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Luther College’s Norse Athletic Association invites the Decorah community to “The Upstairs” at TBocks Bar and Grill at noon Wednesday, Nov. 14, for the NAA Winter Sports Luncheon.

The luncheon, open to the public, costs $5 per person.

A great chance to get firsthand information on Norse athletics, the luncheon features all of the winter sport coaches speaking on their respective seasons to date, and an update on the new and ongoing facilities projects will be given as well.

Decorah Public Library staff are hosting three book discussions in November. The groups are open to the public and newcomers are encouraged to attend. Anyone interested should call the library at 382-3717 to learn more or to reserve a book.

The Happy Hour Book Group will meet at Rubaiyat on Wed. Nov. 14^th at 5:15 p.m. to discuss Taylor Brown’s “Gods of Howl Mountain.” Rory Docherty has returned home to the fabled mountain of his childhood, where he runs bootleg whiskey for a powerful clan in a retro-fitted ‘40 Ford coupe. But his grandmother, Maybelline “Granny May” Docherty, harbors an explosive secret about Rory’s mother—the truth behind her long confinement in a mental hospital, during which time she has not spoken one word. When Rory’s life is threatened, Granny must decide whether to reveal what she knows…or protect her only grandson from the past.

For more information, contact Kristin Torresdal at 563-382-3717.

Luther College’s Philharmonia presents their orchestral program at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14, in Luther’s Center for Faith and Life Main Hall.

This event is open to the public with no charge for admission.

The Luther College Philharmonia is symphonic ensemble that performs regularly on campus in concert under the direction of Luther faculty member Spencer Martin.

The program includes Händel’s “Suite in D Major,” featuring Luther faculty member John Cord on piccolo trumpet. The concert’s repertoire also includes “Masques et Bergamasques,” by Gabriel Fauré, Overture from “Nabucco,” by Giuseppe Verdi, and two movements from “Sigurd Jorsalfar,” by Edvard Grieg.

Luther is home to one of the largest collegiate music programs in the nation, with five choirs, three orchestras, three bands, two jazz bands and more than 800 student musicians. Luther students participate in large ensembles, faculty-coached chamber groups, private lessons and master classes. Nearly 275 music majors study music theory, ear training, history, education, composition, jazz, church music and performance.

Mark Hostetler, professor of wildlife ecology and conservation at the University of Florida, will speak at Luther College as part of the Biology Colloquium series at 9:40 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, in Valders Hall of Science Room 206.  This event is open to the public with no charge for admission.

Hostetler’s talk, “The Green Leap: Opportunities to Conserve Biodiversity in Cities,” focuses on the opportunities that exist to conserve biodiversity when land is developed. He will provide a framework, tools and examples that help cities to adopt conservation design and management strategies. In particular, he will talk about an online planning evaluation tool called “Building for Birds.” This tool allows decision makers to manipulate amounts of forest fragments, both urban and rural, and tree canopy in residential areas to help determine best designs for conserving bird habitats.

With more than 20 years of experience in urban wildlife and green development issues, Hostetler conducts research and outreach on how urban landscapes could be designed and managed, from small to large-scale, in order to conserve biodiversity. Partnering with policy makers, city and county planners, environmental consultants and developers, he leads efforts to establish model communities that incorporate conservation design and management strategies that enhance biodiversity and minimize development impacts on nearby natural areas.

Hostetler co-founded the University of Florida’s Program for Resource Efficient Communities and collaborates with an interdisciplinary team of scientists and graduate students to foster green development projects nationally and internationally. He serves on the advisory board of URBIO, a scientific network for education and research that promotes urban biodiversity across the globe.

The author of “The Green Leap: Conserving Biodiversity in Subdivision Development,” Hoestetler has produced and directed the award-winning TV series “Living Green.” He regularly contributes to several online blogs regarding urban biodiversity conservation and green development, including The Nature of Cities.

Hostetler has a bachelor of science in biology from Purdue University and a Master of Science and Ph.D. of zoology, both from University of Florida.

A national liberal arts college with an enrollment of 2,005, Luther offers an academic curriculum that leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree in more than 60 majors and pre-professional programs. For more information about Luther visit the college’s website: http://www.luther.edu.

Come & play at our Annual Out of the Box Open House from 4:00-7:00pm. We take toys out of their boxes so you can play with them, experience them, and just have fun. Sales specials will run throughout the evening. And, use one of our Wish Lists to write down what toys little ones are really excited about.   Shop our gift department too! Our elves will gather them, wrap them, and store them for you until Christmas-no extra charge!

DECORAH COMMUNITY FREE MEAL
Building Community Plate by Plate

Join with family, friends and neighbors for a FREE meal* served between 5 pm and 6:15 pm on the third Thursday of the month, at First Lutheran Church in Decorah.
All ages are welcome.

The meal is served on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month beginning at 5 pm.

Main dishes are supplied by local restaurants with assistance by volunteers from community groups.

*Gluten free options are always available.
Donations welcome.

NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group is a free, peer-led support group for adults living with mental illness. You will gain insight from hearing the challenges and successes of others, and the groups are led by NAMI-trained facilitators who’ve been there.

NAMI’s Support Groups are unique because they follow a structured model to ensure you and others in the group have an opportunity to be heard and to get what you need.

By sharing your experiences in a safe and confidential setting, you gain hope and develop relationships. The group encourages empathy, productive discussion and a sense of community.

“Michael McElrath, backing himself on acoustic guitar, has a basic, sort of fragile sound. His melodies are nicely simple and his lyrics are just the right side of lovely.”

Come listen to music from Michael’s recently released album A Matter of Time.

Luther College Chamber Orchestra will present their fall concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall on the Luther campus.

            The performance is open to the public with no charge for admission.

            The orchestra will perform Gioachino Rossini’s Overture to “L’Italiana in Algeri,” “Alleluia and Fugue” by Alan Hovhaness, Charles Ives’ “The Unanswered Question,” Antonín Dvořák’s Serenade in D minor, Op. 44 and Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 BWV 1049.

Luther College Chamber Orchestra specializes in repertoire for small orchestra and mixed chamber ensembles ranging from the Baroque era to the 21st century. In addition to its own concert schedule, Chamber Orchestra performs with the Luther College Opera Workshop in the spring.

            Daniel Baldwin, professor of music, has served as director of orchestral activities at Luther since 1997. As the head of the music department, Baldwin conducts Luther College Symphony and Chamber Orchestras and the Opera Workshop, as well as teaches courses in conducting. He received his formal training in string pedagogy as a teacher in the University of Texas String Project. Before teaching at Luther, Baldwin served as director of orchestral activities at Central Washington University.

Luther is home to one of the largest collegiate music programs in the nation, with five choirs, three orchestras, three bands, two jazz bands and more than 800 student musicians. Luther students participate in large ensembles, faculty-coached chamber groups, private lessons and master classes. Nearly 275 music majors study music theory, ear training, history, education, composition, jazz, church music and performance.

