60-Second Sanity Strategies
AVON — The Avon Free Public Library and Avon Senior Center continues its “Take Care of Yourself” series of public programs on mental health with Find Your Oasis in the Overwhelm: 60-second Sanity Strategies presented by Millie Grenough at the Avon Public Library, 281 Country Club Road.
The program will take place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 21. The goal of the program is to provide 60-second strategies to help you take control of your life and be healthier and happier at work and home.
Grenough is a coach, author of 10 books, motivational speaker and clinical instructor in psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine. Her books and materials will be for sale at this event.
Gypsy Moths Talk
FARMINGTON — The Farmington Garden Club presents its Founders’ Day Speaker, Dr. Kirby Stafford, Chief Entomologist at CAES, who will report the latest information regarding the gypsy moth infestation in Connecticut.
The presentation will take place at 11:30 a.m. Monday, March 11, at the Farmington Main Library, 6 Monteith Drive. The public is invited to attend this free event. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, visit farmingtongardenclub.org or call 860-677-7975.
OSA Events
BLOOMFIELD — Old St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 59 Tariffville Road, is hosting the following events. On Tuesday, March 5, at 6 p.m., a Mardi Gras party will take place, featuring music by French 75 and food by Mardi Parti. Cost to attend is $10 per adult and $5 per child.
On St. Patrick’s Day, Sunday, March 17, at 11:30 a.m., festivities include music by The Jolly Beggars and food by the Cheesecake Factory. Cost to attend is $20 per adult and $10 per child. Visit www.oldstandrewschurch.org or call 860-242-4660 for more information.
International Book Discussion Series: Canada
AVON — The Avon Free Public Library International Book Discussion Series: Canada will continue on the following dates: Tuesday, Mar. 5, at 7 p.m., with The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney; Tuesday, April 9, at 7 p.m., with Consumption by Kevin Patterson; and Tuesday, May 7, at 7 p.m., with The Home for Unwanted Girls by Joanna Goodman.
This is a book discussion featuring fictional books set in Canada led by Cyndi Larsen. Copies will be available behind the reference desk. No registration required. Call 860-673-9712, ext. 225 for more information.
Prosser Library Events
BLOOMFIELD — Prosser Public Library, 1 Tunxis Ave., is hosting the following events. Visit www.prosserlibrary.info or call 860-243-9721, ext. 3558, for more information.
Caregiver Support Group/Healing Hearts: Prosser Public Library program at Marilyn Michaelson Senior Center, 330 Park Ave., Bloomfield. Meetings are held at 1:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month at the Senior Center. Facilitators: Lucille Morisse, Social Worker, & Mara Whitman, Adult Services Librarian. For more information, call the Senior Center at 860-243-8361. Date: Wednesday, March 6, at 1:30 p.m.
Chill Out & Knit: Thursday, Feb. 28, at 3:45 p.m. Prosser Public Library Community Room. New members of all ages and experience are welcome to drop in and join this group of knitters in the Community Room. Knitters will guide one another with creative new projects or tinkering with an old one. No registration required.
From Research to Writing, The Story of Ana Aurea: Thursday, Feb. 28, at 6:30 p.m. Prosser Public Library Community Room. Madelyn Colon, Farmington resident, shares her experience of using Ancestry.com at the public library to unravel her family’s mysteries. Her research prompted her to write her mother’s story. Her completed book, printed by a small run press, is a loving memoir about race and class in Puerto Rico in the 1930s. Colon shares both her research and writing process at this event. Copies of her book will be available for purchase and signing. Registration is appreciated.
“I am Not a Witch” Film from Zambia: Friday, March 1, at 1:30 p.m. A satirical feminist fairy tale set in present day Zambia. When nine-year old Shula is accused of witchcraft, she is exiled to a witch camp run by Mr. Banda, a corrupt and inept government official. Written and directed by Rungano Nyoni. In English, Bemba, Nyalia and Tonga with English subtitles. See the film and stay for casual conversation afterward. No registration necessary.
The Kerry Boys Concert: Sunday, March 3, at 2 p.m. The Kerry Boys are Mark James, originally from Ireland and now a Cheshire resident, and Pierce Campbell, CT’s official State Troubadour 2007-08 from Prospect. Registration is required.
Line Dancing: Monday, March 4, at 6:30 p.m. Wear non-grip footwear. Registration is required, as space is limited.
