Feb. at the library: silent reading, de-cluttering, landscape paintings
January 28, 2025 | By Judi ByronFeb. 3: This post was updated with info about the Waterbury Housing Task Force Workshops.
A library program in February offers strategies to tackle clutter in your home. Courtesy photo
The Waterbury Public Library’s calendar is busy heading into February.
Here are some highlights from adult programs coming up. For a full schedule of events and activities, including children’s and youth programs, visit WaterburyPublicLibrary.com online.
Feb. 8: Saturday ‘Thrive in ’25!’ movement series begins
Becky Widschwenter of Mindful Movement with Becky has a new three-part workshop series beginning Saturday, Feb. 8, running every other week through March 8. Expect to connect with your authentic values and desires, create inspired action through movement & awareness, learn practical tools for getting unstuck and holding yourself accountable, and be part of a supportive community. Becky will introduce “deliberate journaling” using Brene Brown’s “Living into Our Values” exercise. Participants will explore dynamics that keep you from “doing what you say you want,” to learn to use Mindful Movement to pursue an empowered way of being.
The class will meet in the Steele Community Room from 10:30-11:30 a.m. This class is for anyone ready to build sustainable wellness habits, those seeking guidance during a seasonal-life-shift, anyone new to the community looking for connection, or those who simply want to feel inspired and intentional in the year ahead. Come with curiosity and leave with a sense of direction, confidence, clarity, and community bonding.
The first workshop will cover the “Live Into Your Values” exercise, Mindful Movement with Becky, and Have a Plan & Ride the Wave activities. The Feb. 22 session brings Mindful Movement with a concentration on neck stretches and a voice clearing/activation, goal supporting system journaling, and thought ladder exercise. The last class on on March 8 offers enhanced posture through Mindful Movement breath & core exploration, and personalized accountability journaling. Participants will need: a journal, comfy clothes and sock-feet recommended. Movement practice will be done mostly from a seated position. All are welcome. Class is limited to 24 participants. Register in advance here.
Feb. 11: Waterbury Housing Task Force workshop series begins
File photo by Gordon Miller
The Waterbury Housing Task Force will host four monthly workshops starting Feb. 11 to coach local property owners interested in learning how to increase their housing capacity by adding apartment units to existing dwellings.
The educational workshops will be held at the Waterbury Public Library and will be geared toward property owners interested in increasing housing capacity, earning income from their property, and helping shape the character of the town’s housing landscape.
The sessions titled “Building Better Waterbury: Homeowner Solutions for Housing Growth and Resilient Living” will meet Feb. 11, March 18, April 15 and May 13 at 6 p.m. in person and via Zoom with recordings posted online later. Read more about the series here.
Oil landscapes by V Monte are on exhibit at the library through February.
Feb. 17: Artist meet & greet
The natural beauty of Vermont inspired theater artist, V Monte, to create a series of landscape studies. The library is currently exhibiting her work through the end of February in the café space on the first floor.
Currently based in Central Vermont, Monte has only recently returned to the canvas, having spent decades as a theatrical director/designer, with credits throughout the United States, off-Broadway, and in international venues. She holds a BA from Stetson University in Fine Art, as well as an MA from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Directing for Classical and Contemporary Text. Her primary body of work features a mix of plein air impressionist and tonalist influences.
On Monday, Feb. 17, Monte will visit the library for a talk on her process and the inspiration behind the creation of her oil landscapes. This meet and greet event will be from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. in the café with the talk at 7 p.m. Refreshments will be served.
Feb. 18: ‘Lightening the Load’ tips on de-cluttering
Got clutter? The library has a program to tackle it. Courtesy photo
Do you have trouble throwing things away? Does stuff pile up and you don’t know where to begin? Do you lose things and can’t find them? If any of this is true, check out a new program at the library in collaboration with CReW (Community Resilience for the Waterbury Area).
Given recent flooding in Vermont and our community, it may be helpful for local residents to clear out no-longer-needed possessions. Should disaster strike and your basement floods, can you simply clean it, or would you have to wade through years of ruined items?
Many have learned from experience that it’s exponentially more difficult to move wet (and usually ruined) items in a race against mold than it is to move dry ones at your leisure. Managing your possessions, and where you keep them in your home, can be an important part of preparedness.
Enter Ellen Gurwitz whose business is called De-clutter Me! Ellen delights in seeing the transformation on her clients’ faces from concerned frowns and anxious gazes to joy and happiness. A clear space can lead to a clear mind, she says. Ellen founded her business in March 2013 and since then she has helped clients de-clutter kitchens, dining areas, bedroom closets, home offices, basements, garages and even vehicles!
Polling shows that nearly all of us feel the stress of keeping our homes organized, that 40% of Americans fear facing our clutter, and half of us believe that at least one room in our homes is unsalvageable.
Whether you worry about flooding or not, you’re invited to what promises to be a fun, informative session to help you tame the beast, organize your life, breathe easier, and maybe pass on some possessions to others who’d benefit. This free event is happening Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 6:30 p.m. at the library. Register in advance with an email to judi@waterburypubliclibrary.com.
Feb. 28: Silent reading at Red Poppy
The monthly Silent Reading Party for February will take place at Red Poppy Cakery at the corner of Elm and Main Street on Feb. 28, starting at 5:30 p.m. These monthly get-togethers sponsored by the library and Bridgeside Books involve no reading list, no registration. Just bring a book, read a book – that’s it! These events are held monthly, switching locations, times and days of the week to give as many people as possible a chance to join in. Watch for more dates for upcoming months.
Judi Byron is the Waterbury Public LIbrary’s Adult Program Coordinator. Contact: 802-244-7036 or judi@waterburypubliclibrary.com.