Curl up with a good book!

The Sweetwood Library is open 24 hours a day and you are always welcome! There are no due dates or overdue fee, but it is very important that everything taken from the room be signed out in the notebook on the desk. (There is a separate notebook for videos on the shelf there.)

When returning a book or video, please put it into the box on the library desk and make a note of the date of return in the notebook – on the line where you signed it out. If unable to find the entry, please leave a note.

If help is needed, just ask any member of the Library Committee or the librarian, Mary Ellen Pattee.

Forever Fit!

The schedule for the Forever Fit exercise group has been changed. It will meet on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Saturdays at 9:00AM in the Auditorium.

Staff Luncheon – good food, good friends, good fun!

Thanks to the Bernadette and her talented kitchen staff, we all enjoyed a delicious lunch of broasted chicken, shrimp and succulent spare ribs! This was accompanied by salads, dips, breads and desserts galore that the staff brought in to share. It was a fun way to spend some time together as a group, fill our bellies, and take a bit of time to share stories and laughs.

Thanks, Bernadette, for pulling us all together!

Birthday Celebration!

Last Friday, January 22nd, one of our residents celebrated her 99th birthday! Esther Christensen was joined by her daughter, Jane, and eight of her Williamstown friends, for a lovely luncheon in The View, the dining room at Sweetwood. Balloons, cards, gifts, flowers and delicious food provided a festive atmosphere, and everyone sang happy birthday to a very happy and lovely Esther! Next year’s party will be even bigger, for sure!

Upcoming Events

Mount Greylock Regional High School Students to Visit
Students from our next door neighbor, Mt. Greylock Regional High School, would like to come to visit and bring their acapella singing group with them. We are thinking about a Friday afternoon program prior to Social Hour and have invited the young people to stay to visit for a while during social hour.

The Williamstown House of Local History
Ellen Burstein from the Williamstown House of Local History will come to speak about local history and the gathering of the history of an area, with the idea of inspiring Sweetwood residents to write short reminisces of the areas in which you grew up. We would then have an interesting melting pot of diverse local histories

A Hawaiian Party in February
It will be too cold to don grass skirts and leis, so our friend and photographer, Roger Hart will provide a luau atmosphere with a beautiful multi-media presentation of Hawaii.
* Perhaps the dining staff will provide festive umbrellas to dip in the poi for that evening*

Speakers from Williams College
There are quite a few members of the Williams College Faculty who have agreed to lecture at Sweetwood this spring. It will be a pleasure to welcome them as their schedules allow.

Lots to look forward to and we will keep you posted on dates and times.

The holidays are in full swing!

The holidays at Sweetwood have begun with beautiful decorations everywhere you turn. Thanks to Cookie, the little elf who seems to know just what to do, the foyer and living room are bedecked with sparkles and bobbles, and outside the lights brighten the night sky.

The residents are in a festive mood too!

Join the Sweetwood Swimming Group and get fit!

If you are interested in going swimming, please speak with Dedee or leave a message at the front desk. The Northern Berkshire YMCA in North Adams tends to be very quiet most days from 1:00pm until 3:00pm. It is feasible for our schedule to be flexible if Tuesday is not a good day.

* All reports indicate that exercise, especially low impact exercise like swimming, is wonderful for all aspects of human health – memory and organizational skills included! ☺

Ghosts, goblins and goodies at Sweetwood!

Halloween was celebrated in ghoulish style this year with decorations galore in the living room. Cookie kept everyone out while she worked her magic, and no one was disappointed!

Entertainment was led by Del Rae and Judy Polkow, and dinner in The View featured Baked Bat (Cornish Game Hens) and Broiled Sea Monster (Haddock Filet). The staff dressed for the occasion and fun was had by all!

Residents Summit Mt. Greylock!

With brilliant blue skies, and fair winds, the residents of Sweetwood went to the top of Mt. Greylock, the highest peak in Massachusetts, to enjoy the magnificent views of our Berkshires. They toured the War Memorial, took lots of pictures, and enjoyed a delicious lunch at Bascom Lodge. The trip up and down was made very comfortably on the new roads, and there were several new vistas to be enjoyed along the way.
[caption id="attachment_499" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Dorothy at Bascom Lodge"][/caption]

Joy of Science Lections, Thursday evenings at 7:30

Sweetwood will be holding Joy of Science lectures on Thursday evenings at 7:30pm in the Auditorium beginning Sept.10. The lectures are on video tape and are part of The Great Courses crafted by the Teaching Company. There are 60 lectures in the series that will be presented by award winning Professor Robert M. Hazen of George Mason University and the Carnegie Institution of Washington.

Among specific disciplines explored in The Joy of Science are: Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science, Geophysics and Biology. The course is designed to, “give an integrated introduction to and a thorough explanation of the vast wonders contained in science.” Each Thursday evening two ½ hour lectures will be viewed.
A complete list of the lectures and full outlines of the lectures are available for those interested in attending. The material presented in each lecture is a topic unto itself.

Attendance is welcome for any or all of the lectures. Please call Dedee Durham, Activities Director, to reserve a spot and to receive a list of lectures and their outlines. 413-458-8371, ext 13.