CCL Weekly Update – 03/24/2022
“By March…
“By March, the worst of the winter would be over. The snow would thaw, the rivers begin to run and the world would wake into itself again.” ―Neil Gaiman
This winter seems to be extending its icy grip into the 5 day forecast. Yet, we have these days and moments interspersed with sunshine reminding us that beautiful spring weather is right around the corner. While Covid has complicated socialization again this winter, these moments in the sun remind us of the beauty and resiliency of the Lyme community. Even after the harshest winter, Lyme is waking to the new possibilities of safely gathering, reconnecting and working to support one another through this mud season. Mud season this year has created unique challenges for Lyme neighbors. As we forge through this together please remember to check-in on your friends and neighbors as you’re able. A simple phone call, email or text message can be their ray of sunshine, and yours too!
… the world would wake into itself again.” -Neil Gaiman
info@cclyme.org
News and Notes:
Are you eligible for an “Elderly Exemption” for 2022 property taxes?
Passed at Town Meeting: Article 14.
During the discussion in advance of the vote, it was shared that the deadline to apply for this exemption for the 2022 tax year is April 15th. Please note that each case is different and applying does not guarantee an exemption.
More information will be coming from the Town of Lyme. Please contact the Select Board with any questions.
Please reach out to CommunityCare of Lyme if we might be able to help in some way. 603-795-0603 / help@cclyme.org
The Food Pantry Celebrates its Two Year Anniversary of service!
Congratulations to our entire Food Pantry team for their dedication and commitment to community service, and community wellness! From our Food Pantry Coordinator, Kathy Sherrieb:
I just wanted to alert those in town who are able to make a donation, to the opportunity to multiply your $$ when giving to one of our Lyme Food Pantry partners, Willing Hands. You can purchase a CSA from one of the many local farms and donate it to Willing Hands. That way, you support the local farm, Willing Hands, and ultimately our own Food Pantry, as we get weekly deliveries from them to distribute at our Tuesday Food Pantry. You can’t designate a specific recipient (admin nightmare?), but we all benefit from the coordination work done by our valuable partner, WH. For more specifics, see willinghands.org/csa. You will be amazed at the number of small, independent farmers who contribute produce to WH – which includes the produce that goes to our customers. And you can always contribute to the Lyme Food Pantry/Jenks Fund, CCL, PO Box 127 Lyme NH 03768.
As we enter the ‘Farmer’s Market’ season, we will be displaying our fresh foods on the ramp of the back porch of the Lyme Congregational Church. Please bring your own bags if you can. And we distribute non-perishable packages on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays so if you need staples at any other time, please ask.
Finally, I can’t say enough about the Food Pantry Crew. We will be celebrating our Second Anniversary next month, so please congratulate the Crew, as we all work to make the Food Pantry happen. And, if you would like to join us, please let me know by responding to this email and we can talk about how much fun it is (also includes a lot of being busy). With the summer approaching, teens/young adults may be interested in helping out while they are around. Great experience and great camaraderie – and I am always ready to write a letter of recommendation for the ‘up and coming’ volunteers. Check us out.
We could use your input!
Insider’s Guide to Lyme. CommunityCare of Lyme is working to create a Lymie’s guide to the area as a resource for all neighbors. We’d love to know your favorite places for good food and good fun! Click on the link to share your tips. It will be great to learn from one another, especially as things have changed so much over the last couple of years. The guide will be continually updated, so this is just a starting point.
The guide also includes a list of organizations and resources. If you are an organization with informational pieces to include (of course, with citation) or to be referenced, please give us a call. It is a work in progress, and your input will help create a helpful and fun “Insider’s Guide to Lyme”.
March is …
Our days are longer! Daylight savings time has ended! How have you been enjoying more time in the sun? ???
National Craft Month. Last year we celebrated National Craft Month with our own take on March Madness with our own March Craftiness brackets. Based on your votes last year’s “Spring into Crafting” winner was: Knitting! You can review our 2021 brackets here.
