October 20, 2015
Update From the Executive Director

It's hard to believe, but the November calendar is finalized and ready for viewing here. If you haven't had the opportunity, as yet, to talk with those MCC members who traveled to Iran, you'll want to attend the panel discussion Thursday evening and hear their first-hand perspectives on and stories about their travel experiences Iran Perspectives. I look forward to catching up with you at next week's Last Tuesday Happy Hour, 5-6pm at the Eastside Restaurant. Cheers!

Note: If you rarely scroll all the way to the bottom of Musings, I encourage you to do so. There is SO MUCH happening in and around our neighborhood - check it out!
~Joan Wright
Caregiver Support Group
Wednesday, October 21, 1:30 - 3:00 pm
Cobalt Condos 2nd Fl Conference Room, 45 University Ave SE 
Mill City Commons members have created a Caregiver Support Group and invite other caregivers to join them. This guided discussion group with professional facilitation was created to support individuals who are or have been in a caregiving role. Caregiver Support Group members will share experiences, issues and concerns about caregiving as well as give and receive support around this critical role. This is a three month series, meeting the first and third Wednesday each month. Participants will be asked to pay $60 for the three month series (six sessions) regardless of how many sessions they are able to attend. Confidential scholarships are available - contact Membership Coordinator Mary Texidor. To enter Cobalt, buzz Tamra Nelson at the Cobalt Security Phone, take the elevator to the 2nd fl, turn right and walk to the end of the hallway.

MCC members sign up here; Non-MCC members are welcome and can email MCC to register.
Men's Coffee and Conversation
Thursday, October 22, 7:30 - 8:30 am
Elsie's Restaurant, 729 Marshall St NE     
Caffeine and camaraderie for the male members of MCC and guests! This group 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. MCC member Peter Lefferts leads a discussion on "Magnificent Failures" in one's life...and the opportunities that followed. Participants will discuss differing attitudes/definitions about "failure," reflect on situations that (at the time) may have seemed to be such setbacks but brought insights and led to wonderful new experiences. Please come prepared to share (briefly) a magnificent "failure" that you have experienced...or (better still) a "failure" that you created...how key people in your life responded, downstream outcomes, etc. Remember that what is shared at Elsie's stays at Elsie's!

Men MCC members sign up here; Guests email MCC.
Perspectives on Iran
Thursday, October 22, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Stone Arch Lofts, 600 S 2nd St, #701
Iran may not be a top tourist travel destination but an adventurous group of 13 MCC members and friends travelled to Iran in late September and early October. Come hear more about their journey to ancient cities, glorious mosques, and archaeological sites. Members will share their perspectives of Iran today, as well as a bit of the extraordinary history of the area. Peggy and Dave Lucas host.

MCC members sign up here.
Last Tuesday Happy Hour
Tuesday, October 27, 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Eastside Restaurant, 305 Washington Ave S 
Join us for the Last Tuesday Happy Hour. Catch up with friends and neighbors over drinks and small bites. Dutch treat - no reservations required! Karla Ekdahl and Peter Hutchinson host at Eastside Restaurant. If you'd like to stay for dinner, please call 612-208-1638 to reserve a table or make your reservations online.

MCC members and guests welcome.  No reservations required! 
Pattern Glass Museum
Wednesday, October 28, 1:00 - 2:30 pm
Pattern Glass Museum, The Towers, 15 S 1st St, Ste A4 
Did you know that there's a museum dedicated to preserving one of the largest collections of decorated American pattern glass in the United States?  And it's right here in the neighborhood!  The collection primarily spans the years from the 1880's to the 1920's.  The displayed glass was originally made by a myriad of U.S. glass companies for purchase by most people of modest means instead of the more expensive cut glass that only the wealthy could afford.  Join us for a special tour to view an incredible display of pattern glass, while learning more about its history.

MCC members sign up here.
Social Bridge
Wednesday, October 28, 3:00 - 5:00 pm
Washburn Lofts Community Room, 700 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. 

