Greetings Friends,
Welcome to Windows Weekly, Albany UU's central source for news and updates.
Please note, the Daily Reminder was not sent out this morning since there were no events to remind folks about today. Everything you need to know is right here in the Weekly. Daily Reminders will continue tomorrow morning. Thank you!
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-Blessings and Be Well
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VIRTUAL SUMMER SUNDAY SERVICE
LIVE on ZOOM
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WELCOME TO ALBANY UU SUMMER SERVICES
Service at 10:00 AM
Begin your Sunday morning with an 8:30 Virtual Meditation session until 9:20. We then have Virtual Service beginning at 10:00 each Sunday and a chance to stay online for virtual "Fellowship and Conversation."
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Aug. 8 “Addiction and Spirituality: What’s Jung Got to Do With It?”
Diane Cameron
Two important themes that touch all of our lives: Addiction & Spirituality. Addiction touches each of us—through family, friends or community. Spirituality too matters as we make sense of our lives, especially as we age. But Carl Jung? Yes, he is part of the story, and it turns out that part of that story begins in Albany N.Y.
Diane Cameron is a writer, and teacher. A columnist for the Albany Times Union, Diane is the author of three books, “Looking for Signs” –a collection of essays; “Out of the Woods” about Twelve-step recovery, and “Never Leave Your Dead”—the history of war trauma.
Diane is passionate about advocacy for people living in poverty and for family caregivers. She is a director at Unity House in Troy and a spiritual coach and retreat leader.
Music: Randy Rosette and Chris Jensen
Those wishing to access closed captioning/live transcript can turn on the function in their Zoom toolbar. To update to the latest version of Zoom, please do that within the software by finding the menu link and “check for updates”.
Use this link to join Sunday service:
To dial in by phone: 1-929-436-2866:
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000
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AUGUST SUNDAY SERVICE INFORMATION
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Aug. 15 Wellspring Highlights
Wellspring offers a place to explore and choose for yourself what’s important for your body, mind and heart. Together we set out on a journey of deep listening and compassionate connection, along with some laughter and fun along the way. Attendees from both the Sources and Sacred Arts program will be presenting!
Music: Elena Karpoff
Aug. 22 “Olympia Brown, Unsung Heroine,”
Sigrin Newell
Olympia Brown was the first woman to be ordained as a minister with official approval by a national denomination. In 1863, the Northern Universalist Association in Malone NY approved her plea for equality. As a minister, she had to take the bottom-of-the-barrel jobs that no man wanted. In each case, she made her churches thrive. Reverend Brown was also a suffragist from the very beginning, working with Susan B. Anthony. Brown spent the rest of her life working to get the vote for women. She cast her first vote in 1920 at age 85. Hers is a fascinating story that should be better known.
Dr. Sigrin Newell has been active with the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany NY for more than 30 years. During this time she has given many sermons. She sings in the choir. At the UU Weekend/Silver Bay retreat, she has led nature walks and conducted sessions focused on poetry in nature and Goddess spirituality. She retired from Walden University, a distance-learning graduate school where she taught students earning their PhDs in education. Sigrin's hobbies are gardening and botany.
Music: Alyssa Yeager
Aug. 29 "Reckoning with Reparations in Albany: Why Here, Why Now?" Jennifer Burns of SURJ
This will be a service about racial justice. More information will be coming soon.
Music: Bruce Holden
Use this link to join Sunday service:
To dial in by phone: 1-929-436-2866:
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000
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Albany UU Virtual Summer Services
Our summer services continue through September 5.
8:30 a.m. Virtual Sunday Meditation continues through the summer and we will have Virtual Service at 10:00 AM each Sunday. Summer services are coordinated by Randy Rosette.
Sunday Offering
and other service information
Joys and Concerns for Online Services
Need to Talk? Albany UU Pastoral Care Associates are here to listen!
Archives
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Albany UU is hiring a Religious Education Program Assistant
Do you have some time for a fun paid opportunity to work with our newly minted Acting Religious Education Director, Elizabeth Baldes? Interested in joining our super cool Albany UU Staff Team? Apply today!
