Cruising the Seine & Paris

Skip and Linda Brinz shared their travel adventure of cruising the Seine River in France and their additional week long stay in Paris. The classroom was full of interested members for this armchair trip. Their tour include several beautiful villages, the museums and beaches of WWI and WWII and of course Paris "The City of Light". To view the presentation, click here.

First Ladies of America

Professor Heidi Jo Green gave us a wonderful presentation on the First Ladies of America. We all studied the Presidents while in school, but didn't get much information about the First Ladies. She shed light on the "woman behind the man" and their role as wives. This was a very lively discussion and our members expressed great interest in learning more. To review the presentation click here. Professor Green also gave us a reading list if members want to read more in-depth on the First Ladies, click here. Also of interest may be the Library of Congress List of Presidents, First Ladies and Vice Presidents at http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/057_chron.html

Stamp Collecting & Postal History

Jonathan Topper, of Topper Stamps and Postal History, gave a very informative presentation not only on stamp collecting but about the history of the postal service. He covered the period of time from the early 1800’s to the present. He addressed the evolution of this important service in terms of who paid for mailing letters and eventually packages, how stamps came into being and the history that can be found in the cover’s (envelopes) and the letters that they contained. We will try to have Jonathan back next spring to give another presentation for those that missed this class.

Topper Stamps & Postal History

Jonathan Topper

11210 Steeplecrest Dr., Suite 120

Houston, TX  77065

Near Sam Houston Tollway and Hwy 290

Office Hours: By Appointment Only, Monday-Friday

To schedule an appointment, complete the form at http://www.topperstamps.com/contact-us/

Nobel Peace Prize 2014

Professor Sophia Mrouri, Professor of Political Science, gave us a great program on the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2014. The two winners for 2014 were Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and their right to education for all children. To view her presentation, click here.

Moroccan Kefta Tagine

Professor Sophia Mrouri shared some of her adopted Moroccan culture with us this morning by making a Moroccan Kefta Tagine. This is a wonderful dish with small meatballs in a flavorful tomato sauce. To see the recipe, click here.

What Makes Happy People Happy

Dr. Nicholas Spezza led a lively discussion on What Makes Happy People Happy. He credits Jacob Sokol with organizing 12 attributes of Happy People. The group members expressed their ideas and experiences on this interesting subject. To review the discussion topics click here.

Blending of Cultures - The Asian Connection

We had a wonderful class this morning with Rick and Catherine LeBlanc. Their son, who lives in Singapore, recently married a lady who's heritage is from India. The LeBlanc family was able to visit both Singapore and parts of India. There was in-depth discussion about both cultures. Rick showed us some of the pictures from the wedding that were wonderful expressions of the colorful nature of India. To view the pictures, click here.

Mushroom Tortellini Soup with Creamed Corn Bread

Chef Louie pleased the crowd as again. This time he made Mushroom Tortellini Soup with a side of Creamed Corn Bread. Both were yummy and easy to make. Lou prefers to use the "Baby Bella" mushrooms in the soup for more flavor. Be sure to have all ingredients prepared and standing by as you make the soup....then it's 1,2,3 and simmer until it is soup. For the recipes click here.

A Tour of Scotland

Nathalie Brandes, LSC-Montgomery Professor of Geosciences, took us on another great trip through the country of Scotland.  We learned about the country's geological formations, some interesting archeology and history.  Nathalie also shared places to visit off the beaten path.

To view her presentation, click here.

Colored Pencil Theory and Techniques

Marianna Wood is an ALL member who loves drawing with colored pencils. We are lucky that she shared her experiences with us in a class. To understand color theory you must first know the color spectrum. The first exercise in this class was to learn the difference in warm and cool colors, the density of coloring and how colors are changed by blending and whitening each primary color. Students are to return the second week with a colored chart of 144 color variations using reds, yellows and greens. To see the chart she provided the students click here.

Amazing Folding Photo Album

Mary Ellen Walsh was with us today showing us how to make the Amazing Folding Photo Album. This is a fun project that can be used to make photo albums for yourself, family and friends. These make wonderful gifts for any occasion. To see instructions: click here. Additional info, through experience the teacher prefers to make the covers first, then make the inside sheets.