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IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom at the Vineyard Church
Join us to explore all the ways that costume, makeup, and hair design can help tell stories. Plays and musicals, live-action and animated movies and TV shows, theme parks, video games, and other types of entertainment use these design elements as an integral part of communicating their stories to the audience. Melanie will discuss various aspects of story and character and how costumes, makeup, and hair make them come alive. Melanie Schuessler Bond is the faculty Costume Designer at Eastern Michigan University. In addition to numerous university theatre designs, her professional design credits include productions at the Michigan Shakespeare Festival (Charley's Aunt, Julius Caesar, Twelfth Night, and others), Williamston Theatre in Williamston, MI (Chapatti, Five Course Love, The Art of Murder, and others), and Tipping Point Theatre in Northville (Southern Comforts and Crimes of the Heart). Professor Bond's portfolio can be viewed online at http://costumes.melanieandjeremy.net/.
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Fee: $15.00
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Instructor(s): Melanie Schuessler Bond
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Dates: 4/29/2025 - 4/29/2025
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: Tu
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Building: Vineyard Church
Room: Classroom at the Vineyard Church
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IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom at the Vineyard Church
Join Matt Spoor for Warblers of Washtenaw, an engaging talk about these vibrant, migratory birds. Many warblers grace Washtenaw County briefly each year, passing through during migration. Take a moment to pause, learn about their fascinating journeys, and discover ways to spot them. Matthew Spoor, a naturalist with roots in birding, is a passionate environmental educator and enabler of habitat restoration efforts throughout Washtenaw County. As Park Steward Coordinator at the City of Ann Arbor Natural Area Preservation, he works with volunteers to develop and implement ecological restoration workplans in Ann Arbor's natural areas. Matt volunteers his expertise as a Park Naturalist Assistant for Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation, as a Board Member and Field Trip Chair for the Washtenaw Bird and Nature Alliance, and as Ornithology Instructor for MSU Extension’s Michigan Master Naturalist Program. Matt also developed and manages A2Nature.org, a simple, hand-curated website about Ann Arbor area nature events.
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Fee: $15.00
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Instructor(s): Matthew Spoor
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Dates: 4/29/2025 - 4/29/2025
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: Tu
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Building: Vineyard Church
Room: Classroom at the Vineyard Church
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IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom at the Vineyard Church
Gifted is a deeply satisfying film (2017) about a single man dedicated to raising his spirited young niece who is a child prodigy. Their life together becomes threatened when the girl’s mathematical abilities come to the attention of her overbearing grandmother, who has her own plans for the girl. This outstanding film has a rich mixture of humor and drama to provide an entertaining experience for mature audiences. Rated PG-13. Toby Teorey is the current Vice Chair of the Elderwise Council. He is retired from the Computer Science and Engineering Department at the University of Michigan, and in retirement pursues his enduring love of world history, music, and culture.
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Fee: $15.00
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Instructor(s): Toby Teorey
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Dates: 4/30/2025 - 4/30/2025
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: W
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Building: Vineyard Church
Room: Classroom at the Vineyard Church
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IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom at the Vineyard Church
Recent events in commercial aircraft travel, such as the Boeing 737 Max crashes and severe injuries caused by severe turbulence during flight, have generated an increased level of fear within the flying public. Some passengers have even gone so far as to change flight plans if they are scheduled to fly on a Boeing 737 Max. This presentation is intended to give a behind-the-scenes view of safety protocols such as aircraft design, testing, pilot training, etc., that are in place within the commercial aviation business to ensure safety of flight within the commercial aviation business. The presentation will also address some of the underlying reasons associated with the Boeing 737 Max crashes. Bud Thomas is a retired Aerospace Engineer with 50+ years of experience, including rocket engine design for the Saturn-V Apollo rocket, the Space Shuttle’s main engine, and jet engine design for commercial and military aircraft. He was personally held accountable by all the different national Regulatory Agencies to assure design practices that met Regulatory standards. Pat Schroeder has been flying since age 18 and pursued a career as a professional pilot (American Airlines Flexjet), and chief flight instructor, both charter and corporate. Pat and a team of senior pilots developed training that prioritized a safety-mindset in all operations.
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Fee: $15.00
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Instructor(s): Bud Thomas
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Dates: 4/30/2025 - 4/30/2025
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: W
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Building: Vineyard Church
Room: Classroom at the Vineyard Church
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- This class has reached the enrollment limit. Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below.
OFFSITE TOUR: LeFurge Woods Nature Preserve
Enrollment: This tour is limited to 15 attendees. A waitlist will be available.