Luther College presents Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” a chaotic and comedic representation of what love can be. With fairies interfering in the lives of lovers, the play follows three separate story lines full of mischief, passion and confusion.

Performances take place in the Jewel Theatre in Luther’s Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, Saturday, Nov. 10, Thursday, Nov. 15 and Friday, Nov. 16, and at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17. The performance will be open to the public and tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors 65 and youth ages 4-18.

The play, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” follows the lives of three different groups, the Athenian lovers, a group of actors and some fairies. The story takes place in the time leading up to the marriage of Theseus, Duke of Athens, to Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons.

Luther’s Production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is directed by Robert Vrtis, Luther assistant professor of theatre. He received his Ph.D. and master’s degrees in theatre from the University of Oregon and his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Longwood University.

A national liberal arts college with an enrollment of 2,005, Luther offers an academic curriculum that leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree in more than 60 majors and pre-professional programs. For more information about Luther visit the college’s website: http://www.luther.edu.

NEI3A will be sponsoring our Annual Caregiver Wellness Day in celebration of National Caregiver month. The event will be Friday, November 16 from 11-2 pm at StoneRidge Community Church (1111 Montgomery Street Decorah). We will be having a vendor fair and presentations, luncheon, chair massages, and special presentation, “Taking Care of YOU!” presented by Karen Bergan and Michelle Williams. All caregivers of elderly and disabled are welcomed and encouraged to attend. Please contact Kelly Kuennen at 563-277-6024, or Kristie Wiltgen at 563-277-6021 to register for this FREE event!

Decorah Public Library staff are hosting three book discussions in November. The groups are open to the public and newcomers are encouraged to attend. Anyone interested should call the library at 382-3717 to learn more or to reserve a book.

The Friday Book Group will meet at 2:00 p.m. Fri. Nov. 16^th on the 2^nd floor of the library to discuss Lisa See’s “The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane.” In a remote Yunnan village, Li-yan, one of the few educated girls on her mountain, has a baby outside of wedlock and abandons her in the nearest city. After mother and daughter have gone their separate ways, Li-yan slowly emerges from the security and insularity of her village to encounter modern life, while Haley grows up a privileged and well-loved California girl. Despite Haley’s happy home life, she wonders about her origins, and Li-yan longs for her lost daughter. They both search for and find answers in the tea that has shaped their family’s destiny for generations.

For more information, contact Carmen Buss at 563-382-3717.

Interested in organizing your growing library of photos? Looking for a user-friendly program for editing and organizing your photos? Join Nick Chill as he demonstrates some best practices for organizing and editing your photo library using Adobe Lightroom. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is a powerful photo organization and editing tool. It is pivotal to many of today’s professional photographers’ workflows.

Note: Nick will be demonstrating on a big-screen TV for everyone to view. You may bring your own laptop containing Lightroom to follow along, or simply come with pen and paper to take notes. A computer with Lightroom is not required to attend this class.

Day 1: 4pm-7pm Day 2: 10am-1pm

** $90 registration required at: https://www.eagle-bluff-skills-school.org/classes/photo-organization-and-editing-2/

The Luther College music department presents fall opera scenes performed by the Opera Workshop course, a class that allows for students from all majors to learn about and prepare scenes from operas of all different types.

This event, open to the public for no charge of admission, takes place in the Noble Recital Hall of the Jenson Noble Hall of Music at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16 and 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17.

The course focuses on allowing and helping the students to learn vocal, musical, language and acting skills. They have learned music by composers from the late 17th century through the late 19th century, including pieces by Handel, Rossini, Puccini, Monteverdi and Donizetti.

The theme of this semester’s opera scenes presentation, “Baroque, Bel Canto and Beyond,” reflects the diverse choices of repertoire, from opera’s earliest beginnings, through the early Romantic bel canto tradition, and on to verismo, or opera of realism. Students will present scenes in the original language from such titles as “L’incoronazione di Poppea,” “Serse,” “Alcina,” “Il barbiere di Siviglia,” “La cenerentola,” “Cendrillon,” “La bohème” and “I pagliacci.”

This performance is directed by Beth Ray Westlund, Luther associate professor of music, Nicholas Shaneyfelt, Luther assistant professor of music, and Andrew Whitfield, Luther associate professor of music.

A national liberal arts college with an enrollment of 2,005, Luther offers an academic curriculum that leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree in more than 60 majors and pre-professional programs. For more information about Luther visit the college’s website: http://www.luther.edu.

Sail the seven seas with Jolly Roger and the crew of Jester Puppets! Join us on a thrilling, high seas adventure! There will be laughter, revelry, and music only pirates can make. Children are encouraged to come in costume!

Sponsored by Friends of Decorah Public Library, this program is free and appropriate for all ages. Seating is limited, so please register in advance at www.decorah.lib.ia.us.

For additional information, please contact Joan Roach, Children’s and Youth Librarian, at jroach@decorah.lib.ia.us or (563)382-2717.

At the Lingonberry, 218 West Water Street. Come for an evening of original music that you will not soon forget. Powerful, and from the heart. 

$10 sliding scale

BYOBev

For the first time in concert, Live at The Lingonberry, I present to you the MUSIC!

The songs are original, from the twisting folds of my consciousness for your listening pleasure. Let us take a tour through concepts ranging from love, god, activism, and even a few good old fashioned story songs.

Admission is on a sliding scale, and all proceeds go to helping me keep the music coming. I’ve designated it a sliding scale, because sometimes $10 is a lot to ask. Anything you are able to contribute is appreciated.

I will say I wouldn’t consider this to be a family friendly performance, mostly due to a few conceptually advanced themes. Also, full disclaimer, I have been known to curse from time to time. That said, if the kids want to tag along and they know the F word, let us rejoice.

B.Y.O.B

Praised for their “impeccable musicality and pure-voiced precision” by the Boston Globe, the nine-voice Lorelei Ensemble promises progressive and provocative programming at Luther College’s Center Stage Series at 7:30 Saturday, Nov. 17.

This event, held in Luther’s Center for Faith and Life Main Hall, is open to the public. Tickets are $28 for adults, $26 for seniors 65 , and $15 for youth ages 4-18. Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.tickets.luther.edu, or via the Ticket Office at (563) 387-1357 or tickets@luther.edu. Ticket Office hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m.-10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Tuesday 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Thursday 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

            Founded and led by Luther alumna Beth Willer, Lorelei’s mission is to uplift female singers and reimagine Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque repertoire. While Lorelei collaborates with up-and-coming composers to premiere new works, the Boston-based ensemble strives to exhibit timeless examples of musicality and artistry, constantly attempting to set a standard for musical performance and innovation.

