Current international news and U.S. foreign policy provide an endless trove of topics for learning and discussion. Retired foreign service officer and MCC member Bill Davnie will lead us in a presentation and discussion. This month's topic is "Instead of a Year-end Look Back -- It's the Future Consequences Frightening People."

MCC members sign up here. The Zoom link can be found in the program description after logging in.

Prolong the holiday spirit with a festive chat on the movie It’s A Wonderful Life, starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reid. We’ll discuss what it is about this movie classic that draws people in to watch it every year. This movie is available to watch for free on Amazon Prime.

MCC members sign up here. The Zoom link can be found in the program description after logging in.

Are you new to meditation or have you been practicing a while? Either way, attending this class is a wonderful act of self-care. Enjoy an hour of guided meditation including body scans, breathing exercises, relaxation techniques and heartfelt discussion/reflection. Give yourself time to pause on worries and the never-ending to-do list and enjoy the company of fellow MCC members who are seeking a more mindful and relaxed state of being. This course has been surprisingly impactful, even on Zoom. Leader: Terry Pearson will provide guided meditation via zoom.

Fee: An additional fee of $10.25 is required for this class to cover instructor costs.

Attendance Policy: A minimum of 3 registrants are required for this program to run. If there are less than 3 registrations 24 hours prior to the start of the program, the following will occur:

Cancellation Policy: If you cancel your registration less than 24 hours before this program is scheduled to take place, you will be charged for attendance. To avoid being charged, please cancel your registration at least 24 hours prior to the program start time.

MCC members sign up here. Registered members will receive the Zoom link in their confirmation email.

Jump on zoom with fellow members as we wave good-bye to 2020 and ring in 2021 with a New Years Eve Signature Cocktail! Join us for a quick toast, or stay longer to connect with friends in breakouts and discuss your intentions, hopes and goals for the new year. Drink recipes are on the website--or feel free to get creative and make your own!

MCC members sign up here. The Zoom link can be found in the program description after logging in.

As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, MCC Member and retired physician Michael Brennan is keeping a close watch on all medical and health developments put forth by the CDC, NIH and MN Department of Public Health. Join us for this every-other-week meeting where Michael will share the most recent information available, his perspective of how to keep ourselves safe and healthy, and answer questions.

MCC members sign up here. The Zoom link can be found in the program description after logging in.

Music is powerful. It has the ability to transport us to a specific time and place as well as influence our mood instantly. Music can enhance the function of neural networks, slow the heart rate, lower blood pressure, and reduce levels of stress hormones and inflammatory cytokines. In fact, scientists have found that music stimulates more parts of the brain than any other human function. Join us for an interesting evening as MacPhail Music for Life Teaching Artist Andrea Leap gives us a deeper look at the health benefits that music can provide. We will also learn about opportunities offered through the Music for Life program for adults 55+ at MacPhail Center for Music.

MCC members sign up here. The Zoom link can be found in the program description after logging in.

We can all use a good laugh these days. Join us for an evening of connection, humor and heart. Minnesota treasure, Kevin Kling, will share humorous and heart-touching stories that celebrate belonging, resiliency, connection, and moving forward through these challenging times together.

MCC members sign up here. The Zoom link can be found in the program description after logging in.

The Tell Me A Story program is coming back in 2021—but we need YOU! Since June, members have been sharing high points, low points, and intriguing and uplifting stories from their lives to enthusiastic response from members. Help us continue this great zoom program that helps us get to know one another a little bit better, especially when we can’t be together in person. There’s no limit to what you might tell – or read. What facet of your life would help us know you better if we heard your story? We need ONE MORE storyteller in order to run a February program and would like to find more storytellers for March.

Email Bethany Boom to sign up for the February story slot, or suggest a month that would work for you.

Click here for the Zoom link.

Drop in and join your friends and neighbors for a morning chat over Zoom. Click here for the Zoom link.

Click here for the Zoom link.

