I was thrilled to attend July’s Bethpage State Park picnic, our chapter’s first in-person event in almost eighteen months. And just as enjoyable was September’s boat cruise and lunch. We were fortunate to have perfect weather on both days. Yet, what was particularly special was seeing, meeting and catching up with so many TTN members outside of a Zoom screen.

I can’t begin to imagine how even more challenging the pandemic might have been without technology. Be assured that virtual TTN meetings and programs will remain available. However, as much as I appreciate our ability to Zoom, nothing can take the place of connecting in person.

Most importantly, be it in person or virtually, the TTN community will continue to bring women together so they may connect and expand their lives, while supporting and inspiring each other across life’s transitions.

For many years, TTN members have recognized the lack of diversity in our organization. This awareness was heightened by the national and global reactions to dramatic public events over the last few years. In response to some of the problems underlying our societal angst, TTN/LI’s Steering Committee brought together a group of women who were committed to furthering the cause of anti-racism on Long Island. In April 2021, this group formed the LI Chapter’s Anti-Racism Task Force (ARTF). The ARTF meets regularly to further the goals of educating our membership towards increasing the diversity, equity and inclusion of all women in our chapter, and inviting women of color to join us for the journey. The ARTF intends to present programs and resources, and to enhance collaborative efforts with diverse organizations in our region to promote inclusion and fairness in voter registration, education, housing, and other areas that have contributed to the systemic racism many of our LI population has experienced. If you are interested in exploring any of these difficult issues and/or have ideas on how we can accomplish these goals, please contact Nella Yelenovic at nellayelenovic@icloud.com or Karen Ehrlich at karenehrl@aol.com. Expect regular issues of the TTN/LI Anti-Racism Task Force Bulletin via email.

The Pandemic may have altered how we conduct business, but it can’t stop the efforts of the dedicated members of The Community Volunteer Committee! Yes, our meetings have gone from in-person to Zoom. We arranged to have “contactless” drop off points at the homes of several of our members. In turn, many TTN members responded with generous contributions. For instance, in the late summer, TTN members donated enough school supplies to meet the needs of The South Shore Child Guidance Center, The Safe Center, Hope for Youth, and the Brentwood family shelter. Thanks to Joan Gold, Judy Brambrut, Lois Stein, and Suzanne Sham for coordinating this effort. And a heartfelt message of gratitude to all the TTN members who so graciously made this possible through their donations.

We began a new initiative with the formation of the Compassionate Connection. Using the talents of TTN/LI writers and artists, the Compassionate Connection sends out hand-made sympathy cards to members who have recently experienced a loss. If you know of a member in this situation, please contact Lois Stein 516-662-8132 or write lsteincu@aol.com.

The TTN Stitchers continued to meet in Sue Sham’s back yard to share a few hours of knitting or crocheting, planning projects, and some healthy camaraderie. Through Care to Knit, the Stitchers create hats, scarves, lap blankets, baby blankets, afghans, and preemie caps for clients in hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, and shelters where handmade items are both a luxury and a comfort. They recently completed 42 hats for THINK PINK, a program for breast cancer patients.

There are many opportunities to volunteer on a one-time and ongoing basis in our communities: Our members helped with the Hope for Youth’s Run for Hope, annual event in September. In October, TTN members donated oodles of candy, crackers, pretzels, cookies, and popcorn, filling 317 Halloween goodie bags for the children at the Brentwood Shelter. Our volunteers will stand outside Stop N Shop in Bethpage requesting Thanksgiving items for Island Harvest on a weekend in November. Still other women volunteer at The Child Abuse Prevention Services (CAPS), the Long Island Crisis Center, and the Book Fairies.

To learn about these and more volunteer opportunities, please contact Jeanine Briefel at jeaninebriefel@gmail.com.

After months of hosting multiple virtual programs via Zoom, the Program Committee went “live” with three very successful events! We began with a picnic at Bethpage State Park on July 28. This sold-out event hosted 125 members, and was testimony to how delighted we were to see one another in person—an entire body, not just a head and shoulders on a screen! We followed that on September 13 with a luncheon/boat ride aboard the Lauren Kristy on the Great South Bay, a day in which the comradery and good food was enhanced by the sun, water and gentle breezes. Finally, land and game lovers participated in a mah jongg tournament on October 1 at the Mid-Island JCC. Everyone enjoyed getting together, but the following women really, really enjoyed it since they were the big winners: 1st Place-Shelley Goldsmith, 2nd Place-Arlene Bernstein, 3rd Place (tie)-Teri O’Driscoll, Ginny Hiller, and Judi Rosenthal. Our next event will take place in November on Zoom. Look for an eblast and information on the TTN/LI website.

TTN has always been open to new and creative ideas. Our members continue to surprise and delight us as they suggest new groups they would like to form. Here are three of our newest SIGs, which have generated lots of enthusiasm.

Bikes and Bites is a moderate level bike riding group. We meet on the last Tuesday of the month and ride seven to ten miles roundtrip, on various paved biking paths in Nassau and Suffolk. Following each ride, we have lunch together. If you enjoy biking, we would love to have you join us. Contact Benay Shear (bshear15@gmail.com) or Maureen Quinn (mequinn57@gmail.com).