Lorelei’s most recent album Impermanence was released Sept. 28, 2018. Willer, the ensemble’s artistic director, summarizes, “Whether physical or metaphysical, humanity survives by way of continuous movement-our culture, beliefs, and histories are marked by impermanence. This album is an exploration of that concept—traveling between early and contemporary repertoires, based in texts, melodies, and timelines that refuse to be conveniently pinned down by norms.”

Lorelei has performed in numerous esteemed performance spaces such as Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Art Museum, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music, Trinity Wall Street, Five Boroughs Music Festival, Rockport Chamber Music, Chamber Music Columbus, Duke Performances, Schubert Club of St. Paul, Louisville Chamber Music Series, Monadnock Music Festival, Kent Hall Masters Series, and guest appearances at state and national conferences.

Upcoming Center Stage Series events include the Westerlies on Feb. 15 and Goitse on March 14, 2019. For the full Center Stage Series listing see https://tinyurl.com/css201819.

A national liberal arts college with an enrollment of 2,005, Luther offers an academic curriculum that leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree in more than 60 majors and pre-professional programs. For more information about Luther visit the college’s website: http://www.luther.edu.

Write for Rights is Amnesty International’s largest annual human rights campaign held from November to January, centered on Human Rights Day (12/10). Folks around the world write letters on behalf of people who need urgent help. Through the power of collective action, these letters convince government officials to free people unjustly imprisoned and end other abuses. This year’s 11 cases are women human rights defenders under threat. Please come to The Lingonberry, 218 W Water St, Decorah, on Sunday, 11/18/18, after the Decorah UU service, to write letters–both to government officials and to the people we are helping. A pizza lunch will be provided as will all materials necessary to write. Even if you have time to write only one letter, please come! Please click this link to view the poster.

Stop by from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. in Vesterheim’s Bruening Visitor Center, 502 W. Water Street, to learn a tune, share a tune, jam with us, or just come to listen.

Bring any instrument you play and join in. This informal music collaboration is great fun for all levels and happens the fourth Sunday of each month (unless the fourth Sunday is near a major holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas and then it’s moved to the previous week like this one).

Drop in whenever it works in your schedule. No charge. Recording device advised.

For more info contact Martha Griesheimer at mgriesheimer@vesterheim.org.

Pick up your friends and start planning your holiday gift giving while you support local businesses and your local library at the same time! The annual Spillville Library Holiday Craft & Vendor show is Sunday, November 18 from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Community Room and basement will be full with a great variety of crafters and vendors. The event is free and refreshments will be available for sale. A percentage of the profits from each vendor will be donated to the library.

Also mark your calendar for the free Spillville Library Holiday P.J. party with Santa on Tuesday, December 11 starting at 6:30 p.m. Joyce Meyer Photography will be on hand to take free photos.

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) is a fellowship of people whose common purpose is to develop healthy relationships. The only requirement for attending our meetings is a desire for healthy and loving relationships – with ourselves and with others.

Not sure if you are co-dependent? Some patterns are:

– using indirect communication, such as hinting, to try to head off conflict (real or imagined);

– becoming resentful when our advice, help, or gifts are declined or unappreciated;

– not expressing our own feelings, beliefs, or opinions when they differ from others;

– have difficulty admitting a mistake, or re-hashing old mistakes over and over;

– perfectionism;

– perceiving ourselves as totally unselfish and dedicated to the well-being of others, and wishing others could see how much we do for them…

The list of patterns goes on.

We invite you to explore what it is like to LIVE life rather than to merely survive life. There is hope for a new day with CoDA! It is suggested that newcomers try six basic meetings before deciding if CoDA is right for them.

We also have an in-depth discussion on Sundays from 4:00-4:30pm to which anyone is welcome. (The basic meeting starts immediately afterwards, and both occur at NE Iowa Peace & Justice Center, 119 Winnebago Street.)

All attendees are anonymous. Who attends and what is said stays absolutely confidential.

Director Jennaya Robison welcomes you to the Luther College Gospel Choir , a choir focused on bringing peace, justice, and joy through music.  We rehearse Sundays from 5-6pm whenever Luther is in session, in the Choir Room at the Jenson-Noble Hall of Music.  Come whenever you can–there is no registration, no obligation, and no experience necessary. The group is open to ALL singers high school through adult (including staff, faculty, community members.)  There will be some performance opportunities, but singers don’t need to feel obligated to attend performances that don’t fit in their schedules. 

Winneshiek Energy District invites everyone interested in learning more about utility-scale solar and residential battery storage to the November Energy Breakfast, Tuesday, November 20th, 7:30 am at T-bocks Underground. Attendance is free, registration is requested (www.energydistrict.org/breakfast), and a breakfast buffet is available for a fee if enough register and choose the option.

The speaker this month will be Brian Krambeer, President and CEO of the member-owned MiEnergy Cooperative. Brian will explain an innovative pilot project to test the benefits of battery storage. As part of the pilot, four 16 kilowatt-hour smart battery storage systems are being installed at homes of co-op members.

“We want to gain a better understanding of battery technology on a small scale, like a residential home,” said Brian Krambeer. “We will be testing the batteries for use as a tool for energy management. It’s an opportunity to see how it could benefit our members.”

Being able to seamlessly switch a home’s electric source from the grid to a battery and back could help the cooperative manage electricity during peak energy periods. As an added benefit, the battery could provide backup power during power outages.
Krambeer will also provide an update on the new 1.5-megawatt solar array that Dairyland and energy have planned for west of Decorah. The project is part of a series of 18 utility-owned solar arrays totaling 25 megawatts that Dairyland is adding to its resource portfolio in 2016-19. The array will include a tracking system, and the site will include a pollinator garden and other conservation practices.

MiEnergy is the product of a recent merger between Hawkeye REC in Iowa, and Tri-County REC in Minnesota. With offices in Cresco and Rushford, MiEnergy serves 18,700 customers and is the largest distribution cooperative member of the Dairyland Power generation and transmission cooperative based in LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

“Picture it” at Barnetimen! Preschoolers and their caregivers are invited to Vesterheim, the national Norwegian-American museum and heritage center, for Barnetimen (Children’s Hour) on Tuesday, November 20, from 10-11 a.m.

This month, preschoolers will explore the world of photography. “We’ll view photographs from Norway long ago, learn to think like a photographer, and create frames for photographs we have at our homes,” Jennifer Kovarik, Vesterheim’s Youth Educator, said. Activities will begin in the museum at 502 W. Water St. and are led by Kovarik and art educator Lea Lovelace.

The program is free, thanks to sponsors Amy and Keith Bruening, David and Brenda Carlson, and Norwegian Mutual Insurance Association.

Barnetimen meets at Vesterheim Museum the third Tuesday of each month, September-April. The program is geared toward 3-5 year olds, but all ages are welcome. No sign-up is necessary—come to one session or all of them.

