tight turn-around so registration will have to be by December 1^st. We’re heading to Kingston and plan some time to stroll and shop on Princess  and then lunch and afternoon indoors at the Cataraqui Mall. We usually keep as much money for shopping as possible, so with costs increasing we will need to have a minimum of 27 people signed up at $25 to cover the bus costs. Membership is not required: call your friends and invite them to join you for a fun day. If we hit our target of 27 people signed up by the 1^st of December then we ride! If not, I’m afraid we will have to pass for this year. If we surpass our target then I will refund money back to you.

Our Tuesday craft group that meets each week here at 1pm will be making some fun little projects: wooden bead snowman ornaments on the 28^th of November and we’re trying our hand at diamond dots with some Christmas cards and tags on the 5^th of December. I’ve got all the supplies here and it’s just a $1 if you’d like to try them out or bring your own project and enjoy our company!

Donna from Green Things is returning and the votes were tallied with porch pots winning the day! We will meet at the Leo Boivin Community Centre as we did last year on Tuesday, December 5^th at 10am. The cost to you will be just $40 and we always leave with beautiful arrangements for our front steps. Bring gardening snips and gloves and Donna will provide the rest. Please sign up and pay in advance.

We still have room to sign up for Toonie Tuesday. Mayfield has been wonderful providing us with tasty soup and sandwiches but for Dec 19^th they are treating us to a finger foods holiday party at 11:30. I’ll be wrapping the office hours up on Wednesday the 20^th and be back at my desk again on January 4^th but all our groups are welcome to meet here over the break – check in with me if you need assistance with access.

Hello friends,

I have been getting a lot of interest about our upcoming fitness classes and I am still going to have to ask that you exercise patience because I don’t have all the answers yet… see what I did there?? Exercise…..patience….

(sorry)

Here is what I can confirm and rest assured, I am aware of the gap in fitness programming without CPHC this fall and I am trying to ensure that we have 5 options each week and I just need a bit of time for venues to open etc.

Wednesday mornings at 10:30 the Walker House fitness class will be moving with Leslie to our new fitness room on the second floor at the municipal building (above the library) Our first session will be Wednesday, October 4^th and we will meet that day at 10am so that we can register. Going forward there will be a $1 drop-in fee but there is no charge on the 4^th. I hope to have a full fitness schedule for you before then but it will include walking at the new arena, a second class offered by Leslie, a ballet barre stretch class, and hopefully adult public skating. If you have not seen the news on Facebook yet, there is a gentle stretch class being offered by the YMCA in the new fitness room on Friday mornings that is taking registration in advance.

Since we are talking fitness, I should mention here that our River Aqua-fit group was dancing in the waves this afternoon. I wonder if the weather will allow us to continue until the end of the month?

I’m taking registration for a fall floral arrangement in a pumpkin with Blooms and Boughs on Thursday, October 5^th at 4pm. The fee will be $30 to create a gorgeous piece for your Thanksgiving table and I will share a photo on our Facebook page because a picture is indeed worth 1000 words. Like the first workshop, please bring some garden scissors to trim your blooms, unlike the first workshop, we will be taking over the main room so we can sit and relax while we work.

Our visit to the War Museum is on the 12^th of October so please ensure that you have paid if you signed up. $20 covers the whole day’s events with one change. The lunch is only one option now – lasagna, Caesar salad, drink and dessert. You can e-transfer the money to this email address or cash/cheque in person.

Lastly for now, our cooperative kitchen is getting in the swing of things with antipasto. Its always a treat to have a jar or two on hand for entertaining or hostess gifts at Christmas time so we are going to meet here on Tuesday the 10^th of October at 10am and get cracking. Our recipe makes a huge batch and instead of the work of pressure canning, we will freeze it. As before, I’ll take care of the shopping and we will split the cost of the groceries and all go home with jars.

Hi friends,

We outdid ourselves wishing for sunshine for our picnic and boat cruise and it was a glorious sunny day! I enjoyed hearing your stories of how you’ve brought in the sunshine in the past. Let’s bring some of that good weather mojo to this Tuesday afternoon (the 15^th) when Cycling without Age brings their bikes to Walker House to take us on rides along our waterfront. Drop by Walker House between 1 and 4 to enjoy a ride – your “drivers” have two options – a solo bike or a duo if you’d like to tour with a friend. Come on inside where our crafters will be good company and if you would like you can reach out to me and reserve a time slot.

The following Tuesday (the 22^nd) brings Robin from the Mayfield kitchen here for Toonie Tuesday at 11:30. Sign up first please and then come and enjoy a fabulous lunch.

Both of our fall trips are now filled up but I am happy to have a waiting list, because we all know that life sometimes happens.

I’ve received a great donation of frames and everyone is welcome to come and help themselves. Most have glass and a matt and you will currently find them in the main room and the kitchen. They belonged to Uta Sonier and are looking for a new home or to be repurposed for your own work.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Hello friends,

Most of the current news this week revolves around day trips.

Firstly, our Palaces and Palisades boat cruise on August 9^th has filled so I’m asking everyone who made it on to the list to please drop by with cash or cheque or send an e-transfer as soon as possible so that I can firm up the numbers. Also let me know your choice of curried chicken salad, ham and Swiss, or cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches for your picnic lunch.

Next I am launching a program that will run over the winter called Lest We Forget with a trip to the War Museum. On October 12^th we’ll depart here on a Howard’s coach at 8:45 and enjoy small group guided tours, free time to explore your favourite exhibits and a hot lunch.

There is no pre-order, but for the curious, our options for lunch are burgers and fries with chips or cookie and soft drink or lasagna and Caesar salad with chips or cookie and soft drink.

The cost for all of this for members is only $20. If there is room for non-members to join us, they are welcome and pay just $40

On Friday, November 17^th, we are giving ourselves an early Christmas gift with A Tale of Two Chateaux. We depart Walker House via coach at 9:30 and go straight to the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa for their exquisite afternoon tea in Zoe’s. We have two hours to enjoy everything it has to offer before we cross the river heading for the Chateau Montebello to stroll through and enjoy their holiday decorations and drop in at the village. There will be the option to ride between the hotel grounds and the village for those who aren’t up for a lot of walking. The best part is that the cost of the whole day is less than you would pay for tea at a local establishment. Members pay just $60 for this special day. If there are still spaces available then I’ll open it up to non-members for $95. If we’ve been chatting recently, you will know I was planning a drive through Parc Omega since we are in the neighbourhood, but the entrance fees would add another $40 to the ticket price, so we will save that for a future trip. I’ve attached the current afternoon tea menu to give you an idea of what we can expect in Zoe’s restaurant.

For both of the new trips, members will be given priority registration and a waitlist will be started from day one for non-members.

I’d like to thank Robin at Mayfield for reacting with lightning fast speed and bringing us soup and sandwiches on Tuesday.  There is a planned date change in August and our Toonie Tuesday will be a week later than usual on the 22^nd. Also in August, our BBQ members lunch is on the 4^th and our menu this month is grilled chicken breast, corn on the cob, tomato salad, and berry and lemon trifle. You’ll find the sign up sheets in the main room for all of the above.

Enjoy your weekend!

Hi friends,

I’ve got all the pieces put together and can share the news of our boat cruise.

On Wed, Aug 9^th, you can hop on board our air conditioned coach at 10:30 for a great day enjoying the simple pleasures of the 1000 Islands.

We’ll  begin with a picnic stop to enjoy lunch provided by River Vibes Picnics.  (Those of you who know Yvonne will be happy to hear that I’ve requested her butter tarts for dessert! Check out her website www.rivervibespicnics.ca to learn more about her new venture.)  From there we board a double decker cruise ship from Rockport for a two hour tour entitled “Palaces and Palisades”. We won’t be leaving the boat, so no passports are required, but we will cruise past and learn the history of many of the islands and their castles.

This is an approved special grant project, so the cost for everything for members is just $25! When you sign up, you choose between three options for your lunch and there is a canteen on board for snacks and drinks for cash.

Until August 1^st, I will limit this to members and partners, but I will take a “friends and family” waiting list and they can join in after that for the still great price of $45 if space is available.

Toonie Tuesday is back next week on the 18^th at 11:30. Please email me by Monday if you’d like to get on the list for soup and sandwich and thanks again and always to Mayfield for sponsoring this fantastic event with us.

Also up on the sign up board is our BBQ lunch scheduled for August 4^th featuring grilled chicken breast, corn on the cob, tomato salad, and berry and lemon trifle for a sweet ending.

Hello friends,

I just wanted to send out a quick email to review a few upcoming events:

Christmas in July still has room for a few more tomorrow. Please let me know you are coming so we have the tables set. Lunch starts at 11:30 and features roast turkey wraps with homemade stuffing and our cool ice cream and chocolate lasagna. Throw on something festive and join us. If you would like to participate in the stocking exchange, bring a nice sock filled with little treats/gifts and it’s mate (but participation is optional; you are welcome to just come and eat.

Toonie Tuesday is back thanks to our wonderful sponsor, The Mayfield Retirement Residence. Sign up for Tuesday the 18^th of July at 11:30 for their delicious soup and sandwich lunch and we will provide the rest.

Our long awaited trip to Kingston to see Cirque du Soleil’s “Corteo” is here at last! Please come to Walker House for 9:30 to check in. Our bus leaves at 10 with a few passengers hopping on board at Food Basic in Brockville and then we head for the Mandarin in Kingston for lunch. In the same parking lot there is also the option for Burger King  or Swiss Chalet and a Value Village for any thrifters who want to browse before we depart for the Leon’s Centre at the waterfront. The show is at 3:30 and we will head straight home afterwards.

I’m finalizing details for our picnic and St Lawrence River Cruise in the first weeks of August, so watch for that coming out next week along with details of our October 12^th visit and tour of the War Museum in Ottawa….lots of motivation to stay on the “nice list” isn’t there?

Stay cool!

Hello friends,

We have lots of fun events to look forward to in June that I’d like to review for you here.

Our regular schedule continues of course, with the only difference being exercise on Mondays which is on hiatus until the fall. The river hasn’t warmed up enough for our aqua-fit classes to begin yet, but I’ll share the schedule once we are back at the beach.

First off, because of the probable poor air quality returning, the Trunk Sale planned for tomorrow has been postponed until the 17^th of June but Prescott Hoops and Hooks will be having their monthly hook-in and open house indoors tomorrow as planned so do stop in between 10 and 2 to visit. It is also International Knitting Outside day and if you were planning to do that at the trunk sale, then you are of course welcome to knit “inside” instead with some excellent company.

