MONTHLY CALENDAR OF EVENTS: DECEMBER 2024

NEW PASSENGER VAN!
At Home In Darien is excited to announce the acquisition of a 12 person passenger van! We will be utilizing the van for group rides to a wide variety of events and activities. These rides are open to every senior in town. Even if you drive regularly, but don’t like to drive at night, just leave the driving to us. Our primary goal is to connect seniors not only with each other, but also to the broader community. We would love to hear your input and suggestions for destinations, events, etc. We have scheduled two events for December: The Old Fashioned Holiday at Tilly Pond Park on Saturday, December 7th and the Holiday Concert at Darien High School on Wednesday, December 18th. See below for more information about reserving your ride to these events.

OLD FASHIONED HOLIDAY
Saturday, December 7th from 3:00pm to 6:00pm at Tilly Pond Park, Darien (Rain date: December 8th). For more information about this free event call Darien Parks & Recreation at 203-656-7325. Call At Home In Darien at 203-655-2227 to reserve a ride to this event if needed. 
Come and enjoy some holiday cheer with your friends and neighbors. Take in the holiday lights and a roaring fire, snap a photo at a photo barn backdrop or with ice sculptures and watch a live ice carving demo! Decorate cookies and wooden ornaments then send a Wish Lantern over the pond. New for 2024, the event will have food and beverage available for purchase from food trucks, a live ice sculpting demo, and residents can shop for holiday gifts during their first ever night market.

HOLIDAY CONCERT AT DARIEN HIGH SCHOOL
Wednesday, December 18th at 7:00pm in the Darien High School auditorium, 80 High School Lane. Call At Home In Darien at 203-655-2227 to reserve your space, and request transportation if needed.
Get into the holiday spirit by listening to the sounds of the DHS Band, Chorus, and Orchestra! We will be providing transportation to and from the event in our new passenger van.  and seating will be reserved in the high school auditorium.

NEED HELP WITH HOLIDAY CHORES?
At Home In Darien’s Friendly Helper Volunteer Elves are happy to help with holiday chores, such as bringing up boxes of decorations from your basement or wrapping gifts! To learn more about our volunteer assistance, including our Friendly Visitor and Friendly Shopper programs, please give us a call at 203-655-2227.

AT HOME IN DARIEN ANNUAL MEETING
Thursday, December 5th at 11:30am at Darien Town Hall, Room 119. To reserve your spot, call 203-655-2227 or email [email protected].
You are invited to join the At Home In Darien Board of Directors for refreshments and a special meeting, where we provide an update of activities and services over the past year, and discuss the goals for 2025.

DARIEN SWAP SHOP
The Darien Swap Shop, a volunteer organization, needs members of our local community to join them.  Come make friends in Darien, and help the environment by reducing waste. They have flexible volunteer shifts (1-2hrs/month) and training will be provided. To volunteer, email [email protected].
The swap shop is currently open Thursday and Friday (10:00am to 12:00pm) and Saturday from (9:00am to 12:00pm) for shopping and dropping. Please follow them on Instagram, @DarienSwapShop and @DarienRecyclingCenter, for current hours and weather-related closings. As a reminder, the Swap Shop takes usable items only. If you are unsure what they accept, or have other questions, send them an email at [email protected].

HALF PRICE TAXI VOUCHERS FOR SALE
Darien seniors and people with disabilities are able to purchase taxi vouchers from At Home In Darien for 50% off the cost for taxi rides for whenever you want to go. Call us at 203-655-2227 for more information.

HOLIDAY CLOSING
We will be closed Tuesday, December 24th and Wednesday, December 25th for Christmas.
We will be closed January 1st for New Year’s Day.

NEED A RIDE TO ONE OF THESE GREAT EVENTS?
Call At Home In Darien at 203-655-2227. We offer transportation services for Darien seniors within Darien, Stamford, Norwalk and New Canaan. Our service hours are Monday through Thursday from 9:00am to 4:00pm, and Friday from 9:00am to 1:00pm. Please give us as much advance notice as possible to book your reservation.      