Please let the Elderwise office know if you are unable to attend this tour. This gives students on the waitlist an opportunity to join. It also helps the onsite class assistant.
Join botanist Bev Walters on a wildflower walk through LeFurge Woods just north of Ypsilanti, where the rich woodland never fails to delight the nature explorer. It is home to the typical spring wildflowers such as Trillium, Wild Ginger and various Violets, and it also harbors some of the less common species like Waterleaf, Spring Cress, and Blue Cohosh. Trails are often muddy in the spring, so wear appropriate footwear. Beverly Walters has experience both as a field botanist and a Museum Collections Manager at the University of Michigan Herbarium. Now retired, she helps maintain and improve the Herbarium's Michigan Flora Online website (https://michiganflora.net), a popular resource for plant identification. Bev pursued her botanical studies at Michigan State University. Driving directions and parking instructions will be emailed to class registrants a few days before the tour.
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Fee: $15.00
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Instructor: Beverly Walters
Capacity Remaining: -4
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Dates: 5/1/2025 - 5/1/2025
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: Th
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Building: Offsite
Room: LeFurge Woods Nature Preserve
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IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom at the Vineyard Church
Leaf411, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is the nation's first national cannabis nurse hotline and guidance service, committed to expanding healthcare equity by ensuring consumers have free or low-cost access to evidence-based information. Leaf411’s mission is to provide education and directional support to the public about the safe and effective use of cannabis. During this presentation, Mary Loyer, RN, a Leaf411 nurse, will provide a general overview of cannabis medicine, and explain how a cannabis nurse can assist in finding answers to our questions. Topics will include a brief overview of how components of the cannabis plant (marijuana and hemp) interact with the body, potential therapeutic benefits, how to avoid unwanted side effects, and the potential for interaction with other medications. Mary Loyer, RN, has been working with Leaf411 for three years to increase awareness of this essential public education resource. She has spent 25 years in the healthcare industry, concentrating on medication safety. After retiring in 2021, she returned to school to earn a certificate in cannabis medicine from Pacific College in California.
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Fee: $15.00
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Instructor(s): Mary Loyer
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Dates: 5/1/2025 - 5/1/2025
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: Th
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Building: Vineyard Church
Room: Classroom at the Vineyard Church
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ONLINE: A Zoom invitation link will be sent one day before class begins.
The Louvre Museum in Paris has a huge collection that includes many of the world’s best-known artworks. Wendy Evans will discuss many of its highlights, including ancient art like the Venus de Milo, Renaissance works including Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Michelangelo’s sculptures for the tomb of Pope Julius II, and French masterpieces like Jacques-Louis David’s Coronation of Napoleon and Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres’ Grande Odalisque. She will also explore some less-famous well-known works to give us ideas of what to look for on future visits. Wendy Evans was raised among the museums of London, England, and holds advanced degrees from Oxford University and Wayne State. She taught art history at Wayne and is a long-time docent volunteer at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Wendy loves to share her passion for art with groups like Elderwise. More information is available at www.art-talks.org.
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Fee: $15.00
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Instructor(s): Wendy Evans
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Dates: 5/2/2025 - 5/2/2025
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: F
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Building: Online Course
Room: Online via Zoom
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ONLINE: A Zoom invitation link will be sent the Friday before class begins.
Canadian author Louise Penny writes mysteries set in Quebec, Canada, primarily centered around the fictional village of Three Pines. Her images of Quebec life and locations have attracted tourists from far and wide. Linda Gintowt is an insider: born in Montreal, raised and educated in areas around Montreal, summering in her youth (and to this day) in the Eastern Townships of Quebec where Louise Penny lives and on which she models Three Pines. Linda will provide photos, facts, and first-hand accounts of Quebec culture as experienced by the bilingual-anglophone minority living there, as well as many of the locations featured in Three Pines. For context, if you are not familiar with her characters and settings, you may choose to read Still Life by Louise Penny, prior to the class. Linda Gintowt holds an M.A. in drama from the University of Toronto. She has a passion for history and the preservation of art, culture, and the natural world. Linda previously served as the Elderwise Program Coordinator and is pleased to share her interests with Elderwise friends.
