ALL Spring 2018 Schedule Now Available

The Spring 2018 ALL schedule is now available in the CE office (CASA 116), at the Library Reference Desk, in the Friends of the Library Bookstore, and at the Information Desk in the CASA building. Stop by to pick up a few extra copies for friends and family

Note, the CE and many other LSC-CyFair offices will be closed for the holidays from Thursday, Dec 21 through Wednesday, Jan 3. Plan accordingly.

We look forward to seeing you ALL in the New Year! Don't miss our Open House on Friday, Jan 12, from 10am to Noon in the Conference Center (CENT 151).

Spring 2018 Schedule Now Online

You can preview the ALL Spring 2018 schedule here. Current members will receive a copy in the mail in the next few weeks.

CyFair Spring 2018 Open House

Friday, January 12 from 10am-Noon

Conference Center, CENT 151

Check here for additional information on Open House as we get closer to the event. Enjoy the Holiday break with family and friends.

Acrylic Painting

We had a class learning to do a floral painting with our great instructor, Linda Gabrielson. We had lots of fun, as you can tell.  Take a look at our paintings below.

ALL Holiday Party

Passport Services at LSC-Tomball Library

Harris County District Clerk's office is now offering Passport Services at the Harris County Public Library located at the LSC-Tomball campus.

Gift Wrapping for ALL

They Call Me Ranger Ray

We have been invited by the History Department to a presentation by Ramiro "Ray" Martínez .

Martínez was a young officer with the Austin Police Department in August 1966 when he, another officer and a civilian made their way to the observation deck of the University Texas Tower and ended the carnage by infamous sniper Charles J. Whitman. Martínez continued his career in law enforcement and became a Texas Ranger. After retiring from the Rangers, he served as a Comal County justice of the peace. He now lives in New Braunfels.

Thursday, November 16th, 2017

Conference Center

6:30pm

Polar Bear Den Emergence Quest

Andy Morley spent over a week on the Kaska coast of Canada's Hudson Bay in a search for polar bears emerging from their dens with newborn cubs. Andy led us on his adventure describing the blizzard and the beauty of what he experienced leaving us in awe of nature.

You can view Andy's presentation here.

The Best of Northern France - Paris & Normandy

Lou and Sue Master gave a presentation on their 7 day trip, last spring, to northern France. The first 3 days were spent in Paris visiting sights including the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Marais district, and a Bastille-area farmers market among others. Next, they took a bus to Normandy visiting various sites including Monet's Gardens in Giverny, the WWII Landing Beaches and the American Cemetery. At the end of the presentation, the class was treated to French macaroons and tartlets.

You can view Lou's presentation and pictures here.

Mini Gourd Santa

Linda Gabrielson gave us another great craft idea for the Holidays - Mini Gourd Santas. Very cute and fun to make. You can view some of the Santa's from class below.

ALL's Readers Theater

What a fun series of classes with David Maslane, Professor of English, who led our Readers Theater. We read Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose. In our third and final class, we read on the Recital Hall stage. Great job, everyone! Below are a few pictures of the class.

Immunizations - Age Well, Live Well!

Connie Assiff from the Harris County Public Health Department gave a introduction to many of the activities the department performs. For us as seniors, she and Dr. Haynie, concentrated on how we can benefit from immunizations. Whether it's for travel reasons or being around the grandchildren, there is a need to be vaccinated. We all should get a flu shot every year.

You can see Connie's presentation here.

German Settlers in Texas and Harris County

Germans make up the 3rd largest population in modern Texas. Monte Parks led us on the journey of many Germans as they made their way to Texas. He also discussed their contributions to Texas culture and society and specifically how the Germans influenced our own Harris County area.

You can view Monte's presentation here.

Bosque Gallery - Steel, Stones and Sticks

The Bosque Gallery–Center for the Arts–CyFair is hosting a Tea + Art + Talk today, November 7th, and has cordially invited the ALL group to participate. Please come by to meet the artist, Glenn Edwards.

Artist/Speaker :  Glenn Edwards “Steel, Stones & Sticks”

Date and Time:  November 7, 1:30-2:15 pm

Event:  Tea + Art + Talk

Spindle Tree

Linda Gabrielson was back showing us how to make a folk art tree we can use for the holidays or just decoration around the house. Please view a few of these hand-made trees below by the class members.

Cruising to Alaska

Sharon and Marty shared the pictures and stories of their 2016 Alaskan cruise. Beautiful scenery and wildlife from Vancouver to coast of Alaska all the way to Denali.

You can view their presentation here.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Lou Master was back for another delicious creation, Sweet and Sour Chicken. Great smells and a favorite for many using pineapple, bell peppers, carrots and onions. You can also use shrimp and/or pork with this recipe.

You can view Lou's recipe here.

Holocaust Museum - Pinochet's Chile

Michelle Tovar from Holocaust Museum Houston gave us a great presentation on Pinochet's Chile; from Pinochet's rise to power and those that helped him to the atrocities his government committed on his own people. To think, all of this just happened in the 1970s, not so long ago.

