Monthly Archives: December 2018

A workshop on home sharing will be offered at the Brookline Senior Center on Thursday, January 10 at 1 pm. The workshop is for those who have extra space in their homes who want to explore the possibility of renting a room to someone else. Home sharing can be a source of income or help with household chores. Representatives of Nesterly, a Boston home-sharing organization that matches senior home owners with graduate students, will make a presentation and answer questions. The Livable Community Advocacy committee has a long-standing interest in home sharing as a strategy that can benefit older homeowners in various ways. Home sharing can also help overcome the shortage of affordable housing in the Boston area.

Wouldn’t It Be Loverly: The Musicals of Lerner and Lowe. Re-live their wonderful shows including My Fair Lady, Camelot, Brigadoon, and many others. Three sessions, Mondays, 1:00-3:00 pm. Starts January 7. $84/$68 for seniors

The Music of Igor Stravinsky: Full Spectrum Composer. In ballet, opera, and 12-tone works, Stravinsky influenced every part of twentieth music. Love Firebird, Rites of Spring, The Rake’s Progress?  Experience his works and career. Four sessions, Mondays, 1:00-3:00 pm. Starts February 4. $96/$78 for seniors. Call BA&CE at 617-730-2700 to register.

An album of 48 tiny photos of Brookline and Boston children, a name inside the front cover, dated March 16, 1882.  Who were these children? What was the connection between them? What became of them as adults? Ken Liss of the Brookline Historical Society will tell how months of research led to answers to these questions and to fascinating stories about individuals, Boston and Brookline society, and 19th century photography. Thursday, January 17, at 1:00 pm at the Senior Center. Space is limited. Please call 617-730-2770 to register.

BrooklineCAN’s age-friendly businesses are now on the map! The new edition of the Coolidge Corner Merchants Association’s shopping map now uses a heart icon to identify businesses that are participating in our age-friendly business campaign. Town-wide nearly 50 businesses have committed to the campaign. Many of them are in Coolidge Corner. The map includes a photo of a Coolidge Corner merchant proudly displaying her Age-Friendly Business window sticker. Because it is cleverly folded, the map is not only informative but convenient to carry. The map is available free-of-charge at the Senior Center, Eureka Puzzles, Wild Goose Chase, Brookline Booksmith, Brookline Bank in Coolidge Corner, Hamilton’s restaurant, and the Courtyard Marriott hotel.

“Reflections on Race—Brookline Then and Now” is the theme for our Town’s annual MLK Day celebration at 3:00 pm, January 21 at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. The program will feature Brookline: Facing Civil Rights, a documentary film highlighting recollections in the 50s, 60s and 70s by six Brookline residents.  Following will be a discussion with Boston Globe Spotlight Editor Patricia Wen who oversaw a 2018 seven-part series on race issues in Boston.  This event is free but to guarantee a seat you must reserve a ticket beforehand.  Tickets are available at http://brooklinemlk.com  until Friday, January 18. Remaining seats will be filled on a first come basis at the Coolidge Corner Theatre just before show time.  Contact Caitlin (Haynes) Starr with any questions or concerns at chaynes@brooklinema.gov or 617-730-2345.

The Town of Brookline has three projects on January 21 to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  (1) The Brookline Food Pantry will accept non-perishable food and personal care items; see brooklinefoodpantry.org for details.  Donations drop off: Kehillath Israel, 384 Harvard Street, noon to 2:00 pm.

(2) More Than Words Bookstore, a non-profit serving at-risk youth will be accepting books, CD’s, video games and other items suitable for resale.  For details and assistance, contact Chobee Hoy at homeahoy@chobeehoy.com.  Donation drop-off at Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard Street, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.

(3) Inspo-Expo, 2nd Annual Brookline Action Fair. Meet your Brookline neighbors, learn about their social action projects, and take part in fun, hands-on activities for both kids and adults. Kehillath Israel, 384 Harvard Street, noon to 3:00 pm.

Eat healthier?  Get more exercise? Save more money?  If you did, you are among the majority of Americans who made those resolutions for 2018.  There is a very long history of making New Year’s resolutions. The ancient Babylonians are said to have been the first people to make New Year’s resolutions, some 4,000 years ago.   Famous people made resolutions, as well as us common folk.  Some are humorous—a New Year’s resolution is “something that goes in one year and out the other”.  The playwright Samuel Beckett admonished us to “Ever tried.  Ever failed.  No matter.  Try again. Fail again.  Fail better”. And Ralph Waldo Emerson reminded us to “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year”.

The Booksmith at Coolidge Corner offers regular author readings and book clubs programs.  Upcoming readings include essayists DeWitt Henry, David Blair and Marc Vincenz  on January 4 and mystery writer Joanna Schaffhausen on January 15, both at 7:00 pm.  The Book Club will have a moderated discussion of The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani on January 14 at 7:30 pm.  (The Booksmith asks you to note that their events space is only accessible by stairs.  They also sponsor some events held at the Coolidge Corner Theatre that are fully accessible.)  You can find out about these and many other events by picking up a flyer at the store at 279 Harvard Street, visiting https://www.brooklinebooksmith.com/, or emailing events@brooklinebooksmith.com .