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Fee: $15.00
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Instructor(s): Linda Gintowt
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Dates: 5/5/2025 - 5/5/2025
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: M
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Building: Online Course
Room: Online via Zoom
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IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom at the Vineyard Church
Dance, Girl, Dance (1940), starring Maureen O’Hara and Lucille Ball, is one of a very small number of films from Hollywood’s Golden Age that was directed by a woman – Dorothy Arzner. We will view the film in the first session, and then discuss it in the second session by looking closely at a number of specific examples from the film and considering them in relation to the film as a whole. Discussion will be supported by recent research conducted by the instructor, who is in the process of writing a book about the film and is actively interested in the Elderwise community’s ideas about it. Matthew Solomon is a professor in the Department of Film, Television, and Media at the University of Michigan. He is the author of Disappearing Tricks: Silent Film, Houdini, and the New Magic of the Twentieth Century, which won the Kraszna-Krausz Award for best moving image book. He has also authored a BFI Film Classics monograph on Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush, and, most recently, Méliès Boots: Footwear and Film Manufacturing in Second Industrial Revolution Paris.
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Fee: $30.00
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Instructor(s): Matthew Solomon
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Dates: 5/7/2025 - 5/14/2025
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Sessions: 2
Days: W
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Building: Vineyard Church
Room: Classroom at the Vineyard Church
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IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom at the Vineyard Church
America’s punitive policies go far back in our history, but stressing accountability instead brings many more long-term benefits. Other countries like Norway and Germany see good people who need to be accountable instead of bad people who need to be punished. Near the end of sentences, they plan weekends at home and part-time jobs, to make those adjustments more successful. Long sentences for our tens of thousands of citizens locked away in America’s prisons hurt families at home, waste taxpayers’ money, and often disable people when they are released. Many people in prisons are too far from home to ever have family visits. They feel warehoused, bored, and very nervous about going home. They are angry about long sentences, especially for drug-related offenses. They are angry about the high percentage of people of color locked away. While teaching high school completion classes in the federal prison in Milan, Judy Wenzel learned that students needed to overcome their fears of being back in school, learn to be on time for class and with their assignments, and do their best work. They responded to being treated with respect and being seen as good people, and that respect was returned. Judy Wenzel taught high school completion classes in the federal prison in Milan, and is the author of Light from the Cage: 25 Years in a Prison Classroom.
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Fee: $15.00
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Instructor(s): Judy Wenzel
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Dates: 5/7/2025 - 5/7/2025
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: W
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Building: Vineyard Church
Room: Classroom at the Vineyard Church
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IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom at the Vineyard Church
We live in a youth-oriented culture which sometimes implies that older people are “over the hill” and no longer useful in society. We may find ourselves grappling with stereotypes of “seniors” that just don’t feel like they fit us. So, what is true for us about our own aging process as we experience it? What are the gifts of growing older? What are the challenges we face? How are we continuing to learn and grow? What are our heart’s desires for the rest of our lives? What legacy do we want to leave? Could aging be an opportunity to deepen our connections with ourselves, each other, the community of life, and the Divine, however we experience it? Come share your own experiences and wishes and learn from others’ perspectives in a safe, supportive environment. Nancy Ogilvie is a life-long learner and retired organizational change practitioner. Her favorite job (during her forties) was working with older volunteers at AARP because they showed her how much joy and growth can be present as we age. She is now 72 and navigating these questions about her own aging process every day.
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Fee: $15.00
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Instructor(s): Nancy Ogilvie
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Dates: 5/8/2025 - 5/8/2025
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: Th
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Building: Vineyard Church
Room: Classroom at the Vineyard Church
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ONLINE: A Zoom invitation link will be sent one day before class begins.
In this follow-up to Winter term’s Planning Your Organic Raised Bed Garden, Sheila will introduce alternative gardening techniques like vertical gardening, square foot gardening, and succession planting, which are perfect for those who want to make the most of limited space or explore new ways to cultivate an organic garden. We will explore companion planting strategies that foster a thriving ecosystem within our gardens, helping to naturally control pests, improve soil health, and optimize plant growth. We will also explore sustainable gardening practices that will help to extend the life of our gardens, boost plant yields through smart companion planting and alternative gardening techniques and protect our harvest. Sheila will also share information on how to effectively store and preserve organic produce for year-round use. Sheila Carroll is an author and gardening enthusiast. She provides a simple, earth-wise approach to cultivating a beautiful garden and more sustainable living. Her book, Organic Raised Bed Gardening: Seven Easy Steps to a Sustainable, Low-Stress, and Chemical-Free Backyard Harvest of Vegetables, Herbs, and Flowers, is a top pick on Amazon for backyard and container gardening.
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Fee: $15.00
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Instructor(s): Sheila Carroll
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Dates: 5/9/2025 - 5/9/2025
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: F
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Building: Online Course
Room: Online via Zoom
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ONLINE: A Zoom invitation link will be sent the Friday before class begins.
Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Cezanne loved them. So will you – the colors, culture, and cuisine of Provence. Last fall, Gerlinda Melchiori took us on a journey to the Normandy Coast in Northern France. This spring, she leads us on a tour of southern France, primarily in the Provence region. We will visit famous historical sites such as the global port of Marseille, papal Avignon on the River Rhône, and the Toulon of Les Misérables, on the Mediterranean Coast. We will then walk the paths of the Impressionist painters, hike the steep canyons and vineyards, and view with joy the lavender landscapes of this exquisite region. And, we will do all of this without the millions of tourists who come here every year. Gerlinda Melchiori holds advanced degrees in history and business, and a doctorate in higher education management from the University of Michigan. She has served as an international consultant to universities around the world. Her special interests include the history and arts of regions and cultures worldwide.
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Fee: $15.00
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Instructor(s): Gerlinda Melchiori
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Dates: 5/12/2025 - 5/12/2025
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: M
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Building: Online Course
Room: Online via Zoom
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HYBRID: In the classroom and online. A Zoom link will be sent to all one day before class.
The names of cities along America’s southeastern coast are almost magical. Names like Savannah and Charleston speak of hanging moss and mystery, of southern charm and hospitality, of beautiful homes and cultures immersed in history. The first stop on this journey through the deep south was St. Augustine, Florida, where it seems everything is the oldest in America. Next comes Georgia’s Jekyll Island, once a retreat exclusively for the very wealthy and now a vacation paradise for everyone. Savannah, Beaufort, and Charleston are within 70 miles of each other and, while each is distinctive, all share in creating a relaxed southern manner of living amid the architectural masterpieces they call home. George Jabol received his B.A. degree from Muskingum College in Ohio, and a Ph.D. in English language and literature from the University of Michigan. Fully retired now from a career with the federal government, George creates photographic slide shows as a way to remember his travels and share them with others.
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Fee: $15.00
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Instructor(s): George Jabol
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Dates: 5/13/2025 - 5/13/2025
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: Tu
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Building: Hybrid: In-Person and Online
Room: Vineyard Cafe and Zoom
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IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom at the Vineyard Church
Registrants should read A Lesson Before Dying prior to the first class.
This class begins at 9:30 a.m. and goes until 12 noon.
Rural 1940s Louisiana is the setting for Ernest J. Gaines’s (1933-2019) sixth novel, A Lesson Before Dying, winner of the 1993 National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction. While he is perhaps best known for The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1971), A Lesson Before Dying is considered to be Gaines’s masterwork. It was adapted into a film in 1999, starring Don Cheadle (Grant Wiggins), Mekhi Phifer (Jefferson), Cicely Tyson (Tante Lou), and Lisa Arrindell (Vivian Baptiste). In our first session we will discuss the author’s life and this novel, and in our second session we will view the film adaptation. Combining the two will give us a better understanding of how the work continues to resonate in the 21st century. Registrants should read A Lesson Before Dying prior to the first class. Kevin Eyster is a Professor Emeritus at Madonna University in Livonia, where he continues to teach courses in literature.
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Fee: $30.00
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Instructor(s): Kevin Eyster
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Dates: 5/15/2025 - 5/22/2025
Times: 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM
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Sessions: 2
Days: Th
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Building: Vineyard Church
Room: Classroom at the Vineyard Church
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IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom at the Vineyard Church
Cross-dressing has occurred since civilization began. This class will explore the reasons people cross-dressed, and how their cultures responded to their nonconformist attire. In some eras and places, no one really cared. In others, cross-dressing could get a person killed by people, by governments, and by religions. Joan of Arc was burned at the stake not just because of her heretical notions but because she dressed as a man. Many, like Joan, cross-dressed but made no attempt to hide their true sex. Others realized that indeed their gender identity was the opposite of their biological sex. We will watch and discuss The Danish Girl which centers on the lives of real people. Eddie Redmayne portrays Einar/Lili who undergoes an early sexual reassignment surgery in the early 20th century. Susan Nenadic holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in history and English. She is known for her integration of history and literature in teaching, and is the author of several books and articles, including A Purse of Her Own: Occupations of 19th Century Women, and Legendary Locals of Ann Arbor. Susan currently leads Friends of Amoru, a non-profit organization building a secondary school in Uganda.
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Fee: $45.00
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Instructor(s): Susan Nenadic
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Dates: 5/15/2025 - 5/28/2025
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
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Sessions: 3
Days: W Th
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Building: Vineyard Church
Room: Classroom at the Vineyard Church
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1st session is on Thursday, May 15;
2nd session is on Wednesday, May 21;
3rd session is on Wednesday, May 28
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- This class has reached the enrollment limit. Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below.