A fantastic new lunch is coming on Tuesday, June 20^th with soup and salad brought to us from the kitchen at the Mayfield. Even better is that this will return on the third Tuesday of every month until the end of the year! Thanks to their generosity, I am naming this Toonie Tuesdays because for a toonie you can enjoy their kitchen’s soup and sandwich and we will provide drinks and dessert. Sign up in advance please and come for 11:30. Thanks again to the generous sponsorship by the Mayfield Retirement Residence. 

Our regular member’s lunch continues at the beginning of the month and we will be holding Christmas in July on the 7^th. I mention it now because all are invited to take part in our Stocking (sock) Exchange if you wish. Start with a pair of nice socks. You fill one with little treats and gifts and then place the mate in a basket and all of the good little “girls” and “boys” at our lunch will draw a sock from the basket and then get to open the match. It’s always fun and not mandatory for lunch, so you can still sign up for our turkey dinner wraps and go home with full bellies and no presents ;)

I’m finalizing the wait list for Cirque du Soleil in Kingston on Saturday, July 8^th and still waiting for a few call backs to confirm spots. We depart from Walker House by 10am so please arrived for 9:30 to check in and get on the bus. It is, alas, a school bus, so bring a cushion if you need for comfort (I come equipped with enough padding that I am fine) I need to know if you are planning to get on in Prescott or in Brockville and you can make check in much easier if you pre-fill the attached trip form and drop it off to me when you are at Walker House or on the morning of our trip.

Hi friends,

It looks like a lovely day tomorrow, so I’m proposing a walk to the library from Walker House shortly before 2 for the Coronation Tea. Our crafters are meeting as usual at Walker House at 1pm so you can do both crafts and tea if you chose or just stay for crafts. Anyone driving can come here first to see if you can car pool or  just meet us at the library. I’m always on the lookout for a chance to increase my step count so I’ll be walking my string of pearls up (if I can find them; it’s been so long!) Of course, pearls and fancy hats are not required, you can definitely “come as you are” and just enjoy the tea.

I really must thank my kitchen crew for a wonderful meal last Friday; we received so many glowing responses that I’ve saved the recipes we used to re-create it next year. In fact, the Tres Leches cake is part of the reason I need those extra steps this week!  The cleanup crew deserve kudos and are often the unseen heroes and this time Joanne brought homemade salsa and Jo decorated for Cinco de Mayo so it was a great group effort. Next month we have scheduled lunch for Friday June 2nd with a delicious menu of loaded sausage on a bun with sauteed mushrooms and onions and all the fixings served alongside oven fries, salad and dessert.

Our second cooperative kitchen is taking place on Wednesday, May 31^st with a start time of 3:30 so we can spread out into the main room for our prep. If you enjoy cooking and want some new recipes in your repertoire, then this is the class for you. I buy all the groceries we need and we’ll split the cost and enjoy the fruits of our labour together once we’ve done the cooking. Any leftovers will go home with you and the recipes. We enjoyed Thai flavours in our test class, so we will continue down that path and are making my favourite rice noodle salad packed with fresh flavours, chicken lettuce wraps, flatbread, and soup. I have enough leftover sticky rice and coconut milk from our last class to make a bonus dessert as well.

Stay well!

Hello friends,

Here we are coming into another gorgeous weekend! If this keeps up, you may soon see us holding our events under the trees in the back yard. It will be a while yet before we’re going to venture into the river though…

I just have a couple of things to bring up today. For those of you carving the soapstone polar bear with Joe on the 25^th remember to wear a work shirt to protect your tops, you may want some rubber gloves and you will need a shallow rectangular bin (Tupperware or similar) so you can work in some water to minimize the dust. Fun fact – you will be able to see for yourself why they call it “soap” stone.

The demand for the mosaic mirror workshop kept growing, so I have split it into two groups. 11 people will work with Vicki and I on the 23^rd and 30^th of May, and the second group of 11 will come on the 6^th and 13^th of June. Please take a moment next time you are in to sign yourself up for one of the two sessions or email me if you won’t be in the neighbourhood. All of the above- mentioned workshops begin at 9:30am.

Our Member’s Lunch in May falls very fortunately on the 5^th of the month, also known as Cinco de Mayo. How can we not have a Mexican Feast in it’s honour? The kitchen crew is going to have a blast whipping up all the fixings to make a delicious taco bar featuring hamburger and chicken and also your choice of soft flour wraps or hard corn taco shells so you can make your favourite. We will be making a corn salad, homemade refried beans, and zesty citrus rice to accompany your creations. If you’ve never come to one of our lunches, we make it easy to eat well. Sign up in advance please and then come shortly before 11:30 on the day, pay $10, find a seat and enjoy a full hot meal always finished with dessert. Since we re-opened we are trying to have take-outs available after lunch has been served and they continue to be popular. Sometimes it’s soups, sometimes salads, and if we have it, a full meal can be taken home as well.

Happy Earth Day 

Hi friends,

It looks like a gorgeous day for our trip to Belleville on Saturday. Reminder that the coach leaves from Walker House at 8:45 sharp so please be here to check in before 8:30 and allow some extra time if you haven’t already filled out a trip waiver. I have them here if you are in this week you can pick one up. If you are getting on the coach in the Food Basics parking lot, please make sure Susan knows and be there before 9 because we will leave here early if all Prescott boarders are present and accounted for. Layers are the order of the day, as we will reach a high of 23! We have lots of room on the coach if you want to join us and the return fare is just $40. I’ll be bringing a cooler bag for the farmer’s market; it looks wonderful.

I am attaching the trip waiver form if you have a printer at home and want to bring it filled out to me on Saturday morning that will also save some time at check-in.

Closer to home, we have finished with the Fall Prevention classes and it looks like Monday kitchen bridge will be starting at 1:30 going forward and the Art Studio Time is returning to a 1pm start on Wednesdays. Thanks again for being so accommodating.

This Friday is our member’s lunch at 11:30. We always find room for more so sign up if homemade cabbage rolls, pierogis and salad sounds like a treat. Our lunches are always lovingly prepared by the best volunteer kitchen crew and just $10 including dessert.

Next week our rug hookers are splitting up on Wednesday with a hook-in here and a Celtic Knot workshop at the Ruth Evanson Room at town hall. 

On Tuesday the 25^th at 9:30, we are so happy to have Joe teaching a larger soapstone workshop here. His time and talent are always volunteered and the piece of stone for your polar bear is $50. This is an easy and fun medium to work with so I encourage you to give it a try. I’ve posted a photo of his sculpture to our Facebook page so check it out there.

Have a wonderful day!

Hi friends,

Our full month on the phones with SCWW wraps tomorrow at 2:30 with a visit from Leanne Burton.  Call in just before then to 613-975-0081 using passcode 595056# when prompted to participate and learn about her experiences on town council and hear the latest news. We owe a big thanks to Joan Barkley who has done a fantastic job coordinating the winter months and thanks to the anonymous donor from Ottawa who granted us funds to expand our programming. We will have one or two more special events this spring and summer, but with the return of the good weather, we will no longer be offering weekly sessions.

Our in-person events are in full swing with seats still available for our upcoming trip to Belleville on the 15^th of April for just $40 for the coach. You can choose your destination for the morning (Farmers market and downtown, Quinte Woodcarving Show, or casino) and we will all have a couple of hours at the Quinte Mall before returning home.

We held our first cooperative kitchen class last Friday with 8 intrepid participants and enjoyed a delicious Thai meal. Going forward we will schedule them at the end of the day’s programming so that we can spread out and use the main room for our prep and add in a hot plate for more cooking space but we were very happy with the experience so definitely look for more opportunities to explore in the kitchen.

Stay busy and stay well!

There won’t be fitness on Monday the 6^th at Leo.

Senior Centre Without Walls is in full swing with a busy calendar for March and I have attached the flyer to this email for you – please check it out.

We will be riding the River Route on Thursday the 9^th and I have a book of tickets here so it’s just $4 if you’d like to try it out with us. We’ll be catching the bus here shortly after 11am.

Saturday, March 11^th our rug hookers meet here and invite everyone to drop in between 10-1 to have a look and try out their craft or bring your own project and enjoy great company.

I’m attaching a flyer for an open house at Mayfield coming up on the 16^th and invite you to come with me for a tasting and a tour.

Looking further ahead, we have a full list now for Cirque du Soleil in Kingston and I’m taking names for a waiting list, but we still have seats on the coach for a day trip to Belleville on April 15^th. $40 gets you a seat on our deluxe Howard’s coach and transportation to Belleville for a day of shopping with a visit to the Quinte Woodcarvers Show in the morning if that is your jam. I’ve had a few enquiries if membership is required to join us and the answer is no, so please feel free to hop on and invite your friends.

Our April member’s lunch is taking place on Friday the 14^th at 11:30 and for $10, our menu is homemade cabbage rolls, pierogis, cucumber salad and dessert. We always have so much fun working together in the kitchen and gathering to share a meal; I hope to see you then.

I  am happy that the storm didn’t seem to drop as much snow as I anticipated, and hope you are all slowly getting dug out. Every day now, we are getting closer to spring  - hold on to that!

Hello friends,

We have a number of day trips ready to book that I am excited to share. In order by date, here they are:

Ride the River Route with me:

We will be taking the bus into Brockville on Thursday, March 9^th. I buy tickets in bulk, so if you get them here they are just $4 each. We will be boarding at the Walker House stop at 11:10am and returning home from the stop at the Real Canadian Superstore at 3:30 so we have time for a bit of shopping or lunch (or both) Please reach out if I can help you find a stop closer to your house and you can hop on there and we will join you.

Visit to Belleville for shopping and/or the Quinte Woodcarving Show

Saturday April 15^th departing Walker House at 8:45 via Howard’s deluxe Coach with a pick up in Brockville at Food Basic at 9am (please let Susan know which when you pay)

We will drop participants either at the show or downtown to shop and stroll. Pick-up at 1pm to go to the Quinte Mall for shopping and lunch and then returning home late afternoon.

Cost $40 per person and all are welcome to join us, so invite a friend!

Trip to Kingston to see Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo in the Leon’s Centre

Saturday, July 8^th. Howards has no coaches so we will be travelling by school bus.

Details - Depart Walker House at 10am with a Brockville pick up at Food Basics at 10:15. Stop for lunch at the Mandarin on Bath Rd and then hop over to the Leon’s Centre to check in for our 3:30 show. Return home immediately following.

