February 2024

The Staying Put office will be closed

on Monday, Feb. 19th For Presidents' Day

SNOW AND ICE ALERT

Please be advised that if the weather is snowy or icy, we will cancel rides and our staff will work remotely from home. Our first priority is the health and safety of our members, staff, and volunteers. 

February at a Glance

Thurs., Feb. 1, 10am - Men's Coffee First Selectman Dionna Carlson

Fri., Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23, 11am - Waveny Walk with Kate

Wed., Feb. 7, 12pm - Lunch and Learn at Lapham - Bingo!

Thurs., Feb. 8, 12pm - Lunch at Ching's Table for Chinese New Year

Tues., Feb. 13, 10am - New Canaan's Budget with BOF Chair Todd Lavieri

Wed., Feb. 14, 12:30pm - Valentine's Day Lunch at Lapham

Thurs., Feb. 15, 10am - Ladies' Coffee at Staying Put

Tues., Feb. 20, 6pm - The Sandwich Generation Series at NC Library

Wed., Feb. 21, 12pm - Book Talk Group Lunch at Staying Put

Fri. Feb. 23, 10am - Coffee with Congressman Jim Himes at Waveny House

Wed., Feb. 28, 10am - Men's Coffee at Staying Put

Thurs., Feb 29, 11:30am - The Art Space in Norwalk Tour and Lunch

Welcome New Members!

Carole Kaye, Carol Schofield, Peter Ziesing

Membership Renewals

If you have not already, please remember to send in your

Staying Put 2024 Membership Renewal form and dues.

Don't forget to call Staying Put at 203-966-7762 to sign up for member events. Please RSVP! 

MEMBER EVENTS

Fri., Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23, 11am: Waveny Walk with Kate. Join Kate for a walk at Waveny Park. Meet in the driveway circle by the pillar entrance of Waveny House and enjoy a brisk winter walk. Note - this is for active members with no mobility issues. Free. RSVP by Thursday prior.

Tues., Feb. 13, 10am: Coffee with New Canaan Board of Finance Chair Todd Lavieri - Understanding New Canaan's Budget Process at Lapham. Join us for coffee as BOF Chairman Todd Lavieri gives an overview of the budget process, followed by a Q&A session. Free. RSVP by Fri., Feb. 9th.

Wed., Feb. 14, 12:30pm: Valentine's Day Lunch for Staying Put Members at Lapham. Enjoy a buffet lunch with all your Staying Put friends as we celebrate Valentine's Day together. Free. RSVP by Fri., Feb. 9th.

Thurs., Feb. 15, 10am: Ladies' Coffee at Staying Put. Join Staying Put friends for coffee, treats and good conversation. Free. RSVP by Tues., Feb. 13th.

Tues., Feb. 20, 6pm: The Sandwich Generation Seminar Series at New Canaan Library: Staying Put - Care in the Home. A deep dive into care in the home, from adaptations to make the home safe and ‘care-friendly’, to who can provide these services.. Free. RSVP by Mon., Feb. 19th.

Wed., Feb. 21, 12pm: Book Talk Group Lunch at Staying Put. Join Staying Put members for lunch and an exchange of recommendations about current fiction and non-fiction books they have enjoyed reading. Lunch will be provided.  Free. RSVP by Mon., Feb. 19th.

Fri., Feb. 23, 10am: Coffee with Congressman Jim Himes at Waveny House. Join us for coffee and a lively discussion with Connecticut's 4th district's congressman. Free. RSVP by Thurs., Feb. 22nd.



Wed., Feb. 28, 10am: Men's Coffee at Staying Put. Join Staying Put friends for coffee, treats and good conversation. Free. RSVP by Mon., Feb. 26th.

Thurs., Feb. 29, 11:30am: Tour of The Norwalk Art Space and Lunch. Join us for a tour of the latest exhibit: Mama's Baby, Daddy's Too. Following the tour we will have lunch in the cafe. Tour is free. Cash or credit card accepted at the cafe for lunch. Carpooling available from the Staying Put parking lot. RSVP by Mon., Feb. 26th.

February

Member Birthdays

Fred Campano, George Gebauer,

Barbara Johansen, Judy Johnson,

Kam Kamerschen, Janet Lindstrom,

Alice Runnette, Janet Schmitz, Tom Skinner, Louella Smith, Eniko Szatai, Barbara Wright, Debbie Wright

Staying Put's 16th Birthday Party

We had a wonderful time at our 16th birthday party at St. Mark's in January. Thanks to everyone who braved the cold and helped us celebrate.

Hello from Kate

If you subscribe to The Atlantic monthly you might have come across this article by Arthur C. Brooks, a contributing writer, who focuses on “How to Build a Happy Life”. I am always drawn to his articles for both his scientific and anecdotal assessments of living a full life. A recent article grabbed my professional attention, How to Be Happy Growing Older. He upends the notion that our value diminishes as we age. Rather, several positive shifts happen and negative ones drift away. Moreover, he offers that we are not victims of growing into the "grumpy old (wo)man” trope that society has invented (remember Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon going at it is as rascally, neighbors?), but rather, we can hone the good and shed the bad.

"The good news about aging is that if we simply leave things to the passage of time, life will probably get better for us. But we can do more than just wait around to get old. We can lean into the natural improvements and manage any trends we don’t like.

A 2013 review of research reveals that older people develop at least three distinct emotional skills: They react less to negative situations, they are better at ignoring irrelevant negative stimuli than they were when younger, and they remember more positive than negative information. This is almost like a superpower many older people have, that they know negative emotions won’t last so they get a head start on feeling good by consciously disregarding bad feelings as they arise." (Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 28 Dec. 2023).

A superpower, indeed. 

Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment

Jan. 1st through March 31st

Medicare beneficiaries who want to change Medicare Advantage plans, or switch to traditional Medicare, may do so one-time only during this period. The change you make will be effective the first of the following month. If you change to traditional Medicare during this period, you may also:

* Obtain a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.

* Obtain a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan to help cover Medicare costs.

Help is available to discuss your options!

Call CHOICES at 1-800-994-9422

Free Tax Help with SimplifyCT

Jan. 22nd through April 15, 2024

12pm - 6pm

New Canaan Library

SimplifyCT is a nonprofit organization which partners with the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. IRS certified tax volunteers help individuals and families by preparing their federal and state income taxes at no cost with an e-filing option. To book an appointment, visit simplifyct.org or call New Canaan Library at 203-594-5000.

Lapham Center

Call 203-594-3620 for more information and to RSVP.

Fri., Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23, 12pm: Movies on Fridays.

Feb. 2: What's Love Got To Do With It, Feb. 9: Golda, Feb. 16: Love Again, Feb. 23: Flora and Son. Free.

Thurs., Feb. 8, 2pm - 4pm: Ask the Attorney with Michael Nedder.

Michael Nedder of Nedder and Associates, LLC will be available for free, private, 15-minute consultations to answer your legal or financial questions. Call to schedule an appointment. Free.

Wed., Feb. 14, 28, 1pm - 2pm: Blood Sugar Screenings.

In person screenings provided by New Canaan's Department of Health.

Call to schedule an appointment. Free.

Fri., Feb. 16, 9am - 11:30am: Hearing Screenings and Hearing Aid Cleanings. Call to schedule an appointment. Free.

Mon., Feb. 12, 26, 11:15am - 12:15pm: Blood Pressure Clinic.

In person clinic. Call to schedule an appointment. Free.

Please call us anytime at

203-966-7762

Gina, Kate and Robin