July 2019 News and Updates from Minneapolis/St. Paul Chapter

These three roles will work in collaboration with the TTN MSP Newsletter Editors as well as with committees for programs, social events, and other activities. The Steering Committee will be a resource regarding content and each SIG and TPG has a member designated to write articles monthly for our chapter pages/newsletter. Each of these 3 roles could be a separate role or combined with any of the others:

1. TTN MSP Website/Chapter Pages Content Editor

This TTN MSP member will be responsible for developing content and posting information on the TTN MSP website. Strong writing/editing skills are key, as well as competence in web-based communications.

2. TTN MSP Facebook Administrator

This TTN MSP member will be responsible for posting articles and news of interest to our TTN MSP community, including updates on events provided by our team/committees. A familiarity with Facebook page management, as well as an interest in issues related to women 50+ and MSP happenings is desirable.

3. TTN MSP Email Campaign Assistant

This TTN MSP member will be responsible for ensuring the email campaigns via Constant Contact are created and delivered. Knowledge of Constant Contact or a willingness to learn is essential.

What We Are Hearing from Our Members

At the celebration in May, we asked attendees to complete an interest survey and want to share the results. We had 26 surveys returned. Our goal is to identify topics with the greatest shared interest to assist with future programming.

As related to program topics:

"Living the Life You Want" ranked highest with 16 votes
Resilience, Housing, Wellness, Financial Literacy and Estate Planning had nearly equal interest with 7-10 people expressing interest in each.

Leadership is also working with members to launch new Special Interest Groups (SIGs). Recently, a new Travel SIG, a new Movie SIG, and a second Writing SIG have been launched. Thanks to members for stepping up to lead these groups. In addition, many new members have joined existing SIGs and TPGs. Survey results reflected the number of respondents interested in the following current, new or possible future SIGs:

Art Appreciation - 6
Book Group - 15
Financial SIG - 9
Theater - 10
Urban Hiking - 14
Writers - 10
Community Service - 12
Cooking - 12
Meet & Eat - 10
Movies - 10
TED Talks - 8
Games/Cards - 7
Travel - 16

Let Eleni know if you are interested in starting a SIG based on the above results or want to see if women are interested in another idea you have. Contact Eleni at [email protected] .

There was also an interest in new Transition Peer Groups, especially in the West Metro. See the information below from Barbara O'Sullivan.

Developing Transition Peer Group Opportunities in MSP

With the rapidly expanding membership of our Minneapolis/St. Paul Chapter of TTN, joining a Transition Peer Group (TPG) is a great way to connect with other members. Transition Peer Groups are informal, shared leadership groups of 8-12 TTN members who meet on a regular schedule to discuss topics decided by the group. Meetings provide opportunities for exploration of ideas and for new friendships. Ideas and resources are shared in a safe and supportive environment.

Currently there are two peer groups. "Life Animated" started in December 2018 and is off to a great start. The discussion topics members have chosen so far include: fear (what holds us back?), self-discovery through personality assessments, sharing favorite books and movies (to be followed by going to a movie together), and "listening". In addition, a subset of six women enrolled in a music course "Soundscapes" through The Selim Center at St. Thomas. Life Animated meets in the morning, on the second Thursday of every month in St. Paul, near St. Thomas University. Contact person is Eleni Skevas at [email protected] .

Living with Purpose TPG has been meeting for almost 2 years. This year, meetings included creating vision boards and discussions on intentions for living boldly; friendships; listening; tools and resources we use for support; and discovering our personality profiles. Meetings are held the fourth Thursday of the month from 6:30-8:00 PM at the Roseville Library. Contact person is Barbara O'Sullivan at [email protected] .

A transition peer group manual provides guidance on meaningful topics for group discussion, effective communication, responsibilities and roles and confidentiality guidelines. Although each peer group is different based on members' interest, the manual provides a framework for successful meetings.

If are you interested in starting or joining a peer group in your area, or have questions and ideas, please contact Barbara O'Sullivan at [email protected] or call/text (651) 983-7876.

