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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 2017)
Wednesday, August 30, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 11 COCC offers autobiography workshop Glaze Meadow restoration set Central Oregon Community College is offer- ing a continuing education 10-week workshop for adults on guided autobiography, titled Write It Down. The class will begin September 19. Each three-hour class will meet on Tuesdays, from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Sisters Library community room. This workshop provides structure for participants who are interested in writing their autobiography or memoir. Each week, under the guid- ance of facilitator and Sisters resident Sue Stafford, mem- bers will explore a different life theme that has been influ- ential in shaping their lives. Writing is done at home on each theme and then several pages are shared in a small group during the next class. The first week explores major branching points in partici- pants’ lives. In subsequent sessions members explore such topics as family, the role of money, major life work or career, health and body, and other topics that interweave to form the tapestry of a life. “Writing a guided autobi- ography focused on central themes in our lives can give new meaning to our present and future lives because it helps us understand the past more fully,” explains Stafford. “This program is not therapy, but the insights gained can be very therapeutic. As sto- ries are shared, strong bonds of support are formed among the participants. Previous groups that have taken the class, including the last fall and spring groups, enjoyed their experience so much they elected to continue together as ongoing writing groups.” Former spring workshop participant Bruce Barnes described his experience this way: “Our group, of mostly females, came together to write about our lives but found along the way, I’m guessing, more than we’d signed up for. There was a sense of discov- ery. Even though I was in con- trol of the keyboard, I never really knew what was going to appear on the next page – what emotions I was going to find; what memories would appear, suddenly and unbid- den; what words, phrases or trails would appear. But, that’s emotional/spiritual discovery. There is also technical dis- covery — use of voice; pac- ing; flow; powerful (and not- so-powerful) words — how to paint a Technicolor picture PHOTO PROVIDED Sue Stafford will lead a guided autobiography class in sisters. rather than a muddy black and white; and that pesky grammar.” The guided autobiogra- phy program was developed by James Birren, PhD, for- mer associate director of the UCLA Center on Aging, based on his 25 years of conducting autobiography groups. Facilitator Stafford, MA ABS, has a background in counseling and expressive arts therapy, as well as being a freelance writer for The Nugget and The Bulletin. The cost of the 10-week course is $179. To register for the class, visit the online COCC continuing education catalog. Class size is limited to 10 participants. For more information about the class, call instructor Sue Stafford at 541-549-2107. Starting this week, the Sisters Ranger District will begin work to restore Glaze Meadow, located five miles northwest of Sisters near Black Butte Ranch. The restoration work will begin on August 31, and continue until late October. It is being done in partnership with Trout Unlimited. The goal of the project is to improve water stor- age in the meadow, increase habitat for wetland plant and animal species and reduce the encroachment of ponderosa pine into the meadow. To achieve these goals, pond outlets are being plugged, whole trees are to be added for habitat and the old ditches that were used to drain the meadow in the past are being filled. Any areas that are disturbed during the project imple- mentation will be seeded and planted with native species at the end of the project. The Forest Service wants to let hikers and horseback riders who recreate in the Glaze Meadow area know that they need to be aware of heavy equipment oper- ating in the area during weekdays. For more information about the project, con- tact Nate Dachtler at the Sisters Ranger District, 541-549-7725. Outdoor Seating Serving Lunch Noon to 5 p.m. Dinner 5 p.m. to Close Tasty Thursday: Aug. 31 Eugene Cellars, 5 -7 p.m. Live Music: Sat., Sept. 2 Bill Keale, 7-9 p.m. Open T O Tuesday-Saturday d S t d 12 12-8 8 pm 391 W. Cascade Ave. | 541-549-2675 corkcellarswinebistro.com