top of page
Friday, February 5
Purple Cup Survey!
You have until TUESDAY to answer the Purple Cup Survey!
*~*
What's one song you love, and how does it make you feel?
You can answer the survey HERE.
Sunday Night Football is going SUPER at
SUPER BOWL LV
Can you imagine a time before the Super Bowl? It sort of feels like there's always been a one, but it's actually a relatively recent invention. How recent is it, and who were the first teams to play in it? Buckle up, because we're diving head first into the entire history of the Super Bowl!
Of course not everybody watches the Super Bowl for the sports, or even for the halftime show. Some people like to tune in just for the parts most people want to skip any other day: the commercials!
What's the most memorable Super Bowl commercial you can think of?
Around 6:20 during the coin toss National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Goreman will be reciting a poem at the Superbowl pre-game show. Miley Cyrus will also be performing at the pre-game show. Pre-game festivities begin around 6 PM.
History will also be made with Sarah Thomas as the first woman official in the history of the Super Bowl!
Tune in and watch the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the 55th Super Bowl this Sunday, February 7 starting at 6:30 PM on CBS!
You can also stream it online at the link below! -
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/superbowl/live/
The Weeknd will be this years' Halftime Show performance!
ERIC AND PHIL'S
PICKS AND PREDICTIONS
Phil: Chiefs - 34/Buccaneers - 27
MVP - Patrick Mahomes or Travis Kelce
Eric: Chiefs - 28/Buccaneers - 30
MVP - Tom Brady or Mike Evens
Next Art Club Project
Next Tuesday for Art Club we will be Chocolate Box Cards!
Participants will need 1 pink or red piece of construction paper, brown paper, scissors, a gluestick or tape, markers, and the template!
You can print the template HERE.
Friday Movie Recommendation!
This week's movie recommendation comes from Cindy with the 2004 indie comedy Napoleon Dynamite! It can be rented through most major streaming services.
"If you need to get away and just laugh for a while, this is the movie for you! Napoleon Dynamite lives in Idaho with his Grandma and brother Kip. He has two good friends, Pedro and Deb. Uncle Rico comes to stay and then there is Tina, the Llama. They are all characters, to say the least. Most people either love this movie or they hope they never see it again! I love it. There are memorable quotes throughout Napoleon Dynamite. One day Eric and I sat on the porch at LES quoting the movie and laughing. It is mindless fun that can take your mind off of most anything. You will also learn what a liger is and some sweet dance moves!" - Cindy
Thursday, February 4
Guided Meditation
with Cindy
Tomorrow @ 10 AM
We have all had a lot to deal with these past months. Take some time for yourself this Friday, February 5th at 10:00 am and join Cindy in a calming guided meditation that will help relax your mind and body. Breathing and other tools to unwind will be explored.
Also, GARDEN CLUB is finally returning! Next Wednesday, February 10th at 9:30 AM will be the first meeting of Garden Club after its Winter hibernation. It will continue to meet every other week until the Spring.
Mastering the Power Nap:
How to always wake up refreshed and never groggy!
Z z Z z Z z ...
We've all been there. You're feeling tired so you lay down for a short snooze only to awaken even more tired than before! Turns out there's actually a real reason why this happens. By understanding how naps work we can achieve the glorious perfect nap!
Arashi says: "My tip for the perfect nap? Take at least 24 of them every day!"
Wednesday, February 3
Purple Cup Survey!
You still have time to answer the Purple Cup Survey!
*~*
What's one song you love, and how does it make you feel?
You can answer the survey HERE.
Art Club: Gallery Showcase
Phyllis lead the gang in a Valentines Day project. Everyone built their own little heart person!
We come in peace -
Greetings to the Universe
Seeking life outside of Earth has been a goal of many for a very long time. If we were to finally discover an extraterrestrial life form what would they look like? What would they eat or, even more importantly, how would they communicate?
This was the thought of the scientists behind the two NASA Voyager spacecrafts. "A golden phonograph record was attached to each of the Voyager spacecraft that were launched almost 25 years ago. One of the purposes was to send a message to extraterrestrials who might find the spacecraft as the spacecraft journeyed through interstellar space. In addition to pictures and music and sounds from earth, greetings in 55 languages were included."