OFFSITE TOUR: Northwest Washtenaw County
This hike is limited to 8 attendees.
Note: Because the enrollment is limited and Tom’s hikes are popular, he will be guiding this same exact hike on May 30.
Please let the Elderwise office know if you are unable to attend this tour. This gives students on the waitlist an opportunity to join. It also helps the onsite class assistant.
Mud Lake Bog occupies part of a 260-acre property owned and protected by the University of Michigan, west of Whitmore Lake. It is a true bog system - an open, often floating wetland characterized by an absence of water input from streams and by acid-loving plants adapted to nutrient-poor conditions. The bog is reached by a strenuous slog through densely tangled swamp land and wet mucky ground. Those who persevere will be rewarded by the breathtaking open aspect of the quaking peat bog itself and the lake it still surrounds after thousands of years. Hikers should dress warmly in old clothing and wear boots suitable for walking through pooled water and mud. Tom Friedlander is a retired University of Michigan trained tree-and-shrub taxonomist who spent 38 years teaching and coaching at Greenhills School in Ann Arbor. Driving directions and parking instructions will be emailed to class registrants a few days before the tour.
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Fee: $15.00
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Instructor: Tom Friedlander
Capacity Remaining: -1
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Dates: 5/16/2025 - 5/16/2025
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: F
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Building: Offsite
Room: Mud Lake Bog
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HYBRID: In the classroom and online. A Zoom link will be sent to all one day before class.
This is about art and about history, but it is not art history. Let's be footloose and fancy free, and just follow our feet from one imaginary gallery to another, from one museum to another, to an astonishing building here and a surprising home or factory there. Without any boundaries of time or space, let's enjoy the work of creative people, one by one, asking ourselves how the font of human ingenuity is opened and nourished and fulfilled. The imagined galleries we visit for this class will feature first, the work of 17th century wood carver Enku, who traveled throughout Japan and is said to have created 120,000 carvings of the Buddha. Our second gallery will be that of our guide, Ann Arbor artist and tall man Mike Kapetan, who has made wood carving a focus of his career. Michael R. Kapetan is an artist whose own work is informed by the scientific, the aesthetic, and the spiritual as he creates holy images for churches, synagogues, and temples, plus unique solar sculptures that mark the turning of the seasons. Mike is retired from the University of Michigan’s School of Art. He holds a degree in art history from Harvard University, and a master’s degree in sculpture from the University of Michigan.
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Fee: $30.00
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Instructor(s): Michael R. Kapetan
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Dates: 5/22/2025 - 5/29/2025
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
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Sessions: 2
Days: Th
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Building: Hybrid: In-Person and Online
Room: Vineyard Cafe and Zoom
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IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom at the Vineyard Church
Playwrights do not create their characters the same way other fiction writers do. Good novels and short stories feature fully-fleshed-out characters that the readers feel they know. Good playwrights create sturdy skeletons that actors can embody and flesh out with their own artistry. Our presenters will take a look at how actors go about doing just that. We will learn how actors glean clues from the script, and what questions they ask themselves to help them make bold, honest, and interesting choices. Laura Bird is a retired theater educator, director, and designer. She earned her doctorate in Theatre History from Michigan State University in 1999. Laura was Associate Professor and Director of Theater at Concordia University, and taught at Greenhills School in Ann Arbor. She is currently on the Board of PTD Productions in Ypsilanti, and often works on their shows in one or more of a dozen or so capacities; however, she enjoys directing and scene design the most. Janet Rich is one of the founding company members of PTD Productions in Ypsilanti. She has a Master's in Performance Studies from Eastern Michigan University. A dedicated theatre artist, Janet has created scores of roles and helped many other actors fine-tune their own character development.
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Fee: $15.00
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Instructor(s): Laura Bird
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Dates: 5/27/2025 - 5/27/2025
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: Tu
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Building: Vineyard Church
Room: Classroom at the Vineyard Church
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- This class has reached the enrollment limit. Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below.
OFFSITE TOUR: Northwest Washtenaw County
This hike is limited to 8 attendees.
Note: Because the enrollment is limited and Tom’s hikes are popular, he will be guiding this same exact hike on May 16.
Please let the Elderwise office know if you are unable to attend this tour. This gives students on the waitlist an opportunity to join. It also helps the onsite class assistant.
