May 24, 2016
Update From the Executive Director
 
Mindfulness: A moment-by-moment awareness of one's thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. 

A significant movement around the concept of mindfulness has slipped into many of our day to day experiences. Social media, books, commercials, workshops and lectures include information about and the suggestion to consider the benefits of mindfulness. For me, mindfulness typically evokes thoughts of goodness, health and wholeness. However, some of my experiences this past week, which included attending the funeral of a friend's young son, lending a sympathetic ear to a neighbor's daily struggle with chronic pain, assisting a relative in moving through the steps necessary to relocate from her home of 45 years, provided a harsh, almost surreal sense of mindfulness. As a result, my ability to be present and available to those friends and acquaintances involved was a challenging exercise that proved to be an ultimate blessing - to me.

Being together, being present, being mindful is a big part of what being in community is all about - in the good times as well as the not so good times.

Each MCC program, News from Members and Around Town opportunity listed below offers unique possibilities to practice being mindful!

Mill City Commons: We learn. We share. We engage. We give.

~ Joan Wright
Social Bridge
Wednesday, May 25, 3:00 - 5:00 pm
Washburn Lofts, 700 2nd St S
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 caroljordan@millcitycommons.org or 
(612) 817-0466 or and she will assist you.

MCC members sign up here; guests email MCC.
Our Turn: A Conversation for Women
Thursday, May 26, 10:00 - 11:30 am 
Cobalt Condos, 45 University Ave SE, #405
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. Host Lou Burdick will lead a discussion that continues our recent Aging Well theme with the topic of "Deepening our Informal MCC Social Connections -- Converting Connections to Friendships". The core mission of MCC is to build community that we can count on for mutual support, especially with the inevitability that most of us, if we not already are, will live alone at some point in the future. Look forward to a candid discussion that ideally will provide valuable information and ideas as the Board develops the upcoming Aging Initiative.

MCC members sign up here; guests email MCC.
Rendezvous Readers' Book Chat
Wednesday, June 1, 9:30 - 10:30 am 
Guthrie Theater Level 5 Express, 818 S 2nd St 
Join us to discuss The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan. From manbookerprize.com: This book is a love story unfolding over half a century between a doctor and his uncle's wife. Taking its title from one of the most famous books in Japanese literature, Flanagan's novel has at its heart one of the most infamous episodes of Japanese history, the construction of the Thailand-Burma Death Railway in WW II. In the despair of a Japanese POW camp on the Death Railway, surgeon Dorrigo Evans is haunted by his love affair with his uncle's young wife two years earlier. Struggling to save the men under his command from starvation, from cholera, from beatings, he receives a letter that will change his life forever.
  
If you'd like to read ahead, July's book is The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully by Joan Chittister. Have a book suggestion for the Book Chat? Email Barbara Goldner.

MCC members and guests. No reservations required. 
Golf with MCC
Wednesday, June 1, 10:30 - 3:00 pm
Gross National Golf Course, 2201 St. Anthony Blvd
Join us for a round of golf at Gross National Golf Course, built in 1924 and considered to be the city's best (and always in good condition!). Men and women golfers are welcome. If we have enough players, we'll schedule five or so more rounds during the summer. Cost to play, including a cart, is $44 (walkers pay less). If you have questions, you may contact member Bill Casey: (612) 803-9246 or crnnoda@live.com. We'll meet at the clubhouse; click here for directions to the course.

MCC members sign up here; guests email MCC.
Bowling at Elsie's 
Wednesday, June 1, 4:00 - 6:00 pm
Elsie's Restaurant and Bowling Center, 729 Marshall St NE  
Join other MCC men and women for an afternoon of bowling! No skill is required for this gathering of fun, camaraderie, social bonding and exercise. Cost per person is $14.08, payable at Elsie's.

MCC members sign up here; guests email MCC.
Men's Coffee and Conversation 
Thursday, June 2, 7:30 - 8:30 am 
Elsie's Restaurant, 729 Marshall St NE 
It's 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 Frank Wilkinson hosts this week. Frank, who has been involved with Conservation Minnesota for several years, has invited Executive Director Paul Austin to join him in talking about the work of the organization.

MCC members sign up here; guests email MCC.
Sunday Soiree
Sunday, June 5, 5:00 - 7:00 pm
The Landings, 512 River St 
Join your friends and neighbors for the MCC Sunday Soiree, hosted by Mike and Toni Rosen. Please contribute to the potluck by bringing a hearty hors d'oeuvre or dessert. As you register, let us know what you'll bring by answering the "Question" that will appear on the screen. You are welcome to bring your own wine or beer to share.

