March Adult Programs

FEATURED PROGRAMS

SALT, FAT, ACID, HEAT Series (part 1)
Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking
Tuesday, March 4 | 11am | Lovell Room
Explore the four essential elements of cooking in our new discussion series! Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat will be our inspiration for this three part discussion series. Registered dietitian Siddhi Sheth, MS, RDN, CDN from ShopRite of Shelton will lead our discussions on how learning to use salt, fat, acid, and heat will improve your cooking skills. There will also be tasty recipe demos at each session.
March 4 will be on “Salt”, April 1 on “Fat”, May 6 on “Acid”, and “Heat” will be incorporated into all three sessions.
Read along and come with your questions or just come to learn more about these essential cooking elements.
COPIES OF THE BOOK ARE AVAILABLE AT THE CHECK-OUT DESK.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED

PROPAGATION STATION – Houseplant Swap
Thursday, March 27 | 6pm | Lobby
Join our houseplant cutting swap! Bring cuttings from your houseplant to our Propagation Station and trade plant babies. It’s a great chance to share your love for plants, connect with fellow enthusiasts, exchange tips, and grow your indoor garden. All plant lovers from beginners to experts are welcome!
REGISTRATION REQUIRED

WORKSHOPS:

Webinar: MEMOIR WRITING (Virtual)
Saturday, March 1| 10am | Virtual – register for link
Join author Peter Bacho and learn the basics of writing a memoir. Participants will be give assignments and will share their results for a comment and constructive critique. Among Bansho’s honors are an American Book Award and a Washington Governor’s Writers Award. His latest Book, Uncle Rico’s Encore, is available to borrow.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Workshop: DRIVE ALIVE DRIVER RETAINING
Saturday, March 8 | 10am | Lovell Room
The Stratford Library, in conjunction with the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), will offer another session of the “AARP Driver Safety Program”, a classroom driver retraining program designed to help older persons improve their driving skills. Persons 50 years of age or older are eligible to participate in the library program and will receive a certificate of completion at the end of instruction. The course is limited to 20 participates only and there is a nominal fee of $20 for AARP members and $25 for non-members charged by the AARP.
REQUIRED REGISTRATION CAN BE MADE HERE

Webinar: MEDICARE 101 (Virtual)
Tuesday, March 18 | 6pm | Virtual – register for link
Are you currently enrolled in Medicare? Will you be turning 65 over the next year or two? Learn about eligibility, how and when to enroll, when you can make changes, and the insurance options available to you. This program will simplify the choices you need to make, help you make more well-informed decisions and explain what Medicare means for you! This is an educational event.
You must self-register in advance for this educational event. Registrations will be accepted through one day before the program.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Vegetable Gardening Workshop
Saturday, March 22 | 11am | Lovell Room
Are you ready to grow your own delicious vegetables? With just four raised beds, you can create a thriving vegetable garden! Join Master Gardener Giulia Gambale for an opportunity to cultivate your green thumb and enjoy fresh produce right from your backyard!
REGISTRATION REQUIRED

TALKS 

Talk: FASHIONS OF THE GILDED AGE
Sunday, March 9 | 2pm | Lovell Room
Did you love the fashion on the series The Gilded Age? Would you like to learn more about the dress and lifestyle of those fortunate enough to spend their summers in these beautiful homes? Join us for an exciting journey through time as we explore the fashions of The Gilded Age, focusing on the 1870s and ‘80s bustle periods, the ‘90s, and covering the early years the 20th century.

Talk: FINNEGAN’S WAKE
Sunday, March 16 | 2pm | Lovell Room
In preparation for St. Patrick’s Day guest speaker John O’Connor will discuss James Joyce’s “Finnegans Wake”. He has been giving lectures on this book for about twenty-five years and finds it edifying, inspiring and profound and at times frustrating. John will be doing an exegesis on a part of Book II chapter II of the volume.

Talk: A HISTORY OF HUSKIE HOOPS: Legacy of Greatness
Tuesday, March 18 | 6pm | Lovell Room
SPECIAL FOR “MARCH MADNESS”!
Celebrate the history and greatness of the UConn basketball teams with this fun, lively and enlightening presentation hosted by award-winning sportswriter and author Marty Gitlin.  The presentation will also feature fun trivia questions for patrons to ponder and answer, as well as a Q&A following. This is an ideal program for any UConn basketball fan – men’s, women’s or both! So join in on the fun!

Meet the Authors: PATRICK SCALISI & VALERIE RUBY-OMEN
Monday, March 31 | 6pm | Lovell Room
The Stratford Library will host Connecticut writer Patrick Scalisi and Connecticut artist Valerie Ruby-Omen for a special “Meet-the-Authors” program. They will discuss their new local history book, Connecticut Cryptids: A Field Guide to the Weird and Wonderful Creatures of the Nutmeg State. For over three years, Scalisi and Ruby-Omen did extensive research on creature folklore from throughout the state to compile a definitive survey of Connecticut “cryptids”, that is creatures that are believed to exist (like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster) but never proven to exist. There will be a storytelling session from the book as well, followed by a Q&A session.

CAREER & TECH HELP:

CAREER COACH: AI for Jobseekers Class
Monday, March 10 | 10am to 12pm | Bus parks on Main Street near the library front entrance.
This workshop will introduce you to the basics of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and demonstrate how it can empower your job search efforts.
The same material will be presented in each 2-hour workshop, participants only need to attend one of the sessions.
Register HERE for 10am-12pm session
Register HERE for 1-3pm session

Monday Morning Buzz
Monday, March 3 | 11am | Lovell Room
Stop in to hear what’s new, what’s hot, and what books are creating a buzz! Staff will lead an informal discussion of books, movies and more. Share what you’re reading and watching and hear from others! Meets the first Monday of the month.

Little Gems Book Discussion
Wednesday, March 12 | 11am | Lovell Room
THE LITTLE WORLD OF DON CAMILLO by Giovanni Guareschi
Join our “Little Gems” book discussion of this lightly comic novel which touches upon village dynamics in post-WWII Italy. The book was an international bestseller in the 1950s, and there were eventually 347 Don Camillo stories. Films were released in the 1950s & 1960s & 1980s.
Copies available at the Checkout Desk. 

Books Over Coffee
Wednesday, March 26 | noon | Lovell Room
THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah
Special for “Women’s History Month”!
In 1965, nursing student Frankie McGrath, after hearing the words “Women can be heroes, too,” impulsively joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows her brother to Vietnam where she is overwhelmed by the destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed and politically divided America. The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten.
Copies available at the Check-Out Desk.

PLAY & CREATE:

Coloring & Coffee – the last one!
Monday, March 3 | 6pm | Lovell Room
Don’t let stress get you down! Try coloring for adults! Coloring has many benefits including helping you to focus and de-stress. Stop in and give it a try. The Library will supply coloring pages, colored pencils and markers, plus coffee and tea. You are welcome to bring your own supplies too.
This will be our last Coloring & Coffee. Check back in September for a new an improved version!

Monday Matinees: CONCLAVE
Monday, March 10 | 12pm | Lovell Room
Ralph Fiennes heads a stellar cast in the adaptation of Robert Harris’ bestseller about the political machinations that occur when the Pope dies. John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci and Isabella Rossellini also star.
PG, 120 minutes