Lovelace is an art educator and founding co-director of Decorah’s ArtHaus. Over the past twenty years, she has worked with many different groups in a variety of contexts including museums, higher education, schools, and community settings.

Two famed Norwegian-born artists—photographer Knud Knudsen and painter Herbjørn Gausta—will claim the spotlight at the November meeting of the Luther College Woman’s Club.

All women from Decorah and surrounding communities are invited to attend the meeting, to be held Tuesday, November 20, at 1:30 p.m. in Peace Dining Room, Dahl Centennial Union, on the Luther College campus. Shuttle service from the Decorah Swimming Pool is available and leaves at 1:10 p.m. In addition to the program, a short business meeting, refreshments, and special music by Luther faculty or students are on the afternoon’s agenda.

During the meeting, Zach Row-Heyveld, exhibitions manager at Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, will draw on the black-and-white photography of Knud Knudsen, one of Norway’s first professional photographers, to explore why so many Norwegians immigrated to America in the 19th century. He will focus on residents of Tokheim, Knudsen’s hometown, which had some of the highest per-capita immigration rates in Norway during that time. The work of Knudsen, who spent his career documenting the daily lives of regular Norwegians, is displayed at Vesterheim through December 31, 2018, in the exhibit “Rocks and Hard Places: Emigration through the Lens of Knud Knudsen.”

Chris Johnson, Vesterheim president and CEO, will also provide an overview of upcoming events and projects at the museum, while Annika Vande Krol, a current Luther student, will share the results of the research she has conducted with fellow student Emily Linder on Norwegian-American painter Herbjørn Gausta. Vande Krol and Linder have worked with Kate Elliott, Luther associate professor of art history, to locate and identify Gausta’s paintings, some of which are in the art collections of Luther and Vesterheim. Gausta documented immigrant life in his portraits and paintings and helped establish a place for art in the culture of Norwegian-Americans.

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) is a fellowship of people whose common purpose is to develop healthy relationships. The only requirement for attending our meetings is a desire for healthy and loving relationships – with others, and with ourselves.

Not sure if you might be co-dependent? Some patterns are:

– thinking we can take care of ourselves without any help;

– difficulty making decisions, or second-guessing the decisions we made;

– believing we are unworthy;

– trouble setting boundaries – yet feeling resentful when others overstep those unstated boundaries;

– fear expressing our own opinions;

– offering advice or help without being asked;

– losing rest – or even sleep – worrying or obsessing about others and their problems;

– harshly judging ourselves and others… The list of patterns goes on.

We invite you to explore LIVING life rather than merely getting through life. There is hope for a new day with CoDA! It is suggested that newcomers try six basic meetings before deciding if CoDA is right for them.

We meet Wednesdays from 1-2pm at the Lingonberry, enter at 218 W Water Street. All attendees are always anonymous. Who attends and what is said stays absolutely confidential.

NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group is a free, peer-led support group for adults living with mental illness. You will gain insight from hearing the challenges and successes of others, and the groups are led by NAMI-trained facilitators who’ve been there.

NAMI’s Support Groups are unique because they follow a structured model to ensure you and others in the group have an opportunity to be heard and to get what you need.

By sharing your experiences in a safe and confidential setting, you gain hope and develop relationships. The group encourages empathy, productive discussion and a sense of community.

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) is a fellowship of people whose common purpose is to develop healthy relationships. The only requirement for attending our meetings is a desire for healthy and loving relationships – with ourselves and with others.

Not sure if you are co-dependent? Some patterns are:

– using indirect communication, such as hinting, to try to head off conflict (real or imagined);

– becoming resentful when our advice, help, or gifts are declined or unappreciated;

– not expressing our own feelings, beliefs, or opinions when they differ from others;

– have difficulty admitting a mistake, or re-hashing old mistakes over and over;

– perfectionism;

– perceiving ourselves as totally unselfish and dedicated to the well-being of others, and wishing others could see how much we do for them…

The list of patterns goes on.

We invite you to explore what it is like to LIVE life rather than to merely survive life. There is hope for a new day with CoDA! It is suggested that newcomers try six basic meetings before deciding if CoDA is right for them.

We also have an in-depth discussion on Sundays from 4:00-4:30pm to which anyone is welcome. (The basic meeting starts immediately afterwards, and both occur at NE Iowa Peace & Justice Center, 119 Winnebago Street.)

All attendees are anonymous. Who attends and what is said stays absolutely confidential.

Director Jennaya Robison welcomes you to the Luther College Gospel Choir , a choir focused on bringing peace, justice, and joy through music.  We rehearse Sundays from 5-6pm whenever Luther is in session, in the Choir Room at the Jenson-Noble Hall of Music.  Come whenever you can–there is no registration, no obligation, and no experience necessary. The group is open to ALL singers high school through adult (including staff, faculty, community members.)  There will be some performance opportunities, but singers don’t need to feel obligated to attend performances that don’t fit in their schedules. 

Join members of our community for a special Thanksgiving worship service on Monday evening, November 19 at 6:00 p.m. at First Lutheran Church. This service of readings and songs will help us consider our own gratitude for all of God’s blessings. A volunteer choir will sing at this service – all are welcome to participate. The choir will rehearse at 5:15 p.m.

Stick around following worship for coffee and treats!

Dragonfly Books is thrilled to host Minnesota author Allen Eskens with his new novel The Shadows We Hide. Eskens will share his stories, talk about The Shadows We Hide, and sign books on Monday, November 26 at 7:00 pm at Dragonfly Books.

A follow up to Eskens’ USA Today bestselling novel The Life We Bury, The Shadows We Hide (Mulholland Books 2018) is the riveting and insightful story of one man’s investigation into the murder of the father he never knew.

If you find that you can’t make it to this free event but would still like to purchase one of Eskens’ books, just give Dragonfly Books a call at 563-382-4275. One of their staff will be glad to reserve a book and have it autographed for you.

Luther College Professors Paul, Lingen, Storlie, and guest cellist Craig Hultgren invite you to experience the intimate salon setting of the Porter House Museum through their concert “Beautiful Dreamers, Old Memories” on Tuesday evening, November 27th at 7:30 p.m.

Attendees will be serenaded with highlights from the repertoire of Agathe Backer-Grøndahl, Leonard Bernstein, John W. Duarte, Stephen Foster, Enrique Granados, Libby Larsen, Peter Lingen, and Anne-Marie Ørbeck. Paul and Storlie will explain and share little-performed works by two female Norwegian composers, as well as interpret “Songs from Letters: Calamity Jane to her daughter Janey, 1880-1902.” Lingen’s guitar/voice arrangements of the concert’s theme songs: “Beautiful Dreamer” and “Old Memories” will charm even the chilliest hearts, and guest cellist Hultgren (of Oneota Valley Community Orchestra) is sure to delight during the opening number “Dream With Me.”

