'Growing Up' by Russell Baker
Fri, Feb 27, 2026, 2pm
Fourth Friday of February, the much celebrated author Russell Baker.
What, you are not familiar with Russell Baker, you are in for a humor in a perfect pitch.
Growing Up, published in 1982, recipient of Pulitzer Prize 1983, 30 weeks on the NYT Best Seller List. Sadly copies are in short supply at the library, used copies run to about $6. including postage. Shop around, it is a genuine keeper. My copy is available for anyone in the Highland Park vicinity.
New members are welcome!
Let me hear from you with suggestions for future meetings.
Dorothy Marden… [email protected]
Upcoming Events
Kayaking at Lake Bde Maka Ska.
UMRA Book Club I will discuss The Silent Patient, a psychological thriller and debut novel by Alex Michaelides, when it meets via Zoom on Friday, July 17.
Two major conferences, one organized by the Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education (AROHE) and the other by the Big Ten Retirees Association (BTRA), will take place this year. The AROHE conference will be held in Florida and the BTRA conference will be hosted by UMRA on the UMN campus.
The AROHE conference invites all interested retirees and university faculty and staff to reimagine retirement. You are invited to register if interested at https://www.arohe.org/2026-Conference.
The BTRA is being hosted by UMRA this year. Leadership of retiree organizations around the US will convene to share competencies. Attendance is restricted.
Bev leads the Nokomis walk to Minnehaha Falls.
Nanette leads a trail of two cities hike.
10:30 a.m. check in; 10:45 boarding; cruise from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Join UMRA friends and colleagues for a summer cruise and lunch aboard the Paradise Destiny II on beautiful Lake Minnetonka. Paul Maravelas, sailor, historian, and author of The History of Big Island, Lake Minnetonka will join us to share stories from 200+ years of lake-dwellers. Come early or stay after the cruise to explore Excelsior, a charming small town on the big lake.
Ticket price includes lunch: chef's sandwich, garden salad, fruit, chips, and cookies. Coffee, iced tea, and lemonade are complimentary and there will be a cash bar for other beverages. A vegetarian sandwich can be selected during registration.
The theme for September is "Monuments."
Bev leads a Lake of the Isles hike with Bun Coffee afterwards.
Critical issues facing detained immigrants and their families will be discussed.