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Last month we told you about a new tradition at Wake Robin called the Trillium Trail. Named after our logo, the red trillium wildflower, it is a variation on the Honor Walk. When a resident is making the final journey out of Wake Robin, a specially designed quilt drapes the person as they leave the building. An announcement is made that a Trillium Trail is about to take place and anyone who wishes to take part gathers near the doorway of the Linden Health Center and forms a line in the hallway to pay their respects, bearing witness to a life and memories.

The newly designed custom quilt was created and constructed in-house by a number of volunteers, both staff and residents. The idea originated with our nursing staff with Morgan Dexter, R.N., and her mother, both accomplished quilters, leading the way. They were joined by Diane T., another quilter and Wake Robin resident, who became the point person for the project, and Jo H., quilter and resident, who donated materials.

The prep work was done in the Fiber Arts room where the experts first selected a color scheme from existing fabric, and then proceeded to the cutting, sewing, and pressing of the initial blocks. Once they had the process nailed down, Diane wrote up the directions, made kits, and put out a call for volunteers under the announcement “Would you like to make a block?” About 35 people came out to take part, some with no sewing experience, but all with a desire to contribute to this project. The final assembly and quilting were completed by Morgan and her mother on a longarm quilting machine.

A lot of hands and minds were involved with the Trillium Trail quilt. It is a nod to our shared human experience, a piece created out of love and respect. It is one more tradition that shapes community life at Wake Robin.

After Hours at Wake Robin

Wake Robin is an active, vibrant community offering many activities to suit the interests of our residents. After a busy day of living life on their own schedule, many people do a reset over dinner and decide how to spend the evening. Here is a sample of what was offered over the past few weeks.

Presentations

Laz Scangas – Grand Central Station

John Abele – The Collaboration Paradox

Wolfgang Mieder – The Government Of, By and For the People

Music offerings

Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival

Youth Opera Company of Vermont

The Stragglers Americana/Bluegrass String Band

Craftsbury Chamber Players Season Preview

Saturday Night Movies

In the Meeting Room on the big screen.

July titles included:

Driving Miss Daisy

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Brigadoon

80 for Brady

Cool Hand Luke 

When the day is done, and you’ve done the shopping, finished the appointments, and put the canoe away, Wake Robin after hours has plenty to offer.

It feels like life is an endless series of screens. It is difficult to break away from the digital world. On the other hand, it offers amazing opportunities for special connections. We asked a few Wake Robin residents how they use their internet pipelines to engage the world.

Geri A. gives talks to healthcare organizations on the various human aspects of healthcare such as disclosure of unanticipated outcomes, apology, communicating with angry people, informed consent, and the like. She regularly hosts virtual classes for UVM’s Olli program, and, for personal growth, Geri participates as a student in a series of classes in Buddhism being taught by a lama in Nepal.

Also pursuing peace of mind is Lucy B. who has been practicing daily meditation for 50 years! For the last 5 years, she has led a weekly international group of 25 regulars, half US/Canada, half UK, and one from Latvia. As a member of her international Christian meditation community, she also creates and runs its US national website, and manages its national Zoom platform.

Some professions have an international scope and digital communications are the key to making that possible. Bernie R. is a conductor who has worked with orchestras all over the world. He has a strong connection with classical musicians in Cuba and recently mentored a conducting student, living in Sweden, who is working to be accepted into a graduate program at the Royal Academy in London. From his home at Wake Robin, Bernie can help with the analysis of the score and critique technique, from Shelburne to Malmö!

We sometimes get asked, “How robust is the Wake Robin internet service?” It seems to be good enough to connect to the world!

It used to be that one of the major signs of spring in Vermont was the running of maple tree sap signaling the start of the sugaring season. Mother Nature has changed up her game in recent years and now the sap runs almost anytime from December through March.

John B. reports that the sugaring team at Wake Robin began collecting sap last December and they seem to be looking at a bumper-crop year. The sugar house at Wake Robin has a 300-gallon holding tank that has been full to the brim for the past several weeks. Resident volunteers take shifts to boil the sap transforming it into the glorious amber liquid we all love – Vermont-made maple syrup. The crew had a record day on March 3 when they drew off seven and a half gallons of Amber Rich. At a ratio of 40 gallons of sap to 1 gallon of syrup, that’s a lot of boiling! Last week, total production crossed the 50-gallon mark.

Wake Robin maple syrup is allotted to the workers who make it, and some is designated for Dining Services where it is the main attraction at the annual Pancake Breakfast and Maple Ice Cream Social. The syrup is part of the welcome basket for new residents and is sometimes given as an honorarium to guest speakers.

We all see the picturesque, bright, and steamy sugarhouse with sap at full boil, but once the sap stops running and the syrup is bottled, there is plenty more to do. The task list for the off-season is extensive. There is the major cleanup of buckets and evaporating equipment, shifting wood to fill the woodshed for next season, doing maintenance and repair on the sap lines damaged by squirrels and wind, rinsing the lines twice during the year, and taking care of the numerous little things that show up during the season. According to John, “I’m happy to say that we do have a large and faithful group of Sugar Makers.”

Maple sugaring at Wake Robin is a rite of spring, a labor of love, and the rewards are very sweet!