Tickets will be available at $14 for each and are first-come, first-served at the door. Members of the Porter House Museum may reserve tickets in advance, as a benefit of museum membership. Email the Porter House at porterhousemuseum@gmail.com for more information.

Dr. Jessica Paul, Professor Emeritus, is frequently engaged as a collaborative pianist and guest clinician, and has enriched the work of numerous opera companies including the former Dorian Opera Theater. She most recently served as Professor of Music at Luther College as vocal coach, collaborative pianist, and teacher of accompanying. Paul is a champion of women composers, specifically twentieth century American composers, and her Luther “Song Jam” legacy still lives on.

Professor Peter Lingen has been teaching exclusively for Luther College since 1990. He recently performed a solo recital with repertoire by Paul Fetler, William Walton, and Domenico Scarlatti. He performs guitar, lute and viola da gamba literature and has composed and arranged numerous works for guitar solo and collaboration–including some on this Porter House program. A wide range of influences and emotions are evoked by his work.

Soprano Rachel Storlie is the newest addition to Luther College, where she serves a 2nd year term as Alumni Guest Lecturer of Music. Storlie enjoys researching and performing the work of lesser known composers from around the globe: her latest musical adventure led to Zagreb, Croatia (thanks to a gift from the H. George and Jutta Anderson family fund) to study the regional language and art song repertoire.

This event continues the Porter House Museum’s proud tradition of hosting musical performances in its historic music parlor. Earlier this fall, the museum hosted the Iowa Composers Forum (ICF).

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) is a fellowship of people whose common purpose is to develop healthy relationships. The only requirement for attending our meetings is a desire for healthy and loving relationships – with others, and with ourselves.

Not sure if you might be co-dependent? Some patterns are:

– thinking we can take care of ourselves without any help;

– difficulty making decisions, or second-guessing the decisions we made;

– believing we are unworthy;

– trouble setting boundaries – yet feeling resentful when others overstep those unstated boundaries;

– fear expressing our own opinions;

– offering advice or help without being asked;

– losing rest – or even sleep – worrying or obsessing about others and their problems;

– harshly judging ourselves and others… The list of patterns goes on.

We invite you to explore LIVING life rather than merely getting through life. There is hope for a new day with CoDA! It is suggested that newcomers try six basic meetings before deciding if CoDA is right for them.

We meet Wednesdays from 1-2pm at the Lingonberry, enter at 218 W Water Street. All attendees are always anonymous. Who attends and what is said stays absolutely confidential.

NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group is a free, peer-led support group for adults living with mental illness. You will gain insight from hearing the challenges and successes of others, and the groups are led by NAMI-trained facilitators who’ve been there.

NAMI’s Support Groups are unique because they follow a structured model to ensure you and others in the group have an opportunity to be heard and to get what you need.

By sharing your experiences in a safe and confidential setting, you gain hope and develop relationships. The group encourages empathy, productive discussion and a sense of community.

Decorah Public Library staff are hosting three book discussions in November. The groups are open to the public and newcomers are encouraged to attend. Anyone interested should call the library at 382-3717 to learn more or to reserve a book.

The History Book Group will discuss Philip Freeman’s “Alexander the Great” at 6:30 p.m. Thurs. Nov. 29^th on the 2^nd floor of the library. In his biography of Alexander, classical scholar Philip Freeman describes Alexander’s astonishing achievements and provides insight into the mercurial character of the great conqueror. He was intensely competitive and could not tolerate losing—which he rarely did. Without Alexander, the influence of Greece on the ancient world would not have been as great as it was, even if his motivation was to unify an empire.

For more information, contact Kristin Torresdal at 563-382-3717.

Friends of Toys Go ‘Round are hosting a fundraising garage sale.  Cleaning out the back room but not selling from inventory.  Drop off donations of good, used or new toys, children’s books Thurs. November 29th 5:00-7:00 at toy library.  Sale Friday, Nov. 30 12:00-4:00 and Sat. Dec. 1, 10:00-2:00.  Decorah Library Lower Level.

Join writer Kathleen Ernst for mystery and intrigue at the museum!

This tour is for fans of Kathleen Ernst’s Chloe Ellefson Mystery Series. Kathleen’s fourth book in the series Heritage of Darkness, is set at Vesterheim Museum.

The special tour includes:
• Vesterheim Museum admission
• Guided tour to see Vesterheim artifacts and buildings featured in the mystery
• Special presentation given by Kathleen Ernst “The Chloe Ellefson Mysteries: Behind The Scenes!”
• Treat break with Norwegian sweets mentioned in the book.

$25 per person

Spoiler alert: Read the book in advance—the ending will be revealed during the tour!

Reservations are due November 23, 2018
To sign up, contact Karla Brown at 563-382-9681 x107, or kbrown@vesterheim.org.

The Northeast Iowa Peace and Justice Center is having its first annual Silent Auction fundraiser on November 30th at 7PM at the Elks Club in Decorah. The Peace and Justice Center is a non- profit organization that helps incubate new ideas, offers resources and serves as a catalyst for action in NE Iowa.

Ring in the season with Vesterheim at a Norwegian Christmas Celebration on December 1, 2018, from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. This lively day of events includes Scandinavian holiday traditions, crafts, folk arts, music, movies, treats, live goats, and more. Free admission for kids!

The event is sponsored by Duane and Eileen Bruening with additional support from Sons of Norway Valdres Lodge #1-503.

2018 Activities

Enjoy the holiday atmosphere of Vesterheim’s campus with a juletrefest where young and old join hands and sing Christmas songs while they circle around the tree, hear about Christmas in Norway, and meet the julenisse (Christmas elf). Don’t be scared by the julebukker, costumed folk who roam the museum complex scaring away evil spirits.

Also, hands-on activities and ornament-making are available at “make-and-take” stations throughout the museum’s exhibits.

• 10:00-4:00 Museum open
• 9:00-5:00 Museum Store open

Schedule:

• 9:00-5:00 Oneota Weavers Guild Sale, Bruening Visitor Center (also on Friday from 1:00-5:00)
• 11:00-3:00 Live goats, outside museum entrance
• 11:00 Storytime (Books by Jan Brett), First Floor, Main Building
• 11:00 Decorah Chorale with Decorah High School Madrigals, Bethania Church
• 11:30 Juletrefest, singing around the Christmas tree, First Floor, Main Building
• 12:00 Touch of Brass, Ship Gallery, Main Building
• 12:00 Northern Lights, Bethania Church
• 1:00-4:00 Kathleen Ernst book signing, A Chloe Ellefson Mystery Series, including the new release The Lace Maker’s Secret, Museum Store
• 1:00 Luren Singing Society, Bethania Church
• 1:00 Storytime (Books by Jan Brett), First Floor, Main Building
• 1:30 Juletrefest, singing around the Christmas tree, First Floor, Main Building
• 3:00 The film, Album, about the life of Norwegian photographer Knud Knudsen, Viking Theater.
• 3:30 The film, Journey to the Christmas Star, hosted by Oneota Film Festival, Bethania Church.