Please pay by June 1^st. Ticket and bus for $90

Our March member’s lunch is taking place on Friday March 3^rd with a festive St Patrick’s Day brunch featuring homemade quiche and delicious salads with classic lemony Woolworth Cheesecake for dessert. $10

Please note that there will be no fitness classes on Monday because it’s family day.

Just a quick note to remind us of some schedule changes….

Thank you so much to our Art Studio and Kitchen Bridge groups who have bumped their start time back to 2pm from 1pm for the coming 12 weeks to accommodate a special Falls Prevention exercise class. CPHC is delivering this program here on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:30-1:30. You can phone Kim Ducharme at 613-342-3693 if you would like to register. I encourage it if you have any concerns about balance for sure.

Seniors Centre Without Walls is back in swing again for the winter months with a new phone number. I’m happy to have Joan back as our coordinator and a full slate of returning favourite presenters and some new ones as well. There are a few conflicts this month as we had the schedule set before the option for Falls Prevention came to us so I apologize if you are going to have to chose between favourite activities  and we will try to remedy that for February.

Please join us for lunch this Friday and yes, its renewal time for many of us! Fees have not changed so they are still $15 a year for membership with a $25 user fee to out of town members ($40 total). I’ll have a friendly assistant taking memberships on Friday before and after lunch.

A few of you had challenges opening the SCWW calendar so I have it pasted here with our new phone number. Call or email me if you have any questions about how this operates.

January Sessions

JANUARY 9 – 1:00 pm

Brainwave with Mary Campbell

JANUARY 11, 25 – 1:00 pm

Faith Lift with Rev. Tracey Smith

JANUARY 13 – 1:00 pm

Chair Exercise & Fall Prevention Tips with

Kim Ducharme - Supervisor for CPHC Exercise &

Fall Prevention

JANUARY 16, 30 - 1:00 pm

Monday Mindfulness with Una

JANUARY 18 - 1:00 pm

BINGO

JANUARY 23 – 1:00 pm

Caregiver and Grief Support Tips with Pam Foster

To Participate:

Phone:        613-975-0081

Passcode:   595056# when prompted

Hello friends,

I can’t believe it but its only 5 more sleeps until turkey time! My dinner plans are the only thing under control at this point but I always feel like I’m not going to get everything done and somehow I always do. That, or I just decide to throw my “to-do” list in the fire as soon as the door bell rings with my first arriving relative. Whether your holidays are bustling and busy or quiet and cozy I hope that they are just what you need.

The office will be closed here until the 9^th of January when we are back in full speed. Check out our winter schedule with a couple of time adjustments to note. I’m happy to be hosting CPHC here on Mondays and Wednesdays for 12 weeks as they offer their proven falls prevention program. It’s a free exercise class but you will need to register with them as per the instructions on the flyer (let me know if you have any trouble with that)

Both Monday Kitchen Bridge and the Wednesday Art Studio groups will be adjusting their start times back to 2pm to accommodate this wonderful program and I’d like to offer my thanks for that.

I am also attaching our Seniors Centre Without Walls calendar for January as it begins again for the winter months. If you haven’t phoned in for any of our programs in the past, I encourage you to give it a try and to share the word especially with friends who may be shut in a lot in the cold months. Membership is not required for this free program and the only technology required is a good old-fashioned telephone.

Leslie returns too on the 9^th at the Leo Boivin Community Centre with Fitness for Women over 50 at 11am.

Hello friends,

Time is flying by faster than Dasher and Dancer and that brings us to mid-December already. Reminder that our apron workshop will be off to a late start as some of our board members are attending a holiday lunch and also the class so we won’t be here until 1:30.

We decided to meet at O’Heaphy’s on Monday the 12^th at 12:30 for Book Club to discuss Washington Black. (some of us will be coming directly from fitness class at the Leo. Our book for December is The Girl on the Train if you’d like to pick one up and read it over the holidays.

Big thanks to Donna and some of the students from T.R. Leger who painted our windows here today – they look so festive ;)

Seniors Centre Without Walls is returning over the winter months with a new local phone number. If you participated over the summer then you will have received a fridge magnet in the mail recently but if not, please ask for one. The new number is 613-975-0081 and the passcode to enter each session remains the same: 595056# when prompted by the operator. Join Joan and the gang on Wednesday the 14^th at 1pm for holiday trivia and special surprise guests phoning in from Brockville.

We have had a great time with our Christmas crafting and still have two to come on Tuesday afternoons – use our templates to cut some bowl cozies on the 13^th and bring some tweezers with you on the 20^th to make a no sew, no glue fabric star for your tree. That day marks the last day that the office will be open here until the 9^th of January but each group is welcome to come in for their sessions if they wish. Lesley will be taking three weeks off so Monday fitness ends on the 12^th and returns on the 9^th of January too. Lets talk about meeting for a walk in the sunshine on the 19^th and the 2^nd just to keep moving until scheduling resumes.

Local Vocals is going to be having a holiday sing-along on the 20^th as well at the Salvation Army building in Brockville from 1:30-2:30. Quite a few of us enjoyed this at the Merc Hall last winter and you are all invited to attend.

Hi friends,

Tis the season for busy schedules and sometimes shuffling of events. Our board members have been invited to a holiday lunch on the 9^th and of course we want to attend so for the first session only, we are delaying the start time of our apron workshop to 1:30. I’d like to thank our knitters who accommodated the group last week as we had to start early on our tablet bags because of another schedule snafu. On the 9^th come on over and set up your machine if you like and we’ll get started when we return full of turkey and good cheer, ok? The second session will start at 1pm on the 16^th. Please remember to have your material washed and ironed (no soap or fabric softener) and bring coordinating thread, some sewing scissors and pins, an extension chord and a little ironing pad and iron would be handy if you happen to have one. I still have material and patterns for 3 more attendees so pop in to see me and pick one up. I highly recommend you do it tomorrow because the smells from this afternoon’s prep promise a very tasty member’s lunch! Sue W has made a mean French Onion soup let me tell you! I had a little taste as I packed it up into the fridge. For quality control purposes, you know….

Reminder to our card players that at 1pm we will have euchre and all are invited to come and play.

Our craft group is painting wine glasses two ways on the 6^th (one very simple style using dishwasher proof paint and Q-tips and another fun style to use as a holiday candle holder). I have various sized glasses here with the paints and other necessary supplies so just bring your festive self and there is no need to sign up. The following week I’ll do a demo using our bowl cosy templates for your holiday table. If you want to make them for the microwave, please bring cotton batting and I will show you how to test your fabrics. If you’d like to do some larger ones for your serving bowls on the table, you can use the batting we have on hand. I’ll have a machine or two set up in the kitchen with the cutting boards so you can learn how to make this fun last-minute craft. There is no charge for our Tuesday afternoon holiday crafts thanks to the wonderful volunteers who are helping me with their clever ideas and supplies (Sue, Pat, Dorothy, Marg – I appreciate you!)

Prescott Hoops and Hooks are planning some fun for the morning of the 7^th which happens to fall on International Rug Hooking Day! The ladies will be bringing in “their first or their worst” rugs for show and tell – I can’t wait! I usually tour the room in awe of the talent we have here and I look forward to seeing their goofy mats J

The Town of Prescott is having their tree lighting ceremony tomorrow the 2^nd of December at 6pm. We always have fun serving hot chocolate at town events and although  I will be singing carols in Brockville tomorrow night, some of our volunteers have been asking when to show up to help and the answer is 5:45. That gives lots of time to say hi to Sam and Alex and get your pouring hand warmed up before the excited kids line up. There will  be horse drawn carriage rides, live music, pick up road hockey with the South Grenville Rangers, even a library station so you can write your letter to Santa. Drop by between 6 and 8 and enjoy this special night.

There is so much going on here! Make sure you have signed up for all the good stuff. I have attached a few flyers, as well; our current regular schedule, and a rug-hooking open house. Read on for all the details and sign up by email:

Green Things Porch Pots: Monday, November 14^th at 1:30 at the Leo. $40 gets you into this fabulous workshop to create a masterpiece for your front door. Lush greenery, gorgeous ribbons and embellishments and the pot are all provided for you. Bring garden gloves and pruners if you have them. Membership is not required, just let Susan know you want in on the fun. All proceeds go to support Walker House which, you can imagine, is a cause near and dear to our hearts ;)

Trash and Treasure Shopping: Thursday, November 17^th: We depart Walker House at 9am sharp (if you haven’t filled out your field trip form, please come by a bit early inside to fill it out) We have short half hour travel times between each stop and are planning one in Kemptville, the longest one at the Train Yards mid-day, and one in Barrhaven for Costco or Value Village so bring your membership card and a cooler bag if Costco is your plan. We’ll have a few banks of empty seats on the bus to stash extra parcels for anyone who over-shops.

Open House Hook-In: Saturday, November 19^th 10am-3pm. Bring a craft of your own, meet the ladies, and participate in a hooking demonstration if you’d like to try. Coffee and tea will be brewing and you can bring your own lunch or order in from The Dragon Garden.

Upcoming Christmas crafts include a morning Cricut demonstration to make tags and cupcake gift boxes with Johann on the 22^nd at 9:30. Bring some Christmas cardstock if you have it but all  supplies are here. Tuesday the 29^th at 1pm our craft group will be making sand dollar tree ornaments with Sue.

Card Corner: Calling all Kitchen Bridge players: please drop in on Mondays at 1pm to meet up with some lovely people and play bridge.  Euchre is making a schedule change and moving to a once a month format on Friday afternoons. For the foreseeable future you will find euchre at 1pm on the first Friday of each month. This is great timing because it allows you to sign up for our world famous member’s lunches and then hang out for a bit to play. If you have been paying attention then you know that on Friday December 2^nd we will be having our Christmas lunch – the menu is French onion soup, roast pork loin with homemade apple sauce, veggies and potatoes and Christmas cookies for dessert.

In my never ending attempt to make everyone feel better by goofing up regularly, I sent out my newsletter last week with the 16^th of November for our shopping trip to Ottawa and the actual date is Thursday, the 17^th of November. I hope that isn’t a problem for anyone wanting to come.

