Masthead
January 6, 2015
Executive Director Update
 
I'm sure members and friends spending the winter in warm climes are feeling a bit lucky right now. However, those of us braving Minnesota's subzero weather are feeling lucky to have such a rich calendar of events this January! In fact, although we discussed canceling tomorrow morning's Book Chat because of wind chill warnings, our Rendezvous "regulars" decided they would brave the cold and enjoy the warmth of the fire at The Depot and enjoy a discussion on Changing Habits (see details below). Our usual gathering spot for Rendezvous Readers is closed this week, so we're meeting in the lounge area of The Depot adjacent to Charley's Grill. (The Depot has heated underground parking for $8.) Rendezvous on 5 will resume at the Guthrie's Level Five Express next week, January 14. We'll continue to monitor the weather, update the website with any cancellations and let registered members know if we choose to cancel a program due to extreme conditions. Stay safe!  -- Linnea
Taking Risks: Theological Imaginings
Tuesday, January 6, 4:30 - 6:00 pm
Washburn Lofts, 700 S 2nd St, #61 

MCC member Mary F. Bednarowski has spent the fall as a resident scholar at the Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research on the St. John's University campus.  She is doing research on stories told in the first person about religious lives and spiritual journeys in a variety of traditions.  These stories are found in many places:  spiritual memoirs, intellectual autobiographies, the prefaces of academic and popular books, interviews, literary works, blogs.  Her thesis, broadly, is the following: that whatever else they might be, religion and theology are arenas of ongoing human creativity that give us insights into how people claim, live out, question, renew or transform their religious worldviews in response to changing individual, communal, and social circumstances.  She will offer a presentation on her work and invites discussion from members.

 

Registration is now closed.

Rendezvous Readers' Book Chat 
Wednesday, January 7, 9:30 - 10:30 am
Charley's Grill, The Depot, 225 3rd Ave S

Join us to discuss Changing Habits by Debbie Macomber by the fireplace in the lounge at Charley's Grill.  The book begins in a more innocent time, when three girls enter the convent. The girls come from very different backgrounds, but they have one thing in common-the desire to join a religious order. Despite the seclusion of the convent house in Minneapolis, they're not immune to what's happening around them, and each sister faces an unexpected crisis of faith. Ultimately they all leave the sisterhood, abandoning the convent for the exciting and confusing world outside...the world of choices to be made, of risks to be taken. 


MCC members and guests.  No reservations required.

Social Bridge
Wednesday, January 7, 3:00 - 5:00 pm
Stone Arch Lofts Community Room, 600 S 2nd St
Join advanced or intermediate bridge players for a round of social bridge. You are expected to come with a partner at your level. (Advanced players play all the major conventions comfortably.)  If you need help finding a partner, contact Carol Jordan at 612-817-0466 or caroljordan@millcitycommons.org and she will assist you. Play begins immediately at 3:00 pm.

MCC members sign up here; Guests email MCC.
Our Turn: A Conversation for Women 
Thursday, January 8, 9:30 - 11:00 am
Stone Arch Lofts, 600 S 2nd Street #105
MCC women, you are invited to attend Our Turn: A Conversation for Women.  This group meets every other Thursday alternating between morning and afternoon times.  Marcia Townley hosts on the topic of "New Year's Resolutions."  Do you make them?  Do you believe in them?  Do you share them?  How do you welcome the New Year? 

MCC women sign up here; Guests email MCC.
Great Decisions
Monday, January 12, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
The Towers Garden Room, 15 S 1st St 
This is the first of the 2015 Foreign Policy Association (FPA) sponsored Great Decisions (GD) discussions, a citizen education and discussion program.  It is in addition to the eight that are covered in the FPA Briefing Book. (Briefing books will be distributed when available mid-January after this meeting.) MCC member Bill Davnie will discuss "The Revenge of Geography."  In 1991, the United States saw itself as the clear victor of the Cold War, standing astride the world and ready to rule it for the common good for decades, if not even generations, to come.  It hasn't worked out quite that way. The world has proved more recalcitrant that we thought, and life more complicated.  Why did we think we could rule, and what do we need to learn for a more effective foreign policy?  
To join the GD discussion group, members pay a nominal fee for the briefing book and to help cover speaker honorariums. GD programs take place the second Monday of the month at 7:00 pm January - June and September - November. 

