Clubs that meet regularly can provide a fun and stimulating social outlet. One can share hobbies and interests, insights and opinions – and, in the case of Club 55, perhaps even a bottle of wine.
Returning to a regular meeting and encountering familiar faces can provide camaraderie and a sense of security, while meeting new members can add variety and widen horizons. Staying socially active also can stave off loneliness, according to gerontologist Margriet DeLange, project director of the Senior Inclusion and Participation Project.
“Regular participation in organized groups, attendance at religious services, volunteering and socializing with friends are helpful to maintain social relationships,” she said. “Reciprocal interest in each other’s positive experiences strengthens the bond between people.”
Profiles of four clubs follow. Feel free to join in the fun.
Reading between the lines:
Los Altos Library Senior Book Club
Led by Los Altos librarians Cynthia Wilson and Pat Oey, the Senior Book Club has been going strong for close to 10 years, attracting 12-14 readers each month.
Wilson explained that the books, a mix of fiction and nonfiction, are selected based on her reading and suggestions from the group; they also choose titles that are popular with other book groups. Friends of the Library of Los Altos provides the books, available in regular, large-print and audio versions.
At the March meeting, “The Little Paris Bookshop” received mixed reviews, but the conversation was animated.
Steve Rubin, a self-described “big reader” who retired last year, was attending his first session.
“I was looking for communities and fiction book clubs,” he said.
He had tried out three different ones that week.
His comments on “The Little Paris Bookshop” – often humorous – provided candid insight into men’s behavior and their ways of dealing with emotions.
Regular attendee Diane Stanton said the book club was a way to branch out from her usual type of books.
“It’s wonderful to read things I’d never pick up off the shelf,” she said, “and a chance to reflect on the topic.”
Kathryn Price has been a member since the club’s inception. Her daughter Julia has recently been joining her, making the trek from San Francisco.
“I love that it’s run by the two librarians,”
Julia said. “It’s a very thoughtful club.”
The session begins with an overall survey, with everyone giving a brief opinion and sometimes a number rating.
Discussion questions are provided, and the leaders use them as prompts from time to time. But there was no downtime at the March meeting. In the 45 minutes or so following the initial rating, the conversation was free-flowing. Readers delved into character analyses as well as personal reminiscences. They shared what they liked and disliked; they agreed and pleasantly disagreed.
Some felt “The Little Paris Bookshop” read like a travelogue and could relate it to their own travels; others saw it as a parable of coming to grips with a loss. Some had sympathy for the protagonist; others did not – one reader described him (eliciting lighthearted laughter from the group) as “a crotchety old man.”
Whatever the opinions, the discussion made for a fun and lively afternoon. In the words of Price, “Books can give you peace of mind, they can excite you.”
The book club meets 1 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at the Los Altos Senior Center, 97 Hillview Ave. Light snacks and coffee are provided.
For more information, call the Los Altos main library at 948-7683 or visit sccl.org/losaltos.
Whose woods these are:
West Bay Woodturners
At the monthly meetings of West Bay Woodturners at Bridges Community Church in Los Altos, a few dozen members – mostly seniors – learn the art of turning on a lathe.
A March all-day demonstration featured Florida woodturner Rudy Lopez, who crafted a wingfoot bowl and a thin-stemmed goblet; a big screen behind him showed his expert work close up.
Bob Bley, club vice president, has been a member for more than a decade, and turning for approximately 30 years. Self-taught, he started out making furniture and eventually found he needed a lathe.
“It’s a very specialized piece of equipment, and therefore we have a specialized club just for turning,” he said.
Members have home workshops, “then they come here and they’re exposed to somebody else,” Bley said of the club’s demonstrations.
“You’re going to learn so many techniques and so many things that you didn’t know,” he added.
The monthly evening workshops include some business items, a show and tell, a “president’s challenge,” where members showcase their work on a specific theme, and a demonstration.
The group also has occasional competitions where works might be judged on artistic or technical aspects.
Monthly “sawdust sessions” at home workshops allow for hands-on help; members can bring current projects, ask questions and learn how to use various tools.