I have confirmed all the details for our Porch Pots workshop with Green Things and here they are:

• When: 1:30pm, Monday, November 14^th
• Where: The Leo Boivin Community Centre (or just “The Leo” as all the cool kids say)
• What you need to bring: gardening gloves and snips if you have them, wear an apron or work shirt if you like
• What Donna will provide:  an outdoor container/pot, all kinds of gorgeous ribbons and greenery and everything you need to create a masterpiece. We’ve done these before with her and they lasted outside my door through the holiday season and beyond!
• Cost: Just $40 pre-paid when you register please.
• Who: You are welcome to bring a friend

Don’t forget our Pumpkin Parade on Tuesday, November 1^st. We will be handing out fresh made popcorn and hot chocolate in River Walk Park at 6pm and I am looking for volunteers from Walker House to join me. If you have a Jack O’ Lantern who wants to be in  on the action, then have it out at the curb in the morning and public works will pick it up and then they go to the  compost site afterwards. The parade and market are on from 6-8 so we can take turns handing out treats and strolling through ourselves. All of the fun moves in to the Leo if the weather is rotten.

Also next week, we have our turkey pot pie lunch on the 4^th at 11:30. $10 gets you homemade roasted tomato macaroni soup, salad, and lemon dessert to go with your pie. Our book club meets for lunch at the Bridgeview on the 2^nd at noon to discuss The Handmaids Tale and I’m excited to hear from people who have watched the show, as well to get their take on it. Let me know if you need a lift.

Beginning next week, The South Grenville Beacon will be available to pick up here – the paper keeps getting better and better with new columnists coming on board all the time. I’ll have a few here with a cash box if you’d like to do one stop shopping and get your paper when you come to your activities. I also have a box for the Food Bank if you have donations and I am adding one for donations to the Prescott Legion who are collecting items to give care packages to the Mayfield and Wellington House. You can drop off puzzle books, candy, personal items, colouring books and other treats to me here before the 19^th of December and I’ll take them down for their baskets or you can bring things directly to the Legion.  If you are active on FaceBook, I shared their post to our page and encourage you to follow the Walker House page (just search for us) to keep up to date on events that I think might be of interest to our members, calendar events for us, and photos of some of the fun times we have as well. Please feel free to share your group’s pictures to our page as well.

Hello!

I’ll be looking for a few witches on November 1^st in the early evening as we will be handing out popcorn and hot chocolate for the town’s pumpkin parade! Please join us for this delightful experience and place your Jack O’ Lantern at your curb on the morning after Halloween so our fantastic Public Works staff can pick them up for a starring role. Beginning at 6pm stroll through Riverwalk Park and the marina and tour the best of the town’s Jack O’ Lanterns with live entertainment and refreshments (served by us). If it is a rainy day, the event will move indoors and you can explore Leo Boivin Community Centre by candle lit pumpkins; it sounds like a win either way!

Tuesday morning, the 25^th we have our monthly board meeting and you are welcome to join us to observe one, call me about an item you would like to add to our agenda (we like ideas and welcome your concerns) and we will be having our AGM in January and are looking forward to having you take part. Our task is important, but not a burden, and your point of view is needed.

Our soapstone carving workshop next Tuesday afternoon is full but we will be starting Tuesday afternoons to have other special crafts as we prepare for stuffing stockings, so watch our bulletin board and our newsletter for details as they firm up.

If you’ve read The Handmaids Tale or even watched the show, as it would be an interesting perspective) join us on the 2^nd of November at 12pm for lunch at the Bridge View Restaurant to discuss and share our thoughts. We can easily car-pool from Walker House if you’d like to share the ride.

Our next member’s lunch is November 4^th and our menu is turkey pot pie, roasted tomato macaroni soup and salad for $10 (please sign up in advance). I will make sure we have extra soup for sale for $4 for our take-out containers. We tried filling yours from home last month and that proved to be a bit chaotic.  

We always looked forward to our pre-Christmas shopping trip to Ottawa, and I’m planning a fun one for November 16^th. We’ll keep the cost to $15 (more money for shopping and lunch that way) by hiring a school bus from Howards and forgoing the coach. Our theme this year is “Trash and Treasure” and after our 9am departure, we will head for Kemptville for our first stop at The Salvation Army Store and its neighbour, To Be Continued consignment shop. From there, we travel to the Ottawa Train Yards. I’ve been hearing about this place for years but never been and it sounds fabulous with lots of restaurants and over 60 shops so we are sure to find treasure there. For a stop on our way home, we will nip into Barrhaven for more thrift-shopping at Value Village (or Costco if you prefer) then home. Dress in layers and comfortable shoes, my friends, this is going to be a fabulous day!

Mark your calendars for November 14^th at 1:30. Donna White from Green Things will be leading one of her greenery workshops just for us to decorate our porches or front doors with for the holiday season. I have a couple of details to confirm, so I won’t say more today and risk getting them incorrect, but you’ll definitely want to keep the afternoon free if you’re interested in this.

Our fly fishing group will be taking it to the river on the morning of the 28^th of September and meeting at Kelly’s Beach and we will be offering fly making workshops this winter when ice fishing is the only option.

Next week on the phone , Donna White is calling in to SCWW on the 26^th at 10am. I’ll have a presentation that I can email out as you join in or email me in advance and I’ll send it to you as soon as I have it.

Donna will also be joining us in November for a porch pot workshop and I can’t wait to share the details with you next week!! We are booking the Leo so we will lots of room for participants to get creative!

This Monday will also be the final fitness session at 10:30 as we will be bumping them up to 11am starting in October. Remember that Leslie is leading a chair fitness class that incorporate elastic bands and small hand weights and I encourage everyone to come and try it. There are some standing moves, but most of the class is from your chair and it can be used for support during the standing and balance work. Leslie is excellent at offering alternatives to accommodate different injuries and fitness levels as the aim of the game is to increase fitness while staying safe! The YMCA is extending their Thursday morning classes anther 6 weeks with new start times of 10am and 11am.

I am excited also to be sharing with you a new initiative that Walker House is spearheading in our community: Links2Wellbeing: Social Prescribing For Older Adults. This program has a successful history in Britain and we are bringing it here so we can help isolated seniors connect socially and to local supports through working with physicians and other allied health professionals. If that sounds intriguing to you, I’d like to invite you to join me on the 26^th over Zoom at noon for a Conversation Café with participants from around Canada for a chance to hear real stories of how this initiative is making a difference in other communities.

Lastly, we are beginning to roll out our Christmas craft workshops and Johanna is helping us use our Cricuts to good advantage making the cutest little paper handbags for cookies or gift cards and also some quick and easy gift tags. You will need to bring a Cricut of some variety and a tablet or laptop with the program installed or you can borrow Walker House’s and play along that way – it’s a great chance to “try before you buy” if you’ve been thinking of asking Santa to bring one for under your tree. This session is Tuesday the 27^th at 9:30 and Johanna will return on October 18^th with some other fun projects. She’s also excellent at helping out if you have a project of your own that you need some assistance with.

Walker House stays active with exercise, art, crafting, and playing cards, but we are also busy in the kitchen. As the weather cools, we will resume international potluck dinners and are beginning some group meal prep sessions but our main claim to fame is our member’s lunch. As with most events here, I couldn’t possibly do them without incredible volunteer help and our great kitchen crew that are with me from scrubbing the first potato to washing the last dish. We have shifted out lunches towards the beginning of the month, usually at 11:30 on Fridays. Because of the excellent volunteers I just mentioned, the cost for members is just $10. Registration is required so we can be sure we have enough for all. Coming up we have a Fall Favourites lunch on the 7^th of October featuring homemade split pea soup with ham followed by meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, roasted vegetables with caramel apple cake for our sweet ending. Our plan is to make gallons of soup so we can sell some to go as it freezes so well and is always great to have at home.

We have lots of room on our big coach on the 22^nd going to the Plowing Match. All you have to pay is your admission and you can avoid all the hassle of driving and parking and arrive in style with us! Register at 613-925-5300 or sign up in person and then you just need to arrive here for 8:45. The coach departs at 9am and we will be meeting up with it at 2pm to return home. All friends are welcome to join us on this day trip.

Senior’s Centre Without Walls ends the month strong on the phone with Una delivering one of her special Monday Morning Mindfulness sessions on the 19^th at 10am, Faith Lift with Reverend Tracey returning at 10:30 on the 22^ndand 29^th, Donna White from Green Things is joining us to discuss pruning and winterizing your plants on the 26^th at 10 and on September 28^th at 10am we have Fire Safety for Seniors

Prescott Hoops and Hooks now meets here every Wednesday morning and we’d like to thank Sandy Buck who launched our Indigenous art project sharing songs and teaching about Woodland Indigenous Art. Look us up on Facebook or our website for photos www.prescott.ca/walkerhouse 

Our board will be resuming regular meetings beginning with one on the 20^th at 10am. You can be a part of steering our course by adding your voice to the board and you are invited to observe a meeting if you are considering coming on board (pun intended) in January.  We are all ears if you have an idea or request for future programming so please reach out.

What’s next for September?

Our rug hookers are launching a special project hooking rugs by Indigenous artists and Sandy Buck will be here on the morning of the 14^th to discuss imagery, art, and artists. The pieces being hooked are just gorgeous and we welcome anyone from other groups within Walker House who are interested in listening to Sandy to attend the first session.

Johanna is returning with her Cricut workshops and will launch on the 13^th at 9:30am with paper roses and then taking requests for future projects. Bring your Cricut and your tools and mat and we have lots of paper. It helps if you check your blade too as a sharp blade always works better! The next session will be on the 27^th at 9:30am.

We still have room to hop on the coach for the International Ploughing Match on Thursday the 22^nd of September. The ride is on us and you only have to pay for your ticket to enter the venue. We will leave here at 9am and the coach departs at 2pm to head home. If I have received your payment before the 21^st I will pre-purchase and print your ticket along with a site map so you can just hop off the coach and walk right in when we arrive. There is lots of room on the coach so feel free to bring friends.

Seniors Centre Without Walls continues to go strong and on Monday September 12^th you can dial in at 2pm to hear from Deborah Dunleavy reading from her collection of short stories. On Thursday Sept 15^th our new librarian, Anne Gillard, is joining us at 10 to update us on programming at our fantastic library. On Monday the 19^th Una returns for a Monday Morning Mindfulness session at 10:30. As always this is simple and very low-tech; just phone in to 1-866-279-1594 and enter the passcode 595056# when prompted by the operator. Sign up with Joan or me for September’s session with Donna White from Green Things and we will send you a written presentation to go along with her call about winterizing your plants and garden.

Day tripping is one of my favourite activities at Walker House, which says a lot because we do so many wonderful things here.

Sign up to go with us to Kemptville for the International Plowing Match on September 22^nd. You will have to pay your entrance to the fair but the air conditioned coach is on us. If I have your name on the list by September 6^th, I can pre-purchase tickets for $21; after that, they will be $26. Either way, I will do a bulk order so you can just here and get right to the fun when we are dropped off. The coach departs Walker House at 9am and will starts back at 2pm. Brockville pick ups can be pre-arranged.

