Lunch & Learn
Fridays, 12:30 – 2:00 PM
East Campus Forum

This traditional LLI series, arranged by LLI’s Special Events Committee, will offer entertainment, interesting information, and fascinating facts. Bring your lunch to the NCC East Campus Atrium, have coffee and dessert, and at 12:30 get your ticket after presenting your LLI Membership card. The program begins at l PM.

February 1 – Libraries around the World,
Maxine Bleiweis, will take our members on an exciting and informative trip around the Library world with special stops in Holland and China comparing and contrasting public libraries to the United States.

Maxine Bleiweis, our presenter has 38 years of experience in the administration of public libraries since receiving a master’s degree in Library science from Rutgers University.  Director of the Westport Library since 1998, she was honored to receive the Connecticut Library Association’s Outstanding Librarian Award in 2012.

February 8 – Spinoza, The Life of the 17^th Century Dutch Philosopher,
David Shafer This unique, humorous and visual philosophical program will be narrated live by David Shafer the LLI Opera facilitator.  David is a man with several different sides to his personality.  This influences many of his photographic presentations, similar to last year’s “Having Fun Photographing Flowers”.  This winter’s Spinoza power-point slide presentation is visual combination of photos, paintings, cartoons and often humorous pairings of text and images.  It is guaranteed to be an enjoyable program for non-philosophers who simply like to think about life’s mysteries.

February 15 – Secrets of George Washington,
Christina Frei, Come and celebrate George Washington’s Birthday and discover his Ten Most Embarrassing Moments.  This presentation will give you new insight and understanding of one of our most prominent Founding Fathers.  You won’t really know everything about the Father of our Country until you discover these facts.  Come to an entertaining celebration in honor of our first president.

Christina Frei is an experienced author and speaker on the subjects of the American Revolution and our founding fathers.  She just facilitated a four session course in the LLI fall term.

February 22 – Songs from the social upheaval of the Civil War,
Deirdre and Sean Murtha will play and sing a variety of songs on period instruments such as fiddle, piano and banjo.  They will demonstrate the cultural origins of the musical styles and instruments and will engage our members with singable choruses and foot – stomping rhythms.

Deirdre Murtha is a member of “The Johnson Girls” an all-female maritime quartet and her husband, Sean Murtha have presented many programs for different organizations on Irish Traditional, Revolutionary war songs, Old-time American, Maritime and Chanteys.  They have performed at festivals both in the United States and abroad.  (Non-Members Welcome)

March 1 – The Joy of Backyard Bird Watching,
Joe Warren, Every day we are surrounded by a fantastic display of nature and its wonders.  All too often we miss the show because we are too busy or too focused on other things to see what is going on around us.  With the help of pictures and sound we will explore what is happening in our own backyards.  Why we should be interest and how to enjoy the show with as much or as little time as we are willing to give.

Joe Warren is the owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Darien, CT and Bedford Hills, NY.  He has been lecturing on backyard bird watching in Fairfield and Westchester Counties for the last ten years.