10 hours a week
$15/hour
Looking for a little income?
Are you--or a friend--looking to make some money occasionally? And, are you able to work on Sundays?
Albany UU needs a ‘backup’ Sunday custodian. The job is from 8:00-1:00 on Sunday mornings (after September 12) and entails a multitude of small tasks that that enable our service and programs to run smoothly. Some lifting is required. The pay is $15 per hour.
If you are interested in finding out more, contact Tammy Hathaway, Church Administrator at 518-463-7135 or admin@albanyuu.org. And pass this on to anyone who might be interested!
Also available: occasional paid “gigs” as Building Host and Dishwasher. Contact Tammy Hathaway if you’re interested in either of these.
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UPCOMING WAYS to CONNECT
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Start your Sunday Morning with Meditation 8:30 - 9:15 AM
We will sit together for twenty minutes then have some conversation about the talk, meditation methods or experiences followed by a live loving kindness meditation.
Use this link to join:
By phone: 1-929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000
Philosophy Group
At 10:15 AM every Tuesday, the Albany UU Philosophy Group will meet via zoom to discuss the topic of the day. All are welcome.
Use this link to join:
By phone: 1-929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 987 7102 4708
Password: 0000
Bridge Group
Tuesdays beginning August 10 from 1:00-3:00 PM in Room B-8 at Albany UU. No matter how many people come, all are fitted into play. All are welcome and assumed vaccinated. Due to the nature of this group, there will not be an online option offered.
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Ps and Qs
Projects and Quilts (Ps and Qs) will zoom next on Wednesday, Aug 11 at 10:00 AM in Room B-8 at Albany UU.
To join remotely, use this link:
By phone: 929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 299 018 7785
Password: 0000
Albany UU Sings
Join your friends on Wednesday, Aug 18 at 7:00 PM and sing your heart out in Virtual Community! We will supply the music and the lyrics.
Hope to see you there.
Use this link to join:
By phone: 1-929-436-2866
Meeting ID: 979 5961 1765
Passcode: 0000
Walker Book Group
We hope to have the Sunday, Sept 12, 5:30 pm Walker Book Group potluck and discussion back in Channing Hall! We will discuss Walter Isaacson’s Leonardo da Vinci Learn more here.
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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS!
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Caste Book Discussion - CANCELLED
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the discussion of the book Caste, in August, is canceled.
Gemma Halfi is hoping to reschedule in the near future.
Staff Update
Church Administrator, Tammy Hathaway will be working very part-days, mostly from home through Sunday, Aug 8. Administrative Assistant, Patience Pechette will also be able to help you during her office hours at the church:
Wednesdays 2-6P, Thursdays 8-4P and Fridays 8-4P.
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Calling all artists
Let's be ready for a member art show!
Open to artists of all ages, media (watercolor, pastel, photography, etc.) skills, and styles.
Art work should be framed, wired, and ready to hang. Attach a 3x5 index card on the back of the
work with: artist name & contact information, the title of the work, and the price (if for sale).
Questions? Contact Ellen Chernoff 518-463-5503.
Gardening Volunteers
Do you have two hours to contribute to maintaining the Albany UU gardens? The Gardening Team welcomes you to sign up here. No experience necessary. For more information, contact Donna Meixner or 518/439-5947.
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Dear Albany UU community,
Thank you so much for your gift to honor my retirement. Did you know that the amount of the gift certificate for Airbnb you gave me is $2,640? I am overwhelmed by your generosity! As you know, one of my retirement plans is to visit family members who live all around the country. Kevin and I have made plans to visit our daughter in Austin Texas, where we’ll be staying at an Airbnb. Another trip in the works is to Long Island for a long-awaited reunion with my dear auntie and my cousin and her family. The gift certificate will cover these and many other visits!
Kevin and I are doing well. Retirement is great, though I do miss you all. Best wishes to you for the rest of the summer and for your plans for the fall.