Member Contributions

A member of the Writer's 1 SIG submitted the following:

DO IT!

Sometimes we live
on the surface
gliding along, not with contentment
but with the absence of a storm
or even heat lightening.

We go along with the prevailing wind
dipping our toes in,
never diving in headfirst.

We await spring for rebirth
provoked by a friend, an event
or outrage
to create our own storm
of new ideas, new values,
new ventures.

Terri Evan's suggested the following article as relevant to women of TTN.

It is a long and interesting article about transcending professional decline through higher life priorities.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/07/work-peak-professional-decline/590650/

*July at a Glance!*

Upcoming Events...

Paddleford Riverboat Cruises

Friday, July 26,

Time: 2:00 PM

Some members of the Writer I SIG plan to meet for a social boat ride on the Mississippi River on Friday, July 26. They invite other women to join them. All are welcome but you must make your own reservations with Paddleford Riverboat Cruises operating out of Harriet Island near downtown St. Paul. Our plan is to meet at 2:00 PM for the 2:30 PM cruise https://www.riverrides.com/index.html.

Let Julie know if you plan to attend at [email protected].

"A Taste of Italy" Garden Party in St. Michael, Minnesota, Members Only Event

Saturday, July 13th

Time: 11:00 AM

Location: St. Michael, Minnesota (Address will be provided a few days before the potluck)

Thanks to Terri for generously offering to host this summer event at her home. For the non-culinary women in the group, purchased food is totally acceptable and recipe is not required. TTN membership is required to attend this event. Space is limited so register soon.

For more information: Click Here!

Online WELCOME Orientation for New Members

Friday, July 19

Registration Deadline:

Wednesday, July 17th

Time: 11:00 AM-12:00 PM Central Time

Location: Online Webinar

This webinar happens every month and is a great opportunity to "get to know TTN". You can always find the current offering of this webinar if you go to National (in the Chapters section) and click on the link for National Chapter Events.

Contact: Jennifer Monahan at [email protected]

For more information: Click Here!

Potluck Picnic in the Park

Thursday, August 8

Time: 5:00-7:30 PM

Location: Fern Hill Park, St. Louis Park

Our August social event is a potluck picnic at Fern Hill Park in St. Louis Park. This neighborhood park is conveniently located just west of Bde Maka Ska (Lake Calhoun) and east of highway 100. We have reserved the picnic shelter which will keep us dry in case of light right.

Bring a dish to share and your own beverage. We plan to eat around 5:30.

For more information: Click Here!

SAVE THE DATE! Potluck Brunch at TTN Member's Home

Time: TBD

Location: TBD

More information to come!

June Social Events Recap

On a June summer evening, 15 women enjoyed a potluck picnic at Como Park. We were glad to have the pavilion as there were a few sprinkles as we gathered. While we were there, the skies cleared and it was a beautiful summer evening. We shared good food provided by the participants, introduced ourselves and shared a crazy story about roommates or our biggest adventure, and welcomed two women who were attending their first TTN event.

We have another potluck picnic planned for August and hope you are able to join us.

Follow Up to January 2019 Conscious Aging Program

Karen West, founding TTN member and presenter for the TTN MSP January Conscious Aging program, provides more related information in her blog at "karenwestcsl.com." In Karen's words:

Have you noticed that you're getting older? Are you noticing that you see the world differently these days than you did when you were 40? Would you like to have a conversation about this with other people who are experiencing the same thing? Ever since 2013, when I read Spirituality in the Second Half of Life by Richard Rohr and discovered that it is possible to move into a "second half" of life that is different from the first half, I have been excitedly exploring this possibility. And I'm not alone. Many "elders" are finding out that getting older doesn't have to be all about diminishment and loss; it can be the most exciting, most empowering time of life. In fact, there is a whole nonprofit called Sage-ing International (sage-ing.org) devoted to this conversation.

