Philadelphia Chapter Newsletter  
IN THIS ISSUE
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS TO OUR TTN FAMILY!
Kathryn Cadieux
Lyn Caltabiano
Alisa Deitz
Robin Forman
Sheila Kennedy
Beth Miranda
Francine Strauss

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JULY 2019
 

Our Philadelphia  summer is officially here, heating up our days and providing for nice shore days. The official start of summer brings many new activities to our chapter along with many opportunities to explore and enjoy the outdoors. 

Announcements: 

The year 2020  will mark the 20th Anniversary of TTN , a milestone marking the great achievements of our organization. To mark the occasion, the National Board and the various chapter leaders are working together to plan multiple events and marketing campaign to showcase our organization. 

If you are interested in joining the planning committees and becoming part of this significant milestone, please contact me.  

Key Initiatives:
  • The Philadelphia Chapter is putting the final touches on the Membership Survey which will reach all members' mailboxes next week. Please take a few minutes and complete the survey to help us prepare for a new and exciting year. 
  • As a reminder, please note that our payment policy to pay for events only with credit cards takes effect July 1st. 
If you have plans for July 4th, enjoy the wonderful weather and don't forget the sunblock.

Hope to see you at our events and Mingles.

Like us on FacebookWarm Regards,                      
Chair, TTN Philadelphia  
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Introducing the New Wellbeing Event Series
The Events Committee is excited to announce our new Wellbeing Event Series - a series of interactive events that will allow you to explore ways to improve your own well-being through increased physical activity, healthier eating, stress release, or other health improvement activities.

With this more formalized focus on wellness, we hope to give you the opportunity to try new things, learn new skills and habits, or simply increase your understanding of things you can do to improve your health - all within the comfortable and fun environment of a TTN Event.

The first event in the series will feature a gentle Yoga Workshop designed exclusively for TTN members and their guests. Even if you have never tried yoga before, this workshop is suitable for all levels and will feature a combination of gentle movement, supported restorative poses, breathing, and meditation techniques.

This softer, nurturing approach will give you the opportunity to have a different experience from active yoga classes in which you move from pose to pose - instead focusing on relaxation and releasing tension.

Register by August 8th to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to unwind, relax, and renew. And, look for additional events in the new Wellbeing Event Series to be added to the Events Calendar in the coming weeks.

If you have an idea for the Wellbeing Event Series or would like to help plan a future event, please reach out to Dell Williams at dell1williams2@yahoo.com.
Women in Transition Workshop
The Programs Committee announces the next  TTN Signature Program: Women In Transition Workshop   November 12, 2019.

If you've recently been exploring new possibilities in your life, rethinking work and career options, contemplating changes in your lifestyle or dealing with unexpected life changes, this half-day interactive workshop may be just the inspiration you need right now. This workshop is for women who wish to understand the transition process, enhance skills for successfully navigating change, connect with like-minded women and create a personal next steps action plan.

Giving Circle Presents Check to PA SeniorLAW Center
Giving Circle  members couldn't have felt prouder when we presented a check for $25,000 to the PA SeniorLAW Center on September 19th. 
 
Accepting our 2019 grant were Karen Buck, Executive Director of the SeniorLAW Center and Chartan Nelson, Director of Grand Central Kinship Resource Center. Our grant money will provide for legal services for at least 75 inter-generational families benefiting over 100 relative children over one year. At the same time, it will connect at least 100 grandparents, kinship caregivers and the children in their care with housing, financial, health care, respite and social resources to improve their daily lives and strengthen their new family structure.
 
In thanking us, Karen Buck cited the timeliness of our grant. In Pennsylvania, due to the opioid epidemic, the number of grandparents and other older relatives raising children has swelled to over 100,000.  Chartan Nelson thanked us for sharing our time and treasure on behalf of the scores of grandmothers who wished they could be on hand to express their gratitude in person.
 
SAVE THE DATE
Wednesday, September 25, 3:00-5:00 PM
 

Join us for the second in a series of educational programs designed to increase our awareness of social problems affecting our community. Register here!

