CCL Weekly Update – 12/3/2021

As we start the holiday season…

It seems a good time to remind ourselves that life is not a holiday movie. We discussed during last night’s panel on Holiday Stress Reduction the importance of questioning our expectations for the holiday season: Is this realistic? Covid too has created many unique challenges over the past two years, and has also given us the opportunity to hit “pause” and explore what brings you joy during the holidays? One thing that came up many times last night is the importance of being honest, both with yourself and with others. It is okay to respect your own limits, whether that be a financial limit for gift giving, or a time limit for all of your competing responsibilities this holiday season.

The holidays can be both wonderful and triggering for so many people. Please be gentle with yourself, with your neighbors, with your friends and family … Everyone is going through something. A little extra compassion goes a long way!

Friends, family, and neighbors may have different holiday traditions, or celebrate different holidays altogether this holiday season. With so many people celebrating holidays in so many beautiful ways, however you choose to celebrate this holiday season, CommunityCare of Lyme wishes you Good Tidings. From the speaker panel last night: The gift of your presence is worth more than the gift of your presents.

Happy Hanukkah and Bodhi Day to those who are celebrating!

With love on behalf of the whole CCL team,

-Shelby

802-468-7776 (cell)
shelby@cclyme.org
www.cclyme.org

News and Notes:

Huge thanks for volunteers who made it a happier Thanksgiving!

The quite incredible Sacred Heart Parish team produced nearly 2000 meals for distribution at no cost to  people across the Upper Valley. A little collaborative energy helped Sacred Heart spread their love a little farther this year: CCL and the Orford Senior Center teams spread the word about the meals, and the McCutcheon and Hayes families handed out about 150 generous and delicious turkey dinners. Teams in Thetford and Fairlee also shared meals, including dozens to extremely grateful migrant farm workers. Everyone involved was extra full at the end of the day.

Once again, we’re Jingling All the Way!

Please join CommunityCare of Lyme in celebrating the holiday season with the Jingle All the Way virtual variety show. In collaboration with producer Thomas Chapin, we kindly ask you to send your videos, photos, and audio recordings, of songs, dances, stories and any other bits of holiday inspiration to jingle@cclyme.org. Call CCL at 603-795-0603 if you have any questions about what or how to share. The deadline to submit materials is Wednesday, December 15th. The video will be shared for you to enjoy on Wednesday, December 22nd at 7pm. We hope you will help spread Holiday Cheer by sharing it with your friends and family. If you would like to see last year’s Jingle All the Way video please click here. 

2021 Lyme Community Holiday Events Calendar

A listing of seasonal events happening in Lyme (and welcoming all our neighbors!) came to Lyme postal addresses last week. If you would like a copy but did not receive one, please reply to this email or call 603-795-0603, and we’ll send out a copy or click here to download a printable version.

December is …

Stress Free Family Holiday Month. 

To kick-off this month’s theme, CommunityCare of Lyme held a Holiday Stress Reduction conversation. Our panelists – Laurie Veillette, PsyD and Rebecca Beisswenger-Maxfield, Owner and Founder of OneLove Lifestyle Consulting and “Loved”, along with written contributions by Kati Miller – shared wonderful tips and suggestions for our attendees to help minimize some stress around the holiday season. You can review notes from the panel discussion here as this week’s Wellness Wednesday post. 

Weekly health and well-being tips, resources, and recipes …

Monday’s Menu. This week’s Monday’s Menu is Arroz con Habichuelas, a tasty and forgiving recipe for rice and beans, shared by Lara Dwyer. Please enjoy.

We would LOVE to learn your favorite holiday recipe(s). Please send your recipes to shelby@cclyme.org 

Click here to see all the Monday’s Menu recipes.

Wellness Wednesday. I want to start by thanking our panelists for Wednesday night’s engaging Holiday Stress Reduction conversation: Laurie Veillette, PsyD and Rebecca Beisswenger-Maxfield, Owner and Founder of OneLove Lifestyle Consulting and “Loved”. Together they provided thoughtful tips, and suggestions on how to minimize stress this holiday season. Thanks also to Kati Miller, Lyme School Nurse, for sharing tips in writing. For this week’s Wellness Wednesday I am so grateful to be able to share highlights of our panelists’ thoughts and suggestions, along with Kati’s tips. You may review the post here.

See all Wellness Wednesday posts here. 

If you have a wellness topic you would like to share about OR would love to learn more about, please contact shelby@cclyme.org.

Orford Senior Center December Newsletter

Our partner organization, Orford Senior Center, has shared their December newsletter, which you can enjoy here. Please review their upcoming program offerings, and menu for their weekly meals. 

Covid Update

Covid is busy out there! The numbers are high in New Hampshire and Vermont – and across the country – and a concerning new variant, Omicron, has made its way to the US. Let’s all do our best to stay safe and keep others safe, while lifting spirits with healthy ways to stay active and involved. Keep your mask along, and wear it inside or when safe distancing isn’t possible. 

Overall, the best protection for the vast majority of us continues to be vaccination – either initial dose(s) or a booster, if you’re eligible. Seek your doctor’s advice if you have any questions about how the current recommendations affect you. At Vaccines.gov, you can search for vaccination locations and make an appointment. You can also schedule directly with retailers, such as Walmart and CVS. Most scheduling is done online, but some locations can work with you by phone. New sites and new practices are happening all the time. As has so often been the case during this pandemic, a little patience will go a long way!

