UMRA Summer Social and Picnic
On Wednesday June 28th, 80 UMRA members and their guests gathered in the shade of the Como Park pavilion to catch up with old friends and colleagues and welcome new members. It was a perfect Minnesota summer setting with a good breeze, no bugs, the scent of blooming Japanese lilacs, sun-sparkle on the lake, and the sound of happy voices laughing and re-connecting.
We were welcomed by Eric Hockert, incoming UMRA president, whose voice came to us through speakers provided and ably set up and monitored by Jerry and Peggy Rinehart. We enjoyed a delicious picnic lunch (and killer brownies), and friendly table-hopping.
After lunch, THE QUIZ! A challenging geography quiz organized and facilitated by world traveler, Cherie Hamilton. Competition was fierce and came down to a battle between two well-traveled teams. Merriment and the joy of in-person connections made the afternoon a great success.
Many thanks to the Special Events Planning Team, Will Craig, Cathy Lee Gierke, Cherie Hamilton, Eric Hockert, Kate Maple, and Jan Morlock, Host Team members Diane Young and Nancy Helmich, and Jan McCullouch who organized the new member welcome volunteers.
UMRA Summer Social and Picnic
Wed, Jun 28 2023, 11am - 1:30pm
Como Lakeside Summer Social
Food, friends and fun!
1360 Lexington Parkway North in Saint Paul
Celebrate the sweet days of summer with friends and former colleagues. We’ll dine under the covered, open-air pavilion overlooking Como Lake, with plenty of time for visiting. For your lunch, select among four main dishes. Non-alcoholic beverages are provided as are coffee, tea, and dessert. There’s a cash bar available in the adjacent Dock and Paddle Restaurant. Parking is free and convenient in two adjacent lots, entering off Lexington Parkway North.
The deadline to register is Tuesday, June 13, and that’s also the deadline for any cancellations. Sorry, but any cancellations made after we submit our lunch order to the caterer on June 13 will be nonrefundable. Thanks for your understanding!
Register, pay for the event, and make your lunch selection by June 13.
And to cap off the summer, come to the Mississippi River for a cruise on the Minneapolis Queen on Tuesday, August 29.
~the UMRA 2023 Special Events Planning Team: Will Craig, Cherie Hamilton, Cathy Lee Gierke, Kate Maple, Jan Morlock, and Diane Young.
Upcoming Events
Silk Parachute, an anthology of essays and the 40th of 44 published books by author John McPhee, will be the topic of discussion when UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club meets via Zoom from 2 to 3:30 p.m. CDT on April 26.
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.