This image highlights the special cargo onboard NASA's Voyager spacecraft: the Golden Record. Each of the two Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977 carry a 12-inch gold-plated phonograph record with images and sounds from Earth. An artist's rendering of the Voyager spacecraft is shown at bottom right.
Greetings from Earth
Here are just a few of the audio greetings we've sent out into Space and the languages they are spoken in.
Arabic
"Greetings to our friends in the stars. We wish that we will meet you someday."
German
"Heartfelt greetings to all."
Hindi
"Greetings from the inhabitants of this world."
Korean
"How are you?"
Mandarin Chinese
"Hope everyone's well. We are thinking about you all. Please come here to visit when you have time."
Persian
"Hello to the residents of far skies."
Punjabi
"Welcome home. It is a pleasure to receive you."
Swedish
"Greetings from a computer programmer in the little university town of Ithaca on the planet Earth"
Welsh
"Good health to you now and forever."
You can view and listen to all 55 of these greetings here:
https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/golden-record/whats-on-the-record/greetings/
Tuesday, February 2
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BOBBY!!
It's time to wish a very happy birthday to our one and only Bobby!
Weekly A-SIGN-ment!
Tomorrow during our Wednesday 1 PM Zoom meeting we will be sharing another word we've learned in sign language. This week's word theme is The Super Bowl! Share with us the sign for anything that has to do with football or the Super Bowl!
As usual, feel free to refer to HandSpeak for reference and guidance in finding your word!
Hip Hip Hooray
It's Groundhog Day!
Are you eager for Winter to pass and the pleasant Spring weather to return? Well you might just be putting your fate in the hands of a rodent to decide when exactly that will be. Groundhog Day is a very unusual American holiday celebrated every year on February 2. It involves a special event where a groundhog emerges from its burrow to determine whether or not 6 more weeks of Winter will occur... all based on whether or not it can see its shadow!
It's a wild holiday to say the least, and this short video goes into a bit of the history behind it.
~*~~*~~*~
You can explore more about Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil at the link below!
https://www.visitpa.com/live-stream-phils-prediction
Did You Know?
Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are a species of large ground squirrels known as marmots. They are found much throughout the Eastern United States and across Alaska and into Canada. They are herbivores who live in underground burrows and are solitary creatures except in the Spring time when a mother groundhog can give birth to 4 to 6 babies. The young stay with the mother for 2 to 3 months!
"Although groundhogs dig deep and extensive burrow systems, they are also good swimmers and can climb tall shrubs and sizable trees.
The [groundhog] is a true hibernator. It curls into what appears to be a lifeless ball, its body temperature drops nearly to the ambient temperature of the burrow, and its heart rate decreases from 75 to 4 beats per minute. During the winter months the burrow may also provide shelter for foxes, skunks, the Virginia opossum, raccoons, and other animals, particularly cottontail rabbits."
~*~
To learn even more about groundhogs click this link below!
https://www.britannica.com/animal/groundhog
How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Monday, February 1
How Does Music
Make You Feel?
Do you ever crave certain songs when you are in a certain mood? Or maybe you have that one song that always manages to cheer you up after a hard day or one that never fails to bring a tear to your eye. Hearing a piece of music is like a grab bag of emotions. Sometimes you never know if a new song will make you feel calm or want to get up and dance!
A couple weeks back Cindy showed everyone this video in Music Club about people's emotional responses to music. Is there a reason people respond to certain sounds and melodies by feeling certain emotions? And what ones are best for eliciting those responses?
Purple Cup Survey
What's one song you love and how does it make you feel?
Friday, January 29
Extra! Extra!
Read all about it!
It's finally out, folks! The latest edition of the Life Experience School Newsletter is hot off the presses. Come and get it!
The RESULTS ARE IN!
Let's take a look at some of the advertisement jingles that we have had stuck in our heads throughout the years.
Purple Cup Survey Responses!
You spoke and we listened. This is what everybody had to say.
What is your favorite Ad Jingle?
Cal wanted to add that his favorite old commercials were the ones for Hostess cakes!
Let's relive some of the very best advertisement jingles of yesteryear with this little collection of 80's and 90's commercial jingles! How many of them can you remember?
Ah~ the nostalgia!