THE FOLLOWING EVENTS, DATES, AND TIMES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
PLEASE CONFIRM WITH THE ORGANIZATION PRIOR TO THE EVENT

THE LIT TREE LANE STROLL
Friday, November 29th at 6:30pm, Darien Library. No registration required. For more information click here.
Celebrate the holiday season at Darien Library’s second annual Lit Tree Lane Stroll! Be among the first to experience the Library transformed into a winter wonderland with beautifully decorated holiday trees by local artists and organizations, including At Home In Darien! Enjoy festive music, catch up with friends, and indulge in refreshments.

MONDAY NIGHT MOVIE: “DÌDI”
Monday, December 2nd at 6:30 pm, Darien Library Community Room. No registration required. For more information click here.
“In 2008, during the last month of summer before high school begins, an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy learns what his family can’t teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love your mom.”– Focus Features

CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP
Monday, December 2nd at 7:00pm and Wednesday, December 11th at 11:00am. To register for these Bridges by EPOCH virtual events click here.
Caring for a loved one with dementia can be an emotional roller coaster ride – one fraught with stress, frustration, guilt and uncertainty. Join other family caregivers and dementia care professionals who understand your challenges and can help make your journey a little bit easier.

WAVENY VISITING NURSE AND HOSPICE BLOOD PRESSURE AND HEALTH SCREENING
Tuesday, December 3rd from 11:00am to 12:00pm and Thursday, December 19th from 12:30pm to 1:30pm. Call Darien Senior Programs at 203-656-7490 to register.                     
A nurse from Waveny Life Care provides bimonthly blood pressure and health screenings.

DECEMBER MUSIC WITH GIL HAREL: TCHAIKOVSKY’S THE NUTCRACKER, HOW A LATE 19TH CENTURY BALLET BECAME AN ICONIC HOLIDAY CLASSIC
Tuesday, December 3rd at 7:00pm, Darien Library Community Room. To register, click here.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote many works, spanning a cornucopia of genres including symphony, concerto, and even opera. But he is perhaps best remembered for his ballets, and of those, The Nutcracker looms largest. In fact, some estimates suggest that American ballet companies generate nearly 40% of their annual ticket revenue through this singular work. Written in the musical idiom of the late romantic style, the score features many iconic melodies recognizable to cognoscenti and lay listeners alike.

WAVENY PRESENTS: SENIOR NUTRITION – HOW TO BE SUPERMARKET SAVVY
Wednesday, December 4th at 12:30pm. Call Darien Senior Programs at 203-656-7490 to register.
Food labels can be misleading and confusing. Learn what it all means and how to make healthier choices.

COMMUNITY DINNER
Wednesday, December 4th from 5:45pm to 6:45pm in Horton Hall at Noroton Presbyterian Church, 2011 Post Rd., Darien
We all know how important it is to feel part of a community and spend meaningful time together. Noroton Presbyterian will be hosting monthly dinners to simply get community members together. All are welcome!

COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS: SIN-LESS SWEETS FOR EVERY OCCASION
Wednesday, December 4th at 7:00pm. To register for this AARP virtual event, click here: https://events.aarp.org/CleanDec4
Dazzle your holiday guests (or treat yourself) with these healthy desserts. Recipes include: Dark Chocolate and Cinnamon Tart with Walnut Date Crust, Skillet Apple Cobbler, and Candied Pistachio Clusters with Dark Chocolate and Meyer Lemon Zest. Recipes are gluten, dairy, and refined sugar free (but you’ll never know by tasting them!).

MOVIE AND TREAT – “THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS”
Thursday, December 5th at 12:30pm. Call Darien Senior Programs at 203-656-7490 to register.
“The Man who invented Christmas” is a 2017 Christmas biographical comedy-drama film about Charles Dickens directed by Bharat Nalluri and written by Susan Coyne. Based on Les Standiford’s 2008 non-fiction book of the same name, the joint Canadian and Irish production stars Dan Stevens, Christopher Plummer and Jonathan Pryce, and follows Dickens (Stevens) as he conceives and writes his 1843 novella A Christmas Carol.