Kaffistova:
Serving 10:00-5:00 in Bethania Church basement
Menu: Varme pølse, pea soup, lefse, rømmegrøt, sweet soup, julekake, pepparkakor, sandbakkel, rosettes, krumkake, kringle, lingonberry juice, milk, coffee

Folk art demonstrations in the Main Building (10:00-4:00, unless noted):

• Figure carving, Harley Refsal – Ship Gallery, 1st floor
• Wheat weaving, Bev Schrandt with Barb Hagelie – Norwegian House, 1st floor
• Rosemaling, Ruth Green – Silver Gallery, 2nd floor, 10:00-1:30
• Weaving, Oneota Weaver’s Guild – Spinning, 3rd floor

Join us at our home and studio for our annual Holiday Pottery Sale!  If you’re looking for a unique handmade gift, we have you covered!  Mugs, tumblers, bowls, pitchers, wine chillers and cups, and many more pots to choose from!  Sample holiday treats and breads while you shop!  First 10 customers will receive a FREE small wall vase!

Katie Lawless- Hand Painted Silk Scarves, Karen Misseldine- Pottery, Lee Zieke-Lee- Traditional Willow Basketry, Jim Bryan- Original Acrylic Paintings, Prints and Cards, Jon Rotto- Nut Job Earring Company, Jen Griffin- Edible Artistry, Lindsay Lee- Regional Landscapes in Pastel.

The Lingonberry is at 218 Water Street in Decorah.

Join us for a weekend of fun at our annual Holiday Open House. This year the open house will run on both Saturday and Sunday from 12-4.

Montauk will be decorated for the holiday season, and there will be some historic photos and information placed around the house about Victorian Christmas traditions.

Saturday will include music on the piano by David Beck all day, tours of the house, hot apple cider and goodies, Victorian Christmas tree ornament making, and Christmas story readings.

Sunday we will welcome three local piano teacher and their students for their Christmas Recital Program. Sunday will also include tours of the house, hot apple cider and goodies, and Victorian Christmas tree ornament making.

Join us for a weekend of fun at our annual Holiday Open House. This year the open house will run on both Saturday and Sunday from 12-4.

Montauk will be decorated for the holiday season, and there will be some historic photos and information placed around the house about Victorian Christmas traditions.

Saturday will include music on the piano by David Beck all day, tours of the house, hot apple cider and goodies, Victorian Christmas tree ornament making, and Christmas story readings.

Sunday we will welcome three local piano teacher and their students for their Christmas Recital Program. Sunday will also include tours of the house, hot apple cider and goodies, and Victorian Christmas tree ornament making.

Join us for our annual Vespers Service, a tradition that has been kept alive at the Union Sunday School for over a hundred years.

The Vespers Serivce is multi-denominational event that we hold at the historic Union Sunday School each year in celebration of Christmas. There will be readings from local pastors, music played on the historic organ, and special Christmas music played by the Junior High Band.

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) is a fellowship of people whose common purpose is to develop healthy relationships. The only requirement for attending our meetings is a desire for healthy and loving relationships – with ourselves and with others.

Not sure if you are co-dependent? Some patterns are:

– using indirect communication, such as hinting, to try to head off conflict (real or imagined);

– becoming resentful when our advice, help, or gifts are declined or unappreciated;

– not expressing our own feelings, beliefs, or opinions when they differ from others;

– have difficulty admitting a mistake, or re-hashing old mistakes over and over;

– perfectionism;

– perceiving ourselves as totally unselfish and dedicated to the well-being of others, and wishing others could see how much we do for them…

The list of patterns goes on.

We invite you to explore what it is like to LIVE life rather than to merely survive life. There is hope for a new day with CoDA! It is suggested that newcomers try six basic meetings before deciding if CoDA is right for them.

We also have an in-depth discussion on Sundays from 4:00-4:30pm to which anyone is welcome. (The basic meeting starts immediately afterwards, and both occur at NE Iowa Peace & Justice Center, 119 Winnebago Street.)

All attendees are anonymous. Who attends and what is said stays absolutely confidential.

Director Jennaya Robison welcomes you to the Luther College Gospel Choir , a choir focused on bringing peace, justice, and joy through music.  We rehearse Sundays from 5-6pm whenever Luther is in session, in the Choir Room at the Jenson-Noble Hall of Music.  Come whenever you can–there is no registration, no obligation, and no experience necessary. The group is open to ALL singers high school through adult (including staff, faculty, community members.)  There will be some performance opportunities, but singers don’t need to feel obligated to attend performances that don’t fit in their schedules. 

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) is a fellowship of people whose common purpose is to develop healthy relationships. The only requirement for attending our meetings is a desire for healthy and loving relationships – with others, and with ourselves.

Not sure if you might be co-dependent? Some patterns are:

– thinking we can take care of ourselves without any help;

– difficulty making decisions, or second-guessing the decisions we made;

– believing we are unworthy;

– trouble setting boundaries – yet feeling resentful when others overstep those unstated boundaries;

– fear expressing our own opinions;

– offering advice or help without being asked;

– losing rest – or even sleep – worrying or obsessing about others and their problems;

– harshly judging ourselves and others… The list of patterns goes on.

We invite you to explore LIVING life rather than merely getting through life. There is hope for a new day with CoDA! It is suggested that newcomers try six basic meetings before deciding if CoDA is right for them.

We meet Wednesdays from 1-2pm at the Lingonberry, enter at 218 W Water Street. All attendees are always anonymous. Who attends and what is said stays absolutely confidential.

DECORAH COMMUNITY FREE MEAL
Building Community Plate by Plate

Join with family, friends and neighbors for a FREE meal* served between 5 pm and 6:15 pm on the first Thursday of the month at First Lutheran Church in Decorah.
All ages are welcome.

The meal is served on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month beginning at 5 pm.

Main dishes are supplied by Sodexo at Luther College or by local restaurants. Salads and desserts are provided by volunteers from local community groups.

*Gluten free options are always available.
Donations welcome.

NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group is a free, peer-led support group for adults living with mental illness. You will gain insight from hearing the challenges and successes of others, and the groups are led by NAMI-trained facilitators who’ve been there.

NAMI’s Support Groups are unique because they follow a structured model to ensure you and others in the group have an opportunity to be heard and to get what you need.

By sharing your experiences in a safe and confidential setting, you gain hope and develop relationships. The group encourages empathy, productive discussion and a sense of community.

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) is a fellowship of people whose common purpose is to develop healthy relationships. The only requirement for attending our meetings is a desire for healthy and loving relationships – with ourselves and with others.