Next Art Club Project
.jpg)
Next Tuesday for Art Club we will be making Paper Heart People!
Participants will require one piece of pink construction paper, one purple construction paper, markers, scissors gluestick or tape, and the provided template!
Template: HERE
This week's movie recommendation comes from Phyllis with the romantic comedy Coming to America. It can be rented through most streaming services.
"Coming to America is a 1988 movie starring Eddie Murphy. He plays a character known as Prince Akeem. He is the prince of a wealthy African country who comes to Queens, New York to escape an arranged marriage. He has many funny trials and tribulations in his quest to find a wife who will become his queen. This is a very funny movie that I think everyone would enjoy." - Phyllis
Friday Movie Recommendation!
Thursday, January 28
Purple Cup Survey!
You still have until TOMORROW to take the Purple Cup Survey!
*~*
What is your favorite Ad Jingle?
You can answer the survey HERE.
Seeking: Your Baby Pictures!
Have you ever looked at somebody's baby photo and thought, "Wow, I can definitely tell it's them!" Other times a baby photo is a lot harder to identify. We thought it might be a fun idea to put our brains to the test, so we proposed a challenge:
How many LES-ers can you accurately identify by their baby pictures?
If you would like to participate in this little game then e-mail your picture submissions to Lauren (LrRafal@gmail.com)! Pick only 1 picture to submit, please! If you don't have any baby pictures then very young toddler pictures will do too. And if you have no pictures don't worry, you can still participate in the guessing game!
What do babies think?
"What is that baby thinking?" Has this thought ever crossed your mind before? If it has then this TED Talk will be able to shine some light on the subject. Alison Gopnik is a psychologist and was interested in exploring this very same question, so she conducted a few simple experiments with young children to see what she could learn. What she discovered is truly fascinating!
Wednesday, January 27
Art Club: Gallery Showcase
Just in time for the snow! Art Club made some fanciful snow people on cards to gift or keep as decoration.
Happy Birthday to The Trees!
Tu B'Shvat begins this year on the evening of January 27, but... what exactly is it? Many LES-ers will be pleased to learn that it's the Jewish celebration of the birthday of trees!
It's a holiday dedicated to fruit, trees, and the honoring, cultivation, and preservation of nature along with the ushering in of Springtime and new harvests.
Some like to think of it as Jewish Arbor Day. On Tu B'shvat some people like to celebrate by holding a special meal called a seder, work toward environmental justice, or plant a tree. Another great way to celebrate would be to hug a tree!
Just how important are trees, and are they really necessary to our health? If you've ever visited a big city, you might have noticed a stark different in the amount of trees they have compared to us out in rural MA. How does this affect its inhabitants, and are there ways to fix it?
Introducing EARTH SCHOOL:
You too can join in on an immersive nature challenge, put together by TED-Ed and the UN, with Earth School. Click the link below to find out more and check it out!
https://ed.ted.com/earth-school
"Welcome to Earth School! Embark on 30 adventures – or Quests – that will help you understand and celebrate our natural world, while learning about how dependent we are on our planet. Now more than ever, we need to protect, nurture and care for Earth – so join us to learn something amazing in every quest. Within each lesson, you’ll find fascinating resources compiled by Earth experts and ideas for getting involved in ways that count. Join us to learn more, create, act and share your journey (#EarthSchool) towards a cleaner and greener life."
However you choose to honor Mother Nature there is one thing for sure. The love you put out will always return back to you!
Tuesday, January 26
Weekly A-SIGN-ment!
Tomorrow during our Wednesday 1 PM Zoom meeting we will be sharing another word we've learned in sign language. This week's word theme is the President and White House! Share with us the sign for anything to do with US presidents and the White House!
As usual, feel free to refer to HandSpeak for reference and guidance in finding your word!
Mary's Cooking Corner
Many of you might already be aware of Mary's cooking class that she's been doing virtually with her girlfriends that we featured in the last Newsletter. Well they are back at it again with a new recipe, and Mary wanted to share it with you all!
Tortellini Alfredo
Ingredients:
1 8-ounce cooked boneless ham slice
1 9-ounce package refrigerated three-cheese tortellini
1 1/2 cups packaged broccoli florets
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 8-ounce tub cream cheese
1/2 cup milk
Dash of black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Start to Finished: 25 Minutes
Makes: 4 or 5 Servings
Step 1: Cut the ham into small pieces and set aside until Step 3.