HOLIDAY TRIVIA WITH DAVID PLOUE
Friday, December 6th from 12:30pm to 1:30pm. Call Darien Senior Programs at 203-656-7490 to register.
Engage in a trivia program filled with many uniquely fun and interesting questions on holidays, food and drink. You might even take home a prize. Come join the fun!

FRIDAY MOVIE MATINEE: HOLIDAY SURPRISE FILM!
Friday, December 6th at 3:30pm, Darien Library Community Room. No registration required. For more information click here.
Join Darien Library for a special holiday film screening! The title will be revealed on the day of the show — come ready for a festive surprise!

HOLIDAY SING-ALONG WITH NICK D
Sunday, December 8th at 3:00pm, Darien Library Community Room. To register, click here.
Get ready to lift your voices and celebrate the season as Nick leads us through a delightful mix of holiday classics and favorites. Bring your holiday cheer, warm up your vocal cords, and come together for an unforgettable musical celebration that’ll have you humming all the way home! All are welcome — make this season merry and bright!

MONTHLY MINDFULNESS & MEDITATION FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT
Monday, December 9th at 12:30pm. Call Darien Senior Programs at 203-656-7490 to register.
Darien’s Monica Keady, registered Yoga Teacher, will apply the principles and practices of yogic meditation, Western Psychology, Buddhist teachings, and Mindfulness based stress reduction. This class is for everyone — no prior experience needed! You will leave with renewed energy and tools to practice at home.

CONTEMPORARY TINY HOMES PRESENTS: ACCESSIBLE UNITS/SMALL HOUSES
Monday, December 9th at 12:30pm. Call Darien Senior Programs at 203-656-7490 to register.
Hear a presentation of designed home models that cater to everyone’s needs. Explore your options from detached units for privacy, attached units for proximity, or convert an existing garage or basement. This will include Darien’s building/zoning requirements.

MONDAY NIGHT MOVIE: “LOVE THE COOPERS”
Monday, December 9th at 6:30pm, Darien Library Community Room. No registration required. For more information click here.
“Christmas with the Coopers follows the Cooper clan as four generations of extended family come together for their annual Christmas Eve celebration. As the evening unfolds, a series of unexpected visitors and unlikely events turn the night upside down, leading them all toward a surprising rediscovery of family bonds and the spirit of the holiday.”– Apple TV+

ART GOTTLIEB – HOLIDAY STRESS
Tuesday, December 10th from 12:30pm to 1:30pm. Call Darien Senior Programs at 203-656-7490 to register.
It is well known among counselors and therapists that business picks up after the summer is over and people tend to remain “in a funk” until springtime arrives. There are two basic reasons for this phenomenon. The first is the well documented observation that the winter months leave people feeling sad due to the shorter periods of daylight and being “cooped up” inside because of the cold and snowy weather. This sense of isolation had been made worse to by pandemic restrictions and the lasting societal changes that resulted. The second, and perhaps more common reason, is the fact that the holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s remind people of loved ones who have passed, and relationships lost.

AUTHOR TALK: RUTH REICHL, “THE PARIS NOVEL”
Tuesday, December 10th at 7:00pm, Darien Library Community Room. To register, click here.
Foodies, fashion, and fiction fans: are you ready for a “mouthwatering” (New York Times) adventure through the food, art, and fashion scenes of 1980’s Paris? Darien Library, along with Barrett Bookstore, welcomes author Ruth Reichl who will discuss her new book, The Paris Novel. Ruth will be in conversation with Page Berger.

MARK ALBERTSON PRESENTS: PEARL HARBOR
Wednesday, December 11th from 12:30pm to 1:30pm. Call Darien Senior Programs at 203-656-7490 to register.
Join Mark Albertson for a lecture on the attack on Pearl Harbor. He will discuss Pearl Harbor, a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu.