MCC members sign up here; Guests email MCC.
Our Turn: A Conversation for Women
Thursday, October 29, 3:30 - 5:00 pm
Lourdes Square, 174 Bank St SE
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. Locations and topics will change each time. On Oct 29 at 3:30 pm, MCC member Diane Radack hosts on the topic of "Let's share!" It will be at the home of Beverly Fitzgerald at Lourdes Square, 174 Bank St. Most of us have discovered ideas or processes that make something easier or more efficient...in the home, on the job, or on the road. Perhaps it is a "hint from Heloise," or the wisest advice you have ever been given or an unknown fact you would like to share. You are also welcome to simply come and enjoy some Halloween treats and listen to others. Please bring a pencil.

Women MCC members sign up here; Guests email MCC.
Technology Helpdesk
Monday, November 2, 4:00 - 5:30 pm
MCC Office, 219 Main St SE, Ste 401
Schedule time with a Tech Support Guru and have your nagging technology questions answered during our complimentary Helpdesk.  Support for both Apple products and PCs is available.  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.
News from Members

On behalf of the MCC Board of Directors, Board Chair Lou Burdick invites you to attend Preparing for the "Silver Tsunami": How can we better care for Minnesota seniors without breaking the bank? MinnPost Managing Editor Senior Susan Albright will pose questions to leading representatives from several corners of the Minnesota healthcare community in a lively panel discussion. This free event will be held Thursday, October 29, 7:30-9:00 am at  Best Buy Theater in the newly-updated Northrop at the University-- easy to reach on the Green Line or the 6U bus on University Avenue. Click here for a flier with more information and to print a copy to post on a community bulletin board. Don't forget to bring your questions for the panelists. Register here.

MCC member Patty Connelly wants members to know that the American Craft Council is sponsoring a Library Salon Series titled "Meet & Meat" on November 11 at 7:00 pm. The program will feature Mike Phillips from Red Table Meat Co (housed in the Food Building), which caters to people who have a passion for crafted salumi (cold, cooked meat). For more information, click here.

MCC member Margee Bracken invites members to join Unwrapping Music - Jazz and Blues, an in-depth look at the history of jazz and blues, taught by the delightful vocal artist, Andrea Leap. The class is Wednesday afternoons starting November 11th at MacPhail Center for Music. To learn more and register, click here.
MCC members Bob Callahan and Carol Jordan invite you to an evening benefit for the downtown library. Maria Jette will perform, along with pianist Dan Chouinard, Nov. 5th, at Hennepin County's Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall. The event - from 5:30-8:00 - is part of a fundraiser to support historic collections and programs unique to the Central Library, presented by the Friends of the Minneapolis Central Library. Jette and Chouinard will perform works from the Central Library's extensive music collection. Examples from the library's Preservation Department, including significant historic works, will also be on display. Cost is $50 per person. Light hors d'oeuvres and wine will be served. For more information and to register, send an email to minneapoliscentral@suppporthclib.org by October 26. 

Like to sing? Join Mill City Commons members Ellen Breyer & Lou Burdick plus riverfront neighbors and participate in a free Downtown community choir led by J.D. Steele. The Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association (DMNA), MacPhail Center for Music and Emmanuel Housing have partnered to bring this new choir to life.  Singers of all abilities (or inabilities) are welcome. Rehearsals are scheduled for 2:00-3:30 pm on Saturdays on October 24th, 31st, November 7th, 14th, December 5th, and 12th at Central Covenant Church (810 S 7th St). Email Joan Bennett to pre-register. Registration is free. Additional information is available here.