Step 2: Cook tortellini in a large saucepan following the package directions, adding the broccoli in the pasta so they can cook at the same time. Turn off the burner. Carefully drain out the water from the tortellini mixture with a colander into the sink.
Step 3: Add the butter to the empty saucepan, and put the saucepan on the burner. Turn burner to medium-low heat. Cook about 20 seconds or until the butter is melted, then carefully add the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring with a wooden spoon. Use a rubber scraper to remove half of the cream cheese from the tub and carefully add it to the saucepan. Save remaining cream cheese for another use. Add milk to the saucepan. Use a wire whisk to stir until mixture is smooth then stir in the ham and pepper. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes. Turn off your burner and remove the saucepan from it.
Step 4: Add the tortellini mixture to the ham mixture in the saucepan. Use the wooden spoon to gently stir until combined. Sprinkle over top with Parmesan cheese.
Serve with bread and enjoy!
Pasta is a great comfort food for many and the perfect cold Wintertime meal. It's fast and easy to make and it can be eaten in a variety of different ways.
Macaroni salad, spaghetti, lo mein, scampi, ramen, lasagna, pad thai, kugel, YUM!
Monday, January 25
Join us TONIGHT at 7 PM on Zoom to watch a very special online stream of the original 1994 animated Disney feature The Lion King!
Purple Cup Survey!
You still have until FRIDAY to take the Purple Cup Survey!
*~*
What is your favorite Ad Jingle?
You can answer the survey HERE.
Revisiting Last Week -
A Momentous Occasion
Last Wednesday was the inauguration of the 46th President of the United States Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Those watching were treated to a spectacle of incredible speakers, musical performances, and history-making moments.
One such incredible speaker was Amanda Gorman. At 22 years old she's the youngest inaugural poet in US history and first person to be named National Youth Poet Laureate. At the inauguration she recited an impassioned poem called "The Hill We Climb."
Here's a little highlight reel of some of the more memorable (and viral) moments from the inauguration.
If you missed it and want to see what all the buzz was about you can still watch recorded livestreams of the occasion on Youtube! Here is CNBC's coverage of the event:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39vj3oALMDM
(Skip to around 2:18 to watch where the inauguration proceedings are about to begin!)
Friday, January 22
Newsletter Deadline!
Today is the deadline to submit articles and pieces to our December/January Newsletter. Send all submissions to Lauren at LrRafal@gmail.com, and let us know if you would like any help or have any questions!
Explore the Boston Museum of Science from your living room with
#MOSatHome
Image Source - http://carltonautstraveltips.com/2018/06/12/guide-museum-science-boston/
When was the last time you visited a museum? The Museum of Science in Boston is letting you visit theirs from anyplace you can connect your phone, iPad, or computer to the internet with their MOS at Home feature on their website!
https://www.mos.org/explore/mos-at-home
So what does #MOSatHome offer?
Livestream Shows of everything from their Planetarium to live animals. You can check out a schedule of the available virtual shows and register for the ones that interest you here: https://www.mos.org/mos-at-home-schedule
Image Source - http://www.bu.edu/articles/2019/does-stargazing-alum-dani-leblanc-have-the-coolest-job-in-boston/
Virtual Exhibits bring the museum to you. "Experience your favorite exhibits from an entirely new angle, plus see what's in development as we continue building our upcoming permanent exhibits Arctic Adventure: Exploring with Technology and Engineering Design Workshop, Powered by MathWorks." https://www.mos.org/mos-at-home/virtual-exhibits
SubSpace: Adult Programs are art, science, and technology experiences designed for an older audience in mind. It's "a new wave of nightlife that’s intelligent, provocative, and one-of-a-kind. From musical tributes in the Planetarium to performance art installations, SubSpace is an ever-evolving lab for Boston’s most intriguing and immersive experiences." Sign up for the free experiences here: https://www.mos.org/explore/subspace
Science Videos on a range of topics! Want to see what happens to a candy cane going 300 mph or explore the shapes on the moon? The Museum of Science has a bunch of informative, fun videos to watch here: https://www.mos.org/mos-at-home/sparks-of-science
Pulsar: A Podcast is a series of short form podcasts "brought to you by our Gordon Current Science & Technology Center, featuring interviews with Museum educators and notable scientists, researchers, and engineers." Learn fascinating facts like "how small can we make a refrigerator?" and "what if the dinosaurs hadn't gone instinct?" https://www.mos.org/mos-at-home/pulsar-a-podcast
Engage your mind with STEM Activities, hands-on science projects from across the museum that get you thinking! https://www.mos.org/mos-at-home/family-stem-activities
Town Hall isn't like any Town Hall you've been to before. The museum brings experts and "thought leaders from across science and technology to help us all understand, and shape, the world around us." It's live on Youtube almost weekly, and each episode is available to watch after it airs on their page. https://www.mos.org/mos-at-home/town-hall
*
You can check it all out yourself on the #MOSatHome homepage!
