Plenty to do as we head into 2024

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By Patti Tyznik

Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge

(708) 496-0265 • ptyznik@gmail.com

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Patti Tyznik

Another year has passed us by; some moments joyous, others made us cry. A dear co-worker departed from this earth, while others await the joy of a new birth! We had warm winter days and dry summer nights; gigantic skeletons on our lawns that gave us quite a fright! There were carnivals and parades to march in; baseball picnics and school giveaways to delight in! A Christmas tree lighting, an ofrenda to the dead; fall festivals and cookie walks, all dancing in my head! Now the year closes and we await the new. Let’s hope and pray for each other in all that we do. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Now here’s what’s going on in our neck of the woods. Cheers!

At the Garfield Ridge Branch Library

We had a wonderful turnout of 42 seniors for our annual senior Christmas party on Dec. 9. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Pticek’s Bakery for donating another beautiful cake to our party; to Pawel and PASA Inc. for bringing Santa to our branch and for our dear friend and neighbor, Geno Randazzo, for covering the cost of Santa’s visit and for donating pumpkin pies.

I thank all the seniors who attended my program and for bringing treats. Finally, a huge thank you goes to Bud and Marge for providing the live music and good cheer, free of charge. They truly are a blessing for bringing such musical talent to our seniors. We had a lot of fun thanks to the good heartedness of our community!

• Adult Planner Meet-Ups are set for Saturdays, Jan. 27 and Feb. 24 from 10 a.m. to noon at the library, 6348 S. Archer. Please bring your own journal/planner, stickers, washi tape, gel pens and anything else to create a one-of-a-kind planner for the New Year and be guided on your journey to mindfulness and peace. Hosting a planner meet up is all about socializing, having a creative outlet and finding inner peace. It’s all the rage and a great way to keep you motivated all year long. The library will provide some art supplies, gel pens, markers and stickers, as well as light refreshments. Feel free to bring a treat to share.
• Play Day is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 20. Play with our toy kitchen, trains, cars, bingo dabbers, stampers, trains, dolls and so much more! Great opportunity for kids ages 15 months to 4 years to socialize and make friends.
• Chess for Kids returns to the library at 3:30 p.m. Wednesdays starting Jan. 17 for children ages 9-12. This program is for children who already know the basics of chess.
• Time for Tots runs at 10:30 a.m. Mondays, Jan. 29; Feb. 5 and 26. Join us for stories, songs, rhymes and a themed craft to take home. Early arrivals can color and build puzzles. Playtime follows. This is for children ages 15 to 36 months with a caregiver. Please note: All Chicago Public Library facilities will be closed on Monday, Jan. 15 and Mondays, Feb. 12 and 19.
• Games People Play meets from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursdays for adults. Join us for Scrabble, UNO, trivia, Yahtzee, LCR, cards and more. Light refreshments are provided. Feel free to bring a game of your own, as well.
• Baby Time meets at 10 a.m. Fridays starting Jan. 12-26 for children ages 0-15 months. This program will introduce your baby to the wonderful world of reading and socializing with other little ones at the library. Join us for a story, a few songs and simple play time. 

At the Clearing Branch Library

• Join Ms. Kim for Afterschool Bingo at 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23. Thursday Story Time returns at 11 a.m. Jan. 11, 18 and 25, for children ages 0-5.
• Winter Stories is a special story time that will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17.
• There will be a Medicare 101 presentation at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 20. See Rob for more information.
• Clearing Board Game Club returns at 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 22. Choose from their inventory of modern games or bring your own. This group meets every other Monday.

Mark your calendar

• The Ladies Guild of St. Faustina Parish will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9 (weather permitting) for bunco at the St. Pope John Paul II Center, 5201 S. McVicker. The cost to play is $10. Contact Andi at (773) 610-5686 for more information.

• The Garfield Ridge Senior Satellite Center, located at Archer and Laramie, is always looking for new members and they host many fun and engaging activities throughout the year. See Julie at the center for more information or how to sign up, or call (312) 745-4255. All programs are for people age 55 and up.

The City of Chicago, through a contract with White Crane Wellness Center, provides the center with a nurse and social worker every week and a dietician and pharmacist once a month. The dietitian comes on the third Monday of every month at 10 a.m. and offers seniors one-on-one consultations and is ready to answer any questions regarding nutrition.

The pharmacist is there on the third Wednesday of every month (Jan. 17) at 10 a.m. She gives a weekly talk and then offers one-on-one consultations as well. (A senior can actually bring in a list of their prescriptions and the pharmacist can help look for any bad interactions with one another).

The social worker comes every Thursday from 9 a.m. noon. Nurse “Marcy” is there every Thursday from 12:30 to 3 p.m. She’ll take your blood pressure and give you a card to help keep track of your own blood pressure so she can monitor you as time goes by.  She also does one-on-one consultations. At 1 p.m., the nurse also provides an arthritis exercise class that is very popular among seniors.

Try something new and attend one of the neighborhood’s many programs.