Mud Lake Bog occupies part of a 260-acre property owned and protected by the University of Michigan, west of Whitmore Lake. It is a true bog system - an open, often floating wetland characterized by an absence of water input from streams and by acid-loving plants adapted to nutrient-poor conditions. The bog is reached by a strenuous slog through densely tangled swamp land and wet mucky ground. Those who persevere will be rewarded by the breathtaking open aspect of the quaking peat bog itself and the lake it still surrounds after thousands of years. Hikers should dress warmly in old clothing and wear boots suitable for walking through pooled water and mud. Tom Friedlander is a retired University of Michigan trained tree-and-shrub taxonomist who spent 38 years teaching and coaching at Greenhills School in Ann Arbor. Driving directions and parking instructions will be emailed to class registrants a few days before the tour.
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Fee: $15.00
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Instructor: Tom Friedlander
Capacity Remaining: 0
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Dates: 5/30/2025 - 5/30/2025
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: F
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Building: Offsite
Room: Mud Lake Bog
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ONLINE: A Zoom invitation link will be sent the Friday before each class session begins.
Class registrants should read Bernard Malamud’s The Natural (1952) before the 1st session.
Class registrants should read Mark Harris’s Bang the Drum Slowly (1956) before the 2nd session.
Baseball season is in full swing! What better time to read and discuss two acclaimed novels about “America’s pastime”? The first week’s discussion will be dedicated to Bernard Malamud’s The Natural (1952), the story of the rise and fall of a super hitter. The second session’s discussion will be dedicated to Mark Harris’s Bang the Drum Slowly (1956) and its focus on the friendship between a pitcher and catcher. Note: Both books were translated into well-received film versions later in the 20th century; while not required, class participants may be interested in checking them out. Class registrants should plan to read each book prior to its class session. Cecilia Donohue retired in 2013 following a 25-year career of undergraduate instruction, graduate teaching, and academic administration. She now resides in east Tennessee with her husband Bill and their menagerie of horse, cat, and dog. Currently an associate editor of The Steinbeck Review, Cecilia has written extensively on America’s southern authors and poets, notably Robert Penn Warren and Anne Tyler.
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Fee: $30.00
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Instructor(s): Cecilia Donohue
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Dates: 6/2/2025 - 6/9/2025
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Sessions: 2
Days: M
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Building: Online Course
Room: Online via Zoom
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IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom at the Vineyard Church
Between 1780 and 1855, the scenic but impoverished northwestern regions of Scotland were troubled by what became known as the highland clearances. Landlords sought to dedicate their estates to the more profitable businesses of sheep and cattle raising. They displaced their tenant farmers by forcing them into marginal communities, by raising rents, and by issuing evictions. The tenants, many of whom had resided in the same places for generations, reacted with bitterness and occasional violence to this betrayal of traditional arrangements. The outcome was large-scale emigration to Canada, the United States, and Australia. We will look at underlying factors (language, religion, politics, and technology), examine events at a few representative estates, and follow some of the emigrant groups to their new homes overseas. John Alan Stewart is a retired software developer with degrees in biology from the University of Michigan.
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Fee: $30.00
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Instructor(s): John Alan Stewart
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Dates: 6/3/2025 - 6/10/2025
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Sessions: 2
Days: Tu
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Building: Vineyard Church
Room: Classroom at the Vineyard Church
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OFFSITE TOUR: Villa Barr Art Park, 22600 Napier Rd, Novi MI 48374
Registrants are welcome to bring and enjoy a snack in the Park’s picnic area after the tour.
Time: 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.
In 1975, internationally renowned sculptor David Barr began creating his home and studios in what was a cornfield near Novi, Michigan. Over the next 40 years David and his wife, dancer Beth Dwaihy Barr, transformed the site, creating verdant gardens surrounding a small lake, where David installed over 20 major sculptures. The site is now Villa Barr Art Park, a singularly unique park with pathways and a picnic area, where visitors can discover, imagine, and unwind. Ken Stevens will serve as docent for a tour focusing on the interwoven dependence of life in the arts, sciences, and humanities. We also hope to include a presentation by resident artist, Australian sculptor Deborah Redwood. Ken Stevens came to Michigan from the University of Cincinnati. He is Professor Emeritus at Eastern Michigan University, where he created both the musical theater program and the graduate and undergraduate programs in arts management. Driving directions and parking instructions will be emailed to class registrants a few days before the class. Registrants are welcome to bring and enjoy a snack in the Park’s picnic area after the tour.
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Fee: $15.00
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Instructor(s): Ken Stevens
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Dates: 6/3/2025 - 6/3/2025
Times: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: Tu
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Building: Offsite
Room: Villa Barr Art Park
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ONLINE: A Zoom invitation link will be sent one day before class begins.
