Be there with Bill on his 2023 cross country bike touring trip, including the planning, evolution and events of the journey.  Learn about the bicycle touring experience, including highlights of the adventure, such as Washington State (including Olympic National Park), Montana, railroad tunnels and trestles, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, wildlife, the USA heartland, the Erie Canal Trail and more.  

Beautiful, lush Costa Rica was the perfect setting for an idyllic family vacation. An informative side trip to Nicaragua enhanced the experience for all. Leave Connecticut behind, and join us as Beth shares her favorite photos and memories of volcanoes, tropical rainforests and wildlife in these two beautiful countries.

If you have a garden, it’s the right time for composting. Compost works like a magic potion for the soil. It is a soil conditioner, mulch and fertilizer all wrapped into one. Composting efforts can become more efficient and rewarding. Come see the why’s, what’s and how’s of making compost.

Research is finding more and more evidence to support the supposition that untreated hearing loss can contribute to early dementia. There is also new advances in the science of hearing. Auracast - the future of public wireless broadcast – is a breakthrough in Bluetooth technology. Hearing in public places such as theaters, places of worship, airports, taxis, and more will be better for those wearing hearing aids and audio devices.

Dawn, a noted CT historian, has had her finger on the pulse (do we dare say "Needle") of New England History from many perspectives, including co-authoring a hardbound book published by Mass Quilts titled "Massachusetts Quilts, Our Common Wealth."   Myths abound about quilts, and Dawn is ready to support those which deserve merit and debunk some others.  

In 1958, the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine reached the geographically precise location under the North Pole; many of us remember the auspicious news! To celebrate the anniversary, learn the details of her construction at Groton’s Electric Boat Shipyard, and her half million mile/25-year career. A National Historic Landmark, she is berthed at the (free) Submarine Force Library & Museum.  

Explore the reasons and goals for the founding of the Quinebaug Middle College High School, integral to and actually connected to QV College itself. Principal Keleher will introduce the concept, then take us on a tour of the facility including interesting nooks and crannies, where students from the entire area flourish in an environment which promotes each student’s unique talents. (Please note: we will meet in the cafeteria for this tour.)

Often irreverent, sometimes playful, always insightful, Steve Veilleux, the author of Event Horizon, brings to life angels and demons, gods and humans onto kaleidoscopic, often terrifying landscapes, inviting readers to journey along a horizon of myth and science, history, politics and fiction, ultimately daring them to a place of new discovery, just beyond the edge.

Have you ever passed by the Hungarian Social Club in Ashford and wondered about their customs and activities?  Esther Lovell Jagodzinski will explore the distinctive cuisine and folk traditions of the Hungarian people, including music, dance and traditional embroidered garments.  

A 19-day mom and son Viking cruise trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Bangkok, Thailand included travel through Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, ancient Angkor Wat and other temples, Ho Chi Minh City, wartime tunnels, and giant Buddhas. Such a different culture, such different foods and markets. 

There were several main plateaus in the history of early photography up until the late 1800s, with certain technologies and techniques extant in that period, that we will examine. Additionally, we will enjoy a showcase of original photographs made by Benjamin Grosvenor of Pomfret in 1905-1915 and Douglas Holyoke (from a separate family collection) of the same period. 

Imagine living on farms in Pomfret in 1812 before telephones were invented. Enjoy a collection of handwritten letters from Harriet and Elizabeth Putnam to their cousin Ebenezer Grosvenor. Eb’s diary entries are interwoven with the letters. This book will be available to purchase with proceeds donated to the Pomfret Historical Society.

Amanda Bettencourt Crocker is a Plainfield native who has dedicated her life to young children and their families.  After moving to Shanghai, China in 2017, she taught Kindergarten, opened numerous schools as a Foreign Principal and worked in Curriculum Development.  In 2022, she chose Cairo, Egypt for her next chapter, teaching 4th Grade English at an International School.  Join her as she shares her journey.

Learn how to proactively spot scams, get guidance from AARP fraud specialists if you’ve been targeted, and feel more secure knowing that they advocate at the federal, state, and local levels to protect consumers and enforce the law. Come with your questions!