We have revamped the brackets for 2022! You can see the current standings and vote here. Please help us break the tie from the last round by being sure to vote for our quarter final round! (You can also vote directly below) Help your favorite crafts (either to do yourself, or which you appreciate) make it further in the standings.
For collaboration with Matt Brown Fine Art (MBFA). Last year CCL partnered with MBFA to bring the community a virtual gallery and award ceremony for The Beauty of Birds. This year, we are hosting two Zoom discussions on topics which Matt is very passionate about. Our first discussion was very interesting, and if you were able to attend you had a sneak peak at the next talk (THIS SUNDAY 3/27) on “The Energy Theory of Color” co-hosted with Ming Meng. Matt’s excitement and wonder are highly contagious, so be sure to join us for the next free Zoom discussion! You can learn more in the “Lyme is happening!” section below.
Women’s History Month. Each week we’ll share a poem by a female poet. The National Women’s History Alliance creates a theme each year for Women’s History Month. For 2022 it is “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope”. (www.history.com/topics/holidays/womens-history-month)
“Joy” By Clarissa Scott Delany – 1900-1926
Joy shakes me like the wind that lifts a sail,
Like the roistering wind
That laughs through stalwart pines.
It floods me like the sun
On rain-drenched trees
That flash with silver and green.I abandon myself to joy—
I laugh—I sing.
Too long have I walked a desolate way,
Too long stumbled down a maze
Bewildered.This poem is in the public domain. Published in Poem-a-Day on February 6, 2022, by the Academy of American Poets. https://poets.org/poem/joy-0
There are so many influential women who have helped shape our history that narrowing it down to highlight just a few is a huge challenge. If you would like to learn about the origins of Women’s History Month, or explore influential women throughout history here are resources you might consider:
www.history.com/topics/holidays/womens-history-month
edsitement.neh.gov/teachers-guides/womens-history-united-states
www.archives.gov/news/topics/womens-history
www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/womens-history-month.htm
www.ushmm.org/information/exhibitions/online-exhibitions/special-focus/womens-history-month
Weekly health and well-being tips, resources, and recipes …
Monday’s Menu. I hope that this email finds you well! For Monday’s Menu this week I looked for an easy bread recipe with items you’re likely to have in the pantry! I also explored recipes I can make in batches and freeze or throw in the refrigerator. This week’s Monday’s Menu recipe checked all the boxes this week!
Give InspiredTaste.net’s Easy Rosemary Garlic Focaccia Bread a try with me this week! Click here to view this week’s Monday’s Menu.
If you have an original recipe OR a recipe you have adapted that you would love to share please email me at shelby@cclyme.org
Click here to see all the Monday’s Menu recipes.
Wellness Wednesday. This Wellness Wednesday we celebrate National Chia Day with a post from Stephanie Graudons, Program Assistant with CommunityCare of Lyme. Learn about the benefits of Chia seeds, and get a few tasty pointers on how to incorporate them into your meals. Please click here to view this week’s Wellness Wednesday.
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 March Newsletter
Our partner organization, Orford Senior Center (serving Lyme), has shared their March Menu here and the March Newsletter here. They offer programs, weekly Grab ‘n Go meals, daily Meals on Wheels home delivered meals, and more. As you plan for next month, you can view the April Menu here, and the April Newsletter here. Please review their website here for the most up-to date information.
Aging Resource Center (ARC) April Newsletter
Our partner organization, the Aging Resource Center, is offering virtual programs throughout the month of April. With a variety of offerings, there is sure to be something you’ll enjoy! See their April programs here.
Covid Update
Vaccination. 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. If you can’t make Wednesday’s clinic, at Vaccines.gov, you can search for vaccination locations and make an appointment. It’s quick and easy these days.
Testing. Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests. All households can order 4 more. The tests are completely free. Please use this link: https://www.covidtests.gov/ They’ll ship as supplies are available. There are other sources of test kits. If you have 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.
For up-to-date information on testing, vaccines, and more in New Hampshire, visit www.covid19.nh.gov.