I have some shuffling going on the coach on Oct 19th to the Thousand Islands Playhouse to see Jersey Boys ($67 for the theatre/$30 for casino option) so reach out if you are interested in joining us for the day.

We have our souvlaki lunch here on Sept 2^nd at 11:30.  $10 will get you chicken or pork souvlaki, rice, Greek salad and potatoes, and a frosty dessert. Our book club meets after the lunch at 1pm to discuss our Jeffrey Archer book and make plans for the fall.

Seniors Centre Without Walls has a strong calendar for September. Frank Taker is here on the 6^th to read two of his short stories, PC David Holmes had to take a call last week so he will be trying again on the 8^th to deliver his presentation on (appropriately enough) telephone scams. Coming later in the month we have author Deborah Dunleavy, Prescott’s new librarian, Anne Gillard, and Donna White from Green Things will join us to discuss pruning and winterizing your plants. Returning favourites include Rev Tracey phoning in from the Rock, and Una brings us her effervescent Monday Morning Mindfulness. As always, there is no fee, and no computer or internet needed – phone in to 1-866-279-1594 a few minutes before the start time of your session and enter 595056# when asked for the passcode.

The pool is wrapping up after a fantastic season but aqua fit in the river will take place daily at 10am (except for Tuesdays) as long as the water stays warm. By then Tim will bring our intrepid fly fishers down to the river to test their new skills!

It may be the dog days of summer, but we are staying active at Walker House with activities taking place out under the shady trees on the riverside or inside with the A/C.  Review our schedule at www.prescott.ca/walkerhouse or call Susan at 613-925-5300 if you’d like more information about any of our regular activities. We have euchre and bridge, bunka, Swedish weaving, crafts, and wood carving all taking place weekly.

Fitness classes continue Mondays at 10:30 at the Leo Boivin CC with Fitness for Women over 50 with Leslie. Hot off the presses, the YMCA will be offering two sessions on Thursdays and I’ve included their details and the registration forms to this note. My favourite Aqua-Fit takes place in the river Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 10am (just bring a pool noodle and join the fun)  or in the heated pool Mon, Wed, and Fri at 12:15. The Y instructors are great, but they don’t get to jump the waves on windy days like we do in the river ;)

Tuesday the 16^th at 1pm for our craft group, I’ll share some Heritage Skills D.I.Y. kits from the Brockville Museum. Never fear if you can’t make it that day, I will leave some out on the sideboard as well so anyone can take one home for a rainy day activity. Some of them are repeats of the boxes we did during Covid, but there are some new decades as well and they have been very interesting kits.

Speaking of rainy days, don’t forget to check in to Seniors Centre Without Walls for Una’s fabulous guided meditation on the 8^th @ 10am. Dial 1-866-279-1594 with passcode 595056# for the most fun and uplifting hour of your week.  I’m attaching the August schedule so you can access sessions on Scams, one with CPHC, and our weekly Faith Lift with Rev Tracey calling in all the way from St. Johns!

We are planning a trip to the Plowing Match in Kemptville by coach on Thursday the 22^nd . Members will just pay me for their entrance fee and the coach is our treat. The theme is “Journey of Vintage Treasures and Memories” so this is a “must-do” for fans of antique farming equipment.

Beginner Fly Fishing lessons are here with Tim on Mondays at the Leo at 1pm. There is no cost for members to try their hand at this sport. Spots are limited, so reserve yours beginning on the 8^th and running through the month. You’ll learn everything you need about the equipment and how to use it and how to read the environment to identify where your cast should be directed. This workshop may lead to future fly making workshops and a field trip to a nearby river to test your skills.

So the good news is that you are going to be burning calories running all over town, but the bad news is that we have another new schedule for our aqua fit lovers. Wait a minute though, doesn’t this all just improve our flexibility? So it’s all good…

Here is our final schedule (for now anyway) for our water babies:

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday the group will be attending aqua-fit with the Y in the Prescott Pool at 12:15.

Tuesdays are still a day off (although there is adult swim at the pool at 12:15) and then

Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at 10am there will be aqua-fit in the river. That means you have 6 opportunities each week to get fit while floating with some of the best gals I know. Come and give it a try if you can keep track of it all ;)

We have a venue change for strength training for women over 50 for this week only and class will be at the Ruth Evanson room on the second floor of our municipal building. Enter through the main doors and instead of going left to the library go up the elevator to the second floor for 10:30. Bring your exercise band and your water bottle.

Our Bunka Babes have set up a beautiful silent auction in our main room for a couple of weeks with bidding closing on the 21^st at 10am. There are framed bunka pieces, lovely shawls, Swedish weaving projects and even some craft supplies if all of these gorgeous pieces inspire you to get working on something yourself. The money raised will go to support Kingston 4 Paws in their work training and placing service animals with people in need.

We have seen a lot of groups choosing to use our new lawn chairs and meet under the shade trees for their events. I keep a key for the chairs in the house so you can easily access them and don’t need to bring your own chair and can make the call as you arrive based on the breeze and the rain.

Here’s our column that will be in the next South Grenville Beacon:

Its summertime, but we won’t taking it easy around here because all of our regular activities continue through to the fall. If you don’t have a schedule, then please call Susan at 613-925-5300 or email walkerhouse@prescott.ca to get on our email list and stay up to date with special events.

Yoga is signing up a new semester after the last day of our current session with Maggie Jordan. Rates will continue at $30 for six sessions for members or a drop in fee of $10($6 for members). Strength Training for Women over 50 will continue on Mondays at 10:30 at the Leo with Lesley taking over as instructor after Mary’s last day on the 13^th. It continues to be free for Walker House members, but other women are welcome to drop in for $5. As with most of our activities, we have equipment for you to use if you don’t have your own.

We have a variety of Welcome Signs to paint on the 28^th of June and our book club is planning to meet at 1:30 on the 29^th at Katarina’s to discuss “The Clockmaker’s Daughter” by Kate Morton over a late lunch or a sweet treat, and I have copies here to borrow. I wonder if we will be even more clever than usual with a book in one hand and an ice cream cone in the other?

First off, we postponed our book club meeting this week to Wednesday the 8^th at 3pm. We’re meeting to discuss, “A Gentleman in Moscow” and pick up our next book and all who have read it are welcome to bring their two cents. Our Cricut 101 workshop with Johanna is taking place on Tuesday the 7^th and 14^th at 10am. Please bring your Cricut machine, mats, accessories, and the tablet or laptop that you plan to install the program on.

The woodcarvers have had fun painting porch leaners and I have a few leftover if members would like to come and paint on Tuesday the 28th of June. We have two smaller welcome sign kits as well (one with a truck motif and one is a wee gnome) they both have seasonal items to swap out through the year.

I have a sign-up sheet on our bulletin board and ask that you pay in advance as these may prove to be quite popular. There will be a $10 fee which includes all the pieces, paints, gesso and varnish. We have some brushes, but please bring your own if you have them.

I have 8 of each of the kits and 5 sets of cut-outs for the porch leaners that you can choose from.

Our trip to Jersey Boys is booked up for now, but I can reach out for more tickets from the playhouse if there is interest. Don’t forget we have room on the coach if you just want a seat for $30 to go and spend the day at the casino too.

We have two more strength training sessions with Mary on Monday at 10:30 and if the weather cooperates on the 13^th, we would like to take a walk after class down to the marina for a treat and to bid Mary farewell as she heads off on her cycling adventure. Our last yoga class of this semester is on Friday the 10^th at 10am and details of Maggie’s next semester will be available then.

June approaches with a few special events.

First off, “thank you” s all around to the wonderful volunteers who came to help get our kitchen garden planted. We will have our usual selection of herbs to enjoy and also Brussels sprouts, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, pole beans, and rhubarb. I’ve left a few cabbage, sweet pea, and tomato plants in the gazebo for anyone who has a free space in their garden and would like them.

Thank you also to Joe who painted us a very welcoming porch leaner – it’s going to be so fun to change it up through the seasons. Watch next week for some sign up sheets to paint this and some other similar projects later in June. Also on our sign up board in the main room there is still room for lunch on the 17^th.  We’ve had lots of offers to help on kitchen duties which makes me so very happy. Our menu is baked ham with a buffet of delicious homemade salads and a strawberry cheesecake dessert and we will set up inside and out, weather permitting

A new sign-up sheet is posted for Finding Your Creative Joy with Cricut This beginner, 2 part workshop with Johanna will get your Cricut off the shelf and working its magic, so if you are like me and have one sitting safely in it’s box because it overwhelms you, then this is for you!

By the end of the workshop, you will confident enough to make your own Father's Day card and wine bottle gift bag. Class takes place on Tuesday the 7^th and 14^th of June from 10-12. Bring your Cricut machine, a small extension chord if you have one, cutting mats, scissors, weeding tool and a scraper. A laptop, or tablet that you can download their software to, and let’s get these things working for us. I have paper and glue and all the other things we will need. We are keeping the class size very small so there is only room for 5.

I’d like to ask that you pay to secure your spot on our October trip to the Thousand Islands Playhouse for Jersey Boys if you haven’t done so already.  Remember that book club is on the 1^st at 3pm, and our rug punch workshop with Vicki is in the morning on the 1^st at 9:30.

Our kitchen is open for business again!!

The health Inspector gave me the seal of approval this week so we can schedule our first member’s lunch since February of 2020! If the weather cooperates, I will have indoor and outdoor seating at all our lunches this summer so you can choose which you prefer.

Our first lunch will take place on Friday June 17^th at 11:30. The menu is baked glazed ham with a buffet of homemade salads (pasta, potato, cabbage, and broccoli salads) and strawberry cheesecake for dessert. All of this for only $10.

Our vegetables are ready in the town greenhouse for planting, so I will look at the forecast next Tuesday and we can plan a morning session to get them into the kitchen garden. I’d be happy to have help if you enjoy playing in the dirt. We are also filling in our watering calendar for the summer and have a few days open. I’ll hang one on the bulletin board in the hallway and you can adopt a week or two or lay claim to one day a week as some of our regular volunteers do. We are always thankful for the help. Currently there is someone covering Sundays and Tuesdays and I always fill in on the last remaining day of the week so that only leaves 4 days to cover. If you are new to Walker House, we have a kitchen sharing garden that we plant each year and all members are welcome to pick some veggies and herbs to take home and we use some of our spoils in our lunches, as well.