https://www.mos.org/explore/mos-at-home
Next Art Club Project
Next Tuesday for Art Club we will be making Snowman Cards!
Participants will need a piece of colored construction paper (any color you like, I chose red), scissors, markers, tape or a gluestick, and the template below!
Template: HERE
(If you don't have a printer you can also cut the circles out of white paper freehand.)
Friday Movie Recommendation!
This week's movie recommendation comes from Courty with the 1976 romantic comedy It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time. The film is about a man who tries to win back his ex-wife, but her builder husband wants to evict her mother. It stars John Candy in a minor role and is one of his earliest film appearances. You can stream the movie for free on Tubi or rent it through most major streaming services.
"It’s very good, and it’s funny. I don’t have a favorite part, I just like it all.." - Courty
Thursday, January 21
The Ad Jingle
and why don't we hear them anymore?
When you were growing up was there ever an ad jingle that really stuck in your head? I bet you can still hear it to this day. The ad jingle was a staple of commercials for a huge part of the 1900's, but it's almost vanished completely in recent years. Why is that?
What is your favorite Ad Jingle?
Purple Cup Survey
Wednesday, January 20
Inauguration Assignment
Reminder that today we will be having no Zooms in order for us all to experience history in the making. Tune in today to watch the Presidential Inauguration, and we will meet up tomorrow to discuss it!
~*~
• Inaugural Ceremonies begin at 10:30 AM
• Biden will be sworn into office and give his Inauguration Speech at 12 PM
• More ceremonies and special coverage follow!
~*~
You can watch live on your TV (most major news stations), phone, tablet, or computer.
Click here for multiple YouTube sources to watch the proceedings online.
Art Club: Gallery Showcase
Art Club worked their imaginations with scribble doodles. They turned scribbled lines on paper into works of masterful art!
The History of Presidential Inaugurations
Ever since George Washington was first sworn into office in 1789, every US president after him has also attended their presidential inauguration. It is not only a tradition but the way we as a nation recognize the transfer of power from one president to the next. This short video takes a look back in time at different presidential inaugurations. How did they begin, and what exactly are the requirements to have one?
Joe Biden's inauguration will be held today with opening remarks beginning at 11:30 AM. He will be sworn into office around 12 PM, thus becoming the 46th President of the United States. He will then give his inaugural address.
Arashi says: "I'm so excited to watch it I'm glued to the TV screen already!!"
Tuesday, January 19
Inauguration Day Update
Tomorrow is a big day for America. It is Inauguration Day, so our schedule might be changing a bit to reflect that! Stay tuned, and we will update you on what tomorrow holds for LES.
Newsletter Deadline!
You still have time to submit articles and pieces to our December/January Newsletter. The deadline is this Friday, January 22nd. Send all submissions to Lauren at LrRafal@gmail.com, and let us know if you would like any help or have any questions!
Realizing Racism
What Headlines Reveal About Race
You are all aware that yesterday we had the day off for Martin Luther King Day. We know King was a leader in the Civil Rights movement for racial equality, but some of you may have noticed that even in the many years since King's marches and speeches that there still are inequalities present in America.
Baratunde Thurston is a journalist and a comedian. Those two traits are probably what lead him to realize that there is a certain trend going on in news headlines these days. In this humorous TED Talk, Baratunde goes through each of these headlines, picks them apart, and uses what he finds to try and make sense and repair the weird world we live in.