Not sure if you are co-dependent? Some patterns are:

– using indirect communication, such as hinting, to try to head off conflict (real or imagined);

– becoming resentful when our advice, help, or gifts are declined or unappreciated;

– not expressing our own feelings, beliefs, or opinions when they differ from others;

– have difficulty admitting a mistake, or re-hashing old mistakes over and over;

– perfectionism;

– perceiving ourselves as totally unselfish and dedicated to the well-being of others, and wishing others could see how much we do for them…

The list of patterns goes on.

We invite you to explore what it is like to LIVE life rather than to merely survive life. There is hope for a new day with CoDA! It is suggested that newcomers try six basic meetings before deciding if CoDA is right for them.

We also have an in-depth discussion on Sundays from 4:00-4:30pm to which anyone is welcome. (The basic meeting starts immediately afterwards, and both occur at NE Iowa Peace & Justice Center, 119 Winnebago Street.)

All attendees are anonymous. Who attends and what is said stays absolutely confidential.

Director Jennaya Robison welcomes you to the Luther College Gospel Choir , a choir focused on bringing peace, justice, and joy through music.  We rehearse Sundays from 5-6pm whenever Luther is in session, in the Choir Room at the Jenson-Noble Hall of Music.  Come whenever you can–there is no registration, no obligation, and no experience necessary. The group is open to ALL singers high school through adult (including staff, faculty, community members.)  There will be some performance opportunities, but singers don’t need to feel obligated to attend performances that don’t fit in their schedules. 

NAMI Family Support Group is a peer-led support group for family members, caregivers, and loved ones of those living with mental illness. These groups are unique because they follow a structured model, ensuring everyone has an opportunity to be heard and get what they need. Participating will help you learn to:

• See the individual first, not the illness
• Find strength in sharing experiences
• Not judge anyone’s pain
• Aim for better coping skills
• Reject stigma and not tolerate discrimination
• Accept that we cannot solve every problem
• Work for a better future in a realistic way

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) is a fellowship of people whose common purpose is to develop healthy relationships. The only requirement for attending our meetings is a desire for healthy and loving relationships – with others, and with ourselves.

Not sure if you might be co-dependent? Some patterns are:

– thinking we can take care of ourselves without any help;

– difficulty making decisions, or second-guessing the decisions we made;

– believing we are unworthy;

– trouble setting boundaries – yet feeling resentful when others overstep those unstated boundaries;

– fear expressing our own opinions;

– offering advice or help without being asked;

– losing rest – or even sleep – worrying or obsessing about others and their problems;

– harshly judging ourselves and others… The list of patterns goes on.

We invite you to explore LIVING life rather than merely getting through life. There is hope for a new day with CoDA! It is suggested that newcomers try six basic meetings before deciding if CoDA is right for them.

We meet Wednesdays from 1-2pm at the Lingonberry, enter at 218 W Water Street. All attendees are always anonymous. Who attends and what is said stays absolutely confidential.

NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group is a free, peer-led support group for adults living with mental illness. You will gain insight from hearing the challenges and successes of others, and the groups are led by NAMI-trained facilitators who’ve been there.

NAMI’s Support Groups are unique because they follow a structured model to ensure you and others in the group have an opportunity to be heard and to get what you need.

By sharing your experiences in a safe and confidential setting, you gain hope and develop relationships. The group encourages empathy, productive discussion and a sense of community.

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) is a fellowship of people whose common purpose is to develop healthy relationships. The only requirement for attending our meetings is a desire for healthy and loving relationships – with ourselves and with others.

Not sure if you are co-dependent? Some patterns are:

– using indirect communication, such as hinting, to try to head off conflict (real or imagined);

– becoming resentful when our advice, help, or gifts are declined or unappreciated;

– not expressing our own feelings, beliefs, or opinions when they differ from others;

– have difficulty admitting a mistake, or re-hashing old mistakes over and over;

– perfectionism;

– perceiving ourselves as totally unselfish and dedicated to the well-being of others, and wishing others could see how much we do for them…

The list of patterns goes on.

We invite you to explore what it is like to LIVE life rather than to merely survive life. There is hope for a new day with CoDA! It is suggested that newcomers try six basic meetings before deciding if CoDA is right for them.

We also have an in-depth discussion on Sundays from 4:00-4:30pm to which anyone is welcome. (The basic meeting starts immediately afterwards, and both occur at NE Iowa Peace & Justice Center, 119 Winnebago Street.)

All attendees are anonymous. Who attends and what is said stays absolutely confidential.

Director Jennaya Robison welcomes you to the Luther College Gospel Choir , a choir focused on bringing peace, justice, and joy through music.  We rehearse Sundays from 5-6pm whenever Luther is in session, in the Choir Room at the Jenson-Noble Hall of Music.  Come whenever you can–there is no registration, no obligation, and no experience necessary. The group is open to ALL singers high school through adult (including staff, faculty, community members.)  There will be some performance opportunities, but singers don’t need to feel obligated to attend performances that don’t fit in their schedules. 

Every Tuesday at 7:30. • Win $25 in drink chips. Come test your skills. • Great minds win great drinks
Lanesboro, MN

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) is a fellowship of people whose common purpose is to develop healthy relationships. The only requirement for attending our meetings is a desire for healthy and loving relationships – with others, and with ourselves.

Not sure if you might be co-dependent? Some patterns are:

– thinking we can take care of ourselves without any help;

– difficulty making decisions, or second-guessing the decisions we made;

– believing we are unworthy;

– trouble setting boundaries – yet feeling resentful when others overstep those unstated boundaries;

– fear expressing our own opinions;

– offering advice or help without being asked;

– losing rest – or even sleep – worrying or obsessing about others and their problems;

– harshly judging ourselves and others… The list of patterns goes on.

We invite you to explore LIVING life rather than merely getting through life. There is hope for a new day with CoDA! It is suggested that newcomers try six basic meetings before deciding if CoDA is right for them.

We meet Wednesdays from 1-2pm at the Lingonberry, enter at 218 W Water Street. All attendees are always anonymous. Who attends and what is said stays absolutely confidential.

DECORAH COMMUNITY FREE MEAL
Building Community Plate by Plate

Join with family, friends and neighbors for a FREE meal* served between 5 pm and 6:15 pm on the third Thursday of the month, at First Lutheran Church in Decorah.
All ages are welcome.

The meal is served on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month beginning at 5 pm.

Main dishes are supplied by local restaurants with assistance by volunteers from community groups.

*Gluten free options are always available.
Donations welcome.

NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group is a free, peer-led support group for adults living with mental illness. You will gain insight from hearing the challenges and successes of others, and the groups are led by NAMI-trained facilitators who’ve been there.

NAMI’s Support Groups are unique because they follow a structured model to ensure you and others in the group have an opportunity to be heard and to get what you need.

By sharing your experiences in a safe and confidential setting, you gain hope and develop relationships. The group encourages empathy, productive discussion and a sense of community.

