April 2022
We're Getting Out and About
Call Staying Put at 203-966-7762 to sign up for member events.
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 484, New Canaan, CT 06840
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Introducing Our Newest Staff Members |
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Executive Director
Gina Blum
Gina comes to Staying Put with lots of experience. She has held executive positions at The Collaborative Alliance for more than 40 non-profits in Fairfield County, and the Stamford Senior Center.
When Darien created an aging-in-place organization in 2011, she was selected to be the first Executive Director. She originated and directed multiple programs, growing the organization into an integral part of the Darien community.
A native of Greenwich, Gina and her husband Dave live close to New Canaan in North Stamford and are parents to Paul, 24, Andrew, 22, and Caroline, 18.
Looking ahead, Gina’s goals are to continue the successful trajectory that Staying Put is on, adding some new ideas and a fresh perspective to what is already a wonderful organization.
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Manager of Events
Robin Bates-Mason
Robin is a well-known figure in the New Canaan community, currently serving on Town Council and volunteering with various non-profit organizations. She is the president and co-founder of Planet New Canaan and is a Board Member of the New Canaan Beautification League.
Originally from Darien, Robin has lived in New Canaan for over 20 years. With her husband, Carl, she has raised her boys, Peter (20) and Gavin (18), in the New Canaan school system, making her a Rams fan through and through.
Robin brings energy and lots of exciting ideas to the various activities Staying Put hosts for our members. With her love for gardening, the outdoors, hiking and biking, we look forward to getting out and about with Robin leading our event planning.
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Welcome Cocktail Reception
Thurs., Apr. 21, 5 - 7 pm, Lapham
RSVP by Mon., April 18.
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Please join us as we welcome Gina and Robin to Staying Put. There will be sweet and savory treats, drinks, and of course, Prosecco to toast our good fortune in having these two new staff members on the team.
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Member Events
A gentle reminder to our members to please RSVP to our events and let us know if you need to cancel your attendance. This information helps us to plan, especially for refreshments. Thank you.
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A Special Delivery
To celebrate the arrival of spring, we will be making a delivery to all our Staying Put members. We hope this special gift will bring color to your home and a smile to your face!
Tuesday, March 29, 10:30 am - 12:00 pm.
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Sun., Apr. 3, 12 - 2 pm: Moving Patio Furniture Outside.
The Service League of Boys (SLOBS) will be helping members bring their patio furniture back outside just in time for the warmer spring weather. Free. RSVP by Thurs., Mar. 31.
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Tues., Apr. 5, 2 pm: "Let's Flock Together" at the New Canaan Nature Center!" Join Executive Director Bill Flynn for a tour of the aviary which features a variety of beautiful birds of prey. Then we'll have a meet and greet with the Center's majestic red-shouldered hawk and a tiny saw-whet owl. We guarantee you won't be the prey! Free. RSVP by Fri., Apr. 2, Noon.
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Wed., Apr. 6, 12 - 2 pm: Book Talk and Lunch at Staying Put. Join Staying Put member Tanis Erdmann as she leads our discussion on books you've been reading and would recommend others add to their reading list. This is a fun and informative discussion! We are excited to be able to meet all together again! Free. RSVP by Mon., Apr. 4.
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Tues., Apr. 12, 10 am: Men's Coffee at Staying Put. Join us for Zumbach's coffee, plenty of sweet treats and a lively conversation that could provide insights into figuring out this complicated world we are living in right now. We will meet upstairs on the main floor of the Staying Put building. Free. RSVP by Mon., Apr. 11.
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Thurs., Apr. 14, 12 pm: Lunch Out at the New Canaan Diner. Step back to those jukebox days of sipping on malts with your favorite guy or gal. Join us for a lunch at the diner with your Staying Put friends. We'll set up carpools to avoid the limited parking on Forest Street. Pay Your Own Way. RSVP by Tues., Apr. 12.
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Tues., Apr. 19, 10 am: Ladies' Coffee at Staying Put. Join your Staying Put friends for conversation and coffee with a good dose of laughter and fun. If you are new to Staying Put, this is a great way to meet other members! We'll meet in the office space on the main floor of our building. Free. RSVP by Mon., Apr. 18.
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Mon., Apr. 25, 10:00: Coffee and Learn at Lapham. "A History of Entertainment in the Modern White House" presented by Alan DeValerio, former White House Butler. We'll have coffee and treats at 10:00 am followed by the program at 10:30 am. Free. RSVP by Thurs., Apr. 21.
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Staying Put's Events Manager, Robin Bates-Mason, is a Licensed Notary. If you need something notarized, she would be happy to help. Just give her a call at 203-966-7762 to set up a convenient time to drop by the office. |
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For our Staying Put Book Lovers ... |
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Staying Put's
Lending Library
is open!
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Our library is a collection of recently written books recommended by Staying Put members. If you have books that are no more than 2 years old that you'd like to share, please consider donating them to our library. We also encourage you to stop by and see what we have on our shelves that you'd like to take home and read.
You are also invited to join the Staying Put Book Talk which meets every other month. Led by Tanis Erdmann, the group enjoys lunch and a lively discussion on books that are hot and those that are not. The next meeting is April 6, 12 - 2 pm in the Staying Put Library.
