Twice a year, the Teaching and Learning at Crosslands (TLC) committee offers a wide variety of classes taught by Crosslands residents. The new class schedule is now available. The list of courses is below, and full descriptions are on the Crosslands resident website under Committees, the Teaching and Learning page,  https://crosslandsres.org/TLC-Classes. 

Registration is open from now until September 5. You can register online at: https://crosslandsres.org/TLC-Reg

Read more: Teaching and Learning at Crosslands this Fall

Kendal residents are invited to sign up, subject to class size limits in some cases. I have taken at least half a dozen of these courses. I’ve enjoyed them all, and made many new Crosslands friends in the process.

Here is the list of classes this fall:

Astronomy – Mondays 7-8 pm, 9/14 – 12/7. Barry Feierman. This class covers the history of astronomy plus stellar birth, evolution, and death (black holes, neutron stars, and white dwarfs). Students view objects in the night sky using a 10-inch telescope.

Basic Line Dance – Mondays 3:30-4:15 pm, 9/14, 9/28, 10/19, 11/2, 11/16, 11/30. Elaine Shoben– No partners in line dance. Instruction is given before each dance. No experience necessary. (Intermediate Line Dance is a separate course.)

Conversations on the Imaginative Delights of Modern American Poetry – Tuesdays 1-2 pm 10/27 – 12/8.  Tom Getz.Exploration of poems by Marianne Moore, Wallace Stevens, Hart Crane, William Carlos Williams, Elizabeth Bishop, Frank O’Hara, and Robert Creeley.

Current Developments – Thursdays 11– noon, 10/29 – 12/10. Nancy Connell, Ed Shoben, Elaine Shoben. Midterm elections (Ed Shoben), developments in science and science policy (Nancy Connell), and whatever legal issues are in the news (Elaine Shoben).

Dante’s Paradiso (Heaven) – Mondays 9 – 10 am. 9/14 – 12/7. Steven Epstein – This class will discuss the 33 cantos (sections) of Paradiso (Heaven) by Dante Alighieri. Requires no previous experience of Hell or Purgatory.

Exploring the Tao Teh Ching– Tuesdays 11-noon, 9/15 – 10-20. Randy Lyons – Study a fundamental document to many forms of Asian philosophy. This remarkably short book carries both wisdom and challenges proven timeless.

Full Moon Meditation – 8 – 9 pm, 9/26, 10/26, 11/24. Loan-Anh Small – Rewire for harmony between the Self, the Earthy life and the Cosmos. Bathe in the moonlight and natural beauty under full moon.

Intermediate Line Dance – Elaine Shoben – Mondays 3:30-4:15 pm. 9/21, 10/5, 10/26, 11/9, 11/23, 12/7. Elaine Shoben. The difference between the Basic and the Intermediate classes is the pace and the complexity of the dances. Variety of music. (Basic Line Dance is a separate course.)

Introduction to Ballroom Dancing: Foxtrot – Tuesdays 4-5 pm, 9/15 – 10/20. Terry Moody & Melanie Chadwick – Learn basic steps plus dance frame and hold, moving about dance floor, dance etiquette, and more. No partner needed.

Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation – Tuesdays 10-11 am, 9/15 – 10/27 (no class 9/29).Deb and Jim Willliams – Introduces mindful meditation. No experience required. Guided instruction for brief practice followed by group discussion.

Is it Red Wine or White? It Can Be Both! Sunday 3:00 – 4:30 pm 9/27. –Jan Wheeler – This single session examines well-known red wines alongside their lesser-known white versions. Bring wine glass. ($10 fee)

KCC Instrumental Music Ensemble – Wednesdays 4-5 pm, 9/16 – 12/9. Barry Feierman – For those who play an instrument. Easy jazz, blues, folk and show tunes. Looking for piano, bass, guitar, trumpet, sax, trombone players and singer.

Learn Spanish! – Mondays and Thursdays, 10:00 – 10:45, 9/14-10-22. Margaret Chen – Refreshing or acquiring a new language is enriching at any age. Twelve Spanish classes — two per week for six weeks. Materials provided.

Physics of the 18th Century – Tuesdays 3 – 4 pm, 9/15 – 12/8.  Barry Feierman – This class will study “Laws of Motion” and learn about inertia, mass, weight, acceleration, gravity and energy. Hands-on labs. Mathematics kept at a minimum. 

Recorder Refresher – Thursdays 10-11 am, 9/17 – 12/17 (no class 10/22 & 12/10). For people who once played a recorder (soprano, alto, or tenor and want to refresh skills. Music from Renaissance and Baroque periods and folk songs. Participants bring own recorder and 3 ring binder.

Tai Chi & Qi Gong Flow – Wednesdays 8:30-9:30 am, 9/16 – 10/21. Loan-Anh Small – Dance-like movements enhanced in nature. After activating the five senses, the class will end with major acupressure points and self-Reiki.

Toys for Grown-ups – Mondays 1 – 2 pm. 9/14 – 10/19.Randy Lyons – Enjoy balls to juggle (working up slowly), poi swings, flower sticks, contact juggling, spinning plates, Chinese Yo-Yo, and other toys.

Treating Addictions Effectively – Mondays 1:30 – 2:30 pm. 9/14 – 10/19. Jim Sharp – This class covers the story of addiction treatment and how approaches have evolved. Instructor has a 30 year background and encourages discussion.

When Books Go to the Movies – Fridays 10:30 – noon 10/23, 11/6, 11/13, 12/4, 12/11, 12/18.  Randy Testa – Stories as books and films: Amy Tan’s THE JOY LUCK CLUB; R.J. Palacio’s WONDER; Fannie Hurst’s IMITATION OF LIFE and others. Short readings provided.

If any of these appeal to you, you’ll need to sign up by September 5. See the Crosslands Residents webpage for full rules on oversubscribed classes (see the link at the beginning of this post). These courses are offered with no fee except an occasional materials fee revealed in the full description of the course. There are no exams and lots of opportunity to interact with other residents. All classes take place on the Crosslands campus.