You can view Michelle's presentation here.

Clowning Around with the Grandkids

What a fun treat to have our own professional clown in our midst. Melo Pisha shared with us some of her secrets to entertaining the young and the young at heart. We learned juggling, face painting, some magic tricks and of course, balloon animals. Lots of fun had by ALL!

You can view some of Melo's notes here.

Snowman Hat Centerpiece

What a great idea for the holidays. Linda Gabrielson showed us how to make our own unique snowman hat using a can, a plate, and our own imaginations to decorate. You can view a few of our finished centerpieces below.

Closing the World Gender Gap

Another interesting presentation from Kendra Penry of Heifer International. We learned how empowering women in developing countries can significantly increase the productivity and sustainability of their communities. We discussed several specific examples of how Heifer and other non-profits are helping to end hunger and poverty in the world.

You can view Kendra's presentation here.

The Joy of Bird Feeding

Based on the book by Jim Carpenter, the Founder of Wild Birds Unlimited, we learned how to start and succeed in feeding our backyard neighbors. In this two-part class we learned the five steps to bird feeding mastery. In addition, we expanded step three to learn the 12 elements of a thoughtful bird feeding station.

You can view the presentation here.

Support for Caregivers

Are you or have you been a caregiver? Take this quiz, here, to find out. You might be surprised by your responses. Erial Green, Baker Ripley's Sheltering Arms Senior Services Support Specialist, shared with us many of the challenges caregivers face and the resources available to us.

You can view Erial's presentation here.
"Prepare to Care" by AARP can be viewed here. It is a good reference for caregivers.
Caregiver support services offered by BakerRipley can be viewed here.

Holiday Ornaments

We are getting into the spirit of the holidays with the latest class from Linda Gabrielson. Such cute holiday ornaments made from cinnamon sticks. Who knew? See some pictures from class below.

Reconsider the 70s: How Should We Remember the Decade?

The decade of the 1970s was a big one for many of us. Prof. Blake Ellis presented some thoughts on the decade; was it the end of the radical Sixties or the beginning of the conservative counterrevolution of the 1980s? Interesting discussion on how war, sex, race, gender and economics became flash points in our politics, even today.

You can view Blake's presentation here.

California-From Drought to Deluge

Nathalie Brandes, Geology professor, presented an overview of the causes and effects of the climate events happening in California in recent years. A very interesting discussion about some of the reasons for the climate changing from record drought to record flooding to the wildfires experienced today.

You can view Nathalie's presentation here.

Trouble in Zion

LSC History Professor Angela Bell led us through the history of the Mormon Church from its beginning in New York through its progression and problems in Missouri in the 1830s. She detailed the resulting conflict between the Mormons and their Missouri neighbors that gave way to the Missouri Mormon War in 1838. 

A copy of Angela's presentation can be seen here.

Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Lou Master showed us another easy and delicious baked dish with zucchinis stuffed with an Italian sausage mixture and topped with mozzarella cheese in a marinara sauce. It was accompanied with a side of mashed cauliflower mixed with butter and parmesan cheese. As usual, good-sized samples were enjoyed by everyone in the class.

You can view Lou’s recipe here.

3 Weeks in Italy

Lone Star College offers several Study Abroad trips each summer for students. Mark Darby and Cheryl LeJune, ALL members, ventured to Italy with 5 professors and 18 students for a 3-1/2 week adventure. They shared the many locations they visited and many of the things they learned while on the trip with Mt. Vesuvius as the backdrop for most of the trip.

You can view their presentation here.

Female Inventors

Beginning with the US colonies up to the Space Age, Monte Parks, Education Programmer at Jesse Jones Park, led us on an interesting journey of women inventors. We learned of practical to very technical contributions made by women during this time. The presentation was based on women inventors listed by the patent office, so many women inventors remain unknown or forgotten.

You can view Monte's presentation here.

Virtual Dementia Tour

Many of us have a family member or friend with dementia in one of its forms. Abby Rudd, Avanti Senior Living dementia specialist, presented us with valuable information regarding dementia. With the help of Kelly Huntley, Avanti's Memory Care Director, the class participated in a virtual dementia tour to help understand how disorienting and difficult life can be for a person with dementia. Trying to perform the most basic tasks became impossible. Great discussion after we went through the tour.

To get an idea of what we experienced, please view the ABC Nightline report here.

Alabama Literacy Test

Great discussion on the right to vote and how extra-legal devices were used to prevent certain groups from doing so. Nancy Kral, retired Political Science professor, led us on the journey of voting rights and their changes over our country's history. And then, we took an Alabama Literacy Test. Very interesting results.

To see how you would do, the Literacy Test can be viewed here.

Indian Cooking

Thank you Shaheen Ansari for sharing with us some of your favorite South Asian Indian recipes. We tasted chicken curry, lentils, basmati rice and naan. She showed us some short cuts on how to make these recipes seem so much more doable at home.

You can view Shaheen's recipes here.