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February's Book Talk Recommendations
Fiction:
- "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig
- "This is Happiness" by Niall Williams
- "The Great Mrs. Elias: A Novel Based on a True Story" by Barbara Chase-Riboud
- "Small World" by Jonathan Evison
- "The Personal Librarian" by Heather Terrell and Victoria Christopher Murray
Non-Fiction:
- "An Illuminated Life: Belle da Costa Greene's Journey from Prejudice to Privilege" by Heiki Ardizzone (true story of "The Personal Librarian")
- "The Churchill Sisters: The Extraordinary Lives of Winston and Clementine's Daughters" by Rachel Trethewey
- "Clementine: The Life of Mrs. Winston Churchill" by Sonia Purnell (2015)
- "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" by Doris Kearns Goodwin
- "The River Kings" A New History of the Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Roads" by Cat Jarman
- "George V: Never a Dull Moment" by Jane Ridley
- "Sea Power: The History and Geopolitics of the World's Oceans" by James Stavridis
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And for our Staying Put Chefs ... |
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Stuffed Peppers with
Ground Turkey
Ingredients
1 T. olive oil
¼ lb. lean ground turkey
¼ yellow onion
1 glove garlic - diced
1 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. kosher salt
Black pepper to taste
14 oz. can diced tomatoes
¼ c. cooked quinoa
Juice of 1 lime
2 bell peppers, halved and seeded
½ c. shredded cheddar cheese Cilantro, for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add oil to large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook for about 2 minutes until it starts to soften. Then add until it starts to soften. Then add
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ground turkey and garlic and cook until meat is almost cooked through, breaking it up into crumbles as it cooks. Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cooked quinoa. Squeeze lime juice over the mixture.
Fill the peppers with the mixture. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle cheese over the top. Return to oven and bake for additional 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
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TIP FROM NIC
As the weather warms up, all of us look forward to spending more time outdoors. But don’t forget to protect your skin. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, with about 1 in 5 Americans expected to develop it during their lifetime. And rates of melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer – have increased among older adults in recent years. It may surprise you to learn that most of the sunlight damage in a person’s lifetime occurs during everyday activities such as driving to work, picking up the newspaper and walking the dog. It doesn’t matter if the only time you go outside is to get the mail, dermatologists say: It’s still important to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen to your face, neck, chest, hands – all areas of exposed skin – every day. Dermatologists recommend mineral-based sunscreens that use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide to block the sun rather than those using chemicals, which can irritate the skin. If you’re spending time outside, make sure you reapply about every two hours, or after swimming or sweating. Regular daily use of an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen – in all seasons – reduces the risk of developing melanoma by 50%, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. So keep the sunscreen handy – store it next to your toothpaste – so you can see it and put it on automatically every day.
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Apr. 1: Chuck Wright
Apr. 5: Gloria Flook
Apr. 6: Rita Schaeffer, Denise Widen
Apr. 7: Ann Cohen, George Harvey, Helen McConnell, Jim D'Acosta, Mark Lefler
Apr 8: Alice Vaughan
Apr. 9: Chris Hussey
Apr. 13: EJ Skinner
Apr. 14: Barbara Stewart
Apr. 15: Bill Malone, George Valchar
Apr. 16: Kathy Johnston
Apr. 18: Betty Petschek
Apr. 19: Patricia Dobbs
Apr. 25: Herb Helle
Apr. 26: Carol MacKimm
Apr. 29: Jayne Dutil, Laszlo Papp
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Wed., Apr. 6, 1 pm: Facing War: Connecticut in World War I. Presented by the New Canaan Historical Society.
Thurs., Apr. 14, 1 pm: Coffee with a Cop. Bringing police officers together with the community to discuss issues of concern and learn more about each other.
Apr. 4 and 18, 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 pm: Blood Pressure Clinic
Apr. 14 and 28 by Appointment:
Free Medicare Counseling
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Call the Lapham Center at
203-594-3620 for more information and to RSVP.
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Tues., April 5, 12, 19 and 26,
2 - 4 pm: Drop In Tech Support at Lapham. Sessions are 20 minutes and on a first-come basis.
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Alan Goldberg's Book Talk
Thurs., Apr. 28
Mexican Food and Drink at 1 pm
Presentation at 2 pm
At the Lapham Center
RSVP
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Oaxacan Folk Art:
Response to Covid-19
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VITA FREE TAX PREP AND FILING |
On-site counseling at the New Canaan Library with the AARP/VITA/IRS Volunteer Tax Assistance Program. Available on Mondays, through Apr. 15, 2 - 7 pm. Appointments are required and can be made by calling 860-590-8910. The virtual option can be accessed via https://simplifyct.org.
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Town Players of New Canaan
presents
Hay Fever
by Noel Coward
April 8 - 24
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New Canaan Chamber Music
with Andy Armstrong
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April Quartet
Sun., Apr. 24, 4 pm
First Presbyterian Church
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The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum presents: Fragments of Light, Impressions of Color. Apr. 7 - Aug. 28. More Information at the link: Museum
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Grace Farms Foundation presents: Earth Day - The Wonder of Trees. Apr. 23, 10 am - 5 pm Various events. Free. More information at the link: Grace Farms.
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Please call on us anytime at 966-7762
- Gina, Kim, Nic and Robin
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Address:
PO Box 484
New Canaan CT 06840
203-966-7762
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