For more information, visit  the TTN Philadelphia Chapter Giving Circle  or contact Carol Cunningham ( carol.d.cunningham@gmail.com) .
Member Profile: My Introduction to TTN
When my husband was diagnosed with cancer and told he was terminal, we moved to Philadelphia and I began my role as full-time caregiver. My 8-year role ended on July 21st 2018.

Needless to say, I was numb and paralyzed with pain and loss. Friends in a TTN book Special Interest Group had been telling me about TTN for a few years. I joined TTN while still handling death preliminaries, believing that I needed to move forward during my bereavement period. I needed to be with women who were engaged with mind-stimulating activities because that's what I needed the most. I chose TTN over a recommended support group for widows.

Eight months later, I am not regretting my decision. Through TTN I have met many sweet-natured and like-minded women who are very receptive to me. I have joined the Writing For Our Lives Special Interest Group and a Peer Group. Although the purpose of these groups is not to provide support to grieving women, writing and talking has given me the indirect support I need.

Writing For Our Lives has been a tremendous help in coping with my loss. There are no restrictions on what we can write about in our memoir. We each are very attentive and give positive feedback to each other; we do not judge each other on our lives. Sharing my blogs on different phases of my life has been very rewarding.

Our Peer Group is very interactive and stimulating. We each are responsible to pick a discussion topic we're interested in. My attention is positively diverted to healthy discussions that keep me from dwelling on my grief. I look forward to our monthly meetings and leave feeling the warmth of our members that reinvigorates me at every level.

Finally, I have attended several TTN events that have been food for my soul.

I can say with confidence that TTN is what I need in this phase of my life. I am not lost by myself in the big city with TTN. TTN has welcomed me with open arms, even though I bring a different culture (Indian) to the members. Although the purpose of TTN is not to provide support to grieving women, little do the members realize how much the warmth of this group gives me the support I need without asking for it.
 
Tell Us Your TTN Story
Has TTN made a difference in your life?  We'd love have you to share your story with our members.  If you're interested is writing a short article for our newsletter, or in being interviewed for an article, please contact Tess Waldman at tess.waldman@gmail.com .
Highlighting Our Events Committee Tours
The  Philadelphia Chapter Events Committee sponsors many different events each month.  These are some of the tours held in June.

Bethany Mission:  Philadelphia Chapter members enjoyed a  unique opportunity to tour the Bethany Mission Gallery, a hidden gem located in the Spring Garden neighborhood and accessible by appointment only. The 4,300-square foot gallery serves as the home to over one hundred works of outsider art and antiques acquired by long time collector, Victor Keen.

The WoodlandsTTN members enjoyed a beautiful day at The Woodlands, a 54-acre National Historic Landmark that encompasses a mansion built in 1766, an 18th century English garden and a cemetery with notable Philadelphians. Our wonderful tour guide provided us with a wealth of information about architecture, landscape gardening, botany and historical Philadelphia.

Athenaeum of Philadelphia: 
Members enjoyed the opportunity to participate in a private tour of  the Athenaeum of Philadelphia.  F ounded in 1814, the Athenaeum is h oused in an 1847 National Historic Landmark Building on Washington Square. It  is one of America's oldest member-supported libraries and possesses an internationally significant collection of art, architecture and design documents. 

Do you have ideas for events for our chapter? Contact Marion Blow (marionblow@gmail.com) and let her know.
Rate Our Events
Do you love our events?  Let us know!  After you attend an event, you'll get an email reminding you to rate the event.  Please let us know what you think!
Reminder:  Credit Cards Only
Beginning July 1st, we will only be accepting credit card payments when registering for Events on the Philadelphia Chapter Events Calendar .  Check payments will no longer be an option.
Summer and SIGs
"Hot town, summer in the city, back of my neck getting' dirty and gritty...". The Lovin' Spoonful
 
The hot times of the summer may be here but the Special Interest Groups just keep on poppin'. Check out our SIG webpage and you'll find two new types of SIGs -  Travel and Restaurants !
 
The Travel SIGs, both in Newly Forming, are looking for those who want to explore close to home and afar.   See which group meets your fancy and get in on the ground floor.
 