Residents of Wake Robin know that the Woodshop has a work order system. They will do repairs to furniture and assorted odd jobs. How odd? We asked Jim W. to tell us about some of the projects brought to them. Yes, they get the usual wobbly chair legs or a refinishing request but then it goes well beyond wood. “We’ve fixed a toaster, a pedometer, a bicycle, clocks, porcelain, and assembled plastic shelving. We cut down the handle of a toilet brush to make it the right size…actually that was wood,” Jim told us.

In addition to personal pursuits such as bowl turning, shelves, cabinets, and even a boat, the woodshop gang has also taken on commissions. Their work is in use at Sneakers restaurant, the UVM Book Nook, and Shelburne’s Pierson Library. Several of their pieces are on display around Wake Robin, too: the table outside the Meeting Room, the Humanities Committee cabinet next to the stairs, and the iconic icosahedron hanging over the main desk in the lobby…a 20-sided figure created to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of Wake Robin.

The Woodshop has a binder of their projects, a fun photo history of people and the work they have done. There are several photos documenting the journey of a particular tree that fell during Hurricane Irene in 2011. It was a large maple that Bob W. sawed into logs, and a flatbed carried it to Shelburne Farms where it was dried and milled into lumber. Those planks came to be stored at 35 Crabapple, and they are now in the shop as stock for new projects. The circle of life of one Wake Robin tree.

The Wood Shop at Wake Robin is here to do a repair, help you learn a new skill, or just make some new friends.

If you think the idea of making a New Year’s Resolution has been around for a while, you’re right! We can trace it back to the Babylonians over 4,000 years ago. A common resolution then was to return borrowed farm equipment. The ancient romans ran with the idea as did medieval knights with the “peacock vow.” Americans in the early 1900s took a spiritual tack on self-improvement resolutions such as “build a stronger moral character,” or “develop more restraint in the face of earthly pleasures.”  Today, we have our own take on making positive changes in our lives.

Not surprisingly, the majority of responses were “I don’t make resolutions!” but some people still make the effort. Jo-Ann B. offered this: “My resolutions EVERY year are to be kind, stay healthy, be physically active, and engaged with life as a Vermonter, American, and world citizen.  The pleasure and privilege of another year to me are indeed a blessing and a gift.  As for sticking with these broad resolutions, I persevere and persist and remember that humor and a good laugh every day always help.”

Another realistic approach came from Candace P. “Hah! Every year I fail to get my Christmas letter to friends and family written and sent before Christmas. So, my New Year’s resolution is often to send a New Year’s letter in January. I fail more often than I succeed. If I’m lucky, my friends receive a Valentine’s letter instead!”

The Welsh Garden at Wake Robin has seemingly always been a fixture of Wake Robin’s landscape. It is situated on the back lawn, next to the Aquatic Center. During the last phase of renovation, there was much effort put in to protect the space from harm. This garden is not just meant to be beautiful or to be a space of reflection; it was built as a testament to a former resident.

The garden is named for Priscilla Welsh. She was well known in the community through her involvement with Planned Parenthood, Civil Liberties Union, the Unitarian Church, and as a partner in By-Gone Books. She was also well known for her love of flowers. She especially loved nurturing flowers around Wake Robin to beautify the public spaces for everyone. When she passed unexpectedly, one of her friends decided that there could be no better tribute than a beautiful space filled with flowers, shrubs, and benches.

When this area was created in 1999 – flowers and shrubs were transplanted from Welsh’s personal garden, as well as from the gardens of her family members. The centerpiece of this space is a stone fountain that circulates water as it passes through the irrigation system, keeping nearby plants watered.

Since its creation, there have been a few minor changes, mostly to make the space more accessible for those with walkers and wheelchairs.

This Wake Robin landmark remains today as a reminder to stop to smell the flowers. A magnificent gift to remember someone who was very loved and who appreciated upholding the beauty of Wake Robin.

The Jean Connor Library has gone through quite a few transitions through its existence at Wake Robin. It began with a basket containing a few books available for residents to borrow. It has now evolved into a library with over 4,000 volumes, 1,000 DVDs, and audiobooks.

A haven for all book lovers at Wake Robin, the library is named after one of the community’s first residents, Jean Connor. A librarian for 30 years before retiring, Connor was dedicated to the organization and functionality of the space. The library currently operates with about 25 resident volunteers and it’s their dedication that ensures the offerings are always evolving and growing. “It’s a big job with tracking returns, organizing shelves, overlooking donations, and considering new purchases,” says Pat D, the head librarian.  “While there is always a constant stream of donations from residents, there are also many new volumes per month added to the collection.”

The most recent transformation occurred during the renovation of the Community Center finishing in 2020. This construction created space for the addition of 750-1000 more books as well as enlarged areas for reading tables and comfy chairs. Resident committees such as the Nature Committee and the Racial Justice Committee were granted dedicated shelf space to house special topics.  A few shelves of children’s books await grandchildren of residents (these books are not usually expected to return).

Scheduled hours?  7 days a week, 365 days a year! If the Community Center is open, the library is also open for business.  Even through Covid, avid readers were offered their favorites by way of curbside pick-up.  Gratefully, the doors are once again open for all to enjoy this special place.