When my husband and I bought our farm in the late ’70s, many possibilities existed for it. Demolish the old house and build a brand new mega-mansion, or keep the house, update it and add an addition, which we did. Sell off the land to builders, or keep it as a farm, which we did. Clean up the pond and build a cabin retreat beside it, or leave it wild for the beavers to develop, which we did. This is just to say, we chose to be who we are as nature and circumstances evolved around us.
In developing The Gathering Place, we have kept the Abington Area Community Classroom as our core. AACC is the anchor for all we hope to do in the future. Bringing people together to share their skills and ideas with their neighbors — The Gathering Place is simply a place for this to happen. The Gathering Place is not a major foundation or corporation. It is a civic organization like Rotary or Lions, existing to bring people together for the betterment of the community. We hope The Gathering Place will grow organically into an arts and education center open to learning of all sorts, a place that will reach out to what is here and work with it.
What’s happening right now? The architects’ plans are out to bids. Thank you Highland Architects. We should be considering contractors’ bids within the next month. Can construction be far behind?
Meanwhile classes are filling. The bus trip to New York City on April 16 is full — a wait list is available in the event there are cancellations. The trip to the Hagley Museum and Winterthur on May 14 has some seats left, but those interested should call soon.
The cooking classes are popular choices. Cinco de Mayo is full, but the others have a few spaces, and a wait list is available for those who like living on the edge.
One AACC committee member organized a group of friends for a girls’ night out to take the floral arranging class. What a great idea! Some people have done this with the cooking classes — a night out learning and tasting with loved ones. One year a man brought his whole family to take a jewelry class; what a good idea for bonding with your kids. We like to give reasons for people to get out and come together.
Other classes that begin in April: Sock Knitting, Basic Smocking, Personal Growth through Self-Hypnosis, The Grace of Yoga, Feng-Shui Your Way to Positive Change, Eating Healthy All Year, and Twenty-First Century TV. Don’t forget Session 2 of Ballroom Dance: Advanced Bolero, Intermediate Hustle, and Beginner Country 2-Step beginning April 11. All have wonderful, experienced instructors who will engage participants’ minds and bodies in new ways of thinking and doing. The Feng-Shui class needs 10 people to run, so register soon. Learn the ancient art of Smocking on two Monday nights in April; a few more people are needed so we can run that class.
Book Club meets at noon every third Tuesday downstairs at Everything Natural.
And finally, the Strawberry Day-5 K Run is coming. Mark June 18 on the calendar, rain or shine. There will be a Family Fun Run at 10:30 a.m. Adults, kids, families all come out for a fun day in downtown Clarks Summit. Co-sponsored by the National Running Center (which contributes a share of the proceeds to the Gathering Place), plans are for vendors, food, and fun and games behind the borough building on Spring Street.
Check out our website www.Gathering PlaceCS.org for the latest updates on classes and events.