The Restaurant Groups have held organizational meetings and are ready to start dining. Two of them, Dinner Adventures and Lunch on Tuesday, are open to new members and would love to hear from you. Please see the website under Newly Forming and Restaurant Groups for more information.
 
Our existing SIGs continue to grow and change, too. Read more to find out how one book group is solving its membership problem.
 
There is Always a Solution
So say the members of Around the World in 80 Books SIG. Formed with the intention of using a vetted list of books, it seemed like it would be an easy go. But, unfortunately, after three months, most of the members did not enjoy any of the selections. Eileen Smithe, the lead of the SIG, was able to track down the originator of the list and emailed back and forth with her. It seems she found reading about war and angst much more desirable than our SIG did. What to do? 
 
With the creativity and flexibility TTN women are known for, we came up with an answer. We would all submit two selections, and in order to ensure a place on the reading list, half the members would have to vote for a suggested book. We are keeping the basic premise of the SIG which is to read books about different countries, but this time with more novels and memoirs than stories of war. 
 
And we've changed the name of the SIG to A World of Words and we invite you to join us on the third Wednesday of the month. If armchair travel is for you, please contact SIG Lead, Eileen Smithe, at ezsmithe@gmail.com .
 
 
Our SIGs are here to serve our members and we continue to strive to meet the intellectual, social and creative needs of our talented group of women.   Got a comment or new idea? Please contact SIG Chairperson, Joanne Bowes, at jb@bowescentral.com .

SIGs are a benefit of TTN membership.
Why You Should Care About Who Will Take Care of You As You Age
July 4th is just around the corner and you're making final plans on how to spend your Summer. Before you know it, the days will get ever so shorter and your attention will turn to your Fall schedule. 

Please join your TTN buddies on Tuesday September 10th for a lively and entertaining welcome back session "What's In Your Active Aging Toolkit?" with highly-regarded keynote speaker, Joy Loverde .

As baby boomers, many TTN women worry about what is going to happen to them the older they get and start needing some kind of care and attention. Joy will share a very positive, practical perspective about what you need to know to plan for your own safe, financially secure, healthy and happy older years and what resources are available to help you. As one of Joy's prior attendees commented, "Acceptance of your own aging paves the way for breakthroughs of all kinds. Plan ahead. You are the one and only person you can forever count on".

Why should you attend?
  • Get out of the house on a Tuesday! A great way to kick off the Fall season. Bring a friend with you. Come together as a Peer Group. Event starts at 5 PM so TTN members who are still working can easily attend.
  • Drink, eat and converse! We'll start off socializing with old and new friends and enjoying a reception of wine and cheese, light appetizers, fruit and desserts.
  • Discover and Learn! This session is highly interactive, provocative and totally upbeat! The content is right on target for our TTN community and you will gain keen insights into how to maintain a good quality of life in your later years.
Comments from prior sessions with Joy Loverde:
  • "Great event. Joy is a wonderful speaker. Lots to think about!"
  • "Way better than I expected! Would see her again in a heartbeat."
  • "The energy in the room was positive and everyone was genuinely interested in one another. There was an openness to attendees, as they shared their greatest fears and opportunities for reinvention."
Register now to assure your seat at this opening event!
 
Watch Joy's very short  Video on aging in place.

If you know motivational experts or speakers on topics relevant to our TTN community and want to recommend that TTN include them as part of our Programs offerings, please contact me.

Marsha Yankelev, Programs Chair
Peer Group News
Interest remains strong in learning about the Peer group experience.

Barbara Kessler and Amy Sabsowitz, members of the Peer Group Advisory Committee, are now managing the process of connecting with women who are interested in joining a peer group. They held two orientations this Spring and are working with some of their suburban counterparts to have an orientation this summer for women who live outside of Center City.
 
If you are interested in making a peer group part of your TTN experience send an email to Barbara, bmkay123@gmail.com and Amy asabsowitz@gmail.com. They will be sure to "get you on the list". It sometimes takes a little time to get an orientation arranged and successfully merge women in to groups. But good things come to those who wait!
 
Marcia Goldstein, Peer Group Chair