October 2023

The Staying Put office will be closed on Monday, October 9th

 for Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day.

October at a Glance

Wed., Oct. 4, 12pm - Book Talk Group at Staying Put

Wed., Oct. 4, 6pm - Aging Successfully and Stressless-ly Program Series

Fri., Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27, 10am - Walk Irwin with Kate

Tues., Oct. 10, 11am - Bruce Museum Art Tour

Wed., Oct. 11, 4:30pm - 6:30pm - ANNUAL MEETING at Lapham

Tues., Oct. 17, 12:15pm - YMCA Foreverwell Fraud Program with NCPD

Wed., Oct. 18, 12:15pm - Lunch and Learn at Lapham

Wed., Oct. 18, 6pm - Aging Successfully and Stressless-ly Program Series

Thurs., Oct. 19, 10am - Men's Coffee at Staying Put

Tues., Oct. 24, 10am - Ladies' Coffee at Staying Put

Tues., Oct. 31, 12pm - Halloween Lunch at Waveny House

Save the Date

Sun., Nov. 5, 1-3pm: Take in Your Patio Furniture with New Canaan SLOBs

Wed., Oct. 4, 6pm: Aging Successfully and Stressless-ly series: Living Well as We Age: To Downsize or To Stay in Place, at New Canaan Library. Home is where the heart is - which is why it's so important to know your options when it comes to living arrangements. The decision to stay in place or to move is a tricky one, and this program is designed to give you the information you need to make the best choice. Providing insight will be Gina Blum, Executive Director - Staying Put in New Canaan, Bethany Zaro, MPH, RN, GP-C – New Canaan Human Services, Anne-Lise Brown - President, New Canaan Board of Realtors, and Liz Rolle - Senior Concierge Services, LLC. Free. RSVP by Mon., Oct. 2nd.

Fri., Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27, 10am: Walk Irwin with Kate. Grab your sneakers and join Kate for a walk at Irwin Park. Meet in the lower parking lot and enjoy a mile walk on the Flexi-pave trail. Please bring a water bottle to keep hydrated. Note - this is for active members with no mobility issues. Free. RSVP by Thursday prior.

Tues., Oct. 10, 11am: Art Tour at Bruce Museum. Join us at the newly remodeled Bruce Museum for a docent led art tour. After the tour, we will stop in the museum's new cafe for a light lunch. This tour is limited to the first 11 members to sign up. If interested, there will be a carpool from the Staying Put parking lot that will leave at 10:30am. Tour is free. Lunch is additional, pay by cash or card. RSVP by Thurs., Oct. 6th.

Wed., Oct. 11, 4:30pm-6:30pm: Staying Put's Annual Meeting with Dr. Edward Schuster: Live to Be Healthy & Happy at 110, at Lapham Community Center.   Join us to hear about Staying Put's successes over the past year and our plans for the future. Our guest speaker is a graduate of the Chicago Medical School, did his residency at Duke and Fellowship in Cardiology at John Hopkins Hospital. Practicing in the Stamford area for over 40 years, he specializes in all aspects of cardiology with an emphasis in Preventive Cardiology and Aging Successfully. Refreshments will be served. Free. RSVP by Thurs., Oct. 5th.

Wed., Oct. 18, 12:15pm: Electric Cars - Charging into the future - Lunch and Learn at Lapham. Join Leo Karl III as he provides a look back and a look ahead at Electric Vehicles, shedding light on the significant impact EVs are making on our lives and the planet. Free. RSVP by Mon., Oct. 16th.

Wed., Oct. 18th, 6pm: Aging Successfully and Stressless-ly series: Final Decisions: Taking Control of Your Journey, at New Canaan Library. Death is inevitable, but you can control the circumstances surrounding it by making set plans on issues such as memorial service versus funeral, where and how you’d like to be interred and obituaries. Julia Portale, Executive Director of Fairfield County House, and Danielle Smith of Hoyt Funeral Home will address these issues, as well as other related topics. Free. RSVP by Mon., Oct. 16th.