With many heartfelt thanks again,
Sincerely yours,
Leah P.
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Hi everyone,
I wanted to share our incredible birth story with you all. After work on Friday July 30th, I went to my doctor’s office for a blood pressure check and it was very high. They did a stress test and ultrasound and found very little fetal movement and were highly concerned with the test results.
My midwife decided to send me to the hospital to meet my OB there for an immediate emergency C section. She said baby would most likely thrive better on the outside than inside at this point. I was very scared and so unprepared for this shocking news, especially since I was planning a natural birth and my pregnancy had been great so far. I met my family at the hospital and was immediately prepped for surgery. I was absolutely terrified, but the team of providers were amazing and I had so much support.
Baby Gabrielle Charity Johnson was born on Friday July 30th at 7:05 pm. I was only 34 weeks along, so she was premature. She weighed 5 lbs 7 oz and was 19.5 inches long. Her breathing was labored, color was super pale, and she wasn’t very responsive. I also had a bit of a hemorrhage, but nothing too bad. They rushed Gabby to the NICU and gave her a transfusion as her blood count and volume were super low to the point where they were surprised she was alive. They decided to send her to Albany Medical Center’s NICU for more intensive treatment. I was sent to Post Op and then recovery. I was thankfully able to see her quickly right before she left for Albany Med and I got to hold her hand for a moment and let her hear my voice. She was beautiful, but in a lot of distress and it was hard to see her like that.
It was all a whirlwind but the next day we heard from Albany Med and my husband Lucas went over to be with her while my family came to see me. They gave her another transfusion and she was improving. They finally removed her breathing tube as she was breathing better on her own and all her other tests were getting better.
They also tested my blood and found lots of hers mixed with mine. Apparently what happened was called a spontaneous massive fetomaternal hemorrhage and the placenta was taking her blood and sending it to me. It happened out of nowhere and if I had not gone in for my high blood pressure check up and tests that day they would not have seen a problem and they would not have caught it in time. It’s very rare, around 1 in 10,000 pregnancies get it and most end in stillbirth because there are no symptoms. Unless being monitored like I was, providers and expectant mothers have no idea of it’s occurrance. It’s nothing short of miraculous that they caught it in time and saved her life and potentially mine.
Gabby is doing really well now, but she will be at Albany Med for at least a month since she is so young and needs more monitoring. I got to facetime with my husband Lucas and see her steadily progress over the weekend while I was recovering at St. Peter’s. It was very difficult to be separated from her like that. I was discharged yesterday and we now have a room at the Ronald McDonald House in Albany so we can stay somewhere close by when not at the NICU with her. I finally got to see her yesterday and have some skin to skin time. It was the most incredible feeling I have ever experience in my lifetime. She is so precious.
Not exactly the way we expected our delivery to go or the way I wanted things to start out as a new mom, but we are so thankful and grateful though that we are doing ok and that our miracle baby survived. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers!
Our Doula just finished setting up the meal train for us. If you want to bring a dish or drop off food items for our family, please sign up using the link below to select dates for drop off. It’s a really
great site that helps organize meal
donations.
We also updated our baby registry to include nursing items and things we still need for baby Gabby. The registry has our home address saved to it. Please use the registry link below to access it.
We are staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Albany for at least 30 days. The doctor wants Gabby in the NICU until she is full term and all her organs are functioning well without support. Only Lucas and I can enter the NICU, but we are allowed 3 visitors at a time at the RMH. Please let me know if you want to come see us at this amazing house and we’d love for you to visit. It does the soul good to talk and see some friendly faces. Mostly I cry these days, so I apologize in advance, but I promise to laugh too. Here is the link with info about the RMH.
Love you all! Here is the most recent photo of our little angel Gabrielle. ️ Thank you so
much for your generosity and support! We are truly blessed.
