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Weekly Bulletin |
| Office Phone: (202) 935-6060 | Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-3pm | Email: [email protected] |
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 Gretchen in her Doo Wop days (far left)by Gretchen Jennings On a February morning in 2024, I was staring at my computer screen, motivated by the dull grey weather to think of something, anything --that I really loved, an activity that brought me joy. Singing, I thought to myself. I have always loved it, especially the challenge of harmonizing with others. When I was about 9 or 10 my piano teacher told me that I should join the church choir as an alto. As I sang along with a piece I was learning, she informed me that I was not singing the melody but a third below, in harmony. I followed her advice and have been involved ever since in choral singing -- show tunes, Gregorian chant, madrigals, Christmas carols, and doo wop. I was never interested in being a soloist; my fondest dream was to be a Raelette.  Capital City Voices plays Blues Alley!But in the last 10 years or so I've not been singing, and I realized how much I missed it. In a moment of true synchronicity, an email from a jazz listserv I subscribe to appeared a few days after mu musings: Participants wanted for the Jazz Chorus at Levine School of Music. No auditions necessary. Beginners to experts welcome. My voice had become brittle and my range diminished from disuse, but I decided to give it a try. I was so sure I was unfit that I arranged with the registrar to allow me a refund if the first class did not work out. Instead, I was welcomed from the first, and invited to sing tenor (we have very few men) which is perfect for my current range. Directed by talented musician and jazz singer Alison Crockett, the Capital City Voices class is my new favorite place to rehearse every Tuesday night during the semester. We sing many of the standards by Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Mercer, and Hoagy Carmichael as well as gospel and Brazilian jazz.  Capital City Voices' next performanceDuring our Spring 2024 semester we performed at Mr. Henry's on Capitol Hill. In the Fall we had a gig at storied musical venue Blues Alley. We will perform again at Mr. Henry's on Thursday, May 15, 2025. For tickets go to Mr. Henry's website I hope to see some NNV friends there. We don't meet during the summer, but there will be a new class at Levine in Fall, 2025. All are welcome, but especially if you are a tenor or baritone, we would love for you to join. |
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May is Older Americans Month. Throughout May, NNV will feature members and volunteers who embody this year's Older Americans' Month theme: Flip the Script on Aging. Each of them are breaking the stereotypes of aging by demonstrating their contributions to their communities, staying active and engaged, and embracing opportunities for purpose, exploration, and connection that come with getting older.
Next week at NNV
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Monday, |
Tuesday, |
Wednesday, |
Thursday, |
Friday, |
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2 pm Yoga with Mayu (Zoom) |
1 pm Virtual Volunteer Orientation (Zoom) 2 pm Bingo! (Zoom) |
12:30 Foods of the World - Guapo's (4515 Wisconsin Ave NW) 1 pm Coping with Uncertainty (Zoom) |
3:30 pm Village French Conversation Group (private home in Woodley Park) |
10 am Neighborhood walk (meet at Albemarle & Connecticut) |
Coming Soon to NNV:
You will join a small group in an NNV Board Member's home for good food and intimate discussion about books. Discover the 10 lessons Stephanie has learned about books and readers. Take a peek at the inner workings of the book section. Hear from an insider about the new book trends that are exploding and why. She has also promised to bring a list of book recommendations broken down by genre!
Stephanie Merry joined The Washington Post in 2008 and spent the next decade covering art, theater, movies and television. She joined the books section in 2018 and now serves as deputy editor. She assigns, edits and writes book reviews and features and edits the weekly Book Club newsletter by fiction critic Ron Charles.
Proceeds from this event will help your older neighbors remain in the community, with support from our dedicated staff and volunteers.
When: Sunday, May 18th, 11:30 am
Where: Private home in Chevy Chase, DC (address provided on registration)
Cost: $100 per seat
Details and registration: https://nwnv.helpfulvillage.com/events/4682
Accessibility: This home has two individual steps, separated by a walkway, with no railing. The bathroom is on the 2nd floor, only accessible via a set of stairs.
Monday, May 19th - The next meeting of What Are You Reading Lately? (Not a Book Club!)
Here is a list of their most recent recommendations (click the titles to for more information about each book):
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If you have a book (or 2!) that you have recently read that you would like to recommend, join in at the Chevy Chase Library on Monday, May 19th.
When: 11 am
Where: 2nd floor meeting room, Chevy Chase Library, 5625 Connecticut Ave NW (There is an elevator)
Details and registration: https://nwnv.helpfulvillage.com/events/4679
- Thursday, May 29, 2 pm - The Maverick's Museum: Albert Barnes and his American Dream with speaker Blake Gopnik
Visit our archive of speaker videos here to watch any you might have missed.