Stay safe: Let’s all do our best to stay safe and keep others safe, while lifting spirits with healthy ways to stay active and involved. As mandates are lifted, keep your mask along to wear it inside when requested or when safe distancing isn’t possible.
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 a Warm Upper Valley Welcome
Get involved! Our new neighbors appreciate help with rides, opportunities to practice English, occasional meals, and simple, warm connection with neighbors. Thanks for so many who have been a part of the welcome so far. If you would like to join in, please contact Martha Tecca (martha.tecca@gmail.com, 603-795-0603). She helps coordinate the Lyme/Upper Valley Neighborhood Support Team, partnering with Ascentria Care Services, a state resettlement office. Financial support is needed, and the needs will grow as more evacuees are welcomed to our shores. CCL launched the Welcome Fund to help. Donations to the CCL Welcome Fund support Afghan evacuees in Lyme and across the Upper Valley, and others displaced by challenging circumstances. Go to cclyme.org/donate or mail a check to CCL at PO Box 127 Lyme, NH 03768. 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.
We are pleased to pass on news shared by Lyme organizations.
Lyme is happening: This Week!
Matt Brown Fine Art Program. This Sunday, March 27, 5 pm, hosted by CCL on Zoom: “The Energy Theory of Color”, a Printmaker and Professor Dialogue. Printmaker Matt Brown and Professor of Psychology Ming Meng will engage in a dialogue about ongoing work exploring their mutually invented color theory – a meet-up of the differing outlooks of scientist and artist seeking to describe aspects of visual thinking. VERY COOL. Please register here.
Lyme is happening: Please save the date!
- Our Hour. Please join us on Tuesday, April 12th from 10:30-11:30am for warm conversation with friends new and old. All are welcome! Please email shelby@cclyme.org or call 802-468-7776 with any questions.
- Mindful Photography Gathering. April is Stress Awareness Month. To practice ways to reduce stress Shelby and Stephanie of CommunityCare of Lyme will be offering a mindful photography gathering on April 14th at 5:30pm. Bring whatever camera you have- your smartphone, a point & shoot, a DSLR or mirror less. Open to all levels. Location TBD based upon weather. Email shelby@cclyme.org for more information.
- The Utility Club of Lyme will be meeting on Tuesday April 26, 2022 at the Lyme Congregational Church. There will be a business meeting at 1:00 and speaker, Henry Homemeyer, will talk to the members about gardening. Utility Club picnic will be held on May 24th at 12:30 at Judy Timchula’s home at 21 Hardscrabble Lane.
- Lyme’s Day of Service and Green Up Day – Saturday, May 7th. More information to come! Could you use a hand this year for a Day of Service Project? Could you lend a hand this year to a neighbor? Would you like to be involved in the planning process? We’d love to hear from you! info@cclyme.org / 603-795-0603. “Many hands make light work!”
Lyme is happening: Always!
We are pleased to pass on news shared by Lyme organizations.
- Lyme Food Pantry. CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FABULOUS FOOD PANTRY TEAM! WE CELEBRATE TWO YEARS OF INCREDIBLE SERVICE! CCL hosts the food distribution every Tuesday at 1pm at Lyme Congregational Church. Call ahead to let us know what you’d like, or just stop by. DELIVERY AVAILABLE.
- FREE Reiki with Stephanie Carney at the CCL office. Weekly. Wednesdays at noon. To make an appointment contact Stephanie at carney.steph@gmail.com or by phone at 603-795-2419. Learn more here.
- Lyme Library. Please visit the library website for current information on hours and programs. Sign up for the Library Newsletter to make sure you get all the latest information.
- Lyme Congregational Church. Sunday worship is at 10:30am. Bring a mask. ALL WELCOME! Go to lymecc.org for more information.
- Those Guys. First Wednesday monthly meeting. An informal Lyme service organization. For more information and to join in, email Those.Guys.of.Lyme@Gmail.com.
- 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 nancylallison23@gmail.com to schedule a time. *There is a waitlist. An appointment may be several weeks out. Once you’re scheduled, we will let you know if there’s an unexpected opening sooner. We’re happy to help you explore options in the meantime.
*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.
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