With love,
Julie and Lucas Johnson
518-577-0559
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Reading Recommendation for adults:
Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick: Stories from the Harlem Renaissance, by Zora Neale Hurston. (2020). Tales of varmints and scoundrels are juxtaposed with moments of tenderness, passion, and wicked humor. In this collection, there are several never-before-published stories by this great American master who speaks to the Black, female experience. Available in the Upper Hudson Library System in hardcover, CD audio book, and downloadable e- and audio-book formats.
To experience an NPR segment on the life of Zora Neale Hurston, click here:
The Albany UU Social Responsibilities Council (SRC) and Inclusivity Team recommend a Black Lives Matter vigil in Troy:
When: Saturdays,10:30-11:15 am
Where: Troy - corner of River Street at the intersection of Fulton and Third Streets, 12180
- pandemic concerns: It's important to remember that vaccines protect the vaccinated. Even as restrictions are lifted in New York State, some may choose to take precautions because of inability to be vaccinated (e.g., age, illness, compromised immune system). Please remember that if you are vaccinated, you are still susceptible to being an asymptomatic carrier of Covid-19. Those who wish to take precautions are invited to. If you are no longer taking precautions, please respect the decisions of those who do. Only an individual knows their full risk. It can be perceived as confrontational to ask vaccine-status of others.
- signs only, no chanting (except for meditative religious practice)
- the vigil will automatically be canceled due to threat of thunderstorms or other severe weather
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No Family Chapel or RE Sessions until the fall. Contact Elizabeth Baldes, Acting Director of Religious Education, ebaldes@albanyuu.org, with any questions. Have a wonderful summer!
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UU WEEKEND AT SILVER BAY
October 15-17
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Renew, Refresh and Relax at Silver Bay
Do you feel as though the summer is moving too fast? Keep the good times rolling! Come to the UU Weekend at Silver Bay from October 15-17, 2021 to build and strengthen relationships and nurture spirit, mind and body. Learn, play and hang out with your fellow UU’s before winter sets in.
After a year’s hiatus, the Silent Auction will return!! New or almost new items, including gift certificates, hardcover books, art, collectibles, nice quality jewelry, bottles of wine, homemade jams, jellies, honey and high-quality crafts, will be gladly accepted. The children’s auction will accept toys, puzzles, and stuffed animals in good condition.
Remember – the cost is all-inclusive for room and board, activities and entertainment - including all meals from Friday dinner through Sunday lunch.
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UPDATED Building Use Guidelines:
Sunday services will remain online through the summer since all the logistics for these services were set up to be remote, before most restrictions were lifted. We are looking forward to providing our first official in-person service on the first Sunday of our new service year, September 12 at 10:00 AM. This will be a multiplatform service and will include an online option. There will be separate guidelines for Sunday services - those are being drafted - and will be available later in the summer. There will also be guidance provided should conditions change and we need to pivot again to meet those, if needed.
Learn about submitting announcements to for our virtual Sunday service and how to reserve a Zoom room for meetings and events here.
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Quick Links
Denominational Affairs Links
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Publication deadlines
This is an important reminder that the news and article deadline for Windows Weekly is 9:00 AM on Monday. Thank you for your cooperation.
Sign up for an Albany UU class or event
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First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany |
Parking:
Parking is available on the street. On Sundays (and for some special events) Albany UU has permission to use the University at Albany’s Hawley Parking Lot on Robin Street at Washington Avenue.
Office hours:
Staff are transitioning from working almost exclusively from home to a combination of working from home and at the church office. Right now, office hours are by appointment until a routine is established.
Our Website:
Zoom use:
To reserve Zoom for an Albany UU meeting, contact the church office (518.463.7135 or office@albanyuu.org).
Building use
To reserve a room for an Albany UU activity or to rent a hall or classroom space, for a personal or non-Albany UU activity, contact Administrative Assistant Patience Pechette (518.463.7135 or office@albanyuu.org).
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Photo credit: Rev. Sam Trumbore
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First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany | 518.463.7135 | 518.463.1429 Admin@AlbanyUU.org | AlbanyUU.org |
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