MCC 2015 Great Decisions Members sign up here.
Technology Helpdesk 
Tuesday, January 13, 4:30 - 6:00 pm
MCC Office, 219  Main St SE, Suite 401  
Schedule time with a Tech Support Guru from Backpack Tactics and have your nagging technology questions answered during our complimentary Helpdesk. Backpack Tactics can provide support for both Apple products and PCs.  When you register, MCC will confirm the time of your 20-30 minute one-to-one session. Reminder:  Installing or upgrading software and creating accounts cannot be included in the Helpdesk session, as they exceed the allotted appointment time.

MCC members sign up here.
Men's Coffee and Conversation
Thursday, January 15, 7:30 - 8:30 am
Elsie's Restaurant, 729 Marshall St
Caffeine and camaraderie for the male members of MCC! This groups meets every other Thursday and is hosted by various members who get the conversation going. Please register by the Monday prior to  Men's Coffee and Conversation.  Rollie Minda hosts the first meeting of the New Year.  His discussion will feature stories about the Minda family's involvement at Temple Israel, including what it was like to be a "preacher's kid."

Men MCC members sign up here; Guests email MCC.
At the Movies:  Driving Miss Daisy
Thursday, January 15, 1:30 - 4:00 pm
North Star Lofts, 117 Portland Ave, #602
Driving Miss Daisy tells the story of a strong-willed Atlanta matron and her patient but equally determined chauffeur.  For two different people, they have a lot in common.  The bumpy road they travel leads to the friendship of a lifetime.  Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman star in this award-winning film.  If you'd like to watch the movie on your own, join us for the discussion at 3:15.

MCC members sign up here.
National Senior Games
Thursday, January 15, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Stone Arch Lofts, 600 S 2nd St, #701
Join the Co-Chair of the 2015 National Senior Games, Dave Mona, for an informative program on the July event.  The Twin Cities is hosting 12,000 50+ athletes from around the country from July 3-16 as they compete in the National Senior Games.  Several MCC members have qualified to complete!  Learn more about the event and how MCC members can get involved as volunteers.  Peggy and Dave Lucas host.  

MCC members sign up here.
Sunday Soiree
Sunday, January 18, 5:00 - 7:00 pm
North Star Lofts, 117 Portland Ave, #702 
Join your friends and neighbors for the MCC Sunday Soiree hosted by Barbara and Mike Goldner.  Please contribute to the potluck by bringing a hearty hors d'oeurve or dessert.  You are welcome to bring your own white wine or beer.  As you register, let us know what you will bring by answering the "Question" that will appear on the screen.

MCC members sign up here.
Author Celebration:  Paul Mohrbacher
Tuesday, January 20, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Stone Arch Lofts, 600 S 2nd St, #103
Brothers, a novel by Minnesota author Paul Mohrbacher, delves into the relationship of sixty-something siblings who have been estranged for several years. Once close, their different life choices drew them apart.  For all its seriousness and what could be a dark tale, in Mohrbacher's adept hands it turns into "a romp, a lark" says Mary Logue, local author, "Brothers is truly a gem of a story, their raucous and rare reunion is one you will never forget."  Paul Mohrbacher is an authentic storyteller who is not afraid to challenge orthodoxy.  John and Laura Crosby host.

MCC members sign up here.
Around Town

2015 Minnesota Book Artist Award:  Harriet Bart, Philip Gallo, Jill Jevne
January 15, 5:30-7:30 pm, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, 1011 Washington Ave
Join the presentation and reception of this year's award going to the artist, printer, and binder of Ghost Maps.  The images of Ghost Maps were created by Bart during a residency where the paint-splattered floor of her assigned studio became the focus of a new project.  The result is a stunning piece documenting the presence and absence of the 46 artists who preceded her in Studio VA5.  On exhibit until 1/25.