I felt very lucky that I could begin sharing this concept with the TTN women in 2014, when I created the Book Discussion SIG. Over the years that we met monthly, we read and discussed some amazing books about aging, which led us all to see this last part of our lives very differently. I also facilitated a two-hour workshop for TTN on January 14th of this year, and I was thrilled when 25 women attended.

Through the classes and workshops, I've been offering during the last few years, I've introduced many, many people to the idea that we can choose to "age consciously," and "envision old age as the culminating stage of spiritual development" (From Age-ing to Sage-ing). But I think this message is so life-changing and empowering that I want to reach many more. So I've started a blog. I'm hoping that you will check it out. There are four entries online now that serve as an introduction to this topic. I will post another entry every three weeks. There is also a place where you can enter your email address and you will receive an email alerting you to the fact that I have just posted a new entry. I also hope that some of you will comment on the blog or send me an email telling me what you think.

If I haven't met you yet, I'm looking forward to meeting you either in-person at a TTN event or on my blog - "karenwestcsl.com." Hopefully, both.

Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and Transition Peer Groups(TPGs) (available with paid membership only)

Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are topic or activity-focused. There is no limit to the groups that can be created because they all originate with and are guided by members! If you have an idea for a new SIG and would like to find out if others are interested, please contact Eleni Skevas at [email protected].

Transition Peer Groups (TPGs) (TPGs) are small groups who meet to discuss topics from career transitions to changing family relationships to the benefits and challenges of aging. Each group selects its own topics and shares group facilitation and guidance. TTN provides resources to help these groups get started and flourish. There is always an opportunity for a formation of new peer groups in a different geographic location and/ or around specific topics. If you are interested in joining or starting a TPG, please contact Barbara O'Sullivan at

[email protected] .

Just a friendly reminder: We always welcome new women to check out our SIGs along with our many social occasions and programs. Please remember that non-members are welcome to attend SIGs & TPGs for a maximum of two times after which, per national policy, women are required to become a member of TTN to continue SIG/TPG participation.

Joining is easy and economical. Just go to the TTN website - Click Here!

TRANSITION PEER GROUP - Life Animated - s ubmitted by Sylvia Moen

Six members of the Life Animated peer group met in June and discussed the topic of "listening", led by Julie Efta. What sounds did we like, or what sounds were irritating? Some of us like to have background sounds of radio/TV/music. One member likes kitchen sounds. Another said she'd seen a suggestion that listening to whale sounds can help you sleep because of the sound frequency and how it affects brain waves. Others like to hear natural sounds, whether in the garden, outside or just
being inside without external noise. It's valuable to carve out time without exterior noise, allowing for more inwardness. We mentioned listening to favorite podcasts, one member suggested "Island of
Discarded Women", and listening to personal playlists.

Next meeting:

July 11, 10:15 AM, Highland Park Library. Topic: Making decisions in our lives and decision making as we get older. Some points to consider: decision making processes we've used, important decisions we've made and how they've turned out, and big decisions we might be facing in the future. Led by Chris DiPietro.

Please contact Eleni Skevas at [email protected] if you are interested in joining this group.

TRANSITION PEER GROUP - Living with Purpose

- submitted by Barbara O'Sullivan

The Living with Purpose Peer Group gathered together at Debra Dorgan's on Thursday, June 27, for a potluck picnic to celebrate summer. We used the opportunity as a way to learn more about each other and deepen our friendships. We considered the question "What are you doing this summer to make yourself happier?" We had great conversation and good food while enjoying the beautiful outdoors.

The Living with Purpose Transition Peer Group will not meet in July and August. With busy summer schedules we decided to see each other at the many other TTN events, especially those outside in the glorious summer weather. We will be back on our regular schedule in September.

New members are always welcomed. For more information, please contact Barbara O'Sullivan at [email protected].