Our craft group has agreed to share our space on Tuesday so we are going to go forward with our presentation of Rethinking Aging on the big screen from 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM. The workshops continue from May 24 - June 28, 2022. We will share the space on the 24^th with our new chairs set up outside for the crafters who don’t wish to be a part of the workshop and then decide over tea if this arrangement works for all of us going forward for the balance of the workshops. There is an option to participate on Thursdays as well from  your home computer and I will happily share the link again if you missed it last week.

Our wood carvers made great headway on our porch leaners this week and plan to continue on the 26^th with much thanks to the crew (especially Gail) who planed and sanded our boards.

Last but not least; I’d like to hear from anyone interested in playing euchre or bid-euchre (sometimes called pepper) we have been struggling to hit our mark with the Friday afternoon event, so I’d really like to hear from all interested parties. Can you tell me please which games you would like to play, how often you would like to play, and in what time slot you would like to play. At present, we have most evenings available, we have Friday afternoons available, and we could add a Saturday event as well. There is also the possibility to take a summer hiatus and resume in the fall. I look forward to your feedback and will plan accordingly.

There will be no fitness on Monday as we celebrate the long weekend, but yoga at 10am on Friday is on. I was able to participate in my first class with Maggie this morning and it was wonderful! She offers a challenging class with modifications for every fitness level and I enjoyed it immensely.

First off, I’d like to include a link attached to my email for a free Zoom event on Monday called, “From Paris with Love” You just need to register in advance of Monday afternoon and let them know you are with Walker House to enjoy the tour.

We are going to have one more fitness class with Mary on Monday the 25^th at 10:30 and then the next two Mondays will be on hiatus before she begins again on the 16^th of May. You will also have a chance on the 25^th to meet our new yoga teacher, Maggie. Her yoga classes begin on Friday, May 6^th at 10am at the Leo Boivin Community Centre. Maggie comes highly recommended for her safe and gentle approach and I am excited to begin. I hope to see you on Monday to meet her and get the details of her spring semester.

Prices are set for our trip to the 1000 Islands Playhouse in Gananoque to see Jersey Boys, or just visit the casino. The coach bus from Howard’s will be at Walker House at 9am (or request a pick up in Brockville at Food Basics for 9:15) and we’ll spend the morning in Gananoque to stroll, shop, and lunch before the show for $67 or pay  just $30 if you skip the play and go to the casino instead. We take EFTs now to our regular email address or cash or cheque to Walker House if you want to drop by. 

We have scheduled a tea in Ivy Doran’s memory to be held at St Paul’s United Church on Saturday, May 14^th. All the kitchen gals here will be gathering to prepare sandwiches and treats and I know that the ladies of St. Paul’s will be too. Everyone who wants to share this day with us is invited to come. It’s so fitting that we celebrate Ivy by preparing and sharing food together as she was always with us in the kitchen. I will have more details but for now, I wanted you to know that we will be hosting all of Ivy’s friends in the hall from 12:30-2:30 and you are welcome.

If you follow us on FaceBook then this is not news, but if you haven’t heard – tomorrow is our annual community cleanup day from 9am-2pm. Stop in at the east entrance to Centennial Park behind Walker House to pick up your cleanup day kit and have a drink (sometimes an extra cup of coffee provides just the boost you need!) It’s a good idea to stop and report in if you have already been cleaning up in a park so that you can let staff know that the area has been covered. Thank you so much for taking part!

Friday afternoons are coming to life again with both euchre and bid euchre at 1pm. It was great to welcome some returning regulars today and many thanks to Sharon for convening and to Lise and Suzanne who are teaching bid euchre to newcomers.

Well, I’ve got our March Calendar prepared and hold on to your hats – it’s going to be a busy one!

I have tried to colour code it to make it a bit easier to follow what events are taking place in person at various locations, what will be over the phone and what is over Zoom and I hope that helps.

First let’s tackle Senior Centre without Walls:

Our Weekly Faith Lift with Rev Tracey is holding strong and will continue on Thursday mornings at 10:30. Both Monday Morning Mindfulness and Use Your Noodle are moving to bi-weekly. I will stop running the program in April until winter returns again so dial in to your favourites to enjoy the session and to thank our fantastic convenors who have been with us through these trying times and helped make our days brighter.

Zoom continues to be an option on any stormy day but we have Drawing lessons with Sharon Stein continuing on Zoom on alternate Wednesdays and Maria and Jackie will be opening up on the other Wednesday afternoons for in-person Art Studio Time at Walker House.

Zoom is also bringing us Angie with chair yoga on Mondays at 1pm. The response for gentle yoga (floor yoga, as I call it) was not as strong, so her last session will be at 2 on Monday, the 28^th of February. I would encourage everyone to try her chair yoga at 1 each Monday in March as it’s a great workout too.

Art Studio Link is:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86987691047?pwd=NzVrU0dNSEdKaUlvWHhSZEF3d29nUT09

Meeting ID: 869 8769 1047

Passcode: 872759

And Angie’s yoga is:

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81296761904?pwd=a2Jja2NpZzM4d2psUXk4aVpGUzJqdz09

Meeting ID: 812 9676 1904
Passcode: Walker

Most of the other regular activities are back inside Walker House again but you’ll notice that Euchre is now on Friday afternoons with Sharon as the convenor and the wood carvers have come downstairs on Thursday afternoons with Joe and Jim convening.

Our Book Club is settling into a mid-month routine so I will be able to have the next month’s book for us at our meetings and streamline things. This month we will meet on the 16^th at 3pm and one of our group has promised cookies to go with our tea! There are still two copies of our book in the main room here and you are welcome to sign one out using the booklet on the side table.

We will be slowly easing our protocols and coffee and tea service will resume but for now please wear a mask unless you are stationary, distanced, and eating or drinking, and we will continue to require new visitors and returning members to provide proof of vaccination. If you returned before Christmas you don’t need to show it to me again.

Lastly – did you see all the special events on our calendar?!? I will not be in the office for a bit, so if you are here in person, please sign up with the date on our bulletin board and I will be able to register people by the date they are received whether by phone, email or in-person. Members will be given priority for the day trips as they are sure to be popular especially since they are free.

The band concert on the 10^th is at Merc Hall in Maitland. There is no charge and no need to register – just come and enjoy your favourites from the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Please register for the Pickle Ball demonstration on the 11^th to give us an idea of how many we are expecting, but feel free to drop in. This is the largest growing adult sport for good reason so bring your tennis shoes and find out what all the fuss is about.

On the 24^th, we are having Y-Dance which is a fun, dance based exercise program (think Zumba for seniors).

Our curlers are coming together for some social competition and a dinner at the curling club on the 18^th.

Our Friday information sessions will be in the Ruth Evanson Room at Town Hall with Stephane Pigeon from RBC presenting about wills and Powers of Attorney on the 4^th and Mary Campbell covering lifestyle tips for vibrant, healthy aging.  (don’t forget to zoom in on February 25^th for Liz Givenrod-Wood for more great discussion)

Now, the day trips…On the 14^th we will be boarding a coach from Walker House at 9am and heading to the Cove in Westport where we will be spending a day together to rejuvenate and refresh after the longest two years in history! We have lunch and snacks included and special guests and activities planned and then will return in time for dinner. Dress to be outside for a fun and tasty afternoon break and otherwise just dress comfortably and be ready for anything ;) Call this a “retreat” if you like, call it a “wellness day”, we can’t decide…. we just know we are going to have a great time together!

Our last trip of our winter season is to Wheeler’s Sugar Bush on the 29^th. We have the whole place to ourselves so come dressed to walk the paths, visit their maple syrup museum and learn how it’s made, and most importantly – eat a delicious pancake lunch. Since our coach is taking us all the way to McDonald’s Corners, we are planning a stop in Perth to explore, do a bit of shopping, hit up a coffee shop, or maybe pick up some fabulous take-out to bring home for dinner.

Thanks for sticking with me this long. If you don’t want to print out the attached calendar, just pick up the next edition of the South Grenville Beacon for a clip-out copy.

Happy Family Day!

Things are buzzing around here as I prepare to open the doors again to in-person programming at Walker House. I’m hoping everyone is so happy to be back that they don’t notice that the Christmas tree is still up in the main activity room! I’ve just been too busy with our virtual calendar to get to it.

After our hiatus last year, we will be collecting memberships again for 2022 and I have some spiffy key tags for everyone with our new logo on them. We do accept e-transfers if that is your thing, or I will catch up with you in person when you return. If you have already shown your proof of vaccination, then we will only need a minute to renew your membership, and if you’ve not been back in person yet; please remember to bring your vaccine info when you come back. Membership fees remain $15 for locals with an additional $25 user fee to the town for non-residents.

What’s new and exciting for the rest of this month? Our trip to see the movie “Spencer” at the Brockville Arts Centre is full, but we have a great afternoon planned at the Prescott Curling Club at 1:30 on February 18^th.  Senior’s curling uses an adaptive stick that allows people to enjoy all the fun of curling long after their hips resist the low slide.  Members of the club will be taking part to demonstrate and teach the modified curling and you’ll have lots of time to test it out. This is perfect for people who loved curling in their younger days and have given it up, and also perfect for absolute beginners so please register by the 16^th and give it a watch or a try. We are planning a friendly match and dinner on the 18^th of March so don’t miss this chance to learn from the best and get in some practise. Strength Training for Women over 50 resumes at the Leo Boivin Community Centre on the 14^th and Indoor walking takes place on Friday mornings at 9:30.

All of our winter virtual activities continue through the month with our special Prudence Heward paint-along with Peggy on the 24^th at 2pm and Mary brings us healthy lifestyle tips on Zoom on the 25^th at 1pm. (all events are paused for Family Day on the 21^st) Please reach out to Susan at 613-925-5300 or go to our Facebook page for all the Zoom links and joining instructions for our phone based programs. You can also email walkerhouse@prescott.ca to get on our newsletter list and stay in the know about all special events including our upcoming trips to the sugar bush and a retreat at the Cove all happening in March. Until then, stay active (Zoom yoga and chair yoga), stay crafty (knitting, painting, drawing, and crafts on Zoom) stay calm (Monday Morning Mindfulness over the phone), stay hungry (Zoom and in-person cooking classes), stay curious (cards and carving in person) and stay healthy and happy. Spring is just around the corner: Wiarton Willy said so and he never lies!

