Happy holidays to all!

Whatever winter holiday you celebrate, we hope it's a peaceful, productive season for you.

PVSC's holiday gift to itself is a serious upgrade in the way we offer our courses and other services. Beginning January 1, we'll be online. Members will be able to read the catalog and register for classes  online, and get instant confirmation. They'll be able to pay their membership fee and get all the news in a timely way.

Members who don't go online will still be able to do everything by phone and mail, but others will appreciate the convenience of our online services.

And it will be easier than ever for non-members to get information about what we have to offer, and eventually join up.

Please note: our contact information will be changing on January 1. Watch for details!

The season of giving

It's the season of giving: making lists, considering loved ones, contributing to causes we care about. We might become annoyed at the ever-present urges to think about the holidays. We complain about the barrage of solicitations in the mail and the way-to-early Christmas displays in the stores. But at the heart of the holiday season is a great impulse.

So when you're thinking about donations, don't forget PVSC.

We wish everyone a calm, joyful, holiday season filled with everything good.

Maine is age-friendly!

Senior College has always been age-friendly: that's our purpose, after all! Now the whole state of Maine has gotten on the bandwagon, by joining AARP's Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. By doing so, Maine has become an officially Age-Friendly State, according to AARP.

The goal of the undertaking is, as Governor Janet Mills said, "creating age-friendly, livable communities with walkable streets, safe and affordable housing, transportation and access to services." While these goals would help Mainers of any age, they're especially welcome to seniors and those with disabilities. 

A skeptical person might think that this is only a label. But there's meat at the heart of it. The network will make "critical data, technical advice, best practices and organizing tools" available to Maine, Mills said. Even raising awareness of seniors' needs is a good start, so hurrah for Maine! Onward and upward!

What's next?

We've had our annual luncheon and fall courses are starting to wind down already. Six weeks seems really short when you're having fun! Already the Curriculum Committee is planning spring courses. The rest of us may be wondering what we'll do with ourselves when we have to say goodbye to our weekly learning-and-socializing.

Well, of course we can follow up on whatever line of thought/learning/reading we were pursuing in class. We can embrace fall, with its leaves and pumpkins and Thanksgiving dinner. And find ways to enjoy the cold and dark that follow.

Even better, we can find new learning opportunities in the area. Don't forget that, come January, seniors can take UMaine System courses tuition-free and can audit, so there's no cause to worry about grades. https://umaine.edu/dlladvising/senior-citizen-tuition-waiver/

If you're a member, you have free membership at nearby Senior Colleges; some have winter events and courses.
https://www.acadiaseniorcollege.org/
https://www.umasc.org/
https://hutchinsoncenter.umaine.edu/community-outreach/senior-college/

Local libraries, EAAA, and Gateway Seniors have all kinds of activities. AARP has frequent informative meetings.
https://www.eaaa.org/
https://www.bangorpubliclibrary.org/adult-programs
https://www.orono.org/504/For-Adults
https://gatewayseniorswithoutwalls.org/

Fall classes

We've been so busy with the last-minute summer jaunts and the start of fall classes that this blog has gone without posts for a while now. The good news: fall courses are off and running, and feedback says this is likely to be an excellent semester.

The variety is large. One class is enjoying a crash course in the highlights of Western music (as in European-American, not country-and-western), taught by retired UM professor of music Dennis Cox. Another group has just organized its road trip to Calas and the St. Croix historic site, the conclusion of Ray Pelletier's short course on that first European settlement in North America.

Other students are waxing creative as they learn watercolor techniques, or exploring the world of science fiction, or learning about DNA. And more. There's always something to learn with no pressure--just for fun and stimulation.

And there's a bonus: you can meet new people while you're investigating new ideas.

If you're not already a member, come on down! Join up and be ready for spring courses!

The A-word

Autumn. It's the word a lot of us in Maine don't want to hear. Yet for many, September is our favorite time: the tourists are gone, the (grand)kids are in school, and the weather is great.

So how do you spend your September? Taking a woodsy hike? Getting in a supply of wood and pumpkins? Stocking the freezer for winter while the farmer's markets are still going strong? Sitting in the sun with a good book? Hitting the coast while it's not so crowded?

However you enjoy your free time in September, don't forget the treats: the good times and food to be had at our members-only luncheon on September 18 (Black Bear Inn in Orono, 11:30. Be sure you've signed up); and, of course, the start of courses the week of the 23rd.

So maybe the A-word is OK. Good things come in autumn.

All the details

Now is a great time to sign up for the courses that begin the week of September 23.

Everything you need to know is in our catalog. It's available online at https://www.eaaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019-Fall-Calalog-Non-Member.pdf