Rocks and Roots (meets first Tuesday and third Thursday of each month.) We hike in the woods, over hill and dale, and we do it with a group of kind, adventurous and lighthearted women. Our first 3.8-mile hike took us through the Kings Park Bluffs at Sunken Meadow State Park overlooking the Long Island Sound. Afterwards, we picnicked on the boardwalk, laughed and made new friends. This group currently has 35 members, with some only available once a month. The group is currently closed, but check back in the spring; there is a waiting list. Contact Michelle Weiner (michwein@optonline.net), Nella Yelenovic (nellayelenovic@icloud.com), or Ilene Yair (ileneyair01@gmail.com).

Holiday Celebration SIG: If you are unable to connect with or visit family or friends for a holiday, this group makes plans to attend an event and/or go to a restaurant on a date close to the major holidays. Our intent is to provide a time to be together and celebrate the occasion among a group of peers, and hopefully, friends. The group is open to new members. Contact Helene Finkelstein at (bookpack25@icloud.com) or Pat Bertell at (pmbertell@aol.com).

The Health and Wellness Council is offering workshops to our TTN membership during our Second Season of Self Care. Our programs aim to engage and educate our members on prevention and intervention so we may become our best selves physically and emotionally.

For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we offered a program on the Latest Technologies and Treatments for Breast Cancer. Future workshops include: Cooking Demo on Winter Soups and Root Vegetables led by a health coach (November 3), Prevention and treatment of hand ailments such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, trigger finger and various arthritic conditions, led by a new member, Faye Grant, an occupational therapist and hand specialist (January), and a Healthy Heart Program (February).

We invite all TTN members to participate in our one-hour workshops presented by experts. Depending on TTN and government guidance, meetings will be held in person or on Zoom. Most of these programs are free, but you must register on the TTN/LI website, so look for announcements.

CELEBRATE, CELEBRATE, CELEBRATE!  The Contemporary Social Issues Committee will be celebrating our first in-person meeting with our TTN friends at one of Long Island's most beautiful venues, The Glen Cove Mansion. Join us on Tuesday, November 9, 2021 to renew our TTN friendships and make new friends as well. NY Discovery will entertain us with their holiday presentation, discussing the origins of venerable New York City holiday traditions, including the Thanksgiving Day Parade; the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, and the modern Santa Claus. We will be joined by the Island Hills Chorus and their four-part a cappella harmony women’s chorus. They have performed at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, and the United Nations. The Contemporary Social Issues committee is looking forward to seeing all of our TTN friends on Tuesday, November 9. To register for this event, go to the TTN/LI website.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then our TTN newsletter would be even longer, to include all the pictures we received! These questions sent to our membership generated a lot of responses, many of them accompanied by pictures of SIGS venturing out into the world for (mostly) outdoor activities on Long Island. Most, but not all, groups have avoided travelling in NYC. We have visited almost every park on Long Island, hiked over hill and dale, consumed thousands (millions??) of calories in outdoor restaurants, held discussions and book groups in members’ back yards. For outdoor activities, one group met at Bethpage State Park and learned how to assemble a charcuterie board, one took a tour of CitiField, another played at Top Golf. And of course, our organization-wide activities--a picnic, a boat ride, and a mah jongg tournament, all drew enthusiastic attendees. Here are some of the member responses we received.

“Zooming is less frequent now. I went on the paddle wheel boat group and ate indoors. Felt quite secure.”

“All my SIGs and my one peer group have ventured out of our homes. My book group has met outside in a park. My discussion group has met indoors in a member's house but also several times outside on a member's patio. A TTN committee with which I have been involved has met outside at member's homes.”

“None of my groups have taken trains or subways as a group or gone out of Long Island.”

“I have been loving the outdoor, in-person events. I've been getting exercise and enjoying good company by participating in walking/hiking groups outdoors which are followed by picnic lunches. We've had to cancel a few times due to rain, but were able to reschedule and that worked out fine. I have also been attending my monthly discussion group in person by meeting in one another's backyards. Discussions are so much easier in person. As of now, I wouldn't be comfortable meeting indoors.”

“We enjoy taking trips and eating meals together, but are being cautious, social distancing and wearing masks, avoiding crowded indoor spaces.”

“Safety is our primary concern and Zoom Fatigue our secondary issue. We are all vaccinated and will be wearing masks when necessary. But bottom line, we need to be with each other in person. We are starving for hugs. An air hug or fist bump is just fine too!" .

As you can see, the responses represent a variety of activity and comfort levels, but the one common denominator is that there is no substitute for human contact. We are all anxious to abandon the screen and engage with one another in person; but we are tuned into the reality that none of us possesses the crystal ball to predict the future. As the winter approaches, as an organization and within our groups, we may plan activities, some of them indoors, that we believe are “safe,” (and everyone’s definition of “safe” is different); then we each make our personal decisions based on our own health and comfort level. Here’s to an active, safe, and healthy winter ahead. May there be bodies and smiles attached to those faces we have grown so accustomed to seeing on our screens!

·    arts & crafts instructor

·    attorney

·    corporate gifts & promotional products (logoed items)

·    retired dental hygienist

·    free picture book videos

·    interior designer

·    hearing aid knowledge

·    leadership/management/professional business coach/mentor

·    parent advocate for children with or without special needs

·    party art – caricatures & fashion sketches

·    presentation skills training for business people & other professionals

·    personal trainer & group fitness instructor

·    piano teacher

·    Spanish tutor

·    spiritual director

click here.

Email Suzanne Sham at suestan@verizon.net