Upcoming Services
December 2 - 10 am Rev. John McFadden and Dr. Susan McFadden
December 30 - 10 am Rev. Denise Tracy
January 13 - 10 am Rev. Denise Tracy
January 27 - 10 am Rev. Denise Tracy
Events
December 1 - 11 am Aging in the Northwoods Talk and luncheon at Senior Center in Woodruff
December 15 - 4:00 pm Holiday program and potluck
December 31 - ? pm New Year’s Eve
Adult R.E.
December 9 - 10 am Woodrow Wilson and the Rating of Presidents; The Roaring Twenties Reconsidered
December 23 - 10 am Hoover and the Great Depression Revisited; What Did Roosevelt’s New Deal Really Do?
January 6 - 10 am World War II Misconceptions and Myths; Was the Cold War Inevitable?
January 20 - 10 am The Real Blunders of the Vietnam War; Myths about American Wars
Be Kind, Unwind
Happy Holidays! Yes, it’s that time again. Probably the busiest time of year for many. It doesn’t seem to matter how well you plan or how you insist you are cutting back, you will have more opportunities and commitments than you know what to do with. Go out and kick your heels up and have some fun.
We as a fellowship, in general, have had a truly trying year. Please don’t forget the UU principles during this season. When you are overwhelmed with projects, time conflicts and visiting relatives, take time to reflect on UU values—the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equality and compassion in human relationships. When you have sat through the kids’ programs for the fourth time, listened to Christmas music until you are sure your ears are going to bleed, answered for the hundredth time, that yes, Unitarian Universalism is actually recognized as a legitimate religion, etc. . . . put the principles to work. -—Laurie Figueroa
Honor Loved Ones with Poinsettias
It’s time to think about decorating the Fellowship for the holidays. We ask you to sponsor one of the 12 poinsettias needed. Honor something or someone this holiday season and you gift will be listed in program on the 15th, after which you can take your poinsettia home to enjoy through the season. The price this year is $11.00. There is a sign-up sheet at the Fellowship next to a gold box for payments. —Eileen
Holiday Service, Saturday, December 15, 4 PM
Please plan to attend our annual holiday service. There will be music, stories and guest performers. A potluck supper will follow. Please note, there will be NO Service on Sunday, December 16. Questions? Contact Tom or Patty.
Fellowship of the Arts
The beautiful scarves, ceramics, and photographs in our fellowship building will remain up through the end of December. Many thanks to Jana Mirs, Judi Maloney, Barb Mochon and Toni Polfus for displaying their work. If you were thinking about purchasing any of the items, remember that you only have a few weeks left to do that. In January to our next show will go up.
The theme for January and February is Self Portrait. What qualifies as self portraiture is up to you-—use your imagination and any medium that can be displayed in our space. We ask only that it connects in some way with the UU principle of the inherent worth and dignity of every person. It can be an opportunity to get in touch with your self-worth, and will be an opportunity for others to get a glimpse of how you see yourself.
We will accept submissions for display on Sunday, December 25, after the service. Contact Pat Bickner bickner@gmx.com 715-356-9130 or Jana Mirs janamirs@frontier.com 715-356-4746 for more information. Please list each item, tag with your name and, if appropriate, a price, and be prepared to sign a release. Please also leave cards with contact info.
The upcoming exhibits are as follows:
JANUARY–FEBRUARY 2013: “Self Portrait”
The inherent worth and dignity of every person.
MARCH–APRIL 2013: “IN OR OUT’
Justice, equity and compassion in human relations.
MAY–JUNE 2013: “GO WITH THE FLOW”
Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth.
JULY–AUGUST 2013: “WHY ARE WE HERE?”
A free and responsible search for truth and meaning.
SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2013: “I AND WE”
The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process.
NOVEMBER–DECEMBER 2013: “FLOWER POWER”
The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all.