On behalf of MCC’s Future of Minneapolis Work Group, MCC members John Crosby and Sonia Cairns urge our members to take this police reform survey here on Transforming Community Safety. The deadline has been extended and we’d like you to weigh in with your opinions if you haven’t already.

MCC member Cheryl Coughlan wants members to know that MCC will be hosting a program called "French Like Moi: A Midwesterner in Paris" with author Scott Dominic Carpenter. Christina Selander Bouzouina, Executive Director of the Alliance Française Mpls/St.Paul, will interview Scott about his move from Minnesota to Paris and the unexpected dramas that awaited: scheming neighbors, police denunciations, surly demonstrators, cooking disasters, medical mishaps―not to mention all those lectures about cheese! You may want to read this hilarious new bestselling memoir ahead of time: French Like Moi: A Midwesterner in Paris, by Scott Dominic Carpenter. Books can be purchased at the local bookstore, Magers & Quinn or on Amazon.

MCC staff want to take the next few weeks and update the MCC COVID-19 Response page on the website to reflect your needs going into 2021. Please take a minute to answer a three-question survey here to give us your thoughts and feedback. Thank you in advance for your participation.

MCC members John and Sonia Cairns recommend this article: Gone But Never Forgotten in a Quilt as a follow up to a recent MCC program called We Are The Story: Artist Quilters Address Racism in America (members can view the program recording here).

Beacon Hill Village (BHV) celebrated the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven with a special free piano recital performed by the exciting young artist Lee Dionne. Dionne performed Beethoven’s Bagatelle in G Minor, op. 119, No. 1 and the rarely heard late masterwork, the Diabelli Variations, op. 120. The concert was recorded on Wednesday, December 16, the date most experts believe is the 250th anniversary Beethoven’s birth. The recording is available here.

As a follow up to a recent Women Who Make a Difference program with Melanie Ebertz, Melanie shared that they have added new textiles on their website at www.artandes.com. You can also view a youtube tour of the pieces here.

The Vitality Society is offering complimentary programming in December. Every Saturday in December at 3:30 pm you can experience an artist gallery tour and lesson. For details of the art programs, click here. At 6 pm on Sundays in December, you can enjoy international travel and dance. The details of these programs won't be known until you meet the "local guides" on Zoom. To attend, simply register here. The Vitality Society is an online platform designed to tap into the vitality, curiosity and creativity of members 60 and better to keep them at their best.

MCC members and neighbors raised $5600 for the Turkey & Extra Helpings Drive - that is $2000 over our goal. Thank you for your generosity! The money was used to purchase food baskets for 50 families at Ascension School, purchase gifts for men, women and children at Exodus Residence and Mary's Place and stock the Ascension School Food Shelf with needed supplies.

A special thanks to the Broadway Cub Foods Manager, Aman Biruk, for going the extra mile to make this event happen during COVID. COVID-19 can't cancel compassion and caring!

Celebrate with the MN Opera as they present a special holiday concert, livestreamed from the Ordway Concert Hall. Enjoy an evening featuring selections by Richard Rodgers, Irving Berlin, Joni Mitchell, Jeremy Messersmith, Miguel Bernal Jiménez, and more, starring past participants of Minnesota Opera’s Resident Artist and Project Opera training programs. Click here for tickets.

The Commonweal Theatre is proud to present A Driftless Christmas, a radio variety show written and performed by the Commonweal Resident Ensemble. Through short skits, original music, and personal stories we muse with humor and heart on family, tradition, and the emotional blizzard that’s been 2020. Click here to listen to this free performance.

Celebrate with Music Director Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra for a joyful evening full of hope, health and promise for the new year. Tickets can be purchased here.

Mill City Times is a local website devoted specifically to our neighborhood and a place to go to find out what's happening, whether it's a new restaurant opening, a local event, proposed construction, volunteer opportunities and more.

Elise Linehan, Executive Director, eliselinehan@millcitycommons.org

Mary Texidor, Business and Member Services Admin, marytexidor@millcitycommons.org

Bethany Boom, Program and Events Manager, bethanyboom@millcitycommons.org