January 22 – 23, 2021
Your 2021 virtual Midwinter is being happily planned by the Sassy Six: Andy Jeffrey, Deene Morris, Nancy Taylor and Dahna Weber, Chantal Bassous and Kay Flanagan.
The Committee spent much time choosing a theme for this year. Tapestry has had its devotees for many years as a potential theme for the June Conference so we are pleased that it has finally been chosen! This theme embodies the idea of connection, communication and community. The group photos of our whole conference taken each June most certainly ressemble tapestries that warm our hearts.
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
(All times listed NST {Northfield Standard Time})
Friday, January 22nd
7:00 Greetings & Introductions, schedule overview, Julie Osherson
7:05 Opening Meditation, Irene Powell
7:10 Opening Welcome, Deene Morris
7:30 Game Night, Cathy Grigsby and Andy Jeffrey
Saturday, January 23rd
1:00 Welcome, Betsy Taylor
1:05 Group Gatherings, Teen Talk, Twenties Talk
2:15 Workshops, Debra Samson, Lisa Schermerhorn, Faye Hess, Dahna Weber, Joey Stafford-Abbott
3:00 Community Meeting, Meg Connor
4:00 Sacred Circle, Harry Blackman and others
4:30 Break
7:00 Open Mic Night, Chantal Bassous
8:30 Closing Ceremony, Qathy Lowe, Andy Jeffrey
9:00… Midwinter Carpet Ride
Schedule
Friday January 22nd
7:00 pm Welcome to the Community & Introduction to the Sassy Six: Julie Osherson
Meditation: Irene Powell
Opening Welcome: Deene Morris
We’ve travelled long months in darkness and light, chaos and calm. Now we’ll plant our feet, to meet and greet, and settle together in the warmth and receptivity of our cherished community. What are you grateful to release? Where does your longing lead you now? Simply, quietly, we’ll honor the threads of our holy human tapestry as we co-create our weekend together.
At approximately 7:30: Two opportunities to be playful!
Games with Cathy Grigsby
Come and experiment with games on Zoom. We might play Charades, Pictionary, Scatagories, or who knows what else we might come up with! Be prepared for silliness and fun!
Games with Andy Jeffrey
Would you like to participate in an experiment featuring zoom-enabled games? If so, join your fellow gamers with an evening of laughter and excitement. We will play a family-fun game of Quiplash, one of many games offered by Jackbox Games.
Saturday, January 23rd
1:00 pm Group Gatherings
Small groups of 10 or so people will give us the chance to really connect and share. We’ll have a couple of guided questions available to help us to tap in.
Teen Talk with Chantal Stafford-Abbott
If there was a way to deliver chips and chocolates and yummies to y’all we would. Be sure to grab some munchies and join in. This is Northfield. Connect with your NF friends, check in, share what is going on. It’s been a wild ride the last little while and we are here for your tears and smiles.
Twenties Talk …Plus with Joey Stafford-Abbott
2:15pm WORKSHOPS
Writing with Debra Samson: Debra will bring her considerable skills to this workshop which could prepare you for performing in the evening or simply encourage you to write.
Cooking with Faye Hess: For my cooking class in January, I will be making coq au vin. “coq au vin with Chef Faye Hess.” None of us have been able to get to France very easily this past year, so do the next best thing and make coq au vin! Everyone welcome to join, no need to feel shy about cooking skills; I will guide you through. There are a number of components–simple stock, searing, sautéing, and braising. I will post the ingredient list and instructions for anyone who might want them.
Travel Stories/Vicarious Travelling with Dahna Weber: If only there was a way to send Google Occulus glasses to all and take a virtual trip together! For this crowd it’s better if we take baby steps in the technical arena. So, pull up a chair, grab a souvenir or memento of a place you visited and share your past travel adventures and bucket list locations with all. Who knows where we’ll go but hopefully from Cairo to Canada, the Maldives to Madagascar, the USA to the UAE. Around the globe travel in 45 mins! Imagine…even the Concorde can’t do that!
Yoga with Joey Stafford This accessible short guided yoga sequence will fo- cus on standing and lunging poses. Drop in for a movement break.
Unweaving our Triggers with Lisa Schermerhorn Triggers come in all shapes and sizes. It seems that no matter who we talk to, where we go, or even when we turn on the TV, there is something that inevitably creates anxiety and stress. What if you could have some tools in your tool box to mit- igate your discomfort? We can’t change what’s happening in your life or the world, but we can change the way you feel about it. When you take the emotion out of a situation, you can think clearly and be in a better frame of mind to deal with what lies ahead. Join Lisa Schermerhorn for a workshop of tools to teach you how to live in stressful times.
3:00ish Community Meeting to discuss topics which will range from Communication to the June Conference.
4:00 Sacred Circle with Harry Blackman
From 4:30 to 7:00 enjoy your supper and a walk.
7pm Feeling All Right at Open Mic Night with Chantal Bassous for poets, essayists, storytellers, musicians, singers and their fans!
Closing with Qathy Lowe and Andy Jeffrey will lead us in a session of rhythm and chanting, weaving the Northfield energetic tapestry with our loving intentions.
Midwinter Magic Carpet Ride after-hours of fun and laughter
The Northfield Conference 
I would like to thank Catherine Foley for extending the invitation to the Northfield Conference for January 2021. This was, indeed, a welcomed pleasure to interact with such an interesting and diverse group of folk. It was a first for me since I retired from the nonprofit sector to the south. How absolutely refreshing!
I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to reconnect with my origin and a likeminded network of participants.
Thank you, again. I am hopeful to remain a consideration for future events.