Thurs., Oct. 19, 10am: Men's Coffee at Staying Put. Join Staying Put friends for coffee, treats and good conversation. Free. RSVP by Wed., Oct. 18th.

Tues., Oct. 31, 12pm: Halloween Lunch at Waveny House. Join your Staying Put friends and celebrate Halloween with a festive lunch. Costumes not required but are encouraged! Free. RSVP by Thurs., Oct. 26th.

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

Hello from Kate

Growing up, my sister and I would careen into the kitchen anytime the phone would ring racing to be first to grab it to see who was on the other end. My best friend, Lauren? My sister's best friend, Erin? Nine times out of ten, my mom would be first to pick up and her "Hello?" was filled with all the warmth and softness of a hug. There was anticipation and welcomeness in her voice that always felt good. We would watch her face react to the sound on the other end and usually be able to guess who it was just based on the expression of her face. Most of the time it was Erin, but every now and then I got to grab that receiver. I'd twist the tan rubbery, spiral cord around my fingers while reclining on the wicker love seat, ankles crisscrossed on one arm, head supported on the other, while my mom cooked dinner in the background eavesdropping on the goings-on of a middle school girl. 



These days, I cringe anytime the phone rings if I don't know who it is. There is no longer the perk of a phone ring. I either know exactly who it is and greet them briskly, or if it is not a saved number, I get to press that beautiful "decline" button. Right now, I'm working on bringing a little bit of the magic back to our phones. Staying Put is creating a phone tree where our members reach out to....our members! Our goal is to keep building connections within our Staying Put community by reaching members who we may not get to see as often as we'd like. And I'd love your help. Whether on the receiving end of the call, or the placing end of the call, please let me know if you would like to have a role in this service. I will follow up with details to anyone with whom I've already spoken, or who is in touch with me directly. Please join the call (pun very much intended). 

Vaccine Updates and Information

The New Canaan Health Department (NCHD) will be offering Flu vaccinations starting in October through the winter Flu season. Please contact Shannon Vallerie at 203-594-3020 to schedule an appointment. NCHD also offers homebound vaccinations to those in need.

NCHD continues to offer free COVID-19 rapid testing for residents and also has a limited supply of free home kits.

As of September 25th, you can request free COVID-19 tests by mail by calling: 800-232-0233 or going online to: COVIDtests.gov.

Per CDC guidelines vaccines are an effective way of keeping ourselves and one another safe from illness. Speak with your doctor about any questions you may have. The new COVID-19 boosters are a much closer match to currently circulating variants.

New Canaan pharmacies are ready and available to help with the following vaccinations: COVID-19, Flu, Shingles and RSV vaccines are currently available and all forms of insurance are accepted.

New Canaan Pharmacy: (203) 966-4575

Walgreens: (203) 801-0121

CVS: (203) 966-6758

(CVS Pharmacy is closed for lunch from 1:30pm to 2pm) 

October

Member Birthdays

Marjorie Aronson, Beatrice Camporine, Carole Clarkson, Bob Dalury,

Jeanne Gnuse, Julie Green, Sandra Lefler, Liz Massey, Don McCouch,

James McKeon, Katie O'Brien, Jeanne Piscitello, Sue Scannell,

Judy Schurman, Nate Snyder, Rita Stone, Wendy Stone, Mary Ward, Gretchen Watkins, Thayer West

New Canaan Farmers Market

Every Saturday until November 18th

10am to 2pm

Lumberyard Parking Lot, New Canaan

WAVENY PARK ARTS FESTIVAL

Sunday October 1, 10am - 4pm

Carriage Barn, Waveny Park

Outdoor arts festival featuring a juried collection of up to 40 fine artists & artisans.  Admission is free. For more information go to: carriagebarn.org.

stayingputnc.org

Please call us anytime at

203-966-7762

Gina, Kim, Kate and Robin