I’m attaching the Zoom links again for you here:

Mondays:

YOGA (1pm chair yoga and 2 pm floor yoga)

Topic: Walker House Yoga
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81296761904?pwd=a2Jja2NpZzM4d2psUXk4aVpGUzJqdz09

Meeting ID: 812 9676 1904
Passcode: Walker

Tuesdays:

Crafts and Chat (1pm) this is also the link I use when I host a special event

Topic: Craft and Coffee Group Chat 

Time: Tuesday afternoons at 1pm; fill your mug and bring your current craft project to the computer ;)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86832709110?pwd=d3ZSS2xXNkllSExTVVpVK3QrNzJ1Zz09

Meeting ID: 868 3270 9110

Passcode: 072410

Wednesdays:

Topic: Prescott Hoops and Hooks

Time: Wednesday mornings at 10am

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87174444219?pwd=OVo0QmxRVEdUQ3RnUWpoWmFRRUI3dz09

Meeting ID: 871 7444 4219

Passcode: 336499.

Topic: Art Studio Meet and some lessons

Time: Every Wednesday at 1pm. Join Sharon as she teaches on the first and third Wednesday of the month or just work on your own piece and enjoy the company

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86987691047?pwd=NzVrU0dNSEdKaUlvWHhSZEF3d29nUT09

Meeting ID: 869 8769 1047

Passcode: 872759

Fridays:

Topic: Knitters and Crochet

Time: Fridays at 10am

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85424504470?pwd=Ky9kWUlaM0E1VUxCSkZGSzhYNm5XUT09

Meeting ID: 854 2450 4470

Passcode: 817826

 Hang in there! Don’t forget our phone programs are happening now too, three days a week.

Monday Morning Mindfulness Mondays at 10:30 alternating between Winhara and Una as facilitators

Tuesdays at 10:30 Mary with Use Your Noodle

Thursdays at 10:30 is our Weekly Faith Lift with Rev. Tracey Smith. Please reach out to your friends who do not Zoom and invite them call in to 1-866-279-1594 and enter passcode 595056 # if they would enjoy some company over the phone. These sessions are free and open for any one 55+ in the area.

I have a lot to pack into our newsletter this week as we hit the ground running with our expanded virtual programs that start on Monday the 10^th. I already covered the Zoom links for our regular programs in my newsletter before Christmas and those programs all continue with the following additions:

Like an old friend coming for a visit, we have our favourites resuming on Seniors Centre Without Walls (henceforth known as SCWW because that’s a mouthful!) with Monday Morning Mindfulness at 10:30 with Winhara facilitating on the 10^th and 24^th and Una on the 17^th and 31^st. Life right now is full of noise and stress and this hour of relaxation is both the perfect antidote and the perfect way to start your week.

Monday afternoons we will be introducing a new certified yoga instructor, Angie Morton-Locke who is offering two classes over Zoom each Monday afternoon:

Chair Yoga Mondays at 1pm

Chair yoga allows individuals to complete poses while using a chair for support and stability.  It is practiced sitting on a chair or standing using a chair for support. The poses are often adaptations of ordinary yoga asanas.
Chair Yoga is suitable for all ages and abilities, for students who are new to yoga, confined to a desk at work, or unable to participate in a traditional yoga class because of aging, injury, or disability.  
Chair Yoga is for anyone wanting to increase mobility, deepen flexibility, increase range of motion, and strengthen personal body awareness.

*For this class you will need a chair with no arms that you can sit on with feet resting on the floor.

Beginner's Yoga Mondays at 2pm

Do you have a little experience with yoga or would like more in depth explanations of the poses?  This is the class for you.  A gentle yoga class with instructions to keep you safe in each pose.  Students will be introduced to yoga postures through step-by-step verbal description and demonstration. Emphasis is placed on student understanding, safety, and stability within each pose.  This class is taught in the Iyengar style of yoga with a focus on the structural alignment of the physical body through the practice of asanas.  

Props: yoga mat (or towel), strap/tie (optional), blocks (optional), bolster/pillow (optional)

Tuesdays on SCWW we welcome back Mary Campbell with Use Your Noodle at 10:30.  Dial in for fun trivia, puzzles, and games to keep your funny bone tickled and your brain sharp. You never know what to expect, but you are sure to learn something new and have a laugh or two!

Thursdays at 10:30 is our Weekly Faith Lift with Rev. Tracey Smith Another favourite that has been missed for sure. Tracey’s warmth reaches right through the phone is this welcoming, non-denominational, Christian service.

SCWW Instructions: We will be adding special events later in the month as well, but are hitting the ground running with these. I’d like to remind everyone that this program is open to anyone 55+ who would enjoy participating. All you need to belong to SCWW is a quiet area in your house with a telephone; there is nothing technical about it. A minute or two before your desired program, simply dial 1-866-279-1594 and when prompted, enter the passcode 595056 then #.  The operator will ask for your name followed by # and then you will be on hold until I open the session.

But Wait….There’s More….

We weren’t able to meet for our discussion of Michele Obama’s “Becoming” so we are having a book club meet over Zoom at 1pm on the 13^th using the craft and chat link for anyone who read the book and wants to chat about it. I am still waiting for two of her books to be returned as well, so if you could reach out to me to make arrangements then I can return the kit back to the library and pick up our next one which is “The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow” by Rita Leganski. This is her debut novel and revues detail a great read with beautiful, liquid prose, a wonderful ending, and the descriptor most often used is “magical”. It sounds like this is exactly the book we want to be reading right now as we begin 2022. Get in touch to arrange for pick-up or delivery and we will meet most likely over Zoom in February. 

We had a number of in person seminars planned for our A-Ha! Winter program (Active, Healthy Aging ; A-HA, get it?) and we have shifted them to a virtual, Zoom format. Our first will be on the 14^th of January at 1:30. Our guest is Gerry Shaver, a safety consultant, who will be discussing Seniors Scams with us and have tips for discerning legitimate offers from scams.

For now, The Brockville Arts Centre has the movie Spencer rescheduled for Friday February 11^th at 2pm and I still have our 25 tickets and will book a school bus just as we had planned for this week.  Seats are being assigned at the BAC, so I have asked for groups of 2 and Mary and I will take registrations later in the month so if you had signed up to go and would like to try again for the 11^th, please let me know and I’ll get you registered.

Stay tuned and informed by following our page on Facebook and by checking out our column in the South Grenville Beacon. This newsletter also gets posted to our good old website so you can share info with friends who may be interested in joining in. This is now over 1000 words, so I am going to sign off and will likely be back sometime next week with more updates as they get firmed up. Just to tease you, we plan for Tai Chi, Swimming with Sharks, some armchair travel, author visits, and more. We may be inside a lot in the coming weeks, but we won’t be bored!

Hello friends,

We are in a rapidly evolving situation again as we deal with changing  Covid protocols and prepare for the coming holiday. Most of our groups have already decided that they will be taking the two weeks over Christmas off and given the close quarters inside Walker House, I think that we are wise to extend that further into January.  I’ve been in close contact with other centres in our region and many are pausing in-person programming for part or all of January and it seems prudent that we also take some time to assess, allow time for members to get their boosters and see what the province calls for next.

I have a few special events planned that I will postpone until later in January and February, and I’ll bolster our virtual programs with a return of some phone offerings over Seniors Centre Without Walls, so keep an eye open for those.

Because of its large space, programming at the Leo Boivin Community Centre still falls within the provincial parameters and is scheduled to run as follows:

Mondays 10:30am: Strength Training for Women over 50. Takes place on Monday the 20^th with a planned break and resumption on January 10^th.

Fridays: Indoor Walking at 9:30 is planned to continue through the holiday after the break this past Friday for Spirit of Giving set-up.

Indoors at Walker House, we are moving to our Zoom meeting format after New Years for the first week of January and will pause our in-person events from December 21^st  until the 10^th of January.  I will include Zoom links for our regular activities that you are welcome to use immediately to keep in touch throughout the holiday.

I’ll be in touch before the 10^th to let you know how we proceed from there and with details of our special events and SCWW schedule.

The Brockville Arts Centre will be adjusting their protocols to keep in line with the government guidelines and to ensure that participants feel comfortable and safe. As of this moment, our plan to attend the movie “Spencer” is still a go. Mary or I will be in contact with you as we learn more. Please reach out to me if you have an idea or would like to hold a virtual event with your group that is not represented below.

I wish you a joyful holiday and look forward to sharing time together in 2022.

Warmest regards,

Susan Vallom

I have some wonderful news to share! We have been fortunate to receive a grant from the Seniors Community Grant to hold a number of activities over the winter. The project is entitled, A-HA! (which stands for Active, Healthy Aging) and it incorporates a number of fitness and social events  including these two FREE bus trips!

First up, we have 40 tickets for “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” at the Upper Canada Playhouse on Thursday, December 16^th . We also have tickets and a bus to the Brockville Arts Centre on Friday, January 7^th for the matinee screening of “Spencer” the story of Princess Di.

You must register for both by phone (613-925-5300) or email walkerhouse@prescott.ca. I will keep a waiting list and ask that you let me know if you are unable to come so that someone else can enjoy the event.

Covid Protocols for both venues:

You must bring and show a government photo ID and have your proof of vaccination with you to enter the buildings. The canteens are closed, but you are allowed to bring a bottle of water with you. Everyone in the buildings must be fully masked at all times with no exceptions. The playhouse in Morrisburg has assigned seating at 50% capacity and the Brockville Arts Centre will have no assigned seating in the new year, so everyone can chose their own seats.

Transportation Details:

We have rented school busses from Howard Bus Lines.

Upper Canada Playhouse trip – the bus will pick up at Food Basic in Brockville at 12:30 on December 16^th and at Walker House at 12:45. The show starts at 2pm and we return home immediately following.

Brockville Arts Centre trip: - the bus picks us up at Walker House at 1pm on January 7^th and heads directly to the Arts Centre for drop off. The movie starts at 2 and we return home immediately following the show.

Our first Christmas lights walk will meet at the south end of the parking lot of O’Reilly’s on the 7^th at 4:30 to walk through Fischl.

Don’t forget our Zoom workshop taking place at 10:30 that morning here at Walker House. We have room for a few more.

I hope to see you at the tree lighting on Saturday – we will be serving hot chocolate starting at 5:30 J

November 30 -- It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I’m sorry; I know you will have that song stuck in your head now, but I couldn’t resist. It seems that the holidays are busting out everywhere I turn these days. I’m thrilled to see the markets and parades are back and the laughter and chatter at Walker House brightens the most overcast day. This Saturday is booming in Prescott and we will be taking part and serving hot chocolate at the tree lighting. Please let me know if you’d like to help out or pop by the clock tower at 5:30.

