Happy New Year, Bugbee! Hope you are ringing in 2024 with some good cheer and lots of fun. 2023 was a whirlwind year at Bugbee with new programs and increases in attendance. The more the merrier! Last month we enjoyed a wonderful holiday season, strong turn out at the Craft Fair, and tons of fun trying our hand (or paint brushes) with the “Bad Art” portraits. We’re going to continue running that fundraiser until we run out of canvasses, so let us know if you want to purchase one!
Things “sort of” quiet down at Bugbee during the winter months (if you can ever call it quiet here!), but we’ve got some useful programs coming up to help with our new year resolutions. Senior Fitness starts up again this month, Dr. Ran He is back to talk about eye health, and we’re kicking off 2024 with another free community vaccine clinic on January 2 —this one also includes RSV vaccines. HVC Cares will also be here to do some heart and vascular screenings, and Dena is coming back to talk about home modifications that can help improve safety and accessibility in our homes as we age.
That’s a lot of “grown up” stuff, but the fun continues as always. Lunch and high stakes Bingo with our friends from Lebanon is January 8th! Let’s show our neighbors a good time. We’ve got some interest in forming a Boggle group as well, just in case Bridge, Hand & Foot, Mah Jongg, and Cribbage are not your style…or why not pick all of them? And we’re really excited to continue our partnership with CraftStudies, who received a Vermont Arts Council grant to support a new class exploring quilt blocks.
Here’s hoping to a healthy and happy 2024. I’ve been reflecting on all the new people I’ve met at Bugbee over the last year, all the stories and wisdom that have been shared, and the rich enjoyment of life that comes with aging. We all know that challenges may lay ahead but we’re stronger together, and Bugbee is absolutely, without a doubt, a strong community. Thank you, and staff, and our awesome volunteers for making it happen!
Mark Bradley
Executive Director