MCC members sign up here.
Is Change Possible in Iran?
Wednesday, June 8, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Stone Arch Lofts, 600 2nd St S, #701
For four decades, Gail Shore has traveled to some of the most fascinating places on the planet. Her self-funded, solo treks take her to countries-often remote-whose cultures are influenced by their unique traditions. Through her photography, Gail wants to tell stories about places that most people will never visit. Her efforts have resulted in the formation of Cultural Jambalaya, a nonprofit that uses cultural photography in the classroom to broaden world views of students. Gail believes the more we know about each other's history, culture and religion, the more understanding we can become of our similarities, as well as our differences, which is the first step to breaking down cultural barriers.

MCC members sign up here; guests email MCC.
MCC Program Calendar

Look ahead! View the June calendar here.
News from Members

MCC member Peggy Lucas invites members to attend tonight's (May 24) preview of this year's Northern Spark from 6:00-7:30 pm at the Soap Factory, 514 2nd St SE. You'll have a chance to preview several projects and celebrate the magic that will happen during the June 11 all-night festival. The 2016 theme will address the effects of global climate change with an incredible night of art focusing on the earth's changing environment.

Please join MCC member Laura Crosby at her opening reception for "It's About Time," an exhibit featuring photographs that depict the passage of time. The reception will be June 3 from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Traffic Zone Center for Visual Art Gallery, 250 N 3rd Ave. You can learn more here.
Around Town

Riverplace Market
Wednesdays, June 1-September 18, 3:00-7:00 pm, Hennepin Ave and Main St SE
A new community-based farmer's and artisan market will be located on the cobblestone courtyard of Riverplace every Wednesday starting June 1. You can expect to find farm fresh produce, baked goods, flowers, sauces and spices, honey, nuts and products from local artisans, as well as food trucks.

Streetscapes Walking Tour: Skid Row Minneapolis
Wednesdays in June, 12:00-1:00 pm, Meet at 650 3rd Ave S, street level lobby of the Star Tribune
Take a trip into the historic heart of Minneapolis, once home to the largest Skid Row in the upper Midwest. Enough remains of the old city to enable a journey into the streetscape of cheap bars, flophouses and rescue missions. James Eli Shiffer, author and Star Tribune editor and columnist, leads the tour. To reserve a spot on the tour, click here. 

Mill City Summer Opera: Sweeney Todd
July 15, 17, 19, 21, 22 & 24, 8:00 pm, Mill City Museum, 704 S 2nd St
Another summer of performance and music is coming to the museum's dramatic Ruin Courtyard with a production of Sweeney Todd. It's an intense drama with macabre humor, lyrical purity and an unforgettable final scene. Tickets can be purchased here, but hurry, these shows sell out.

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, volunteer opportunities and more.  
 
Volunteer Opportunities 
 
Click here for community volunteer opportunities on the MCC website!  
 

 Mill City Commons

Ongoing Fitness Opportunities


SBS Class

                      Thursdays

2:00-3:00 pm
501F1T,
501 Washington Ave
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,

7:30-8:30 am

Stone Arch Lofts Riverside Parking Lot

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

  

Hatha Yoga

Wednesdays and Fridays,

8:00-9:15 am

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.

 
MCC Ongoing Social Opportunities
 
Dutch Treat
Coffee Chat
Mondays, 4:00-5:00 pm
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, 9:30-10:30 am
Guthrie Theater Level 5 Express
   No reservations required.
The Narrow Road to the Deep North
by Richard Flanagan

Rendezvous on 5
Wednesdays, 9-10 am
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 at 7:30 am 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.
 
 
Ongoing Member-Led Activities

MCC Caregiver Support Group
2nd and 4th Wednesdays, May through August,
10:30 am-12:00 pm
A way to support members and non-members who are or have been in a  caregiving role. For
more information,   contact Betsy Wray.

Men's Dutch Lunch
Guthrie Theater Level 5 Express
Alternating Thursdays at 11:30 am
 May 26 & June 9
 This casual, dutch treat lunch alternates weeks with Men's Coffee and Conversation. No reservations required! Questions? Contact  Allan Burdick.
 
Mill City Commons | 219 Main St SE, Suite 401, Minneapolis, MN 55414
www.millcitycommons.org | info@millcitycommons.org  
(612) 455-3329