Our Book Club really enjoyed “The Last Hermit” and now for something completely different we have Michelle Obama’s “Becoming”. Books are available to pick-up on the counter in the main room and we meet to discuss at 10am on December 21st. I have to give this one a vote for being the most attractive cover I’ve seen in a while; it is going to look beautiful on my coffee table and hopefully the contents are a winner too.

Our Walking Group is wrapping up our outdoor season and transitioning to indoor walking at the Leo Boivin Community Centre on Fridays at 9:30 beginning on the 10th of December. Please send me your thoughts about the most colourful neighbourhoods as we will walk outside at 4:30 on the 7th and 16th to enjoy the Christmas lights and possibly meet for a hot drink afterwards. Based on your feedback, I will announce the meeting place the week before.

Bridge is trying out their old Monday afternoon time slot and experienced players are invited to come. I will be set up to register any new or first time returning players at 12:30 on the 29th of November so that play can begin at 1. Our ukulele group will meet immediately following at 3:30.

Sharon has offered to be convenor for Euchre and we are going to try Friday afternoons at 1 to see how that works for everyone. There is definitely interest in playing and we are also hoping to fit in a table of Pepper (A.K.A. bid euchre) Please come by on the 3^rd of December if you’d like to play either form.

I’m taking registrations for our in-person Zoom workshop with TechTutors on the 7^th at 10:30. Everyone bring your own device and William will guide us through some of the bells and whistles that help it function. Please pre-register for this one via walkerhouse@prescott.ca and either send an e-transfer or bring $8 to help cover the cost. Don’t forget that we have a small library of iPads for members to borrow, as well.

Next week our crafters will be making a cute felted sweater owl ornament on Tuesday the 7^th at 1pm. I have threads, buttons, and sweaters but if you can, bring sharp fabric scissors and an embroidery needle. These will add a fun tag to any gift and work up easily.

There are lots of exciting programs lined up for winter 2022. Details are finalizing for a visit with Catherine Schmuck, the Ship to Shore Chef, and we are adding many new events to our calendar including a choir, curling, yoga, a wellness retreat and yes: the return of day tripping! Things are definitely getting back to normal, when we can plan a trip together again.

Hello,

We have a few changes this week to cover as we transition into winter and  our regular activities get settled back inside at Walker House so I’ll tackle them one at a time:

First things first; I will be off for the week of the 22^nd – 26^th. I monitor emails easily from home, so reach out if you need assistance with keys/opening or locking up. I normally would have given you all a week’s notice, but it caught me by surprise that we are already the last week of November! It’s not just me, is it? I mean, Santa is going to be coming soon and I am not at all prepared for this!

Bridge requested  to return to their Monday afternoon time (1-4) and it looks like the ukulele gang is flexible so I am proposing that we stick to Monday the 22^nd at 1 for ukulele and when we are finished playing, we can decide on a new time that works for all of us. Bridge will continue on Saturdays until the 29^th of November when they resume on Mondays. Since there may be a few members returning on that date, I will be in attendance with my laptop at 12:30 and ask that you come early with your vaccine info to register with me and I will review our safety protocols and welcome you back.

I will be here for ukulele lessons on Monday afternoon and also dropping in for our Book Club on Tuesday the 23^rd at 10am. We can meet in the main room at that time so no stairs are required. I haven’t finished reading it yet, but have heard from quite a few that they enjoyed this month’s selection so I’m looking forward to a good discussion over coffee. I hope to have December’s title available for pick up then.

We will make our seasonal switch to Walking Club at the beginning of December. Until then, we will continue to meet at 9:30 on Tuesdays and Fridays which then pauses until spring and instead we will meet for a couple of early evening walks to enjoy the Christmas lights. On Tuesday the 7th and Thursday the 16^th of December we will meet at 4:30 for a stroll (and maybe dinner out?) and I am asking for your feedback to determine where. Let me know which blocks have the prettiest lights and we can decide from there.  I know some of you have been looking forward to it’s return so I’m happy to report that indoor walking at the Leo Boivin Community Centre starts again on December 10^th at 9:30.

Last, but not least by any stretch, I’m pleased to announce that William will be joining us for a Tech Workshop on Tuesday the 7^th of December at 10:30. We’ve discovered during some recent events that there is a need for us to learn how to use Zoom better. It has features that make it a more enjoyable experience for seasoned users and this is also a good time for a refresher if you are a beginner or have never used it. There is an $8 fee to help cover the cost and I have limited seats available so please pre-register with me. Did you know that Walker House can accept E-transfers? It’s safe and easy and I am happy to show you how. On the day, bring whatever device(s) you typically use to access Zoom as the home screens look different on each one, bring a notebook and pen for notes (there will be handouts, as well) and I have 3 of our Walker House iPads available that can be reserved for the workshop and also loaned out to any member to take home.

We had our first board meeting yesterday and have some exciting plans to share very soon and we would be thrilled to welcome you “on board” to be part of the leadership team. 

Its been a whirlwind this week and there is so much to be thankful for especially the  kind, generous, lovely, good looking, funny, and talented volunteers who’ve been helping me unpack boxes and organize all of our stuff of which there is an abundance!

The house would not be where it is today without their help. I didn’t share photos after the flood when the ceilings came down and the walls were back to the studs because it was too depressing but now that it is in our rear view mirror I have printed a few and posted them on the bulletin board so you can see how far it’s come. I am thrilled to be welcoming people back into a fresh new house.

All of our regular groups will be returned inside with bridge returning on Saturday afternoon and the Bunka Babes next Thursday so I will include our current schedule below. You will notice that there are still time slots available during the week and I’d like to remind you that we can also meet here in the evenings. Why am I pointing this out, you ask? It’s an invitation to fill them with your favourite activity. Euchre has not yet returned to the schedule and I have a volunteer willing to convene the group so please let me know if you are interested in playing and we will get you set up. We also have cribbage, dominoes, and scrabble in multiples available in our games cupboard.

Our new kitchen will be inspected soon and open for business but all of above-mentioned activities and our Covid safety protocols have been approved by the health unit. Together we will reopen at a pace that works to keep us safe and comfortable. I’ve made the process as streamlined as possible and have our vaccine passport, Covid screening, and contact tracing all built into our membership tags so that a quick stop at the touchscreen to enter the building is all that is required after your first visit. If you have concerns about returning, I am happy to share our procedures with you in more depth to ease your mind, but here is a quick reminder for everyone:

1)      Upon your first visit indoors please see me to show your proof of vaccination and receive a new membership tag. There is no fee for the remainder of 2021 so you can leave your wallet at home ;)

2)      It is important that everyone sign in at every visit. You will find your activities on the screen, and also a “just visiting” option.

3)      Please wear a mask that covers your nose and chin and be mindful of other’s space. You are welcome to bring your own water bottle or mug from home and to remove your mask when seated and actively eating or drinking but keep it on otherwise and especially when moving around.

4)      We have regular cleaning and sanitizing in place, but it is important for all of us to keep our hands clean and wipe the contact surfaces as you leave the washroom. I doubt you can walk 6 steps in any direction without finding sanitizers and wipes, honestly, so it’s a quick and easy task.

5)      Occupancy limits have been lifted in Ontario but we are finding that the main room is comfortably spaced if we keep our group size to a dozen or so.

The pool room and library are open for business and I am hopeful that the remaining boxes and clutter will be all tucked away before another week has passed. I’ll let you know when our kitchen has been inspected and we can get back to making coffee and tea and member’s lunches. Oh….and pot lucks, and movie nights, remember those? And how fun were our Supper Clubs? Believe it or not; those days will return, but just having the sounds of laughter and chatter as friends are coming together again inside these walls is enough for now. I’ve missed you!

For now though, here is our schedule:

MONDAYS:

Strength Training for Women over 50: (Leo Boivin Community Centre) at 10:30

Spinners at 10am

Ukulele at 1pm

SGGOFA: 3^rd Monday each month at 6:30

TUESDAYS:

Walking from Walker House at 9:30

possibly quilting 10am

Arts and crafts 1pm

WEDNESDAYS:

Hoops and Hooks traditional rug hooking 9:30am

Art Studio and lessons 1pm  with Zoom lessons 1^st Wednesday of the month

THURSDAYS:

Bunka, Swedish Weaving and Hardanger 9am

Wood Carving 1pm

Book Club possibly 10am in the library last Thursday of the month

FRIDAYS:

Walking from Amphitheatre at 9:30

Knitting and crochet 10am

Possibly euchre and scrabble alternating weeks at 1pm

SATURDAYS:

Bridge 1pm

Pool and shuffleboard are available and there is also work space in the library suitable for a small group to meet.

Hello,

It has been an exciting week as groups begin to return indoors at Walker House. I know we are expecting an announcement from the province today which may impact things going forward, but I wanted to update you all on our current schedule.

Protocols for returning home to Walker House

Our protocols and procedures are all designed to meet the minimum requirements of the health unit of Lanark Leeds Grenville and ensure the comfort of our members. Please know that I welcome and appreciate your questions, suggestions, and feedback as we navigate this together.

For now here are the important steps to be aware of:

1)      Upon your return indoors, it will be necessary to bring your proof of double vaccination status on your first visit only. I will be issuing a new membership tag to everyone when I have verified that, and I ask that everyone sign in using our attendance software every time they are in the building. This will work for contact tracing requirements and you will be answering the standard Covid questionnaire at the same time. I will be monitoring that everyone has signed in for the first while until we get used to it as this is a very important piece for us being allowed to open our doors again.

2)      Masks will need to stay on unless actively drinking or eating.

3)      Current occupancy limits and physical distancing requirements will need to be adhered to.

4)      Please bring your own drinks as we are not allowed to set up coffee in the kitchen yet.

5)      Daily cleaning and sanitizing are happening, but it is also important that we wipe the contact surfaces in the washroom after use and practise safe hand hygiene.

This week we began with knitting, crafts, rug hooking, and strength training indoors.

In addition to those activities, on Monday I will welcome back the ukulele players at 1pm (I have some Christmas chord charts for us!),  the second cohort of rug hookers on Wednesday at 9:30, the Art Studio that afternoon at 1pm, and the wood carvers on Thursday at 1pm.

The bridge players are scheduled for Saturday the 30th at 1pm and the Bunka Babes are returning on Thursday the 4^th of November at 9am.

I know that we are all coming back from different situations and with different comfort levels and I appreciate how patient and respectful everyone has been. We all see on the news that this is not a seamless process everywhere and I do not take it for granted. Our community is a caring, compassionate one and it shows. Thank you.