All women are invited

During our time of being separated from each other physically we are planning events that allow us to gather virtually. Join us!

Everyone is welcome! Events like these have brought our women’s community closer. We look forward to ‘seeing’ you there! You don’t need to RSVP. Just ‘show up!

If you’re looking for a way to deal with our current state of isolation – TUCWomen is offering many interesting opportunities to connect online using ZOOM. To join the group, at the specified time, join the meeting in one of these ways:

Zoom Access Information

On your Zoom app or from zoom.us with
- Meeting ID 457 957 6089 and Password 998 419
Link to join Zoom meeting: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/4579576089?pwd=Mk5UWmdkUUdjNE5yazJId0tYeTBBZz09
- no password will be required
Telephone number to call into the meeting: 1 646-558-8656 in the greater New York area. You will be prompted to enter the Meeting ID and Password above.

May Virtual Events:

Tapping Circles

To help relax at home during self-isolation, Carol Hamilton will teach us how to use a simple meridian tapping technique, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), to help address stressful thoughts and feelings related to the pandemic. For those of you who may be finding difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, she’ll show us an easy and powerful finger-tapping technique which is helpful to use before bedtime. Carol is a certified EFT provider who was trained to use EFT to resolve trauma. She was a volunteer for the Newtown Trauma Relief Resiliency project in Newtown CT after the Sandy Hook tragedy.

Monday, May 4, 7:00 – 8:30 PM

Food for the Soul

Our alternate Thursday Food for the Soul meetings are in lieu of our potlucks and Brown Bag Lunches. Each gathering will be led by a different member, who will kick-start the conversation with quotes from noteworthy women whose contributions have shaped our destiny. We will make new connections and deepen existing ones informally.

Thursdays, May 7, May 21, 12:30 – 2:00 PM

Sacred Circles with Grandmother Nancy

Back by popular demand, this time online –Sacred Circles with Grandmother Nancy will continue her talking circles, which will include drumming, rituals, story-telling and thought-provoking conversations. See more information about Grandmother Nancy and Sacred Circles below.

Each Tuesday in May, (May 5, 12, 19, 26) 7:30 – 9:00 PM

UUtheVote

Janet Luongo is sponsoring UUtheVote, inviting all genders to attend. We may burn to do something for the common good but, in a pandemic, is it possible? Yes, there are many actions we can take from the safety of our homes to promote democracy. Learn how we can make a difference.

Janet is a life-long social justice activist whose memoir about her coming of age during the tumultuous 1960’s will be published in 2021.

Wednesday, May 6, 7:00 – 8:30 PM – Fight Voter Suppression, Part 2

————————————————————————-

These events will be back on the calendar as soon as we can safely gather together.

Potlucks are monthly, usually on Friday evening. They are announced in Soundings, the Order of Service on Sundays and in the regular TUCWomen email. Join in the good times with old friends and new. Get to know women of the congregation by sharing a meal and good conversation. Bring something to share or if there’s no time to shop or cook – just come. There is always plenty.

RSVP for Potlucks tucwomen@uuwestport.org

Brown Bag Lunches are a time to gather together… connect with each other… make new connections… and deepen existing ones… informally… in conversation. Bring your Brown Bag (filled with your favorite food and drink) and join us at the Meeting House at 12:30 Sunday following the 11:00 service. They are typically the second Sunday of the month. Watch for announcements in Soundings and the Order of Service.

UUthe Vote! Lots of opportunities to get involved!

Join us to discover how we as UUs can engage in political activism in ways that suit our skills and passions. This introductory session, in line with guidelines from the UUA, will suggest ways for us to be involved, and further the path towards justice and equity. For more information, go to UUtheVote.org.

Get the Vote out! Write VoteForward Letters!

Write letters to encourage people to vote.

Women, Spirit and Imagination, the outstanding women’s spirituality series continued this year after a successful beginning last Spring. Each session is independent of the others so all women are invited to register for a few or all. The purpose of this series is to offer women a welcoming, safe place to explore their spirituality and imaginations. Most sessions will provide an experience of meditation, inspiration, imagination and connection, where women may absorb the healing power of beauty and a supportive community, and develop a feeling of calm and peace within, an inner haven to return to at any time. No prior experience is needed. Watch the schedule for new offerings in the new year.

Sacred Circles with Grandmother Nancy

We are fortunate to have Grandmother Nancy Andry who guides our Sacred Circles. She is an elder and storyteller of the Algonquin nation. As a lifelong participant of the native red road of spirituality she has studied with many medicine teachers of the Lakota and Ojibwa people.

Women of all ages are invited to participate in the formation of a circle of support and trust. Through stories and rituals, Grandmother Nancy will guide us in exploring what she calls “the ancient ways of knowing”. Such knowing invites us to deepen our connection to nature and to our own inner wisdom.

In Sacred Circle, Grandmother Nancy will use the talking stick, which encourages respectful listening so that all who wish to share may be heard. There will be drumming which reminds us of the heartbeat of Mother Earth and of our own voices previously silenced. Grandmother Nancy teaches a number of rituals, such as the Water Ritual, that help us connect not only to the natural world but also to the world of the unseen. She brings a source that UUs draw upon: “Spiritual teaching of earth-centered traditions that celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.”

For more information send a note to tucwomen@uuwestport.org

What Sacred Circle Participants Have to Say

“Meeting Grandma Nancy and hearing her stories was wonderful. She’s truly an inspiring and insightful woman.” — Jamie Coppola

“Listening to women opening up, sharing authentically from their hearts and feeling, inspired me to share my own experiences. It was truly healing to my heart and soul.” — Golden Hawk

“I enjoyed the ritual aspect of Grandmother Nancy’s workshops. The drumming is a wonderful way to start her workshops. It has a grounding effect. Grandmother Nancy is sincere in her efforts to create a scared space.” — Beverly Bailey

“I felt a sense of peace and the beginning of a great companionship amongst the women of the circle.” — Sarah Kent

“What I most appreciated about the talking circles is how it gave us, the participants, an opportunity to share in a meaningful way and showed what a wonderful community of caring, interesting, and insightful people we are a part of!” — Elizabeth MacDonald

“I enjoyed participating in several sessions of Grandma Nancy’s workshop. One session began with us gathering in a circle and drumming to the rhythm of our heart beats. Then we closed our eyes as Grandma Nancy calmly had us imagine ourselves on a journey into a snowy wood where we came upon a wolf. Both exercises, as well as singing a Native American song taught to us by Grandma Nancy, opened us up to honestly answer the questions she posed as she passed around the talking stick. It was a welcome respite from the stress of daily life.” — Sari Bodi