The skill level of members varies greatly, from professionals with work displayed in museums and galleries to those just getting their feet wet – thinking about taking up turning or learning what tools they should invest in. Some may never actually get to the point of creating a turned piece.
“It’s a way for some people to get out of their house, get entertained, learn something new – not necessarily do it,” Bley said. “It’s like, I go to a classical concert – I don’t play an instrument, but I love the classical music. There’s a bit of a social aspect. You end up making friends.”
Longtime member Bob Hedges, who specializes in restoration and repair, said beginners needn’t worry – the group is very welcoming to newcomers.
“The group is very open, very willing to share – no secrets,” he said.
West Bay Woodturners meets 7 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month at Bridges Community Church, 625 Magdalena Ave., Los Altos. West Bay Woodturners alternates with Silicon Valley Woodturners in presenting Saturday professional demonstrations.
Visit westbaywoodturners.com for a schedule of upcoming events, . The website also includes tutorials and galleries of club members’ work.
En plein air:
Peninsula Outdoor Painters
The friendly – and talented – group of artists known as Peninsula Outdoor Painters (POPs) meets Tuesday mornings at various locations throughout the area, spending two weeks at each site. Venues range from the coast to the bay, and many in between. In recent months they have met at the Palo Alto Baylands, San Francisco’s Land’s End and Menlo Park’s Allied Arts Guild.
In addition to sharing photos of their work on the POPs website, group members exhibit their work in various galleries and other venues. A show last winter at the Palo Alto Art Center, “Vibrant Bay Area,” took viewers on a pictorial tour of their painting sites, captured in oil, watercolor and pastel. A 2017 exhibition at the Los Altos main library, “California Orchards – The Four Seasons,” featured 24 paintings from 16 POPs artists.
Some members are longtime area residents. Cynthia Riordan, who grew up in Los Altos, aims to capture the beauty she finds around her. She works in oil and pastels and usually creates her landscapes en plein air – outside – in one sitting. According to her website, her goal is to “make each (painting) a statement of a moment in time, with nature providing the light, color and movement.”
Mountain View artist Robert Schick has been painting the historical landmarks and natural beauty of the Bay Area for nearly two decades.
“I do most things on location,” he said. “I just like fresh air, and somehow I just get so much more information in person than I would looking at a photograph.”
Susan Mendelsohn, who works primarily in watercolor, has been painting with POPs for approximately five years.
“I enjoy traveling to a new location every two weeks and discovering hidden gems in the Bay Area,” she said, “as well as returning to favorite locations, like the Baylands and the Palo Alto Community Garden.”
Although new to plein-air watercolor painting when she first joined POPs, Mendelsohn said she found her fellow artists “welcoming, encouraging and nonjudgmental.”
Mendelsohn noted that artists of all experience levels are encouraged to join the group on a “paint out.” While they don’t do regular critiques after the sessions, if asked, the more experienced artists are always willing to provide input and share their ideas and approaches, she said.
POPs membership is free. There is no need to call in advance or register to paint at most sites. Carpooling is an option and is arranged informally.
For more information and a schedule of upcoming painting sites, visit pleinairlinks.com/pops/schedule.html.
Meeting friends – old and new:
Club 55
The Friday evening “pop-up happy hour” known as Club 55 attracts an average of 80 guests each month. Now in its fourth year, the club had its first gathering of the year May 4 and will convene the first Friday of every month through October.
Meeting 6-8 p.m. on the patio behind the Costume Bank on State Street in Los Altos, attendees mingle over hors d’oeuvres and drinks. Anyone age 55 or older is welcome.
“It’s a happy, welcoming adult hangout venue,” said Anabel Pelham, Ph.D., San Francisco State University Gerontology Professor Emeritus.
With the goal of decreasing isolation and loneliness among local seniors and creating a sense of community – and fun – Club 55 is organized by Los Altos Forward and co-sponsored by Los Altos Community Foundation, the Assistance League of Los Altos, the Center for Age-Friendly Excellence and Safeway.
Admission is free; guests are encouraged to make a donation or bring a bottle of wine to share with others.
For more information, visit losaltosforward.org. m