Rock & Roll
January 16, 6:30-9:00 pm, Minneapolis Photo Center, 2400 N 2nd St
Music photography has changed over the years.  Musicians are more protective of their image, and restrictions apply at almost every touring rock show. Barriers have been set making it much more difficult to capture the "decisive moment."  However, a great music photograph stands out by showing the viewer the personality of the subject.  On exhibit through March 1.  

 

Mill City Times

It's a metro website devoted specifically to our neighborhood and a place to go to find out what's happening, whether it's a new restaurant opening, a local event, proposed construction, etc. Check it out at MillCityTimes.com. 

MCC Upcoming Events  
View the January Calendar here

 

January 6:  Taking Risks:  Theological Imaginings.  Members click here.

January 7:  Rendezvous Readers' Book Chat.  No reservations required.

January 7:  Social Bridge.  Members click here; Guests email MCC.

January 8:  Our Turn: A Conversation for Women.  Members click here; Guests email MCC.

January 12:  Great Decisions.  Members click here.

January 13:  Technology Helpdesk.  Members click here.

January 14:  Rendezvous on 5.  No reservations required.

January 15:  Men's Coffee and Conversation.  Members click here; Guests email MCC.

January 15:  At the Movies:  Driving Miss Daisy.  Members click here.

January 15:  National Senior Games.  Members click here.

January 18:  Sunday Soiree.  Members click here.

January 20:  Author Celebration: Paul Mohrbacher.  Members click here.

January 21:  Rendezvous on 5.  No reservations required.

January 21:  Social Bridge.  Members click here; Guests email MCC.

January 22:  Our Turn: A Conversation for Women.  Members click here; Guests email MCC.

January 27:  Last Tuesday Happy Hour.  No reservations required!

  Looking for a healthy fitness program? Enjoy exercising with friends at one of

 

Mill City Commons

Ongoing Fitness Opportunities


SBS Class

                      Thursdays

2:00-3:00pm
501FIT,
501 Washington Avenue
Created exclusively for MCC, this class at 501F1T focuses on strength, balance, and stretching. 
First time participants, please contact 501F1T at 612-767-4415 and arrive 20 minutes early to complete paperwork. Cost varies depending on commitment.

  

  River Walkers

Tuesdays and Thursdays,

7:30-8:30am

Stone Arch Lofts Riverside Parking Lot

All level of walkers welcome for this early morning walk along the banks of the Mississippi River. An MCC volunteer leads each walk.

  

Hatha Yoga

Wednesdays and Fridays,

8:00-9:15am

Yoga Center of Minneapolis, 212 3rd Ave N., Suite 205

This is an alignment-based class. Purchase a 12-class pass for $132 directly from YCM to use as your schedule allows, or drop in on a class for $12.50. Contact Dena at 612-436-4700 for details.

Drop-ins welcome.

 
Ongoing Member-Led Activities

 

Men's B&BS Lunch
Elsie's Restaurant,
729 Marshall St NE
Alternating Thursdays at 11:30 am
 January 8
This casual, dutch treat lunch alternates weeks with Men's Coffee and Conversation. No reservations required! Questions? Contact  Allan Burdick
 

MCC Ongoing Social Opportunities

 

Rendezvous

Readers' Book Chat
1st Wednesday of the month
Guthrie Theater Level 5 Express
   No reservations required.
Changing Habits
by Debbie Macomber

Rendezvous on 5

Wednesdays

Guthrie Theater Level 5 Express

Drop in and join your friends and neighbors for fellowship at this neighborhood haunt.  This weekly adventure requires no reservations!

 

Men's Coffee and Conversation  

Elsie's Restaurant,

729 Marshall Street NE

Caffeine and camaraderie for the male members of MCC! This group meets every other Thursday morning and is hosted by various members who get the conversation going.

Our Turn: A Conversation for Women 

Relax and chat with other MCC women. This group meets every other week and alternates between morning and afternoon times. Look for details in the body of this newsletter.

 

 
Volunteer Opportunities 
 
 Click here for community volunteer opportunities on the MCC Website!  
 
Mill City Commons | 219 Main Street SE, Suite 401, Minneapolis, MN 55414
www.millcitycommons.org | info@millcitycommons.org  
612-455-3329