February is a time when we most need activities to draw us out of the house and into community with other engaged learners, so we’re offering our biggest array of classes ever, from Exploring Bent Space and A Closer Look at Alternative Fuels to the political ramifications of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the unearthed mysteries of Roman Arabia. In honor of the 200th anniversay of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, Reverend Brent Smith will explore Lincoln’s religious beliefs and how they informed his political ideas.

Among our many member choices, you can explore your intuitive powers and how they deepen faith; learn how to communicate about difficult isses with your family; and discuss food and wine pairings or the perfect crumb and crust of bread with masters in their respective areas. We’re also partnering with Grand Valley to provide some of our members free registration to the 4th Annual Gerontology Conference on February 20. This year’s conference focuses on the heart, from physical health to romantic love.

If you decide to stay at home, commune with experienced learners nationwide on the web at Civic Ventures or the National Center for Creative Aging. Popular culture may have sidelined older people, but these websites offer inspiration, information, and links for how experienced adults are quietly and sometimes not so quietly transforming the face of America.

But don’t keep the good news to yourself! In honor of feistiness in age, please join me in February for a new program designed specifically for our members. Soup to Nuts is a lunchtime program that will highlight seniors who lived large right until the end. Think Isadora Duncan, Claude Pepper, Julia Child, Ralph Ellison, to name a few. We’ll eat a simple lunch together following the morning class session and discuss the lessons that can be derived from luminaries whose light shone brightly until the end of life.

We care about you! Stay warm, drive safely, and visit us often!