What’s Happening at the Library: Bicycling, book groups and gardening

There’s a plethora of groovy programming happening at theClark County Public Library next week.

If you’d like to join a reading group for enjoyable book conversation or learn new ways to live healthy because you’ve signed up for the Clark County Wellness Challenge, have a hankering to get back on your bicycle after not riding for a number of years, or you enjoy movies and plays, or you like to write, the library will have a program you like next week.

Monday, March 11 at 11 a.m., the Pageturner’s Book Group meets to discuss “The Immortalists,” by Chloe Benjamin.  This book is a thought-provoking, sweeping family saga set in New York City’s Lower East Side, 1969. Four siblings sneak out to visit a psychic who reveals to each, separately, the exact date of his or her death. The book goes on to recount five decades of experience shaped by the siblings’ attempts to control fate.

Jennifer Mattern and Angela Turner are excellent discussion leaders, allowing everyone express their opinions about the book and not unhappy when the discussion takes  interesting off-topic turns.  Pageturner’s has been going on for about ten years, now, and the books Angela and Jennifer pick are often borrowed by other libraries for their own discussion groups.  You can get a copy “The Immortalists” at the Circulation Desk, today.  Please register to attend.

Tuesday, March 12, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Stephen Berry coordinator of Walk-Bike Clark County presents “Smart Bicycle Training.”  Become a safer and more confident bicycle rider by attending this short bicycle safety course. You’ll learn about parts of a bike, essential equipment, as well as how to safely and comfortably ride a bike in various traffic conditions, terrain and climates. Stephen Berry is a League of American Bicyclists Certified Instructor, not to mention a great guy with a fine sense of humor. He will get you psyched to be back on your bike. Come and learn how to be a better cyclist. Learn to share the road.  Please register to attend.

Heirloom/Organic Gardening classes continue next week.  There are few better ways (bicycling being one) to get fresh air and exercise outdoors.  There’s an old saying: “I shape the garden and the garden shapes me,” both through exercise and healthy food.

Monday, March 11, 6:30-7:30 p.m.., Julie Maruskin presents “Raising Heirloom Peppers from Seed.” Learn easy ways to start your favorite peppers from scratch at home at no or little cost. Heirloom pepper seeds include Red Cheese, Fresno Chile, Golden Marconi, Jimmy Nardello, Mini-Bell Mix and more.  Gardening can spice up your life.

Wednesday, March 13, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Julie presents “Seed to Plate in Six Weeks: Microgreens and More.” At this class you’ll learn about fast-growing edibles for your early kitchen garden including a smorgasbord of beautiful heirloom radishes like Pink Beauty, as well as Thumbelina carrots, Green Arrow sugar peas, and a rainbow of greens.  All of them a spring and early summer tonic for the body, mind, and spirit.

Winchester Writers Group meetsTuesday, March 12, 6 p.m. to read the short stories they have written.  Topics for next month’s meeting are suggested at the end of each meeting.  Or, writers may write about a topic of their own choice.  After the story is read, it is then discussed by the group.  They welcome beginning writers or published authors.  For information, contact the President, Betty Pace: bettypace3@aol.com.

The Library’s Writing Group, Write Local, gathers Friday morning.  At the moment members are writing mainstream and genre short stories, a Christian fiction novel, poetry-Appalachian and indecipherable- plays and memoir.  Bring three to five pages of a work in progress, about sevencopies if you can-if you can’t make copies see me before the workshop begins and I’ll copy them for you.  Then we read, critique, drink coffee and laugh.  Digressions and jokes welcome.

How about some yoga?  Really if you are signed up for the Wellness Challenge or you just want to continue to feel well, Kathy Howard’s yoga classes, Chair Yoga, Mondays, from 2-3 p..m, or Gentle Flow Yoga, Thursdays, 9:15-10 a.m., are superb.  It’s fundamental that you need two things to feel good as you age, good breathing and flexibility, and yoga is the way to accomplish that.  There is a $5 fee per class. For more information contact Yoga Focus with Kathy: call 859-745-4699 or email kkh1231@roadrunner.com.

For movie buffs, Wednesday, March 13, at 2 PM, Kentucky Picture Show features a 2018 film about a couple finding themselves in over their heads when they foster three children. Rated PG-13.

Finally, if you like new, never before produced plays, mark your calendar for the Kentucky Playwright’s Workshop presentations of three One-Act Plays, Sunday, March 17, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. There will be readings of three, new one-act plays by Kentucky authors, each running about 30 minutes.  Discussions will follow.

As the wonderful check-out clerk at Tractor Supply used to say: “Have a Beautiful Day!!” We add, at the Library.

John Maruskin is director of adult services at the Clark County Public Library. He can be reached at john.clarkbooks@gmail.com. 

SportsPlus