21st Century Composers, Hartt@Home: Tuesday, March 5, at 1 p.m. Hartt@Home Comes to Prosser with guest composer Tobias Haus. Haus is a co-founder and co-producer of the Pennsylvania-based concert series Bells & Whistles and the administrative assistant on the Phoenix Concerts in New York City. Participants will listen to Haus’s compositions performed by Hartt musicians. This program is presented in partnership with Hartt@Home, a unique audience development initiative of The Hartt School. Russ Salk hosts the event. Registration is appreciated.
The Golden Age of Women Who Didn’t Realize They Weren’t Liberated: Wednesday, March 6, at 6:30 p.m. Barbara Beeching will speak about Mrs. Auerbach, Mrs. Woodhouse, and the Service Bureau for Women’s Organizations. In January of 1945, the Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation sponsored a Woman’s Service Bureau in order to increase the effectiveness of women’s work through organized efforts. Under the leadership of Mrs. Woodhouse, the Service Bureau thrived as a clearinghouse for women’s organizations in Connecticut. The agency also researched and developed program materials for use by those organizations. It Was The Golden Age of Women Who Didn’t Realize They Weren’t Liberated The Wintonbury Historical Society and the library are cosponsoring the event. Registration is appreciated.
Internet Browsing Level 1: Thursday, March 7, at 11 a.m. Learn how to navigate the Internet using an Internet browser program, including Google searching. Prerequisite: Familiarity with a mouse and keyboard. Each participant will use a library laptop. Please register, as class space is limited.
The Friends’ Meeting will take place on Thursday, March 7, at 2 p.m., in the Prosser Public Library Community Room.
Open Chess: Saturday, March 9, from 10:30 a.m. until noon. Chess boards will be out. Drop in to play a game of chess. Bring a friend to play with or play with someone new. All ages and all skills levels welcome.
“Atlantic” Magazine Discussion Group: Monday, March 11, at 10:30 a.m. Discuss current events as reported in the Atlantic Magazine. Essays and articles in each issue will be discussed. The conversations will be facilitated by Dr. Roberta Tansman, former professor of American History at Wellesley College. Registration is appreciated.
Mystery Book Discussion, The Devotion of Suspect X: Monday, March 11, from 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. This is the first major English publication of the award-winning work by one of Japan’s best-loved and best-selling novelists, Keigo Higashino. All readers are welcome to join one or all of the mystery book discussions at Prosser. Copies of the selected mystery title will be available at Prosser a month before the discussion date. Register to participate.
Murder Mystery Parties
SIMSBURY — The Storyteller’s Cottage, 750 Hopmeadow St., is hosting a unique series of live murder mystery parties throughout 2019, featuring actors dressed in character as suspects in a literary-inspired murder stationed in each room of its vintage Victorian house. Guests are invited to dress in their own vintage finest and throw themselves gleefully into playing clever detectives in these exciting, evolving stories.
Participants will enjoy an unparalleled immersive experience, sipping cocktails and nibbling elegant hors d’oeuvres as they stroll through the house interrogating the suspicious characters until the time comes to guess the identity of the murderer.
Held from 8 to 11 p.m. on select Saturday nights in March, June, September and December, these evenings offer guests a uniquely dynamic experience, where their own actions influence the flow of the story. The live murder mysteries at the Storyteller’s Cottage provide guests a chance to feel transported to fantastical times and places and be immersed in their favorite books.
The backstory of each mystery night alternates between Agatha Christie-inspired stories of dastardly upper crust murderers, and time traveling mysteries featuring famous authors from past and present. Each event ends with a different character as the murderer, and prizes are awarded for guests who correctly identify the criminal based on the strength of their alibi and the clues they reveal throughout the night.
The full series schedule includes: March 23, with Murder on the Orient Express; June 15, with Murder at the Timeless Cottage; Sept. 21 with Murder on the Trans-Siberian Express; and Dec. 14, with Murder at the Ivory Tower.
Tickets are available online at www.StorytellersCottage.com/book-online for $60 per guest, which includes admission to the whole-house mystery game, heavy hors d’oeuvres and soft drinks. On select nights, an upgrade to include wine is available for $10 and guests may also choose to BYOB on any night. These events are exclusively for guests aged 21 and up. Call 860-877-6099 or visit www.StorytellersCottage.com for more information.
Gardening Books Sale
FARMINGTON — The Friends of the Farmington Libraries will hold its annual sale of gardening books on March 5 through March 18. This popular sale will be held during regular library hours at the Book Nook in the lobby of the main library at 6 Monteith Drive. Books featuring landscape and garden design and techniques will be available. Most are priced from $1 to $3.