MOVIE SIG - New - Submitted by Erin Campbell

Starting in September, the group will see a matinee on the second Monday of the month. We will travel to small theaters across the twin cities and each month will be a unique experience! The afternoon will start with a snack or lunch, we'll watch the movie and then discuss over a snack or beverage. Members can join for all or just part of the event. Announcements and communications will be done on a Facebook page. If you are interested in joining the Movie SIG please send an email to Erin Campbell at [email protected].

TRAVEL SIG - NEW - submitted by Julie Efta

Six members met in June at Spyhouse Coffee, downtown Minneapolis to plan our new travel group. Debra Dorgan and Julie Efta are co leaders and we welcome and need others to help plan and lead future meetings/outings.

We covered a lot of possibilities. Here are our key agreements:

There will be no regular meeting time/day of week scheduled.
Focus will be on scheduling day trips/events within the city or a short drive away.
Everyone is encouraged to suggest and plan destinations for any day of the week.
Summertime goal is to meet each other and have informal conversations and sharing about travel experiences and plans.
Long term goal is to plan more formal meetings with speakers or panels of experts.
Individual Members are encouraged to propose and plan regional overnight trips.
Big International or national group trips may be planned per member interest.

Here are some possibilities for get togethers this summer:

Sunday, July 14, 12:00-4:00 PM Women's Polo Challenge in Independence, MN . This includes a demo to learn polo terms followed by an opportunity to play. There will be a food truck and a chance to dress up or not, very casual. $20 suggested donation per car, car pool if you can! Contact Rina Cooper for more information and to RSVP for carpool at [email protected]

Thursday, July 18, 4:00 PM Patio Happy Hour at Pazzaluna, 360 St. Peter St. in downtown St. Paul. After happy hour, walk a block away to see the newly renovated Rice Park Plaza and then walk further in opposite direction to Mears Park Plaza for 6-9;30 concert. Concert is free, bring a chair or blanket. Food trucks available. Everyone pays for own food and drink. Come for all or a few hours. Contact Julie Efta for more information or to RSVP for happy hour. In case of rain, event will be moved to August 1.

Friday, August 9, Franconia Sculpture Garden, 12:00-4:00 PM (tentative). Free. We will meet for carpooling in Shoreview. https://www.franconia.org . Rain date: Friday, August 16. Contact Chris DiPietro for more information and to RSVP for carpool at [email protected]

September: Smithsonian Museum Day

Apple Orchard

Day or overnight trip?

Boat ride?

We also discussed the possibility of a bike ride or cabin visit.

DROP IN IDEAS! NO SPECIFIC DATES SELECTED BUT GO IF YOU CAN

Northrop Music on the Plaza series. Wednesdays at Noon through July 31. Free.

Global Adventures at Roseville's Frank Rog Amphitheatre (ROG). Free.

Sundays 6:00-8:00 PM, a different country featured every week through Aug 11

MN History Center Bands on the Boulevard. Tuesdays in July. Free.

includes admission to museum at 3:00 PM. Concert at 6:30 PM

other favorite concert series??? Please respond via group email or email Julie

Finally, just a recap of our first meeting destination at Spyhouse coffee downtown:

4 members drove and found parking nearby (Get: Minneapolis Parking Ap!)
2 members carpooled
2 members took a bus and light rail
1 member stayed for a food truck lunch

And all of us loved the meeting space for 6. Great coffee, pastries and ambiance!

Please contact Julie at [email protected] to add your name to our list or suggest more events.

WRITER's SIG 2 - NEW - submitted by Cathy Bartholet

Greetings - as requested by our members, we are in the process of starting a second Writer's Group and we'd like to invite you to join our adventure! The purpose of the Writer's SIG is to encourage, nurture, and foster writing and to provide a safe place for writers to be vulnerable. This group is open to any and all levels of experience.

In order to get started, Cathy Bartholet will be hosting the first meeting at her home on Wednesday, July 17 from 10:00-12:00. Her address is 4168 Wenzel Ave, Eagan. Her phone number is 651-271-4087. During this meeting we will talk about when and how often we will meet, where we will meet and our goals / guidelines for our group. At this time we anticipate that our meetings will most likely be held in the "southern" part of the Twin Cities - such as Burnsville, Apple Valley, Eagan, Lakeville, Mendota Heights, Bloomington, South Minneapolis, etc.

