Hello Everyone,

Here we are in glorious May with sunshine, flowers and hopes for Spring. We find ourselves in an unusual situation of home schooling, social/physical distancing, wearing/making masks, and missing our activity groups. We have learned a few things about ourselves. First and foremost, we can do anything! It's not easy but we can do it. We learned how to communicate electronically via Zoom. It was great to see the faces of the Board, Bunco and Needlework these last few weeks. We've discovered new recipes, washed lots of dishes, and how to draw on our inner strength. 

All of our activities are still on hold until the Governor opens the state. It won't be much longer and we can handle it. After all, we could be seniors in high school missing their proms and graduations or not having the wedding of our dreams or stuck in a foreign country because we can't get home or in a hospital on a ventilator alone with no visitors. We don't have much freedom but we do have the freedom to go from our bedroom to our kitchen, maybe go outside and then to the couch. Who could ask for more? Take a walk, have a virtual get together, hug your husband and kids and know that we are the lucky ones.

Take care of yourselves and each other. Looking forward to being together again!

Best wishes,

Toni 

If you know someone who may be interested in joining us, let them know they may join at any time. Contact Sue or visit the website to pay the yearly $25 membership dues.

2020-2021  Board Presentation

President - Toni Robinson

VP Membership - Sue Gannon

Secretary - Jan Dendinger

Treasurer - Carrie Houghton 

Activities Chair - Marilyn Iezzi

Civic Concerns - Genie Wilmarth

Event Planners (2) - OPEN 

Newsletter - OPEN 

Nominations - Eileen Higham 

Publicity - Lorraine Cosgrove 

Web Master - Cheryl Sojkowski 

Web Assistant - OPEN (for future Web Master position) 

Past President -  Shari Cassutt

Coronavirus, month two

Helpers:

I have a list of ten people who have offered to drive and deliver food or groceries, or just make a phone call for a chat. Call me 860-202-3791 if you need help.

Helping:

Simsbury Social Services has a food drop off box outside of Eno Hall on Wednesdays.

Gifts of Love needs donations such as canned goods, cereal, toiletries, household goods and clothing. They are open M-F and are extremely busy.

Make masks. Instructions are provided. Brynn Brown can help you get connected to a group.

Take out food from your favorite restaurant.  Donate to food establishments and restaurants that are providing meals to first responders and medical personnel.

Hints:

Some restaurants and food establishments are also offering limited grocery items.

Most gas stations have milk and eggs and are usually low traffic.

Scammers are using the virus to prey on a weary public. Be aware. Don’t answer phone calls from unknown numbers. NEVER give any information on the phone or internet. Your bank, mortgage, credit card, phone and other providers will never ask for your number, passwords, Social Security number, pins, or passwords. Be aware.

Take walks, Zoom or Facetime friends and loved ones, read, rest. If you are a helper, caregiving, or home schooling, you have a big job to do, and THANK YOU!

Book Group will have a virtual meeting on 5/15 at 10:30 a.m. on Zoom. Shari will be sending out the invite link to those who want to participate. Our book will be The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck. Camilla Thompson will be our reviewer. This book is available free of charge on Hoopla through the Simsbury Library. Unlimited number of users can borrow books on Hoopla at the same time. Hoopla is easy to access from the Simsbury Library home web page. I will send out an invite prior to 5/15 asking for people to RSVP.

Ladies' Daytime Bridge is not meeting at this time.

We had a Zoom Gathering recently and I snapped these photos! Thanks to Patty Howland who set up the meeting for us. We had a great time with current and a few Bunkonians who have moved away. Have a great day!

Arlene Zappile

Need a night out? Come and roll the dice with us. Bunko is an easy game to learn with no skill needed. Contact Randi Stamboulis at [email protected] for more information.

If you enjoy socializing, then we are the group for you! We are a co-ed group that meets a few times a year (3-4) at our members' homes on Saturday evenings. We are not a "couples only group"! All are welcome!! We will schedule the gatherings around the "SNN events", so as not to conflict. Please bring an appetizer or a dessert to share. Please bring your own beverages. Hosts may choose to have a theme for the evening and will provide paper goods and glasses. Contact Holly and Shaun Murphy to join this group.

Welcome Dining Out group to what we hope will be a year of interesting dining discoveries. We reserve at restaurants that accommodate separate billing. Seating is often limited, emails will be sent out with an RSVP deadline.

We miss seeing everyone and sharing travels together!
 

So many places are offering incredible content online - streaming shows & concerts, virtual museum tours, cooking demos and more! Several of the items below were recommended by our membership - thanks Kathy Schwartz & Tina Trask!

Contact Shari at [email protected].

We have tweaked the mission of the Men’s Night Out. It has morphed into Happy Hour Social Club (not just for men!). We are now in pursuit of the perfect IPA, or some other craft brew delight, bourbon, vino, good conversation and food. We meet the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 5 p.m. (or earlier for those that can). This group is open to all!