First Friday Dinner
AVON — A First Friday Dinner at Avon Congregational Church, 6 West Main St., will take place from 5:30 pm. to 7 p.m. Friday, March 1. Call the church office at 860-678-0488 for more information.
The dinners are $13 per adult and $7 per child 10 and under. Diners may purchase tickets at the church office or at the door. The menu will feature stuffed roast pork, potatoes, vegetables and applesauce. The popular dessert buffet, including coffee and tea, will offer treats.
A portion of the dinner proceeds will go to Hands on Hartford, a social service non-profit that serves Hartford’s neediest residents. Dine-in or take-out is available.
Canton Land Trust Dinner
AVON — The Canton Land Conservation Trust invites members and non-members to its annual dinner and silent auction at Seasons Restaurant in Avon Old Farms Hotel, 279 Avon Mountain Road.
Historian Anne C. Hall, Ph.D. will speak at the Tuesday, March 26, event. The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with a silent auction and cash bar, followed by dinner at 7 p.m. and Dr. Hall’s talk at 8 p.m. The cost is $40 for members, $45 for non-members and $20 for the talk only. See www.cantonlandtrust.org for details and to RSVP. The deadline is March 5.
Dr. Hall will discuss “Flowing wealth: The historical usage of Canton’s streams and ponds.” Dr. Hall, a New Hartford native, is the New Hartford town historian and a consultant to the Metropolitan District Commission, focusing on its watershed. She received her doctorate in history from the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Taste Books For Sale
CANTON — The Friends of the Canton Public Library are selling the 2019 edition of the Greater Hartford Dining and Entertaining Taste Books. The Taste Books offer hundreds of coupons for area restaurants, shops and entertainment venues. The books are on sale through February at the circulation desk of the Canton Public Library at 40 Dyer Ave.
Stop in and see the full list of participating vendors on display. The books can be purchased for $25, with $10 from each sale going to the volunteer group to continue with their support of the Library. For more information, visit www.cantonpubliclibrary.org or call 860-693-5800.
Orchid Society Show
WEST HARTFORD — The Nutmeg State Orchid Society will hold its 10th annual ‘Come See Our Bloomers’ show and sale on March 16 and 17.
The show will be held at the West Hartford Meeting & Conference Center, Town Hall, located at 50 South Main St. This is an American Orchid Society judged show.
Hundreds of beautiful orchids from all over the world will be on display by the Nutmeg State Orchid Society, along with orchid exhibits from commercial growers and other New England orchid societies.
Massachusetts Orchid Society (MOS), Rhode Island Orchid Society (OSOS), Amherst Orchid Society (AMOS), Cape and Islands Orchid Society (CAIOS), and others will participate in exhibiting their members’ bloomers.
In addition to viewing orchids, guests can purchase choice plants from internationally recognized orchid growers, learn about growing orchids by speaking with members, vendors and by attending informative presentations. There will be exhibits by local arts and crafts artisans.
Love to photograph flowers? Bring your camera. On Sunday, March 17, the show will open from 8 to 9:45 a.m. for photographers only. Tripods will only be allowed during this time. All tripods must be removed by 9:45 a.m. Cost is $10 admission and allows access to the photo session and all day.
NSOS’s objective for the show and sale is to enhance knowledge of orchids, their culture and habitat. This is the major fundraiser for the Nutmeg State Orchid Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. The show hours are Saturday, March 16, from noon to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, March 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission is $10 cash or check for adults. Children 12 and under attend for free. Parking in the adjacent lot at the Conference Center will be validated at the show. For more information, visit www.nutmegorchids.org or call 860-677-0504.
Free Business Mentoring
FARMINGTON — The Farmington Branch of SCORE offers free, individualized business mentoring sessions with business executive volunteers every first and third Wednesday at the Farmington Library, 6 Monteith Drive, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The one hour sessions are by appointment. To schedule an appointment, visit www.greaterhartford.score.org or call the Farmington Library at 860-673-6791, ext 204.
Winter Blues
CANTON — The Gallery on the Green presents the members’ themed exhibit, ‘Winter Blues,’ with two solo shows from now through March 10. Gallery hours are Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. The gallery is located near the intersection of Dowd Avenue and Route 44 at 5 Canton Green Road.
For Winter Blues, the members imaginatively interpret the season and the color in sculpture, prints, drawings, paintings and photographs created for this exhibition. This exhibit is on the handicapped accessible gallery main floor.
The upstairs galleries feature solo shows by Stephanie Rogers and David Owen. Visit www.galleryonthegreen.org, email CantonArtists@att.net or call 860-693-4102 for more information.