Please let Cathy know as soon as possible if you will be joining us on July 17. Cathy will send an agenda and some things to think about for this exciting group!

Cathy can be contacted at [email protected] .

FINANCIAL SIG - submitted by Cyndy Nelson

On Tuesday, June 18, seven women of the Financial SIG met at the Roseville library and discussed Estate Planning. Thanks to Barbara Heen, a new TTN and Financial SIG member and an estate planning attorney, for presenting. She reminded us that estate planning is not just about the distribution of your assets when one dies, but also is about living life. We all need to have Power of Attorney and Healthcare Directives to ensure assistance can be provided if one is incapacitated. Wills, Trusts, and Transfer on Death can be used to transfer assets when one dies.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, July 16, from 7:00-8:30 PM at the party room at Liz Curran's. Thanks to Liz for hosting. Our topic is to discuss our personal financial goals for this phase in our life. Examples: avoid running out of money, maintain/improve lifestyle, leave a legacy, and spend my last cent. It will be a good discussion.

Our August meeting will be on Tuesday, August 20, 7:00-8:30 PM at the Community Room on the first floor of the Roseville library. Topic TBD.

The purpose of this group is to increase our personal financial literacy. The knowledge of members about financial topics varies from beginner to more experienced. Our topics will be selected based on what individual members are interested in. We are currently meeting on the third Thursday of the month at 7:00 PM. New members are welcome. Come and give it a try.

Please email Cyndy at [email protected] if you are interested in joining us or have questions.

BOOK DISCUSSION SIG - submitted by Terri Evans

On Tuesday, June 11 th , a group of ten TTN Book Club members met at Terri Evans' home to discuss Educated by Tara Westover. Group members began by sharing a bit about the role that education had played in each of our lives. We then drew questions from the New York Times Book Club's discussion guide for the book and used these as prompts for our interesting, thought-provoking discussion.

Join us on Tuesday, July 9th at 6:30 PM for a discussion of Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. Contact Grace for location.

Books for the upcoming months:

August 13th Political Tribes - Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations - Amy Chua
Here's a list of other books we are considering for future months:

Pachinko - Min Jin Lee
The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector's Story -Hyeanseo Lee
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Killers of the Flower Moon -David Grann
Radical Forgiveness - Colin Tipping
Spirit Car:-Journey to a Dakota Past - Diane Wilson
The Book Shop - Penelope Fitzgerald
The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI - David Gran
The Alice Network - Kate Quinn
The Song Poet - Kao Kalia Yang
Where the Crawdads Sing -Delia Owens
Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine - Gayle Honeyman
Your suggestion here!

Like to read? Enjoy participating in lively discussion? Come and join us! We meet in member's homes on the second Tuesday of the month at 6:30 PM.

For more information, contact Group Coordinator, Grace Bartholet at [email protected].

ART APPRECIATION SIG - submitted by JeNell Jacobson

If you are interested in discovering more about the local art scene, join the ART APPRECIATION SIG. Together we will experience many types of creative expression: paintings, pottery, sculpture, textiles. We usually meet on weekday afternoons, occasionally an evening or Saturday. Exhibits are FREE or low cost.

In June we explored many open artist studios in the Northrup King Building. This historic building in NE Minneapolis is a twin cities iconic destination. This was a fun experience!

On July 24th 1:00 PM, we are invited to make art at Tracey's house in Roseville! Attendees will have a chance to work on a mosaic, make jewelry, or create small collages. The emphasis will be on having fun! Bring something you have made (or picture of it) of an artwork you love created by someone else. Feel free to come and talk about art even if you would rather not participate in creating something. Please RSVP to Tracey before July 24 th (so she can prepare) and she will provide her home address. Bring own beverage/snack.

