Winter celebration and songs to bring the light
Wed, January 31 2024, 1pm
Dane Stauffer and Dan Chouinard
Music, hors d'oeuvres and fellowship
Singing, accordion, piano, fun
Midland Hills Country Club
$35 early / $38 after Jan 5
Longing for more daylight and fun? Join UMRA members January 31 at Midland Hills Country Club in Roseville for an afternoon of comradery, food, and entertainment. After an hour of mingling and nosh, the highlight of this mid-winter event will be an hour of song and stories by Twin Cities musicians Dane Stauffer and Dan Chouinard.
Winter won’t be over yet, but we’ll be over the hump. The shortest days will be behind us. We’ll have nearly 10 hours of daylight and a sun-filled room where we can enjoy a mid-winter mingle.
Appetizers, desserts, and coffee will be provided buffet style. There will also be a cash bar. High-top tables will encourage socializing. Dining tables and chairs will provide comfort for enjoying the entertainment.
Stauffer and Chouinard will brighten the mid-winter with song, banter, piano, and accordion. They have been performing nationally and locally together since 1989. One reviewer said, “Stauffer is a highly entertaining performer, as his infectious enthusiasm draws the audience in. Chouinard is a remarkable entertainer in his own right—a pianist, accordionist, and storyteller.”
The price of our Winter Celebration is $35 for those making reservations by January 5. After that date reservations are $38. The reservation deadline is January 21.
Why delay? Make your reservation and pay online today!
—Will Craig, UMRA Special Social Events Committee member
Upcoming Events
Our July 15 "hike" is going to be a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles! If you don't have a kayak (or paddleboard), Wheel Fun Rentals, located next to the new concession stand rents single kayaks at $15 an hour and double kayaks at $25. The second hour is free if we rent before noon. Life jackets are provided with the rental.
Laura Ericksen will lead the discussion of How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger, a true story by a speech-language pathologist who taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using buttons associated with different words.
Our August 5 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park. This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside. The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks. After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park.
Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of The Bookbinder by Pip Williams, a book set in 1914 Oxford chronicling the life of Peggy who works in the University bindery, but craves a life beyond binding books but to being a scholar herself.
Enjoy a two-hour cruise on the Jonathan Padelford, leaving from the Harriet Island dock in St. Paul, boarding time at 5:30 p.m. We will have a brief program on board by Patrick Nunnally from the River Life Program of the Institute on the Environment.
August 31 is the due date for annual reports and updates. Annual Reports, Toolkits, web page updates, operating document updates and archives collections are all due each year on this date.
Autumn is a wonderful season in Minnesota so plan to join UMRA at the Andersen Horticultural Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Kristen Mastel, head librarian and curator, will reveal its treasure trove of publications and artifacts relating to plant history, horticulture, and natural history. After the tour, those who are interested may stay to eat lunch together, sitting outside if the weather is nice. Later, you are invited to a one-hour tram tour of the entire Arboretum that includes natural areas of flowering shrubs, bogs, and forests, family garden and landscaping showpieces, and the red barn farm
After a summer break the UMRA Photo Club will next meet September 10, 2024 in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library. For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 am. For September the THEME will be Curves
We will continue to discuss the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage. You will also hear about notable non-health plan and non-broker resources.