JANUARY–FEBRUARY 2014: “LIFE IN HARMONY”
Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
Please Help with a Meal at NATH while You still Can
Iris and Guthrie and I served dinner at Frederick Place on November 25. (Well, really Guthrie just came along for the ride.) We served turkey wild rice casserole, green bean casserole from Barb Logan, and cole slaw. Laurie dropped off stew for the residents to heat up for Monday dinner. It was pleasant enough, and the folks were polite and appreciative.
Natalia’s Girl Scout Troup will be serving up pizzas December 14, with the pizzas compliments of Papa Murphy’s here in Minocqua.
Please contact Jana Mirs to sign up for a date when you will be available and willing to help out. We are trying to honor our commitment through June 2013, after which time we will cancel this gig for lack of interest.
Aging in the Northwoods: Challenges and Opportunities
John and Susan McFadden will be speaking on “Aging in the Northwoods” on December 1, 2012. The talk will be presented at a luncheon presentation at the Senior Center in Woodruff. The program begins at 11:00 am. Please contact Mary Ann Fields or Joan Hauer if you plan to attend.
The McFaddens will address this overarching question: Does a community that works well for active retirement also work well when frailty sets in?
They will present demographic slides of aging in Wisconsin, particularly in the Minocqua region; Provide statistics about the number of persons in the region likely to develop dementia; Talk about WHO (World Health Organization) age-friendly city study; and Provide an overview of dementia-friendly community efforts in UK and elsewhere, including the Fox Valley initiative.
They will also provide a handout with questions asked in the WHO study and the UK study and ask audience for suggestions on our area. Please consider these questions in advance: What are the community resources you currently enjoy? Will these be available to you if you become frail?
New Year’s Eve
The tradition continues. Please contact Elinore for more information.
Letter from a Good Friend
Jim Williams asked that the following letter be included in the NUUSletter. We will be reading it at the service on December 2.
Dear friends,
I had hoped to speak to you in person, but things just did not work out.
First of all, I want to thank all of you for the thoughts, prayers, e-mails and cards which you have sent me the last few weeks. You may think a card doesn’t mean much, but when I receive each one it jogs a memory of good times we have had or conversations we have shared. Please keep them coming, as they are much appreciated.
I also want to tell you how grateful I am for discovering this Fellowship and having the opportunity to meet all of you. I truly treasure the times we have shared together. I especially appreciate the trust you showed by allowing me to serve as your President. It was an honor and a privilege. On that note, I want to thank the Founders and particularly Paul Braunstein for having the vision to start this group in 1989. I know Paul gives all the credit to Irma, but like all things it was something they did as a team. I would really appreciate it if you would once again thank Paul for his efforts. It’s because of him and the other Founders that we were able to meet each other and enjoy the spiritual growth and companionship that we have derived from our membership.
I want you to know also that I am really OK. I am taking my last trip, but as we know, it’s not the destination which is important, it’s the journey. I have had a truly wonderful life, filled with enough peak experiences and adventures for several lifetimes. I was lucky enough to have found Audrey early in life and we have shared 54 years of mostly good times, with just enough bad ones to make us appreciate the good. And she and I created five strong, courageous, talented and resilient children of whom I am especially proud. Although we lost one a couple of years ago, we still carry him in our thoughts and think of him daily. And they in turn have produced five grandchildren that we were able to spoil as all grandparents do. No one could ask for a more loving family.
Thanks again for a great ten years, and best wishes to you all.
With love,
Jim
NUUF and NEWSLETTER INFORMATION
Northwoods Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
P.O. Box 1881
Woodruff, WI 54568-1881
Laurie Figueroa, President
president@nuuf.com
The NUUSLetter is published monthly.
Next Deadline: December 27, 2012 Please send submissions to Pat Bickner at bickner@gmx.com. Please put “NUUSletter” in the subject line.
For distribution of announcements between newsletters or email/address corrections, contact Candy Sorensen at sorencan@yahoo.com.