WEBINAR WEDNESDAYS: CREATING A MINDFUNESS TOOLKIT
Wednesday, December 11th at 1:00pm. To register for this AARP virtual event, click here: https://events.aarp.org/mindfulness
This webinar introduces mind/body practices that can be integrated into your daily life. Discover ways to care for your feet, hands, shoulders, hips, and spine. Learn how connecting with your breath and breathing practices calm your mind and increases wellbeing. Your toolbox of practices will help improve your strength and mobility, which helps delay the onset of chronic conditions or diseases, stave off cognitive decline, alleviate depression, stress, and anxiety, and live longer with vitality. We will also discuss how a plan and mindset are crucial for your self-care success.

WOMEN AND MONEY ROUNDTABLE: HOW TO MAKE SENSE OF TODAY’S FINANCIAL MARKETS
Wednesday, December 11th at 1:00 pm, via Zoom. To register for this Darien Library virtual event, click here.
Julia Strayer and Liz Maccarone will lead a lively and informative discussion on today’s financial markets and how they might fit into your portfolio.

VARIETY ENTERTAINMENT – JASON PIPITONE
Thursday, December 12th:  Lunch at 12:00pm ($5.00); Entertainment at 12:30pm (free). Call Darien Senior Programs at 203-656-7490 to register.
You will be amazed at this holiday juggler show and enjoy Jason’s wonderful sense of humor.

NEW WAVES SINGERS
Friday, December 13th from 12:30pm to 1:30pm. Call Darien Senior Programs at 203-656-7490 to register.
The New Wave Singers is composed of 16 members of the Darien Men’s Association who have been singing together for about 9 months. The group sings acapella with occasional piano accompaniment. Their repertoire of songs primarily includes hits of the 1960’s and 1970’s along with some patriotic, gospel and holiday songs. Music Director, Hon Hunt, is an experienced conductor, singer and songwriter.

HOLIDAY MUSICAL PERFORMANCE: ACABELLA!
Sunday, December 15th at 3:00pm, Darien Library Community Room. To register, click here.
A beautiful musical experience awaits! Join Darien Library as they welcome back Acabella who will sing songs of the season and more! Acabella was founded in 2001 and currently comprises 13 women from the Lower Fairfield County area. The group is named Acabella, which combines the musical term, a cappella, which means unaccompanied by musical instruments, and bella, the Italian word for beautiful. The group is currently directed by Heather Raker, one of its founders, and Carolyn Woodberry, who has been singing with the group since its inception.

URBAN ARCHEOLOGIST, GREG VAN ANTWERP PRESENTS – TREASURES IN YOUR CHIMNEY
Monday, December 16th at 12:30pm. Call Darien Senior Programs at 203-656-7490 to register.
Greg, The Ghost of Christmas Past, will be stopping by in the form of History Hunter, Van Antwerp. He will be sharing stories of his latest hunts and bring greetings from holidays past.

MONDAY NIGHT MOVIE: “HOME ALONE”
Monday, December 16th at 6:30pm, Darien Library Community Room. No registration required. For more information click here.
“Eight-year-old Kevin McAllister is accidentally left behind in suburban Chicago while his family travels on vacation to France during the holiday season. Once he realizes they’ve left him home alone, Kevin learns to fend for himself and protect his house against bumbling burglars, Harry and Marv, who are planning to rob every house in the neighborhood. Kevin’s mother Kate is frantic when she realizes that she and the family have unintentionally left Kevin behind. She tries to make it back to Chicago as fast as she can, getting help from a polka band leader named Gus Polinski.”– 20th Century Studios

DARIEN LIBRARY BOOK CLUB – “THE FURY”
Tuesday, December 17th at 1:00pm. Call Darien Senior Programs at 203-656-7490 to register.
Goodreads book review: A masterfully paced thriller about a reclusive ex–movie star and her famous friends whose spontaneous trip to a private Greek island is upended by a murder.