MCC member Peggy Lucas invites members to attend a Forward Global Women event on October 22 from 7:00-8:30 pm. The fundraiser will feature Jordanian singer and world music artist Farah Siraj. For more information, click here.
Around Town

Exceptional: Handmade Paper Beyond Substrate
October 23, 6:00-9:00 pm, MCBA, 1011 Washington Ave S, #100
Paper is often thought of as just the material art is created on. Exceptional explores handmade paper itself as a powerful messaging device. Join the Minnesota Center for Book Arts at this opening reception or stop by before February 7 to see this new exhibit.

GRAVITY
October 24, 6:00-8:00 pm, Form+Content Gallery, Whitney Square Bldg, 210 N 2nd St, Ste 104
This opening reception will introduce Jim Dryden's exhibit featuring new paintings and sculptures that both honor yet defy gravity. His work addresses the concept of gravity as a natural phenomenon by which all objects attract to one another. Jim Dryden is a Form+Content gallery member who surrounds himself with a modernist aesthetic that inspires his art. 

The Cocoanuts
November 13-January 3, Guthrie Theater, 818 2nd St S, McGuire Proscenium Stage
A delightful musical with sun, sand and shtick. The service stinks but the gags are four-star in this Marx Brothers romp, a jazz-age musical with songs by Irving Berlin. This silly musical is perfect holiday entertainment.  To purchase tickets, click here. 

Mill City Times
Mill City Times is a local 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.  
MCC Upcoming Events  
View the October calendar here
View the November calendar here

 

October 21:  Rendezvous on 5. No reservations required.

October 21:  MCC Caregiver Support Group. MCC members click here; Guests email MCC.

October 22:  Men's Coffee and Conversation. MCC members click here; Guests email MCC.

October 22:  Perspectives on Iran. MCC members click here.

October 26:  Dutch Treat Coffee Chat. No reservations required.

October 27:  Last Tuesday Happy Hour. No reservations required.

October 28:  Rendezvous on 5. No reservations required.

October 28:  Pattern Glass Museum. MCC members click here.

October 28:  Social Bridge. MCC members click here; Guests email MCC.

October 29:  Men's Dutch Lunch.  No reservations required.

October 29:  Our Turn: A Conversation for Women. MCC members click here; Guests email MCC.

November 2:  Dutch Treat Coffee Chat. No reservations required.

November 2:  Technology Helpdesk. MCC members click here.

November 3:  Program Committee Meeting.

November 4:  Rendezvous Readers' Book Chat. No reservations required.

November 4:  Caregiver Support Group.

November 5:  Men's Coffee and Conversation. MCC members click here; Guests email MCC.
November 5:  Bicycling the Back Roads of the South. MCC members click here.
November 9:  Dutch Treat Coffee Chat. No reservations required.
November 9:  Great Decisions.  MCC Great Decisions members click here.
November 10:  Wine Tasting from the Bordeaux Region.  MCC members click here.
 

 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, Ste 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.

 
Volunteer Opportunities 
 
 Click here for community volunteer opportunities on the MCC Website!  
 
Ongoing Member-Led Activities

 

Men's Dutch Lunch
Guthrie Theater Level 5 Express
Alternating Thursdays at 11:30 am
 Oct 29 & Nov 12
This casual, dutch treat lunch alternates weeks with Men's Coffee and Conversation. No reservations required! Questions? Contact  Allan Burdick

MCC Caregiver Support Group
1st and 3rd Wednesdays
1:30-3:00 pm
A way to support members who are or have been in a caregiving role. For more information,   contact Tamra Nelson
 

MCC Ongoing Social Opportunities

 

Dutch Treat

Coffee Chat

Mondays

Aster Cafe

Drop in for an afternoon coffee or drink and a casual chat. No reservations
 required.

 

Rendezvous

Readers' Book Chat
1st Wednesday of the month
Guthrie Theater Level 5 Express
   No reservations required.
A Chosen Exile
by Allyson Hobbs &
Passing
by Nella Larsen

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.

 

 
Mill City Commons | 219 Main Street SE, Suite 401, Minneapolis, MN 55414
www.millcitycommons.org | info@millcitycommons.org  
612-455-3329