Head over to the High Court Pub in Lanesboro every Thursday for an evening of music and community, featuring local talents on the mezzanine stage. Local musicians will be hosting, and we encourage all levels of talent to come play!

No musical skill? Read a poem! No instruments? That’s OK! Pick out your favorite shower song for karaoke. You’ll be astounded by the local talent – We’ll see you at 7:30 at the HCP.

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) is a fellowship of people whose common purpose is to develop healthy relationships. The only requirement for attending our meetings is a desire for healthy and loving relationships – with ourselves and with others.

Not sure if you are co-dependent? Some patterns are:

– using indirect communication, such as hinting, to try to head off conflict (real or imagined);

– becoming resentful when our advice, help, or gifts are declined or unappreciated;

– not expressing our own feelings, beliefs, or opinions when they differ from others;

– have difficulty admitting a mistake, or re-hashing old mistakes over and over;

– perfectionism;

– perceiving ourselves as totally unselfish and dedicated to the well-being of others, and wishing others could see how much we do for them…

The list of patterns goes on.

We invite you to explore what it is like to LIVE life rather than to merely survive life. There is hope for a new day with CoDA! It is suggested that newcomers try six basic meetings before deciding if CoDA is right for them.

We also have an in-depth discussion on Sundays from 4:00-4:30pm to which anyone is welcome. (The basic meeting starts immediately afterwards, and both occur at NE Iowa Peace & Justice Center, 119 Winnebago Street.)

All attendees are anonymous. Who attends and what is said stays absolutely confidential.

Director Jennaya Robison welcomes you to the Luther College Gospel Choir , a choir focused on bringing peace, justice, and joy through music.  We rehearse Sundays from 5-6pm whenever Luther is in session, in the Choir Room at the Jenson-Noble Hall of Music.  Come whenever you can–there is no registration, no obligation, and no experience necessary. The group is open to ALL singers high school through adult (including staff, faculty, community members.)  There will be some performance opportunities, but singers don’t need to feel obligated to attend performances that don’t fit in their schedules. 

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) is a fellowship of people whose common purpose is to develop healthy relationships. The only requirement for attending our meetings is a desire for healthy and loving relationships – with others, and with ourselves.

Not sure if you might be co-dependent? Some patterns are:

– thinking we can take care of ourselves without any help;

– difficulty making decisions, or second-guessing the decisions we made;

– believing we are unworthy;

– trouble setting boundaries – yet feeling resentful when others overstep those unstated boundaries;

– fear expressing our own opinions;

– offering advice or help without being asked;

– losing rest – or even sleep – worrying or obsessing about others and their problems;

– harshly judging ourselves and others… The list of patterns goes on.

We invite you to explore LIVING life rather than merely getting through life. There is hope for a new day with CoDA! It is suggested that newcomers try six basic meetings before deciding if CoDA is right for them.

We meet Wednesdays from 1-2pm at the Lingonberry, enter at 218 W Water Street. All attendees are always anonymous. Who attends and what is said stays absolutely confidential.

NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group is a free, peer-led support group for adults living with mental illness. You will gain insight from hearing the challenges and successes of others, and the groups are led by NAMI-trained facilitators who’ve been there.

NAMI’s Support Groups are unique because they follow a structured model to ensure you and others in the group have an opportunity to be heard and to get what you need.

By sharing your experiences in a safe and confidential setting, you gain hope and develop relationships. The group encourages empathy, productive discussion and a sense of community.

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) is a fellowship of people whose common purpose is to develop healthy relationships. The only requirement for attending our meetings is a desire for healthy and loving relationships – with ourselves and with others.

Not sure if you are co-dependent? Some patterns are:

– using indirect communication, such as hinting, to try to head off conflict (real or imagined);

– becoming resentful when our advice, help, or gifts are declined or unappreciated;

– not expressing our own feelings, beliefs, or opinions when they differ from others;

– have difficulty admitting a mistake, or re-hashing old mistakes over and over;

– perfectionism;

– perceiving ourselves as totally unselfish and dedicated to the well-being of others, and wishing others could see how much we do for them…

The list of patterns goes on.

We invite you to explore what it is like to LIVE life rather than to merely survive life. There is hope for a new day with CoDA! It is suggested that newcomers try six basic meetings before deciding if CoDA is right for them.

We also have an in-depth discussion on Sundays from 4:00-4:30pm to which anyone is welcome. (The basic meeting starts immediately afterwards, and both occur at NE Iowa Peace & Justice Center, 119 Winnebago Street.)

All attendees are anonymous. Who attends and what is said stays absolutely confidential.

Director Jennaya Robison welcomes you to the Luther College Gospel Choir , a choir focused on bringing peace, justice, and joy through music.  We rehearse Sundays from 5-6pm whenever Luther is in session, in the Choir Room at the Jenson-Noble Hall of Music.  Come whenever you can–there is no registration, no obligation, and no experience necessary. The group is open to ALL singers high school through adult (including staff, faculty, community members.)  There will be some performance opportunities, but singers don’t need to feel obligated to attend performances that don’t fit in their schedules. 

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) is a fellowship of people whose common purpose is to develop healthy relationships. The only requirement for attending our meetings is a desire for healthy and loving relationships – with others, and with ourselves.

Not sure if you might be co-dependent? Some patterns are:

– thinking we can take care of ourselves without any help;

– difficulty making decisions, or second-guessing the decisions we made;

– believing we are unworthy;

– trouble setting boundaries – yet feeling resentful when others overstep those unstated boundaries;

– fear expressing our own opinions;

– offering advice or help without being asked;

– losing rest – or even sleep – worrying or obsessing about others and their problems;

– harshly judging ourselves and others… The list of patterns goes on.

We invite you to explore LIVING life rather than merely getting through life. There is hope for a new day with CoDA! It is suggested that newcomers try six basic meetings before deciding if CoDA is right for them.

We meet Wednesdays from 1-2pm at the Lingonberry, enter at 218 W Water Street. All attendees are always anonymous. Who attends and what is said stays absolutely confidential.

DECORAH COMMUNITY FREE MEAL
Building Community Plate by Plate

Join with family, friends and neighbors for a FREE meal* served between 5 pm and 6:15 pm on the first Thursday of the month at First Lutheran Church in Decorah.
All ages are welcome.

The meal is served on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month beginning at 5 pm.

Main dishes are supplied by Sodexo at Luther College or by local restaurants. Salads and desserts are provided by volunteers from local community groups.

*Gluten free options are always available.
Donations welcome.

NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group is a free, peer-led support group for adults living with mental illness. You will gain insight from hearing the challenges and successes of others, and the groups are led by NAMI-trained facilitators who’ve been there.

NAMI’s Support Groups are unique because they follow a structured model to ensure you and others in the group have an opportunity to be heard and to get what you need.

By sharing your experiences in a safe and confidential setting, you gain hope and develop relationships. The group encourages empathy, productive discussion and a sense of community.