CIRCLE OF LIGHT
Wednesday, December 18th : Lunch at 12:00pm ($5.00); Entertainment at 12:30pm (free). Call Darien Senior Programs at 203-656-7490 to register.
Share thoughts and reflections in regards to this special time of year. Musician Steve Alison will perform some of your favorite holiday music along with a sing a – long. Please wear festive garb! Chef Judi will be making a special holiday meal. Please come at 11:45am for seating.

COOL CRAFTING WITH LIZ – HOLIDAY TREES
Thursday, December 19th at 1:00pm. Call Darien Senior Programs at 203-656-7490 to register.
Making a holiday tree is a delightful way to get into the holiday spirt. This festive project is perfect for bringing joy and creativity to your holiday celebrations.

CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP
Thursday, December 19th at 1:00pm. Call Darien Senior Programs at 203-656-7490 to register.
Facilitated by Beth Paris, gerontologist and Director of DSP, this group is open to anyone who cares for a family member or friend with needs, especially related to cognitive impairments such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. This group will explore your concerns in a supportive and safe environment. Beth has over 30 years of experience helping caregivers navigate caregiving.

FIGHTING FRAUD WITH AARP CT: GIFT CARD SCAMS
Friday, December 20th at 12:00pm. To register for this AARP virtual event, click here: https://events.aarp.org/FightFraudDec
A 2022 AARP survey found that one in four respondents to the AARP survey said they had given or received a gift card that turned out to have no value on it. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), gift cards are also the most common way scammers seek money from their targets. In this 30-minute webinar, hear from the CT Department of Consumer Protection on how scammers are using gift cards and how to keep yourself safe.

HOLIDAY MOVIE – “HOLIDAY INN”
Monday, December 23rd from 12:30pm to 2:20pm. Call Darien Senior Programs at 203-656-7490 to register.
“White Christmas” and other Irving Berlin tunes highlight the tale of an inn that is only open on holidays.

NEW YEAR’S MOVIE – “NEW YEAR’S EVE IN DRESDEN”
Thursday, December 26th at 12:30pm. Call Darien Senior Programs at 203-656-7490 to register.
Bruch’s First Violin Concerto is “the richest, the most seductive” in the repertoire, said dedicatee Joseph Joachim. Hear it paired with pieces by Kreisler, Rossini, and Tchaikovsky on this effervescent New Year’s Eve program.

SUDOKU AND OTHER FUN GAMES THAT WILL TEST YOUR MEMORY
Friday, December 27th at 12:30pm. Call Darien Senior Programs at 203-656-7490 to register.
What is Sudoku? A popular form of a number game. In its simplest and most common configuration, sudoku consists of a 9 × 9 grid with numbers appearing in some of the squares. The object of the puzzle is to fill the remaining squares, using all the numbers 1–9 exactly once in each row, column, and the nine 3 × 3 sub grids. This event will also include some history, trivia and fun word activities.

SHARE YOUR FAVORITE NEW YEAR’S MEMORIES WITH LIZ O’BRIEN
Monday, December 30th at 12:30pm. Call Darien Senior Programs at 203-656-7490 to register.
You may bring in five pictures or items to go along with your favorite memory. Everyone will get a chance to talk about their favorite memories of 2024.

MONDAY NIGHT MOVIE: THE DOCUMENTARY “BLIND AMBITION”
Monday, December 30th at 6:30pm, Darien Library Community Room. No registration required. For more information click here.
“An unlikely team of Zimbabwean refugees turned sommeliers shake up the international wine establishment when they compete in the World Wine Tasting Championships. “Blind Ambition” is an inspiring underdog story for the ages.”– Amazon Prime

At Home In Darien
2 Renshaw Road, Darien, CT  06820
Tel:  203.655.2227  Fax: 1.866.224.4210
www.athomeindarien.org
Connecting Seniors to Community