Suspended until further notice

Suspended until further notice

There is an online Mah Jongg game you can download for $2.99/month. American Mah Jongg Practice 2020

For more information, contact activity chair: Alayna Clark. [email protected]

The Evening Mah Jongg group meets the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month. We welcome players of all levels and are happy to teach anyone who would like to learn the game.

Hi, I am from the Film Discussion group. We meet to go to a movie at the Simsbury Apple Cinema once or twice a month on a weekend day. Originally we met later in the month, on a Sunday to discuss at the library, but now we meet after the movie to discuss over a coffee, if anyone is interested.

An email goes out once or twice a week, and if anyone wants to be notified they can write to [email protected].

Mary Lou Cassotto

A group of women who meet once a week to work on a variety of needlework projects and visit and share ideas. The needlework projects consist of needlepoint, knitting, crochet, embroidery, cross stitch, and quilting. Besides needlework, some of the ladies work on card designing, Zentangles, beading and other small craft projects.

We meet at the library on Monday mornings. Attendance weekly is not necessary.

Paddle Tennis is similar to tennis, but played outdoors during the colder months on raised courts. In snowy conditions, the courts are heated to melt the wintry mix. We play November through March, using the courts at Simsbury Farms. The Mixed Doubles group plays on Sunday evenings (4:30 - 6), the Ladies play on Monday and Thursday mornings, and the Men play on Saturday mornings.

If you would like to play paddle and have played other racket sports, please contact the activity coordinators. The rosters tend to fill up by early October. Hope to see you on the courts!

Simsbury Farms usually offers Paddle lessons. Please check with their office for more information - 860-658-3836.

Greetings from the Couple's Paddle Tennis Activity Group.  Our season just closed in observance of Governor Lamont and Simsbury Farms' efforts to curb possible exposure to the COVID-19 virus.   We had a great season and look forward  to next season's opening play.  Stay home, stay safe.   See  you on the courts next season.  Elbow bump!
 

Camilla Thompson  860 729-4806 

[email protected]

If you like to play cards and would like to be part of an informal, social, and fun group of women, Pinochle may be the perfect activity for you. Pinochle is a card game that is easier than bridge, but still challenging enough to be interesting. Our members range from experienced to just beginning - and we are very willing to give lessons to anyone who is completely new to the game.

DAYTIME

We meet at 1 p.m., the first and third Tuesday afternoons of each month to play for two to three hours, but you do not need to play each time. We take turns hosting either in our homes or at library or community center rooms.

Sue Gannon is the activity coordinator and can be reached at [email protected] or 860-421-5009, and would be glad to answer any questions you may have.

EVENING

The Women's evening Pinochle group meets the second Tuesday of each month from 7 to 10 PM. Each monthly game is hosted by a different player, so location varies.

Judy Rabinowitz is the activity coordinator and can be reached at [email protected] or 860-658-9262.

Hi All,

I hope everyone is well and surviving. If you’re not a Facebooker you may not have heard that hospitals, first responders, home healthcare workers are in need of homemade masks that can be used in either lower level care thus freeing up more effective masks for more critical cases or covering other masks to extend their lives. Brynn and I have been sewing now for a few days. As of yesterday the Facebook group for our area has delivered over 70 masks.  Yes, it feels a bit like WWI knitting socks for the troops. 

If you want to sew and need help getting started get in touch with me.
 

IF YOU ‘RE NOT SEWING AND HAVE QUARTER INCH ELASTIC or THINNER lying around the house we need it NOW!! We also need twill tape, bias tape, twist ties (like you use in the garden), ribbon with wire, and some fabric.

Write, call, or just drop it off on my porch. One way or the other I’ll get it and make sure it gets to whomever needs it. 
 

My mother’s favorite saying is “This too shall pass”  couldn’t be more relevant than right now.
 

Love to all,

Shari

The Single Active Women's group is a group for any single woman - divorced, widowed, or simply single.

Our group's purpose is to provide opportunities for single women to meet and make friends with other single women through our activities.

The group will have one planned lunch on the first Tuesday of each month. Other activities may also be planned each month. Members will be notified of these activities by email.

We also hope to give our members the opportunity to find friends to join them on activities they are interested in, and we may share activities that members are interested in doing with the group for that purpose.

Here's a recent photo of our trail on Iron Horse.

Wine and Women is a fun and casual group that usually meets once a month, at a member’s home, usually on the third Thursday night of the month.  We held our April event using Zoom and we all had a fun time “seeing” each other, reconnecting, and relaxing with a glass of wine.  We will hold our May 14th event (second Thursday due the Memorial Day holiday) in this fashion.  An email will be sent to the group the week before containing a link to the event.  Just click on the link and we can visit with each other.  It’s wonderful to have the technology to help keep us sane at this insane time!

Stay safe and stay home if you can!