To learn more, please visit the Virtual Speaker Series page on our website.
Capitol Hill Village:Mondays, 10 am - DC Ctr for Aging LGBTQ+ Monday Coffee and Conversation (Zoom-Free sign up required for the link)
Mondays & Thursdays, 4-5 pm - Chair Yoga (Zoom - Click here to join the class)
First Wednesday of each month, 3:30-4:30 - What We're Hearing (Zoom-Free sign up required)
Cleveland Woodley Park Village:
Mondays, 10-10:30 am - Gentle Yoga Stretch (Zoom - Click here to join the class)
First Monday of each month, 11:30 am - Coffee & Conversation Current Events Discussion Group (Dolan, 3518 Connecticut Ave NW)
Wednesdays, 10-10:30 am - Gentle Yoga Stretch (Zoom - Click here to join the class)
Fridays, 10-10:30 am - Gentle Yoga Stretch (Zoom - Click here to join the class)
Fridays, 1-2 pm - Line Dancing (Adas Israel Youth Lounge, 2850 Quebec St, NW)
Saturdays, 9:30-10:30 am - Village Walkers (Cathedral Commons)
Dupont Circle Village:
Mondays, 3:30 pm - Accessible Mat Yoga (Zoom-Free sign up required for the link)
Tuesdays, 10:30 am - Chair Yoga (Zoom-Free sign up required for the link)
Mondays and Thursdays, 9:00 am - Meditation with Patricia Ullman (Zoom-Free sign up required for the link)
Foggy Bottom West End Village:
Wednesdays, 10:45 am - Strength and Stability Yoga (free trial class, $10/class). St Paul's Church dining room, 2430 K St NW
Fridays, 11:45 am - Essentials of Tai Chi and Qigong ($70 for each six class session). St Paul's Church atrium, 2430 K St NW
More local village events are listed on the DCVC (DC Villages Collective) calendar
and the WAVE (Washington Area Village Exchange) calendar.
More community events are listed on our events calendar.
Solo Aging Visibility Day
May 14, 2025
The primary goal of SAVvy Day is to recognize and celebrate the independence, creativity, tenacity, and contributions of solo agers. Through various events, advocacy efforts, and educational initiatives, SAVvy Day aims to empower these individuals, encourage open dialogue, and promote a more inclusive approach to aging solo.
Van Ness Main Street Pop-up
Saturday, May 10th, 11 am-4 pm
4340 Connecticut Ave NW
Click here for more information
Ward 3 Roll-off Day
Saturday, May 10th, 10am-2pm
Turtle Park, 45th & Van Ness Sts, NW
Click here for more information
NOT accepting electronics, fire extinguishers, batteries, or oxygen tanks, tires, medications
NOT shredding any documents.
Mattresses must be wrapped in clear plastic OR mattress bags.
Golden Gears:
eBike & eScooter Webinar
May 13th or 14th, 12-1:30pm
Free tickets required
Click here to sign up
Avalon Theatre Senior Cinema
Thursday, May 15th, 10:30am
Ain't No Back to a Merry-Go-Round
Click here for more information
May's Senior Cinema is sponsored by
Cleveland Woodley Park Village
WETA's "Caregiving" Documentary
followed by a panel discussion
Monday, May 19th, 5:30 pm
Katzen Arts Center
Free tickets required
Click here for more information
Are you ready for the summer? Registration is OPEN for OLLI at American University’s 2025 summer sessions! The June Minis run from June 2-27 with courses meeting once a week for four weeks. The July Shorts run from July 7-11 & 14-18 with courses meeting 2-5 times during one of the two weeks. Both in-person and online class formats are available. Each session costs $100 for up to four courses.
Make sure to register before the June Minis lottery on May 22 and the July Shorts lottery on June 23.
Are you new to OLLI or thinking about returning after taking a break? Use the link below to register for the spring semester. A 10% discount will apply to either summer session registration for those who are new or who have not taken classes in five or more years Once you click “Choose Lottery Selections” and create an account, you will see the discount when paying for the session.
View/register for the June Minis ♦ View/register for the July Shorts
Additionally, there are free weekly lectures, membership social events, and many of the courses will be recorded for your convenience. Be a part of a community where curiosity never retires! For further information, go to our website: olli-dc.org or call 202-895-4860.
TO JOIN THE OLLI EMAIL LIST: Go to our website: https://www.olli-dc.org/Home and click on the blue box in the right-hand corner "JOIN EMAIL LIST."
Any additions to the Weekly Update are required by 10 am Thursday.
Submissions will be included based on editor's discretion and available space.
NNV is a community based non-profit that gives residents the confidence and practical help to grow older at home while staying healthy, engaged, and connected to neighbors and friends.