News headlines are the first thing about a piece of news a person will see when they are reading a paper or browsing online journals, but often we've heard about false news. Why is there so much of it, how does it keep spreading, and how are some ways we can figure out if what we are reading is real or fake?
"Fake news" is insidious, and as you will learn from this short video not as easy to always spot as you might think.
Friday, January 15
Next Monday is
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY
There will be no LES Zoom sessions or website updates on January 18th in celebration of the occasion. We will see you all back on Tuesday!
Newsletter Deadline!
You still have time to submit articles and pieces to our December/January Newsletter. The deadline is next Friday, January 22nd. Send all submissions to Lauren at LrRafal@gmail.com, and let us know if you would like any help or have any questions!
Celebrating MLK Day
This Monday, January 18th marks MLK Day here in the United States. It is a day to remember the life and incredible work of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., a civil rights pioneer and leader who was at the forefront of the nonviolent march toward black equality. King's actual birthday is January 15, and MLK Day (celebrated every third Monday in January) is meant to be a symbolic celebration of his birthday.
King was assassinated in 1968, and MLK Day didn't become an official federal holiday until 1983. It wasn't until 2000 that all 50 states officially observed the holiday for the first time.
Dr. King strove to unite people regardless of race. He felt that everyone, black or white, deserved equal justice and treatment by all. He gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963, yet today in 2021 we are still struggling to live up to Dr. King's dream.
What are some ways you feel America needs to improve to help achieve King's goals for racial equality? How are some ways we can help get there?
If there's one way to truly honor King's fighting spirit it is to keep fighting back! If there is an injustice in the world then work to resolve it.
That was what Martin Luther King Jr. did.
Next Art Club Project
Next Tuesday for Art Club we will be making scribble doodles!
Participants will only require one or two blank pieces of paper, a pen, and markers!
Friday Movie Recommendation!
This week's movie recommendation comes from Ian with the 2003 Disney/Pixar animated adventure movie Finding Nemo! It's a story about Martin, a clown fish and overprotective single father of his little boy Nemo. When Nemo accidentally gets caught by a fishing boat it is up to him to embark on a perilous journey across the ocean to find and save his son. He meets friends and many interesting characters along the way. It can be streamed online with Disney+ and rented through most major streaming services.
"I think it's a great movie, especially for our LES gang. I especially like the turtle Crush." - Ian
Thursday, January 14
The Future of Dogs
(Well, of robots!)
Last week we learned about where our canine companions originated from and how they came to be mankind's best friend. Today we'll take a look at something a little bit different. Put on your VR headset and hop onto your hoverboard because we're looking into the future!
You may have heard of Boston Dynamics, a local Boston-based robotics company famous online for its incredible robots that move with almost life-like balance and agility. Spot Mini, featured in the video above, is one of these robots. This TED Talk is a look into what goes into making these amazing robots, how they might improve in the future (and how they can help us!), and a live demonstration of one right there on stage.
That TED Talk was recorded a bit ago, and Spot has continued to evolve and improve since then. Check out the latest model of Spot!
(And if you have $74,500 to spare you can welcome this plastic pooch into your home now too!)
So what do you think? Are you excited for the new possibilities for robotics and the future of these four-legged companions or are you a purist who prefers the tried and true dogs we all know and love?
Computers Word Search
If you've still got technology on your mind then check out this Computers Word Search that you can print out or play online!
https://thewordsearch.com/puzzle/595/computer-words/
Wednesday, January 13
Art Club: Gallery Showcase
Phyllis walked this week's Art Club through with how to make our very own paper penguins! These guys are ready for some snow.
Our own Tribute to Trebek
Last Friday aired the final episode of the 37 season long hit game show Jeopardy to feature its longstanding host Alex Trebek. Trebek sadly passed away on November 8, 2020, and the show paid tribute to his decades long career hosting the famous trivia game show. Now it is our turn to pay tribute to the man, the legend, Alex Trebek.
Trebek became host of Jeopardy back in 1984. Jeopardy itself first premiered on March 30, 1964 on NBC. Since becoming host of the show he hosted over 8,000 episodes of Jeopardy.
Did you know?