Hop on board and join Pat Butler for a road trip around the picturesque county of Cornwall. Situated on the southwesterly tip of the UK and enjoying an unusually mild climate, Cornwall has a plethora of interesting places to visit and fascinating tales to tell. We will visit quaint fishing villages, historic mining towns, medieval fortresses, and the famous Tintagel Castle where legend meets history. In addition to enjoying the stunning land and seascapes as we travel the county, we will also find time to stroll through the global gardens at the Eden Project, visit a seal sanctuary, appreciate artwork from around the world at the Tate, St. Ives, and so much more. Pat Butler was the Elderwise Administrator until retiring back to the UK in 2017. She is a Qualified Tour Guide for the National Trust's Living Back-to-Back History Museum in Birmingham, UK, and enjoys taking groups of visitors around this popular venue. Pat also enjoys presenting social history classes to members of Britain’s University of the Third Age.
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Fee: $15.00
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Instructor(s): Pat Butler
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Dates: 6/4/2025 - 6/4/2025
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: W
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Building: Online Course
Room: Online via Zoom
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HYBRID: In the classroom and online. A Zoom link will be sent to all one day before class.
Ray Stocking has new revelations to share in this fascinating program on one of the first great showdowns in America – the confrontation between the need to fulfill the demand for fashion, land, and timber, and the desire to save the “Lord God” bird, the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. It has been almost 20 years since the “rediscovery” of this stunning bird, and the expert backlash that immediately followed that announcement. With Ray’s guidance, we will have an opportunity to review what has happened since, and what lies ahead. Join us for this important chapter in the continuing saga of commerce versus conservation in America. Ray Stocking is a former president of the Washtenaw Audubon Society, a former board chair of the Michigan Audubon Board of Directors, and a passionate bird watcher. Ray lives in Ann Arbor and birds there…as well as everywhere else.
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Fee: $15.00
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Instructor(s): Ray Stocking
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Dates: 6/4/2025 - 6/4/2025
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: W
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Building: Hybrid: In-Person and Online
Room: Vineyard Cafe and Zoom
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- This class has reached the enrollment limit. Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below.
OFFSITE TOUR: Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit, MI
Time: 8:00 am. to 4:45 p.m.
Enrollment: This tour is limited to 15 attendees. A waitlist will be available.
Please let the Elderwise office know if you are unable to attend this tour. This gives students on the waitlist an opportunity to join. It also helps the onsite class assistant.
Fee: Member $32 Nonmember $37
Fee includes roundtrip bus fare, museum entrance, and docent fees. Lunch cost is not included.
For over a half century, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American history has dedicated itself to exploring and celebrating the rich cultural legacy of African Americans. Join us as we travel to Detroit on the D2A2 bus, leaving from the Blake Transit Center on Fifth Ave in downtown Ann Arbor at 8:00 a.m. When we get to Detroit, we will transfer to the Qline, to arrive near the museum. We will walk to a restaurant for lunch, the cost of the lunch is not included in the class fee. Following the Museum tour, we will take the Qline back to Grand Circus Park to board the bus to Ann Arbor, arriving at the Blake Transit Center around 4:45 p.m. Please note there will be a fair amount of walking to access our transfers and the restaurant. Class fee includes roundtrip bus fare, museum entrance, and docent fees. Lunch cost is not included. Additional details will be emailed to class registrants a few days prior to the tour.
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Fee: $37.00
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Instructor: Docent Charles H. Wright Museum
Capacity Remaining: -1
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Dates: 6/6/2025 - 6/6/2025
Times: 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: F
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Building: Offsite
Room: Charles H. Wright Museum
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IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom at the Vineyard Church
This class has an enrollment limist of 15. A waitlist will be available.
Please let the Elderwise office know if, after registering, you are unable to attend this class. This gives students on the waitlist an opportunity to join.
Fee: Member $10 Nonmember $15
Plus an additional $5 for materials
Whether using watercolors is brand new to you, or you have dabbled in the past, this class is for all those who love to watch color take shape as a piece of art. When you see how watercolors behave as you move them across the paper, you’ll feel the magic of creating something uniquely your own. This class is focused on very basic ideas of “where do I even begin?” We will learn a bit about mixing colors, and a bit about how to compose a picture. So, really, you don’t need to know anything, just come with the desire to play. You will go home with some 4x6 experiences on paper, and a completed card that you can keep or send. If you attended Julie’s winter Watercoloring 101 class, there will be a choice of projects for you to work on and take home. Julie Garvey is a gallery and online represented artist who moved from Maine to Michigan several years ago. She has studied at the University of Georgia, graduating with a BFA from The College of William and Mary in Virginia, and has been painting since she could hold a brush!