August 21st the White Bear Center of the Arts we will feature the Lake Country Pastel Society's Open Invitational Exhibition that will be juried by award-winning artist Kami Mendjik. Address is 4971 Long Ave, White Bear Lake. Meet at 1:00 PM. https://whitebeararts.org/

If you are interested in participating contact Tracey Baker at [email protected] or JeNell Jacobson at [email protected]

THEATRE SIG - submitted by Robin Getman

In June, five of us attended "Small Mouth Sounds" at The Jungle Theater. All of us appreciated the play's uniquely creative premise -- six strangers who attend a weekend silent retreat -- in which 95% of the performance is without dialogue.

Some of us said, Best play, ever! Some said, Not so much. And, all of us were glad we went.

But wait, there's more...

The five-person TTN outing was also uniquely creative in that one of us attended an evening performance, by herself, and joined two (of four) of us, the next day, after the matinee performance, to talk about it.

Why is this important? Because, like you , we are uniquely busy women with uniquely different schedules and tastes. And, the Theater SIG has found a way to accommodate your uniqueness!

Want to know more? Visit our private Facebook group page and come play with us:

Search "TTN Theater MSP" on Facebook, or insert this link to access the private group page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ttntheatermsp/

2. Like what you see? Request to join to group. (The group administrator will receive notification of your request, accept your request, and, Ta-da! You're in!

When you receive notification that your request has been accepted, take a closer look at the site:

Chime in on discussions
Join us at an event
Initiate an event

We look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

Got questions? Need help? Contact Robin Getman at

[email protected].

WRITER's SIG 1 - submitted by Julie Efta

The first writing group meeting in NE Minneapolis celebrated their 1-year anniversary this spring with cupcakes and more writing!

We are a closed group of 5 members, but we have started a waiting/interested list for future groups.
We are thrilled that a second group is forming in the Southern suburbs and Minneapolis!

In June, we initiated a new practice of meeting an additional day for 2 hours for a silent meditative writing retreat. We were so productive that we have scheduled this practice for 3 Tuesday mornings in July! Our summertime regular Friday meetings will be July 19, August 2 and 16.

Some of our group also plan to meet for a social boat ride on the Mississippi River, Friday July 26.

All are welcome but you must make your own reservations with Paddleford Riverboat Cruises operating out of Harriet Island near downtown St. Paul. Our plan is to meet at 2:00 PM for the 2:30 PM cruise.

Please contact Julie Efta for more information or assistance in creating additional groups in the metro area at [email protected]

URBAN HIKING SIG -submitted by Cyndy Nelson

Six members of the Urban Hiking SIG walked around Lake Como after the June potluck picnic. We continued the great conversation started at the picnic while we walked. It turned out to be a perfect temperature that evening and it was a beautiful walk. Como Park is a beautiful setting.

Thanks to Kathleen Peterson for planning our July hike. It will be held on Thursday, July 18th at 9:30 AM (a little earlier start due to potential summer heat.) We will hike around Lake Nokomis in South Minneapolis. It is a true urban setting with plenty of green space, water fowl, and airplanes. The hike around the lake and its lagoon will be about 3 miles. Will plan to meet at the main beach/Sand Castle restaurant - 4955 W. Lake Nokomis Parkway, Minneapolis 55417. There is a large PayLot and also free on street parking right there. As the restaurant opens at 11:00, there would be an opportunity to have a cold drink or lunch after the hike. Look forward to seeing any interested summer hikers. For questions or more information, contact Kathleen at [email protected] .

This SIG gives us the opportunity to explore and/or introduce others to new locations in the metro area. Our hikes last about 60-90 minutes and we walk at a moderately brisk and steady pace. All are welcome to join us as we walk and talk. We sometimes end our hikes with a stop at a local establishment for a coffee/drink/ice cream.

Please let Cyndy know if you want to attend and/or have ideas for location. If you are interested in participating in this group, please let Cyndy know if you prefer weekday day, weekday evening, or Saturday hikes. Cyndy can be contacted at [email protected] .

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