Testing. The federal and state governments are working hard to increase the availability of instant home tests, but it can be challenging to find the kits in stock. The recent state offer of free tests was “sold out” in less than 24 hours. If you receive extra tests that you might like to share, please contact Lyme’s Emergency Management Director, Margaret Caudill-Slosberg, at lymeeoc@lymenh.gov or CCL by responding to this email or by calling 603-795-0603.

Contact CCL if you would like help navigating the system or have questions, and we’ll do our best to get you the most up-to-date answers and help you may need. Email help@cclyme.org or call 603-795-0603.

Extending our Warm Lyme Welcome

As part of an Upper Valley-wide effort, Lyme is welcoming displaced Afghan families, as we strengthen our community of support for everyone who lives here. New Hampshire has committed to welcoming at least 100 Afghans, a complicated and evolving process. In partnership with Concord-based Ascentria Care Alliance, the Lyme/Upper Valley Neighborhood Support Team (NST), is building a sustainable, community-based model for resettlement that allows us to share the abundance of the Upper Valley. We have welcomed our first family to Lyme! If you would like to help, please contact KJ (kjda@hey.com) or Martha (martha.tecca@gmail.com, 603-795-0603). Donations to support the Lyme/UV NST may be made to the CCL Welcome Fund. Go to cclyme.org/donate or mail a check to CCL at PO Box 127 Lyme, NH. Please note that your donation is for the Welcome Fund.

We are here. Every day. 603-795-0603 or help@cclyme.org.

Reach out when you or someone you care about needs a hand. If you could use information, help, a listening ear or ways to bring someone else joy, contact us at 603-795-0603 or help@CCLyme.org.  Our phone is answered every day, usually in person. Our welcoming living room in the Lyme Center Academy is a terrific place to relax, read, visit with friends, or meet with a CCL team member. It is now open often during the week and by appointment. Give us a call to confirm times. Be in touch, any time. You’ll reach a friendly voice, a little (or a lot of) help, and creative, safe ways to be involved.

Coming up: 

There is a LOT going on out there! Check out the Lyme Events Calendar (a selection of events from lots of calendars), the Valley News Calendar (especially for all kinds of arts in the area, but lots more), Lyme organizations (see several links at the end of this message) or the Aging Resource Center for ideas. 

Lyme is happening!

We are pleased to pass on news shared by Lyme organizations.

  • The Utility Club of Lyme. Tree Festival! Saturday, December 4th on and around the Common, starting at 2pm: Music, Santa (3pm), Food, Crafts … SO MUCH SPARKLING FUN!
  • Lyme Historians. Wassail 12/4 4-6pm. Museum open Saturday 12/11 10am – 1pm. 
  • Lyme Congregational Church. Sundays at 10:30am. Bring a mask. Go to lymecc.org for more information. Night of the Nativities. 12/4, 2-5pm. Christmas pageant rehearsals are underway, and there are more opportunities to participate! Contact Abbe Murphy at 603-795-2850, amurphy1812@icloud.com.
  • Jingle All the Way Virtual Variety Show. Deadline for “acts” (songs, dances, poetry, stories, photos, or other inspirations) is December 15th. Video release December 22nd at 7pm. Email materials or questions to jingle@cclyme.org. Call 603-795-0603 with questions.
  • Mindful Movement with Guided Meditation with Tracy Penfield. Conscious breathing, gentle movement (standing and/or in chair) and guided meditation. In the CCL Living Room Wednesdays, December 8th & 22nd at 10:30am. $10 suggested donation. Learn more here. 
  • Our Hour. Warm in Winter/Winter wonderland. What makes you feel cozy in winter? Virtual gathering by Zoom on Tuesday, December 14th at 10:30am and in person gathering in the CCL Living Room on Wednesday, December 15th at 10:30am. Please contact debbie@cclyme.org or 603-795-0603 with questions or to let us know you’ll join us. 
  • Lyme Food Pantry. CCL hosts every Tuesday at 1pm at Lyme Congregational Church. Call ahead to let us know what you’d like (603-795-0603), or just stop by. DELIVERY AVAILABLE. 
  • Those Guys.  Monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of the month. 
  • Lyme Library.  Please visit the library website for current information on hours and programs. 
  • Happy Feet Clinic. CCL hosts three Thursdays a month at the Lyme Center Academy Building. Appointment required. Expert foot care with nurse Susan Hannah Rose. Call 802-296-1112 0r email nancyallison23@gmail.com to schedule a time.

*NOTE: For any event that’s not online, please be prepared with a mask and clean hands. Safety guidance, and hosts’ comfort continues to evolve.

Check out the Lyme Events Calendar for a full listing of upcoming events selected for Lyme and neighboring communities.

Calendar information is gathered from multiple sources, including:

Lyme and other local listservs
Lyme Library Calendar
Lyme Community and Church Newsletter
Lyme School Events Listing
Town of Lyme Website
Daybreak Upper Valley daily newsletter Click to subscribe
Valley News online calendar
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Aging Resource Center

Please share any additions or edits to calendar items, so that we can include them in the online calendar.

We are here for you.
When you seek information, help, or ways to help others, contact us.

The Lyme Community Help Line:
call 795-0603 or email Help@CCLyme.org

Connection to resources you need now to stay active, involved, and well.
Lyme Food Pantry or prepared meals. Deliveries or errands. Help around home.
Just a chat. You name it.