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Fee: $15.00
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Instructor(s): Julie Garvey
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Dates: 6/12/2025 - 6/12/2025
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: Th
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Building: Vineyard Church
Room: Classroom at the Vineyard Church
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OFFSITE TOUR: Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 1800 North Dixboro Road, Ann Arbor, MI
Enrollment: This class is limited to 25 attendees. A waitlist will be available.
Fee: Member $10, Nonmember $5
Plus and additional $10 for entrance fee.
Note: Parking is $4 for two hours, payable at the kiosk
Matthaei Botanical Gardens education team members will lead an interactive tour of the Great Lakes Gardens and Conservatory to explore plants from the unique plant communities in the Great Lakes Region and from around the world. The Great Lakes Gardens re-create our region’s natural habitats such as open dunes, alvar, and prairies. We will see species found in Michigan and nowhere else in the world, as well as native orchids, and prairie wildflowers. In the gardens, a series of accessible pathways, boardwalks, and overlooks invites up-close views of plants we might never encounter in the wild, while interpretation illuminates the role conservation plays in protecting this unique diversity. Walking shoes are recommended. Stations where one can sit and rest will be available throughout the tour. The tour will be led by Matthaei-Nichols Professional Docent Staff. Driving and parking directions will be sent to class registrants a few days before the tour.
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Fee: $15.00
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Instructor(s): Gardens Matthaei Botanical
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Dates: 6/13/2025 - 6/13/2025
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: F
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Building: Offsite
Room: Matthaei Botanical Gardens
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- ONLINE registration for this class is now closed.
If the start date of the first session has not happened yet,
please call or email the Elderwise office to get registered.
Thank you!
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ONLINE: A Zoom invitation link will be sent the Friday before each class session begins.
Using prepared questions and our own observations, the discussion each month will explore a book from current bestseller lists. Selected books for the Spring 2025 term are:
April
The Man in the Crooked Hat by Harry Dolan
Please read before the first class session.
Published in 2017, 354 pages, Mystery
One cryptic clue leads private investigator Jack Pellum into a labyrinthine search for the man he believes murdered his wife.
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May
Long Island (Ellis Lacey Series) by Colm Tóibín
Please read before the second class session.
Published in 2024, 304 pages, Fiction
Eilis Lacey, the complex and enigmatic Irish heroine of Brooklyn, is now forty-two with two teenage children. One day an Irishman tells her that his wife is pregnant by her Italian husband, Tony, and that he expects the baby is to be raised by her. She refuses.
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June
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Please read before the third class session.
Published in 2008, 372 pages Fiction (inspired by a true story)
The novel follows a rare manuscript, an illuminated Hebrew manuscript created in 15th century Spain, through centuries of exile and war, and to the intrigues of fine art forgers and ultranationalist fanatics.
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The facilitators will send a list of discussion questions for each book to all registrants prior to each Book Club session.
Kathleen and William Hillegas are long-time members of both Elderwise and the Book Club. Both are avid readers, and look forward to a lively exchange of ideas, opinions, and interpretations.
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- ONLINE registration for this class is now closed.
If the start date of the first session has not happened yet,
please call or email the Elderwise office to get registered.
Thank you!
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Online Pre-Play Class: Friday, May 9, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
A Zoom invitation link will be emailed one day before the class begins.
Pre-Play Class Presenter: Laura Bird
Matinee LIVE Performance: Wednesday, May 14, 2:00 p.m.
Riverside Arts Center, 76 North Huron Street, Ypsilanti, MI
Written by Julie Marino
Directed by Laura Bird
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Fees:
Members $27; Nonmembers $32
Includes pre-play class and one ticket to the performance.
Extra Tickets are $17 each.
Please contact the Elderwise office to purchase extra tickets. This cannot be done online.
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A chance meeting on a plane and a dizzy spell at the luggage carousel brings young Rory to Evelyn’s home in the Caribbean to stay for a few days. Evelyn and Rory, despite their generational age difference, find love and acceptance in each other. Rory gradually finds himself at ease and useful in Evelyn’s home and Evelyn is delighted to have a pleasant and helpful young companion. A relationship that seemed odd to them at first (and remains so for Evelyn’s family) leads to questions about whether there are boundaries to true friendship and affection. What, exactly, is the meaning and nature of love? Laura Bird is a retired theater educator, director, and designer. She earned her doctorate in Theatre History from Michigan State University in 1999. Laura was Associate Professor and Director of Theater at Concordia University, and taught at Greenhills School in Ann Arbor. She is currently on the Board of PTD Productions in Ypsilanti, and often works on their shows in one or more of a dozen or so capacities; however, she enjoys directing and scene design the most.
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