We hope you’ll join us in these newly-listed activities and check previous This Week, This Month announcements for additional upcoming events. Some are educational, some are purely social and some are both. Inter-generational activities include children of all ages, while other activities are for adults only. Check the details to see if childcare is provided.

• Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008 — Court Street Crafters. The second meeting of the Court Street Crafters will be held on Dec. 6, from 11:00-1:00 in the Clara Barton Lounge. You don’t need to sign up….just bring your craft and come! We look forward to seeing you there! If you have any questions, email Nancy Gaede.
• Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008 — Bring A Friend Potluck and Karaoke Night hosted by Jen Yates at her home starting at 4:30 p.m. with dinner at 5 p.m. Join us for fun, friends, singing, and fabulous food! Bring a non-UU friend and a dish to pass. Want to come, but don’t know a member of our congregation? Contact Jen, who will find a congregant-friend for you. Please respond to Jen by email before Wednesday, December 3rd.
• Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008 — Social Justice Mitten Tree messages during coffee hour. Stop by the Social Justice/R.E. table and write a peace message on a piece of construction paper that will become a colorful part of a paper chain to hang on the Mitten Tree! The chain will be placed on the tree by the children during the Dec 14th service.
• Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008 – 12:15 p.m. — U.N. video: “For Everyone Everywhere” in the sanctuary. The United Nations has produced a short film about the UN Declaration of Human Rights, which was formulated 60 years ago this month. It is about 30 minutes long. Michael Scott will lead a discussion afterward. All are welcome.
• Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2008 – New Year’s Eve celebration. Are you looking to ring in the new year with church family and friends? Would you like to feed your soul spiritually and have a great time doing it? How about some games/activities followed by the fireworks? This will be a fun and food-filled family-friendly event. Since the fireworks display starts at midnight, our party will begin around 9pm. Stay tuned for details as they develop. Please contact Lindsay Morrell if you’d like to help with setup or cleanup.
• starting Saturday, Jan. 3, 2009 – 10 to 11 a.m. — Laughter Yoga at 1st Universalist. Please join us every other Saturday morning for “Laughter for No Reason” led by Linda Lorenzo.

  What is Laughter Yoga?

  You may say, “Well, I’ve heard of Laughter and I’ve heard of Yoga…but what do the two have to do with one another?”

  Laughter Yoga is a revolutionary idea – simple and profound. An exercise routine, it is fast sweeping the world and is a complete wellbeing workout. It is the brainchild of Dr. Madan Kataria, an Indian physician from Mumbai who started the first laughter club in a park on 13th March 1995, with just 5 people. Today, it has become a worldwide phenomenon with more than 6000 social laughter clubs in 60 countries.

  Laughter Yoga combines unconditional laughter with yogic breathing (Pranayama). Anyone can laugh for no reason, without relying on humor, jokes or comedy. Laughter is simulated as a body exercise in a group but with eye contact and childlike playfulness, it soon turns into real and contagious laughter. The concept of Laughter Yoga is based on a scientific fact that the body cannot differentiate between fake and real laughter.One gets the same physiological and psychological benefits.

  If you want to learn more and try out this fun and highly beneficial activity, please consider joining us for the initial session on January 3rd. At this time we will be viewing a short documentary on the origins and practice of Laughter Yoga and will hold our first Laughter Yoga session.

  To sign up, or for more information, please contact Linda Lorenzo or call Kris at the church office at (585)546-2826.

Other announcements: If you want to order a copy of Mark Morrison-Reed’s book In Between: Memoir of an Integration Baby (or other titles), please sign up during coffee hour in the Clara Barton library.