Alex Trebek hosted more than just Jeopardy. Some of the other games shows he hosted were The Wizard of Odds, Double Dare (the 1976 CBS show, not the Nickelodeon one), High Rollers, Battlestars, Classic Concentration, and To Tell the Truth!
"Enjoy life. Make somebody laugh. I believe laughter is one of the greatest cures that we can possibly have. It's right there with prayer, believe me." - Alex Trebek
LES-ers know Jeopardy plays a huge part of our virtual program, from Matty's daily Jeopardy questions at the start of each of our Zoom meetings to our huge orchestrated Jeopardy games we all play together for special occasions.
You too can play and make your own Jeopardy games for free at JeopardyLabs, an online Jeopardy game creator!
https://jeopardylabs.com/
~*~
Jeopardy will resume broadcasting new episodes at its usual time at 7:30 PM on CBS this week with their new temporary guest host Ken Jennings (yes, that Ken Jennings!). You can also watch old episodes of Jeopardy any time you like on both Netflix and Hulu.
Tuesday, January 12
Weekly A-SIGN-ment!
Tomorrow during our Wednesday 1 PM Zoom meeting we will be sharing another word we've learned in sign language. This week's word theme is Winter! Share with us the sign for anything that has to do with the season of Winter!
As usual, feel free to refer to HandSpeak for reference and guidance in finding your word!
A Modern Day Romeo and Juliet
Shakespeare wished he could have written a serenade as touching as this. Pre-Pandemic, Esther and her boyfriend of 4 years, Jonathan, would meet up every other Saturday without fail. Now after nearly a year of not being able to see one another they finally reunite with emotional declarations of their love through song.
We know we will all be able to see and be near one another soon again. With patience it will happen!
What are some ideas for other ways we can feel connected and be social with other people while still keeping a safe distance?
Start being a pen pal with somebody. There is nothing more thrilling than receiving mail from a person you care about. E-mail is great, but a letter you can hold and keep is exciting and personal. Consider writing back and forth with one or more person you want to keep in contact with. You can even include fun and personal gifts with your letters!
Join an online class or group. Lots of places are offering various online activities, many of which are free and on a weekly basis. Libraries are a great place to start looking. Lauren and Cindy have been participating in a great, free weekly craft class run by their local library, and it is a fantastic way to relax and make something fun with other people.
(Not finding anything of interest to you? Get a friend or two and start your own scheduled class/get-together! Mary and some of her friends have started their own personal cooking class.)
Start a movie night. Watch Party, Tutturu, Kosmi, and other video sharing websites are popping up all around the web. Start a movie night with people and enjoy something together.
Socially distanced meet-ups are a thing. Just like the video above, you can still see and talk directly with friends and loved ones from safe distances! There are activities that can be done while maintaining safety measures, and fun little work arounds can turn a drab meet-up into something exciting. What if you both had walkie-talkies? Or you met up at a dog park and watched your dogs run around?
Meet up in an online game. Gamers out there know that video games these days are teeming with ways to play and interact with people virtually. Animal Crossing, Minecraft, and VR Chat among many others give you the ability to be with people without technically being right beside them, but it definitely feels like you are when you're both running side by side in a virtual worldscape!
Image Source -
You can get creative!
Monday, January 11
National Clean Your Desk Day!
Spring cleaning isn't the only time you can spruce up your living space. Did you know that January 11 is National Clean Your Desk Day?
"National Clean Your Desk Day’s all about preparing your workspace for the new year and beginning things on the right note. [...] Remember, a messy desk is an invitation to chaos! A clean desk, on the other hand, helps you focus, be more productive, and generally makes you feel good about your workspace. And when we say clean we don’t just mean physical clutter. That’s correct, your computer desktop counts too. Drag those files into a nice, neat folder!"
- https://nationaltoday.com/national-clean-your-desk-day/
This isn't all just about a desk you work at or even a desk or table at all. Any place you spend a lot of your time doing something (LES Zooms, watching Youtube videos, writing, reading, playing videos games) counts! Keep those areas tidy and you'll see an improvement in your productivity and mood!
Tips to Keep Tidy
This short video offers some easy tips and tricks to help keep your workspace (whatever that may be) clean and organized. The worst thing is to just finish tidying something up then have it return to a disaster zone just a week later.
With these few little tips you'll have a clean area all the time.
bottom of page